software

A recent thread got me thinking (uh oh!).
It seems like some folks think of gear as tools (I used a hammer analogy in the other thread) to get a job done. As long as their rig sounds good enough, plays well enough, and is reliable, they're not going to nitpick the small stuff. There are a lot of professional musicians out there playing off-the-shelf guitars with stock non-vintage Marshall or Fender amps and non-true-bypass FX that can be found at your local Guitarget.
Other folks might look for stuff that's well beyond quot;good enoughquot;. Rather than viewing their rig simply as a tool, they want something that's a joy to work with, that will provide some degree of inspiration in addition to performing reliably day after day.
I must admit to being in the latter group. Though I greatly enjoy playing after almost 25 years, I must confess that there's a degree of boredom in wanking in the basement. My band isn't as active as I'd like and I find it hard to work up the energy to do much writing at the end of a long day so for me, the sublime experience of playing through fancy schmancy gear helps keep me excited about playing.
I've played just about everything and gone through a fair bit of gear in my time. A lot of stuff worked for me and a lot didn't. Most the stuff that didn't do it for me was still usable but I didn't particularly enjoy using it. As I mentioned in the other thread, I had no problem dialing in an MG 15. The tone was pretty good but in the end it was a practice amp that I didn't want to practice through. Could I have miked it up and played it on a gig? Sure, but I'd be a lot happier with my Rivera.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Where do you sit on the spectrum of choosing gear for utilitarian reasons vs. inspirational reasons?
Do you go for utilitarian gear that's good enough or something that makes it easier to get into the zone? I realize that finances have a lot to do with this issue but once you get beyond entry level stuff, factors other than price start to come in to play.
Have you ever been inspired by a piece of equipment (whether you owned it or not)?before i bought a guitar...it was going to be purely Utilitarian...but after i bought one...i quot;discoveredquot; the Inspirational uses.

i think, for me, it's about 75/25 Inspirational to Utilitarian...maybe if i was a better player that number would become much closer together, although i'd hate to have gear that didn't inspire me.

I'm and 80/20 kinda guy. For me there's generally a quot;close enoughquot; point, beyond which I'd rather play the guitar than rewire it.

For example, I spent some time recently thinking about a chorus - I found the Boss CE-3 was almost identical to my old CE-2 (if you ignore the stereo output). The -3 is also half the cost on eBay. Also note that I don't have four chorus boxes on my pedalboard for just the right shade, one chorus that I like the sound of is CLOSE ENOUGH.

Another example - for a while, I've just had my one Nashville Tele. Great guitar, and fairly versatile, but I have this belief that any semi-serious player should have at least one single-coil guitar, and one H/H. Have you seen the prices on Les Pauls lately? Then I found a goldtop Schecter PT on eBay, not the greatest guitar in the world, but since it's a bolted-together quot;telequot;, I can tweak to my hearts delight. Better neck, nice pair o' Duncans - no, it'll never sound just like Page's LP, but it'll be CLOSE ENOUGH.

Come to think of it, my Fender is a MIM - same idea. It's not a fancy custom-shop model, but for $300 plus a pair of Duncans and a new Warmoth pickguard, it's CLOSE ENOUGH.

I'm an engineer by trade and by disposition, and I like fooling around with my gear almost as much as playing it. But, as long as the tone is pretty good, and the strings are somewhere in the vicinity of the fretboard, it's CLOSE ENOUGH, and I get just as much enjoyment playing my stuff as I would a PRS or a $4,000 Les Paul. This probably puts me farther to the quot;utilitarianquot; side than a lot of people.

See the Eric Johnson article in this month's Guitar Player. He talks a bit about how being too far to the quot;inspirationalquot; side has hurt him, and his attempts to pull back a bit.

I like and relate to what Rich_S posted. He put it very well.

I must be a utilitarian.

Does your gear really drive your desire to play? Or is it the desire to play that moves you to pick up a guitar? Why do you play at all? Is it to be a star to be noticed? so you can be heard? to make someone smile and make the hearers feel like they are noticed and to escape the worries and cares of life for a few moments in time?

Life's too short to deal with cheap gear.

