Do rigs really matter?

[jcj]

Proof that tone is in the fingers! No need for 100 watts if I'm only playing in my living room.

Ya, he need's no amp at all! He could just use an acoustic, because tone's in the fingers.

My point was that Doug will shred with WHATEVER gear he has in front of him. That is indisputable. It's pointless to have 100 watts if you're only in your dressing room. Clearly, he will need a MUCH larger rig if he's playing a large venue. So to clarify my original answer to the OP, the bigger the venue, the more rigs matter.

Why? I'm sure the large venue has a LARGE PA with a nice monitor system.

Beat me to it, fucker

 

[2tallmusic]

If I compare this with one of my favorite clips with Doug:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy6URlmeUpk

I tend to say yes

 

[mboogman]

Yeah, but isn't there something lost in micing anything, no matter how nice it is?

By that logic, all of the classic, iconic tones we all chase have lost something. That being said, I'm pretty sure when you listen back to classic Van Halen, AC/DC, Zeppelin, etc, you can definitely hear the power in their rigs. Van Halen would not be "Van Halen," with a Fender Twin and a tubescremer.

$.02

 

[Shiny_Surface]

Some things you can't purchase.

 

[Bob Savage]

Some things you can't purchase.

So I guess you haven't seen crossroads?

 

[Shawn Lutz]

well I think the majority of it comes from the player hands, heart and soul more so than the gear. Having said that, I actually didn't like that clip. Maybe because I'm so used to hearing his stage rig clips that in my opinion sound a million times better than that one...just saying.

 

[gibson5413]

Those that can't play well will still sound terrible no matter what they play through. At a guitar shop a couple of years ago where a killer player was sounding great through a VHT UL. After he left some other guy got on and started playing without changing a knob. Sounded horrible!

 

[Anonymous]

Doug practiced, alot, before he went searching for tone.

Just saying.

Well SONOFABITCH!!! I thought that if you spend enough money you get instant talent,tone and friends??

 

[gibson08]

Yes the rig/gear makes the difference. Ability comes from the hands/fingers, tone comes from the gear. Can we please not do this again

 

[nevusofota]

The problem is the OP is a little too generic and open for interpretation.

Do rigs really matter? for what? To play technically advanced stuff cleanly? NO

To have good tone live in a band setting? YES

Period, end of discussion

I think I'm taking this too seriously

 

[lespaul3013]

Base tone comes from the fingers...guitars/amps/pedals are just fun

That being said, a person who sucks will sound awful on an Ibanez practice amp AND through Bogners/Fortins/Camerons...however, a great player will sound good on an Ibanez practice amp, but great through a wall of Bogners/Diezels/Friedmans or whatever.

 

[jcj]

Who doesn't play better on something they're truly comfortable with, be it a guitar or an amp?

 

[bonedarrell]

Proof that tone is in the fingers! No need for 100 watts if I'm only playing in my living room.

Ya, he need's no amp at all! He could just use an acoustic, because tone's in the fingers.

My point was that Doug will shred with WHATEVER gear he has in front of him. That is indisputable. It's pointless to have 100 watts if you're only in your dressing room. Clearly, he will need a MUCH larger rig if he's playing a large venue. So to clarify my original answer to the OP, the bigger the venue, the more rigs matter.

You really don't need a bigger rig for bigger venues. Doug could easily put that vox on stage with a mic in front of it.....there is a reason he doesn't. I can assure you it isn't because "he is playing a large venue." Big rigs sound better IMO....bedroom, studio, stages etc.... I haven't seen anybody make the claim that big rigs help you "shred" better?? "Finger tone" is only part of the equation. The clip of Doug shredding on a little vox does not prove that tone is in the fingers.....it only proves that shredding is in the fingers. That tone sounds like crap IMO, but the shredding sounded cool. Smaller amps in the dressing room are for convenience to warm up. I don't think anybody is suggesting that you need a 100w amp in a dressing room.

 

['63-Strat]

These threads...

