Good players don't need good gear

[fernmeister]

 

 

 

I'd love to know as well. It might have been an inspired choice of low-end guitar that he made at the start of his career. But that plank must have been refretted a few times at least by now, probably has new tuners, nut and so on as well as setups, etc.

 

He's spent a lot more than 200 since he bought it.

 

Oh and if he did originally pay 200 for it, then that would be worth more like 600-800 in today's money - but's that's a whole other story.

[newstrat60]

if you need "boutique" fuzz tones then chances are you're not a very good player.

Loverboy, in 1968 you would have said to Hendrix : naaah those boutique amps that this Jim Marshall makes specially for you, u dont {censored}ing need'em... and those rocket fuzzes either, dumbass !

[bieke]

playing covers isnt music

 

 

that's what I always thought

so after more than 25 years of playing, I tried out for a couple of cover bands and failed at it.

It's a lot harder than I thought it was, and there are some really talented players out there playing nothing but cheesy cover songs with their Variax guitars or GT-8 multi-FX and their Roland Cubes, and they manage just fine to recreate the sound of those cheesy cover songs.

[Zachman]

that's what I always thought so after more than 25 years of playing, I tried out for a couple of cover bands and failed at it. It's a lot harder than I thought it was, and there are some really talented players out there playing nothing but cheesy cover songs with their Variax guitars or GT-8 multi-FX and their Roland Cubes, and they manage just fine to recreate the sound of those cheesy cover songs.

 

 

Depending on the music, the players, the players' choice of gear, it is very possible to recreate the vibe of those original acts, the sound/Tone... That is another story. It isn't so crucial to some and it is essential to others. Either way if they can play the songs the way the audience remembers, it's a miracle... They sounded just like the band. Put the actual band on the stage, and an interesting phenominon occurs; they don't do the songs like the record-- They don't have to, a cover band or a tribute band is held to a different standard of scrutiny.

[Jon Hiller]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAF-eR2j454

 

 

HOOOOOLY CRAP, that kid can play for his age, he's gonna be insanely good (not like he isn't already, though) by the time he's 18. Sheesh.

[angelhair0]

If you're a good player it doesn't matter what you play through, you can make it sound good. I don't care WHAT piece of {censored} it is, a good player can make anything SOUND "boutique"

 

 

I think that's bull{censored}. I don't care who you are, whether you're Yanni or some 14 year old punk who can't even tune.. if you're playing a Metalzone into a a cheap amp, you're going to sound like {censored}. Period. Some pedals produce bad tone, some amps produce bad tone. Talent has nothing to do with quality of gear.

 

I've heard plenty of people make cheap gear sound good, and I'm not saying all cheap gear sounds bad. But in my opinion, really BAD gear sounds bad all the time and talent has nothing to do with it.

[4Kenoath]

I can't believe so many got suckered by the Gimp...

 

...again.

[Uma Floresta]

If you're a good player it doesn't matter what you play through, you can make it sound good. I don't care WHAT piece of {censored} it is, a good player can make anything SOUND "boutique"

 

 

I would agree. Once you have the basics, gear isn't about need. It's about want. Or I should say, WANT.

[Yarmo]

I would agree. Once you have the basics, gear isn't about need. It's about want. Or I should say, WANT .

Yar

[MrSage]

Thats true to a point but do you really think SRV would sound exactly the same playing a rogue guitar into a peavey solid state amp?

 

 

To be fair, SRV played a regular old beat-up Strat through the most common overdrive at the time into a standard Fender amp.

 

His basic rig couldn't have been any more plain vanilla.

[Yarmo]

To be fair, SRV played a regular old beat-up Strat through the most common overdrive at the time into a standard Fender amp. His basic rig couldn't have been any more plain vanilla.

 

 

...a beat-up Strat that nobody else wanted...it had been sitting in the store for years so basically, a POS git-fiddle in most git-fiddlers eyes.

[L6Sguy]

I'd love to know as well. It might have been an inspired choice of low-end guitar that he made at the start of his career. But that plank must have been refretted a few times at least by now, probably has new tuners, nut and so on as well as setups, etc. He's spent a lot more than 200 since he bought it. Oh and if he did originally pay 200 for it, then that would be worth more like 600-800 in today's money - but's that's a whole other story.

 

 

 

well looking at it from that perspective, say $600, we can compare to many guitars in that price range today, which often include: grover 18:1 tuners, pups above generic-qual standards, graphite nut, etc. so, following this logic, a $600 guitar on sale at MF for $399ish or $350ish has become a cheap guitar with little/no need for upgrades.

 

right?

 

as for refretting, a couple times on a guitar from that era is perfectly normal, especially considering the play-time they have received. my 74 L6S has needed a refret, as has my 78 strat. if i played half as much as Prince, i could certainly justify a sceond. how long does an expensive guitar go between refrets?

 

_______________________________________________

 

Zachman, as far as woods go, we're dealing with a Hohner. think what you want about that beautiful grain, and while you do, i'm gonna guess veneer. strictly a guess, but even a 1/2" slab of cute maple still dont make a tele a rock-star priced instrument.

 

 

tuners? $65

pups? $150

nut? $6

electronics? $15

new bridge? $40

 

 

WTF more can you do to a tele?

 

set the thing up?

[L6Sguy]

I think that's bull{censored}. I don't care who you are, whether you're Yanni or some 14 year old punk who can't even tune.. if you're playing a Metalzone into a a cheap amp, you're going to sound like {censored}. Period. Some pedals produce bad tone, some amps produce bad tone. Talent has nothing to do with quality of gear. I've heard plenty of people make cheap gear sound good, and I'm not saying all cheap gear sounds bad. But in my opinion, really BAD gear sounds bad all the time and talent has nothing to do with it.

 

 

go listen to some of Steely Dan's catalog, or Aimee Mann's, or even Zep's.

 

sounds that on their own may sound crap, when put into the right context, can be tunes/solos people end up humming/air-guitaring along to for 40+ years.

 

 

 

tone = something for gearheads to argue over, and vendors/mfgrs to make zillions from.

 

once the gearheads and folks that can profit from it are removed, it usually just becomes music again.

[L6Sguy]

That body wood alone, sure doesn't look like a $200 guitar, let alone the neck, electronics, tuning pegs and setup. If indeed it is, great deal, and I bet he didn't HAVE to pay for it anyway......

the first of many Hohner tele knockoffs for Prince came about at nearly day one for him. when he was just another 20-nothing musician with a dream, and a closet full of torquoise womens' corsets. while he's picked up a few for spares, they've been doing service since the first record on, iirc. touring too, and pictured above on a dvd cover.



seems like pretty good testimony to me re: hotrod cheap guitar, then conquer the world.

he's not doing the lion's share of his work with purple swirly guitars and the like. and while theres other guitars in his collection, he's not shy at all about taking out a cheap guitar:







superbowl halftime


concert for g.harrison