That's not to say some inexpensive gear isn't good-

I want a wall of the most expensive boutique amps of all time. Then on the other wall The loudest, largest, heaviest, awesomest metal stacks ever created. On another wall, I want custom shop Strats with scalloped fretboards, premium hand wound custom shop Duncans, etc, etc. The other wall should have custom shop Jacksons with OFR trems, basswood bodies, rosewood boards, etc, etc. Now that would be inspirational!


Originally Posted by Guitar Toad

IMHO, nobody really needs to spend more than $1000 on a guitar and more than a $1500 on an amp to make soulful, inspiring musical expressions. I have a very blue collar perspective on this issue, I'm sure that is obvious.

It also depends on where you are in life and your priorities though. I have no children, therefore I can justify forking over the money for a Hamer, PRS etc. I am an incredibly picky guy, and for what I want 1000 dollars just won't touch it. The guitar pups=more than 1K for me usually, with the exception of my Godin, I'm convinced those guitars are just a fluke!

I fall on Aleclee's side of the fence. I'm still searching for some permanent band members, and without equipment that can get me inspirational tones I just don't care to play, I'd rather play Xbox or read. That's the reason I bought the CS pup from Christian, my APS flat was good enough, but the chance to aquire something GREAT had presented itself. Now I love my strat more than ever, and dig the tone even more.

Like I said, I'm picky.

Luke

just a side note...my view of inspirational gear is not dictated by dollar signs $$$ (although alot of times quot;you get what you pay forquot;, but not always)...it's tone and playability (a quot;connectionquot;)...my Takamine isn't a very expensive guitar at all...and it's inspired me like nothing else ever has...i hope to have an electric guitar that inspries me the same way someday...i'm hoping i have one on layaway right now that will fit the bill...!?

I don't have a lot of guitars, although the ones I have inspire me- I don't go looking for guitars to inspire me either, kinda like falling in love- it just happens when you least expect it.
As far as gear, I buy stuff to get the job done, and with enough possibilities to forster creativity. Like a looping device, or guitar synth. I am pretty much done with buying single pedals and amps- I get bored too quick.


Originally Posted by Luke DukeIt also depends on where you are in life and your priorities though. I have no children, therefore I can justify forking over the money for a Hamer, PRS etc. I am an incredibly picky guy, and for what I want 1000 dollars just won't touch it. The guitar pups=more than 1K for me usually, with the exception of my Godin, I'm convinced those guitars are just a fluke!

I fall on Aleclee's side of the fence. I'm still searching for some permanent band members, and without equipment that can get me inspirational tones I just don't care to play, I'd rather play Xbox or read. That's the reason I bought the CS pup from Christian, my APS flat was good enough, but the chance to aquire something GREAT had presented itself. Now I love my strat more than ever, and dig the tone even more.

Like I said, I'm picky.

Luke

Yes, you are quite right, Luke. I did over simplify it a bit there. You are quite right about priorities in life and where we each are. We are all in different stations, places. Needs and wants are very relative to the individual. One guy's need is another guy's...
I would love to have a 59 tweed Bassman and a Marshall stacks and Jackson soloist and a Explorer, and a Mesa Lone Star...and a...

For now the JV and a borrowed amp is proving inspiration enough. Cheers, to the brotherhood of guitar players everywhere. Rock on!!!

Why do you play? You like nice gear. Having nice gear doesn't make you play does it? It's great to play nice gear. You play because you can. You by what you can, we all buy what we can because we can. One way or another we are all utilitarians because we are inspired to play.

I'm gonna go hide now

i took the same 80/20 class at Drexel that Rich did .. working-class roots and other higher financial priorities kept my gear lust at the 'champagne dreams/beer budget' utitily level ...

until i bought the 'deep blue sea' PRS, i had never owned a high dollar 'awe inspiring' piece of gear ... i draw inspiration from the playing and creating (especially with other musicians, not the gear itself ... i also enjoy customizing/upgrading my guitars and tweaking my midi rig's patches ...

