You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

[beaubrummels]

You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

I see. So that's why I'm having problems finding stuff on the used market. Hoarders.

 

[AlexR]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

I wonder how many are prop heads/cabs.

I mean only 1 has a cable into it.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

I wonder how many are prop heads/cabs.

I mean only 1 has a cable into it.

Six or seven were lit up on the right side of the stage. And it was LOUD right there. Thankfully, we were wearing plugs.

 

[Mincer]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

I am pretty picky about my gear, but I also don't endlessly tweak or buy/sell. That part never interested me- I just want to get 'my sound' out of what I have and be done with it.

 

[Darg1911]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

Gives me flashbacks of 7 semi-trailer load-ins and load-outs back in the 80's. :grumble:

 

[Red_Label]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

I am pretty picky about my gear, but I also don't endlessly tweak or buy/sell. That part never interested me- I just want to get 'my sound' out of what I have and be done with it.

I hate tweaking gear. Part of the reason that I've gone through so much gear is precisely for that very reason. I've always been a "RONCO... set-it-and-forget-it" kind of guy. The other reason why I've been a gear hound is that I get gear that inspires me (or that I THINK will inspire me) and when it stops inspiring me... it's moved down the road for something that will. I'm always trying to surf that wave. I don't get married to many inanimate objects. I just never have. It's all just "stuff" at the end of the day. I'm more into my family and pets in terms of getting emotionally tied to it. And since I don't have unlimited means (or space!)... I have to move what I have today, to get what I want tomorrow. Just the nature of the game for me. :guilty:

 

[Red_Label]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

Gives me flashbacks of 7 semi-trailer load-ins and load-outs back in the 80's. :grumble:

You're supposed to have roadies do all of that!

But I hear you. I hauled a huge rack and stereo 4x12 around through the late 80s and well through the 90s. Then, in the 2000s I was hauling around two half-stacks to run in stereo. And I was doing all of my load-in, load-out myself! No wonder my back is shot and I just had my second surgery in March. At one gig within the past 5 years I hauled two half-stacks (Bogner Shiva into a Bogner OS 2x12 and Traynor YCS100H into a Marshall 1960A) and a Fender Twin Reverb Reissue to play one outdoor gig. It sounded glorious and there were a couple of thousand people there, but I was a tap-dancing fool and it was like 115 degrees up on stage. That was the end of my humping more than one amp around.

 

[Taz Rules]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

I am pretty picky about my gear, but I also don't endlessly tweak or buy/sell. That part never interested me- I just want to get 'my sound' out of what I have and be done with it.

I'm still acquiring gear with the hope of finding "my" sound. Also, still learning to play, so I guess that goes hand in hand. Being new, I'm trying to focus on playing instead of tweaking, but I must admit that the urge to "buy a sound" is seriously irresistible at times.


All that said, going back to the earlier points on the Les Paul vs the Strat (I've been away for a while and just catching up) I've got to say that while I do love the LP sound, I don't particularly like the look of them, and I HATE the feel. Every time I try to play a Lester, I feel like it sets me back and makes me a worse player. I just can't get them to work. The weight, the uncomfortable feel of the body shape and that (for my hand) awful neck shape just don't work for me. But that's me, and only me. For other people, the LP is the ideal guitar. Ace Frehley, Slash, Page...these guys know a thing or two, and LPs obviously work for them, so who am I to argue?

Its no different than framers on a construction site. Some guys swear by an 8" Skil saw, others want a 12" sliding compound mitre. The odd old guy may even use an old-school hand held ripsaw. Guys use what works for them, and who cares, as long as the job gets done.

That's why there are so many different guitars...what works for one person will not work for someone else. Play your music, make your sound.

 

[Darg1911]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

You're supposed to have roadies do all of that!

But I hear you. I hauled a huge rack and stereo 4x12 around through the late 80s and well through the 90s. Then, in the 2000s I was hauling around two half-stacks to run in stereo. And I was doing all of my load-in, load-out myself! No wonder my back is shot and I just had my second surgery in March. At one gig within the past 5 years I hauled two half-stacks (Bogner Shiva into a Bogner OS 2x12 and Traynor YCS100H into a Marshall 1960A) and a Fender Twin Reverb Reissue to play one outdoor gig. It sounded glorious and there were a couple of thousand people there, but I was a tap-dancing fool and it was like 115 degrees up on stage. That was the end of my humping more than one amp around.

