Jump to content

Does more gear equal more talent?


Skyforger

Recommended Posts

  • Members

A friend and I believe that it can, but for different reasons. I'll quickly outline the story to better understand where we're both coming from. He considers himself a "long time player", because we both got lessons at the age of eleven. He forgets that I started learning six years before that. And since I have no real social obligations anymore, I tend to hang out on my computer all day generally studying techniques and styles, along with about three to four hours practice a day. He believes that he only needs to see the technique once or see the tab once before he's ready to practice it for about fifteen minutes, then he's "mastered it". I wish I had comparison clips for you, but he keeps forgetting to record them for me.

 

So then, my reasoning:

I tend to buy guitars now based on the genres I associate them with. If they meet with the genre I want to learn, I buy it. For example, a HSH Ibanez is for metal, a SSS Strat is for blues and cleans, a LP type is for rockin' and buttery lead work. I take a very basic view on guitars-for-genres because it simplifies things for me. I can easily translate these skills onto other guitars, but generally I get the sounds I want from my basic views. When I have the sound, I get to practising. Then, obviously, I improve.

 

His reasoning:

He believes that the more gear he has and the better the quality of it (i.e. how much it's worth or how much it cost), the better his sound will be. The better the sound, the more he can get away with. For example, speedy, accurate lead work can be sloppy so long as there's enough distortion to hide it. Chord work can be sloppy so long as there's a good amount of reverb (which I don't quite understand), and cleans can be sloppy so long as there's a large use of effects like chorus, flange, delay etc etc.

 

So to me, having more gear made me a better player, even if it was an unnecessary expense. I suppose if I didn't have such particular standards about tone in different genres, I could learn them all on one guitar. To me, it's about being inspired to learn the different styles by the instrument used. So I suppose it's equal parts image and tonal ability of the instrument. A flawed perception, but ultimately effective.

 

What are your thoughts and opinions?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 101
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

I could buy an Indy car, but I won't win the race.

Sure, you want gear that inspires, but like the old saw says: "A poor workman blames his tools."


EG

 

You could buy an Indy car and practice, and you'll do better in the race than if you were to use a tractor :idk:

 

I get what you mean, though. Taking the "one right tool" approach isn't exactly cost effective, nor is it totally necessary. But the results are what I wanted.

 

Also, I probably should've used better wording. I'm interested to hear other people's stories :thu:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I learned 85% of what I know on one acoustic and one electric guitar, and was pretty good before I had the luxury of matching guitars to genres or tones. I have pretty well every tone under the sun covered now, at least for my purposes. Certain types of guitars will definitely make it easier to cop a particular vibe, as a Strat will for playing Hendrix-y blues licks. It took me a long time to understand why my HH Ibanez wouldn't sound like a Strat when I started into Little Wing.

 

 

I don't agree with your friend. Having more and better gear will more than likely show up one's weaknesses, than mask them. The only benefit I can see is superficial; people will assume one knows what one's doing based upon the quality and quantity of his gear, but I've known people with lots more than I have, who can barely string together a 30 second pentatonic solo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Sloppy playing can be heard through distortion and chorus.

 

I don't believe tone is totally "in the fingers".....The Joe Satriani clip of him playing in the fan's basement with a {censored}ty guitar and even {censored}tier amp are easily enough to prove that to me.....A great guitar with a nice warm round tone through a nice amp with balanced frequencies will sound great with anyone who can properly fret a note and pluck a string.

 

But having said that......all the great gear in the world isn't going to make your friend sound any better if he can't play well.

 

And yeah.....different guitars can inspire different creative things....I do agree totally with that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

I don't agree with your friend. Having more and better gear will more than likely show up one's weaknesses, than mask them. The only benefit I can see is superficial; people will assume one knows what one's doing based upon the quality and quantity of his gear, but I've known people with lots more than I have, who can barely string together a 30 second pentatonic solo.

