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Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

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  • #16
    Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

    Gear can be an inspirational tool, he even talked about how they would have written different songs if they had a different sound. I find that I write completely stuff now than I did a year ago, largely because a year ago I was using Fender style amps and fuzz pedals with analog delays, and now I use a Marshall-voiced amp with low-gain overdrives and digital delay. My sound was different and the 'feel' of my gear was different so what comes out is a lot different, even if it's still the same set of fingers playing it.

    I do think something can be said about over-obsessing about gear. I've played on all sorts of club backlines, I've borrowed pedals from people and the audience has never noticed a thing. I remember looking up the gear of one of my current favourite guitar players, he had Strymon delays and reverbs, some J Rockett overdrives stacked, his pedalboard was a thing of beauty. I saw him live and his tone was absolutely mindblowing, I remember sitting there and 'hearing' his Strymon-wash-of-sound, and the beautiful smoothness of his Klone pedal during solos, it was perfect. After the gig, I got a chance to go up a bit closer to the stage and check out his board and chat with him, it was a fly gig so he had just made a tiny board with an Ibanez TS-808 and two Boss DD-6's, one set long for delay and one set short for Reverb. I could not tell the difference in a live setting between his expensive boutique rig and a couple of things you can pick up at any guitar center, and he was proudly talking about his board and how he loved the tones he was getting that night.

    I also think for some players there is a place to stop. Some players are best when they get new gear that inspires them to play differently, and some guys have been using the same stuff for 30 years because they've found 'their' sound and don't really care about gear.
    Originally posted by BigAlTheBird
    I just got oiixed in the mung by a Canadian.

    Timmy - 1
    Andrew - None

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    • #17
      Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

      Originally posted by some_dude View Post
      I'm not taking him literally. He's presenting a paradox by essentially stating that gear matters, but gear doesn't matter.

      My interpretation of what he's saying is that if I had a Strat and a Deluxe, I would write music that sounded good on a Strat and Deluxe... and if I had a Les Paul and Marshall, I would write music that sounded good on a Les Paul and Marshall.

      Gear matters.... but it doesn't matter.
      True... No matter what I play through, I sound like me... Maybe a bit dirtier, a bit cleaner, my bass can be tighter or top end is brighter depending what I'm using, but I still sound like me. But, I definitely play differently with certain pieces depending on how it changed what I hear and how it feels. My sound is all aspects of how I play... Regardless of the gear I'm using. The gear just brings out different facets of my personal style.

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      • #18
        Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

        Ahh...ERRR....yea... no... but...
        sigpic

        - http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...?bandID=804435 -
        - https://soundcloud.com/mr-ds-bigband/tracks -

        Warning: May contain traces of NUTS

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        • #19
          Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

          He must have made that statement after he decided that hearing doesn't matter either.

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          • #20
            Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

            You play better when you enjoy the sound coming out of the amp.

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            • #21
              Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

              I think he has a point to some degree, which is being somewhat overlooked. As was said, if you have a Strat and a Deluxe, what you play will be similar to what you expect to hear from a Strat and a Deluxe. Meanwhile, what you play through a Les Paul and Marshall JCM800 is what you might expect to hear from that rig.

              Because of the bright tone and snappiness of ebony fretboards, I find myself playing more country-tinged licks and Blues progressions and chords more than straight out Metal shredding, even on a Jackson KV. On a sunburst mahogany guitar, I lean more towards Zeppelin or Santana. On a guitar with a highly figured maple top I go for softer, clean Jazzy/Countryish stuff.

              And despite most Thrash/Speed Metal being done on Ebony boards, I actually do more of that on maple, but that's probably because my pointiest Jacksons all have maple boards (Warriors).

              I think what TM was saying is that the songs don't sound like they do because of the gear, but because of the player. Clearly you're not going to do any whammy acrobatics on a guitar without one. You're not going to get delay out of a distortion-only pedal, and you're not going to get JC-120 cleans out of a stock TripleRec. You write songs with what you have, and they sound good on what you write them on because you wrote them on that gear. By changing gear, you change how the song you wrote on other gear sounds. You won't get Tele tones out of a Soloist, but you won't get nylon A/E tones out of a Tele.
              Originally posted by Brown Note
              I'm soooooo jealous about the WR-1. It's the perfect guitar; fantastic to play, balances well even when seated and *great* reach for the upper frets. The sound is bright tight and very articulate. In summary it could only be more awesome if it had b00bs and was on fire!
              My Blog

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              • #22
                Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

                Originally posted by DrNewcenstein View Post
                ...but you won't get nylon A/E tones out of a Tele.
                ...unless you have the original Esquire/dark circuit in there.

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                • #23
                  Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

                  While everyone else is debating gear, I'm usually playing a gig or teaching a lesson.

                  Toys are awesome but don't ever let them get in the way of the music or the fun. Use what you like and don't worry so much.

