Hiding Behind the Black Veil

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starbuck26

starbuck26

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Last night at rehearsal my bass player wandered in, and I was talking with the drummer about our next string of fall shows starting in October. Specifically, I was talking about the annoying gear-sluts who come up and stand with their faces an inch from your pedal board, staring at your pedals and trying to figure out how to rip whatever they can from your guitar sound.

So, our drummer, who repairs motorcycles (he's such a drummer) has a full airbrush kit in his garage. I told him that I want to come over this weekend, take all my pedals out of their cases, remove all decals, sand them down a bit, and then spray them all a flat, matte black. It's probably ridiculous, but I actually feel this way.

So the bass player started laughing. He was said: "what are you afraid of? they're gonna go down to guitar center and buy a pedal and steal your sound?" To which I replied: Man, that's precisely the point. You can't just wander down to the music shop and buy a telecaster because you want to be Johnny Greenwood, you can't buy a cream-white strat and be Jimi Hendrix. You've got to be you.

I guess in the end, though, what I'm really interested in is taking any distracted focus off of the gear, the amps, the guitars, all of the various media that are put together to create a sound and keep that focus on the quality of the sound in and of itself. With no endorsements given or asked.

I guess I post this here because someone might understand my argument. The bass player sure didn't, the singer shrugged and wrote some poetry in his notebook, and the drummer gave me one of those wicked, warped smiles and head-nods that only drummers are capable of doing. What it said to me was this:

"You're totally insane, and I have no fucking clue what you are talking about. But I will gladly help you onto the diving board, and even if you start to chicken out, I will toss you into the deep end myself."
 
Last night at rehearsal my bass player wandered in, and I was talking with the drummer about our next string of fall shows starting in October. Specifically, I was talking about the annoying gear-sluts who come up and stand with their faces an inch from your pedal board, staring at your pedals and trying to figure out how to rip whatever they can from your guitar sound.

So, our drummer, who repairs motorcycles (he's such a drummer) has a full airbrush kit in his garage. I told him that I want to come over this weekend, take all my pedals out of their cases, remove all decals, sand them down a bit, and then spray them all a flat, matte black. It's probably ridiculous, but I actually feel this way.

So the bass player started laughing. He was said: "what are you afraid of? they're gonna go down to guitar center and buy a pedal and steal your sound?" To which I replied: Man, that's precisely the point. You can't just wander down to the music shop and buy a telecaster because you want to be Johnny Greenwood, you can't buy a cream-white strat and be Jimi Hendrix. You've got to be you.

I guess in the end, though, what I'm really interested in is taking any distracted focus off of the gear, the amps, the guitars, all of the various media that are put together to create a sound and keep that focus on the quality of the sound in and of itself. With no endorsements given or asked.

I guess I post this here because someone might understand my argument. The bass player sure didn't, the singer shrugged and wrote some poetry in his notebook, and the drummer gave me one of those wicked, warped smiles and head-nods that only drummers are capable of doing. What it said to me was this:

"You're totally insane, and I have no fucking clue what you are talking about. But I will gladly help you onto the diving board, and even if you start to chicken out, I will toss you into the deep end myself."

Personally, I think it's a bit silly to disguise/disfigure your pedal gear out of fear that someone will "steal your sound". If your gear is all that you are, then what are you, really? But whatever floats yer boat, I guess...
 
listen to your bass player.

If people are interested in copping your sound, take it as a complement.
 
That seems a little much to me.
But I have friend who does that. He hates big names, and refuses to have any brand names on any of his gear. That includes black tape over the "epiphone" on his guitar headstock...the removing of "Marshall" on his guitar head, and even removing the "avatar" logo from his 4x12 cab.

One thing about the whole painting all your pedals...I think it sure would look badass. Not sure how you'd tell them a part though.

If you're going to go through all that work you might as well name them your own thing and be like "these pedals were custom made for me, try finding those on the market!"

Those are my thoughts.
 
One thing about the whole painting all your pedals...I think it sure would look badass. Not sure how you'd tell them a part though.

Really, that's what it's about. Adding a bit of mystery. I don't really care about someone copping my sound. The point is more to obscure all of the various media we use to make sounds and put the real focus on the sound itself.

