Ever noticed how most guitarists really know almost nothing about guitars and amps?

[AtillaTheHungry]

My roommate has been playing guitar for a few weeks, and he has one of those tiny little Marshall MG10s, which he tells me he got for $50. Trying to be nice, I said that it wasn't bad for $50, and he said something like, "Yeah, it is a Marshall. They're the best amps." He also just spent like $600 on an Ibanez SZ 720. They're nice guitars for the money, but seriously, what good does that really do him having just started when he has nothing to plug it into but that tiny POS? He already had another guitar, but that little thing is his only amp. He talks all the time about what guitar such and such guy in such and such band he likes uses, as if it is the ONLY thing that matters. He thinks that Gibsons and Fenders in general are the greatest guitars ever, and basically that they are all worth the money. Even though I've told him, he still doesn't really seem to grasp that his guitar probably isn't really any worse than a whole lot of them.

 

My suspicion that that is his complete understanding of everything was confirmed today when he wanted me to show him some of the bands I like. He said that the guitars sounded good and would ask me just what kind of guitars they played. He wondered why some of them would sound so different from CD to CD and asked if they were playing different guitars on each one. I told him that they changed amps. His response was, "Do the amps really matter?" Of course, I told him that they are basically one of the most important things. I'm sure that he has no idea what a tube or SS amp is, and here we are, sitting here discussing things like what mods to do on our $1,000+ tube amps, and what specific brands of what specific models of tubes to put in each position. He'll eventually learn how it all works, but likely only because he's living with me. Most people just go on like that, never knowing any different.

 

Now, I'm sure we've all encountered someone like this at some point, but the scary thing is, I believe that this is how MOST people who play guitar are. I've known craploads of people who just sit there and read MF catalogs, and their entire understanding of equipment comes right out of there.

 

This is why Marshall, Gibson, and Fender can continually crank their prices to no end, even though we all know we can get such and such awesome amp or guitar for a fraction of the price. This is why you can so easily pay more for a mass produced guitar than a hand built, channel switching tube head.

 

I'm not sure that there is really a point to this thread, other than the fact that it sucks. It's 3 in the morning and I'm tired.

[vchizzle]

yep, you're right. maybe its not always to the extent that you mentioned here, but ALOT of guitarists don't really know {censored} about gear in general. and many don't care so much as all of us freaks here! if they get a sound they're happy with and stick with it, cool. knowledge is power though. the more you know about what you do(play), the better off you are. although the obsession some of us have here probably gets in the way of our playing sometimes too. so its all relative, i suppose.

[fuzzbox]

by "most guitarists" you refer to a guy who played for a few weeks? come on, gimme a break...or him rather! Not really a guitar player yet I'd say! And he seem to have a lot of passion for everything about it which is a good sound. About fender etc. I have played seriously for a very long time and I still can't find anything better for me than a Strat and a Fender/Marshall amp! Not saying you are wrong in your statements as there are many great axes out there but Fender is still what most people like even with all other choices available. Something about them that makes you wanna get one! And not hype, they are for real!

[AtillaTheHungry]

I'm not talking about people not caring, though. A lot of people will talk a lot about equipment and they are really interested in it, but they have ZERO real understanding of any of it. Their entire perception basically comes from deceptive advertising.

 

Obviously, some people will be fooled by advertising of any product, no matter how ridiculous it is, but I think it's a problem how prevalent it is with gear.

 

And I'm not generalizing and saying that because I know one guy like this, everyone is. That was an example. What I am saying is that a lot of people GO ON being like that. My roommate may have only played for a few weeks, but as soon as people get fooled into all that, they tend to stay that way.

 

I'm also not saying that Marshall, Gibson, and Fender suck. They have some good stuff, but we all also know that they aren't really innovative anymore, they make some real crap that they manage to sell with their name, and they are getting to the point of outright price gouging, as they have been continually raising prices by large amounts.

[fuzzbox]

Originally posted by OneArmedScissors I'm not talking about people not caring, though. A lot of people will talk a lot about equipment and they are really interested in it, but they have ZERO real understanding of any of it. Their entire perception basically comes from deceptive advertising. Obviously, some people will be fooled by advertising of any product, no matter how ridiculous it is, but I think it's a problem how prevalent it is with gear. And I'm not generalizing and saying that because I know one guy like this, everyone is. That was an example. What I am saying is that a lot of people GO ON being like that. My roommate may have only played for a few weeks, but as soon as people get fooled into all that, they tend to stay that way. I'm also not saying that Marshall, Gibson, and Fender suck. They have some good stuff, but we all also know that they aren't really innovative anymore, they make some real crap that they manage to sell with their name, and they are getting to the point of outright price gouging, as they have been continually raising prices by large amounts.

