The Gear Wars!

[ahuimanu]

Well, no. I did pay the extra cash because it was an American Fender. But color did play a small factor.

Just recently I’ve been able to afford the finer things in life (which doesn’t mean I’m buying them all) and an American Strat was always on the list. Of course I tried it out first and wasn’t going to buy if I didn’t like it. I don’t believe in VGA. If I didn't like it I would have scratched it off the list and gotten another Les Paul that I did like.

VGA = Vanity Gear Acquisitions: buying a Les Paul or PRS because it’s the “in” guitar. Buying a mic or rack gear because everyone else has one in their studio. Unless it’s the Shure SM57 which everyone knows is a requirement. Pawning my life away because some poster or professional said this is the bomb or never even thinking about Barhinger because most posters think their crap. This is different than GAS because GASers will buy anything just to have it even though it may never see the light of day. VGA’s will have said gear right in sight for everyone to see, even if they don't or won't use it.

I feel for the guy who is doing his best on the budget he is afforded and tend to despise “gear snobs” who look down on people because can’t (or don’t in many cases because the rate of return isn’t going to justify spending more than needed) use the highest end stuff.

Yeah gear snobs can tell the difference, but they’re not in the majority buying or downloading music. In fact you'll go broke trying to please them, one way or another.

+2^64

(10 ASCII)

 

[dragonworks]

I don't let technology bother me, its all in the soul and transmission from there to the instrument and no technology is ever going to help that.

 

[gbondo9]

I don't let technology bother me, its all in the soul and transmission from there to the instrument and no technology is ever going to help that.

Unless it's new star-trek soul enhancing technology.
Then it will change that.
Yes it will.
Forever......

 

[legionserial]

As far as I'm concerned I'll use a piece of balsa wood with some elastic bands if i like the sound of it....It could have been made by an incompetant inbred 1 armed half man half fish...who cares if you like the sound?

 

[iwanarock]

I almost didn't respond but I had to. I remember a time when CD's came out and people said it all digital, its crap, it will never catch on. Well it has.

I happen to own Line6 Flextone II HD, and a Line 6 412s Cab with 4 celestion speakers in it. I also happen to own a Variax 500 and a POD XT live.

First from a price stand point I could have bought one of many Marshall, Vox, Mesa, Peavy amp head/cab combinations when I made the investment. With my floorboard, I paid several years ago like $1900 for the Flex HD, 4x12 Cab, and Floorboard. So I didn't buy cause I couldn't afford the real thing, I bought with my eyes wide open. Why?

Flexibility and my desire to be able to create tones that well sounded like me. Not necessarily like a Marshall or Mesa. I don't get caught up in whether it sounds like or as good as XXXX Brand. I get caught up in if the tone rocks, if works for the song, and if the people who hear me play think it sounds good. More times then not my Band will be telling me to turn down when rehearsing that I am too loud, not that they can't hear me in the mix.

Don't get me wrong I am not knocking real tubes amps, I think there are many great amps out there, that sound fantastic. But I just played a show a couple of weeks ago at a county fair. A band played after us and the guitar player in that band had A Marshall. When we finished and they started setting up he said to me, WOW you really had a lot of really nice tones that worked well with the songs you guys did. He said: I have read a lot about Line 6 and have wanted to try some of their stuff out, i think you just convinced me, how much work does it take to get tones like that? I said it takes a fair amount of time and patience but the tones are in there to be pulled out, just use your ears. Later that week I saw another band with a great Guitar player who had an old 68-69 Marshall Head. His tone was really excellent and I told him that. But it struck me as their sets went on that he basically used the exact same tone for every song. It sounded good but after a while the songs started to sound the same. This isn't a knock on the band or his tone as they were in fact very good, but As much as I liked his tone, he didn't have the tonal flexibility in his arsenal that I do.

Now the Variax ..... I have 10 Guitars ...a Gibson Les Paul, Fender Strat, Ovation 6-String Acc/Elec, Fender 12-string Acc/elec, Midi guitar to name a few. I also have a Variax 500, do i like it better then my Strat or Les Paul, or Ovation, well No I probably don't. But I will tell you it is a great tool and does things that none of my other guitars can do. I can go from an electric to acoustic and back with just a flip of a switch. It allows me to have a sitar, banjo sound if needed. The other powerful thing it does with the addition of the workbench software is I can play a song in Drop D or Open G tuning or any other alternate tuning by again just flipping a switch. I can flip a switch and make the guitar think it has a capo at 1st,2nd ... 11th fret. None of my other guitars can do this as easily and quickly. Variax again just opens up more tools in my arsenal, has some very cool tones, and is probably one of the best guitar technology inventions I have ever seen. I think for the $500 I paid for it is worth every penny.

Let me be clear, I am not knocking any other product. My view is just accept and embrace all the technologies out there. There are tons of great products out there and I hope each manufacturer keeps developing and improving them so we all have options and toys to pursue. Will I buy a Marshall or other tube amp some day,i certainly might, but as my only amp, probably not, but who the hell knows what the future will bring. Just play the damn things and make the music and lets judge the songs and not what equipment was used. "It's All Good' as some one said before, it all about the musice in the end.

 

[Toker41]

How 'bout guys that have tube amps, solid state amps, AND modelers and see a role for all of them in making music....

I see a role for all of them, and use all 3, however.....NOTHING comes close to a real tube amp. There is NO modeler that even comes close to a real high gain tube amp.

 

[boomtap]

I don't ask my modlers to model anything. I create unique sounds that probably are not possible with traditional gear. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.

 

[Codmate]

I almost didn't respond but I had to. I remember a time when CD's came out and people said it all digital, its crap, it will never catch on.

I still think CDs are crap

I would prefer not to record digitally at all as my music is more suited to tape.

It's bloody cheap recording to hard disk though

 

[Codmate]

I see a role for all of them, and use all 3, however.....NOTHING comes close to a real tube amp. There is NO modeler that even comes close to a real high gain tube amp.

True - but a high end solid stae amp is just as good for it's purpose.

The types of amps that many jazzers use are boutique solid state deals.

 

[lovegoodsoul73]

No, there's always human labor involved, and your argument against buying gear made in certain countries is valid.

But I don't think that Fender is using child sweatshops in Mexico, for example, so I would gladly buy Mexican Fenders.

I've got a Mexican Strat (Pewter Blue, so I've been told) with Fender Texas Specials in it. It's been a great guitar to work with.

 

[SBax]

"I still think CDs are crap"

.... especially when they brickwall it!
But SACD and DVD-A are a big jump. Most of them sound excellent to me.

 

[Hard2Hear]

The modeler guys are pissed because they have to settle on a modeler and can’t afford the real thing..

Plus, I have never seen a modeling amp with a real celestion speaker in there - I mean one of the classics - greenback, G12H, Blues, Vintage 30...

Actually, I have a Celestion Blue and a Greenback in my Vox AD120 combo. It sounds awesome.

And I can afford whatever I want. Considering Ive owned 25 or so tube amps, Vox, Fender, Marshall, Ampeg, Soldano, and others. Its not about money, its about sounding good...which I do.

H2H