I'm racked off...dilemma.......

Gassage

Please don't take the piss over this....

I am the first to admit I am a complete hedonist and gear head and it is a hobby, so let's get that one out of the way.

So, I now have aquired a piece of rock history- the Bradshaw "Bush" Rig.

Even for my passion for rig building this is a bit daunting, although I am sure I could work it out.

However, I bought it specifically for a mate who has said he's easy whether he takes my rack and Mark L Custom gear, or I keep the Bradshaw.

On the pro's side I know my own rig inside out and back to front and if anything goes tits up I able to fix. It is also (comparitively) compact (as much as an 18U rack can ever be 'compact').

Downside, it is 4 loops short of how many I need, has no stereo outs and is out to one amp.

On the Bradshaw side, I have wanted a Bradshaw rack since Gilmour did PULSE- and this is the real deal. Also, I have, today, really delved into Bush and Nigel Pulsford's work, which is immense and absolutely incredible at times, and the history of the rack is amazing- wathcing videos with 100k fans and 'my' rack on stage is quite fab. Ironically a band I was in eons ago covered E-Zen and I loved that song.

It also has 4 amp outs and has multi region voltage (useful if I go around to @Wazmeister 's gaffe)

I did consider taking the Amp selector rackunit out and putting a mono send in but that's unfair on its provenence, on its history and the wrong thing to do. It's like selling the steering wheel off a Ferrari and putting a Halfords one on it.

lastly, the CAE was built in 1996, my Mark L's were built in 2015.

I cannot fault in any way the Mark L's. they annhiliate any system I've ever owned before.

Head says MLC.
Heart says I'd like to keep the Bradshaw.

I cannot afford both.

Thoughts? (and I expect some proper ones in amongst the mirth at my hedonistic, impracitcal and ridiculous indulgence).

I would add I intend to build a small board if I keep the Bradshaw as currently, it doesn't even fit through the lounge door!!!

Bridgehouse

Gassage said:

Please don't take the piss over this....

starwarsnosebleed

Headline: Gassage tries a piece of Bush, and loves it.

BBBlues

Keep both. Problem solved.

Teetonetal

No idea. I can't even comprehend where you are at with gear or what you are trying to do.  

I'm not really into Historic items so I'd simply be thinking objectively and going for what I like the sound of and what I will get most use out of.

You've gone through so much gear since I joined... I think (like last time you posted some thing like this) you either need to decide do you go for gear because you just love gear or do you finally work out what gear makes you play.

Either way I suspect what ever you choose it won't last the year. You just like buying cool things too much!  If buying, trying and having such items makes you happy, keep the Bradshaw. 

Gassage

Teetonetal said:

 You just like buying cool things too much!  If buying, trying and having such items makes you happy, keep the Bradshaw. 

My life's work and entire catalogue...vindicated in one post.

Wazmeister

Gassage said:

It also has 4 amp outs and has multi region voltage (useful if I go around to @Wazmeister 's gaffe)

It's very easy to take the piss out of our Black Country electricity supply.... but the windmills are lovely to look at...

hubobulous

Go with your heart

UnclePsychosis

Teetonetal said:

No idea. I can't even comprehend where you are at with gear or what you are trying to do.  

This. None of it makes sense to me. 

Lets face it, both rigs are ridiculously good quality. Just pick the one that makes you smile most (and that you won't lose a fortune on when you flog it all in 12 6 3 months)

dindude

I'd bear in mind that the Bradshaw will likely be a complete money pit in that you will want to feed every rack hole with something, just because, and you'll want to see what a 4-amp rig is like, just because etc etc.

Sell the lot, get yourself a Pedaltran Nano, a few nice (colourful) pedals, and make peace with it all I say.

FelineGuitars

I think that I want a CAE 4x4 audio controller to rout my guitar to my 4 egnater racks

IvisonGuitars

Bradshaw. I'd never even heard of Mark L Custom....and that Power Conditioner is the bollocks too!

BintyTwanger77

It sounds like you want the Bradshaw more. 

mattdavis

I think there is much to be said for historic and emotional connections to stuff. I love my objectively crappy mutt of a silverface champ but it was made (well the main transformer, anyway) a week after I was born, and I keep wanting to play it as a result. If the Bradshaw system makes you want to play, and you have an emotional connection to it, it's far more likely that it will survive the GAS honeymoon period than a more utilitarian piece, no matter what the objective differences are. Good luck :-)

Winny_Pooh

Get rid of the Bradshaw while you can, it was designed for a specific purpose (tour grade swiss army knife instant switching) and sat at home is cumbersome and pointless because at home you can just unplug a cable and put it elsewhere in your own time rather than use all that gear as a fuck off sized multi effects unit. 

Even Gilmour is using smaller gear nowadays and usually did the classic recordings with way less gear. If you want a better Tone then buy a leslie speaker and blend it with the Hiwatt.

When gear overwhelms the time you use to play and enjoy music its a drain and you will never be satisfied. 

Teetonetal

@Winny_Pooh that assumes that guitar playing not gear buying as the actual hobby though

Winny_Pooh said:
When gear overwhelms the time you use to play and enjoy music its a drain and you will never be satisfied. 

stickyfiddle

Maybe just chuck it all in, get a Helix and (if you must) stick a good muff in a loop. N'est pas?

 starwarsnosebleed said:

Headline: Gassage tries a piece of Bush, and loves it.

As for this, it's well known he's loved muff for years...

ToneControl

many times I have bought a load of recording gear, then realised months later that most of my time has been burned  as a commissioning engineer rather than as a musician

Just try to get the balance right, and pick what  makes you enjoy playing more

kjdowd

Hate to say it but I think the Bradshaw is just too much faff. Looks like a great piece of kit, but too many times I've done the same thing. Had gear I love, bought the souped up pro alternative and realised I don't need it and can't really maintain it. Meanwhile the rig that I loved has been broken up and sold. 

jonnygreentrees

I don't want to come across like a dick (and correct me if I'm wrong) but it seems that you rarely play outside your house. Both your rack setups are IMHO overkill for a bedroom player. Keep the one that is less overkill...

RocknRollDave

jonnygreentrees said:

I don't want to come across like a dick (and correct me if I'm wrong) but it seems that you rarely play outside your house. Both your rack setups are IMHO overkill for a bedroom player. Keep the one that is less overkill...

I was just about to post the same thing, or at least ask the question "Will it be gigged?"