TONE QUEST: Did you get MORE or LESS picky over time?

[Top-L]

I remember in my 20s and 30s questing for something called "the sound in my head", but in retrospect it was just G.A.S. and lack of knowledge. Now several decades on, I find I'm less picky about my tone. I can get most gear to work.

If you read TGP you are left with the impression that a bunch of old men are engaged in a high stakes game of cork sniffing. For me, the opposite has occured. I'm less particular about my gear.

For instance... I know the kinds of pickups that work for me. I could probably pick 5-10 different pickups from the Dimarzio and Duncan catalogs and be fine with any of them. For that matter, even stock pickups can sound pretty great. I find that if you buy a pointy guitar, it usually ships with the kind of pickups a pointy guitar player would want. If you buy a vintage guitar, it usually ships with the kinds of pickups a vintage player would want. Maybe guitar electronics have gotten much better, but I've been pleasantly surprised with stock pickups and don't have an urge to "rip them out".

Same is true with amps. I know the kinds of speakers I like. I know how to use EQ and boost pedals. I also know that when I play something long enough, my ears and expecations morph so that I'm able to get the best from what I'm using. I have some amps, some effect processors, some plugins that work just swell and I don't think my life will be enriched by changing to something else.

Even if something is not amazing (like the reverb on my amp), it doesnt really matter to me. It does what it does, it doens't mean its time to buy a new amp. I actually prefer delay, but if I don't have a delay pedal handy, I will just turn up the reverb and live with it.

There are only a couple things I am picky about. Fret work and intonation. And things that are defective, like scratchy pots and loose control jacks.

I thought this came from experience and confidence, but over on TGP you've got some high order cork sniffers who are probably boomers. So maybe other people go in the opposite direction.

 

[beaubrummels]

For me it's not being picky, it's being discerning. Over the years I've had the opportunity to train my ears to recognize details in sound. Your ears always hear, but you have to be trained how to discern the difference; just like your eyes always see but you had to learn to tell the difference between a cat and a dog to know which is which. Now I know what knobs to turn and what things to change in the signal path to get the sound I'm after. When I started out, I knew something was wrong in the sound, but I didn't know what exactly or how to fix it.

 

[PS412]

Bigger cans, Bigger bees, more of them.
I'm not very fussy. I like humbuckers.
And aluminium guitars.

 

[LLL]

Many of the best of the best (guitar gods) were/are very picky about their gear... but these guys were/are serious about their craft.

(Brian May comes to mind, Eric Johnson, SRV, etc)


And understandably so, some took things to the point of obfuscating what gear they used. After all, it's what gave them their paychecks.

(Billy F. Gibbons, EVH, etc)

Big-picture-wise, it's a natural thing to get pickier as you get older; you know what you like, and what actually works.

 

[Demanic]

I've gotten more picky. But I have learned to rely upon my ears.
Not my eyes.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[Mincer]

I think as you get older, you know what works. To me, I'd rather play and write than watch videos about gear comparisons.

 

[Top-L]

For me it's not being picky, it's being discerning. Over the years I've had the opportunity to train my ears to recognize details in sound. Your ears always hear, but you have to be trained how to discern the difference; just like your eyes always see but you had to learn to tell the difference between a cat and a dog to know which is which. Now I know what knobs to turn and what things to change in the signal path to get the sound I'm after. When I started out, I knew something was wrong in the sound, but I didn't know what exactly or how to fix it.

But now that you can hear differences, does it really matter on any given night if your tone isn't exactly what you want? Because you know you can get it with the right tools, and now is just a less perfect version of the timeline...

My point being that once you know how to achieve something, if you can't get it (for whatever reason) its not such a big deal.

 

[Top-L]

Many of the best of the best (guitar gods) were/are very picky about their gear... but these guys were/are serious about their craft.

(Brian May comes to mind, Eric Johnson, SRV, etc)


And understandably so, some took things to the point of obfuscating what gear they used. After all, it's what gave them their paychecks.

(Billy F. Gibbons, EVH, etc)

Big-picture-wise, it's a natural thing to get pickier as you get older; you know what you like, and what actually works.

I think that is a game they played with the music/gear magazines to add to their mystique.

While they may have talked about gear, that was just fan service; they could actually write and play better than their peers. Writing and performing was what they likely spent 99% of their time thinking about.

The vast majority of cork sniffers today, I believe, are play-acting at being guitar heroes; Being a self professed gear nerd in their estimation, puts them in the same category as the greats (who also appear to have been gear nerds.)

I disagree about getting pickier as you get older. Maturity lets you relax a bit and be accepting of other viewpoints/conditions. Things aren't as black/white, there are many shades of grey. I pick up a new guitar and am like "wow this has something different going on. I wonder if it is useful."

When I was younger I remember going through an EMG phase ("these are sooo much better"). Then I got older/wiser and played passives ("these have real TONE, can't believe I didn't hear what I was missing".) Now I'm more gear agnostic and can appreciate both for whatever qualities they have. If someone said EMGs are the best, I wouldn't argue with them. Or vice versa.

