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Musicians that buy cheap gear


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What's the deal with musicians that buy cheap gear? I see this a lot especially with people that can afford it. You would think people would want to put their best foot forward but often they don't. Then you get them always fixing gear, sounds like {censored}, or it is in the shop, or they are trying to tune constantly on stage.

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I cant say anything about whats going on in other countries. But here a cheap instrument is about half of the months paycheck(at on a normal job) and the expencive ones are 2 or 3. Soo a desire + need for an instrument will probably get the best of you.

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Vanlatte has a good point. How many times have you heard the worst sound imaginable from a nice marshall amp and a PRS guitar. Too many people think that gear can substitute for talent. If you suck the best gear in the world won't keep you from sucking!

 

Max

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The band I play drums in has used (the guitarists trade off on bass) a stock Squier Affinity Jazz Bass to play two years worth of gigs and to record in a professional recording studio.

 

:D

 

It never had tuning problems. Or any reliability issues. It even sounds decent.

:idk:

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Vanlatte has a good point. How many times have you heard the worst sound imaginable from a nice marshall amp and a PRS guitar. Too many people think that gear can substitute for talent. If you suck the best gear in the world won't keep you from sucking!


Max

 

I know that I was talking about people that should know better. Drummers with {censored}ty heads and sticks, keyboard players with casios, and other {censored}.

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I know that I was talking about people that should know better. Drummers with {censored}ty heads and sticks, keyboard players with casios, and other {censored}.

 

 

You mean people that really CAN afford better and don't? Or those who just can't seem to make ends meet and struggle with what that have?

 

If you are talking about the former, usually it's the same person that is unprepared, late to practice/gigs, etc. In other words, another symptom of their overall commitment problem.

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OK, first, it sounds like you are indeed differentiating between "cheap" gear and "inexpensive" gear, but let me clarify; QC does suffer on a budget instrument, but a $300 guitar isn't by definition a bad guitar. I do not own an axe that costs more than $700. My most expensive axe is my TRB bass, and that was only $675 plus accessories. I have an acoustic that came free with the strings, an SG clone I paid $200 for, and a Yammie J-bass that I walked out of the store with for $160, and I wouldn't sell or trade a damn one of em. Talk to most Fender Mexi, Epiphone, Ibby or Yammie owners and they'll tell you they're perfectly happy with their axes, even though they only cost a fourth of that American Strat or Gibson LP Studio.

 

It also depends on the band. A hardcore band that goes through two guitars a night Pete Townshend style is not gonna be bringing PRS or even Fender Mexi guitars onto the stage unless they have way too much money; they'll have First Acts, Squiers, or SXes.

 

lastly, most of the guys that should have plenty of money for gear usually do have nice gear; they just leave it at home. As nice as it plays and as cool as it looks on stage, using that expensive rig on-stage simply isn't worth the risk of it getting stolen. Squiers and Crate 2x12s can be had for four or five hundred bucks brand-new, but if your PRS and Marshall half-stack walk off you're out 5 grand easily. I don't care how much money you have; that hurts.

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Ma, it's a tough one - I guess it's important (like said above there) to distinguish between "cheap"and "inexpensive" --or really I guess we might want to think in terms of "servicable"

As that's really what we care about

 

"cheap" can be tough too, if you're into, say guitar rock...a few hundred and you are into a decently good guitar

 

A usable (and I'm just talking usable) STUDENT 'cello is gonna be, what, maybe 3 grand -- so I not gonna fault that guy for not having a Blanchi or something

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... most of the guys that should have plenty of money for gear usually do have nice gear; they just leave it at home ...

 

 

Is that what they tell you? Sure, I believe that. Sounds like those bumper stickers, "My other car is a Rolls Royce".

 

"I've got a PRS at home but use my Squier at gigs". Yea, I believe that ... NOT.

 

 

they'll tell you they're perfectly happy with their axes, even though they only cost a fourth of that American Strat or Gibson LP Studio

And I'm perfectly happy paying a fourth of the cover charge and a fourth of the cost of their CD.

 

Of course, everyone would be perfectly happy with a contracter using cheap tools to build your house while they leave their good tools at home. Oh, and the price of the house stays the same. Happy?

