how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

A

appar111

New member
Just curious as to how many of you feel that your favorite guitarists sounded better with "off the shelf" gear (pickups, guitars, amps, pedals, whatever) rather than when they got their own custom/signature gear. Just a few examples:

  • Dave Mustaine - JB's versus his custom blackout set
  • Satriani - using a Dimarzio Fred versus the Mo' Joe
  • Vai - Super D's, PAF's and PAF Pro's versus his custom Evos and Breeds
  • Slash - stock A2P's versus his new signature set
  • Petrucci - Air Norton and Steve Special versus Liquifire and Crunchlab
  • Hetfield - Epiphone Flying V and Invader or Explorer w/ 500T versus his later ESP stuff w/ EMG's

In almost all instances, I prefer their earlier tones with off the shelf gear. True, their tweaked/custom stuff is now considered "off the shelf too" (what a great time we live in!), and it can be argued that the earlier gear was still hot-rodding, but it wasn't tailored to their specific needs/tastes by working w/ the manufacturer.

Just seems that sometimes, by tweaking something to perfection, alot of times the rawness and life can be tweaked right out of it.

Anyone else feel the same?
 
Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

This is kind of a MUTE point here, now isn't it?

They still use the SAME "old" gear in the studio. For live shows, they are "required" and are "under contract" in other words "legally obligated" to play their "signature" models.

Moreover, with pickups - who's to say if Slash (for example) is even using them. You're not that close to inspect the guitar.

In terms of Metallica, they're endorsed by so many people. Randall MTS comes to mind, yet they'll still rock out Rectos. He's endorsed by LTD, yet will still rock out Gibson.

Like I said previously, they go with tried and true for studio. Live, they'll use whatever they get paid to use or atleast look like they're using it.
 
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Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

mwalluk said:
This is kind of a MUTE point here, now isn't it? "moot", maybe, but not mute... unless no one wants to hear it anymore ;)

They still use the SAME "old" gear in the studio. For live shows, they are "required" and are "under contract" in other words "legally obligated" to play their "signature" models. Not all of them still use the same old gear in the studio. Most don't, and have moved on to the new equipment/gear...

Moreover, with pickups - who's to say if Slash (for example) is even using them. You're not that close to inspect the guitar. I guess I'm going on the fact that he's saying he's using the new pickups in his guitars, which he's stated in many interviews (but, like you said, he might have to say that for contractual reasons)..

In terms of Metallica, they're endorsed by so many people. Randall MTS comes to mind, yet they'll still rock out Rectos. He's endorsed by LTD, yet will still rock out Gibson. I guess I'm not necessarily talking about who these groups are endorsed by, but rather whether they sounded better using the gear they originally got famous using, or the newer gear that they're using now, not just endorsed by...

Like I said previously, they go with tried and true for studio. Live, they'll use whatever they get paid to use or atleast look like they're using it.
Click to expand...

Endorsement stuff aside, when an artist that you really dig moves on from their "tried and true gear", the stuff that really gave them their sound back when they started out, and moves on to a more tweaked/perfected version of that equipment, do you feel that they lose a little something that made it special?

That's what I've found alot of the time.
 
Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

Let me add... Dimebag w/ Duncan Distortion/JB in Deans
vs. Bill Lawrence in Deans? ;)
 
Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

It's an interesting point. The other factor of the said artist being more on fire and having the muse around in their earlier days (when they were using stock equipment) is probably a much larger one.

The endorsements and signature series usually tend to occur after the musician is washed up and waaay past their prime.

As a good example, Warren DiMartini should have had his RTM back in 1986. He is almost irrelevant in today's music scene not having had a hit in decades.

Hetfield is a good example of exactly what you were talking about... his playing hasn't gotten as crusty as Slash's but when he switched to EMGs, his sound went straight into the toilet.

EVH has never sounded worse when playing his fancy signature models... his cheap POS Frankie still blows the doors off of those EVH and EBMM models tonewise.
 
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Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

I think part of the reason why many people don't care for the "new sound" or "recent work" of an artist is because they are no longer considered innovative or exciting. When an artist gets access to whatever gear they want their sound changes and with that sound their style also changes. They also get access to larger production budgets so their delivery and focus suffers.