Hehe. I wish I was a member of a band that had 7 semi's full of gear. Nope, I'm talking about being a member of the local crew. We did the bulk of the hard labor. I was fortunate to be designated a "loader". Lots of lifting but unstacking and stacking inside the trailers was a hell of a lot better than pushing the damned cases up and down the loading ramp (especially up).

 

[Red_Label]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

I'm still acquiring gear with the hope of finding "my" sound. Also, still learning to play, so I guess that goes hand in hand. Being new, I'm trying to focus on playing instead of tweaking, but I must admit that the urge to "buy a sound" is seriously irresistible at times.


All that said, going back to the earlier points on the Les Paul vs the Strat (I've been away for a while and just catching up) I've got to say that while I do love the LP sound, I don't particularly like the look of them, and I HATE the feel. Every time I try to play a Lester, I feel like it sets me back and makes me a worse player. I just can't get them to work. The weight, the uncomfortable feel of the body shape and that (for my hand) awful neck shape just don't work for me. But that's me, and only me. For other people, the LP is the ideal guitar. Ace Frehley, Slash, Page...these guys know a thing or two, and LPs obviously work for them, so who am I to argue?

Its no different than framers on a construction site. Some guys swear by an 8" Skil saw, others want a 12" sliding compound mitre. The odd old guy may even use an old-school hand held ripsaw. Guys use what works for them, and who cares, as long as the job gets done.

That's why there are so many different guitars...what works for one person will not work for someone else. Play your music, make your sound.

I was fortunate to be learning, obsessively practicing, and then relentlessly gigging in the 80s and early 90s before internet-driven gear insanity and obscene amounts of gear choices were a thing.

We had Fender and Marshall (us classic metal players didn't want Peavey or Vox), and Gibson LPs or Fender strats (or Charvels/Jacksons if we could find/afford them). I spent years playing and touring with total crap for gear, because I didn't have a pot to pee in. But it forced me to focus on my chops. So later, when the financial means and more choices came along... it was less of a distraction to me developing my own style and actually being inspired to put in the woodshedding to become technically proficient.

If I'd have had the financial means and much-more-affordable choices that players have today... I'd likely have devoted more time to chasing my tail regarding gear (as I have since the 2000s) and not developed much of my own thing or skill. So I'm grateful to have grown-up when I did. Though back in the day, it really bugged me that I was playing cheap gear... while other, inexperienced players were rocking Marshall stacks and Gibson Les Pauls. I made a living or supplemented my income gigging bars/clubs with barely adequate gear for many years.

I do tell my kids and younger players though, that they're fortunate to have great budget guitars like LTD, Schecter, Ibanez, etc, great cheap amps like the Roland Cubes and Boss Katanas... and most of all, YOUTUBE to get their skills and good tones from. I started-out playing some cheap strat knock-off into a Gorilla SS amplifer... and learning my licks by ear by wearing out tape cassettes. We didn't even have tons of tab to choose from until the later 80s and 90s. New players these days have immeasurably more resources to get a good start than we did. Man my tone must've SUCKED in those days! But I just wanted to shred ala Yngwie, so it wasn't until later that I began to care about the sound coming out of my speaker(s).

 

[Red_Label]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

Hehe. I wish I was a member of a band that had 7 semi's full of gear. Nope, I'm talking about being a member of the local crew. We did the bulk of the hard labor. I was fortunate to be designated a "loader". Lots of lifting but unstacking and stacking inside the trailers was a hell of a lot better than pushing the damned cases up and down the loading ramp (especially up).

