No Amps Were Harmed in the Making of this Video

[Whizzinby]

Edward Scissorslippers

 

[dk_ace]

I really don't care for Polyphia's music, nor Henson's, but i also don't get the hate for the guy at all.

Monster player, and seems to be a cool dude as well.

This is where I’m at on it too. I did listen to one song all the way through that I thought was super cool.

I think it’s dumb that people are saying he only accomplished this because his parents had some money. There are literally millions of kids in similar situations, how many of them are arguably one of the very best alive on their instrument? There’s also no way to know that he wouldn’t have done exactly the same thing if he had nothing, plenty of other guitarists have pushed through a ton of adversity to become the best at their craft.

It’s crazy to write off someone that put in this much work and say he couldn’t have done the same thing in a poor environment. I think anyone with this combination of musical ability and determination is going to find a way to rise to the top of what they want to do even if it is an uncomfortable journey.

No way to confirm or deny it in this case, but any of us with some real proficiency on this instrument can watch and listen to what he does and know just how many thousands of obsessive hours it takes to reach that level. You’re telling me that someone who put in that level of dedication couldn’t have navigated some shifts slinging nachos at Taco Bell if they really had to? Come on….

D

 

[Gearzilla]

Flamenco say hi….

 

[Whizzinby]

I don’t think anyone literally hates him, and most respect his considerable talent. An artists music, or image etc. is always going to be the subject of internet banter.

I think many are perfectly fine ignoring his music if it’s not their thing, but I think some of his commentary on music and the instrument itself comes off as obnoxious, which then becomes subject for more internet banter.

IMO

 

[laxu]

I really don't care for Polyphia's music, nor Henson's, but i also don't get the hate for the guy at all.

Monster player, and seems to be a cool dude as well.

Agreed. The studio is also really sweet and seems practical. The video reads a bit like a product placement ad though and is not exactly in depth about how he uses all this stuff.

It's interesting that more people are building expensive home studios nowadays when it used to be that you rented studio time, or record labels did that for you and basically told you to "go live there a few months, make a hit record!"

 

[Stone]

Not a fan of their Music No doubt has incredible talent and I'm sure he works very hard, but so do many others that i prefer to listen to and none with his somewhat Obnoxious arrogant comments
but you know to each his own

 

[Gearzilla]

I think some of his commentary on music and the instrument itself comes off as obnoxious

Like this gem…

“I think we’re great. If I were a kid, we would be my favorite band. That’s how cool our music is.”

—Tim Henson
2019 Guitar World Interview

 

[TubeStack]

...some of his commentary on music and the instrument itself comes off as obnoxious, which then becomes subject for more internet banter.

Like this gem…

“I think we’re great. If I were a kid, we would be my favorite band. That’s how cool our music is.”

—Tim Henson
2019 Guitar World Interview

Meh... lots of super-talented musicians in their 20s have said similar stuff (or any age, really, but maybe more often in that younger, proving-themselves time).

A few I can remember:

- a young Eddie VH saying Page's live playing sounds like he has broken fingers

- a young Nuno B saying Extreme has what it takes to be a Zeppelin or Queen level band

- Billy Idol yelling "dinosaurs" at Zeppelin when he was in Generation X and rehearsing in the same building (so the story goes)

- Reb Beach remarking that if he got to say one thing to Hendrix, he'd tell him "tune your guitar"

- Dave Grohl saying he's not sure Extreme is aware how much they suck (when he was in Nirvana)

 

[ejecta]

I agree with most of what you say here except this last bit. Having the talent he has (whether you like what he does with it or not is purely subjective...but he's objectively skilled), and having put it to work as young as he did to make the videos they were making in their late teens takes a ton of work, and putting in a ton of work is obviously easier if you don't have to also fit in the morning shift slinging coffee or whatever to pay the bills. That is not in any way meant to diminish the hard work he has obviously put in, nor does it mean anybody with access to a lot of cash could necessarily pull off what he's pulled off - indeed, it'd be the rare bird. But not having to worry about money through early 20s certainly makes what is a really hard thing a little bit less hard compared to somebody trying to do the same thing while also worrying about money.

Yeah I get where you are coming from but when I hear people say things like “easier because you don’t have to worry about money”…. they obviously have no clue what the may define as “easier because of money” or what even looks like in reality.

Maybe you did grow up with money and think yeah I had it easy but I have up close personal experience with that and I can tell you with no doubt in my mind that money by no means makes things any easier. It comes with a whole other sets of challenges that people who don’t have it don’t understand. Different problems doesn’t equal easy. There’s a reason why a vast majority of people who win the lottery eventually end up in worse shape in a lot aspects including financially later on.

Bottom line and topic of this guy… I personally don’t care for their music but I can see that young man worked hard to get his skill set and no amount of money or “extra time” on his hands made him what he is because he didn’t have to waste time working at “Starbucks” nor would it somehow make up the difference to those who do have to work like that.

