When do you realize it's not the gear that's sh!t

[sizzlingbadger]

... but it's you?
This is taking it to the extreme, but it seems a common thread among "internet guitarists" (people who read a lot, frequent forums etc) that everyone is constantly chasing tone... but very few are ever chasing chops or playing ability.

I came to this conclusion recently too, hence my current clear-out on TradeMe.

[Conway]

Was this thread meant to be a PM to a certain saucy someone???

[Pastasauce]

In terms of tone, I reckon it only matters to a point. Playing with a dude who is using a cheap Ibanez shred guitar into a solid state amp with a ratty distortion the whole time... that's when I notice and think, "You could really have better tone." But most of the time, if the people I'm playing with are competent and their gear isn't Samick/Ashton level, I don't notice or care. And when I've asked people about MY tone I've realised that they don't really care either.

That being said, I still enjoy the tone quest.

For myself, I got to a level of playing where I'm competent at playing in the environments I play in: church, and covers bands. And then I realised, I don't actually really WANT to be Guthrie Govan. I'm just a lazy guitarist, I guess! But I treat playing guitar like a hobby, alongside the other things I like to do... reading, listening to music, playing a few games. Every now and then I have a fit of practice, where I'll try to improve a particular technique, but even then it's mostly just fun. I have no pretensions to make it with a band (I enjoy my day job). I just want to play competently with friends here and there, and jam along to music in my study at home.

So for me guitar is a fun hobby and gear and GAS is a part of that fun. I like trying new stuff, I like chasing that perfect sound that only I will notice. So for me the TL;DR version would be: I am well aware it's not the gear that's to blame when I don't sound good, but the gear quest adds to my enjoyment of guitar as a hobby.

And I don't think "I don't care" so much as I think that everyone's just got different goals and aims with guitar, and different things they enjoy, and that's all good.

[Kris]

its all in the fingers,it really is.I'm a terrible player-always have been...but that doesn't diminish my passion for creating music one little bit,even if no-one likes what i'm doing en masse .I do this only for my own satisfaction!The piece i'm working on withthe band at the moment is something i've been working towards for years and if it comes out shit,well i know the gear wasn't at fault!

I think a relevant point with gear swapping is changing styles,or the inability to adapt gear to your style as you said Ed,but then it can make a great point of difference too-Neal Moser is a country/clean guitar player and his guitars look nothing like a tele!.Maybe we are all a bit impatient and look for the quick fix-giveme convenience or give me death!

[TmcB]

The purpose of tonequesting is to get good gear in order to arrive at this point in my view.

It's where you realise that you can't actually blame your tools because they're as good as they get, and there is nothing in the way of you improving but your own commitment to practice.
I like the feeling that the obstacles are removed and you can just forget about all the gear, just focusing on the music and being creative.

[calling card]

Progress is making a piece of shit make music.

[jeremyb]

I don't think theres anything wrong with collecting gear because you just like it, plenty of people own ferraris who can't drive to save themselves, its only the green eyed monster that makes people think thats wrong

[slash-ed]

That's not the point of this thread at all.

[darkness]

I realise it's me that's shit. Have amazing guitars built by Ash. Still can't play worth a damn.

[TmcB]

I don't think theres anything wrong with collecting gear because you just like it, plenty of people own ferraris who can't drive to save themselves, its only the green eyed monster that makes people think thats wrong

I think there's a rite of passage for every teenage beginner guitarist to turn their nose up at the guys who haven't paid their dues on shit gear and its after effects never quite go away.

Then you buy the greatest, latest hyped delay at TGP and forget about it.

[matman]

The OP is very true (dammit) but in regard to the VHIIs, one thing I've discovered about BKPs is that they are really sensitive to changes in pickup height - like really, really.

[Matt_Demise]

Ignorance is bliss

[Vince]

I think the big reality check is when someone else uses your gear and suddenly, everything sounds amazing.

[Hot_Grits]

You've been pissing through mountains of gear for how many years now and you've just figured this out?

[slash-ed]

It's a not-so-subtle attempt to share this with others in the hopes that they don't buy another modded JCM800 then dither about it continuously for the next 6 months.

I realized this a number of mountains of gear ago