I think part of what endears us to many of these artists early work is that they are focusing on their delivery rather than production. They also sound familiar which is comforting because they have access to gear the rest of us use, but fresh because they are trying to differentiate and innovate. Once they become established they can start writing 15 minute songs, with 256 tracks that take 3 months to record and feature a Andean flute solo.
 
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Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

Heres something to ponder... Maybe YOU think they sound worse but maybe they think they sound better. Its all opinions anyways. I hate metallicas early tones and much prefer their sound 88-93ish. But so what i'm pretty sure they arent losing sleep cause some random dude on the net thinks their older tones were better.
 
Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

In regards to the Slash pickups, it has been posted here by Evan that Slash wanted a set of pickups that got his stage guitars sounding as close as possible to the Appetite Les Paul that he still records with to this day.

The APH-2 are APH-1's, just tweaked a little bit to help get his stage guitars to that sound.

Evan has even posted emails that he got from Slash stating how happy he is with them.

So, take it for what it's worth.

As for the rest that you mentioned, they change because they can.
 
Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

For the most part, just about all of them. There are a few who improved/got better with a change.

But mostly, the sound you know and love is NOT the uber customized name brand stuff.

As I always say - What made Clapton famous? A Standard Stratocaster. He didn't have an Eric Clapton model to play, yet the regular old strat seemed to work for him.
 
Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

Aceman said:
As I always say - What made Clapton famous? A Standard Stratocaster. He didn't have an Eric Clapton model to play, yet the regular old strat seemed to work for him.
Click to expand...


Oh but before there was a Strat, there was a SG(possibly a LP too?)...:approve:
 
Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

MOOT, not mute, but

in answer to the question:

Every single one of them.
 
Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

Edgecrusher said:
Heres something to ponder... Maybe YOU think they sound worse but maybe they think they sound better. Its all opinions anyways. I hate metallicas early tones and much prefer their sound 88-93ish. But so what i'm pretty sure they arent losing sleep cause some random dude on the net thinks their older tones were better.
Click to expand...

I'm sure they do think they sound better-- I mean, I hope they don't think they sound worse! That wouldn't be good for anybody!

As far as them not losing sleep over me preferring their older tones, you're right on that one too. As far as Kirk Hammett's tone, it's always been the same-- just as ****ty now as it was then. I blame excessive use of the wah pedal... :friday:
 
Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

I think zenmind and idsnowdog touched on another important point-- that back in the early days of their respective careers, all these guys were more focused on the performance than the production, which probably overshadows whatever they would've used to record those performances with.
 
Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

zenmindbeginner said:
The other factor of the said artist being more on fire and having the muse around in their earlier days (when they were using stock equipment) is probably a much larger one.
Click to expand...

+1. Many players have an intense period in their prime, and often played their best then, regardless of the equipment. How much good does it do to improve their tones when their fingers are losing some of the spark and energy?
 
Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

I nodded agreement with every post. This thread is just so true.
 
Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

appar111 said:
As far as Kirk Hammett's tone, it's always been the same-- just as ****ty now as it was then. I blame excessive use of the wah pedal... :friday:
Click to expand...

I thought his Tone(not his playing) was better on the and Justice/MOP/RTL mid 80's era. His tone went to complete s*** after that. I always blamed it on his discovery of the blues: :scratchch btw I love the Blues.
 
Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

I'm not sure if its the tones or the production perosnally.

I always love bands early work more than their later stuff. my girl always pays me out about it

mostly I think its the rawer mixing and production quality than guitar gear used

and I agree with Blueman also . Often earlier work has a band or player in a purple patch . they are hungry and that comes through in the tone
 
Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

Fyi, the fred was pretty much a sig pup. Larry was designing pups for joe, and joe started naming the prototypes after flinstones characters in order to tell them apart.
 
Re: how many of your favorite guitarists sounded better w/ off the shelf gear?

JeffB said:
Fyi, the fred was pretty much a sig pup. Larry was designing pups for joe, and joe started naming the prototypes after flinstones characters in order to tell them apart.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was thinking that as I typed it. When I saw that they tweaked it even further with the Mo' Joe I thought they may have tweaked it too far.
 
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