Roger. I would have gladly roadied in my young, weight-lifter years just for the excitement of being involved in big shows. The closest I ever came to being "involved" with a big show was when I was working at a local music store and Neal Schon called-up and needed something delivered to the local arena... where he was performing with Bad English later that night. So I got to go backstage and see all of his racks of Marshall heads. I was pretty stoked about that, but didn't even meet Neal. Just chatted with his tech. So I never rolled any big concert flight cases around other than the few smaller ones that I've had for my own amps at times. I've played outdoor shows with 2-3K people as a "headliner" multiple times, but it was never a big concert situation. We nearly always humped our own PA and personal gear in, set up, played, tore-down, and hauled it back out. I did play a couple of big high-brow benefits over the years where there was a huge PA and competent sound guys making us sound good. Having my own stage monitor mix (40 channel monitor board on stage with a tech just to run that) was heaven. I could get used to the rock star red carpet treatment regarding sound and not hauling gear!:naughty:

 

[Darg1911]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

Roger. I would have gladly roadied in my young, weight-lifter years just for the excitement of being involved in big shows. The closest I ever came to being "involved" with a big show was when I was working at a local music store and Neal Schon called-up and needed something delivered to the local arena... where he was performing with Bad English later that night. So I got to go backstage and see all of his racks of Marshall heads. I was pretty stoked about that, but didn't even meet Neal. Just chatted with his tech. So I never rolled any big concert flight cases around other than the few smaller ones that I've had for my own amps at times. I've played outdoor shows with 2-3K people as a "headliner" multiple times, but it was never a big concert situation. We nearly always humped our own PA and personal gear in, set up, played, tore-down, and hauled it back out. I did play a couple of big high-brow benefits over the years where there was a huge PA and competent sound guys making us sound good. Having my own stage monitor mix (40 channel monitor board on stage with a tech just to run that) was heaven. I could get used to the rock star red carpet treatment regarding sound and not hauling gear!:naughty:

I was never one to be in awe of rock stars or celebs. Never collected autographs. 7+ bucks an hour (and being paid for a minimum of 8 hours) back in the early and mid 80's was good for an extra, part time gig. But getting to see the shows for free was the real appeal. I was a power lifter, which got me the loader spot. Did security first, but hated it ... couldn't really watch the show. So switched to production. It was a good part time gig.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

I was never one to be in awe of rock stars or celebs. Never collected autographs. 7+ bucks an hour (and being paid for a minimum of 8 hours) back in the early and mid 80's was good for an extra, part time gig. But getting to see the shows for free was the real appeal. I was a power lifter, which got me the loader spot. Did security first, but hated it ... couldn't really watch the show. So switched to production. It was a good part time gig.

Yeah... sounds like me. I don't collect autographs or guitar picks (outside of the Yngwie pick I got at last week's show). I just like the entertainment on a big scale aspect of rock shows and know that most celebs are in fact, VERY human. So honestly, I really try NOT to meet/talk-to celebs. That way I'm less likely to dislike them and can enjoy their music without my enjoyment being colored by my opinion of them as humans. All I've ever wanted out of entertainers is to be entertained and inspired. In 33 years of performing on stage, I've never got on the mic and said stupid/embarrassing things. People aren't there to hear my stupid opinion... that's what internet forums are for! :bigthumb:

 

[Taz Rules]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

I was fortunate to be learning, obsessively practicing, and then relentlessly gigging in the 80s and early 90s before internet-driven gear insanity and obscene amounts of gear choices were a thing.

We had Fender and Marshall (us classic metal players didn't want Peavey or Vox), and Gibson LPs or Fender strats (or Charvels/Jacksons if we could find/afford them). I spent years playing and touring with total crap for gear, because I didn't have a pot to pee in. But it forced me to focus on my chops. So later, when the financial means and more choices came along... it was less of a distraction to me developing my own style and actually being inspired to put in the woodshedding to become technically proficient.

If I'd have had the financial means and much-more-affordable choices that players have today... I'd likely have devoted more time to chasing my tail regarding gear (as I have since the 2000s) and not developed much of my own thing or skill. So I'm grateful to have grown-up when I did. Though back in the day, it really bugged me that I was playing cheap gear... while other, inexperienced players were rocking Marshall stacks and Gibson Les Pauls. I made a living or supplemented my income gigging bars/clubs with barely adequate gear for many years.

