Can Gear Make You A Better Player?
- Thread starter TSJMajesty
- Start date
Gear definitely makes you sound better.
I remember the first year or so that I played in a band in the late 90's when I was a teenager. I played a solid state 1x12 crate combo amp with a samick sss strat. The bass player had a crappy little 1x10 combo, but he had a decent p-bass. Our drummer had a $200 drum kit he ordered on clearance from Musicians friend with stamped symbols lol. I was self taught, and they both played jazz andd marching band at school.
WE FUCKING SUCKED.
we were trying to play drop tuned heavy metal in the style of stuff like Manson, Korn, System of a down etc. It was absolutely horrible, not just because we didn't know how to play, but we also had crappy gear, especially for that genre.
Being that we were teens with all the free time in the world, we practiced and continued to write music until we were actually pretty good. We all were decent Musicians right from the beginning, but we didn't know how to play in a rock band. It took us all but about six months to have a set of decent songs that we could perform pretty tight. Our singer had played in a band before and was pretty solid at what he was doing. He could hold a note and was really good at screaming.
We decided to enter a battle of the bands about 3 hours away in the city. It was our first show, and we were convinced we would blow everyone away with our amazing music lol.
well, the band that went after us was using a Messa dual rectifier halfstack and an ampeg svt 8x10 stack. Everyone got the use a killer drill kit that was set up. The PA was a couple of 1x12 mains with no monitors. This was at an arcade that had a makeshift stage set up in the middle if the place With everything pushed out of the way for a pit
.
Anyways, they were no better than us musically, but that was the day that I learned the gear matters. My God did they sound bigger than us. They also were wearing all black with makeup, while we were dressed like jocks and rednecks.....lol.
We took 3rd out of like a dozen bands that all got to play 20 minutes. We learned a pretty good lesson and there's not a lot we could do about it because we didn't have the money to buy gear like that at that time.
We eventually got real gear, and I remember watching Is a recording of my band at that battle of the bands Is in comparing it to us a couple years later when I was playing a JCM 2000 with an ESP les paul and the other guys had pro gear. We definitely got better, especially with a stage presence and looking the part, but we sounded night and day better with real gear.
it matters
I remember the first year or so that I played in a band in the late 90's when I was a teenager. I played a solid state 1x12 crate combo amp with a samick sss strat. The bass player had a crappy little 1x10 combo, but he had a decent p-bass. Our drummer had a $200 drum kit he ordered on clearance from Musicians friend with stamped symbols lol. I was self taught, and they both played jazz andd marching band at school.
WE FUCKING SUCKED.
we were trying to play drop tuned heavy metal in the style of stuff like Manson, Korn, System of a down etc. It was absolutely horrible, not just because we didn't know how to play, but we also had crappy gear, especially for that genre.
Being that we were teens with all the free time in the world, we practiced and continued to write music until we were actually pretty good. We all were decent Musicians right from the beginning, but we didn't know how to play in a rock band. It took us all but about six months to have a set of decent songs that we could perform pretty tight. Our singer had played in a band before and was pretty solid at what he was doing. He could hold a note and was really good at screaming.
We decided to enter a battle of the bands about 3 hours away in the city. It was our first show, and we were convinced we would blow everyone away with our amazing music lol.
well, the band that went after us was using a Messa dual rectifier halfstack and an ampeg svt 8x10 stack. Everyone got the use a killer drill kit that was set up. The PA was a couple of 1x12 mains with no monitors. This was at an arcade that had a makeshift stage set up in the middle if the place With everything pushed out of the way for a pit
. Anyways, they were no better than us musically, but that was the day that I learned the gear matters. My God did they sound bigger than us. They also were wearing all black with makeup, while we were dressed like jocks and rednecks.....lol.
We took 3rd out of like a dozen bands that all got to play 20 minutes. We learned a pretty good lesson and there's not a lot we could do about it because we didn't have the money to buy gear like that at that time.
