As Tommy Emmanuel has said in one interview: "I don't want to have to rely on my equipment being perfect otherwise I can't play." I feel like a lot of guitar players have replaced learning how to be better musicians with gear collecting. All you see nowadays is TH-camrs with no bands or much going on music-wise but they have at least 6 amps and over 12 guitars. And they do make for an enviable backdrop because you never see them using them.
You‘re so right! I own 2 CS Strats and I’m very happy but not better in guitar playing only because I have them, I simply practice more because it’s so much fun! 🤩
Hello Kris, I like that you make videos like this too. The hard part is that having a (live) discussion about such topics would be better than commenting on a pre-recorded video. Cheers! Tamás 🙂
You're right Kris ! I have a Squier CV 50 Tele and I was not very satisfied with the pickups. So I planned to change those (I was considering Fender CS 51s). But before doing it, I wanted to fix some stuffs like the back of the neck (too sticky), the frets, ... I gave my CV to a good luthier and the best thing he did was adjust the height of the pickups and strings, which completely transformed my guitar. Since then, I no longer feel the need to change the pickups at all. And it has become one of my favorite guitars. And still dreaming for a CS tele 51 😉. One day...
20 years ago I bought a multi effect pedal… And the funny thing is 95% of the time I play on the same preset and just either hit volume boost or distortion or chorus flange type effect, or delay by picking those out of four extra pedal buttons on the unit itself. It's got 64 presets on it imitating a number of different sounds and effect combos. I guess I just like the one particular sound as a base, and then throw on an effect or two as needed on the fly. I love the comment "I was lazy before I got my multi pedal… " and I agree that too many choices can sometimes stifle the enthusiasm to explore and tweak all the parameters. My amp choices are JCM 2000 through a 412 greenback tweed grill slant cab, or a Vibrolux reverb 'custom' which is a little bit hotter on the gain stage than the clean old fenders, so it has somewhat of a Bassman vibe to it. I like to have some grit and crunch most of the time. 🤷♂️
When the 'laptopgate' happened, with a band cancelling shows because of losing their laptops with pre-programmed changes, I have thought a little about the topic, and I'd say there are two types of music shows: theatre and concert. A theatre show, just like a theatre acting, has a certain order in its set; specific scene changes, dialogues, moves etc. Replace a spoken story with musical one, and that's what you get. For that, you need the automation so the musician can perform their prewritten part without being involved in technicalities of having to switch to correct sounds at the right times. Then you have concerts; musicians having some sort of idea of what they're gonna play in form of recognizable songs, but are not stuck to it and they allow themselves some unscheduled jamming here and there. Here, you need gear that you can easily modify on the go as the mood fits. And of course, neither is better or worse, it's just that some people want to be swept away by the drama of the overarching story, while others go for the vibe of things that are exciting and fresh.
Yes.. i agree.. 25 years ago, i learned a hard way ... My guitar teacher push me to fully use my guitar, ( volume control, tone control) .. And im pushing myself to learn how to fully understand how my pedal works .. gain knob, volume knob.. And of course the amp.. The excitement is real when you got the answer and understanding how to control your gear .. I'm really happy because of that experience..now i have no problem to make myself heard on stage . Whatever rental amp we got..
There's a "trend" of some people calling themselves "Ambient Guitarists". They seem to have unlimited funds to be able to buy high-end Strymons, Eventides, Meris, Line6 etc. They play the most rudimentary Guitar through all the "Algorithms" at their disposal and call it "Ambient Music". My opinion, there is no "musicianship" involved, and therefore its not really music, nor is it creative. They are just pressing buttons (that anyone could do) and playing "Algorithms". They can do that if it amuses them. They shouldn't fool themselves that they can play guitar.
I think with everything you need to start your journey with the basics. Like drawing with just a pencil and paper. Here, a tube amp and a guitar, or an acoustic. To play devil’s advocate though, there is definitely a different kind of learning curve now. You can make it simple for sure, but I’ve been using an axe fx 3 recently and I have to learn so much to fully utilize it it’s kind of crazy. Same with DAWs and midi and so on. Still though, you definitely need to get the most you can out of a simple rig before you start branching out, and you will be better off in the end. It teaches you something you can get without trial and error.
I'm old school, still realise my guitar has a tone knob, pickup switch etc. Remember buying a fuzz pedal, a wha wha pedal, and an echo unit, reverb on my combo single channel amp and thinking wow I've gone up ten levels(well in my eye's) But I learnt to bend and blend sound, to sustain a note or a chord, etc, and to play live and real before. 45 years on, and I'm still playing, have a fancy Boss multi universe supetduper can do anything modelling pedal board but guess what! I still only use fuzz Wha Wha and delay when I gig. Keep it real.