 

 

This is quite accurate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 


I don't agree with your friend. Having more and better gear will more than likely show up one's weaknesses, than mask them. The only benefit I can see is superficial; people will assume one knows what one's doing based upon the quality and quantity of his gear, but I've known people with lots more than I have, who can barely string together a 30 second pentatonic solo.

 

 

This thought had occurred to myself and other musical friends. But we kept it to ourselves in case we were just being dicks. But... The more gear he gets, the more it looks that way. The last time we "jammed" together (read: I played, he watched), I was using four guitars (Ibanez RG, Washburn KC, oddball with Les Paul tones and a CV sounding Squier Strat), with a 4040 multi-effects and a Kustom 2x12" amp. Naturally, I changed guitars and effects depending on what I was jamming. When he eventually did play, he used one guitar (his most expensive: Ibanez RGA32, HH active pickups) and a Laney 4x12" cab with Laney head. No effects, just huge amounts of distortion and reverb, no matter what the vibe. Needless to say, regardless of the vibe it sounded awful.

 

With regard to our amps... Sure, his is most certainly better than mine. But we're bedroom rockers for the most part. And when I play gigs, I use an even smaller amp.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Eh, no reason to put that much thought into it. Some people are really inspired by having or acquiring more and better gear - nicer guitars, big amps, a huge effects board - and likely play better as a result. Others, myself included, are just fine practicing 'naked'. How somebody else chooses to play is no skin off my nose - I just do what inspires me. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Eh, no reason to put that much thought into it. Some people are really inspired by having or acquiring more and better gear - nicer guitars, big amps, a huge effects board - and likely play better as a result. Others, myself included, are just fine practicing 'naked'. How somebody else chooses to play is no skin off my nose - I just do what inspires me.
:)

 

Good post, bro. Very understanding :thu:

I suppose to anyone that's familiar with my posts, it's fairly obvious that I over-think everything... It's a combination of nothing better to do and that reality at face value makes no sense to me :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I sound the same regardless of gear
:idk:
I just don't like having {censored} gear.

 

+1

 

I have lots of gear, and am probably far below the average of the range on HC, but, I can tell you that when I have neat stuff to play with, I DO play more. I also want to play more, and I have learned more in the last year ( since basically deciding to get off my ass and play or sell everything) because of it.

 

After playing for almost 20 years, I am probably three times the player I was a year ago, but still have a million miles to go. Good gear DOES improve you I think, though. Easier to fret, less fatigue, better tuning which helps your ear, etc. There are benefits, but generally not enough to make someone who is mediocre (me) into someone who is not. I'll keep working at it, and having the gear I want helps keep me motivated.

 

The other thing about good gear is, when you go to sell, if you buy right ( i.e. used or blowout) you don't lose your ass, and sometimes come out ahead. When you plateau, a good thing sometimes is to change stuff up. Switch guitars, add a guitar, get lessons, change tunings, etc. All of them are motivational tools

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

the better the sound, the more he can get away with. For example, speedy, accurate lead work can be sloppy so long as there's enough distortion to hide it. Chord work can be sloppy so long as there's a good amount of reverb (which I don't quite understand), and cleans can be sloppy so long as there's a large use of effects like chorus, flange, delay etc etc.

I think he's totally mistaken in that, and he's ears just aren't good enough to hear it. If you're going for "accurate" lead work, no amount of gear or distortion is going to fix sloppy playing. It's just going to be sloppy playing with distortion. That said, some things are certainly easier to play on different types of guitars (or amps), but that doesn't mean you can't shred on an acoustic or play soul on an Ibby. When you get to a certain point, you can get tone you like out of almost any gear. May not always be right for the genre, but almost any guitar and amp can create something cool.

 

I do agree that nice gear can be inspirational and motivating, and in that roundabout way it can make you better, but it isn't really the gear. Talent is the wrong word here, imho, no amount of gear is going to add talent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Krash hit it on the head, and he is NOT a shabby player! Once you have some skills and play around a bit, you see so many great players that you always feel very humble. Hubris is for fools, and sometime we all are infected.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...