Still playing with the same shitty equipment? Now’s the time to think about upgrading your stuff. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make a big improvement in your sound. Here are ten things for everybody to think about:

• First, when was the last time you had your guitar or bass checked by a good guitar technician? Is the neck still straight? Is the action fast and smooth? Any string buzz? How’s the intonation? Are the pickups adjusted to the right height for your playing style? Any bad pots, noisy jacks or flaky switches that need replacing in your instrument or amplifier? When’s the last time you had the tubes and the amp bias checked? Before you consider buying a new instrument or amplifier, check to make sure these problems are fixed. You might wanna keep your instrument or amplifier after it’s had a tune-up.

Drummers, have you really tried some of the new heads that are out there? There have been some radical changes in head design lately. Are your drums tuned for maximum output? Do you know how to tune your drums for maximum output? Don’t be surprised, but a lot of drummers don’t know how to do it either. Check out some of the new snares, pedals and cymbals as possible replacements for some of the old stuff. But have you first tried really cleaning your cymbals?

• Second, think about changing out your guitar or bass pickups. Go for hotter pickups or active pickups. It’s like getting a whole new bass or guitar. If you’re happy with the way the instrument feels, try some new pickups first instead of a new instrument.

• Third, check out some of the new effect pedals, or consider going to a rack-type amplifier system. Check out replacing your speakers or having them reconed. Bass players, are you lusting after a five-string bass? Try replacing your strings with a B-E-A-D set of strings instead of E-A-D-G set, and see how it feels for a while.

Drummers, are you cracking your cymbals? Try going to wood tips. Do you have the plastic inserts on all your cymbal stands, so that the center of the cymbal stays even and doesn’t wear on one side? Here’s a reality check — how much duct tape do you have on your drum set? A lot? Then you need some work on it.

• Fourth, if you’re really ready to buy, consider whether service on the new stuff is really important to you. If you know what you want, and service isn’t important, shop for the best price and the biggest selection. If you’re buying a more delicate, high-dollar custom instrument, consider paying a little more and going to a store that has a great service center and knowledgeable technicians.

• Fifth, remember that most drums, basses and guitars are made out of wood — and no two pieces of wood are exactly alike. That means there are going to be differences in the sound, feel, sustain and tone between ANY two instruments — even “identical models.” It has to look good, but use your ears and pick out the instrument that sounds best. Sometimes a medium price instrument will smoke the top of the line model. Use your ears, not your wallet.

• Sixth, know your prices before you walk into a store. Memorize the list prices and the best prices you’ve seen for several different models you may be considering. Don’t be afraid to wheel and deal for the best possible price. If you’re near a store with a large selections, go there first and actually try the instruments you’re considering buying. Just because Stevie Vai, Michael Anthony or Neal Pert plays one, doesn’t mean it’s best for your playing too.

• Seventh, one thing leads to another. If you buy a new instrument, what else will you need to go with it? Consider how much extra it will cost for anything else you may need and allow enough money for it. Will the new instruments need new cases? Will your six-string tuner cover the range of your new seven-string guitar? Will your old amp handle the new pickups? Are you gonna need some extra time to learn all about your new toys?

• Eighth, do you trust the people you’re buying your new stuff from? Will they stand behind it if it goes bad or needs repair work? Who does the work? Are they local? Will they give you a loaner while yours is being fixed? These are questions you should have answers to before you plunk down your cash.

• Ninth, have realistic expectations about what the new equipment will really do for you. A lot of people will buy something they think they need or want, only to discover it really isn’t that much better than what they already had. Make sure you really need it.

• Tenth, and finally, is there something else you can do that will make a bigger improvement in your sound? This is the really cold part. Will firing your bass player (or guitar player, or drummer or lead singer) and getting someone else make a bigger improvement in your sound? If you’re really serious about your equipment and making it in the music business, this is a question you have to ask on a regular basis. Can somebody else do a better job? (Harvey Gerst), ITR Studios, http://ITRstudio. com