It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 5:24 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 51 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next
Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next
Author Message
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 7:16 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 8:47 am
Posts: 2967
Location: Westchester County, NY
My local CL has one of those Silvertone Sears cardboard guitar with amp in case for $400. I liked the lipstick PUs on those but boy did it feel cheap :)


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:19 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2009 10:27 pm
Posts: 3355
Location: Houston, Texas
I have an Uncle who's an "elitist". When I got my Gibson Les Paul BFG and told him I paid $700 and that it was made in America he had to actually see the Made In U.S.A. stamp before he believed it. :roll: And then I talk about how cool my Strats are (a Squier Affinity and MIM Standard, both hotrodded) and he just rubs his Custom Shop 60's relic in my face.

In fact, whenever I take my Squier out to show people there's usually no reaction at all until I plug it in. It has Texas Specials in it and sounds amazing, which is really what matters more than what it says on the headstock.

_________________
Website: http://www.rebeccalaird.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccalairdmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beckslaird
Instagram: http://instagram.com/beckslaird


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:13 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 4:08 am
Posts: 39
its in the player not the gear folks i love gear as much as the next but i just love playing my guitar (Mexican Fat strat) at jam sessions with my mates, its what music is all about. Love, appreciation and experimentation

peace

B


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 8:24 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 9:56 pm
Posts: 3941
Location: Great White North, EH!
texasguitarslinger wrote:
he just rubs his Custom Shop 60's relic in my face.

i have a buddy with a CS relic too. My '94 strat sounds way better(to me anyway,) but when he gets all uppity about his expensive guitar i call it 'The Posercaster" usually ends the debate. he could argue back if he spent more time practicing.

_________________
I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:16 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2008 8:20 am
Posts: 341
SlapChop wrote:
I guess it just depends on whether you want to be known as a guitar owner or a guitar player.


I think Slapchop hit the nail on the head with this one sentence.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:27 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 8:36 am
Posts: 829
Location: Chicago, IL
That is so true. I have a 6 guitars, however, each one serves it's own purpose via p/u config., tuning, acoustic, etc.

_________________
-Classic 50's Strat.
-Std. Telecaster.
-Mike Dirnt P-bass.
-Custody of SE Strat.
-Peavey Predator/Dean Evo/Epiphone DR150/Gibson Slide (much older than me).

Rellik Productions Inc.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:28 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 5:33 pm
Posts: 1084
Location: NoHo in SoCal
I started with a Mustang and an Ampeg Jet. Within 6 months, I'd put together a band with a couple of friends and we were making a little money at it (b'day parties and we even got hired to do a junior high dance).

This was a fairly affluent town and so some of the kids did start off with LPs or custom shop Fenders, Marshall stacks and you name it. We on the other hand build some of our speaker cabs and even learned enough electronics to repair a dead PA someone told us we could have.

Sure, we got the "homegrown" evil eye from some people. But so what -- we were playing and they were not. Granted too, some of the kids who started with top gear and all they wanted also became decent and got gigs. But in the long run, it all worked out. Naturally, we did have to upgrade (like it or not, image does count) when we reached the point where we were being offered bigger name vanues.

But all through out this, the only guitar other than the Mustang I ever had was a cheap Korean LP clone. Played like glass, great sounding pups and much lighter than a real LP (I lost sustain but I could shoulder it for hours at a time). And we were playing 3 - 4 times a week, every week. Not once did I ever have anyone approach us and say, "Gosh guys, I know you'd fill my bar but I just can't have you with that cheap Korean clone guitar."


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 2:14 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2009 10:27 pm
Posts: 3355
Location: Houston, Texas
philip602 wrote:
This was a fairly affluent town and so some of the kids did start off with LPs or custom shop Fenders, Marshall stacks and you name it.


I was in a group guitar class once several years ago, and there was a kid there with a $3000 Gibson SG. It was one of those white ones with gold hardware and three pickups. And since I read musician's friend more than some of my school books, I knew how much it was instantly. And you know what surprised me? Here I was with about a six months experience and my $100 Peavey T-60 that I snatched from a pawn shop, and I was actually a better guitar player than he was, and my guitar sounded better. It really goes to show that tone is in the hands, not the gear.

_________________
Website: http://www.rebeccalaird.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccalairdmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beckslaird
Instagram: http://instagram.com/beckslaird


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 2:17 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2009 10:27 pm
Posts: 3355
Location: Houston, Texas
Twelvebar wrote:
texasguitarslinger wrote:
he just rubs his Custom Shop 60's relic in my face.

i have a buddy with a CS relic too. My '94 strat sounds way better(to me anyway,) but when he gets all uppity about his expensive guitar i call it 'The Posercaster" usually ends the debate. he could argue back if he spent more time practicing.


I wish I could call it a Posercaster to his face, but he's my Uncle and like it or not I'm stuck with him the rest of my life. And I should mention that even though he has all this boutique gear that probably costs 10 times what my first car will, he doesn't have a band or a gig and I do. :P

_________________
Website: http://www.rebeccalaird.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccalairdmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beckslaird
Instagram: http://instagram.com/beckslaird


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 2:17 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 8:36 am
Posts: 829
Location: Chicago, IL
That's how it was in middle school. I had and still have the Predator, and these kids had Les Pauls and SGs, and they weren't great players then, I'm sure they gave up by now. :?

_________________
-Classic 50's Strat.
-Std. Telecaster.
-Mike Dirnt P-bass.
-Custody of SE Strat.
-Peavey Predator/Dean Evo/Epiphone DR150/Gibson Slide (much older than me).

Rellik Productions Inc.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 4:06 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2007 3:00 pm
Posts: 63
Interesting thread if not annually bought up.

