Gearhead vs Player

[Jeff_H]

Re: Gearhead vs Player

I'm a gear junkie for the most part...although I'm working on my chops all the time. I definately have much better gear then is required for my talent level. For a long time I could not afford anything...even when I bought my Dean Hardtail 2 1/2 years ago, it took some major saving and the rest still put a big hurt on the family budget, it didn't really fully recover for months. Now that I'm in NC, have a great job I've got extra $$....so I'm getting some stuff I've always wanted.

I wasn't a gear junkie till I joined this place.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Gearhead vs Player

One analogy I've always used is the Racecar Driver. Of course the driving talent is mandatory, but without all his proper gear ie cars, engines, pit crew, tools, and parts, he can't be the pro that he is. It may be a little different in music, but look at most of the pro musicians.....they're playing exactly what is required, gearwise, to be where they're at. It's just all part of the musician's life. Enjoy it all, because what you WON'T enjoy is dealing with schlepping gear, A hole promoters and industry people, and long argumentative nights at the rehearsal room! LOL Playing guitar and the hobby of gear is the FUN part!!!

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: Gearhead vs Player

I'm pretty into gear, but everything I have gets gigged and recorded with. I'm at the point where I'm trying to put the brakes on gear spending to concentrate on life's other financial outlays, but I'll continue to get stuff where practical.

I'm also trying to use what time I have to grow as a player. I see incredibly talented players getting great sounds out of cheap or workmanlike gear all the time, and it makes me want to play and make the best of what I've got. After all, most of your tone is in your hands.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Gearhead vs Player

I'm a mediocre player at best. Just love to strum them chords. Been strummin' em since I was about 10. Never got around to learning lead. Didn't care. Only owned one guitar at a time for almost 30 years.

THen I got hooked on the electric sound again. Then I found this place while trying to replace some crappy Epi pups. Then the gear addiction set in. Thanks guys.

Best part, during the early acquisitions, I let all the suckers on ebay help me make enough profit to buy a better piece of gear. I let those folks pay for my lust for the first few years. Then I just started getting what i want. Being an old guy with some disposable income is a good thing at times.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Gearhead vs Player

Playing guitar and the hobby of gear is the FUN part!!!

Amen to that

Sometimes it's just FUN to live out your rock star fantasies and get nice gear to play around with. There's nothing wrong with that IMHO. If you take it seriously, whether or not you're a professional, there's nothing wrong with wanting great tone like you hear on your records.

Gear won't make a bad player sound good, but if it inspires them to be something great, why hold 'em back? I've heard some great players play through some terrible gear, but what works for them won't work for me

 

[Jeff Seal]

Re: Gearhead vs Player

I've always been player first/ tech second...but the combination has resulted in some really great ideas...
Most usually "freak" when i demo my setup.....pushing one button configures all the parameters I use..including PU selection and coil tap's...(don't ask....I'm way off on my own "island" when it comes to this), although technically "trick", it's only function is to make performing better!...
Been playing for 27 yrs and no intentions of stopping soon!

Jeff Seal

 

[FireBros.]

Re: Gearhead vs Player

I believe a musician should know how to get the "best" tone out of their gear. I think that is as important as playing well. If you talk to people about the great horn players, or cellists or whatever other instrument you can think of, tone is always part of the conversation. As guitar players we have a lot more options than most any other instruments. Like people always say, tone is in your fingers, but I say it has to come out through your gear. A great player will be able to get the best possible tone out of trashy gear, and they will be able to exploit the advantages of boutique stuff. I 've heard players who had great gear, were technically good, and always had people in the audience scratching their heads as to why they sounded bad, and it was because the were completely unaware of their tone. As far as nobody caring except for other guitar players, that is not true. I've run sound for a long time and people always notice players with bad tone, but they don't call it that. They just say the guitar is too loud. You don't have to have super expensive gear to sound great, but you do have to know how to use what you have.

 

[BornToShred]

Re: Gearhead vs Player

I believe a musician should know how to get the "best" tone out of their gear.

I agree on this. It's important for a musician to have an ear for tone.

But i don't see the point in collecting gear that you don't need. After all, it's not what you use, it's how you use it. But if you want to spend your hard earned money on new gear, it's not my problem. I guess it's better than drinking or smoking.

I can't afford new stuff (because i drink and smoke ), so i have to work on my playing and try to get the best out of what crappy equipment i have. But i'm okay with it, because i find it much more rewarding that way.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Gearhead vs Player

Think of how much money some guys spend at the bar, on strippers, on hard drugs, on their vehicles, bad investments, guns, or art. They've got their hobbies, I've got mine. Sometimes I feel like I'm a bit excessive, but I don't think I should feel guilty about it. I know people who buy and sell coin-op machines, art, cars, guns etc. Let's not forget the people who spend 2/3 of their income on lottery tickets!

I'm probably one of the most unabashed gearheads a lot of you have come across, but at least it's a constructive and lucrative hobby. It has something to do with playing, but I keep the two fairly separate. A person can only really play a few pieces of gear anyway! The rest is just a part of the hobby and pride of ownership. If I hit hard times, I could dig myself out quickly by parting with a few things. If I owned a lot less, I'd be forced to sell sentimental items. It would hurt to lose some of my favorite main pieces.

 

[Pierre]

Re: Gearhead vs Player

I agree with the hobby thing. The hobby involves chosing, learning, using, changing... Anything you can do with it.
I would never buy something I wouldn't be sure to use later. But on another hand, how soon is later.. muaha
Now if only I had money...