Bottom line is: Good players choose wisely

[Zachman]

There are so many morons who post about how good players don't need good gear to sound good. On the surface, this seems reasonable, but upon closer inspection, the premise is faulty from the start.

 

The premise of a good player "NEEDING" good gear to sound good, is just playing the shell game.

 

It isn't about "NEED", it's about experience. A good player will choose his tools 'appropriately', based on experience guiding him/her in a particular direction.

 

When it comes to choosing their gear, their experience dictates what will be appropriate to use, so they select the appropriate tools to accomplish the task at hand. Depending on what they are doing, will determine HOW they approach their instrument from a technique as well as a tonal perspective.

 

It is that simple guys.

 

Tone isn't in the fingers, it's in the ears. Technique is in the fingers and the generator of the tones are the gear being utilized. Need proof??? Try getting harmonic feedback from an electric guitar if it isn't plugged in. I don't care how good you are, the tone IS NOT in the fingers.

 

Whether it be a small combo, stereo rig, Multi-amp setup, rack preamps and a poweramp, multiple heads, multiple combos, or a combination of all of the aforementioned, or a W/D, or W/D/W rig, the reasons for gear selection is as widely varied as are the players who utilize them.

 

* MEGA racks, or GREAT gear don't make a player great.

* Minimalist approaches to gear doesn't make a player great

* Neither one of those two things even guarantees sounding good.

 

Great songwriting, Great proficiency on the instrument and dialing Great or appropriate tones, are seperate arts. The GREATS tend to be able to transcend all three arts, following their own path, choosing their tools wisely and ensuring what is necessary to accomplish the task at hand.

[english_bob]

True. For all the talk about say, Jeff Beck playing beater guitars he found in cupboards and sounding awesome, he still chooses to play custom shop Fenders. Good gear won't make you NOT suck if your technique is crap, but it won't make you any worse either, so there's no reason why a good player shouldn't buy quality just for the extra 1/2% improvement in overall sound or playing ease, or for the peace of mind that comes from knowing that it won't break.

 

However, there must also come a price point on the where all you're paying extra for is mother of pearl and mojo. PRS Dragons are for putting in bank vaults, not tour buses.

[Zachman]

 

True. For all the talk about say, Jeff Beck playing beater guitars he found in cupboards and sounding awesome, he still chooses to play custom shop Fenders. Good gear won't make you NOT suck if your technique is crap, but it won't make you any worse either, so there's no reason why a good player shouldn't buy quality just for the extra 1/2% improvement in overall sound or playing ease, or for the peace of mind that comes from knowing that it won't break. However, there must also come a price point on the where all you're paying extra for is mother of pearl and mojo. PRS Dragons are for putting in bank vaults, not tour buses.

 

 

True, though it is probably a part of the endorsement contract that he signed with Fender, as to why he is seen playing his signature series guitar, and NOT Les Pauls anymore.

 

I definately have champagne taste when it comes to gear but still play guitars that I got for $100. Some gear for me is like old T-{censored}rs, they are raggedy and jacked up, but they are so comfortable.

 

As far as a price point goes; this is definately a pay to play game and something is only worth what someone is willing to pay. That being said, there are industry benchmarks for excellence that are set by industry professionals (from engineers to producers to artists to the average gigging musician) and either the benchmarks are met or they aren't. The issues of "this vs that", measured against the industry benchmark of excellence, usually fall way short here on the boards, because maybe 1% of the guys here can afford to pay to play w/ that level gear which meets the Industry benchmark of excellence.

 

That doesn't make the other gear bad, (NOT AT ALL), it just means that the guys who want to argue about what is the best, in a price content; are NOT addressing what BEST REALLY IS.

[Lanefair]

I think a good guitar and amp definitely helps a musician. As for pedals, well f**k pedals. Boutique or Dano mini won't affect how good you sound, cause you'll set them up right in the first place.

[Zachman]

I think a good guitar and amp definitely helps a musician. As for pedals, well f**k pedals. Boutique or Dano mini won't affect how good you sound, cause you'll set them up right in the first place.

 

IMO, pedals and/or rack sound processors are tools, nothing more.

 

Like an artist that draws with pencil has a different set of needs than an artist that paints with oil paints, they use the appropriate tools/colors for their vision. It is an intrugal part of the art form.

 

Some are better than others at choosing color, or shading to create a 3D image. Same goes for gear, tone and music. NOT all players are as good as others as diaing the appropriate colors, or shades of gray. Some have GRAND visions, others only paint bowls of fruit.

[mike.sartori]

A lot of good players also tend to be the type of people that like gear. You could say they are seperate traits that often seem to coincide in a person. Obviously there are a few people who are great players and don't really care about gear, and there are a lot of gear-snobs that aren't good players (probably because it takes more discipline to be a good guitarist than it does to spend money.)

[dysorexia]

Tell me why,

Ain't nothin' but a heartache,

Tell me why,

Ain't nothin' but a mistake,

Tell me why,

I never wanna hear you say,

I want it that way

 

Am I, your fire?

Your one, desire,

Yes I know, it's too late,

But I want it that way

 

Tell me why,

Ain't nothin' but a heartache,

Tell me why,

Ain't nothin' but a mistake,

Tell me why,

I never wanna hear you say,

I want it that way

 

Now I can see that we're falling apart,

From the way that it used to be, Yeah,

No matter the distance,

I want you to know,

That deep down inside of me...

 

You are, my fire,

The one, desire,

You are (You are, You are, You are...)

 

Don't wanna hear you say,

Ain't nothin' but a heartache,

Ain't nothin' but a mistake,

(Don't wanna hear you say),

I never wanna hear you say,

I want it that way

 

Tell me why,

Ain't nothin' but a heartache,

Tell me why,

Ain't nothin' but a mistake,

Tell me why,

I never wanna hear you say,

(Don't wanna hear you say),

I want it that way

 

Tell me why...

Ain't nothin' but a heartache,

Ain't nothin' but a mistake,

Tell me why,

I never wanna hear you say,

(Don't wanna hear you say it),

I want it that way

 

I want it that way.

[hangwire]

Thanks for the DUH thread of the day...

[Televator]

Thanks for the DUH thread of the day...

 

+1. What's the impetus for posting a thread like this? Were you hoping to clear something up, or is this some kind of epiphany you had while sitting on the can?

[milkmanfrank]

 

+1. What's the impetus for posting a thread like this? Were you hoping to clear something up, or is this some kind of epiphany you had while sitting on the can?

 

He wanted to reply to Robopimp's thread, but thought that his point of view was more important than anyone else's.

 

It's a good idea. Instead of replying within the thread being discussed, everyone should just start a whole new thread each time they want to make a point.

[L6Sguy]

 

agreed.

 

a used Hohner off the shop wall, picked out because the tortoise-shell pickguard matched his undies, resulted in the perfect tool to acheive world-wide greatness.

 

 

 

EVH --piece-mealed guitars, built by an alcoholic teenager. millions now, and have for some time, spend countless hours and countless dollars trying to emulate the tone of said piece-mealed guitar. lack of luthiery skills were later evinced when he did in another primary guitar by hacking away at all the wood behind the tailpiece.

 

brian may --- used an old fire-place mantle as the basis for his #1, presumably extra mojo was instilled by the picture of Uncle Ted and Aunt Millie that had sat atop the mantle for yrs. no luthiers involved in the build of said guitar.

 

jimmy page --- saw a marginally-modded Danelectro as one of multiple guitars worthy of wowing millions with.