e.g. - having a cheap tokai tele-clone serves the utility of getting tele sounds without having to blow the wad on the amazing suhr tele-style at ~5x the price ... the sounds are inspiring even if the 'little things' that made the suhr so incredible arent there

all that said, i feel myself beginning to drift 'upmarket' now that my budget is starting to allow ... i see a high quality tube amp or two in my future ... which might get me back into pedals too ...

t4d

i use an Avt150 marshall to practice in the home, and while its a good amp its not quite as inspiring as it used to be, i know how exited i get when i have band practice or a gig and i get to use my 5150 stack, and im totally in love, heaven compared to the cheaper yet still good marshall, theres just something about using my best gear that gets me exited.

ive actually been thinking about a similar topic.
id say some where near 50/50. most of the electric guitars i have are used on a fairly regular basis, there is usually one or two sitting on the bench with either a problem or being upgraded.
as of right now: gtr - bridge to neck (just for giggles)- current situation
american tele - qp lead /custom wound strat pup neck - on bench needs fret dress/full setup
usa hamer chaperelle - custom shop 17k c5 with allen head poles (double cream) two open single holes - waiting on a paint job a lil 59 middle and bridge jb jr in the neck
something i built - pgb bucker hole - needs seth neck installed

splatter caster - surfer set with hot bridge - used at gig two weeks ago
usa hamer daytona - twangbanger aps2 aps 2 - used every sunday night at a blues jam i run
custom shop washburn sg looking thing - phat cat / pgn - played at gig last saturday
mij strat - texas hot set with hot bridge and clapton electronics - just off bench with new tortise guard, getting played tonight
esquire - pup i made at ugd - played at every gig ive played since i finished it
'59 guild archtop - stock neck p90 - i play it around the apt some. this is one guitar that i have just for me. im not a jazz cat and i cant really play it at a gig since itlll howl like a banshee but i like having it

as for amps i use my blues jr, bassman, and celtic 5e3 quite a bit. i have a modded jcm 800 1x12 that i dont use much but still really like and a modded musicmaster bass amp that i keep in the living room for messing around.

i dont think i paid more than $500 for anything listed except the guild, 5e3, and the bassman. i am very happy with everything thing i have and since i do 99% my own guitar work i can work the guitars up where i want them for minimal cost. i could spend alot more on my gear, could also spend less but they work for me and i think (and im not the only one) that they sound great

I feel like I've come full circle.

I started playing when I was 10 or 11, and my gear was crappy Sears catalog type stuff, but I learned how play, since expensive guitars weren't even a consideration.

In my teens/early 20's, I started learning how to wheel'n'deal to get good gear at prices I could afford. I was always playing gigs and always had cool gear.

Late 20's....my taste started getting more expensive, so I got wheelin'n'dealin down to a science. Started paying more attention to recording gear and learning to use it.

At 32, still gigging, but less rehearsal time, so the extra time on my hands had me turning into the Gearjoneser. My aquisition skills were as sharp as a tack, PLUS I was making more money = Ninja style GAS. hahahaha

Now 34, and completely bored with Gear Aquisition. I have everything I ever wanted, and have a real bond with the instruments/amps I have. Everything was cherrypicked over the last decade, so I can't even find anything in stores that excites me. I can honestly say that I don't care about looking for more toys; I just use everything the way I did when I was 14, and think only about my playing.

I still enjoy talking about guitars, but I haven't bought any gear in almost a year......except pickups. I have a collection of Duncans, so I don't even need to buy them, I just trade them. The Gearjoneser has retired from GAS!!! LOL

I need inspiring utilities.... while my basic philosophy is definitely function first, form second, if a guitar can more than just function but also inspire it takes my playing to a whole new level.. I personally like that level

ANd where Jonesey is with his gear is where I was with my amp until very recently, for a few years.... Guitars on the other hand, esp Jackson/Charvels, I probably can never have enough of


Originally Posted by GearjoneserI feel like I've come full circle.

I started playing when I was 10 or 11, and my gear was crappy Sears catalog type stuff, but I learned how play, since expensive guitars weren't even a consideration.

In my teens/early 20's, I started learning how to wheel'n'deal to get good gear at prices I could afford. I was always playing gigs and always had cool gear.

Late 20's....my taste started getting more expensive, so I got wheelin'n'dealin down to a science. Started paying more attention to recording gear and learning to use it.

