Gear revelations: Had any lately?

[SavageSamson]

Ill never give up gear all together but I need to work on being less of a gear hoarder and learn to be happy as a gear whore. It's all relative though so easy come easy go

 

[supersonic]

1x cleanish guitar and 1x overdriven guitar sounds huge in a two guitar band.
I sound the same no matter what I play through ( I knew this already)

 

[halebox]

Cameron mods rule
Mapleflame mod is cool
I dont like the sound of Korina
SM58's really cut though for vocals
Noisy tuner towards the front of the chain gets rid of noise
ABR bridges sound great on gibsons
I dont mind EMG's

 

[csacwp]

If pedals aren't doing it for you, don't be afraid to sell them all and buy a good rack unit like a Prophecy 2

 

[scruffydoo]

V picks, oh and I'm quite happy playing pentatonic, shove yer modes

 

[Zachman]

Confirmations, more so than revelations:

Learning to milk a piece of gear for all it's worth, takes time.
Learning to play guitar is one thing... Learning to play 'all the gear' (Guitar, Amp, pedals etc...) is another... Making music is the point
I love my Cameron modded Marshalls and Atomica
I love my Boogie MKIII Coliseum
I love my Fender Super Reverb
I love GMW, Suhr, Valley Arts, Tyler, Anderson, Charvel, Zion, Gibson and Fender guitars
There is really a big difference with the high end Eventide, TC Electronic, Lexicon etc... rack gear, and I like it, and still prefer it after all these years.
I still-- would rather have more and not need it, than to need more and not have it.
Life's too short, so get the stuff you REALLY want, and enjoy it to the fullest.

 

[taliababa]

I came to the realization that I should have gotten a Mark V head instead of the combo.
Instead of getting the 2009 Ouija (I already own a 1998 skull and crossbone Ouija), I should have saved the money and gotten an ESP KH-20.

 

[kasperjensen]

That once you hit the stage, the volume goes up, and the drummer counts you in... All those really awesome little details that you have obsessed over with your gear at, are simply not heard anymore.
And that there is no point in thinking about it then... You got a show to do.

 

[Zachman]

That once you hit the stage, the volume goes up, and the drummer counts you in... All those really awesome little details that you have obsessed over with your gear at, are simply not heard anymore.
And that there is no point in thinking about it then... You got a show to do.

I hear them.

When not using it, I hear what's missing too. ymmv

 

[Steinmetzify]

Play what you like. There is ALWAYS going to be someone that doesn't like your music, so no matter what you come up with, at least YOU should like it. Playing guitar is supposed to be fun. Make it so. You wanna play with a shit ton of gain? Do it.

You only wanna play power chords in time to a beat? Have a blast.

Whatever anyone on the Internet says about your skills doesn't matter; anyone can have an off day. Don't take it personally.

EMGs and BKPs are equally good for different things.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Holy thread from the dead!!

I'll stand by my original post.

I've realized I need more money to keep up with my GAS!!

And add that through all of the pain, b.s. and hard work, getting "THAT" tone in my head on stage makes it all worth it.

 

[Ventura]

No idea if I replied to this thread or not. But gear revelations? Ya... I've got one, begrudgingly, but very factual:

KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid.

I was a better player when I had 1 amp and 1 mediocre guitar. I knew that amp inside out and could make it go anywhere tonally; and I knew my 1 guitar like the back of my hand. I'm fortunate enough to have expanded my arsenal substantially since those days, but has it really helped in my "art of music" making? Not a chance. It's become a separate interest/obsession all unto itself.

I always have to remind myself, ya ya, gear's cool when it's shiny and new... But it's not necessary. Time in and dedication on 1 guitar is what's needed to become a better player. That's all.

Mo

 

[Anonymous]

No idea if I replied to this thread or not. But gear revelations? Ya... I've got one, begrudgingly, but very factual:

KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid.

I was a better player when I had 1 amp and 1 mediocre guitar. I knew that amp inside out and could make it go anywhere tonally; and I knew my 1 guitar like the back of my hand. I'm fortunate enough to have expanded my arsenal substantially since those days, but has it really helped in my "art of music" making? Not a chance. It's become a separate interest/obsession all unto itself.

I always have to remind myself, ya ya, gear's cool when it's shiny and new... But it's not necessary. Time in and dedication on 1 guitar is what's needed to become a better player. That's all.

Mo

Vernon Reid disagrees

 

[Ventura]

No idea if I replied to this thread or not. But gear revelations? Ya... I've got one, begrudgingly, but very factual:

KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid.

I was a better player when I had 1 amp and 1 mediocre guitar. I knew that amp inside out and could make it go anywhere tonally; and I knew my 1 guitar like the back of my hand. I'm fortunate enough to have expanded my arsenal substantially since those days, but has it really helped in my "art of music" making? Not a chance. It's become a separate interest/obsession all unto itself.

I always have to remind myself, ya ya, gear's cool when it's shiny and new... But it's not necessary. Time in and dedication on 1 guitar is what's needed to become a better player. That's all.

Mo

Vernon Reid disagrees

That's nice.

 

[Anonymous]

No idea if I replied to this thread or not. But gear revelations? Ya... I've got one, begrudgingly, but very factual:

KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid.

I was a better player when I had 1 amp and 1 mediocre guitar. I knew that amp inside out and could make it go anywhere tonally; and I knew my 1 guitar like the back of my hand. I'm fortunate enough to have expanded my arsenal substantially since those days, but has it really helped in my "art of music" making? Not a chance. It's become a separate interest/obsession all unto itself.