With the utmost respect, as a guy pushing 40 who's played for 25+ years some of this feels a bit "old man yells at clouds". Backing tracks/easy made music is still a genuine expression of creativity & musicality (unless it's AI, that's not creativity, that's not even cheating that's theft). Effort doesn't necessarily equal good, and vise versa. And building & playing to whole compositions/songs is a great way to really listen to how the whole fits. Yes people should play in person more, for mental health mostly, but when that's not an option being creative & expressive even alone is good for that. Modelling....look everything you plug into a 100watt half stack, a cheap app, your grandmas radio, etc; if it amplifies your guitar it's a real amp. Yes wholly different unique experiences but it's all valid Modelers are a great way, especially if you're new (or to your later point less privileged), to experience things & find the few things that inspire & excite you. Then you can get really nerdy about every little detail about what & why those sounds light that person up & gets them playing. And it can lead to educated purchases. Knowing from modelling you love a Soldano, you won't be buying a dozens of other things trying to find that sound & instead just get the Soldano. Which leads to the last point. People buying expensive stuff should never have to deal with venomous/jealous commentary from others 100% agree. But let's not ignore the societal imbalance of wealth does leave the vast majority of the population feeling raw & can easily be rubbed the wrong way & trigger an irrational, but understandable, raw reaction. Overall I feel it's important to acknowledge that not everyone will have your shared experience or interest with regards to guitar, playing, music & creating. But embracing that shared enthusiasm is so so important. And even a kind hearted, well meaning attempt to express some things within music creation & playing that bother or feel lazy could cause a net negative to someone's enthusiasm. Which is why a "That's awesome mate." when someone is expressing themselves & their genuine creativity is important.
Thanks so much for the comment man, I really appreciate it! 🙏 Btw the age is 42 and playing for 26 years, pretty good guess... God I feel ancient, haha! I agree with a lot of things that you say. Modellers educate the user indeed, a lot of people learn through those how guitar gear works. For that alone they are super useful. I'm afraid you misinterpreted a few things though, playing alone and / or playing over backing tracks is more than alright. It's awesome, important and I do it all the time too. I'd never speak up against those things. All I was trying to say is that it can be very distractive getting lost in tweaking complex, modern rigs and that we really don't need 50+ presets to play our favourite songs. It's much more inspiring to work the guitar and try to make it sound "right" with just half the amount of presets / amp sims / pedals. The social imbalance you mentioned is something that's always on my mind and makes me sad. Luckily we have amazing options for every budget, that's what I was trying to emphasize at the end of the video: you don't need the luxury stuff to become great and to sound awesome. Thanks for the chat mate, cheers!
Guitar gear will evolve but as guitar players we have a choice to use stuff that makes stuff easier or not. Legendary rock & metal bands from the 60s, 70s, 80s, & 90s never had what we have. If you're interested in learning guitar, you don't really need the newest gadget.
Automation in your DAW is king for any guitar player at home. Every single track i create has automation, that way the DAW does all my switching guitars when needed playing to backing tracks.
Interesting take Kris, but I disagree a bit. With modern modelers, you really only get the very best out of those units by applying the same kind of knowledge gained from using physical analog gear. Signal paths matter. Virtual mic placements make a difference. Yes, those that simply use basic presets on modern modelers may indeed be considered to be a little "lazy". However, those that are willing to deep dive a bit and apply time tested analog "best practices" usually will end up with superior tones. So, the homework is really essential in both analog and modeling gear.
Very well put. To get great sounds out of a Modeler, you have to put in the time to learn it well. Being lazy when using a Modeler isn't going to cut it.
I agree totally Kris! I would love to own a vintage strat or a great Fender custom shop but I cant right now but I am very content with my collection of player tele and mustang and my 3 Vintera strats! I love them and feel thankful that I even have them!
When learning songs, I don't like to learn by ear, that'd make me waste a lot of time, I like having as many as resource available. Covers on TH-cam, apps, tab websites, and some more reliable tabs, separating instruments by an app, lessons will make it easier to learn a song, this puts us on working more than before. As before people had to learn a solo through a cassette or vinyl, it should be difficult for a Marty Friedman song. They are not even properly mixed, solo's lack loudness whatever I song I came across for Megadeth(Unlike Metallica). Now learning guitar should be better than ever, so more ways to practice, when we want to learn guitar. When it comes to gear, it shouldn't play any role for not practicing guitar, once you are done and satisfied with your playing time, practicing gear doesn't play a role anymore, as long as it's reliable, and fun, easy to use, have 1 or 30 guitars.
