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Well you've certainly got a terrific amp there, and Fender tube amps are among the best for blues. Since you like the clean sound best, a set of higher quality pickups (Gibson, Seymour-Duncan, etc.) in your Epi Dot should make you grin for a l-o-n-g time.     

That's a really good question, TIG.

At one time, a player needed several keyboards at hand because they wanted several different voices in a song (piano, organ, synthesizer, clavinet, mellotron, etc.) and needed them all programmed so they could go from one to another without having to interrupt the flow of the music to change programs. Companies like Nord, Korg, and Roland now make very sophisticated keyboards which can change on the fly (via foot switch) and also split the keyboard (piano on right side, organ on the left). Jordan Rudess (Dream Theatre) tours with a single KORG Chronos programmable keyboard, and uses footswitches to access everything it can do.

Steve Hackett (Genesis)    "Get 'Em Out by Friday"    Liverpool, 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vwfe8jEDuY

Written by Peter Gabriel, this song is a musical play about an excessively greedy land developer, and the people he both uses and abuses. The original song appeared on Genesis' 1972 album "Foxtrot", which began a series of albums featuring Gabriel singing with different voices for different characters in various songs. In Hackett's rendition here, he uses three singers to do this, and as good as they are, they still don't quite match Gabriel's range and intensity. One standout here is Roine Stolt's coverage of Mike Rutherford's bass guitar lines, and he does a fantastic job. The Genesis group were all in their early twenties when they wrote this, which is staggering in itself. And for a comparison of how good this cover is, here's the original from the "Foxtrot" album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp-TwWnn0dk

Very interesting video, EB ... for anyone wanting their music to be seen / heard, he has lots of good ideas. I suppose the questions that need answering before getting to this stage are:

1) Why do I play / make music in the first place .. for myself, or others?
2) Is gaining an audience important to my creating / playing music?
3) Does having an audience some how validate / vindicate what I do?
4) Do I hope to receive some form of reward for making my music public?

I ask these questions from a personal perspective (obviously), because I have no desire to perform, entertain, or create music which I think others might want to hear. Music is a very personal thing for me, and offers an oasis in a nutzo world where I can lose myself entirely in something for a period of time. As selfish and silly as this might sound, someone else wanting to hear me play almost feels like an intrusion into my private space.

Now I'll say further that if someone wants to do both, that's terrific, and my hat's off to them. And for anyone who puts their musical creations up on SoundCloud, YouTube, or the like ... I wish them well and all the success in the world. I would just hope that any artist (music, painting, poetry, woodworking, etc.) does it for themselves first, for the sheer joy of the journey. And I suppose if that joy is there, then it will come through loud and clear if the artist wishes to make their work public. And I love to celebrate and promote great musicians making great music; it's just not something everyone needs to do to fully enjoy their own creations.

These thoughts might be worth two cents, but not much more.

Really good selection, CG ... thank-you. I wasn't familiar with Crystal, as she's considered a country & western performer, which is a genre I don't follow closely. She's got a terrific voice, really well suited to blues.

I love this is as an instrumental; wouldn't change a thing. Very atmospheric ... nice work.     

Big Big Train    "Judas Unrepentant"    London, 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_i-uqGNzgU

BBT formed in 1990 in Bournemouth, England, and did only studio albums for their first fifteen years, i.e., no live concerts until 2015. Having relied solely on album sales through their website, many of which received terrific reviews, it wasn't until the last few years that they actually began performing concerts. With the distinctive voice of David Langdon (who sounds a lot like Steve Winwood) and an ensemble of talented musicians, BBT gives full value for their musicality and performance abilities. This group is a recent discovery for me, so this is their first appearance in Prog Rock Wednesdays ... enjoy!

Gabriella Quevedo    "We Are the Champions"    (original by Queen)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mr5HD663GU

An appealing arrangement & performance of this Queen classic, by Sweden's talented young finger stylist.

Good observation about the early Floyd influence in your song, which came through clearly. Good work, mate!     

Posting on the Forum is something I've enjoyed daily, even if it's just to encourage someone else who has posted. There's been some terrific poems / songwriting recently, and when a fellow Chordian takes time to show us their work, I feel it's only proper to acknowledge it. Truth is, it's all quite good! And CG's Friday Blues page is always enjoyable.

Lots to like here!     

Thanks, CG ... glad you enjoyed them. For a small country, it's amazing how much music comes out of Poland, especially in the Prog Rock category (Riverside, Collage, Believe, Quidam, Satellite, Division by Zero, etc., etc., etc.).     

Hello James, and welcome to Chordie!

Both setups look like very good value for the money, and for something to start out with, you're probably safe with either one. In general the BOSS Katana will give a better scope of clean tones (country, blues, etc.), while the Marshall MG would be the better choice for distorted / over-driven tones (rock, metal, etc.). Both are very highly rated for decent quality, entry-priced amps.

I don't know much about the Harley-Benton line of guitars, but the 450 does have the push/pull switching, which allows you to play with either a finer single-coil sound (like a Telecaster or a Stratocaster), or the more full humbucker sound (like a Les Paul or a Gibson SG). Makes it a bit more versatile, but as BGD said, a lot depends on what type of music you prefer.

As your interest and ability grows, you may at some point look at delving into some higher end gear. And by then you'll have a much better idea of what sounds & features you prefer, and which equipment is best suited to your tastes.

Wishing you the very best as you enjoy learning guitar!