We eventually got real gear, and I remember watching Is a recording of my band at that battle of the bands Is in comparing it to us a couple years later when I was playing a JCM 2000 with an ESP les paul and the other guys had pro gear. We definitely got better, especially with a stage presence and looking the part, but we sounded night and day better with real gear.
it matters
Gear definitely makes you sound better.
I remember the first year or so that I played in a band in the late 90's when I was a teenager. I played a solid state 1x12 crate combo amp with a samick sss strat. The bass player had a crappy little 1x10 combo, but he had a decent p-bass. Our drummer had a $200 drum kit he ordered on clearance from Musicians friend with stamped symbols lol. I was self taught, and they both played jazz andd marching band at school.
WE FUCKING SUCKED.
we were trying to play drop tuned heavy metal in the style of stuff like Manson, Korn, System of a down etc. It was absolutely horrible, not just because we didn't know how to play, but we also had crappy gear, especially for that genre.
Being that we were teens with all the free time in the world, we practiced and continued to write music until we were actually pretty good. We all were decent Musicians right from the beginning, but we didn't know how to play in a rock band. It took us all but about six months to have a set of decent songs that we could perform pretty tight. Our singer had played in a band before and was pretty solid at what he was doing. He could hold a note and was really good at screaming.
We decided to enter a battle of the bands about 3 hours away in the city. It was our first show, and we were convinced we would blow everyone away with our amazing music lol.
well, the band that went after us was using a Messa dual rectifier halfstack and an ampeg svt 8x10 stack. Everyone got the use a killer drum kit that was set up. The PA was a couple of 1x12 mains with no monitors. This was at an arcade that had a makeshift stage set up in the middle if the place With everything pushed out of the way for a pit.
Anyways, they were no better than us musically, but that was the day that I learned the gear matters. My God did they sound bigger than us. They also were wearing all black with makeup, while we were dressed like jocks and rednecks.....lol.
We took 3rd out of like a dozen bands that all got to play 20 minutes. We learned a pretty good lesson and there's not a lot we could do about it because we didn't have the money to buy gear like that at that time.
We eventually got real gear, and I remember watching Is a recording of my band at that battle of the bands and comparing it to a recording of us a couple years later when I was playing a JCM 2000 with an ESP les paul and the other guys had pro gear. When our bass player got a 4x10 hartke cab with a 300 watt head, it changed our entire sound. We definitely got better at playing shows, especially with a stage presence and looking the part, but we sounded night and day better with real gear.
it matters
I remember the first year or so that I played in a band in the late 90's when I was a teenager. I played a solid state 1x12 crate combo amp with a samick sss strat. The bass player had a crappy little 1x10 combo, but he had a decent p-bass. Our drummer had a $200 drum kit he ordered on clearance from Musicians friend with stamped symbols lol. I was self taught, and they both played jazz andd marching band at school.
WE FUCKING SUCKED.
we were trying to play drop tuned heavy metal in the style of stuff like Manson, Korn, System of a down etc. It was absolutely horrible, not just because we didn't know how to play, but we also had crappy gear, especially for that genre.
Being that we were teens with all the free time in the world, we practiced and continued to write music until we were actually pretty good. We all were decent Musicians right from the beginning, but we didn't know how to play in a rock band. It took us all but about six months to have a set of decent songs that we could perform pretty tight. Our singer had played in a band before and was pretty solid at what he was doing. He could hold a note and was really good at screaming.
We decided to enter a battle of the bands about 3 hours away in the city. It was our first show, and we were convinced we would blow everyone away with our amazing music lol.
well, the band that went after us was using a Messa dual rectifier halfstack and an ampeg svt 8x10 stack. Everyone got the use a killer drum kit that was set up. The PA was a couple of 1x12 mains with no monitors. This was at an arcade that had a makeshift stage set up in the middle if the place With everything pushed out of the way for a pit
.Anyways, they were no better than us musically, but that was the day that I learned the gear matters. My God did they sound bigger than us. They also were wearing all black with makeup, while we were dressed like jocks and rednecks.....lol.
