Gear vs Playing

[BigMoney]

Which do you feel is more important?

 

I feel like the answer should be obvious - playing. I tend to see a lot of guitarists more consumed with gear though than they are with their own playing. It doesn't make much sense to me to have amazing gear if you're only going to use it to play a few chords. Thoughts?

[CEB]

Just because you suck doesn't mean your gear has to. There aren't enough players to support musical instrument companies. We need the hobbiests to support the companies that produce our tools.

[skipclone 1]

I made a comment about the `Death of the Electric Guitar` article, that the point is supposed to be about making music not buying more guitars, so corporations selling less is probably not a sign of the apocalypse. There are plenty of people who enjoy wheeling and dealing but, my idea has always been to get to a point where I can look at other/more expensive gear and think `that would be nice too` rather than `my gear sucks compared to that`. I`m pretty much there with guitars, not so much with other gear. I do love my OD/distortion pedal though.

[J. Dan]

Personally, I can't play AND I have sucky gear.

 

Gear is a tool. Great players can sound great on anything, and bad players can sound bad on the best gear.

 

Gear can be a hinderance if it's really bad - especially bad setup, bad neck, etc. But I saw a video of a guy killing it on something like a toy Buzz Lightyear acoustic guitar at walmart.

 

I say you need good enough gear, the right tools for what you're doing, and it never hurts to be a better player, but you gotta be good enough. So for each person and what they're doing and where they are in their journey, the goals could be different. Just my 2cents.

[Dannyalcatraz]

I've been playing stringed instruments since the mid-70s. I've been told by more than one teacher that I have a lot of talent and pick things up very quickly.

 

...but I'm lazy about my practice regimen and unfocused as a student, so I'm not anywhere near as good as I should be.

 

But damn it, I can always buy gear!

 

Not only do I get GÖÖD FEELZ from fiddling with my new toys, whatever I learn, I can pass along. And by doing so, maybe I save them the stress of a long search & the $$$ of buying the wrong thing for their purchases.

 

So if someone's looking for a good bucket brigade pedal, I can point them out. Want a killer fuzz for your stoner/doom rig? I know a few. Want to upgrade the P90s in your favorite axe? I'll give you a list...iincluding singlecoil and HB sized versions if that's what you need. Want a Strat style guitar with a P90 in the bridge instead of a singlecoil or HB? Several makers have them in production...

[Larryz]

I can fly to Maui and stay in a nice hotel from Aug 4th to Aug 11th for $3,388.00. Or, I can stay home and buy a new guitar and amp and have enough beer money left over till next year LOL! Each of us are free to decide what we want in life. Buying how many guitars is a question left entirely up to you. You can decide on whether or not you're worth it based upon your budget, skill, level of interest, etc. Life is too short. Do what you feel is right for you and do not worry about what others think. If you want to buy a Cadillac or a Prius, does it matter how good of a driver you are? I always try to improve my playing no matter how much gear I have and I don't mind selling some of it either LOL!

[JuJu Kwan]

How do you separate them?

[whitefang]

You don't have to seperate them. More often than not,your WALLET will make that decision for you.

 

But then again....

 

It's NOT what you play, it's HOW you PLAY it. A relative(sort of)story concerning this sort of thing in photography....

 

A lady was throwing a dinner party. Among the guests she invited was a pro photographer she knew and she asked him to bring a portfolio of his work. At the party, she looked through the portfolio with the other guests and commented, "Such beautiful photos! You must have a VERY good CAMERA." The photographer smiled and thanked her.

 

At dinner, the photographer turned to the hostess and said, "Why, what a VERY delicious meal. You must have a FANTASTIC set of pots and pans!"

 

Point made and hopefully taken.

Whitefang

[Winston Psmith]

Which do you feel is more important?

 

I feel like the answer should be obvious - playing. I tend to see a lot of guitarists more consumed with gear though than they are with their own playing. It doesn't make much sense to me to have amazing gear if you're only going to use it to play a few chords. Thoughts?

 

I like to recall the punchline from an old Mr. Natural comic: "Get The Right Tool For The Job!" Not only does it apply in my work life (landscaping), it also applies in my Music life. If I need a rake, don't hand me a shovel and tell me to make do with it.

 

The best Guitar in the world is useless if you have no idea how to play it, true enough, but conversely, even the most skilled players will still run into issues with poorly made instruments, and beginners can quickly give up on instruments that won't stay in tune, or seem to fight back when you try to play them. The cheapest tool is not likely to be the best tool, or even adequate to the task at hand; I've broken enough cheap shovels to know better by now.

 

Dannyalcatraz makes a good point, as well; buying new gear is FUN! That may sound somewhat beside the point, but it's not. I would think that most of us here got into Music for fun. When it stops being fun, something's wrong. While new gear doesn't necessarily help with one's playing (although it can), keeping it fun and interesting does. Sometimes, finding a new Music book is all it takes to get me excited, all over again.