Tools matter, but they will never cover up where you are as a player. If you're a hack, everyone knows it instantly, regardless of gear. I've *never* met a pro musician who *didn't* think its in the hands/fingers. I've come across a lot of people online who never post clips (well... until they finally do and then hilarity results in one particular case) who try to claim otherwise though Even for something as simple as a E power chord as mentioned above, there is a world of difference between someone like Doug playing one and a hack. If you think otherwise, you're probably in the latter category, sorry. There are a lot of things that come through on something as simple as that as far as pick technique and how you hold your pick and the angle and where you pick etc. It all adds up. As Vrad said, go ahead and flip gear for years/decades and spend all the $$$$$ you want, if you're not happy with your playing you'll never be happy with your "tone."

 

[Meathead]

These threads...

Tools matter, but they will never cover up where you are as a player. If you're a hack, everyone knows it instantly, regardless of gear. I've *never* met a pro musician who *didn't* think its in the hands/fingers. I've come across a lot of people online who never post clips (well... until they finally do and then hilarity results in one particular case) who try to claim otherwise though Even for something as simple as a E power chord as mentioned above, there is a world of difference between someone like Doug playing one and a hack. If you think otherwise, you're probably in the latter category, sorry. There are a lot of things that come through on something as simple as that as far as pick technique and how you hold your pick and the angle and where you pick etc. It all adds up. As Vrad said, go ahead and flip gear for years/decades and spend all the $$$$$ you want, if you're not happy with your playing you'll never be happy with your "tone."

:stands up and claps:

 

[bonedarrell]

These threads...

Tools matter, but they will never cover up where you are as a player. If you're a hack, everyone knows it instantly, regardless of gear. I've *never* met a pro musician who *didn't* think its in the hands/fingers. I've come across a lot of people online who never post clips (well... until they finally do and then hilarity results in one particular case) who try to claim otherwise though Even for something as simple as a E power chord as mentioned above, there is a world of difference between someone like Doug playing one and a hack. If you think otherwise, you're probably in the latter category, sorry. There are a lot of things that come through on something as simple as that as far as pick technique and how you hold your pick and the angle and where you pick etc. It all adds up. As Vrad said, go ahead and flip gear for years/decades and spend all the $$$$$ you want, if you're not happy with your playing you'll never be happy with your "tone."

Wow! Guitar player ranking still exists in adulthood?! I haven't experienced this since junior high? If one never posts a clip or thinks differently than you then they are likely to be a "Hack??" I have posted a clip in the past purely to show what a particular amp sounded like recorded....not to display my shredness ability. But, since we are going with generalizations, I will proudly proclaim myself a hack by your definition.

 

['63-Strat]

These threads...

Tools matter, but they will never cover up where you are as a player. If you're a hack, everyone knows it instantly, regardless of gear. I've *never* met a pro musician who *didn't* think its in the hands/fingers. I've come across a lot of people online who never post clips (well... until they finally do and then hilarity results in one particular case) who try to claim otherwise though Even for something as simple as a E power chord as mentioned above, there is a world of difference between someone like Doug playing one and a hack. If you think otherwise, you're probably in the latter category, sorry. There are a lot of things that come through on something as simple as that as far as pick technique and how you hold your pick and the angle and where you pick etc. It all adds up. As Vrad said, go ahead and flip gear for years/decades and spend all the $$$$$ you want, if you're not happy with your playing you'll never be happy with your "tone."

Wow! Guitar player ranking still exists in adulthood?! I haven't experienced this since junior high? If one never posts a clip or thinks differently than you then they are likely to be a "Hack??" I have posted a clip in the past purely to show what a particular amp sounded like recorded....not to display my shredness ability. But, since we are going with generalizations, I will proudly proclaim myself a hack by your definition.

Reading comprehension fail.

