Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Gear Doesn’t Matter … Except When It Does


Rabs

Recommended Posts

LOL!! I don't care if YOU like them, in fact, they can be your FAVORITE BAND EVER,, and we could still be pals..

 

not my Cup-O-Joe..

 

and yea, Rap and Music are two words which should never be said in the same sentence...

 

:)

 

No worries.... I'm not a Rage fan to be honest. They never really spoke to me. I'm not angry enough I guess. But I get what they are up to, and I've tried to play some of his riffs just for kicks - they sure ain't easy!

 

But I refuse to go around saying people suck just because I don't like what they are doing. I'm not a huge fan of Chopin or Benny Goodman either, but I wouldn't put them down. Lots of music for lots of people. Ain't but 12 notes.

 

Like this jam which is perfect for rollin' in your car on a weekend afternoon...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CPlF-IEkXQ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...I refuse to go around saying people suck just because I don't like what they are doing. I'm not a huge fan of Chopin or Benny Goodman either, but I wouldn't put them down. Lots of music for lots of people. Ain't but 12 notes...

Yup.

 

msp_thumbup.gif

 

Pip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You tell him Pip.

I'll inform your next of kin. [laugh]

Thanks for the very generous offer Scales but if, unfortunately, it turns out 'ugly' that way I'll inform his next of kin in person.

 

msp_smile.gif

 

Pip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But I refuse to go around saying people suck just because I don't like what they are doing. I'm not a huge fan of Chopin or Benny Goodman either, but I wouldn't put them down. Lots of music for lots of people. Ain't but 12 notes.

 

Like this jam which is perfect for rollin' in your car on a weekend afternoon...

 

Nice. Nice Cube. I agree. I'll see yer Cube and raise it another band that is just fukking killing it and the rap ain't that bad at all. I would pay good money to be up there with them:

 

 

rct

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got in to rap the same time I got in to rock.. In the mid 80s... It wasn't so much gangster rap then more like De La Soul...

 

I also like a bit of ice T.. Hes got a new album out with his metal band..

 

I know most of you will hate it but I like it.. so there :P :)

 

And an obvious swear warning

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1499697024[/url]' post='1867615']

20%

 

That's what gear accounts for - 20%.

 

Take away any decent player's favorite gear and he or she still sounds 80% like you'd expect him or her to.

 

- Take away Eddie Van Halen's gear he still sounds 80% like you'd expect him to.

 

- Hand BB King a cheap Strat with a Pignose and he still sounds 80% like you'd expect him to.

 

- Take away Bonnie Raitt's 65(ish) Strat and Dynacomp and she still sounds 80% like you'd expect her to.

 

 

That said, who doesn't want to improve by 20%? I can't think of anything I wouldn't want to be 20% better. I'd sure love to be 20% thinner! Or have a 20% longer........ attention span maybe? :rolleyes:

 

So saying gear is unimportant is ludicrous. Saying it is the most important thing is also ludicrous. I'm saying 20% -that's what it's worth.

That's the first thing that has made since to me. Ever see David Gilmore's pedal board in Pink Floyd's recordings? It's just heaven listening to them play. Those sounds and tones produced and then again, I heard him play Comfortably Numb on a acoustic guitar, did not show if he was hooked up to a pedal or not but he still sounded just like David Gilmore. Not that sound he did on a Strat, but still great.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice. Nice Cube. I agree. I'll see yer Cube and raise it another band that is just fukking killing it and the rap ain't that bad at all. I would pay good money to be up there with them:

 

 

rct

 

Giddyup! I love these stylistic mashups. I like to think any musician worth his salt can meet another musician in the middle and create something cool.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But I refuse to go around saying people suck just because I don't like what they are doing.

 

true TBH, most of my comments were tongue in cheek..

 

I think life is way to short to make everything a problem...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Giddyup! I love these stylistic mashups. I like to think any musician worth his salt can meet another musician in the middle and create something cool.

 

I don't know anything better in music. I've never done anything more fun than hook up with total strangers, make something magic happen, smoke a cigarette, and go home fully satisfied with no need for antibiotics.

 

rct

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gear matters, a lot, within relativity. Find the gear that works with you, that makes you play and sound better. Whether it is a cheap guitar or a pricey one.

 

A lot of great guitar players will sound like themselves with cheap gear but they somehow do not play cheap gear because it is not the same to grab a guitar for 5 minutes than to tour with it for years.

 

Sure, George Lynch will sound like himself with a Squier but that guitar will not get his plugged in sound nor will stay in tune when he does a couple of dive bombs.

 

Sure, the player is the most important part of the equation but finding gear that inspires you takes you to the next level, hell, most guitar forums are based on this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really like this video from Andertons.

 

 

Cheap guitar with expensive amp vs. expensive guitar and cheap amp.

 

Their budget was $1200 or so US, or 1000 pounds.