Gear snobbery usually falls into two categories;

1/ the inadequate player
2/ the passionate enthusiast

There is nothing worse than going to an audition and the other guitarist is an arrogant gear snob. Its very common too.
At one point it almost became fashionable to take a budget guitar and 'clean up'.
I suppose we are all victims in some way or other, personally i have been playing for around 20 years so i kind of feel i deserve my US Strat, Vintage Jag and Mustang, and the other vintage and rare stuff i own. Yet i find myself using my cheaper guitars more. In some cases they play better, sound better and i also feel more comfortable on stage with them because there is not a lot of value tied up in them.

In truth none of this should matter, and... really, it does'nt.

As long as your instrument plays, sounds, holds up well and you feel comfortable with it, does it really matter where or who made it?

Im sure there are guys on here with more experience than me but my advice would be to go out and enjoy your playing, dont get too bogged down with gear obsession. Its nice to aspire to buying that '58 Strat but dont let it spoil your fun and playing.

Keep it real! [/u]


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 5:07 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:50 pm
Posts: 1114
Location: Bloomfield, NJ
It's all in the fingers....I have been playing a little less than 4 years and I have had some serious bouts of GAS. I have owned more guitars than I can ever believe. I had a little more money than sense. But these "I had to haves..." all got sold. I had all of the Beatles Guitars except the country gent. I had the Rics 6 & 12 Strings, the Rosewood Tele, Casino. I owned had a 52 re-issue Tele, a Amer Dlx Strat, a MIM Strat and Tele, 2 Ibanez Artcores, A Squier Affinity Tele, Squier Master Series Thinline Tele (which I still own), Gretsch 6120 '59, Eastman Archtop Thinine. I bought most all of them on Ebay and sold them there too. I am down to just 6 guitars, 2 Teles (Lite Ash, Partscaster nashville), a Clapton Strat ($700 new on ebay), The Squier Master Tele a Martin acoustic electric and acoustic. These are the axes I have kept. The teles have all been up-graded and I would put them up against any tele Fender makes. The Clapton speaks for itself and Squier Thinline is upgraded and can take on any Les Paul or SG. The Martins are well, Martins and serve my acoustic needs. I play these guitars ever day. I travel with them and I gig with them. They play great and sound great. Don't get me wrong, I love gear and reading about new guitars. I love to get new things, but you know, I never put anyone down for what they play. You buy what you can afford and if your happy, that's fine with me. I have found that some of the nicest sounding guitars are Chinese, Japanese or MIM. But I like to say, in the end it's all about the fingers and your ability to make that axe sing.


Last edited by vcartier on Wed Mar 04, 2009 5:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 5:26 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 5:27 pm
Posts: 2000
Location: MN
My first "real" guitar was a Suzuki acoustic. It was 65 bucks at the local pawnshop and the action was so bad I couldn't get past the 5th fret. When I played it though, I thought it sounded like a Martin.....that was 30 years ago and I still have it, I still play it, and I still love it. Best 65 bucks I ever spent.

Like most things (guitars aren't any different)- it ain't what you got, its how you play it.

Play it like a "desperado under the eaves".............

_________________
I Can't Explain


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 6:52 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2007 9:53 am
Posts: 5189
Location: Magnolia, Texas (just north of Houston)
I do not like gear snobs either. When giving advice I always tell people to play as many guitars as they can in their price range (does not matter the brand) and get the best one out of them. When people show their newest aquisitions I always congratulate them. I have had some cheep (less expensive) guitars that I have absolutely loved. I have had some top name brand guitars that were crap.

As for me now I have a mid-range Fender and a low end ESP. I love them both because they do what I need them to do. Aside from my Fender, the best guitar I ever owned and loved to play was my Squire HM series I bought in the 80's.

Incidently, I did a guitar demonstration at the local public library and took my ESP. Some of the people there snubbed their noses because it wasn't a Gibson or Fender, then they heard me play. At the end I let some of them who were interested in playing jam on my guitar, it was cool. I told them it didn't matter what brand you play, just to play. I then told them that I could have brought my Fender but I didn't (it not the venue for it).

_________________
RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:46 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 8:09 am
Posts: 453
SlapChop wrote:
I guess it just depends on whether you want to be known as a guitar owner or a guitar player.

(thanx and a tip o' the skimmer to Walter Becker.)

Seriously, every time someone on line starts postings lists or exhaustive pictures of their gear, I always have the same reaction: "Nice checkbook. Let's hear you play."


You assume too much. :idea:

And we all know what happens when we assume. :wink:

I occasionally post pics or a list of all my gear, when people start threads asking for same. I guess those people like to look at guitars, or read about them. I do too. That's not mutually exclusive from loving to play as well.

I'm proud of my gear, even though I don't own any boutique anything, and no custom shop pieces (unless you include my Epiphone "Limited Edition Custom Shop" WildKat, haha) either. But there's nothing wrong with those things, for those that can afford them and choose to do so. I have a lot of hundred-buck beaters, and a few pretty nice US-made guitars too. Being proud of your gear does not equate to merely being a collector rather than a player, nor with being a gear snob.

A buddy of mine has over a hundred guitars. Almost all of them are nice US-built ones, and many of them are custom shop. He's nice as pie, plays in his church on a regular basis, and has jammed with one of my bands when he came down to Florida on vacation a few years ago. Just because he has lots of very nice guitars doesn't mean he can't play. I've heard him, and he does just fine.

Personally, I'm no great shakes on guitar or bass, but I've managed to be in a lot of local bands over the years, play most every Sunday for about ten years straight (at my prior church), be on a couple of local DIY albums, hear myself on local radio, even play bass once for a member of the rock and roll hall of fame.

None of that had anything to do with how nice my guitars are, or how many I have.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 51 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next
Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: