# Affording Expensive Gear



## zipline7020 (Oct 13, 2014)

So right now I'm a college student at a music university, and Im trying to build my own studio to record my friends and I, as well as begin playing live with my own music. Anyway I'm already maxed out in my credit hours and working a small job to help pay for food/gas. What are some ways I can raise additional money afford more studio gear. 

**

Specifically, and axe fx 2. Right now i use a POD HD( I have for 3 and a half years now), and I always feel dis-satisfied with what I'm getting. Most of my favorite bands use axe fx, and I feel maybe I could get closer to what Im looking for with that. I play all sorts of different styles, so just buying 1 amp wouldn't do because I use different amp sounds for different things. it needs to be a modeler because I can't seem to find a place near the college that allows loud guitar cabs. So axe fx 2/kemper whatever, both are amazing and expensive. Not trying to start a kemper vs Axe Fx post. 

and heres other gear, but thats the main one that comes to mind. 

*side note over

So what are some ways you can recommend for someone in my position to raise the money beyond my normal job for an expensive yet seemingly crucial piece of gear? Money keeps getting tighter and harder to stow away for later, and I would like to have this before I finish my undergrad, which is in a year and a half .


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## reckoner (Oct 13, 2014)

1) Sell off as much old gear as you can, including the POD. Anything you don't use or need.

2) Buy used. My buddy just picked up an Axe Fx Ultra off Craigslist for $950.


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## tedtan (Oct 13, 2014)

Save up.

I know it seems like the Axe FX is key to your tonal bliss, but plenty of people get great sounds with free VST amp sims. Maybe work more on dialing the POD or other sims in.

Also, I didn't start getting nicer gear until after I was done with school.


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## zipline7020 (Oct 13, 2014)

Thats a good idea, Right now the POD will sell for 200 maybe(its the HD Desktop version). everything else I have is barebones necessities so not much else studio gear to sell, but Im sure I could find other non music things to get rid of. 

anything else?


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## Winspear (Oct 13, 2014)

Pointing out the obvious here but SPEND ONLY ON ESSENTIALS if a piece of gear is so important to you. 
It's funny how many of my local friends are jealous of my gear/think I am lucky/spoilt even though they earn about the same amount of money as me. Guarantee they could have anything they wanted if I managed their finances for a year  
Once rent and necessary bills and petrol are covered, anybody should easily be able to spend a maximum of $50 a week. That's coming from somebody on a bodybuilding diet - I'd say $35 for an average person. Many people think they are being careful with their money or can't do anything more to save until they actually spend a month writing down what they spend on. Try it! Of course you don't need to have no life at all and avoid some nice spendings here and there, but it's the things you don't notice that add up.


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## zipline7020 (Oct 13, 2014)

^^^^^ HAHA! Yes I'll strip!


and you're right about saving. I try to tuck away money and save by not eating out or doing extraneous expensive things. This semester as really hit my wallet though, $600 in school books alone, ridiculous.


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## Winspear (Oct 13, 2014)

One example is lunches. My friends spend so much every day on buying a sandwich, bottle of Coke etc when at work/school. Making a sandwich at home and filling up a bottle of water to take is so much cheaper and will literally save like 1k a year. 
Books are a bitch. I can't believe the prices I hear. I'm glad that wasn't necessary on my degree...It's not permitted to discuss illegal things involving the internet here but I'll leave you to figure out the rest of this sentence yourself.


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## Demiurge (Oct 13, 2014)

zipline7020 said:


> So right now I'm a college student at a music university, and Im trying to build my own studio to record my friends and I, as well as begin playing live with my own music. Anyway I'm already maxed out in my credit hours and working a small job to help pay for food/gas.



Please don't take this as being rude, but my recommendation is to re-read these sentences of yours a few times and start to identify your priorities. What I see: you are a student and can barely make ends meet but you are looking to make an investment that is well beyond your means. 

Hey, building a studio sounds awesome, but if you can't afford it, that's pretty much your barrier.


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## zipline7020 (Oct 13, 2014)

Don't worry, you're all good. 

and Yea I usually make my own lunch with some kind of sandwich or dollar pasta thing I make in my room. It really does help


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## Dead-Pan (Oct 13, 2014)

I love music but if you are in college I would focus there until you are done. 

As mention amp sims are free and sound ok, possibly better than the Pod. 

Beyond that room mates are a great way to lessen expenses and Ramen soups are not bad and cheap! Car pooling is a good way to save as gas is expensive!

If you are dying for the equipment you could always take out a Subsidized loan that will not see interest until you are 6 months out of school.


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## Winspear (Oct 13, 2014)

Also have you considered working nights? I did weekend nightshifts to keep the hours well out of the way of my degree. The premium and long hours means I was effectively working full time in terms of pay. I've kept that job to this day because it's so compact in the week and allows for plenty of time off every single week without financial sacrifice.


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## Elric (Oct 13, 2014)

Forgo expensive stuff until you graduate? Using a POD HD through your student years is certainly a first world problem and doesn't sound like much a hardship to me (I used a Rockman and Solid State amp in college). 

Most students have to make some kind of sacrifice (often many of them) to achieve their goals. There will be some awesome new gizmo du jour when you get your first real job that you can treat yourself to and you are certainly in no position to build a decent studio. If that was your goal you'd be taking a business loan at some point, anyway; presumably after graduating and doing a bunch of research wrt both the gear and the business end.


