Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

I think he has a point to some degree, which is being somewhat overlooked. As was said, if you have a Strat and a Deluxe, what you play will be similar to what you expect to hear from a Strat and a Deluxe. Meanwhile, what you play through a Les Paul and Marshall JCM800 is what you might expect to hear from that rig.

Because of the bright tone and snappiness of ebony fretboards, I find myself playing more country-tinged licks and Blues progressions and chords more than straight out Metal shredding, even on a Jackson KV. On a sunburst mahogany guitar, I lean more towards Zeppelin or Santana. On a guitar with a highly figured maple top I go for softer, clean Jazzy/Countryish stuff.

And despite most Thrash/Speed Metal being done on Ebony boards, I actually do more of that on maple, but that's probably because my pointiest Jacksons all have maple boards (Warriors).

I think what TM was saying is that the songs don't sound like they do because of the gear, but because of the player. Clearly you're not going to do any whammy acrobatics on a guitar without one. You're not going to get delay out of a distortion-only pedal, and you're not going to get JC-120 cleans out of a stock TripleRec. You write songs with what you have, and they sound good on what you write them on because you wrote them on that gear. By changing gear, you change how the song you wrote on other gear sounds. You won't get Tele tones out of a Soloist, but you won't get nylon A/E tones out of a Tele.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

...but you won't get nylon A/E tones out of a Tele.

...unless you have the original Esquire/dark circuit in there.

 

[B2D]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

While everyone else is debating gear, I'm usually playing a gig or teaching a lesson.

Toys are awesome but don't ever let them get in the way of the music or the fun. Use what you like and don't worry so much.

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

Gear can be an inspirational tool, he even talked about how they would have written different songs if they had a different sound. I find that I write completely stuff now than I did a year ago, largely because a year ago I was using Fender style amps and fuzz pedals with analog delays, and now I use a Marshall-voiced amp with low-gain overdrives and digital delay. My sound was different and the 'feel' of my gear was different so what comes out is a lot different, even if it's still the same set of fingers playing it.

I do think something can be said about over-obsessing about gear. I've played on all sorts of club backlines, I've borrowed pedals from people and the audience has never noticed a thing. I remember looking up the gear of one of my current favourite guitar players, he had Strymon delays and reverbs, some J Rockett overdrives stacked, his pedalboard was a thing of beauty. I saw him live and his tone was absolutely mindblowing, I remember sitting there and 'hearing' his Strymon-wash-of-sound, and the beautiful smoothness of his Klone pedal during solos, it was perfect. After the gig, I got a chance to go up a bit closer to the stage and check out his board and chat with him, it was a fly gig so he had just made a tiny board with an Ibanez TS-808 and two Boss DD-6's, one set long for delay and one set short for Reverb. I could not tell the difference in a live setting between his expensive boutique rig and a couple of things you can pick up at any guitar center, and he was proudly talking about his board and how he loved the tones he was getting that night.

I also think for some players there is a place to stop. Some players are best when they get new gear that inspires them to play differently, and some guys have been using the same stuff for 30 years because they've found 'their' sound and don't really care about gear.

Now that makes me wonder . . .

. . . how would Rage have sounded, if he rushed into that guitar store, and the only amp(s) that where availible that day was a UK made MATAMP GT-1 & a US made Electric 120MV.

 

[El Dunco]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

People sure are getting butthurt. If you read this interview, it goes more into what he's actually talking about that seems to be lost on some people. I have lots of nice guitars and amps to choose from yet I still agree with his central philosophy when it comes to making music.

http://equipboard.com/pros/tom-morello/custom-arm-the-homeless-electric-guitar

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

People sure are getting butthurt words words words

It's the BUTTHURTNET, what do you expect?

 

[El Dunco]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

It's the BUTTHURTNET, what do you expect?

People to just shut up and play or not immediately take Morello's opinion based on his personal experience making music professionally for over 2 decades as a personal attack on their ideals but I suppose I am expecting too much.

 

[ThisDyingSoul76]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

And also I think I get part of where he's coming from. I've read this interview before and not sure if it's a different one where he talks about the Arm The Homeless guitar; but he spent years trying to get that guitar to sound how he wanted. It was garbage in his own words... Eventually, he realized there was only do much he could do with it. He couldn't afford another guitar so he kept using it... Eventually, he learned to use all its quirks and limitations to his advantage.

He's saying that no matter what gear you have, if you learn to work with it, you can create something that sounds good with that rig.

