anomaly
Well-known member
I was a better guitarist at 21 with a shitty Kustom SS combo and a Yamaha rgx than I am now at 42 with good gear. Although I tend to think I play with more taste these days.
ZEEGLER
Well-known member
If gear was = talent/skill, I'd be playing an Epiphone through a Peavey Bandit. 
SI
Active member
If gear was = talent/skill, I'd be playing an Epiphone through a Peavey Bandit.
jason becker playing black star through i think a cort strat and a peavey 1x12 combo lol
DrewJD82
Well-known member
I’d say so, especially considering I’m utilizing all of it in one way or another.
Like @TheGreatGreen, it was a big thing for me to have gear that wasn’t holding me back. That started with the AxeFX 7 years ago and finally having the ability to get tones I couldn’t before with Mesa’s and Peavey’s. There’s shit I wouldn’t even bother learning to play because I didn’t have an amp to replicate the tone, like it seemed pointless to me to learn some chickin pickin with a 5150 or Dual Rec, I know there’s aspects of that playing/tone that won’t come out with a high gain amp and I’d spend more time fighting to get it than actually learning.
And now that I’m down this Plexi path I get closer every day to getting my own tone going on, whether it’s with the physical amp/pedals, the AxeFX or AxeFX/pedals.
Like @TheGreatGreen, it was a big thing for me to have gear that wasn’t holding me back. That started with the AxeFX 7 years ago and finally having the ability to get tones I couldn’t before with Mesa’s and Peavey’s. There’s shit I wouldn’t even bother learning to play because I didn’t have an amp to replicate the tone, like it seemed pointless to me to learn some chickin pickin with a 5150 or Dual Rec, I know there’s aspects of that playing/tone that won’t come out with a high gain amp and I’d spend more time fighting to get it than actually learning.
And now that I’m down this Plexi path I get closer every day to getting my own tone going on, whether it’s with the physical amp/pedals, the AxeFX or AxeFX/pedals.
marvcus
Well-known member
Nice gear is a luxury. There are a lot of monster players out there who intentionally use common gear just to go against the flow of expensive gear progression.
The paradox is that many are chasing “the sound in their head” and use that as justification that the current piece of gear they own is now somehow deficient and they need to change to something new to help achieve “that” sound. But 99% of the time, we all dial in the new gear just the same as the old and sound like ourselves no matter what.
For the most part it is choosing what flavor of soda you like best. But there are common sodas and boutique ones. Blessed are those who enjoy the taste of the common soda.
The paradox is that many are chasing “the sound in their head” and use that as justification that the current piece of gear they own is now somehow deficient and they need to change to something new to help achieve “that” sound. But 99% of the time, we all dial in the new gear just the same as the old and sound like ourselves no matter what.
For the most part it is choosing what flavor of soda you like best. But there are common sodas and boutique ones. Blessed are those who enjoy the taste of the common soda.
J
jemplayer
Member
The amount and quality of my gear is more an indication of the size of my paycheck, not my talent but I’m cool with it.
I at least play everything I have instead of bragging to my friends that I own a really expensive guitar that I have now turned into wall art.
I at least play everything I have instead of bragging to my friends that I own a really expensive guitar that I have now turned into wall art.
V
VonBonfire
Well-known member
For me it was this plus if I'm going to spend a ton of time with a guitar on and off stage I don't want a cheap piece of crap.
Smash
Hack
I agree with this to a degree. I definitely could have made any of my previous amps "work" The problem comes with excess noise, grating frequencies impossible to dial out and base voicing/thump.
Excessive noise
This may seem simple: gate it. But if the loop is trash gating only takes you so far. If it has a great loop, you may have so much inherent noise that the gate is turned up high enough to cut off your sustain.
Grating frequencies
These can sometimes be dialed out if you try hard, but then you have to sacrifice mids, presence and gain
Vocing/Thump
Really i could put a slash between all these things, because there will always be a sacrifice. The best voiced amps I have played are ground zero Moab+, mesa Dual Rec, Mgl red (my current amp), and diezel VH2.
But sometimes when you have that voicing, the chugg isn't quite there. Sometimes you cant get the thing to cut the way you want it to.
It really all is splitting hairs and more important to a bedroom player than gigging musician, but that is what most of us are here. It may seem silly to be that particular when you arent that good of a player, and I accept that. But just like sex, it is all about pleasing the only motherfucker that matters
japetus
Well-known member
I play a bunch of old gear, and suck at guitar so, I can sleep well at night.
V
VonBonfire
Well-known member
I've seen your Garza strat befo'.
SI
Active member
Dale B
Well-known member
NO ONE is ready for the POD XT rack into Mesa power amps!!! You called it 20 years ago!
DanTravis62
Moderator
Dude you can get some bitchin tones out of the old pod hardware/software. I did a bunch of records back in the day with Toneport.
Put a tubescreamer in front of the recto or SLO models with the v30 cabinets and profit.
NeubyWanKaneuby
Well-known member
I appreciate that. I should still probably move a bunch of stuff, as I haven't even opened some of my guitar cases in over 4.5 years.
NeubyWanKaneuby
Well-known member
I had a Vetta I head, and I almost kinda miss that thing. It had a lot of tonal goodness.
Dale B
Well-known member
Dino from Fear Factory used that setup after his Marshall was stolen back in the day. I always liked the SLO model on that first expensive Line 6 combo. Something about it just tickled me the right way. I had that Johnson Millennium 2x12 combo around '99. It had a few cool sounds in it, especially the cleans.
japetus made a joke one day on HCAF about all of us selling our amps and using POD XT racks into tube power amps. I remind him of it every 6 months or year when it presents itself.
Dale B
Well-known member
I never got to play any of the Vettas. I like tinkering around with all of that digital stuff. I've avoided the AxeFx stuff because I would get stuck in tweaking limbo. It's fun though!
DanTravis62
Moderator
Same, I used that SLO model for everything back in the day. I bet if someone used a rack XT with big tube power amps that tone would absolutely kill
Dale B
Well-known member
I would love to decapitate some folks in the neighborhood with one running into a couple of Mesa Strategy power amps and four 4x12 cabs. LOL
klugster
Well-known member
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