I've been playing for 23 years this May, playing semi-professionally for 18 years. I've had assorted Kramer's (yeah, the old 80's Heavy Metal guitars with the Floyd Rose), a couple of Gibsons and Gibson clones, and Fenders. My main guitar at the moment is a 1997 Fender American Standard Strat with the honeyburst finish. I swear, it's the first guitar that I've never done any work to. Normally, the first thing I do when I get a guitar is start taking it apart to make it like I want it, but this was perfect from the very first instant I touched it. I'll die playing this guitar.

As for amps and effects, my amp is the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe all tube combo. I've had full stacks of Marshalls and Ampegs and Peavey ( I live in MS), and these Fenders rock. I've not been able to turn it over 2, and I have never had to mike it at a gig. Effects are just a Dunlop Crybaby that I bought in 1986 that I have made some mods to and an old (circa 1964-65) Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Chorus pedal. That's it. I rarely ever touch delay, and just use the spring reverb built into the amp.