What I said is if you don't think there is a difference between a pro like Doug playing something as simple an "E power chord" and someone who is a hack doing the same, then you're probably likely to be a hack too, yes. It has nothing to do with "shredness ability." But like I said, the ONLY people I ever see trying to argue that it's not in the fingers are guys on forums that generally never post clips. You can draw your own conclusions on that one but I'm not "ranking" anyone, certainly not you as I don't know you or your playing. But I didn't say "if you don't post a clip you're a hack," either. There is no way to separate your "playing" and how an amp sounds recorded, they are inexorably linked.

 

[bonedarrell]

These threads...

Tools matter, but they will never cover up where you are as a player. If you're a hack, everyone knows it instantly, regardless of gear. I've *never* met a pro musician who *didn't* think its in the hands/fingers. I've come across a lot of people online who never post clips (well... until they finally do and then hilarity results in one particular case) who try to claim otherwise though Even for something as simple as a E power chord as mentioned above, there is a world of difference between someone like Doug playing one and a hack. If you think otherwise, you're probably in the latter category, sorry. There are a lot of things that come through on something as simple as that as far as pick technique and how you hold your pick and the angle and where you pick etc. It all adds up. As Vrad said, go ahead and flip gear for years/decades and spend all the $$$$$ you want, if you're not happy with your playing you'll never be happy with your "tone."

Wow! Guitar player ranking still exists in adulthood?! I haven't experienced this since junior high? If one never posts a clip or thinks differently than you then they are likely to be a "Hack??" I have posted a clip in the past purely to show what a particular amp sounded like recorded....not to display my shredness ability. But, since we are going with generalizations, I will proudly proclaim myself a hack by your definition.

Reading comprehension fail.

What I said is if you don't think there is a difference between a pro like Doug playing something as simple an "E power chord" and someone who is a hack doing the same, then you're probably likely to be a hack too, yes. It has nothing to do with "shredness ability." But like I said, the ONLY people I ever see trying to argue that it's not in the fingers are guys on forums that generally never post clips. You can draw your own conclusions on that one but I'm not "ranking" anyone, certainly not you as I don't know you or your playing. But I didn't say "if you don't post a clip you're a hack," either. There is no way to separate your "playing" and how an amp sounds recorded, they are inexorably linked.

Ok Ok......I just have a problem your generalizations. What is in a person's fingers is only a part of the equation...I have never said otherwise. I don't buy that tone is ALL or ONLY in the fingers. For example, EVH is a self proclaimed chaser of tone. Why doesn't he just look at the appendages on his hands and stop chasing?? There seems to be a chip on some shoulders about guys buying a lot of gear to improve their tone. I just don't get why that irritates some. No use kicking a dead horse. I just don't agree with your position.

 

['63-Strat]

These threads...

Tools matter, but they will never cover up where you are as a player. If you're a hack, everyone knows it instantly, regardless of gear. I've *never* met a pro musician who *didn't* think its in the hands/fingers. I've come across a lot of people online who never post clips (well... until they finally do and then hilarity results in one particular case) who try to claim otherwise though Even for something as simple as a E power chord as mentioned above, there is a world of difference between someone like Doug playing one and a hack. If you think otherwise, you're probably in the latter category, sorry. There are a lot of things that come through on something as simple as that as far as pick technique and how you hold your pick and the angle and where you pick etc. It all adds up. As Vrad said, go ahead and flip gear for years/decades and spend all the $$$$$ you want, if you're not happy with your playing you'll never be happy with your "tone."

Wow! Guitar player ranking still exists in adulthood?! I haven't experienced this since junior high? If one never posts a clip or thinks differently than you then they are likely to be a "Hack??" I have posted a clip in the past purely to show what a particular amp sounded like recorded....not to display my shredness ability. But, since we are going with generalizations, I will proudly proclaim myself a hack by your definition.

Reading comprehension fail.