I guess some know less and some more! Most people I know have a pretty good knowledge about gear but I have also played shows with completely clueless guys (regarding the gear) that plays with worl known acts (mostly world music). They often play {censored}ty Squire's, SS crap amps and some cheap multi fx by Digitech etc but they play great and they still sound like they should. One time this guys amp wouldn't work at a big summer concert and I let him borrow my Rivera I had at the time and he looked like a deer in the headlights:D All while the drummer counted in the first tune:eek:

 

Anyway, about Fender prices. Not really any differnt from the damn gas prices. The supplier of gas is not selling less when we have crises like New Orleans hurricane blowing away oil refineries(sp), but he know he can sell it all for more because of it and that is just greed in a capilistic society. Supply and demand. Still, I think Fenders are better than most even if they sometimes can be sorta crappy. dunno, but I love Fenders and can't really play anything else.

[AtillaTheHungry]

I know that some people are good no matter what they play on, even if they somehow have no knowledge of gear, but I hate the whole, "Marshall and Gibson are the best," thing, and that sort of stuff. It's getting a bit out of hand. Quite a few people have told me that, almost as if they are some sort of authority on it, but those two particuarly are quickly becoming little more than huge rip offs, and they still dominate everything. An Epiphone copy of a Gibson can run more than a guitar that you could play for life.

 

I can't stand it when I see people who I know don't know jack crap about any of it wearing shirts of the brand names. Fender has its own freaking clothes line now.

 

Any half intelligent business will obviously go for any money it could potentially make, but they're certainly not about really being the best instrument makers they could be anymore, and enough people are getting suckered into it for them to continue raising prices. It will probably happen again this year.

[fuzzbox]

Originally posted by OneArmedScissors I know that some people are good no matter what they play on, even if they somehow have no knowledge of gear, but I hate the whole, "Marshall and Gibson are the best," thing, and that sort of stuff. It's getting a bit out of hand. Quite a few people have told me that, almost as if they are some sort of authority on it, but those two particuarly are quickly becoming little more than huge rip offs, and they still dominate everything. An Epiphone copy of a Gibson can run more than a guitar that you could play for life. I can't stand it when I see people who I know don't know jack crap about any of it wearing shirts of the brand names. Fender has its own freaking clothes line now. Any half intelligent business will obviously go for any money it could potentially make, but they're certainly not about really being the best instrument makers they could be anymore, and enough people are getting suckered into it for them to continue raising prices. It will probably happen again this year.

I see what you are saying, but I really do feel the only guitars worth having are Fender and Gibson. In fact, I have a Epiphone that is as sweet as any and I honestly will say that PRS are more over priced. And thay feel like dead wood and I can't understand THAT hype. Every friggin drop d band has them! Blah! PRS play like {censored} to me.

[highgainlover]

I think that's a valid statement. Aside from around 20% or so, most guitarists - noob or skilled put far too much emphasis on guitar than on the amp.

 

I've sold several guitars for various reasons, and everytime I do that I feel like I lost a part of myself. I haven't felt nearly as bad when selling amps.

[wor lez]

 

Originally posted by fuzzbox I see what you are saying, but I really do feel the only guitars worth having are Fender and Gibson. In fact, I have a Epiphone that is as sweet as any and I honestly will say that PRS are more over priced. And thay feel like dead wood and I can't understand THAT hype. Every friggin drop d band has them! Blah! PRS play like {censored} to me.

 

 

Have to disagree there. I own a fender, and I love gibsons, but in terms of build quality and playing feel I think a PRS edges them out. And my PRS cost me

[ned911]

I'm always amazed when I jam with someone new, they can tear up the fretboard yet continually plug their guitar into the output of an overdrive. Then scratch their head for an hour why there is no sound.

 

Same guys will turn all the tone controls to noon and sound like crap. Walk over move some bass, mid and treble around and watch them freak out with how killer they sound.

 

Amazing.

[camelot]

Personally i think its much better to start out with a quality guitar and a {censored}ty amp rather than vice versa.

[Mrmot]

I totally agree. Majority of the guitarists that i know no nothing about equip - i guess my girlfriend knows alot more about equipment than them (she doesn't play guitar, just listens to my bitchin and stuff )

I mean, this guy in my band has a amp with only one preamp tube and thinks that it's a full tube amp, and the other guitarist i know - completely the same, marshall avt50 - yeah it's full tube

And these guys have been playing for about 7-8 years

They don't know the difference between preamp and poweramp, what does each do, they don't know what's the effect loop, boost, i mean, literally nothing

[axe2 2001]

I just got into building guitars about 3 years ago and prior to that, I spent 20+ years not knowing a thing about them. I found that it helped and hurt my playing. Instead of just playing I was thinkin too much about action and tone. Gotta separate the player from the builder. Same applies to rigs and setups.

