String dumpener/muter is it cheating?

[Dr.Mavashi]

Well, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal uses one, hard to call him a slacker .....What say you ?

[Lucius Paisley]

Sympathetic Vibration can occur when you least expect it or even need it. If a string dampener or even a simple hairband means you don't have to think about it, then use it.

[ICTGoober]

George Van Eps and Bucky Pizzarelli were both using them in the 50's and 60's on their 7 string archtops. Since those guys are both monsters, I think they are acceptable.

[Dr.Mavashi]

George Van Eps and Bucky Pizzarelli were both using them in the 50's and 60's on their 7 string archtops. Since those guys are both monsters, I think they are acceptable.

Interesting, I wonder why all the 80s shredders never used one? And unless I missed some from what I’ve seen Satch, Vai, Lynch still don’t use one, YJM obviously isn’t either, did anybody see Al DiMiola use one ?

[dave74]

I see it more as a studio thing, but I would never call it cheating because I don't see music as a sport or competition anyways.
Never used any dampeners myself, with the exception of coated tremolo-claw springs in the back of the floyd route.

[Mincer]

I think it is being used now because gain and compression is higher, and any little noise gets amplified as much as the intended note. I don't tend to use that much gain or compression so I don't use one. I don't care what other players do.

[beaubrummels]

Cheating what? You do whatever you have to to get a good clear sound.

[GuitarStv]

I've worked really hard to learn to play cleanly enough that I don't feel a need to use one - through a combination of picking palm and left hand dampening. This lets me play open strings when I want. If you never need to play open strings, or if you have developed a technique around engaging a string mute when necessary, that would do the same thing. Whatever works for you.

[Archer250]

It's only cheating when used during practice. In fact, no that's not even "cheating"; that's just flat out gimping yourself.

But it's a tool that saves studio time and therefore save money. Why would you not use it during recordings unless you want some of the sympathetic resonance?

What I am a bit against though are the marketed Fret Wraps products and stuff. Like, just use a sock or borrow your significant other's scrunchie.

[Chistopher]

If you need crutches to cut a record or passably perform live that's fine, but using in your day to day playing just hurts you more than anything.

[LesStrat]

Is Keef cheating when he removes a string?

[ICTGoober]

Is Keef cheating when he removes a string?

No way. He still gets plenty of music out of his axes.

[NegativeEase]

Cheating who? do whatever you want to make music the way you want.

[Mincer]

Doing multiple takes in the studio is cheating, but that's how a record is done.

[GuitarStv]

Doing multiple takes in the studio is cheating, but that's how a record is done.

At least with the multiple takes you are playing the piece correctly once. I don't count it as cheating until you start gluing together bits and pieces from multiple takes, or quantize stuff that's played out of time. That's cheating.