Ray J Music
I love Roland gear, and in 2011 I bought my RC-300 loop station. I was really excited and I was one of the first people in the UK to get one. Not sure why I wanted one so much maybe it was this performance by KT Tunstall on Jools Holland in 2004 https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3ize44.
Anyway, after 9 years I still love it as much as I did back in 2011. It’s a great tool to have and one which can sometimes inspire great creative moments.
I wanted a Roland GR55 for about two years before I could afford to buy it. I finally got it on the 2nd July 2016 at a cost of £525. I had watched numerous YouTube videos of the GR55 in action and I was desperate to start making music with one. Once received I immediately started having issues with it and fairly soon after I had received it I had to send it back to Roland because there was a problem with either the GK In socket or the GK3 lead that goes from the guitar to the GR55. Anyway it was fixed under warranty and I got it back after about 2 weeks. Unfortunately the reality of ownership and using it hasn’t lived up to my expectations. In the four years that I have now owned it I have never used it on any track that I have recorded. I’m desperately disappointed in this as I hankered after it for quite some time before I finally got it and paid a reasonable amount of money for it. Sorry to say it’s effectively an expensive paperweight in my home studio 🙁
What can I say about my Godin XTSA except that I love it !!! It is so versatile and beautiful I sometimes have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not just dreaming. I’m so under qualified to have something so beautiful, it’s a bit like being a learner driver and owning a Ferrari lol.
I find it really wonderful to play with its light touch and beautiful wood, it has inspired me to create some nice music much of which is on my loop station and will probably never see the light of day.
I was watching Genesis ‘When In Rome’ 2007 concert one day when I realised that Daryl Stuermer was using the same guitar on a number of tracks. That was a great feeling that such a great guitarist rates it too.