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I couldn't care less what tools my contractor uses so long as he does a good job and doesn't waste time/money due to his tools breaking.

 

I do know a lot of people who care more about the monetary value of their music gear than playing it. I know because they come up to me at gigs and just FREAK OUT that I'm playing my '52 Les Paul out at clubs. I can't relate to this mentality - I bought the guitar to play it, not to leave it at home. But it does exist, and there ARE lots of people who buy nice gear and it sits at home while they play cheaper stuff out. I don't get it, but it's pretty common these days. :idk:

 

And I didn't bring the '52 to Europe. Too much risk of it getting banged around or stolen on public transportation, where I can't necessarily keep an eye on it. So yeah, I brought a cheaper guitar, a Les Paul Faded. Still has P90's, still a pretty darned nice guitar in spite of its relatively low price tag.

 

And I have to agree there's a difference between "cheap" as in bad quality, and inexpensive. If you buy a pawn shop special and keep it well maintained, and it doesn't break down, no one has a right to complain. I've also seen people buy expensive vintage gear and have it constantly break because they don't maintain it properly.

 

People who don't change their strings, drum heads, check their cables, clean their pots etc. are just being lame. You can do that even with a cheap instrument.

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I couldn't care less what tools my contractor uses so long as he does a good job and doesn't waste time/money due to his tools breaking.

 

Oh, look at you with your fewer words and more direct point :mad:

 

"I'm lee and I make sense, unlike Jim!"

(bitch :mad: --- :D)

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My radioshack $30 dynamic sounds amazing on vocals. Needs no EQ, nothing (maybe a little 'verb). I am convinced that it is some flawed mic that just randomly sounded awesome.

 

My Squier Standard Jazz Bass does too.

 

You just have to get good cheap stuff! Then there is more money for cool expensive stuff (and not crappy expensive stuff).

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The difference between 'cheap' and 'inexpensive' is important.

 

You can buy inexpensive guitars nowadays that play and sound great. You can buy behringer gear that is cheap and will give you the thrill of gambling without having to step foot into a casino.

 

I'd rather find that hidden gem of an inexpensive guitar that may just need a few tweaks to be really good. Finding something like that and doing a little work to make it great is part of the fun. There's more of a connection to the instrument when you do that than when you do nothing more than open up your wallet and pick a stock guitar off the wall.

 

As for people who would make fun of others for playing a cheap guitar, those people are called 'idiots', and I stopped caring what idiots think a long time ago.

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Who cares if someone likes inexpensive gear? Does it really have such a big affect on you, what someone else is playing? Some people don't want to pay for a name on a headstock, and if you can find an inexpensive alternative that you like, why not get it? We like guitars, but we also like money. If you can get nice guitars and a nice amount of money too, why not?

 

But seriously, what harm is being done to you when you see someone enjoying a cheaper guitar? Do you die a little bit on the inside whenever you witness someone liking what they play, especially if it didn't cost a ton of money?

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But seriously, what harm is being done to you when you see someone enjoying a cheaper guitar? Do you die a little bit on the inside whenever you witness someone liking what they play, especially if it didn't cost a ton of money?

 

LOL... :D Yeah, I think the OP had a good point that if someone has gear that's always breaking down or is out of tune, then it IS a pain in the ass for everyone else. But often, those are maintenance problems, not necessarily because the gear is inexpensive. That is, I've known plenty of people who play inexpensive gear and they still get a setup and change strings and clean/check the pots and jacks or change drumheads/maintain hardware, and it's fine. And plenty of people who play expensive stuff and DON'T do that and it's a headache for everybody.

 

If the gear is reliable and not always breaking then I agree, who cares what somebody plays and how much it cost.

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In the best of all possible situations, my equipment, no matter what the price tag, is going to be blasted through an ineptly-handled low-end sound system in either an acoustic nightmare of a club or in some non-ampitheateresque open festival field. As long as it's reliable, it will do the trick.

 

Music is an inclusive art--everyone can dance, sing, or clap along. I've been moved musically by 5-gallon bucket drum, the home-made steel drum, and even the cheap-to-free sound of the human voice. Nobody cares about the price tag but people who've paid too much for a similar, but more expensive, piece of equipment.

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