I always have to remind myself, ya ya, gear's cool when it's shiny and new... But it's not necessary. Time in and dedication on 1 guitar is what's needed to become a better player. That's all.

Mo

Vernon Reid disagrees

That's nice.

For sure you've seen this

 

[bulletproof_funk]

I've learned a fair amount about gear since getting back into guitar (er, gear?) more seriously in the last year+ so my revelations are on the noobish side. Still tip of the iceberg and there's always more to learn.

• More gain isn't always the answer: I've been playing with less gain (dial at around 10 o'clock) with more clarity (see next item).
• More volume is where it's at, everything starts to sound even better when the tubes and speakers work in their optimal ranges. I would used to turn up the gain to compensate for lower volumes, now I only do this late at night.
• Sometimes owning a piece of gear for a long time doesn't mean I've discovered everything about it. Digging out old gear has sometimes surprised me in new ways, and other times it just means I needed to put more attention into setting it up right to get more out of it.
• Dirt/distortion/fuzz pedals aren't for me, fun for a bit but in the end it's more tweaking than I care to do. I prefer amps that I can plug straight into and get good crunch/distortion on their own (not so much a revelation as reconfirming what I already believed).
• Playing with a regular metronome sucks, however playing with iPhone generated drum beats at a similar volume to my amp helped me improve my playing much more, mostly because I'm not getting bored.
• I suck at testing gear in a store properly. I would try something that seemed to sound great on their totally different setup at lower volumes only to find out it doesn't sound the way I expected or do what I want at home. I almost always have to shop at places with a good return policy or take my chances.
• GAS takes on different forms. As much as I try to think I've got it pegged there's always something that comes up sooner or later.

 

[braintheory]

-low output pickups can be just as great for metal as high output
-low output pickups don't necessarily clean up well (example:motor city detroiters), while some high output pickups have top notch cleans (example:Bare Knuckle Warpig (alnico), Lundgren M6, and Entwistle HDN)
-neodynium magnets are like a better version of ceramics (tighter, clearer, more aggressive mids, way better cleans, and lighter weight)
-alnico pickups often sound rawer than ceramics and have more aggressive/rough mids, which often makes them sound more aggressive overall, and also have a throaty growl that ceramics don't have (but I still have ceramic loaded guitars that I plan to keep that way)
-adding treble or presence doesn't always make your tone more aggressive or less smooth
-Soldano SLO is one of the very best amps for leads
-less compressed amps move more air and IMO sound more aggressive and real (unlike most engl's, which sound processed, partly because of the compression)
-even super expensive, boutique distortion pedals can't match a great amp distortion
-Orange amps (especially the rockerverb) sound amazing. I always ignored them because they seemed gimmicky and overpriced for what they are, but now the rockerverb is one of my favorite amps
-amps less than 30 watts are too squishy and undefined at high volumes for playing metal

 

[Heritage Softail]

It never ends. I like change. It may be cyclical, but I like something different in guitars.

Don't confuse something different with something better. A good excuse never to sell anything...

So far, for months now, the Rhodes Gemini has the voicing and tone shaping power to be those different voices. It is possible to find a great, versatile channel switcher.

Guitars are best or changing the vibe of a basic good rig. And people on RT are always flipping good guitars they get tired of.

How convenient... Or bad.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

technique and performance = priority
gear = secondary

People get carried away on gizmos, gadgets and gear. If you play like crap you'll still sound like crap on great gear All you need is a decent guitar and amp. I'm willing to bet that folks who run their signal through a million pieces of rack gear, pedals, tuners etc and just plugged straight in a simple once channel amp like a 2203/04 and just use an OD in front their tone will be much better

 

[metalmaniac93]

My revelation is that I sound like me no matter what I play through the Atomica, Engl Savage 120, Bogner 101B, Shiva El34, VHT CL50, MESA/BOOGIE Rectifier, CCV etc with a nice guitar or my cheap Peavy Vyper 30 watt digital amp with a crappy guitar!!! And EVH says it all in this 1979 interview!!!

Did the piano go through any effects?

Just my pedalboard, my cheap piece of plywood with my MXR garbage. You know, that’s funny too. I’ve met just about everybody that I grew up on, and they all laugh – you know, like Montrose and Nugent and all these people. Last year when we’d open for them, they’d walk up to me and go, “What is this shit?” You know, I got my little plywood with an MXR phase shifter duct-taped onto it. And then after the show they start trippin’. They go [in a quiet, respectful voice], “Whoa! How do you get that sound?” I really think it’s funny. I see Ronnie Montrose with his $4,000 studio rack with his digital delay and his harmonizer and everything else, and I swear to God, I can’t tell he’s usin’ it. And then he laughed himself silly looking at my stuff. And then later on he’s going, “Whoa, how do you get that sound?” And Nugent, we opened three shows for him in Maryland, and the first day he’s just kind of saying, “You little fucker, you” – but he meant it jokingly. And he laughed: “What is this garbage pedalboard you’re using?” By the third day, he came to our soundcheck and asked me if he could play through my equipment. I just said, “Hey, Ted, you can play through it if you want, but it’s not gonna sound the way it sounds when I play through it.” Because it really isn’t the equipment. It’s in the fingers. Not to sound egoed-out, but it is.

You use techniques they don’t use.

And I’ve gone through every amp on the market. I mean, first tour I started out using my old 100-watt amp, which breaks down every other song, so I started using new Marshalls. I didn’t like they way they sounded, but I had to. I just had to have something that would make it through the show. Then I lost them somewhere on an airplane, never got them back. And I started using Music Mans. I used Laneys. I used just about everything, and they all pretty much sounded the same, just because I play the same.