If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

Agileguy_101

Agileguy_101

Master of his Domain
I've come to the conclusion that people that get wrapped up in tweaking their gear - even some of the things that are generally acknowledged as a "tweaker's paradise" like a Mesa amp, Eventide pedals, etc - do so because they just don't have a handle on how to use the device properly. Think about it - if I know exactly how all of the controls on my Strymon Timeline work and interact with each other, I should be able to dial in a preset that is exactly what I want in few minutes or less. And sure enough, I made two new delay patches tonight and it only took a few minutes each. I've heard many people talk about how difficult a Mesa Dual Rectifier is to dial in, but I've always been able to get great tones out of them within a few minutes of turning it on, if that. I see people all the time talking about how awesome X pedal is, but they got rid of it because they would spend more time tweaking than playing. Is it just because they didn't know how to use it right? Thoughts?

Notes: Exempted from the above statements are 1) pieces of gear that are just wrong for your tastes and 2) people that are just tweakers by nature and dissatisfied with 90% of gear.
 
Re: If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

People who endlessly tweak don't have a sound in mind to shoot for in the first place. Artists know what they are going after. They use the capabilities of gear to achieve what they already hear in their mind. Getting lost in capabilities and endlessly tweaking means you haven't identified what you are trying to accomplish in the first place.
 
Re: If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

Excellent point. I always know what I want when I go to change something.
 
Re: If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

A friend of mine in high school used to tweak endlessly. Even from song to song we were trying to play... then would blame his lack of knowledge of the proper phrasing of the song on the fact that his sound wasnt "perfect" for the song and once he gets the sound down then he will worry about the proper phrasing.
 
Re: If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

You are de-loo-sional!~
There are 6 dials that need to find their proper place all in perfect proportion to the rest. You haven't found that perfect synchronization yet. You likely never will in your lifetime. Keep tweaking! ALWAYS Tweak!
 
Re: If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

Some people's styles are based around experimenting, continually searching and tweaking. Others of course know what they want, seek it out, and then get back to playing. If they're making music of some kind, it's all good.

I guess the tweakers and tinkerers, or some of them at least, help us all advance. For example, a certain Seymour Duncan must have tweaked and experimented a great deal, and one might notice he has done quite well for himself, and ourselves, as a result of his efforts.
 
Re: If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

Tweaking is good. I love to tweak and buy new pedals all the time looking for new tones. Here is the thing I have a portfolio of great go-to tones that I can always use. I also feel confident I can quickly dial in the appropriate sound for a given style or song. The funny thing is with all the gear I have most of the time I just plug in straight to the amp. If you have been in the game for a while and you are still tweaking to find a usable tone there is a bigger problem. If you are tweaking to stretch your imagination that is all good.
 
Re: If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

Main thing I'll tweak is gain - one day I'm light on the loafers, the next day I can't have enough.
 
Re: If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

I enjoy tweaking my mixes and live setup as necessary, but try to minimize the time spent on that and maximize my playing/musicianship time; IT IS A CONSTANT WAR THAT I HAVE BEEN LOOSING HOWEVER ;)
 
Re: If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

Way too many gross generalizations in the OP. And subsequent posts, for that matter.

More to the point -- WHO CARES?!?

It's your time, use it as you see fit. (Just don't waste MY time ...)
 
Re: If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

I think I just go through tweaking phases. I'll get really bored of my sound or start having issues with it, then I'll spend the next 2 or so days with more time messing with or rearranging my gear then I do practicing until I get it back into a state I'm happy with. Life was easier when I only played jazz and only needed one sound..
 
Re: If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

The worst part is that as soon as you get a tone you like, it'll sound different when you're not in your house with the volume low.
 
Re: If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

TwilightOdyssey said:
Way too many gross generalizations in the OP. And subsequent posts, for that matter. More to the point -- WHO CARES?!?It's your time, use it as you see fit. (Just don't waste MY time ...)
Click to expand...
Generalizations start the discussion. The idea is to work together toward a mutual community understanding.

Who cares? Perhaps the people that relentlessly tweak away, trying to find the tone in their head and spending way too long doing it. I thought it might help someone understand why and work on making it easier.
 
Re: If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

This is why I tend to like amps and pedals without tons of options. I want the core sound right from the get-go and any existing controls should be there to fine-tune that.

I don't like having to spend a ton of time getting the core sound dialed in and then still not be quite there and having to coax it into "the zone" with outboard stuff.

I just bought an amp that has comparatively few options as opposed to my Dual Rec that I just sold and I'm so much more happier with it. I don't mind tweaking, but I do mind endlessly tweaking or having options lead to decision paralysis.
 
Re: If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

Artists tweak their sound as a way to achieve something else, to get their music going, not as their GOAL.
Too many guitar players are tone tweakers and don't play enough.
 
Re: If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

I generally have a main tone in mind when it comes to amps. After my recent setup of my Les Paul, I've had to slightly tweak the settings of my amp to dial in my tone. I have to admit, I still tweak here and there to try different types of tones to inspire me and get me out of my comfort zone, but usually I use my go-to main settings which in my opinion covers a good 90% of what I play.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 
Re: If you Spend More Time Tweaking Your Gear Than Playing It...

B2D said:
This is why I tend to like amps and pedals without tons of options. I want the core sound right from the get-go and any existing controls should be there to fine-tune that.

I don't like having to spend a ton of time getting the core sound dialed in and then still not be quite there and having to coax it into "the zone" with outboard stuff.

I just bought an amp that has comparatively few options as opposed to my Dual Rec that I just sold and I'm so much more happier with it. I don't mind tweaking, but I do mind endlessly tweaking or having options lead to decision paralysis.
Click to expand...

and that is why no matter how cool the Axe FX may seem with all those options and all those possibilities, I would rather be playing than dialing in the endless array of distractions. more power to the guys that can master those types of units, but I just don't want to get lured into it.
 
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