I've played in bands, including a progressive metal project, and I still play guitar most days. A lot of the fun is in the gear: the instruments, the amps, and the order things sit in the signal chain.
Guitar
A Japanese-made Prestige with a Super Wizard neck and 24 jumbo stainless-steel frets, so the action is fast and the playability is effortless. A pair of Bare Knuckle Brute Force humbuckers over a fixed Gibraltar bridge keep it tight and brutal. It shreds like a machine.
Amplification
A silverface tube amp in great shape, with crystal-clear cleans and lush analog reverb. A wonderfully versatile platform for a diverse set of tones.
Effects
A Pedaltrain board with a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 3. The chain is purposefully all-analog: an Empress Buffer+ (with a TC Electronic PolyTune in its tuner slot) into a Dunlop Cry Baby, a Maxon OD808, the Empress Heavy, a TC Electronic Thunderstorm, and an MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe. Drive and dirt up front, modulation and delay at the end.
Recording
A reactive load box and power attenuator that doubles as a capture box, so the Deluxe Reverb can go straight DI into the DAW. A great, versatile tool for a tube-amp lover who still wants to track quietly at home.