A thread about simplicity

[Smash]

I have no proof that a bigger circuit kills tone. I have no proof that a lot of connections are a detriment in any other way besides more chance of faults.
But I love to get something with a great sound, going into an amp with a great sound into a speaker that complements it.

People think a single humbucker single volume is a weird combination selection for a guitar. They think I want a tone knob, 17 mini switches, 3 pickups all coil splitting...
People think I am weird for liking single channel amps. They think why a single channel, when you could have 4?

I once bought a homeless man a sandwich. I was already getting a meatball sub anyway, so he chose to get one as well. Everytime the girl at subway asked if he wanted something on the sandwich (ie pickles, olives, whatever) he asked if it was free. When she affirmed, he said, "Well, put it on there." His sandwich looked pretty full, but very disjointed and not appetizing. There were so many weird additions and so many different sauces.

I sometimes wonder if a lot of the people on this site are like this homeless man. They have no taste and want as much value for the buck as possible, and wrongly see that as a lot of options, rather than a meatball sub with salt pepper and oregano (everything there for a reason, nothing that doesn't belong).

I see a lot of them continuously flipping gear as if it didn't fit, and then on to the other. I wonder if these same people just bought a great pickup, with a great simple amp with great tone, and a cabinet with great speakers, would they be happy?

 

[Simon Dorn]

I have no proof that a bigger circuit kills tone. I have no proof that a lot of connections are a detriment in any other way besides more chance of faults.
But I love to get something with a great sound, going into an amp with a great sound into a speaker that complements it.

People think a single humbucker single volume is a weird combination selection for a guitar. They think I want a tone knob, 17 mini switches, 3 pickups all coil splitting...
People think I am weird for liking single channel amps. They think why a single channel, when you could have 4?

I once bought a homeless man a sandwich. I was already getting a meatball sub anyway, so he chose to get one as well. Everytime the girl at subway asked if he wanted something on the sandwich (ie pickles, olives, whatever) he asked if it was free. When she affirmed, he said, "Well, put it on there." His sandwich looked pretty full, but very disjointed and not appetizing. There were so many weird additions and so many different sauces.

I sometimes wonder if a lot of the people on this site are like this homeless man. They have no taste and want as much value for the buck as possible, and wrongly see that as a lot of options, rather than a meatball sub with salt pepper and oregano (everything there for a reason, nothing that doesn't belong).

I see a lot of them continuously flipping gear as if it didn't fit, and then on to the other. I wonder if these same people just bought a great pickup, with a great simple amp with great tone, and a cabinet with great speakers, would they be happy?

No. The grass is always greener somewhere else.

 

[Smash]

No. The grass is always greener somewhere else.

I think there are Three ways that we can fuck up.
1 We read these glowing reviews of an amp and buy the thing only to find we don't like it.
2 we play the amp with different guitar/speakers and think it is awesome only to find that it doesn't work with our setup.
3 we play the amp with our guitar with same speakers, but don't have our current amp there to compare.

 

[Nashville Riff Co]

would they be happy?

you’d have to ask them to define happiness as it relates to musical gear.

Is it derived from creating music or acquiring gear?

Think of the industry…it’s not about making music or being a musician. It’s about selling a lifestyle that makes people belong. It’s about an identity.

Not everyone is going to be a musician, but everyone can buy a guitar and an amp and feel good about themselves.

I’m paraphrasing here but John Suhr put it the best…”if we made instruments for actual musicians, we would have gone out of business a long time ago”.

 

[Smash]

you’d have to ask them to define happiness as it relates to musical gear.

Is it derived from creating music or acquiring gear?

Think of the industry…it’s not about making music or being a musician. It’s about selling a lifestyle that makes people belong. It’s about an identity.

Not everyone is going to be a musician, but everyone can buy a guitar and an amp and feel good about themselves.

I’m paraphrasing here but John Suhr put it the best…”if we made instruments for actual musicians, we would have gone out of business a long time ago”.

I am not saying you are wrong. But I think it is only accurate for 1/3.