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## zipline7020 (Oct 13, 2014)

I know money is an issue. But I figured maybe coming on here could help me find a way to make a bit more to advance my standing. Directly after undergrad is off to Grad school for vocal performance. So Id like to have a descent set up before I go there because money and time could be even tighter there. But owning my own means to make a quality, polished recorded product of my own has always been a dream of mine. So I wanna keep at it


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## Elric (Oct 13, 2014)

zipline7020 said:


> I know money is an issue. But I figured maybe coming on here could help me find a way to make a bit more to advance my standing. Directly after undergrad is off to Grad school for vocal performance. So Id like to have a descent set up before I go there because money and time could be even tighter there. But owning my own means to make a quality, polished recorded product of my own has always been a dream of mine. So I wanna keep at it



Are you saying you are incapable of getting a "polished recorded product" with a POD HD? I'm incredibly skeptical that someone would *need* an AxeFx II to achieve that. Don't get me wrong, if you have the means it is an awesome product. In fact, I own a II and have owned an HD. But, that is why I REALLY just have to question your priorities if you think that is a must with all the tools and resources available in your current unit and free tools. The II was an awesome upgrade coming from the HD but as someone who has done it; it is a luxury hardly an essential.

Sometimes limitations are the mother of creativity; you should really focus on that side of things if your cash is THAT tight. IMHO.


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## Fretless (Oct 13, 2014)

EtherealEntity said:


> Pointing out the obvious here but SPEND ONLY ON ESSENTIALS if a piece of gear is so important to you.
> It's funny how many of my local friends are jealous of my gear/think I am lucky/spoilt even though they earn about the same amount of money as me. Guarantee they could have anything they wanted if I managed their finances for a year
> Once rent and necessary bills and petrol are covered, anybody should easily be able to spend a maximum of $50 a week. That's coming from somebody on a bodybuilding diet - I'd say $35 for an average person. Many people think they are being careful with their money or can't do anything more to save until they actually spend a month writing down what they spend on. Try it! Of course you don't need to have no life at all and avoid some nice spendings here and there, but it's the things you don't notice that add up.



Man. $35 a week is my gas bill XD That's what I get for living in Houston where my drive to work and back is a 72 mile round trip.
However, I agree. It is important to cover bills first, and then figure out how little you can actually live on.


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## Winspear (Oct 13, 2014)

I meant essentials on top of rent bills and gas haha! I.e. pretty much only food. Of course if you are at a point where your income only barely covers the literal essentials listed there, buying expensive gear is not the best idea as mentioned. But that doesn't apply to the vast majority of people I've seen say they 'barely have any spare money'


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## zipline7020 (Oct 13, 2014)

Oh no, I can always afford essentials such as 2 or 3 meals a day cooked at home, and gas/ rent. And I do come away with some spending money every month and I look for deals and discounts for groceries. I made this just to see if theres any ways besides getting a second job to make a little extra to afford it.

and I chose to go to the top of the quality meter because I plan on using recording to help support myself once Im in grad school, and i feel that the flexibility would let more people be happy with what they hear. And its literally the only audio purchase I could see myself making in the next many years. Im happy with my guitars and computer and everything else.


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## MaxSwagger (Oct 13, 2014)

You could check into financing if your credit is good enough. That's how I got some of my more expensive gear. You just have to be smart about it though as the interest rates are absurd. Sweetwater.com offers 24 month financing on most things (not sure on Kemper stuff) and I've never had a problem with them. Let's say you get $2,000 worth of stuff, divide that by 24 (or however long the financing period is) and that is what you make sure you pay each month. I usually pay more when I can just in case I get into some unexpected shit one month. However, the option of financing is enticing once you start and you might find yourself thinking it's a good idea to finance more gear just because "well, it'd only be $50 more a month", or "well, I'm already used to paying this every month so I might as well get something else now that this is paid off". Personally, I couldn't imagine financing with college and a job, but if the job's good enough and you have solid savings skills it may be a good option for you.


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## sage (Oct 13, 2014)

First, reverse engineer. When do you want an Axe FX? Let's say a year is an attainable goal. How much is an Axe FX II? Looks like 2.5K. So you need to save $210/month to afford that in a year. Any way of pulling that together with your current budget? Probably not. Not if I remember university properly. 

So, wat do? Well, as a university student for vocal performance, I imagine vocal or music theory tutoring is an option. Make up some flyers offering in-home tutoring. You're going to spend some quality time on the bus getting to your clients, but it should be worth it. If you can manage seven $30 bookings a month, you're at $210 a month and into your AxeFX in a year for the price of a bus pass that you probably already have. 

Do you have any other skills that you could use as a freelancer? Exploit some of those if possible. Or take up bartending. It's how I got through university. Kills the social and work birds with one stone, comes with lots of tax-free income, and is excellent for networking.


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## zipline7020 (Oct 13, 2014)

^^^ all really great Ideas! Thank you


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## mnemonic (Oct 13, 2014)

Elric said:


> Are you saying you are incapable of getting a "polished recorded product" with a POD HD? I'm incredibly skeptical that someone would *need* an AxeFx II to achieve that. Don't get me wrong, if you have the means it is an awesome product. In fact, I own a II and have owned an HD. But, that is why I REALLY just have to question your priorities if you think that is a must with all the tools and resources available in your current unit and free tools. The II was an awesome upgrade coming from the HD but as someone who has done it; it is a luxury hardly an essential.
> 
> Sometimes limitations are the mother of creativity; you should really focus on that side of things if your cash is THAT tight. IMHO.