 

[FuseG4]

I'm definitely learning that playing the right note at the right time the right way makes me feel like I nailed it Whereas if I ballpark the tone and can't play the song well I haven't got anything have I really...?

 

[Ewizard]

Having been playing for 30 years and now into building guitars, pickups, and amplifiers, for me I have not gotten pickier, more so just more clever at finding what gets me to what I'm after. I've built the last few guitars that I have acquired. What's different about them? Not much, just the sound and the cost really. I found a way to replicate a couple of pickups, and my amplifiers are a paradigm shift from the ones I typically played out. My amp designs are pedal platform ( clean ) amps first with crunch and distortion from them being of little concern. My pickup recipe leans towards throaty, full, and clear sounding, while my guitars of choice use thin transparent finishes over figured wood. Either product I make is not really much different from any other offering currently on the market. Just slightly different.

A true player can make a cardboard box with a 1-watt Bluetooth amplifier sound good. Pulling a sound out is perhaps what they do best. Their preferred sound is more likely a modified, rare, and unobtainium setup that only they have a connection to. When you play through it, it sounds like you, and when they play through it, it makes them happy. The symbiotic relationship between the player and his gear is a neurotic thing only the beholder can get. It's not being picky, snooty, cork sniffing, or just plain stubborn, it is simply when you get it ( that sound and feel in your head ) you just get it. Making other things work for you is just working, and the sport of musicianship is about fun, not working.

 

[beaubrummels]

But now that you can hear differences, does it really matter on any given night if your tone isn't exactly what you want? Because you know you can get it with the right tools, and now is just a less perfect version of the timeline...

My point being that once you know how to achieve something, if you can't get it (for whatever reason) its not such a big deal.

How many people are attending or how much money was invested / on the line with the project, etc. are considerations of how much it matters. How big of a deal can depend on how many people I'm letting down if I don't bring the 'A' game. How much I think it matters vs how much someone else thinks it matters can be subjective in as much as some people don't respect the audience or the players or the project and treat everything as either trivial or fun and games while others are more sincere and are really driven to give everything they've got and do their best. If you aren't even in a position to do what you think or know is your best, there isn't much else you can do but make the best of the situation; being as professional as you can and making it the best it can be under the circumstances. To me that's completely separate from whether it 'matters' or is 'a big deal.'

 

[LLL]

The vast majority of cork sniffers today, I believe, are play-acting at being guitar heroes; Being a self professed gear nerd in their estimation, puts them in the same category as the greats (who also appear to have been gear nerds.)

Undoubtedly there are, in this day and age, a massive proliferation of frauds online who spend their time play-acting and pretending to be smarter, more experienced and better players than they actually are. These are the cork-sniffers, et al that you speak of (or poseurs, if you will).

It's easy to pretend online because no one can really check you (unless you throw clips or vids into the mix as proof you are what you say you are).

I'ts "stolen valor" for those who own a guitar. Cheap and easy "cred".

But put a real guitarist in front of them in real life (or check them via vids/or clips if online), and they would never get away with their pretend BS and random corquesniffery.

 

[Iron1]

I'm at a stage where I know what I'm after tone-wise, and I'm really enjoying layering them. I record with two guitars, thru two different set-ups, and a bass. Trying to find the best combination of all three is my jam, no pun intended. One guitar is usually brighter/crisper and the other thicker/meatier/chunkier. Then the bass takes characteristics of both and adds all the bottom end the guitars can't achieve. Using a Helix or Axe FX to do this helps, as I can run the bass thru a guitar amp for the same gain characteristics, then into a bass cab for low end response.

I do still love trying out different pickups, guitars, amps, etc. but if I never tried anything different than what I own right now, I'd be totally fine and in my 'sweet spot'.

Undoubtedly there are, in this day and age, a massive proliferation of frauds online who spend their time play-acting and pretending to be smarter, more experienced and better players than they actually are. These are the cork-sniffers, et al that you speak of (or poseurs, if you will).

It's easy to pretend online because no one can really check you (unless you throw clips or vids into the mix as proof you are what you say you are).

I'ts "stolen valor" for those who own a guitar. Cheap and easy "cred".

But put a real guitarist in front of them in real life (or check them via vids/or clips if online), and they would never get away with their pretend BS and random corquesniffery.

I have often wondered what is the percentage of people on guitar related forums who could actually make it as a professional musician at any level. I'd guess it's less than 50%...

 

[ErikH]

I've certainly gotten pickier on certain things. I know what works for me and what doesn't. I know what I like to use and what I don't. Doesn't mean I won't try something that peaks my interest. In the end, I usually revert to the same formula.