And when I say a third, I am not saying equal parts. Take Rig-talk; you have three tiers. You have musicians: @DanTravis62 , @Techdeth , @VonBonfire , etc, You have tone snobs: @braintheory , me, etc. But then you have this third tier of almost mutant like people. I can't tag anyone to this because it is just too fucking mean. But I would think they are more like what you describe. I think they look for gear either in a nonscientific way or in a hopeful magical way; like the gear is going to make them a better player. They buy a brand and become a brand whore and that brand is best and all other is shit, until a month later when they get a new piece of gear.

For guys like DanTravis or Techie, they appreciate a lot of gear, but at the end of the day could make a shit load of basic gear "work"
I have a friend I won't tag that is interested in higher end gear, but still calls it snake oil, and just makes music.

For guys like me and Sam, and SAm, please forgive me for talking for you and lumping you in with me, but I think we look for the gear to complement our playing and to keep us inspired. I have used basic gear before and made some cool stuff, but i tire of working on projects with shit really quickly. So it is easier to use gear where you get a great sound, and it inspires you to continue. I found this long ago with acoustic guitars.

I suppose you could add a fourth. And these people are the sickest of us all. They have storage containers and garages full of amps. The amp hoarders are great, too. At the end of the day, all of us are sick or we wouldn't be on this site talking about this shit, obsessing over this shit. But I am glad we are.

 

[Nashville Riff Co]

I am not saying you are wrong. But I think it is only accurate for 1/3.

And when I say a third, I am not saying equal parts. Take Rig-talk; you have three tiers. You have musicians: @DanTravis62 , @Techdeth , @VonBonfire , etc, You have tone snobs: @braintheory , me, etc. But then you have this third tier of almost mutant like people. I can't tag anyone to this because it is just too fucking mean. But I would think they are more like what you describe. I think they look for gear either in a nonscientific way or in a hopeful magical way; like the gear is going to make them a better player. They buy a brand and become a brand whore and that brand is best and all other is shit, until a month later when they get a new piece of gear.

For guys like DanTravis or Techie, they appreciate a lot of gear, but at the end of the day could make a shit load of basic gear "work"
I have a friend I won't tag that is interested in higher end gear, but still calls it snake oil, and just makes music.

For guys like me and Sam, and SAm, please forgive me for talking for you and lumping you in with me, but I think we look for the gear to complement our playing and to keep us inspired. I have used basic gear before and made some cool stuff, but i tire of working on projects with shit really quickly. So it is easier to use gear where you get a great sound, and it inspires you to continue. I found this long ago with acoustic guitars.

I suppose you could add a fourth. And these people are the sickest of us all. They have storage containers and garages full of amps. The amp hoarders are great, too. At the end of the day, all of us are sick or we wouldn't be on this site talking about this shit, obsessing over this shit. But I am glad we are.

You can tell me I’m wrong, I only come to rig talk to get spanked

I didn’t mean to say it’s one size fits all, my view on your statement about “what makes them happy”is that it just varies so much.

Everyone of us started out wanting to be a musician but just somewhere along the way, the universe had other plans

 

[Smash]

You can tell me I’m wrong, I only come to rig talk to get spanked

I didn’t mean to say it’s one size fits all, my view on your statement about “what makes them happy”is that it just varies so much.

Everyone of us started out wanting to be a musician but just somewhere along the way, the universe had other plans

I would describe myself as jekyll/hyde

Most of me is a simple gear whore. I am like that creepy guy looking in the hole in the wall to the Girl's locker room. I am not going to buy all the gear, but I need to see it's nether regions. I need to hear it's screams. I need to feel it's delights.

Then I have these short bursts of being an actual musician; albeit a non talented hack with grandiose ideas. I will start working on a project only to snap back to reality realizing I am not a real musician. But those moments of inspiration are worth the rest of the creepy obsessiveness.

 

[phillybhatesme]

I have way too much shit that I never use. And it's really starting to piss me off. Is that what we're talking about? Lol.
I got a stupid Gibson with a million dip switches cause I liked the top. Is that what we're talking about? Lol.

 

[DanTravis62]

But then you have this third tier of almost mutant like people. I can't tag anyone to this because it is just too fucking mean. But I would think they are more like what you describe. I think they look for gear either in a nonscientific way or in a hopeful magical way; like the gear is going to make them a better player. They buy a brand and become a brand whore and that brand is best and all other is shit, until a month later when they get a new piece of gear.