[Max Factor]

...not nearly as annoying as guys that can't play worth {censored} but act like guitar godz because of the their personal arsennal of overpriced boutique gear.

[Mrmot]

 

Originally posted by Max Factor ...not nearly as annoying as guys that can't play worth {censored} but act like guitar godz because of the their personal arsennal of overpriced boutique gear.

 

i agree.

 

also, one thing that i forgot - these guys always say that they're jealous (in a good way) cause i have so much better tone and equipment than them, and i spent practically the same amount of money as they did

[rgt320]

 

Originally posted by Max Factor ...not nearly as annoying as guys that can't play worth {censored} but act like guitar godz because of the their personal arsennal of overpriced boutique gear.

 

+1

[Panopticon]

Originally posted by Max Factor ...not nearly as annoying as guys that can't play worth {censored} but act like guitar godz because of the their personal arsennal of overpriced boutique gear.

 

Very true.

 

You know, I love knowing everything there possibly is to know about the gear that I own. Why would I want it any other way?

 

This brings me to an little story.

 

There is this guitarist who I have known for quite some time. He is a very creative guitarist, but he acts like he is a God.

 

I saw him in a used guitar shop the other day while I was looking for the cheapest delay pedal I could find. He walked up to me, and we talked for a bit about life and boring, general things. Then he asks me what I was doing there. I told him I was looking for a cheap delay pedal, and I was actually sitting down with a johnson delay that was like 40 bucks. He says, "Well, that cool. I only play the most expensive pedals that I can, because I tour alot."

 

The funny thing about this story is that I have seen his pedalboard many times, and the guy uses an EHX Deluxe Memory man delay, which is like a 200$ delay pedal.

 

That is why i think everyone should know what the hell they are talking about when it comes to gear. Just by talking to people who dont know much, you can really kick them off to an very awesome learning experience about what they play.

 

Know your {censored}.:D

[AcidRock23]

I dunno, when I 'started out' (c. 1985, if you are keeping score) I was in college and had a HUGE budget for partying, chicks, etc. and played on all sorts of what I might now consider 'junk' or '{censored}' b/c we really had a bunch of us who piled all of our {censored}ty gear in the basement and daisy chained crap together when the whole team wasn't around. It was fun but if we had not been too wasted to tape most of it, it would probably have sounded like total ass.

 

I think that you have to play for some time before you get a good idea what you even can try to sound like or where you want to push your own sound. Now that I have some stuff that does actually sound remotely like a cool guitar, it is fun and I can tweak all of my amps pretty quickly to find the different treasure buried in them.

 

Rather than saying Marshall/ Fender/ Gibson etc. are 'good' or 'suck' or whatever, I think that the most important thing to learn is that even the most 'commercial' brands like that have very little consistency and that one Fender may be awesome and another one, that LOOKS identical, may have subtle variances in feel/ tone that will make it suck. Any time you buy any gear, I think that you are better off to play it and, if you are willing to woodshed a bunch of axes and traumatize the dude at guitar center, you will be MUCH better off than saying 'I want a Les Paul b/c that's what Jimmy Page played' or something like that.

[megaboogie]

What do you expect from a guy who has been playing guitar for a few weeks?

If he is happy with the setup he has, I think it's fine.

Since he just started he probably doesn't have clear idea of what good tone is. IMO it's better that he focus on playing more than worrying about tone too much.

[NoirAbattoir]

The kid is a noob. Cut him some slack. Teach him some stuff about tone. Teach him the mid knob should be cranked. You will have saved humanity from one more numetal douche.

 

I get your point, though.

[AcidRock23]

Originally posted by ColorsoundKid The kid is a noob. Cut him some slack. Teach him some stuff about tone. Teach him the mid knob should be cranked. You will have saved humanity from one more numetal douche.

 

sig worthy!!

[AcidRock23]

voila!

[Matter-Eater Lad]

What's so hard to understand? If they use a Fender or a Gibson or a Marshall and it sounds good to them, fine. Yeah there is a whole world of hand-built this and that, modifications, NOS tubes, speakers, it's endless! The point is playing and making music. Not dinking around with gear.

[Crimz]

Originally posted by ColorsoundKid The kid is a noob. Cut him some slack. Teach him some stuff about tone. Teach him the mid knob should be cranked. You will have saved humanity from one more numetal douche. I get your point, though.

 

I think it's better that he doesn't get tainted by other peoples preferences. If he's just starting out then he'll have no knowledge about what "good" tone is and "bad" tone is only what he likes and what he doesn't. Which is a lot better than what other people like and what other people don't.

[Serj]

It's funny how I knew absolutely nothing about guitars and amps before I found this site - I began playing guitar about the same time. It's also funny that I have a marshall amp and gibson guitars.