So... do people with all the best equipment

[blakem]

Actually play any good??? I know some do, and of course most professionals.. but it's funny, I hang out at the music store and guys with money will come in and buy the best pickups, and the best guitar, the best amp, and I am glad they can... but from what I see, most can barely play a G chord... LOL... I am generalizing , I know thats wrong to do, but it cracks me up... they are so concearned with having the best and they cant even play.... then you got the guys with no money that come in, pick up a cheap Squire Strat , plug into a cheap amp and sound awesome..... any one else notice this?

[SteveGangi]

Originally Posted by blakem

Actually play any good??? I know some do, and of course most professionals.. but it's funny, I hang out at the music store and guys with money will come in and buy the best pickups, and the best guitar, the best amp, and I am glad they can... but from what I see, most can barely play a G chord... LOL... I am generalizing , I know thats wrong to do, but it cracks me up... they are so concearned with having the best and they cant even play.... then you got the guys with no money that come in, pick up a cheap Squire Strat , plug into a cheap amp and sound awesome..... any one else notice this?

I see "that guy" all the time. He wants the top Les or the top Strat and the best big amp, and talks about tone and shit, but then sits down and he can barely bang out a few "power" chords.

[alligatorbling]

people do strange things.

i see folks driving 4x4s with enough horse power and torque to pull a loaded cattle trailer, the most they ever haul is grocery bags.

some people buy pcs powerful enough to run 4 monitors pushing the latest games at an ungodly frame rate all while downloading two movies... the most they will do is check email and ebay.

some folks own bose stereos, and listen to talk radio.

some people own 5 historics, and still cant play smoke on the water.

at the end of the day, people buy what makes them happy, or at least amused. money cant buy happiness, it can buy amusement though.

some folks are amused at owning high end stuff, makes em feel good.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Pretty sure generalizations aren't very useful in this discussion.

[gem12]

Originally Posted by SteveGangi

I see "that guy" all the time. He wants the top Les or the top Strat and the best big amp, and talks about tone and shit, but then sits down and he can barely bang out a few "power" chords.

OK....I'M GUILTY!!!!!

[nick1962]

You don't have to drive like a Formula One champ to own a Porsche!

[River]

I'm getting better all the time, honest.

[nick1962]

Originally Posted by gem12

OK....I'M GUILTY!!!!!

Me too!

[bobarino]

i'm a bad player and i don't have high-end gear

[bobarino]

edit - double dildo

[blakem]

I guess it bothers me out of sheer jealousy.. LOL...

[Skintaster]

Curses! Double the fun!

[Skintaster]

To a lot of people, playing guitar is a hobby like any other - They feel that having the "best" gear will either offer them some elusive advantage, or think it gives them a bit of cred.

I look at it like this - I know guys that get into playing golf in their middle age. By then, they have some extra cash to spend, and sometimes will go out and buy the most expensive clubs they can, even though they can barely play the game.

I see the same thing with guitars... Dudes that never played in their youth, who discovery it as a hobby later on. They have more $$$ than the average 20 year old musician by then, and go out and buy an R9 and a boutique amp.

There's nothing "wrong" with it, and I don't have a problem with those guys unless they bag on other people's gear for not reaching some weird "quality standard" they have. At THAT point, I want to know how well THEY can play, and if their expensive gear makes them sound better than a guy that plays inexpensive stuff but has a real passion for music and practices all the time.

We all know how that generally works out.

Heck, I have a good friend that capitalizes on this kind of thing. He happens to live near an enormous Army base, and lots of those soldiers have a decent amount of $$$, and decide to pick up guitar as a hobby. They will often go out and buy really high end gear, only to abandon playing after they realize that "great gear" still won't make them sound like whatever rock star heros they have in a couple of months.

They sell the stuff on CL or to this weird specialty pawn shop in the area, and my pal constantly buys that stuff - Keeps some, sells the rest for profit.

He recently bought an almost new Les Paul Custom, and one of the high end George Lynch ESPs for a total of $2500. He made a killing on that transaction - The ESP alone he flipped the next day for $1100.

[PSM]

I have some pretty high end equipment because of the fact that different situations I find myself in call for different tones and I like to step up to the plate prepared, but I'll play pretty much anything anytime as long as it's playable. That said, I'm gonna go out on a limb and do something I don't usually do, which is make a rather cocky statement (I apologize in advance):

If you're in a bar or club and I pick up a guitar and get on stage, you WILL be watching me play because I OWN that ****ing guitar. I play with passion and I do it well. It's what I've spent the majority of my life working on and enjoying. And the better I get, the more I enjoy it. It's a strange addiction like that.

[lespaul01]

Absolutely, seen it a lot.

