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Raise your hand if your gear is better than you.


LikesLoomis

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:raises hand:

 

I definetely fall into this class.

My skills would really fall into the "I should have a cheap solid state p.o.s. and a Sears special Harmony".

 

However, from years of being around good gear, I now own guitars WAY out of my class.

 

Anyone else fall into this category?

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Define class?

 

I finished school at 16 and had a couple years up my sleeve. I worked at a five-star hotel (first non-desk job) doing lighting for three years and went on to do stage sound, organising them instead of setting them up and meeting customer criteria. Needless to say I had a very developed ear by the time I picked up my first instrument (I thought it was frivolous to that point/never aimed to be a gigging musician) and was quick to dismiss my Roland Cube 30 for a Fender Blues Junior. I then went on to own some 10 amps and learn a lot about the different amp builds/tubes/speakers/learned to solder/had the confidence in EQ'ing my amp without resorting to presets. I can do this with synths and bass sounds too- I rarely use presets/etc yet can't play beyond your usual 3-chord type stuff. Not complicated at all but it sounds cohesive, fluent and expressive. I never used to be able to put gaps in my playing until I got my first pedal (Boss) and realised the latency between hitting the switch and my sound engaging. Rhythmic timing, anticipation and further EQ'ing confidence was born as a result of this...

 

Do you see where I'm going with this? :)

'The guilt trip' is just as dangerous a path to be walking along; some would say more dangerous than procrastination/GAS as long as they're being productive. That's all that matters at the end of the day.

 

Disclaimer: I own about $5-6k worth of guitar gear so maybe not as 'large' as some other setups on here.

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Er.. I'm not sure how to determine this. If someone is happy with the sounds they produce with their own gear, why would the gear be better than them? After all, the gear needs a person to play it :lol:

I've been playing a musical instrument since I was born, guitar for about 4 years. During my school years I didn't really go out for the hell of it, so I saved up a lot of money. I have a nice setup now which I'm happy with but it probably underlies my age.

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My gear is definitely better than my playing ability, but then I have a good job and music is a pleasant diversion for me. When I play my rig it sounds good and am inspired to play more. I have gotten some flak from dudes trying to 'make it' but then again they're 41 year old deli counter attendants hoping learning all those Skid Row covers will pay off someday. {censored} it.

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Nah, I get a lot out of my gear. Sometimes I actually crave a little more. My guitar (Epi Casino) is a great guitar, but it doesn't have the fret access I'd like. My pedals are ever-changing to keep up with what I need out of them. My amps (Bandmaster and Gemini) are both great and I get my money's worth out of at least the BM. The Gemini is more of a trophy than anything else, at least recently. I don't like taking it out cause the reverb tank gets a little hostile when it gets transported.

 

Short answer: No, my gear is not better than me.

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My new CV tele is perfect for me. It plays just as nice as my bandmate's American Deluxe Stratocaster did back when it was new. Seriously! But the price was spot on for what my skills warrant. Been playing 10 years, but that's only statistically speaking...

 

As for my Maz 38... I'm not real sure if it matters what my skill level is. I'm sharing it with my bandmate (I'm the bassist), and also using it for recording. It's a great all-around amp. Definitely getting an ATA case for it soon. It's built solid, so I'm going to make sure it stays that way.

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I could definitely use a better/different amp

 

When I realised that the tone I'm getting from guitar rig 4 is far better than my live tone I started saving :p

 

AC15C1 or Bogner alchemist (don't know wich one i'll get yet) HERE I COME

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I got into gear about a year ago, before that i was rocking a cheap cable decent guitar and micro cube and used school amps for gigs.

I would say i got good before i got tone, made me learn how to squeeze as much tone as i can out of the equipment i had. i use that talent now with the good equipment and makes me sound even better. Im even with my gear right now but it is slowly rising above me, i'm becoming a gear snob and shouldnt spend as much as i do:)

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