This is just one example… EVH grew up very poor and had to work menial jobs as well and he was one of the few that radical changed how the world thought the electric guitar should be played and sound. Also he wasn’t alone in his upbringing/economic status with his peers who also made an impact. The vast majority grew up without a silver spoon up their butt.

The problem as I see it is people sit on the outside and judge based on what society tells us about those with means which is hugely distorted.

Thanks for the feedback and of course we can agree to disagree and YMMV and all that.

 

[Whizzinby]

Meh... lots of super-talented musicians in their 20s have said similar stuff (or any age, really, but maybe more often in that younger, proving-themselves time).

A few I can remember:

- a young Eddie VH saying Page's live playing sounds like he has broken fingers

- a young Nuno B saying Extreme has what it takes to be a Zeppelin or Queen level band

- Billy Idol yelling "dinosaurs" at Zeppelin when he was in Generation X and rehearsing in the same building (so the story goes)

- Reb Beach remarking that if he got to say one thing to Hendrix, he'd tell him "tune your guitar"

- Dave Grohl saying he's not sure Extreme is aware how much they suck (when he was in Nirvana)

All of which would have been the subject of internet banter at the time. (Or has been since) In each of those instances the artists in question went on to have undeniably great careers and/or a change of opinion, which Tim certainly has the ability to do as well. But in the interim people will gossip on music platforms when he says stuff like “I hate guitar music” while being in a “instrumental guitar band”.

 

[Gearzilla]

Meh... lots of super-talented musicians in their 20s have said similar stuff (or any age, really, but maybe more often in that younger, proving-themselves time).

He addresses that a few years later. Though him and the other guy in their band mainly talked about how great they were at the time instead other guitarists from what I’ve seen.

Jimmy Page has always been an interesting musician. Have you ever noticed that Kashmir was more or less borrowed from the James Bond riff?

 

[dk_ace]

Like this gem…

“I think we’re great. If I were a kid, we would be my favorite band. That’s how cool our music is.”

—Tim Henson
2019 Guitar World Interview

If anyone in a band doesn’t feel this way, wtf are they doing being in that band?

D

 

[Gearzilla]

Someone who has a level of financial resources that doesn’t require additional man hour labor from them has the distinct advantage of access to increased discretionary time.

How someone uses that opportunity varies.

 

[Gearzilla]

If anyone in a band doesn’t feel this way, wtf are they doing being in that band?

D

I’m not familiar with a lot of musicians who fall into the category of being their own favorites.

 

[dk_ace]

It's interesting that more people are building expensive home studios nowadays when it used to be that you rented studio time, or record labels did that for you and basically told you to "go live there a few months, make a hit record!"

I’ve thought the same thing. I chalk it up to the availability of gear now for quality home recording (which is a slippery slope to upgrading all the way to the high end stuff), and the ready availability of knowledge of how to do it well now.

I don’t have time to learn it, I’d rather just work with others that are good at it now. If that equipment and knowledge was available 25 years ago like it is now, I’d almost certainly be deep into it and have my own studio now.

D

 

[la szum]

Someone who has a level of financial resources that doesn’t require additional man hour labor from them has the distinct advantage of access to increased discretionary time.

How someone uses that opportunity varies.

Yup. Effort without opportunity/advantage is as pointless and futile as opportunity without effort.

The nature (talent/advantage/genes/luck of birth origins) vs. nurture (effort/work/intention/) debate is tired and worn out.
When we think we need to pick one as the absolute determinant in every situation or scenario we immediately kind of miss
the mark. It's both/and. But we like winners and losers, and often have an hard time holding the paradoxical nature of both
playing a role and having an impact (to varying degrees).

 

[James Freeman]

The only true HANSON:

 

[dk_ace]

I’m not familiar with a lot of musicians who fall into the category of being their own favorites.

Maybe I’m unusual, but I’d never join an original band that was making music I didn’t think was awesome. I’ll do hired gun stuff with just about anyone, but devoting time to an original band is an entirely different level of effort and stress. If it’s not going to result in something that I think would be my “favorite”, I wouldn’t do it. Then again, I’ve passed on a lot of original band opportunities for exactly this reason, so it’s entirely possible I’m the odd duck here and there are loads of players in original bands who aren’t that jazzed about the stuff they play. Seems miserable to me, but what do I know?

D

 

[Lysander]

Meh... lots of super-talented musicians in their 20s have said similar stuff (or any age, really, but maybe more often in that younger, proving-themselves time).

A few I can remember (...)

You know, none of those were exactly wrong

 

[Lysander]

I’ve thought the same thing. I chalk it up to the availability of gear now for quality home recording (which is a slippery slope to upgrading all the way to the high end stuff), and the ready availability of knowledge of how to do it well now.

We've long reached the point where anyone, if they work hard enough, can create a professional record at home. Yeah, Henson built himself a very fancy posh studio, but you don't need that. Note how the centerpiece of his entire setup is just a Mac with a couple rackmount I/Os.

See for example Billy Howerdel, who pretty much recorded and produced Mer de Noms by himself, in a makeshit home studio... using Pod Farm for guitar tones. The label $$$ came only after that album became a hit.