Long before shopping carts and “Save for later” buttons, there was a Babylonian king carving his wish list into stone. Hammurabi didn’t dream of compressors or cymbals—his list was tougher: may the strong not oppress the weak, may widows and orphans find justice, may honesty rule the land. It wasn’t a gear list so much as a moral one, but the impulse was the same—to name what’s missing and imagine something better.
My own list is smaller, louder and a little easier to carry—a few pieces of gear that make the work smoother, the sound truer and the joy more immediate. And here we are, all these millennia later, still trying to meet the standards of an ancient king. Gear is so much easier.
Pictured: Ludwig Limited-Edition Hammered Chrome Plated Copper Shell Snare Drum 14x6.5in
Table of Contents
Me and the Never-ending Gear Quest
My Top 5 Wish List Choices
What's on Your Wish List?
Me and the Never-ending Gear Quest
Although I’m primarily a guitarist, I also play bass, drums, percussion, keys and studio console—and I sing and compose, too. I’ve logged plenty of miles on the road and time in the studio as a player, engineer, producer, and occasional “gear enabler” for friends and for readers of my articles here on Riffs. And if you could see my home studio right now, you’d know I have a fascination with technology in general—and music technology in particular.
Pictured: George Van Wagner Playing a Session
As you might guess from all that, my wish list covers a lot of ground. It’s as much about smoothing workflow in the studio and on stage as it is about chasing tone or coaxing the sound in my head into the air where everyone else can hear it. I’m not a gear snob, but I have deep respect for tools that do what they’re supposed to—and do it elegantly.
So this list is about solving a few problems and paving a few smoother paths. I try to keep the studio ready so, when inspiration hits, I can start tracking with minimal friction. On any instrument, I want a palette of tones that both inspires and delivers. And since I play live in everything from blues, soul and jazz outfits to a kind of prog-inflected psychedelic funk, I need a rig that can shift from a simple guitar-into-amp setup to a full, effects-drenched soundscape—without still tearing down while the drummer’s packed, loaded and already chatting up fans at the merch table.
My Top 5 Wish List Choices
dbx 266sx Compressor Gate
Why I Picked It: It's an affordable, good-sounding compressor with gating that's great for a drum channel.
Things I've Considered:
- Don't need a high-end, "personality" compressor for drums
- Since I need multiples for this application, cost per channel is a consideration
- I know dbx compression from years of experience, so minimal learning curve
Shop Now: dbx 266xs Compressor/Gate
In my studio, the drum kit stays permanently miked so I can sit down and start tracking without any setup delay. All eight mics feed into a Focusrite Clarett+ OctoPre, and I want to be able to compress the drums as I’m tracking.
Why not just use the DAW’s built-in compressor? Because even with 24- or 32-bit converters, a hot snare hit can still clip the analog input stage before it ever reaches the converter. And while 32-bit float offers near-infinite headroom once you’re in the box, it can’t unclip a preamp. That’s why hardware compression still matters.
The dbx 266xs is an affordable, great-sounding way to manage that problem. I can insert a few units across the OctoPre’s channels—kick, snare, stereo overheads—and capture drums with consistent dynamics from the start. Plus, because the Clarett+ supports full ADAT optical I/O, not just output, I can send tracks back through the inserts later for outboard processing. That means I can use the dbx’s compression and gating at mix time without burning CPU cycles that could be better used elsewhere.
It’s practical, musical and tactile. I can dial in levels by ear instead of chasing meters, and I know what I’m getting. In a world full of plug-ins, it’s nice to have a few pieces of gear that still feel like gear.
Istanbul Agop Clap Stack Cymbal Set
Why I Picked It: It’s a versatile accent cymbal that fits anywhere.
Things I’ve Considered:
- Great for adding quick, controlled texture without cluttering a mix
- Doubles easily as a ride pattern for a different rhythmic color
- Expands my Ludwig Breakbeats kit’s voice with minimal footprint
Shop Now: Istanbul Agop Clap Stack Cymbal Set 11"/13"/15"
Every once in a while, you run across a piece of gear that makes you rethink what a familiar sound can do. The Istanbul Agop Clap Stack is one of those. It’s not a crash, and it’s not a hi-hat—it’s something in between: a sharp, percussive accent with a fast decay that slices through a mix without stepping on anything else.
It can double a snare hit or take its place altogether when you want a different kind of punctuation. It’s perfect for modern grooves where space matters, and it shines in the studio when you need a tight, trashy layer that doesn’t ring forever. I also love it as a substitute ride pattern—where you’d normally lean on a hi-hat—for that dry, clicky texture that instantly changes the feel of a section without changing the tempo.
It’s a reminder that creativity often hides in the in-between spaces—the sounds that aren’t standard issue but open up whole new possibilities.
