TSJMajesty
Rock Star
- Messages
- 3,976
If it inspires you to practice, then absolutely. (TL;DR- drop to the last 2 paragraphs)
The more I read stuff on gear forums, the more it becomes apparent to me that everyone has their different things about playing that excite them, and inspire them, musically. For some, it's having several guitars for different types of sounds, for others it's trying and collecting various gear in general..., it could be amps, pedals, modelers, etc., or all of it. I'm amazed at some of the pics of collections I've seen posted!
Still others pursue the creation of their own music, whether that be recording, or in bands..., doing it with actual gear, or software that emulates certain gear. And there's cover bands and tribute bands. And then there's the tinkerers, with their pickup swaps, and wiring choices, all the way to building their own instruments, some from parts, some from scratch. Cabinets and amps as well.
And still other avenues that I haven't thought of. But all of it shares the commonality of actually picking up (I'll just say guitar, since that's probably what 98% of all of us around here focus our efforts on) a guitar, and being able to play it.
For me, that's the part that I really enjoy, and is pretty much my only focus these days, and has been for the past few years.
I've mentioned that I lost my desire to play guitar for a few years, then for some unknown-to-me reason, a fire was lit. I picked up my PRS and just started practicing, acoustically. And boy was I rusty. I had never been all that good, and just slopped through the cover songs I used to play in a band, and I wanted to change that. It's a bit disappointing that I didn't have that drive prior to turning 50, but better late than never, as the saying goes.
I still had my old ADA MP-1-based rig, so I dusted it off, and it still sounded amazing. But I've always loved playing in stereo, and I needed some better gear to do that. So I found a deal on a 2nd 4x12 Mesa cab, and started looking at getting some quality effects. Boy was I out of the loop! All I had was a few Boss pedals. It was time to upgrade.
I love Dream Theater. Even though I haven't really bonded with much of their music since Portnoy left, I've always loved John Petrucci's tone and playing. So I started looking for the same rack gear I knew he used..., TC, Lexicon, Eventide..., but those units seemed risky, given their age. And the newer versions of those types of units..., well let's just say I got overwhelmed by the choices pretty quickly, and I don't know the first thing about how to make all that stuff work correctly when it comes to switching multiple effects on/off at the same time. And I knew I wanted versatility of tones.
But prior to dealing with the gear for the sounds, the PRS was starting to feel limiting to me, and boy did those Majesties look cool. So about 3 years ago I bought an Enchanted Forest model. OMG!! WHAT a fantastic guitar! And my playing continued to improve.
I had always wanted a Tri Axis (been a die-hard Mesa guy for the past 30 years), and I found a killer deal on one, with a 2:90. Now I just needed the effects.
Somehow I discovered Fractal Audio. I did a ton of reading, and finally got the nerve to pull the trigger on an Axe Fx III Mk II. Just..., wow!! Un-freaking-real. Multi-effects processors sure had come a long way since the POS ART Multiverb I still have!
Having an amazing guitar, the sonic bliss of the Axe III, (and the built-in metronome sure is convenient), and the ability to easily put absolutely fucking amazing-sounding, spatially mind-blowing, stereo effects into my ears, and run the gamut of amp tones for whatever I desire to hear at that time, is THE MOST INSPIRING THING I'VE EVER HAD, to make me want to be the player I'd never become. It's gotten to the point where nearly every 3-hour-average playing/practice session leaves me utterly ecstatic with how much better I have become as a guitarist.
I'm just so thankful that, for me, I've found the perfect gear to reinvigorate my inspiration and passion for playing guitar! And so I figured, why not share my journey and joy here with you guys, and ask if any of you have similar stories.
The more I read stuff on gear forums, the more it becomes apparent to me that everyone has their different things about playing that excite them, and inspire them, musically. For some, it's having several guitars for different types of sounds, for others it's trying and collecting various gear in general..., it could be amps, pedals, modelers, etc., or all of it. I'm amazed at some of the pics of collections I've seen posted!
Still others pursue the creation of their own music, whether that be recording, or in bands..., doing it with actual gear, or software that emulates certain gear. And there's cover bands and tribute bands. And then there's the tinkerers, with their pickup swaps, and wiring choices, all the way to building their own instruments, some from parts, some from scratch. Cabinets and amps as well.
And still other avenues that I haven't thought of. But all of it shares the commonality of actually picking up (I'll just say guitar, since that's probably what 98% of all of us around here focus our efforts on) a guitar, and being able to play it.
For me, that's the part that I really enjoy, and is pretty much my only focus these days, and has been for the past few years.
I've mentioned that I lost my desire to play guitar for a few years, then for some unknown-to-me reason, a fire was lit. I picked up my PRS and just started practicing, acoustically. And boy was I rusty. I had never been all that good, and just slopped through the cover songs I used to play in a band, and I wanted to change that. It's a bit disappointing that I didn't have that drive prior to turning 50, but better late than never, as the saying goes.
I still had my old ADA MP-1-based rig, so I dusted it off, and it still sounded amazing. But I've always loved playing in stereo, and I needed some better gear to do that. So I found a deal on a 2nd 4x12 Mesa cab, and started looking at getting some quality effects. Boy was I out of the loop! All I had was a few Boss pedals. It was time to upgrade.
I love Dream Theater. Even though I haven't really bonded with much of their music since Portnoy left, I've always loved John Petrucci's tone and playing. So I started looking for the same rack gear I knew he used..., TC, Lexicon, Eventide..., but those units seemed risky, given their age. And the newer versions of those types of units..., well let's just say I got overwhelmed by the choices pretty quickly, and I don't know the first thing about how to make all that stuff work correctly when it comes to switching multiple effects on/off at the same time. And I knew I wanted versatility of tones.
But prior to dealing with the gear for the sounds, the PRS was starting to feel limiting to me, and boy did those Majesties look cool. So about 3 years ago I bought an Enchanted Forest model. OMG!! WHAT a fantastic guitar! And my playing continued to improve.
I had always wanted a Tri Axis (been a die-hard Mesa guy for the past 30 years), and I found a killer deal on one, with a 2:90. Now I just needed the effects.
Somehow I discovered Fractal Audio. I did a ton of reading, and finally got the nerve to pull the trigger on an Axe Fx III Mk II. Just..., wow!! Un-freaking-real. Multi-effects processors sure had come a long way since the POS ART Multiverb I still have!
Having an amazing guitar, the sonic bliss of the Axe III, (and the built-in metronome sure is convenient), and the ability to easily put absolutely fucking amazing-sounding, spatially mind-blowing, stereo effects into my ears, and run the gamut of amp tones for whatever I desire to hear at that time, is THE MOST INSPIRING THING I'VE EVER HAD, to make me want to be the player I'd never become. It's gotten to the point where nearly every 3-hour-average playing/practice session leaves me utterly ecstatic with how much better I have become as a guitarist.
I'm just so thankful that, for me, I've found the perfect gear to reinvigorate my inspiration and passion for playing guitar! And so I figured, why not share my journey and joy here with you guys, and ask if any of you have similar stories.