 

[El Dunco]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

That's the one. He is talking about making music. Gear plays second fiddle to what's really important about the creative process. Bedroom guitarists who like to spend their money on expensive amps to enjoy the tone as a hobby has nothing to do with it which ironically seems to be the kind of person this opinion pisses off the most. Every time I stop worrying about how amazing the guitar tone sounds on it's own and just put together something simple, functional and just get it done, it works out and I end up a lot more impressed with the overall sound listening back on it later. Garbage in is garbage out. A great player can get something functional and useable for the music out of less than ideal gear and get great results.

 

[Rabid_riffs]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

Equipment compliments your natural capabilities, I don't think anyone would win the Indy 500 in a pento. I'm I'm sure eddy can halen wouldnt rock stadiums all night on a squire strat and Roland cube. It also works the other way around, give a beginner a sick setup and they still sound like a beginner.

 

[baritone]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

i like what Morello says because, throughout my years of playing, I've never believed in "bad tone". To me, there are just different tones.

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

And also I think I get part of where he's coming from. I've read this interview before and not sure if it's a different one where he talks about the Arm The Homeless guitar; but he spent years trying to get that guitar to sound how he wanted. It was garbage in his own words... Eventually, he realized there was only do much he could do with it. He couldn't afford another guitar so he kept using it... Eventually, he learned to use all its quirks and limitations to his advantage.

He's saying that no matter what gear you have, if you learn to work with it, you can create something that sounds good with that rig.

YUP . . . look at Jack White during his White Stripes days.

a 60's PLASTIC (i.e department store budget mail order) guitar, into amps that NO ONE would have looked at twice (at the time) at, at a garage sale if they were priced at $50.00's.

He took all of those odd pieces and made it work for him. And made it is own tone.

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

Whatever.

 

[Rabid_riffs]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

Jack white has a style that's makes him one of the coolest in my opinion, I love how he uses disadvantages to inspire him. As for Tom Morello I like how he thinks outside the box but his "dj" guitar gimic got old quick for me. I wish rage would stick to making music instead of saving the whales or whatever the political agenda of the week is. Maybe then tom morello could learn more chords on the guitar so "the night watchman" doesn't sound as dumb as his name does.

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

Blah, blah, blah.

Gear does matter. If you don't believe me try to steal mine when I'm home.

Besides, good gear dialed in suitably for the musical task at hand will make a slightly below average player sound like an average player. Why pretend otherwise?

Also, I know a very good guitar player who sounds like crap playing a Les Paul through an inferior modeling amp. I'm not generalizing that there's anything wrong with modeling amps, but I am saying that his, whatever it is, drags his sound down to the point where a wave of tone deaf people going insane is a common occurrence at his band's performances.

Gear doesn't matter ... ha! Try shooting pool with a rope.

 

[baritone]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

A few octaves down eh? Yeah i bet Rage sounds pretty cool at the inaudible sub sub bass level.

It's weird, but I like it.:nervous:

 

[El Dunco]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

/checks thread again and sees more people are still allowing the point to sail completely over their heads.

 

[HiFiRebel]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

While everyone else is debating gear, I'm usually playing a gig or teaching a lesson.

Toys are awesome but don't ever let them get in the way of the music or the fun. Use what you like and don't worry so much.

I don't know you, but over 16K posts since you were twenty might seem like you have debated gear in the past.

I get the idea though. It's the art and not thr equipment that makes the music sing.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

I've heard plenty of 'bad tone' out there. So, anything that makes you feel good, will make you feel like you can play better. I can get by with anything, but if given the choice, I'd choose my own rig.

 

[B2D]

Re: Your gear (all of it) does NOT matter !

I don't know you, but over 16K posts since you were twenty might seem like you have debated gear in the past.

I get the idea though. It's the art and not thr equipment that makes the music sing.

Heh heh. This forum's taught me a lot over the years about what to do and what NOT to do.

I used to be much more particular about what I used in that I'd try everything once and get really into the little differences.

Now, I try something out, and if it's not going to get me closer to what I perceive to be an ideal sound for feel for me, I'll know in about a minute or two. I don't sweat small details so much anymore, except when small details add up to a larger sum.

If I like it, cool. If I REALLY like it, I add it to the inventory. If I don't like it, whatever and move on.

I spend less and less time here every year because of accumulated knowledge and experience in the real world. I'll never stop learning, though.

As long as the gear doesn't become more important than the music, though. That's the biggest thing to avoid. I've run into people who spend my yearly wage on gear in a few months but they can't play their way out of a wet paper bag and can't jam with a band - i.e. other people and who've never played a show in their lives. But they'll go on forever about degaussed magnets and germanium transistors and NOS Mullards and stuff like that. :/ If that's what makes them happy, whatever. I like to play more than tinker, and over the years the scale is increasingly heavier on the "play" side.