Plenty of professional records have been made with podxt's back in the day, and during the last few years there have been quite a few free/cheap VST's that rival the recorded tones of real amps/axe fx's (LePou and TSE come to mind). 

I agree with what you say regarding the Axe FX being a luxury. When you record, there unlimited options regarding layers, outboard eq's, impulses, etc. 

My advice would be to spend more time learning how to mix and master, that will have a much greater effect on the quality of your recordings than expensive preamps will.


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## Albionic (Oct 13, 2014)

If you have a PC interface all the software to make reasonable recordings can be found free online reaper, lepou ,nick crow. Making music is not about the gear you have. It's easy to feel left behind whilst it seems everyone else has mega expensive rigs but trust me there are loads of people who are broke and still making music.

It's nice to have expensive new toys but it's not essential.

What might be a fun exercise is to set a goal to record a track using only free software spend some time with google and learn what impulses are.


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## mnemonic (Oct 13, 2014)

Also worth keeping in mind that alot of the people on this forum with expensive gear are many years out of college, with steady jobs and cash to burn. 

I had a podxt and headphones in college.


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## zipline7020 (Oct 13, 2014)

are they for mac? I see a lot of good quality free ware for PC only.


and Franziskaner! My favorite brand! Nice pic


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Oct 13, 2014)

Everyone else in here has already thrown out some great ideas on saving money, so I don't really have much to add there. 

On the tone/equipment side of things, I'd look into using the POD for preamp modeling and effects only, then using cabinet impulses in your DAW, maybe even power amp sims too  free/cheap VST plugins are worth a shot as well; I've heard tons of great sounds with LePou/LeCab. 

Reaper is a decent, cheap DAW and is recommended a lot for beginners in the recording world.


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## mnemonic (Oct 13, 2014)

zipline7020 said:


> are they for mac? I see a lot of good quality free ware for PC only.
> 
> 
> and Franziskaner! My favorite brand! Nice pic



You have good taste in beer then 

LePou and TSE both make mac-compatible VST's. I can also testify that the LePou LeCto can get a pretty legit Dual Rectifier sound. 

Its also worth turning off the cab models on your POD and using impulses if you haven't already. Line 6 makes decent preamps, but they really fall over when it comes to cab modeling.


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## Given To Fly (Oct 13, 2014)

zipline7020 said:


> I know money is an issue. But I figured maybe coming on here could help me find a way to make a bit more to advance my standing. Directly after undergrad is off to Grad school for vocal performance. So Id like to have a descent set up before I go there because money and time could be even tighter there. But owning my own means to make a quality, polished recorded product of my own has always been a dream of mine. So I wanna keep at it



"Owning my own means to make a quality, polished recorded product of my own has always been a dream of mine." 

Are we talking classical vocal recitals or just electric guitar? I've never heard of a vocal performance major wanting an AxeFX II so bad.  

"Directly after undergrad is off to Grad school for vocal performance."

The school you will be attending will have two things that you can use: a $1,000,000+ recording studio and a multi-million dollar recital hall. Minimum. If they didn't, they would not be a competitive institution which would mean no vocal performance degree program. Take full advantage of these two resources because you will only have a limited time and they are extremely valuable. You will learn from professionals what you actually need in order to make your own recordings. I encourage you to keep at it and the best way is to focus on your degree program and the resources available at the school of music.


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## Thanatopsis (Oct 13, 2014)

I don't condone illegal things, but you could sell weed. You're in college, should be pretty easy. J/K(although it would work).


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## TRENCHLORD (Oct 13, 2014)

Thanatopsis said:


> I don't condone illegal things, but you could sell weed. You're in college, should be pretty easy. J/K(although it would work).



Might well work, and work well for that matter, but probably not the best plan all and all .







Better to just try and live as efficiently as possible for as long as it takes.
No fast food, no un-needed travel, no new clothes or shoes ect..., beans and rice diet w/ plenty of water and no nightlife .
Also, it is leaf raking time again. Old people just love having their leaves raked by hand (well rake that is). I think they just like watching the toil from their window/porch.


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## Thanatopsis (Oct 14, 2014)

TRENCHLORD said:


> Might well work, and work well for that matter, but probably not the best plan all and all .


Yea, that's why I suggested it is because it would probably be fairly easy regardless of whether it's the best idea or not. Especially if you just did it for a short period of time to be able to afford said gear and then stopped. If you're not an idiot about it it would be fairly feasible.

I just checked the state laws for Georgia and it's a much worse idea than I anticipated. No amount is decriminalized and possession with intent is a felony regardless of the quantity as is simple possession of over an oz. I guess I'm just too used to living places where weed is decriminalized.


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## 7stg (Oct 14, 2014)

zipline7020 said:


> ^^^^^ HAHA! Yes I'll strip!



You could take this one step further.



Some people will pay top dollar for a pretty, young, college boy...


But seriously, some good ideas have been mentioned. Use the skills you have to your advantage, Music lessons was a great idea already given and where else are you going to get 30 dollars an hour and still have your dignity. Summer is great, mow lawns do side jobs. What can you do to earn more than minimum wage.

As mentioned there are plenty of plugins to try as well as demos of ReValver guitar rig and more to try. Plenty of people have gotten good results this way.

Edit: Alex Kenivel, you beat me to it.


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## Alex Kenivel (Oct 14, 2014)

Just get a Carvin and... Wait, what am I saying?


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## Hollowway (Oct 14, 2014)

Sell plasma? Participate in local college clinical trials? I've never sold plasma, but I heard you can earn a lot, depending on your local situation. Sounds painful and dicey, but people do it. And I used to make some easy cash participating in psych experiments in college. 
Also, could you charge your friends to do their recording? Explain to them it's all to fund more studio gear, which they will benefit from.
And how about trading on CL? There's that story of the kid who started with a paper clip and wound up with a house.


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## 7stg (Oct 14, 2014)

Alex Kenivel said:


> Just get a Carvin and... Wait, what am I saying?



They are comfortable to play. A Carvin is what I always wanted.


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## Albionic (Oct 14, 2014)

Just a quick question. are you and your friends a gigging band? perhaps that should be your focus throw together as demo for the purpose of getting gigs and get out and play. Theres much to be learned from gigging that you can't get from a practice studio.


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## Ericjutsu (Oct 14, 2014)

I buy my stuff off zzounds because of their 4 payment options. they also sometimes have 8 payments too. That's how I got my Ibanez Prestige RG852 guitar,Saffire pro 40, Laney IRT Studio, Pod HD500, Cubase 6.5 among other things. If they dont have an item I need then I get it off ebay or another site that has used or b stock items. I got a brand new Shure SM7b for like 280 instead of the usual 350 on an ebay site. Cool thing about my job is that I can work extra hours pretty much whenever I want. I should also mention I drive a piece of shit car, don't use much gas because I dont' really go out much and my job is close to home. I don't really spend my money on anything else other than food and bills.


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## decreebass (Oct 14, 2014)

I recorded all my demos and EPs on a good ol' Boss BR532 and BR864 (when I moved up to the high life) while I was in college 

It is good sometimes to be limited - though I can understand the desire to have the biggest and best. I would have killed for a Pod HD (or the equivalent ten years ago) when I was in school lol.


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## fps (Oct 14, 2014)

When I was at uni, I had a POD 2, I had that thing for years, and a Laney 1x12. I now have a job and better gear. It's nice to have nice things, but it hasn't made a difference to my music, and when gigging I was always sharing equipment at shows anyway. 

My point being, if you can't get the shiny thing now, it's OK, it really isn't that important in your development as a musician. As decreebass says, a POD HD 10 years ago would have been ridiculous. And looking back through musical history people did a lot more with a lot less than we have now.


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## Vrollin (Oct 14, 2014)

$75 a fortnight goes away for me when pay comes in, if I have a little extra left in my general spending or a bonus comes in with work it goes into that account also, have always had money in that account for new toys this year, wouldn't spend it till I found something I absolutely wanted, that way the money was ready waiting for me. Given the amp, majority of pedals, and guitars are out of the way now, I have basically bought a whole new rig this year, who knows what I will be able to afford next year!

Also smart purchases! Keep an eye out for local buys which you know you can flip for more, I have made profit on a number of amps and pedals this year....


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## Elric (Oct 14, 2014)

mnemonic said:


> Plenty of professional records have been made with podxt's back in the day, and during the last few years there have been quite a few free/cheap VST's that rival the recorded tones of real amps/axe fx's (LePou and TSE come to mind).
> 
> I agree with what you say regarding the Axe FX being a luxury. When you record, there unlimited options regarding layers, outboard eq's, impulses, etc.
> 
> My advice would be to spend more time learning how to mix and master, that will have a much greater effect on the quality of your recordings than expensive preamps will.



Absolutely. In fact, I would wager that more polished professional records have been cut with OLD POD technology (via the 2.0/XT series and Amp Farm in particular) than with the Axe 2. 

Go watch Ola Englund's vids. What is stunning is that they all sound pretty much amazing. He can take virtually any piece of gear and make it sound insanely "polished" and "professional". Because the gear is awesome? Not usually... it's mostly because Ola has metal production chops and playing skills to burn. Honestly, I don't even consider Ola's demos when I am looking at gear because he makes almost everything sound like a must have.

Also, when you get the Axe2 if you really want the most out of it you will want to run it with an FRFR monitoring system and will need a foot controller you might be able to get by without the MFC101 (but it is sooo nice). Since you are going top of the line; you are looking at sinking another couple of grand into your system. The chain is only as strong as the weakest link so you should go high end across the board, otherwise there is no point (IMHO).


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## Alex Kenivel (Oct 14, 2014)

Elric said:


> Since you are going top of the line; you are looking at sinking another couple of grand into your system. The chain is only as strong as the weakest link so you should go high end across the board, otherwise there is no point (IMHO).



This solidifies my point. I own a house, work a full time job, but still can't even justify getting an AFXII, FRFR speaks and the foot controller when I have a 2x12 cab on top of my 4x12 cab and an overflowing pedal board (or at least my wife can't justify it )


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## troyguitar (Oct 14, 2014)

Especially when we're talking about rock/metal, I see no reason whatsoever for someone to "need" anything beyond a well set-up cheap guitar with decent pickups and a clean DI interface at this point in time. $500 total max and you've got all you will ever need besides talent.

EVH had killer tone with what today would be a hacked up $99 strat copy. Gear doesn't matter.


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## protest (Oct 14, 2014)

troyguitar said:


> Especially when we're talking about rock/metal, I see no reason whatsoever for someone to "need" anything beyond a well set-up cheap guitar with decent pickups and a clean DI interface at this point in time. $500 total max and you've got all you will ever need besides talent.
> 
> EVH had killer tone with what today would be a hacked up $99 strat copy. Gear doesn't matter.



You keep away from my wife with that kind of talk.


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## TeeWX (Oct 14, 2014)

You already have a Pod HD, you're in great shape for a college student. Have you tried using various IR's? If there's anything that holds back the mid-tier modelers it's the cab/mic simulations. IME they make or break any setup.

Another thing is what are you using your Pod HD with? Do you have quality monitors or studio headphones? Even an Axe/Kemper is going to sound bad in that situation.

Have you considered an Eleven Rack if the Pod just never sounds right to you? They're very good in the recording aspect, and you can get them for ~$350 or so brand new.

Another big +1 for really working hard to get better at mixing. It seems to me guys like Ola Englund can make a recording of a line 6 spider sound better than 99% of the AxeFX clips out there. The real advantage of the AxeFX to me is that you can take that great tone with you, and not have to rely on studio magic. Since you're just recording you can really make amazing stuff with gear far inferior to a Pod HD if you learn the trade.


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## Omura (Oct 14, 2014)

During your semester breaks, work like hell.
I have a friend that worked 90 hour weeks over the summer.
When you work 90 hour weeks, you still need ~56 hours sleep a week, so between work and sleep you end up with 22 free hours a week.
He worked 2 jobs, one was just seasonal summer work 8-5, then he worked in the evening at a food joint, ate there every night, he only had to pay for breakfast.
It was pretty insane for him, but he set himself up so well for the next year.
I worked ~60 hours weeks, and bought food as I worked in a supermarket, if I had been smart about it, I could have bought an axe-fx pretty easily. I bought a stack of other things instead, but it's easily achievable in just one summer holiday.


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## deathbyguitar (Oct 14, 2014)

As an Axe-FX owner, let me assure you that you probably don't need one. If you're just needing amp tone that sounds better than a POD HD, it's not hard to do with some cheap plugins like TSE X50 (for brutal) and S-Gear (for anything else). I bought S-Gear before my Ultra and it still sounds arguably better for everything other than uber heavy. Even so, X50 can do super heavy tones and sounds about as good as an Ultra in many cases. If you're not trying these programs out, you could be overlooking solutions that might give you EXACTLY what you need at a fraction of the cost. What sorts of guitar tones are you trying to get? What styles do you play?

As far as the whole "studio" thing, just get yourself a few solid pieces of gear and be done with it. All you really need is an interface, some monitors (if not monitors, then studio headphones) a few mics (SM57's for starters) and some recording software. Reaper is what a lot of people use (myself included) and is only $60 with an unlimited trial. Might as well start there if you don't have anything else. Most people on this forum just use programmed drums and amp sim VST's and get perfectly good results. 

Lastly, with playing live, if you're playing heavy music you're probably gonna be super loud, and at that volume, everything sounds like mush anyway. Hell, I saw Periphery on the 28th and even with their Axe-FX II's it still sounded like garbage because everything was drowned out by drums and bass, just like every rock and metal show I've ever been to. Saw Katatonia open for Opeth last year and they just used POD HD's direct. Sounded just fine, but again, at that volume a ....ing ENGL wouldn't sound much different than Line 6. 

And of course all the gear in the world won't make a difference if you don't know how to engineer good recordings in the first place. Keep that in mind.


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## noUser01 (Oct 15, 2014)

I probably have one of the most expensive rigs out of my friends and it has nothing to do with how much money I make, because they all make more than I do. It's more about cutting costs and focusing on saving up for that "one thing" you really want. I pack my own lunches instead of buying it at school, when I go out with friends I only spend what I need to (buy a burger and a drink, I don't REALLY need fries too. Or if friends want to go to a movie then we go on Tuesday's when it's cheaper, etc). 

I also didn't spend a lot of money on gear before this, so I didn't waste money on a bunch of items with low resale value. I started seeing my gear as _investments_. You could slowly work your way up from a Boss DS-1, to a Boss GT-8, to a Desktop POD HD, to a POD HD500, to an AxeFX Ultra, and then finally an AxeFX II like lots of people do, or you could just save yourself a lot of time and money and just buy the one thing you really want. Think about the resale value of all those items and think about how much money you would lose in total. In the long run you'll save money if you just buy the really nice item that you want instead of inching your way up.

Hope that helps man! I don't have a lot of _really_ nice gear, just a couple items, but those items are more than enough reason for me to continue taking the same path when it comes to gear purchases. It really showed me it's worth saving up instead of inching up.

EDIT: Couple other things, wait for sales and look for bundle options. You may be stoked that you have money for an item, but if you look around you can probably find a bundle deal that's a bit more expensive but worth the extra value. For example, the price of Pro Tools is $500. Now you could buy Pro Tools, or you could save up $140 more and buy the Pro Tools and Eleven Rack bundle that several stores like Sweetwater are offering, then sell the Eleven Rack if you don't like it. Surely you'll get more than $140 for it. And of course if you can wait for Christmas/New Years/Black Friday/whatever holiday for sales, then wait!


