Complaints about equipment

[Roberoo]

Seems like horns used to be a lot cheaper. IDK...my son played sax in high school and I looked into getting one for him, but gave up. We rented a Yamaha from a local music store, and they wanted $1500 in installments to buy outright, which I thought was a bit much knowing the likelihood of him playing after HS. Maybe if I had got the sax for him he’d be playing jazz gigs now??

(My older son played our nice Yamaha piano, and then got a nice digital after he left home, and he still plays and composes.)

Here’s the difference though:

Sax guy gets calls for:

Classic rock covers—Selmer alto
Jazz combo—Selmer alto
Country outfit—Selmer alto
Big band—Selmer alto
Classical music ensemble—Selmer alto

Guitar guy gets same calls:

Classic rock covers—LP AND Strat, cause you know
Jazz combo—ES 175
Country outfit—Tele
Big band—ES 335 (to cut through the mix)
Classical music ensemble—Cordoba Pro

Plus a half dozen amps to cover every eventuality...

I see your point but a 335 with a good modelling amp would cover all those gigs too. Guitarists are gear obsessed yet I often see guitarists pulling out different guitars at gigs only to find they almost all sound the same because of too much gain and other processing.

[ronjazz]

I find that a Gretsch 5420 and a Godin nylon-string cover the entire electric territory I ever get called for, with the addition of a couple of inexpensive multi-effects boxes by Zoom and Digitech for the requisite reverbs, delays, overdrive, etc. The Gretsch is a new discovery for me, when the pandemic looked like it was ending and gigs started again, I wanted to change the "color" of my jazz and rock-blues sounds to something more lively and interesting than the usual humbucker sound, but I didn't want the risk of single-coil noise. Gretsch with Filtertron came up on the radar, and within a month I had found a very nice black and gold arch top with Bigsby (why not?) that looked great and seemed to check boxes I hadn't even considered before, lightly used and $650.00. Seems to cover all the ground between Gibson and Fender sounds, as well as the snap that Gretsch was always known for. Yes we guitarists are a lucky bunch; the only instruments that I have that get above $1500 are the two Lester Devoe concert flamenco instruments that a fan gifted me with 25 years ago. I see that they are going for $8000 new!

[GNAPPI]

I saw a vid of Joe Pass crabbing that the git that was prepped for a demo wasn't tuned for him.

[steve burchfield]

Sometimes its the Indian not the arrow.

[AllanAllen]

I see your point but a 335 with a good modelling amp would cover all those gigs too. Guitarists are gear obsessed yet I often see guitarists pulling out different guitars at gigs only to find they almost all sound the same because of too much gain and other processing.

If you can get past the snarky guitar players a Squier Bullet Tele, fender tube amp and maybe a pedal will get you through all of these gigs. Regular people don't care what guitar you're playing, they care what notes you're playing.

[MarkRhodes]

A choir director I know loved to quote an old German music teacher: "In all the world, only two kinds of pianos: Those you wash your hands before you play, and those you wash your hands after."

[xiyangshen]

A choir director I know loved to quote an old German music teacher: "In all the world, only two kinds of pianos: Those you wash your hands before you play, and those you wash your hands after."

I think that's very fitting for guitars also!

[steve burchfield]

Jack Pearson and Reggie Wooten play Suire strats on the job and are about as good as it gets on the guitar.

[steve burchfield]

Jack Pearson and Reggie Wooten play SquireStrats on the job and are about as good as it gets on the guitar.

[zdub]

Pat Metheny:

i'll be happy to go into detail about how my gear works, etc., but i had a revelatory experience a few years ago when i realized that "equipment", although certainly a component in my sound, really had little to do with why i sound like the way i sound. for years, between around 1977 to 1987, i never did ANYTHING without my "rig". i would never "sit in" unless i could have my amps and stuff there, i basically didn't do any record dates at all other than my own cause i was sure they would "mess up my sound" etc. etc. then in 1987 i went to the then USSR on a tour with the group and there were a few "jam session" situations where i HAD to play with some russian guys on their "gear" (and i use the term loosely). i played one night on a polish guitar and a czech amp. someone taped it and gave me the tape the next day. i was shocked to hear that i sounded JUST LIKE ME!!!!

[Spook410]

As guitar players we are spoiled. There are any number of electric guitars under $1000, even $500 that could serve with only minor set up for any electric gig. For a serviceable amp and outboard, another $500 will get you there. Not optimal. Not image. But capitalism has delivered inexpensive and workable, if not inspiring, solutions for electric guitarists.

Acoustic is a different discussion of course. Just be glad we don't play something with a bow.

[Doctor Jeff]

I see your point but a 335 with a good modelling amp would cover all those gigs too. Guitarists are gear obsessed yet I often see guitarists pulling out different guitars at gigs only to find they almost all sound the same because of too much gain and other processing.

Hey I agree, but what's the fun of that??

I think I posted before that I may have seen a record with Jason Isbell 2 years ago. He and his guitarist played a different guitar on virtually every song. They must have played 30 guitars between them.

Keeps the guitar tech and roadies busy I guess.

Other benefit...they don't get flooded in a warehouse in Nashville if the river rises.

[GO'C]

When I was a student at the Berklee College of music, I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Pass and hearing him play. He came in to the Berklee Performance Center (A midsized concert hall) and played solo guitar for about 45 minutes. He played through a fender champ from one of the practice rooms, no mic.

How did it sound? Just like Joe Pass. And no, he did not complain about the amplifier.


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[Doctor Jeff]

When I was a student at the Berklee College of music, I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Pass and hearing him play. He came in to the Berklee Performance Center (A midsized concert hall) and played solo guitar for about 45 minutes. He played through a fender champ from one of the practice rooms, no mic.

How did it sound? Just like Joe Pass. And no, he did not complain about the amplifier.


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Which guitar? A Stratocaster with a whammy bar?

And were any quarts of beer involved?

[GO'C]

;-)

He strapped on a BC Rich “Rich Bitch” and rocked the crowd ..,,,

Actually, I lied. Mr. Pass played a Gibson ES 175.


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