I have a buddy that has many, many guitars, amps.. both vintage & newer.. He has a huge board and the best of everything...

But.. it can be frustrating to jam with him. Some people forget that when you get that nice equipment the practice should increase exponentially.

I understand that many think that if they have better equipment they will sound or play better. I thought that too. Ultimately the only thing that really makes you sound better is practice... Lots of it.

I would bet that there are many, many who have equipment that they will never really play well, but to me that is their decision.

I think a lot has to do with being uninformed and getting looped in by salesmen. Been there, done it.

[River]

Originally Posted by lespaul01

Some people forget that when you get that nice equipment the practice should increase exponentially.

Why's that?

[jimh]

When I was a kid I couldn't afford a Les Paul and I didn't have time for lessons. Now, at 40, I can afford nice equipment and take the time to learn properly. I've been fiddling with guitars for 25 years and I have been "that guy" in guitar center...but you know...as far as I know, you only get one shot at this big adventure and I say spend money on stuff you enjoy (guitars)(airplanes) and screw the rest. When they nail the lid on it will be without regrets. I have nothing against other brand guitars but for me...my guitar "hero's" played Gibson and Fender and I am going to do my best to emulate them and maybe crank out my own feeble attempts at music. In the end learning the guitar has been one hell of a fun adventure!

Jim

[kmk108]

I was in GC a few years ago, messing around with an amp, and a guy sat down with a salesman next to me. He could barely play anything and it was obvious he was buying his first guitar. Sad thing is, the salesman was telling him how this $2000 Gibson LP Standard he was holding was the perfect beginner guitar. I know I shouldn't expect anything else from the salesman. He's earning his paycheck, and if the guy is responding and willing to pay that much, who cares? I just wonder what goes through someone's mind when they look at the price tag and notice that it's more expensive than 95% of the other guitars on the wall and they think "perfect beginners guitar".

[bluesaxe]

I wonder if they spent half as much time playing that fancy gear as they do surfing guitar forums (hint hint) if they would be any better?

[kmk108]

Originally Posted by bluesaxe

I wonder if they spent half as much time playing that fancy gear as they do surfing guitar forums (hint hint) if they would be any better?

I play my fancy gear WHILE I surf guitar forums

[lespaul01]

Originally Posted by River

Why's that?

Well, because that is how you become a better player. Look into it.

[Skintaster]

Originally Posted by bluesaxe

I wonder if they spent half as much time playing that fancy gear as they do surfing guitar forums (hint hint) if they would be any better?

A good point.But some of us are practicing WHILE surfing guitar forums.

It might not be the "best" form of practice, but there it is. Basically, if I'm on the couch for any reason - Guitar forum, watching a movie or tv... I have a guitar I'm playing.

I try to figure out the music used in commercials on the fly.

[BigAl]

I have nice gear, but I certainly worked long & hard () to be able to get it. I've been playing guitar for about six years so far, and am constantly improving and learning. I think that I'm a pretty good player as of now, but I'll never say that I'm done learning or stop improving. The gear I have inspires me to play, and when I play through it I get sounds that really move me, and hopefully others as well.

My gear is a tool-set for me to create inspired music. For me, having good gear isn't about having the biggest rig at the gig or anything like that. I believe that so long as one is serious about music, it's perfectly fine for them to have serious gear to match their passion.

[MCURZON]

Originally Posted by bobarino

edit - double dildo

Is that a top of the line double dildo?

Matt

[blakem]

Originally Posted by BigAl

I have nice gear, but I certainly worked long & hard () to be able to get it. I've been playing guitar for about six years so far, and am constantly improving and learning. I think that I'm a pretty good player as of now, but I'll never say that I'm done learning or stop improving. The gear I have inspires me to play, and when I play through it I get sounds that really move me, and hopefully others as well.

My gear is a tool-set for me to create inspired music. For me, having good gear isn't about having the biggest rig at the gig or anything like that. I believe that so long as one is serious about music, it's perfectly fine for them to have serious gear to match their passion.

Excellent point.

[BillB1960]

I used to be a great guitar player but then I took an arrow to the knee.

[Hack]

Been waiting to get good to invest.

[River]

Originally Posted by lespaul01

Well, because that is how you become a better player. Look into it.

I'm not letting you off the hook that easily. Try again.

[bscenefilms]

Robert Johnson, Sun House etc. All seemed to do OK with a junky acoustic with bad action.

[teame1]

I'm on the equipment better than player side of the equation but that's because I have better kit than most pro's I know.
Then again they've blown more money than I could ever dream of.........literally.
I think it's a tad insulting to laugh at anyone who is interested in playing a musical instrument whatever their level. Good luck to those that splash the cash on impulse.
Maybe some think that better kit makes them a better player.