 

Now if I could only figure out how to embed video like y'all are doing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...Gear matters, a lot, within relativity...

...A lot of great guitar players will sound like themselves with cheap gear but they somehow do not play cheap gear...

...Sure, the player is the most important part of the equation but finding gear that inspires you takes you to the next level...

I agree 100% with all the above.

 

Starting at the end;

 

I used to enjoy playing guitar when my only kit was a dirt-cheap LP copy and a 3w practice amp. When, in 1979/80, I bought a s/h 1964 Strat and a s/h (late '60s?) Marshall 2x10 combo, however, things changed dramatically. I now practiced five times as much as previously because (1) I really really loved my new (old) guitar and my new (old) amp and (2) I now felt that I had to justify to myself having such wonderful objects. Having good gear (IMX) really did make me become a player whereas before I had been a noodler.

 

I started to sound 'like me' when I acquired my MM 2x12 after the Marshall died. It took a while to fully digest what the Strat, the MM amp and myself could cover. Only after years of discovery - and becoming a much better player - did I figure out how to replicate (almost) those sounds with 'lesser' guitars. The fault was not with the subsequent guitars but with my own understanding of what they could achieve - given the necessary time and consideration input from myself.

 

Lastly; having nice kit is an indulgence and a source of great pleasure on many levels. Where's the harm?

 

Pip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Anderton's video just reaffirms the notion, that IF you really know how to play,

the cost of gear you use, is (almost) incidental, providing it plays well, will intonate

properly, and has decent pickups, or in the case of an amp, just simply sounds good!

 

The rest is ego and marketing. [biggrin]

 

CB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Anderton's video just reaffirms the notion, that IF you really know how to play,

the cost of gear you use, is (almost) incidental, providing it plays well, will intonate

properly, and has decent pickups, or in the case of an amp, just simply sounds good!

 

The rest is ego and marketing. [biggrin]

 

CB

 

that's only partially true though. it's not wrong, it's just not the whole story. especially in the amps, more money (up to a point) can provide features that increase usability/functionality, and reliability. certainly the threshold of necessary money to get a functional gig worthy guitar has dropped dramatically in the last few decades. but the same holds true. there is another...plateau where money will get you more usability/functionality, and reliability. then, like any other object, to go beyond it only buys you bling and brand image.

we might drive a chevy to get to work and back, but if elvis was buying, we'd happily drive a cadillac. hahahaha

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course, but with true, good to excellent functionality, there's a point where price reaches the

point of diminishing returns, especially these days, IMHO. And, is based on how "precious" the

company holds their product, or what they can get away with, via marketing, and greed! As you

say, "name brand" identification, as status symbol. In my youth, you had very few "professional

grade" instruments that were inexpensive, compared to the vast number that exists, today! The

Asian guitars, of that time, were pretty "iffy!" After The Beatles broke, on Ed Sullivan, the

Guitar market exploded, but it was a relatively slow explosion. As I think everyone was caught

off guard, and simply weren't prepared for the incredible demand. And, very few parents were

willing to spend hundreds of dollars on Fender, Gretsch, Gibson,(American) Epiphone's which were

THE professional brands (still are, among other's), back then. Danelectro, Harmony, Kay, and

Valco made "intermediate" instruments, that were "OK" but certainly not of the same quality,

as Fender, Gibson, etc. But, that was then, this is now! "Budget" guitars are better than they

have ever been, from what I've seen, and played. We would have "Killed" to have the choices

in decently priced, and excellent quality guitars, and amps, that can be had today. So...??? [tongue][biggrin]

 

CB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started with a cheap guitar and cheap amp. Sounded bad until I learned how to play. (1979)

 

Got a Fender Twin Reverb amp, still cheap guitar, Big Muff pedal, sounded lots better and I had learned to play a lot better. (1981)

 

Got a better guitar, same amp and pedal, DiMarzio pickup, sounded great. (1982)

 

Amp blew up, got a Peavey Amp, same guitar, sounded decent. (1983)

 

Upgraded to different guitar, Randall half stack, great sound. (1983)

 

Upgraded to Gibson V, same half stack, some pedals, and I had my best sound in my opinion. (1984)

 

Throughout all that, my playing got better and the sound got better and both the inexpensive and expensive guitars sounded amazing, in my opinion.

 

Now, playing my expensive guitars through a little Fender Mustang amp, they sound great. Not as good as through the Marshall or Randall but usable.

 

I tend to set "my sound" using whatever guitar and amp combo I use. Inexpensive amps these days sound pretty decent. Inexpensive guitars sound pretty good these days too. I would have loved to have all these choices too, 35 years ago. It seems to me that where you'd hear the biggest difference is on clean channel and/or loud volumes. That's where I noticed the biggest difference in amp sounds. People who only play in their house/room probably won't notice the difference as much as those who play with a band.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

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

×
×
  • Create New...