Ludwig Supraphonic Limited-Edition Hammered Snare Drum
Why I Picked It: It’s the most recorded snare in history, with a tone that works in every genre I play.
Things I’ve Considered:
- The Drum Doctor’s recommendation sealed the deal
- Complements my Breakbeats kit perfectly
- Proven studio and stage performance makes it a lifetime investment
Shop Now: Ludwig Limited-Edition Hammered Chrome Plated Copper Shell Snare Drum 14x6.5in
If you’ve listened to just about any record made in the last 50 years, you’ve heard a Ludwig Supraphonic. It’s the studio standard—crisp, articulate and endlessly tunable. When I was working on my “How to Tune Your Drums” article, I spoke with Ross Garfield, aka The Drum Doctor, about expanding my Ludwig Breakbeats kit with a versatile snare that could handle everything from jazz to soul to funk. He didn’t hesitate: “Supraphonic.”
That endorsement carries weight. The Supraphonic is the rare drum that fits anywhere—tight and bright when you need it to cut, warm and open when you want tone and body. It’s been the backbone of countless studio sessions and live gigs because it reacts so well to touch. Every hit feels alive, every ghost note has definition, and the hardware just works. And the exclusive hammered finish on this one is an added bonus.
I’ve used plenty of snares over the years, but this one earns its reputation. It’s not nostalgia; it’s having a drum that never leaves you searching for the “right” sound.
Strymon PCH Active DI
Why I Picked It: This pedalboard-focused DI is the key to a versatile wet/dry/wet live rig.
Things I’ve Considered:
- I want a simple (well, relatively simple) setup with a huge soundstage
- I need an easy way to feed both the stage and front of house
- The headphone output lets me instantly verify what the mix engineer is hearing
Shop Now: Strymon PCH Stereo Active DI Box with Headphone Amp
My psychedelic acid-jazz-funk trio aims to wrap the audience in sound. Whether it’s a tight club or a sprawling festival stage, I want them to feel surrounded, yet still anchored by a clear, centered guitar tone. A wet/dry/wet rig makes that possible.
Since I rarely get a long soundcheck—or a road crew—I need a rig that sets up fast, travels light and tears down before the drummer’s packed the last tom. Smart system design helps, but the heart of it is a clean, flexible way to split my post-amp stereo signal after the load box and send it to both front-of-house and the stereo stage monitors that flank my Fuchs ODS. The Strymon PCH Active DI does exactly that. Built for pedalboards, it keeps my wiring elegant and my signal pristine, and its onboard headphone amp lets me double-check that FOH is getting exactly what I want them to get. Where Hammurabi wanted fairness, I'll settle for sonic balance.
Strymon Deco V2 Tape Saturation and Double Tracker Delay Effects Pedal
Why I Picked It: It’s the missing link in my hybrid rig.
Things I’ve Considered:
- Adds cohesive tape saturation and subtle compression to the full rig
- Doubletracker provides width without the “chorus” giveaway
- Completes the signal path I’ve already built around the Strymon PCH DI
Shop Now: Strymon Deco V2 Tape Saturation & Doubletracker Delay Effects Pedal
The Strymon Deco V2 would sit at the very end of my signal chain—after the Fuchs ODS, the Helix or HX Effects (depending on the gig), and everything else. Think of it as a mastering stage for live tone. My rig blends analog and digital elements, and the Deco’s tape saturation ties them together. It adds that subtle compression and harmonic glue that makes a whole system feel like one instrument instead of a collection of parts.
What I love about the Deco is that it’s not just “vintage flavor.” The tape saturation brings warmth and cohesion without dulling clarity, and the doubletracker can create stereo width that feels organic instead of processed. It’s perfect for those ambient or textural passages where you want space and movement, but still need the dry tone to stay focused.
The idea isn’t to fix anything—it’s to elevate what’s already working. A touch of tape saturation can make a clean rhythm sound more tactile, a lead more dimensional, and a whole mix feel a little more alive. The Deco doesn’t scream for attention; it just makes everything sound finished. Where Hammurabi wanted fairness, that's too big for me. I'll settle for sonic balance and happy ears.
What's on Your Wish List?
Pictured: dbx 266xs Compressor/Gate
Now that you know what I'm currently jonesing for—and believe me, once this list is dealt with, there will be more—there's one simple question left to ask: What's on your list?
It's easy to put one together, just "heart" the gear you're looking for on our website (and if you're reading this, you're already there), and it'll automatically be added to your wish list. If you're having trouble figuring out just which totally drool-worthy piece of kit you want to add, feel free to give your personal Gear Adviser a call, or stop by your local Guitar Center store and audition some of the gear you're considering. Or, buy it all. That's what I do—or, at least, what I want to do.