I'm glad these people exist, because they keep gear companies in business, but holy shit it causes some insane cognitive dissonance when you're trying to have a conversation about gear - I lust after the gear because of what I could do with it - not just to try it, or to possess it, or to make forumites jealous and flip it 2 weeks later, then buy the same piece of gear again 3 months later.

When we talk about what would "make us happy" it's gonna vary wildly because of those different categories. I would be both the most simple and the most difficult to make happy because yes, tech or me can make anything "work." But at the same time the possibilities are infinite with something new, because we see the gear as "the music we can make with it", so there's always new possibilities/gear to lust over.

I don't see it as "the grass being greener", I always see it as "oh check out that grass, I wonder if I could do something new and cool with it that helps me express myself in a new way."

I really appreciate talking to darren and lisa and a few others about this stuff because we are 1000% on the same page with it. There's always gear to lust after, but generally it's because of what we want to accomplish with it, not to solve a problem or "find the perfect single amp/guitar/pedal."

 

[Nashville Riff Co]

I would describe myself as jekyll/hyde

Most of me is a simple gear whore. I am like that creepy guy looking in the hole in the wall to the Girl's locker room. I am not going to buy all the gear, but I need to see it's nether regions. I need to hear it's screams. I need to feel it's delights.

Then I have these short bursts of being an actual musician; albeit a non talented hack with grandiose ideas. I will start working on a project only to snap back to reality realizing I am not a real musician. But those moments of inspiration are worth the rest of the creepy obsessiveness.

Dude it makes you happy, you are making music in your own way and the hobby gives you pleasure (as you hilariously and creepily pointed out above lololol)

I’ll take your simplicity argument even one step further. Think about your favorite artist(s) of all time. Ever lookup what guitar brand or amp brand they were using when they made their first album or whatever is considered their masterpiece? It wasn’t a custom shop guitar or some boutique amp lol.

It was whatever they were able to afford or whatever the studio had. Yet they were able to create the magic that will live on for basically the rest of time.

Gear for most people who are not working musicians (players, engineers whatever else) is just a physical manifestation of a desire to belong. It makes people happy that they can talk about it with like minded people and feel part of a community.

I ran into a friend yesterday who has been touring the world since I don’t even know when. He still plays the same shitty fender he’s been playing since the 90s. That things has been all over the world multiple times over. People always think it’s some custom shop reliced Strat but it’s literally a cheapo USA made that got beat up traveling the world lol

 

[VonBonfire]

I’ll take your simplicity argument even one step further. Think about your favorite artist(s) of all time. Ever lookup what guitar brand or amp brand they were using when they made their first album or whatever is considered their masterpiece? It wasn’t a custom shop guitar or some boutique amp lol.

I have a theory I've been developing the past few days that JImi, Jimmie, SRV, Eddie, Yngwie, and a few other strat masters were actually using James Tyler's when they recorded their most well known tones. That headstock may be strangely shaped but it is so because it is a stepping stone to greatness.

I ran into a friend yesterday who has been touring the world since I don’t even know when. He still plays the same shitty fender he’s been playing since the 90s. That things has been all over the world multiple times over. People always think it’s some custom shop reliced Strat but it’s literally a cheapo USA made that got beat up traveling the world lol

How to say he has a James Tyler strat without saying he has a James Tyler strat. Nicely played.

 

[Smash]

Dude it makes you happy, you are making music in your own way and the hobby gives you pleasure (as you hilariously and creepily pointed out above lololol)

I’ll take your simplicity argument even one step further. Think about your favorite artist(s) of all time. Ever lookup what guitar brand or amp brand they were using when they made their first album or whatever is considered their masterpiece? It wasn’t a custom shop guitar or some boutique amp lol.

It was whatever they were able to afford or whatever the studio had. Yet they were able to create the magic that will live on for basically the rest of time.

Gear for most people who are not working musicians (players, engineers whatever else) is just a physical manifestation of a desire to belong. It makes people happy that they can talk about it with like minded people and feel part of a community.