 

As far as having amazing gear, and playing only a few chords . . . there have been some great pieces of Music that only used a few chords, but the skill in arranging those few chords is what made the difference, so there we are, back to playing.

[desertbluesman]

Gear is pleasure, playing well is a result of hard work.

 

Of course you have to put in the work to become any good at anything, so, skill is far more important than the tool, but the tools definitely enhance the craftsmanship......

[skipclone 1]

However important or amusing gear is, it should be there to express your music. If Company X is instead expressing itself through you, you may as well sign up and at least get an employee discount.

[Dannyalcatraz]

BTW, I take the same approach to cooking as music...but I actually cook more.

 

So I have LOTS of good knives, pots and pans, plus a few nifty gadgets & gizmos...and every time I go throug a store that sells them, I look to see if there is anything else I "need". If nothing else, I ponder what kind of upgrades I could/should make.

 

And sometimes, I buy something I just wanted and find out that I really DID need and just didn't know it. A classic: I bought a 30qt stock pot. I didn't need it when I bought it, but it has turned out to be a major time saver for me when cooking certain dishes. It filled a need I didn't know I had.

[Scott Fraser]

BTW, I take the same approach to cooking as music...but I actually cook more.

So I have LOTS of good knives, pots and pans, plus a few nifty gadgets & gizmos...and every time I go throug a store that sells them, I look to see if there is anything else I "need". If nothing else, I ponder what kind of upgrades I could/should make.

And sometimes, I buy something I just wanted and find out that I really DID need and just didn't know it. A classic: I bought a 30qt stock pot. I didn't need it when I bought it, but it has turned out to be a major time saver for me when cooking certain dishes. It filled a need I didn't know I had.

 

Me too. I've discovered a few cooking approaches through the acquisition of certain cooking tools. I'm extremely deficient in the cooking department, but I have the fantasy that if I get some cool cookware I will somehow become more skilled.

The same has recently occurred with gardening for me. I'm now browsing garden shops, looking for good deals on shears, cultivators & rakes. I think it's a male obsession with tools, be they copper-clad sauce pans, trimmers, or guitars.

Cars too, but automotive culture has never had any appeal to me.

[Lokair]

This is a good subject and timely.

 

I am taking time off of Berklee on line courses of study to take lessons with world recognized Jazz Guitar teacher of which I am also taking a month away from due to the an overwhelming work load at my real life job. But I just bought a new Mesa JP-2C guitar amp.

 

So I had free day off last week and went and jammed with some Duquesne university music graduates(one of which graduated top of the music program 7 years ago). I was out classed in every respect. But I had my new amp, and no practice time in last month.

 

We jammed for 4 hours, with two breaks and these guys said I was killing it(I felt like I was killing it as well), my timing was on, my note selection was better than usual, our round about playing was a killer experience. Call and return skills I have never had,I had. They all individually were amazing players and as three guitarist from world renowned music program , they asked me back anytime I could make it. I take a small portion of the credit. The other portion comes from my gear.

 

The confidence to sit in sometimes comes with buying great gear so at least your tone is in the game.

 

Lok

[Dannyalcatraz]

There is something to be said for being "in the zone".

 

I learned how to play volleyball- really play- in some singles groups in which it so happened there were college level and aspiring Olympic players. Independently of them, I developed a wicked serve.

 

So one night, I got to play in a 3-person coed pickup game at a beach V-ball club. The 2 I played with were longtime locally ranked players who were looking for a new third, as their partner had left the state for a job.

 

That night, I played better than I ever had, in all aspects of the game.* We held that court for more than an hour. They asked me to join them for the upcoming season.

 

But, knowing myself, I demurred, and told them I was simply in the zone; that I had never played that well before, and the only dependable excellence I had was my serve. I feared that, at best, I'd revert to my usual proficiency at the worst possible time. I told them to keep me in mind if they didn't find anyone else.

 

That call never came. Good thing, too- I never played that well again. Not even close.

 

 

 

 

 

* well, not my serve- I was still killing it, but not significantly more than usual.

[Lokair]

The zone is where I want to live , but there is this reality that keeps dragging me back. But my gear has helped me atleast visit the zone more often.

 

Lok

[whitefang]

Maybe some here can paraphrase the FURRY FREAK BROTHERS theme---

 

"Skill will get you through times of no gear better than gear will get you through times of no skill."

 

Or maybe the OTHER way 'round. YOU decide.

Whitefang

[Dannyalcatraz]

Skill will get you through times of no gear better than gear will get you through times of no skill.

 

Trüe wørdz.

