Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrade?

[leevc5]

I'm think of Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, Page, Green, Knopfler...

When we look at the guitars they were using and then take a look at what is on our stable of guitars don't we see that our guitars are for the most part superior to what they were using?

I should be concentrating more on my playing and playing less with the constant fascination of modifying and tweaking this and that or worse buying endless new gear. However, for some reason I am driven to keep upgrading with the false hope that the next thing will get me that magic tone when the truth is not in gear but in my fingers and hands.

What a shame, do any of you experience this and what do you do to refocus on playing vs. the quest for Holy Grail of gear?

 

[formula73]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

I still have boxes of parts.

I got out of the tinkering phase once I got out of the Navy and got a real job/family life. I had plenty of time to mess with stuff underway but now that I'm home more often, I'm lucky to just play every now and then.

Also, my ear changed to the point I can pretty much appreciate any tone depending on application.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

its easier to tinker than to practice and usually more fun

 

[leevc5]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

its easier to tinker than to practice and usually more fun

Amen.

 

[formula73]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

its easier to tinker than to practice and usually more fun

Truth.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

I'm think of Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, Page, Green, Knopfler...

When we look at the guitars they were using and then take a look at what is on our stable of guitars don't we see that our guitars are for the most part superior to what they were using?

I should be concentrating more on my playing and playing less with the constant fascination of modifying and tweaking this and that or worse buying endless new gear. However, for some reason I am driven to keep upgrading with the false hope that the next thing will get me that magic tone when the truth is not in gear but in my fingers and hands.

What a shame, do any of you experience this and what do you do to refocus on playing vs. the quest for Holy Grail of gear?

on second look at your list... clapton, beck, page, knopfler and green all played some of the holy grails of guitars. money burst les pauls, early teles, strats and esquires, 335's, lp specials, etc... those tones and players are to some extent why those guitars are so classic these days. hendrix played late 60's and early 70's strats for the most part which while not as well regarded as the earlier ones are still in high demand

 

[devastone]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

its easier to tinker than to practice and usually more fun

And look up gear/post on the interwebz!

 

[greekdude]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

Because we are lazy yet ambitious. We seek to sound faster and better with less effort.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

You're kidding right.....Bursts and pre CBS fenders into vintage Fender and Marshall.

Most people mod their current guitars to get close to what was the high standard back then. Those are definitive tones.

 

[leevc5]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

You're kidding right.....Bursts and pre CBS fenders into vintage Fender and Marshall.

Most people mod their current guitars to get close to what was the high standard back then. Those are definitive tones.

You are missing the point...It wasn't the equipment it was genius, talent and hard work that created those revered tones.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

I think overall guitar build quality is way better than it use to be.

 

[voggin]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

I think overall guitar build quality is way better than it use to be.

I'd agree with that. Certainly more consistency. Fewer amplifier-based electrocutions, as well.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

I think overall guitar build quality is way better than it use to be.

Does that really translate to a "better guitar", in the sense of creating something special for the audience?

If it was just about playing faster and faster, then sure, but...

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

Does that really translate to a "better guitar", in the sense of creating something special for the audience?

If it was just about playing faster and faster, then sure, but...

Your comment is truly irrelevant? If the desire is there than it doesn't matter what guitar you have.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

I'm think of Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, Page, Green, Knopfler...

When we look at the guitars they were using and then take a look at what is on our stable of guitars don't we see that our guitars are for the most part superior to what they were using?

I should be concentrating more on my playing and playing less with the constant fascination of modifying and tweaking this and that or worse buying endless new gear. However, for some reason I am driven to keep upgrading with the false hope that the next thing will get me that magic tone when the truth is not in gear but in my fingers and hands.

What a shame, do any of you experience this and what do you do to refocus on playing vs. the quest for Holy Grail of gear?

I thought the guitars of back then were not desirable until those guys got a hold of them?
The burst Les Paul was neither popular nor in production when Clapton, Richards, Bloomfield, et al. started using them.
Hendrix was just using current production Fender CBS Strats. Nothing special at the time.
Didn't stop or hinder them from achieving what they achieved.
They just found their voice with them. They found what was good about them.

I would focus more on finding your voice, even more than just playing. Only tweak when it's not giving you your voice you hear in your head.

 

[Obsessive Compulsive]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

This is like civilization put in reverse. I guess mankind should quit striving for welfare cause the older generations have managed to live life with far less than what we have today...lol.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

Too many choices tends to lead to indecision. Just make a decision.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

You are missing the point...It wasn't the equipment it was genius, talent and hard work that created those revered tones.

Ok, Each artist that is well known has their own tone that will filter through whatever setup they play. That is obviously the heart of the thread, fair enough.

But the old stuff sounds different - no question. You take a burst and a historic LP, or a vintage strat and a modern one , and old amps vs reissues.....with the same person playing them there is no contest, the old gear....the good examples of guitars and amps from back then just sound different.
So if you actually take the meaning of the words 'our gear is better'....then I disagree, there is something to the 'the good old guitars just have something the new ones can't get'. Hence the PAF clones, select wood, PTP wired amps, NOS tubes, old speakers etc.

But there is also the QC issue as a separate issue - there is more precision to newer guitars. Whether or not that makes for a 'better' guitar....who knows.

 

[leevc5]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

Ok, Each artist that is well known has their own tone that will filter through whatever setup they play. That is obviously the heart of the thread, fair enough.

But the old stuff sounds different - no question. You take a burst and a historic LP, or a vintage strat and a modern one , and old amps vs reissues.....with the same person playing them there is no contest, the old gear....the good examples of guitars and amps from back then just sound different.
So if you actually take the meaning of the words 'our gear is better'....then I disagree, there is something to the 'the good old guitars just have something the new ones can't get'. Hence the PAF clones, select wood, PTP wired amps, NOS tubes, old speakers etc.

But there is also the QC issue as a separate issue - there is more precision to newer guitars. Whether or not that makes for a 'better' guitar....who knows.

I think there is a little too much nostalgia imbedded above.

As far as the guitars go:
-Wood hasn't changed in the last 50 or 60 years that I have heard;
-It is well documented that the pickups built back then had very loose process control to the point where there are Les Paul's of that era that sound more like Telecasters because of the variation in how the HBs were wound;
-Do you think these guys spent weeks or months searching out the guitar that would have the magic tone? I think that it is also documented that they didn't. What they did was play their guitars until their fingers bled to get the tone out of whatever equipment that happened to be on hand;
-Amps are amps, you can find the same components today as were used in building the amps of that era.

It was the artist that created the tone not the other way round. The equipment was a minor component. Do you believe that fate dropped the perfect guitar and the perfect amp into the hands of these musicians?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Our guitars better than the guitarists of the late 60's and early 70's-why upgrad

there is some validity to what you say. at the same time there was better (old growth) wood being used. there were lots of inconsistencies in the process since there was a lot of hands on work but that isnt necessarily a bad thing but leads to more variation. these guys were serious about their equipment, claptons famous black strat was pieced together from his favorite bits of three vintage strats, but i dont think they focused so much on the minutia like we tend to now. amps are not build the same way they used to be, a vintage deluxe reverb doesnt sound like the new ri and there are a variety of reasons for it. you can have someone build you an amp like they did in the old days but itll cost you a lot of money. im not discounting the artist the huge influence of that person on their tone and recorded/live output but their equipment played its role as well