What is good? Is “ the best” better or just different?

[metropolis_4]

I do think something has shifted to where many guitarists have now only ever experienced digital, and have never played any of the real gear their digital gear is emulating, so they don’t have the same reference point that those of us who spent decades gigging this stuff have.


But “best” is always going to come down to the individual, and sometimes what is “best” to us isn’t what sounds best to others.

For example:

My search for the best TubeScreamer ended with an SD-1 someone had modded sounding best to me.

I had an old Matchless signed by Mark Sampson, but the best sounding Vox to me ended up being a simple AC30hw2.

The best pedals for me were usually Boss, not because of how they sounded, but because they were dependable and I could easily find replacements anywhere I went.

 

[la szum]

It's interesting that they always picked the brightest ("most open") gear as the "best."

Makes me wonder if they have some high-frequency hearing loss.

 

[la szum]

The environment these geezers (love Tim and Rick!) are referencing is not even the most
viable one for most people. I think it was fun and insightful.... but there are a lot of takeaways
that I get from it that they didn't, won't, or can't.

Hell, these guys aren't even "in the studio" like they once were making "records."

Is it fun, and do I enjoy it... and is it meaningful for each of us.... seems a far more valid
and viable standard for most of us than is it the "best."

 

[TSJMajesty]

The environment these geezers (love Tim and Rick!) are referencing is not even the most
viable one for most people. I think it was fun and insightful.... but there are a lot of takeaways
that I get from it that they didn't, won't, or can't.

Hell, these guys aren't even "in the studio" like they once were making "records."

Is it fun, and do I enjoy it... and is it meaningful for each of us.... seems a far more valid
and viable standard for most of us than is it the "best."

Absolutely. And I must've missed it, but I don't recall them answering the title question: What is it that we (me) amateurs miss?

SG's can look good, if played by a musical god?
Mics sound different?
5 seconds is enough of a difference to get you fired?

 

[RaceU4her]

The environment these geezers (love Tim and Rick!) are referencing is not even the most
viable one for most people. I think it was fun and insightful.... but there are a lot of takeaways
that I get from it that they didn't, won't, or can't.

Hell, these guys aren't even "in the studio" like they once were making "records."

Is it fun, and do I enjoy it... and is it meaningful for each of us.... seems a far more valid
and viable standard for most of us than is it the "best."

this video kind of opened up my eyes years ago, if you cant sound good with even basic level stuff these days its not gonna be happening in a real studio either

 

[JiveTurkey]

I didn't realize there was a video we were supposed to watch

 

[TSJMajesty]

I didn't realize there was a video we were supposed to watch

Isn't there always?

 

[la szum]

Absolutely. And I must've missed it, but I don't recall them answering the title question: What is it that we (me) amateurs miss?

SG's can look good, if played by a musical god?
Mics sound different?
5 seconds is enough of a difference to get you fired?

Hahaha!

Forgot "Walked to school uphill both ways.... with an SG and a 4 x 12 on my back."

I still love those guys........ and Eagle...... but head up ass syndrome is a real threat for even them.

 

[metropolis_4]

I didn't realize there was a video we were supposed to watch

I didn’t even watch the video I was supposed to watch

 

[TSJMajesty]

In all seriousness though, prior to getting an Axe III and joining the Fractal forum, I didn't even know who Tim Pierce was!

WHAT A LEGEND!!

 

[JiveTurkey]

I didn’t even watch the video I was supposed to watch

That's the spirit!

 

[la szum]

Isn't there always?

After watching the entire video my first thought was, "The thumbnail has nothing to do
with anything they said in the actual video."

Must have drawn it out of an hat. Or misleading and potentially inflammatory thumbnails
get more bumps/coverage on YT. Algorithms can maybe make us seem worse than we
are being.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Or misleading and potentially inflammatory thumbnails
get more bumps/coverage on YT.

I think that's the answer. Which means Beato is doing the same things (no surprise) he rails against, metaphorically speaking.

(He's not my favorite interviewer.)

 

[Eagle]

Absolutely. And I must've missed it, but I don't recall them answering the title question: What is it that we (me) amateurs miss?

SG's can look good, if played by a musical god?
Mics sound different?
5 seconds is enough of a difference to get you fired?

The access to these kinds of experiences. How many vintage golden era Plexis have you played? See the point. And the everything else. Even something simple like a phase 90 . There are lots of different ones and you could use any but in a blind test I bet you would pick the one I would.

 

[Eagle]

Hahaha!

Forgot "Walked to school uphill both ways.... with an SG and a 4 x 12 on my back."

I still love those guys........ and Eagle...... but head up ass syndrome is a real threat for even them.

But I get to play the 59 Les Paul through an 82 overdrive special occasionally.

 

[metropolis_4]

The access to these kinds of experiences. How many vintage golden era Plexis have you played? See the point. And the everything else. Even something simple like a phase 90 . There are lots of different ones and you could use any but in a blind test I bet you would pick the one I would.

$10 says each of us would pick a different one

 

[Rock Chalk]

But I get to play the 59 Les Paul through an 82 overdrive special occasionally.

Les Pauls = shitty......remember?

 

[JiveTurkey]

I think that's the answer. Which means Beato is doing the same things (no surprise) he rails against, metaphorically speaking.

(He's not my favorite interviewer.)

"So John; how are you transitioning that quintuplet to a divided triplet downshift from 162bpm down to 88bpm in subsection C7, measure 14?"


I think I'm doing it right!

 

[Eagle]

Les Pauls = shitty......remember?View attachment 33186

Shitty ergonomics

 

[Eagle]

$10 says each of us would pick a different one

I seriously doubt it.