as background information, i have ADD and OCD. so when my GAS kicks in i have to have 'perfection' with my rig. sound, feel,look and even manufacturing? well, kind of....

right now i am in love with the new hand wired ac30s, even though mine is still great. the only thing i have against mine is that it is manufactured in china. i have 2 american fenders and usa made pedals like EHX, MXR, EXOTiC, etc etc. in my head, everything has to be matched in quality, and i guess my brain doesnt think my ac30 can compete.

i guess what i need is for real musicians to help me cope with the OCD of my made in china amp. if my guitars are made in usa, and pedals made in usa and my amps has been customized by me to my own specs, is it still ok for me to have a chinese amp?

i know this is an extremely stupid question but for me, it is a real problem. i was about to drop $1,600 last night on musicians friend, but my wife nearly flipped on me! if other real musicians concur, then hopefully my OCD will subside a little bit.

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Guitars: American Standard Strat, American Vintage 52 Tele, Gretsch Power Jet

Amps: Frontman 212R, Hot Rod DeVille 212 w/ Vintage 30's, AC30 w/ Greenbacks

Pedals: Boss Tuner, XOTiC AC-Booster, MXR Phase 90, Line 6 DL4

I dont have ADHD or OCD but I do have a bad case of GAS! When I see a deal or something vintage I have been looking for I have to have it. I just picked up a 1974 Guild M75 Bluesbird, couldn't resist it.

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

'Suggest you take it out a bit more cosmic than merely peripheral country of assembly meaning "origin."

C'mon for a mind wander.

Your American made guitar may have a Louisiana swamp ash body, Canadian maple neck and Brazilian rosewood fretboard. The copper in the pups may have come from Argentina and the magnet iron from Minnesota. Oil to make the plastic pickgiard may have originated in Bahrain.

The Chinese amp was assembled in China same as your guitar was assemmbled in the USA, but componets and raw materials came from all over the world.

If you really crave a handwired AC-30, crave it for its handwired-ness...which may well be less relaible than modern PC board components.

We live in a mighty global world, right now.

Oh, and be careful what you say. Your mind hears and makes happen, whatever you say and think. "I have ADHD" becomes an instruction. SO does, "I have banished the ADHD and think more expansively."

Peace.

I've had GAS for a very long time, it's a life long disease. The only thing you can do is manage it, or consult with a psychiatrist or psychologist.

A rule I keep that helps me manage GAS is to maintain a certain amout of gear. For example, if I want another guitar, I must part with (sell or give away a guitar). Hence, I obtain equipment that has good resale value so it can be sold fast for when the GAS kicks in.

A wise course of action indeed.

However, I just cannot fathom letting go with a piece of gear -- too many times I've regretted it later on. Thus, whenever I grow temporarily bored of something I just stick it under the bed for "safekeeping".

(my mattress is four or five feet above the floor now......)



Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I've played through MIC AC 30s and found the sound to be true to the British made ones.If you want to improve the sound why not put in a pair of Greenbacks or Celestion Blues rather than dropping big bucks for a handwired job.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

I totally agree with Arjay, however my GAS overcomes me at times. I tried keeping a 1979 Gibson Explorer in the closet, But the Gas hit me and I sold it 23 years later. I also tried to keep a 64 tolex coverd Champ (tweed design), but GAS got the best of me and I just had to have a Taylor.

I'm in remission.