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## FILTHnFEAR (Oct 15, 2014)

ConnorGilks said:


> Honestly I have one of the most expensive rigs out of my friends and it has nothing to do with how much money I make, because they all make more than I do. It's more about cutting costs and focusing on saving up for that "one thing" you really want. I pack my own lunches instead of buying it at school, when I go out with friends I only spend what I need to (buy a burger and a drink, I don't REALLY need fries too. Or if friends want to go to a movie then we go on Tuesday's when it's cheaper, etc).
> 
> I also didn't spend a lot of money on gear before this, so I didn't waste money on a bunch of items with low resale value. I started seeing my gear as _investments_. You could slowly work your way up from a Boss DS-1, to a Boss GT-8, to a Desktop POD HD, to a POD HD500, to an AxeFX Ultra, and then finally an AxeFX II like lots of people do, or you could just save yourself a lot of time and money and just buy the one thing you really want. Think about the resale value of all those items and think about how much money you would lose in total. In the long run you'll save money if you just buy the really nice item that you want instead of inching your way up.
> 
> Hope that helps man! I don't have a lot of _really_ nice gear, just a couple items, but those items are more than enough reason for me to continue taking the same path when it comes to gear purchases. It really showed me it's worth saving up instead of inching up.



This. 

I'm a firm believer in the "buy once, cry once" mentality. I'd rather save up a few more paychecks and get what I REALLY want instead of settling for what I can afford at that moment, even if it is really tempting.


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## Albionic (Oct 15, 2014)

While at college your focus should probably not be on buying gear but on your college experience. You don't wanna look back at your youth and realize it passed you by whilst you spent all your time working and you got nothing to show for it but an out of date effects processor.

Also its ok to say I'll wait and get my dream rig but if a band/opportunity comes up they won't wait 6 months while you save for gear. Don't let the acquisition of gear become more important than playing.


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## ovlott (Oct 15, 2014)

Saving up is the most obvious option, and unless you want to take out a loan or put whatever gear you want on your credit card, it may be the best option. 

I'm living the same experience now as I just started college, so I'm broke as hell too  but I still manage to save and have nice gear. I started working the second i turned 16, and bought my first Carvin (not a bare bones either) that year, as well as built my own home studio, and ordered a TL70 since then that I'm waiting on. 

But of course High school and College are different, so I have to practice budgeting myself on a regular basis so I meet short term saving goals, that add up to long term goals that let me buy nice things like BKP's and Carvins.  Of course I've slowed down on the gear buying lately because of school, but I'm still able to save when I pay attention to what I'm buying.


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## GoldDragon (Oct 15, 2014)

tedtan said:


> Save up.
> 
> I know it seems like the Axe FX is key to your tonal bliss, but plenty of people get great sounds with free VST amp sims. Maybe work more on dialing the POD or other sims in.
> 
> Also, I didn't start getting nicer gear until after I was done with school.



This.

Download the Peavey Revalver free demo and see if it does what you want.

Knowledge beats deep pockets.


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## noUser01 (Oct 16, 2014)

Albionic said:


> While at college your focus should probably not be on buying gear but on your college experience. You don't wanna look back at your youth and realize it passed you by whilst you spent all your time working and you got nothing to show for it but an out of date effects processor.
> 
> Also its ok to say I'll wait and get my dream rig but if a band/opportunity comes up they won't wait 6 months while you save for gear. Don't let the acquisition of gear become more important than playing.



Saving up for gear =/= losing your youth.


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## maxturbator (Oct 16, 2014)

Patience, man. Save what you can, and when you can finally afford it, buy it. Seems pretty simple to me. 

Also, I'm a college student and have managed to get myself some decent gear by BUYING USED. Craigslist can be a beautiful place. Granted, I do live at home for the time being and my only real expenses are gas and textbooks, but I also only work about 12 hours a week during the semester (campus jobs; no weekend hours!).

EDIT: Just thought of this as well. Have you considered applying for financial aid? It's an absolute godsend, and I don't know why more students don't take advantage of it.


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## Albionic (Oct 16, 2014)

ConnorGilks said:


> Saving up for gear =/= losing your youth.



I'm just imagining a young student sitting eating lentils working all the Time and when not workin making clips of his axe fx to share on forums whilst everyone else parties lol (that what happens in college in the us I've seen the films)


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## mediaguitarist (Oct 17, 2014)

Beware, you're about to get a novel. So I'll break this into parts so you can read only what you care about.

A. Tactics to afford expensive stuff.

Like you, I'm going through a saving frenzy. Not for music gear but for servers to use with my web start up. Alongside the other tactics mentioned by other members on this forum, one thing I started using was a diet practice called Intermittent Fasting. The version I practice involves putting 2 tablespoons of unsalted grass-fed butter in your coffee or tea in the morning. For me, when I do that I don't feel any hunger until about 5pm. Which I then might make some sushi (2 rolls of that and I'm full). That will probably be the only meal of the day and believe me, I feel just fine. If anything, I'm way more focused throughout the day and can get stuff done much better than before. For more details go here.

And no, you don't have to buy the guy's "bulletproof" coffee. I've heard it's good stuff but I'm saving money so budget green tea it is. 