At 32, still gigging, but less rehearsal time, so the extra time on my hands had me turning into the Gearjoneser. My aquisition skills were as sharp as a tack, PLUS I was making more money = Ninja style GAS. hahahaha

Now 34, and completely bored with Gear Aquisition. I have everything I ever wanted, and have a real bond with the instruments/amps I have. Everything was cherrypicked over the last decade, so I can't even find anything in stores that excites me. I can honestly say that I don't care about looking for more toys; I just use everything the way I did when I was 14, and think only about my playing.

I still enjoy talking about guitars, but I haven't bought any gear in almost a year......except pickups. I have a collection of Duncans, so I don't even need to buy them, I just trade them. The Gearjoneser has retired from GAS!!! LOL

Same here except I haven't bought/traded half as much gear. I sold my JBLs for a total of 650 on ebay, and I got them for free and reconed them for 120 each. So with those 410 bucks and some other monies I had laying around I bought myself a DRRI and I can honestly say that I'm done (except for tubes, etc.). I have a pretty damn good sound with my strat into that amp and don't see any point in blowing cash or wheelin' and dealin' for new gear.

The problem many people have is how much time they spend at home playing their amps at bedroom levels outside of a band environment. The mind can play some serious tricks on the way you react to tone-one day you might feel awesome about your sound, then the next day it'll suck. That's why I practice unplugged 90% of the time, and save my tube life for gigs and jams. I really don't get kicks out of hearing myself getting a badass tone whenever I want, i get a rush out of great jams while playing live or jamming and being ON.


Originally Posted by Guitar ToadWhy do you play? You like nice gear. Having nice gear doesn't make you play does it? It's great to play nice gear. You play because you can. You by what you can, we all buy what we can because we can. One way or another we are all utilitarians because we are inspired to play.

Problem is some of us are not good players and need all the help we can get, thus the acquistion of expensive gear.

Luke


Originally Posted by ZerberusI need inspiring utilities....

1. I've goofed with some inspiring pedals, but they're totally worthless for much besides messing around. However, my 1 pickup Charvel, a seemingly utilitarian device, will inspire the hell out of me on a regular basis.

I am utilitarian for the most part....its not like I wouldn't want something better, but I already have what I need. My gear is capable of outplaying me.....one of my friends is a superb player and he definitely sounds better on my rig than I do.


Originally Posted by Quencho092Same here except I haven't bought/traded half as much gear.(snip-snip) and I can honestly say that I'm done (except for tubes, etc.). I have a pretty damn good sound with my strat into that amp and don't see any point in blowing cash or wheelin' and dealin' for new gear.

The problem many people have is how much time they spend at home playing their amps at bedroom levels outside of a band environment. The mind can play some serious tricks on the way you react to tone-one day you might feel awesome about your sound, then the next day it'll suck. That's why I practice unplugged 90% of the time, and save my tube life for gigs and jams. I really don't get kicks out of hearing myself getting a badass tone whenever I want, i get a rush out of great jams while playing live or jamming and being ON.

Dude! You haven't even begun, and you're proclaiming yourself done!

If you keep up with playing, and you start gigging a lot, and you get a job that affords you the money and the time to do what you love doing you're going to get the GAS bug. I've rarely had time for quot;bedroomquot; practice, most practice is with the bands either rehearsing or playing out. Once in a great while I'll get to crank up the rig for an hour or so by myself. *sigh*

While I believe over the course of the past 15 years I've gotten the gear that suits me best, and I really am not particularly interested in looking for new stuff for myself... I know at any minute something is going to come along and knock my socks off.

My bass rig kicks ass. It's seriously badass. But I kinda would like to move from away from $WR. If I can make some lateral trades for equal or better stuff I'm doin' it- but I'm content with it. My guitars and guitar rig kick ass. I don't see anything around that I believe would suit me better.

To paraphrase what I said in another thread- when I was a kid working part time at a minimum wage job, $4 and a ride to McDonalds was a good meal. Now I've got a better idea of what food I like, I'll choke down McDonalds if I have to, but I'd much rather eat something I really like.