We took 3rd out of like a dozen bands that all got to play 20 minutes. We learned a pretty good lesson and there's not a lot we could do about it because we didn't have the money to buy gear like that at that time.
We eventually got real gear, and I remember watching Is a recording of my band at that battle of the bands and comparing it to a recording of us a couple years later when I was playing a JCM 2000 with an ESP les paul and the other guys had pro gear. When our bass player got a 4x10 hartke cab with a 300 watt head, it changed our entire sound. We definitely got better at playing shows, especially with a stage presence and looking the part, but we sounded night and day better with real gear.
it matters
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That's how I look at it. Gear can inspire us to play better. Only we can can decide whether we get better by putting in the time.
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TSJMajesty
Rock Star
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I'm certain lots of songs were written when the Yamaha SPX90 came onto the scene!
TSJMajesty
Rock Star
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Hell, a recorder and/or a camera can make you a better player. Record yourself...., wow I suck in that one part. I need to fix that.
Damn, I never knew I looked like a total mannequin on stage. I need to practice more, so I can stop staring at the fretboard all the time!
Damn, I never knew I looked like a total mannequin on stage. I need to practice more, so I can stop staring at the fretboard all the time!
HomespunEffects
Roadie
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- 918
You can’t really play above the foibles of questionable gear. The worse it is the more it can hold you back. In other words, good gear can help you get better but it won’t make you better.
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likitlikeyoulikeit
Rock Star
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Not sure, but what I do know is sitting on a gear forum mentally masturbating over every exasperating nuance of guitar playing will definitely not get you laid.
At least, that's what my wife says...
At least, that's what my wife says...
TSJMajesty
Rock Star
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She would know.
likitlikeyoulikeit
Rock Star
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Maybe it's the fact that we've only been married 10 years.... but if I put on my guitar.....i have to swat my wife away with a bat.
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I hope that new headless HILS doesn't give her the wrong idea!Maybe it's the fact that we've only been married 10 years.... but if I put on my guitar.....i have to swat my wife away with a bat.
Piing
Shredder
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- 1,469
The motivation of using specific gear can definitively make you a better player. I've just re-installed the Suhr Aldrich, and I'm nearly finished learning the solos of Still of The Night and Holy Diver. I've even purchased the backing tracks, to record at DAW. I've also run through all the riffs from this video:
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Did the Marshall stack, Wah, Vibe etc. make Jimi Hendrix a better player? He may have been good, but he wouldn’t have sounded like that without the gear.
Should I mention The Edge…?
I don’t aspire to be Tommy Emmanuel, much as I admire his playing and skills. I just enjoy my gear – but always want “better” anyway.
Not being a singer, I cannot make music without an instrument. Are better instruments not better? There is no such thing as quality? My 24-fret guitar has notes others don’t.
Being an electric guitar player, I cannot make music without an amplifier. Are some amplifiers better than others? No one could play Metal until Marshall etc. made the gear.
Hell, I sound better when I change strings after a few months – and I’m liking the Cobalt and M-Steel.
Are strings not gear?
Does what you play sound better with better gear?
Should I mention The Edge…?
I don’t aspire to be Tommy Emmanuel, much as I admire his playing and skills. I just enjoy my gear – but always want “better” anyway.
Not being a singer, I cannot make music without an instrument. Are better instruments not better? There is no such thing as quality? My 24-fret guitar has notes others don’t.
Being an electric guitar player, I cannot make music without an amplifier. Are some amplifiers better than others? No one could play Metal until Marshall etc. made the gear.
Hell, I sound better when I change strings after a few months – and I’m liking the Cobalt and M-Steel.
Are strings not gear?
Does what you play sound better with better gear?
