I've been a music freak since before I learned to talk (really). My parents loved music and had a small but varied collection of LPs that ran from classical/orchestral stuff to Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey, Spike Jones, The Mills Brothers, Tony Bennett, Perry Como, Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, Trio Los Panchos, The Ventures, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Sergio Mendez and Brazil '66, Otis Redding, Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, Miles Davis, The Baja Marimba Band, and 45s of radio singles from the 50s through the 70s. THANK YOU mom and dad!
I'm what most people would consider a "self-taught" musician, but I tend to disagree with that because I've played with many talented people and they taught me. "Self taught" is true only if the player lives in a cave and has never heard music by anyone else.
I played in several bands from the late 70s through 2010. Mostly rock, country, and pop/top 40. Loved every minute. Even playing weddings was fun.
Every musician/band I've listened to or played with.
I use what works for me. For these recordings here, it's Alesis X5 and Akai LPK25 keyboards, Alesis SR16 drum machine, various guitars, basses, ukuleles, mandos, banjos, vihuela, percussion and other noisemakers, a Line 6 POD HD, and Garage Band.
I've also been a guitar tech for more than 35 years. I love working on stringed (and other) instruments as much as I love playing 'em.