So what has been the financial impact of this intermittent fasting? Well I just got back from buying groceries so I'll just tell you my bill for the week. Bare in mind I am not going to dig my receipt out of the burn garbage so I will give you approximates

1 bag of sushi rice - $2.50
1 pack of sushi seaweed - $2.10ish
1 pack of smoked/cured salmon - $5 (you would be surprised how far this will take you in sushi)
1 brick Kerrygold unsalted grassfed butter - $3
1 avocado - honestly I don't remember... I'll say $2 for safe estimation

That brings my approximate grocery total for this week to about $14.60. Bare in mind this is only possibly because of the intermittent fasting protocol which lets me get away with one meal a day most of the time. Now let me emphasize, I'm not doing this for health reasons though I have seen numerous health benefits. I just knew this was better than living on ramen where I became very erratic, angered easily, gained weight, couldn't concentrate on my work, hungry all the time, etc. 

Now if you want to go hardcore on money saving (without the health effects of ramen) then just buy a giant bag of rice and a giant bag of beans. Combine with intermittent fasting and you're set for a long damn time. I didn't say it would be fun... but at least you won't be hungry and erratic all the time. You don't need to sacrifice your health. The rice gives you plenty of quick carbs, the beans supply protein, slower carbs, lots of trace minerals, etc. The grass fed butter supplies a healthy balance of fats (yes, omega-3 is in it) and an astonishing variety of vitamins and nutrients. 

Lastly, if you take the hardcore beans and rice route, let me tell you... Amazon is your friend. Or if you can get a Sams/Costco membership... even better. 

B. Guitar Tech, philosophy, and stuff.

First let me say... I have played an Axe-Fx 2. It is incredible. But you know what else is incredible and is far cheaper? An Eleven Rack. Compared to the $2.5K of the Axe-Fx, you're getting way more than the 80/20 benefit from the Eleven Rack. Just search it on ebay, the prices are astounding. Combine with a midi foot controller and it's game over. Don't let ANYONE try to talk you down on it. There is a lot of bullshittery in the guitar audio world. Now understand, you're hearing this from a guy who runs a tube rig. I know what a tube sounds and feels like. Shoot if I didn't already love my current amp so much, I would be on the eleven rack right now. 

C. Your recording space

I'll defer to this book. Also I'm quite a fan of the Recording Revolution blog by Graham Cochrane. You should hear what that guy can pull off on a budget set up. Sounds more than "pro" enough to me.


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## Hachetjoel (Oct 17, 2014)

Be careful when buying used there are lots of fake mics all over Ebay. for me the biggest thing that helps me save is using my credit Karma account and seeing exactly what i spend the bulk of my paycheck on and then I try and reduce it right now, I'm trying to save up for an axe fx II right now so I feel your pain .


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## Electric Wizard (Oct 17, 2014)

mediaguitarist said:


> The version I practice involves putting 2 tablespoons of unsalted grass-fed butter in your coffee or tea in the morning.


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## smucarolina (Oct 19, 2014)

It is called credit...if you are irresponsible.


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## Hollowway (Oct 19, 2014)

Putting 2 pats of butter in my coffee sounds more like intermittent vomiting than intermittent fasting.


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## Alex Kenivel (Oct 19, 2014)

smucarolina said:


> It is called credit...if you are irresponsible.



Fvckit, get a credit card, buy all the shit you want, never pay and take a hit on your credit score. Economy is going to hell anyway


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## xCaptainx (Oct 19, 2014)

Hollowway said:


> Putting 2 pats of butter in my coffee sounds more like intermittent vomiting than intermittent fasting.



and intermittent 'piss out my anus' too. Urg.


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## Hollowway (Oct 19, 2014)

xCaptainx said:


> and intermittent 'piss out my anus' too. Urg.



 I literally L'ed OL at that.


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## sylcfh (Oct 20, 2014)

Don't get married.

Don't have kids.


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## TremontiFan16 (Oct 20, 2014)

It sucks being in college.I really can't afford anything.,but in the last 4 months I acquired every guitar I own by trading. if you know how to barter on Craigslist you could easily get there. 
I went from having a cheap broken ltd f-59 to a PRS se singlecut.Went from schecter hellraiser to ltd ec-1000,went from my other ltd to a ibanez s970cw and also a DigiTech rp-1000 to a PRS se tremonti
I spent a grand total of 80$ through all of those trades.Went from 3 guitars to 4 higher grade ones.
Just got to keep an eye out.


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## ncfiala (Oct 20, 2014)

I was an undergrad for 4 years and then spent another 6 in grad school getting a Ph.D. and during that time I pretty much didn't buy anything that wasn't essential. I didn't have any money and that was just the way it was. Now my house is filled with so many toys that it looks like I have 10 kids but I don't have any. Be patient.


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## Phantom (Oct 20, 2014)

I have quite a bit of experience with buying gear while being in school. It's hard to do but if you want it that bad, no one can really tell you otherwise. So, i'll give you tips that worked for me and you can do what you want with it.
1. Cut all expenses to bare essentials (which has been stated over and over)
2. Use an Excel spreadsheet to figure out what you make and how much you spend on esentials to give you what you have left over (sometimes its easier when you can see where your money is going, get as detailed as possible)
3. Use what you learn in school to make extra money (As previously mentioned, tutoring, session work, and whatnot)
4. Books are a pain in the butt, however, try to cut the cost by borrowing from someone that took the class already, split the cost of the book by going in on it with a friend or multiple, buying used books (online or locally)
5. When I was single, I lived in student housing (because it was cheaper than a regular apartment)
6. Eat the hell out of ramen. I ate so much of that, I can't even stand that smell of it now.
7. Use what you got to get you by (in terms of music gear). It can be a pain, it may take a longer time to get that sound you're looking for, but it allows you to start your work now rather than later (which could also be another source of income) and it only makes you better.