I ran into a friend yesterday who has been touring the world since I don’t even know when. He still plays the same shitty fender he’s been playing since the 90s. That things has been all over the world multiple times over. People always think it’s some custom shop reliced Strat but it’s literally a cheapo USA made that got beat up traveling the world lol

Yes but that is the difference. A lot of us are obsessive in our own way. Mine is oddly specific to getting simple gear to work for me since it is most reliable.

to solve a problem or "find the perfect single amp/guitar/pedal."

I am 1000% that last. Perfection. There is absolutely no perfect solution, and I know it. But try to stop me from finding it. Don't ever think I believe my way is best. I am far more sick than most on here because not only do I want great tone. I want it to be turret construction and fuck fuck fuck a molex connector ribbon in my amp. What the fuck is wrong with companies?!

I have a buddy that will probably be on the forum soon. He is new to high gain, and I see him making the same mistakes we have all made. You buy an amp that is good enough, but not the one you really want. At the end of the day he is going to far surpass me in the amount of money he wastes before he learns the lessons that still some here never learn: If you are fucked up like the rest of us, stop renting shit gear over and over again, and buy the great shit from the beginning. It is much MUCH fucking cheaper.

But the amount of money he has spent in a short time on the "holy grail pedals" guitars, and amps/cabs is hilarious .

 

[Nashville Riff Co]

I have a theory I've been developing the past few days that JImi, Jimmie, SRV, Eddie, Yngwie, and a few other strat masters were actually using James Tyler's when they recorded their most well known tones. That headstock may be strangely shaped but it is so because it is a stepping stone to greatness.


How to say he has a James Tyler strat without saying he has a James Tyler strat. Nicely played.

Here we go…sudden onset James Tyler infatuation syndrome right out of the gate first thing Saturday morning

 

[Smash]

Here we go…sudden onset James Tyler infatuation syndrome right out of the gate first thing Saturday morning

If every thread does not end up about that headstock, I really don't think I can go on living.

 

[VonBonfire]

Here we go…sudden onset James Tyler infatuation syndrome right out of the gate first thing Saturday morning

I wouldn't call it sudden onset. I was up most of the night working on my not-Fender-strat-actually-James-Tyler-strat theory. I'll probably make a thread on it later today just to see if anyone else is holding these same suspicions.

 

[Nashville Riff Co]

Yes but that is the difference. A lot of us are obsessive in our own way. Mine is oddly specific to getting simple gear to work for me since it is most reliable.

I guess what I’m saying is that it makes you happy so there’s nothing wrong with that. You’re doing music how you want to do music.

Look at vonbonfire, he’s stuck in his little James Tyler syndrome. He cannot make music or listen to music unless a James Tyler is involved. That is a bad way to do music

 

[Nashville Riff Co]

If every thread does not end up about that headstock, I really don't think I can go on living.

I wouldn't call it sudden onset. I was up most of the night working on my not-Fender-strat-actually-James-Tyler-strat theory. I'll probably make a thread on it later today just to see if anyone else is holding these same suspicions.

This forum will not last past this weekend.

 

[VonBonfire]

This forum will not last past this weekend.

A name change would probably solve the issues. JAMES TYLER-TALK.

 

[DanTravis62]

I have a buddy that will probably be on the forum soon. He is new to high gain, and I see him making the same mistakes we have all made. You buy an amp that is good enough, but not the one you really want. At the end of the day he is going to far surpass me in the amount of money he wastes before he learns the lessons that still some here never learn: If you are fucked up like the rest of us, stop renting shit gear over and over again, and buy the great shit from the beginning. It is much MUCH fucking cheaper.

But the amount of money he has spent in a short time on the "holy grail pedals" guitars, and amps/cabs is hilarious .

Jesus christ man, I would go back in time and slap the shit out of myself for not just getting the correct shit as soon as I figured it out. I wasted so much time and money, it was insanity

I'm guessing you tried to explain to him that no, nothing will scratch the itch until you actually get the thing you need?

 

[Nashville Riff Co]

A name change would probably solve the issues. JAMES TYLER-TALK.

MOOOOOODDDDDDDDSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!