I do tell my kids and younger players though, that they're fortunate to have great budget guitars like LTD, Schecter, Ibanez, etc, great cheap amps like the Roland Cubes and Boss Katanas... and most of all, YOUTUBE to get their skills and good tones from. I started-out playing some cheap strat knock-off into a Gorilla SS amplifer... and learning my licks by ear by wearing out tape cassettes. We didn't even have tons of tab to choose from until the later 80s and 90s. New players these days have immeasurably more resources to get a good start than we did. Man my tone must've SUCKED in those days! But I just wanted to shred ala Yngwie, so it wasn't until later that I began to care about the sound coming out of my speaker(s).

Ya, I grew up in the same era...high school in the mid 80s. Came late to guitar because, well, I used to be good looking and athletic. Now I'm old, fat, and hairy, so I have to learn to play guitar and be funny if I want to survive.
I wish I had learned when I was younger and the fingers didn't ache, LOL. But I totally see where you are coming from. I remember seeing gear magazines...guys would spend a ton of their income just to get a few songs that were printed inside. The resources today are orders of magnitude different.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

Ya, I grew up in the same era...high school in the mid 80s. Came late to guitar because, well, I used to be good looking and athletic. Now I'm old, fat, and hairy, so I have to learn to play guitar and be funny if I want to survive.
I wish I had learned when I was younger and the fingers didn't ache, LOL. But I totally see where you are coming from. I remember seeing gear magazines...guys would spend a ton of their income just to get a few songs that were printed inside. The resources today are orders of magnitude different.

LOL!!! I guess that I was "lucky" in being shy, shrimpy, coke bottle glasses, and not popular at all in highschool then! Ha ha! Even though I was obsessed with guitars and guitar music since I was a toddler, I never actually picked one up and learned to play something until I was 16 (in 1984), the summer before my junior year. I remember that MTV was playing Dire Straits' "Live Alchemy" concert a lot (Seriously! They used to play MUSIC!) and me and my dad were fairly obessed with it. He'd piddled around with guitars for years, but could only play a couple of chords. He was noodling on the couch one night, making a hack job of "Ghost Riders In the Sky" on his acoustic and in exasperation I finally grabbed it, went into my room, figured it out, and came out a half hour later able to play it. That was the day I started playing guitar! After many years of being a wanna be. I took off like a rocket after that and was learning difficult leads from Randy Rhoads and Vivian Campbell within six months.

But when my brother brought home Yngwie's first Rising Force album in '85 my world REALLY changed. I sat there, spinning that LP over and over, all night long. My world was never the same. I learned the whole album note-for-note and played through it three times every day. I ended-up playing a medley of Black Star, Icarus Dream Suite, and Far Beyond the Sun at my senior high talent show. The people in my little cowboy pudunk town didn't quite know what to do with me... ha ha. I practiced for 8+ hours a day for several years in those days. I don't listen to Yngwie very often any more and can really no longer play his material up to speed (I only remember a few leads), but I credit him with setting me on my course and that's why I still respect and admire the man to this day. He was still pretty damn good a week ago tonight when I finally saw him live after 32 years! He may play "too many notes" for the tastes of some, but just like with BB King, Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck, and every other iconic player... you KNOW it's him within a few notes. Because the tone, phrasing, and attitude matter more than what speed they're played it (fast or slow).

 

[Obsessive Compulsive]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

'Still trying to nail my sound' is just a lame excuse to buy gear.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

'Still trying to nail my sound' is just a lame excuse to buy gear.

Who needs an excuse to buy gear? I work every day and live in a land of personal freedom and plenty. Seems like damn good reason enough.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

I'll never declare that I found 'my sound' because I wouldn't want to miss out on something new I like that comes out later.

 

[TeleJr24]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

I saw this blues player open up for Joe Satriani many years ago. He was a very calm player but then he was finished he proceeded to ruin his amp by shoving the guitar into the speakers. It was very odd because he was so calm prior to this outburst.

Because he acted so odd, that's all I remember about him. Can't tell you his name, any if the songs he played, if he was really good or not. I just remember that some guy trashed his stuff at the end.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jacew]

Re: You gotta hand it to Leo Fender

I'll never declare that I found 'my sound' because I wouldn't want to miss out on something new I like that comes out later.

It's great to stay positive...

Thus far the best sounding pedals I've heard have been EHX Holy Grail and Small Clone. Not to mention about amps or pickups.

I think the newest piece of gear I consider to be actually competitive with pre-2000 inventions is the P-rails.