I'm back in school now, for my PhD, and it's definitely harder to get gear now but I still manage to get by (I have a wife and kid now). I hope it helps.


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## Qweklain (Oct 20, 2014)

I don't have the patience to read through this entire thread right now (lol), so sorry if this has already been said.

Browse craigslist for people looking for some help with small jobs. Moving, painting, etc. There are always people looking for help with stuff and offering cash to help them accomplish said job.


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## Lankles (Oct 21, 2014)

These are all great savings-and-earnings ideas and you should explore them to the fullest extent you can, but I wouldn't buy an AFX II in your situation. Just practice your recording mixing and mastering and your sound will go much further than just investing in top-end gear that probably has a 5% chance of being stolen.


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## decreebass (Oct 21, 2014)

sylcfh said:


> Don't get married.
> 
> Don't have kids.



This is the biggest and bestest piece of advice here. Children will cost you an estimated $250,000 from birth to age 18. Doug Stanhope has an excellent bit about people complaining about the Obama economy and being unable to support their wife and four kids but blame Obama... 

In other words, wrap it up.

The other good piece of advice was the one that mentioned how hard you work and all you have to show for it is an outdated piece of gear - The Axe FX is good now, but for all you know, in two year's time, something way better might come out and you've poured your heart and soul into the Axe FX but now you want the new gadget.

I also kinda agreed with the "buy it on credit because the economy's about to crash anyhow." It's only a matter of time before the massive Ponzi scheme that is the American dollar comes toppling down and we're all screwed. Don't think the government will hesitate one bit to dip into the citizens' savings and checking accounts to stave off war with China or whatever... Just remember the crash may be further off than you expect and you're left with constant harassment from creditors and collection agencies. It sucks man. Don't buy on credit.


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## sylcfh (Oct 21, 2014)

And if you're college age (there seems to be a lot of people that fall into that group here), make damn sure you major in a lucrative field or something you just plain love, otherwise you're paying $30-100k+ on a piece of paper. It's a big decision and it requires research, take a year off if you need the time to work it all out. 


Making student loan payments while effectively earning the same amount you are now at a crappy job is not pretty.


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## rockstarazuri (Oct 21, 2014)

Gear > family?

Doesn't sound so nice to me.. 

Advice : Just save up, sell what you don't need and have minimal quality stuff that you need  (and visit gear related forums less ). You can get quality recording sounds with fairly inexpensive and minimal gear as long as you know what you are going for and spend towards that goal.


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## MAJ Meadows SF (Oct 21, 2014)

A written budget makes a massive difference. If you follow it.


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## ibanice (Oct 21, 2014)

Well. I belive that you know how to use the POD HD to it's full potentials, but an Axe Fx is an exspensive option for at guy like you who's studying.

I've achived some really good tones with the POD HD. Of course it's not an axe fx but it's not far from. the key is really to use a graphic EQ on every thing you do with the pods amp sims.

But yeah, I would suggest you do what you can achive with your pod and as others have suggested AMP-SIMS. But! the amp-sims only sound good if you have a good sound-interface/soundcard else they tend to sound like shit..

Or you could strip


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## tedtan (Oct 21, 2014)

rockstarazuri said:


> Gear > family?
> 
> Doesn't sound so nice to me..



It is a lot easier to save up for and acquire gear before you have a family than after, just like it's easier to finish college/grad school before having a family. Family takes up not only a lot of money, but also a lot of your time that could otherwise be spent doing something to earn more money/gear/better grades, etc.


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## mediaguitarist (Oct 21, 2014)

Electric Wizard said:


>



I won't lie... I died out laughing at that one. Same reaction I had when I first found out Spencer from Periphery was drinking the stuff. 

Here is the link for proofiness.

Sounded so wacky and ridiculous that I tried it just to prove this was stupid... then I became hooked. Appetite... gone. Focus... through the roof. And even though I wasn't doing it for weight issues... I still lost 15 pounds.


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## asher (Oct 21, 2014)

I can't get over how unhealthy that sounds, and even thinking about the idea of it makes my stomach start to turn a little...


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## 3074326 (Oct 21, 2014)

While I was in school, I bought an Axe FX II and $3300 worth of guitars. Shocking dollar amounts looking back on it. 

I lived in a house with three other people and paid $250 per month in rent. I was bringing in more more weekly than I was paying out in bills monthly. That's how you afford gear as a student. Take advantage of the ability to live with multiple people cheaply. When you're 27 that shit is frowned upon. I am 27. I have all the gear I'll ever need and now I'm saving for a home to store them in. 

If that isn't doable, just wait. It was nice having the gear, but you know what was nicer? Enjoying college and everything it had to offer. Make that your focus. I spent too many days sitting in my room trying to write the next masterpiece a few nights too many. Save that for when you have nothing better to do. When you're in school, there's always something better to do than sitting in your room. Just my opinion and experiences, of course!


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## zilla (Oct 22, 2014)

Find a sugar momma :-D


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