 

[Top-L]

I'm at a stage where I know what I'm after tone-wise, and I'm really enjoying layering them. I record with two guitars, thru two different set-ups, and a bass. Trying to find the best combination of all three is my jam, no pun intended. One guitar is usually brighter/crisper and the other thicker/meatier/chunkier. Then the bass takes characteristics of both and adds all the bottom end the guitars can't achieve. Using a Helix or Axe FX to do this helps, as I can run the bass thru a guitar amp for the same gain characteristics, then into a bass cab for low end response.

I do still love trying out different pickups, guitars, amps, etc. but if I never tried anything different than what I own right now, I'd be totally fine and in my 'sweet spot'.



I have often wondered what is the percentage of people on guitar related forums who could actually make it as a professional musician at any level. I'd guess it's less than 50%...

Pretty sure its 0%. Except for known professionals like Pete Thorn. If someone is at that level you will know it.

Professional musicians likely aren't deriving the same kind of value from places like this. They are using the forums to make money. And then you have the larger category of players who aren't professional and are trying to use the forums to make money by posting comparison videos and the like. Established artists don't have forum presence because they likely would get swamped with questions, and because they don't need to.

Zero percent.

 

[Iron1]

Pretty sure its 0%. Except for known professionals like Pete Thorn. If someone is at that level you will know it.

Professional musicians likely aren't deriving the same kind of value from places like this. They are using the forums to make money. And then you have the larger category of players who aren't professional and are trying to use the forums to make money by posting comparison videos and the like. Established artists don't have forum presence because they likely would get swamped with questions, and because they don't need to.

Zero percent.

While I don't disagree, I'm meaning professional musicians in the sense of people who can maintain some semblance of an income as a musician, not necessarily celebrity status.

 

[Top-L]

While I don't disagree, I'm meaning professional musicians in the sense of people who can maintain some semblance of an income as a musician, not necessarily celebrity status.

I look at it like this... There are introverted and extroverted musicians. The extroverted guys will be networking, and wanting to get in front of a microphone. The introverted guys may have hang ups about that, or not have the social skills to do it. But the introverts might be better players, posess analytical/production skills that the extroverts don't have time/interest in.

So you can't just throw down and say "could you be a pro?" The analytical/introverted guys usually have a main income stream in the form of an engineering or other professional job, so there is less motivation. Even if I woodshed songs, audition to get into a band, manage to land the gig, would I be able to fit that into the rest of my life? Its a long shot. Even a recreational band that plays weeknights is a full time proposition.

 

[LLL]

I have often wondered what is the percentage of people on guitar related forums who could actually make it as a professional musician at any level. I'd guess it's less than 50%...

While you have a point, the biggest problem is people pretending to be better than they actually are.

Because that is when the truth and facts suffer... and advice is directly affected.

You get some clown who's a hack IRL acting like the king daddy of guitarists, and those who don't know any better follow his neophyte "advice".

That's akin to a wannabe psychologist doling out therapy sessions to people seeking professional help. Imagine the chaos...

There are players of all levels and experience; as long as they don't try and BS about who they are for "forum cred", things are cool.

How can one discern? Listen to their playing; that will tell you everything.

To add to your point above, many gear forums pay to have random posters post (to give the impression that there is much more activity than there is); and these are the ones who typically don't give a crap about guitar; or very little.

 

[Top-L]

While you have a point, the biggest problem is people pretending to be better than they actually are.

Because that is when the truth and facts suffer... and advice is directly affected.

You get some clown who's a hack IRL acting like the king daddy of guitarists, and those who don't know any better follow his neophyte "advice".

That's akin to a wannabe psychologist doling out therapy sessions to people seeking professional help. Imagine the chaos...

There are players of all levels and experience; as long as they don't try and BS about who they are for "forum cred", things are cool.

How can one discern? Listen to their playing; that will tell you everything.

To add to your point above, many gear forums pay to have random posters post (to give the impression that there is much more activity than there is); and these are the ones who typically don't give a crap about guitar; or very little.

We just have to assume that everyone is a recreational hack, unless they have links in their signature showing them performing at a high level.

Just talking the talk is not enough. There have to be links in their signature to their band's page, their sound cloud, their you tube.

 

[Top-L]

Some recreational hacks have useful knowledge and experiences. Dont discount someones technical knowledge just because they dont record or tour. There are people on here who know amps or pedals or pickups so well that I personally dont care what their playing sounds like.

I agree with this too.

The whole "putting people into a hierarchy" depending on present/past income in music industry, and then dismissing their forum posts because they don't "rank"... not into that. Also don't think the three-chord college band (years ago) or church band lends someone more forum cred either.

If I felt there was some way to translate all my playing time into a steady, lucrative endeavor, I would be all on that. Anyone who can make the music thing work to support them I think is great, but is not all that different than people who inherited a pile of money and live a more ... recreational life. Its a unique set of circumstances when something like that happens. Like the kid whose parents pay for his K-12 piano lessons, then pay for his college, so he can get a job making 40K teaching music in middle school. (While everyone else is grinding away in corporate world to pay off their student loans.) Kudos!