What I said is if you don't think there is a difference between a pro like Doug playing something as simple an "E power chord" and someone who is a hack doing the same, then you're probably likely to be a hack too, yes. It has nothing to do with "shredness ability." But like I said, the ONLY people I ever see trying to argue that it's not in the fingers are guys on forums that generally never post clips. You can draw your own conclusions on that one but I'm not "ranking" anyone, certainly not you as I don't know you or your playing. But I didn't say "if you don't post a clip you're a hack," either. There is no way to separate your "playing" and how an amp sounds recorded, they are inexorably linked.

Ok Ok......I just have a problem your generalizations. What is in a person fingers is only a part of the equation...I have never said otherwise. I don't buy that tone is ALL or ONLY in the fingers. For example, EVH is a self proclaimed chaser of tone. Why doesn't he just look at the appendages on his hands and stop chasing?? There seems to be a chip on some shoulders about guys buying a lot of gear to improve their tone. I just don't get why that irritates some. No use kicking a dead horse. I just don't agree with your position.

No one is saying that's it's ALL or ONLY in the fingers, but the part that isn't in the fingers is easily changed, because those are only tools, anyone can buy the tools. The part that IS in the fingers is very difficult to change and most aren't willing to put in the time/effort and so they flip gear. I've got lots of nice gear too, of course gear matters. And of course you don't have to agree with my opinion, it really doesn't matter to me if you do or don't, honestly. EVH has the important part covered so him chasing gear isn't nearly the tail chasing it is for others though.

 

[bonedarrell]

These threads...

Tools matter, but they will never cover up where you are as a player. If you're a hack, everyone knows it instantly, regardless of gear. I've *never* met a pro musician who *didn't* think its in the hands/fingers. I've come across a lot of people online who never post clips (well... until they finally do and then hilarity results in one particular case) who try to claim otherwise though Even for something as simple as a E power chord as mentioned above, there is a world of difference between someone like Doug playing one and a hack. If you think otherwise, you're probably in the latter category, sorry. There are a lot of things that come through on something as simple as that as far as pick technique and how you hold your pick and the angle and where you pick etc. It all adds up. As Vrad said, go ahead and flip gear for years/decades and spend all the $$$$$ you want, if you're not happy with your playing you'll never be happy with your "
Wow! Guitar player ranking still exists in adulthood?! I haven't experienced this since junior high? If one never posts a clip or thinks differently than you then they are likely to be a "Hack??" I have posted a clip in the past purely to show what a particular amp sounded like recorded....not to display my shredness ability. But, since we are going with generalizations, I will proudly proclaim myself a hack by your definition.

Reading comprehension fail.

What I said is if you don't think there is a difference between a pro like Doug playing something as simple an "E power chord" and someone who is a hack doing the same, then you're probably likely to be a hack too, yes. It has nothing to do with "shredness ability." But like I said, the ONLY people I ever see trying to argue that it's not in the fingers are guys on forums that generally never post clips. You can draw your own conclusions on that one but I'm not "ranking" anyone, certainly not you as I don't know you or your playing. But I didn't say "if you don't post a clip you're a hack," either. There is no way to separate your "playing" and how an amp sounds recorded, they are inexorably linked.

Ok Ok......I just have a problem your generalizations. What is in a person fingers is only a part of the equation...I have never said otherwise. I don't buy that tone is ALL or ONLY in the fingers. For example, EVH is a self proclaimed chaser of tone. Why doesn't he just look at the appendages on his hands and stop chasing?? There seems to be a chip on some shoulders about guys buying a lot of gear to improve their tone. I just don't get why that irritates some. No use kicking a dead horse. I just don't agree with your position.

No one is saying that's it's ALL or ONLY in the fingers, but the part that isn't in the fingers is easily changed, because those are only tools, anyone can buy the tools. The part that IS in the fingers is very difficult to change and most aren't willing to put in the time/effort and so they flip gear. I've got lots of nice gear too, of course gear matters. And of course you don't have to agree with my opinion, it really doesn't matter to me if you do or don't, honestly. EVH has the important part covered so him chasing gear isn't nearly the tail chasing it is for others though.

My bad....I apparently misinterpreted everything you said.