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                  • #24
                    Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

                    Originally posted by TimmyPage View Post
                    Gear can be an inspirational tool, he even talked about how they would have written different songs if they had a different sound. I find that I write completely stuff now than I did a year ago, largely because a year ago I was using Fender style amps and fuzz pedals with analog delays, and now I use a Marshall-voiced amp with low-gain overdrives and digital delay. My sound was different and the 'feel' of my gear was different so what comes out is a lot different, even if it's still the same set of fingers playing it.

                    I do think something can be said about over-obsessing about gear. I've played on all sorts of club backlines, I've borrowed pedals from people and the audience has never noticed a thing. I remember looking up the gear of one of my current favourite guitar players, he had Strymon delays and reverbs, some J Rockett overdrives stacked, his pedalboard was a thing of beauty. I saw him live and his tone was absolutely mindblowing, I remember sitting there and 'hearing' his Strymon-wash-of-sound, and the beautiful smoothness of his Klone pedal during solos, it was perfect. After the gig, I got a chance to go up a bit closer to the stage and check out his board and chat with him, it was a fly gig so he had just made a tiny board with an Ibanez TS-808 and two Boss DD-6's, one set long for delay and one set short for Reverb. I could not tell the difference in a live setting between his expensive boutique rig and a couple of things you can pick up at any guitar center, and he was proudly talking about his board and how he loved the tones he was getting that night.

                    I also think for some players there is a place to stop. Some players are best when they get new gear that inspires them to play differently, and some guys have been using the same stuff for 30 years because they've found 'their' sound and don't really care about gear.

                    Now that makes me wonder . . .

                    . . . how would Rage have sounded, if he rushed into that guitar store, and the only amp(s) that where availible that day was a UK made MATAMP GT-1 & a US made Electric 120MV.
                    Tele, SG, LP Jr, '76 Ibanez Artist & Tokai LS92 + FUZZ boxes into a '66 AB165 Bassman & 2X12 (55Hz Greenbacks) / '73 Orange OR120 & 2X12 (V30 & SwampThang) / Orange Thunderverb 50 & PPC212 / Marshall Vintage Modern 50 & 2X12 Genz Benz g-Flex / Laney Klipp / Laney AOR Pro Tube 100


                    "...it's a tree with a microphone" - Leslie West

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                    • #25
                      Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

                      People sure are getting butthurt. If you read this interview, it goes more into what he's actually talking about that seems to be lost on some people. I have lots of nice guitars and amps to choose from yet I still agree with his central philosophy when it comes to making music.

                      Tom Morello's gear and equipment including the DigiTech WH-1 Whammy Pedal and Custom "Arm The Homeless" Electric Guitar. Get the gear to sound like Tom Morello and get their tone.
                      The opinions expressed above do not necessarily represent those of the poster and are to be considered suspect at best.

                      Lead guitarist and vocalist of...



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                      • #26
                        Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

                        Originally posted by Beer$ View Post
                        People sure are getting butthurt words words words
                        It's the BUTTHURTNET, what do you expect?
                        Originally posted by Brown Note
                        I'm soooooo jealous about the WR-1. It's the perfect guitar; fantastic to play, balances well even when seated and *great* reach for the upper frets. The sound is bright tight and very articulate. In summary it could only be more awesome if it had b00bs and was on fire!
                        My Blog

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

                          Originally posted by DrNewcenstein View Post
                          It's the BUTTHURTNET, what do you expect?
                          People to just shut up and play or not immediately take Morello's opinion based on his personal experience making music professionally for over 2 decades as a personal attack on their ideals but I suppose I am expecting too much.
                          The opinions expressed above do not necessarily represent those of the poster and are to be considered suspect at best.

                          Lead guitarist and vocalist of...



                          Keep up to date on our Facebook

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                          • #28
                            Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

                            And also I think I get part of where he's coming from. I've read this interview before and not sure if it's a different one where he talks about the Arm The Homeless guitar; but he spent years trying to get that guitar to sound how he wanted. It was garbage in his own words... Eventually, he realized there was only do much he could do with it. He couldn't afford another guitar so he kept using it... Eventually, he learned to use all its quirks and limitations to his advantage.

                            He's saying that no matter what gear you have, if you learn to work with it, you can create something that sounds good with that rig.

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                            • #29
                              Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

                              That's the one. He is talking about making music. Gear plays second fiddle to what's really important about the creative process. Bedroom guitarists who like to spend their money on expensive amps to enjoy the tone as a hobby has nothing to do with it which ironically seems to be the kind of person this opinion pisses off the most. Every time I stop worrying about how amazing the guitar tone sounds on it's own and just put together something simple, functional and just get it done, it works out and I end up a lot more impressed with the overall sound listening back on it later. Garbage in is garbage out. A great player can get something functional and useable for the music out of less than ideal gear and get great results.
                              The opinions expressed above do not necessarily represent those of the poster and are to be considered suspect at best.

                              Lead guitarist and vocalist of...



                              Keep up to date on our Facebook

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                              • #30
                                Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

                                Equipment compliments your natural capabilities, I don't think anyone would win the Indy 500 in a pento. I'm I'm sure eddy can halen wouldnt rock stadiums all night on a squire strat and Roland cube. It also works the other way around, give a beginner a sick setup and they still sound like a beginner.
                                sigpic

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