[Bottom End]

Don't let the lack of gear be an excuse for not practicing your ass off.

[CEB]

Guitar gear is a hassle for practice. 85+% of my practice is on an unplugged Tele or my Córdoba Gypsy Kings Flamenco guitar. I never hook up an amp at home unless I'm playing pedal steel.

[Lokair]

Gear is gear, playing is playing , and practice is practice. You need gear to play or practice, you need practice and gear to play. Now because I own a small music store of high end gear does not make my practice or playing any less of a value. I admit sometimes gear becomes really fun to buy and shop for, but it still takes a back seat to practice and playing. I still try to get in quality practice every week(I actually try everyday, but life is a busy thing). My means supports quality gear, My means also makes for lessons and schooling most cannot afford. I used to play as my only means of income and my gear was still very important.

 

I agree with the idea of practice and playing and lessons being more important than gear alone , but gear is still way fun.

 

Lok

[Larryz]

Gear is gear, playing is playing , and practice is practice. You need gear to play or practice, you need practice and gear to play.

Lok

 

+1,000

[whitefang]

Yeah, but I'm guessing there's some kind of limit. I mean, the way I look at it is, the only "gear" you need for practicing is the instrument you play and need the practice ON. And two rooms full of pedals, stomp boxes and all the accessories usually referred to as "gear" in these forums won't make you a better musician in the long run.

Whitefang

[Larryz]

@ Fang, I think the only limit is the one you put on yourself...if you believe in only practicing on one instrument sans: pedals, amps, PA's, guitars, etc., then that's the path [you] wish to follow. I do get inspiration from my gear and feel it does help make me a better musician in the long run. I think it's a great idea to plug in the equipment you intend to use when playing in front of an audience. You need to practice with the settings so that you don't have too much volume, feedback, noise, etc., if you are going to be using electronic equipment. If you only play an acoustic in your living room or out on the porch, that's OK too when working on your skills or just having fun...

[Dannyalcatraz]

Segovia used to think anything beyond the guitar itself- plus maybe a capo & tuner- was an unnecessary prostitution of the instrument. Sooooo, not a gear guy.

 

OTOH, some players have developed their skill alongside their use of gear hand in hand. So while they may not be technically "better players" because of it, their signature sound & style have become irrevocably bound to their gear in a very real way. Think of The Edge or Jamie West-Oram.

[skipclone 1]

I`m not sure the question is what does or doesn`t matter, as much as which is more important. Is the point having good gear, or spending more time buying and selling it than getting proficient with it? Some pro types have talked about spending weeks just reading owner manuals, so they can discuss the latest gadgets intelligently.

[Delta]

Although I practice on acoustic I'm an electric player. To me, good gear is 50%. The rest is me.

[whitefang]

I remember reading an interview with Frank Zappa where he had a low opinion of "needless sound effects" for guitars.

 

Of course, that was back in '67-'68 when the only "effects" available were the fuzz box and "cry baby" pedal.

 

Since then, he's used all that came along over time to good ends.

Whitefang

[Larryz]

I have reversed course on the effects pedals and I just go straight in with a little amp added reverb for the clean sound that I love. I may put a volume pedal or a clean boost back in the mix for my lead work. So far, I have been able to just use dynamics and/or the volume knob on the guitar when a little extra volume is needed. +1 I remember the fuzztone and the wah pedal being the two main effects back in the day...

 

If my memory serves me well (or if at all LOL!), the fuzztone came 1st! I remember those screw drivers poking holes in amp speakers (not by me of course) to get that fuzzy sound which The Stones song, Satisfaction, really got our juices flowing for. There were other songs that used the effect before The Stones, one by Marty Robbins as I recall. But, it led to the sound being developed in a pedal. I remember buying the parts at an electronics store and trying to build my own from schematics in a magazine article. It did not work out well and luckily commercial fuzztone products hit the market. The Ventures were using the new sound back in '65 and my Ventures band was trying to duplicate the sound. We already had the thick reverb sound the Ventures used, with the Fender Reverb unit my lead player used on his Deluxe amp. I have had an old wah pedal and/or cry baby but never really got into using them...

[Winston Psmith]

I think it's a great idea to plug in the equipment you intend to use when playing in front of an audience. You need to practice with the settings so that you don't have too much volume, feedback, noise, etc., if you are going to be using electronic equipment.

 

+10, Larryz - I test out every piece of gear that I'm going to take out to a gig, down to my cables, so I know that everything is working. I tend to keep the first 10 presets on my MFX & Synths empty, so I can have the sounds I want to use in the order of my set list. I also bring spare cables, strings, and even an extra power strip, because Entropy is the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics.

 

Even if you only ever play an unplugged Acoustic Guitar, you need to maintain the Guitar and change the strings every so often . . .