I'm pretty sure I'd be able to tell them apart. :D
 
Really, that's what it's about. Adding a bit of mystery. I don't really care about someone copping my sound. The point is more to obscure all of the various media we use to make sounds and put the real focus on the sound itself.

I'm pretty sure I'd be able to tell them apart. :D

Nice. You should make that point more clear in the first post so people don't keep thinking that you're some crazy ass guy worried about "his sound" ha.

I would totally put my own brand names on the pedals though. It would be sweet.

Like example...just off the top of my head...
If you have an overdrive pedal
something stupid like
"overdrivalicious"
yeah, ridiculous. But people would be like, "woah, dude, nice pedal! Where can I get one?"

Then you wouldn't have to worry about telling the pedals a part.
 
I would totally put my own brand names on the pedals though. It would be sweet.

I was a huge fan of megaman 2. They're going to be named "Item-1" "Item-2," and "Item 3."

There are only three of them.

I don't like some dumbass company's name on my t-shirts either, by the way.
 
I would totally put my own brand names on the pedals though. It would be sweet.

I was thinking the same thing. Or just random names so as to generate buzz and speculation about what they actually do. Like Tone Embiggenator or Audience Mezmerization Unit. Or just label the knobs with words like Righteousness or Suckage, depending on which ones you normally keep all the way up or down.
 
How incredibly silly. There are always going to be guitar players checking out what you do. Why even care about them? -- other than to perhaps realize that if they are watching your pedals and not your neck hand, the time you spend considering such about such nonsense would be better spent practicing.
 
I was thinking the same thing. Or just random names so as to generate buzz and speculation about what they actually do. Like Tone Embiggenator or Audience Mezmerization Unit. Or just label the knobs with words like Righteousness or Suckage, depending on which ones you normally keep all the way up or down.

That's actually brilliant.

This going to take some thought. Righteousness will definitely be a knob. As will Romance and Dignity. I think the Mod-Level knob on my delay pedal (always at 0) will have to be named "Sarah Palin."

Yes. Totally.
 
"You're totally insane, and I have no fucking clue what you are talking about. But I will gladly help you onto the diving board, and even if you start to chicken out, I will toss you into the deep end myself."

Hold onto the guy. You're local, right? He doesn't want to start a metal band on the side, does he? :D

Hell. Do it. Not because of people "trying to steal your tone," but because gear whores ARE kind of annoying.

BTW - you don't play locally, do you? I'm just over the Cambridge/Somerville line, and usually down for catching a live show.
 
Hold onto the guy. You're local, right? He doesn't want to start a metal band on the side, does he? :D

Hell. Do it. Not because of people "trying to steal your tone," but because gear whores ARE kind of annoying.

BTW - you don't play locally, do you? I'm just over the Cambridge/Somerville line, and usually down for catching a live show.

We do. We were defunct for a little bit after our last drummer moved to california. We've got a residency at the Abbey (provided they survive through October, it'll be every wednesday), the mid east, that kind of shit.

I saw you were from Somerville a coupla months ago and meant to PM you, then I forgot. I listened to your recordings, though. Very tasteful guitar work.
 
You shoulda' said" I want my pedalboard to be different, I want it to rise above all the others. We are the best thing going around here and people should know it!"

Singer can relate to that

Drummer (bike customizer) can relate

Bass player just shrugs and tries a new line on that chick at the bar.
 
You shoulda' said" I want my pedalboard to be different, I want it to rise above all the others. We are the best thing going around here and people should know it!"

Singer can relate to that

Drummer (bike customizer) can relate

Bass player just shrugs and tries a new line on that chick at the bar.

Indeed. I know I was pushing the rock up the hill.

But, most of the fun of pushing the rock up the hill is watching it crush everything while rolling down.

I think, in the end, he's just jealous because he's not allowed to use any pedals.
 
We do. We were defunct for a little bit after our last drummer moved to california. We've got a residency at the Abbey (provided they survive through October, it'll be every wednesday), the mid east, that kind of shit.

Thanks man!

The Abbey? Jeez, that's right down the street from me, I'm on Beacon a bit closer to Porter. Definitely let me know if you start playing there, I'll come down to check you guys out. What kind of stuff do you play? I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess you have a few recording on the net, seeing as this is a recording forum? :D
 
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