Stopped playing a pedal board a while back, best thing I could have done. They sap your tone, and I didn't need them. I might hook one pedal up, but that's pretty much it.
Many approaches to this issue, I would like the most simple and reliable rig (I don't make any money with my Hobbie) to be budget-responsible, Money is the big one, space to practice almost in private with headphones, and a chance to experiment with effect and sound. The learning curve to juice an all-in-one stomp is not easy. And be content and inspired to play more and learn more,
Spot on, im not a fan of a click or midi rime clock changes...as you know kris, im working as guitar tech for Avantasia, it's all live, 2 boosts and a compressor into a UA Lion .... Sounds great and simple.
I’d like to play devils advocate and suggest that sometimes too much choice and too many routing options can create its own problem and then procrastination starts as we have too many choices I could of course just be being lazy 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤗 😳😠
For over a decade I was pretty sure I was done playing guitar. I didn't have passion or drive for it. I was still good for an occasional party or jam session, but I hadn't improved or desired to. That was until I stopped listening to people on the Internet about how going straight into a tube amp is the only way to go. A few years ago I started to experiment with the new modelers and stuff and my passion ignited and my skill grew exponentially. I found out that I'm happy playing straight into a tube amp for maybe half an hour before I'm bored. As soon as I had a playground of discovery I started replicating what I liked on a larger pedalboard and my tube amps that I thankfully didn't sell, though I had considered it. For the last few years I've consistently played for 2-6 hours per day compared to maybe 1 hour per week the old-school way.
@@nicholasaragon4126 Wow that is amazing to read. You see, that’s why I told in the video that this is just one opinion, it’s my perspective. So good to see that the opposite of what I experience and what I think can be so true and mean so much to someone else. This is fascinating. Thanks so much for sharing this with us. 🙏
Who wants a 59 Les Paul having that fantastic PJD? Joking as if I didn't have GAS 😂 Great talk, after having a lot of gear I've become minimalist again and it's great to just focus on playing. I spend most of my playing time at home with my PJD and my THR2 over headphones.
@@Sanrolino And what a simple yet powerful rig that is. 🙌 Thanks for the comment man, getting and swapping gear is fun and important. It keeps us entertained and excited. Plus it’s all life experience and ear training. But it’s also nice to look in the mirror sometimes and reflect on stuff. 😅
From helix back to a friedman IR-x and uafx lion, some pedals and i am ok... but my marshall sv20c with a bit of reverb from a pedal is what I like the most at the moment ...way to much options in helix qadcortex etc.😊
I’m a beginner guitarist but I’ve already realised that as good as it is that for $250 you can get a multi FX unit that gives you almost any sound you could ever want, it’s equally a huge distraction when really I should be learning how to play a guitar first! It enables me to sound bad in 1000 different ways 😂 I think the auto-switching stuff does enable an entirely different type of music but if you’re using it to replace a simple footswitch then maybe you’re using technology for the sake of it
Haha, well the desire to sound cool should be there from day 1 of playing guitar. Learning how to play can absolutely go together with learning how to tweak amps, where you put a reverb in the signal chain, etc. You can learn all of that by tweaking your multiFX pedal, they are great for that (too). :) I just find it important to go to a store one day and plug into a big, 1-2 channel amp. Just for contrast. It might be awesome. Or intimidating. Even strange and disappointing. It doesn't matter, it's about the experience. Have fun learning the guitar man!!
I've been using pedals without a switcher or anything for years. I would like to have one, but I don't have space on my pedalboard. I've been debating getting an HX Stomp to get more amp choices, but most importantly, the snapshots. A real amp is not viable for me. I live in a small apartment. My main amp is an Line 6 Catalyst. I also grew up in a small town. I had the biggest amp of all my friends, which was a 1979 Peavey Classic 2x12 combo. I ran a boss DS-1 into it because I was a teenager. Everyone had terrible Marshall combos and Fender Champs. I live in Korea, and I'm in a Korean rock band. The practice room we use has a Victory Kraken, MT15, and a JCM 800....but nobody uses them. Everyone uses their Quad Cortexes
Small apartments and amps aren't good friends, I'd do the same as you did. About the switcher though 😉 Compare the bypass tone of all your pedals with going straight into the amp sim you have. If there's a big difference, maybe sacrifice 1-2 pedals on the board to make space for the switcher. If the difference is small, don't worry about it.
Like most activities in life, what you do is constrained by the skills you have. When you can make beautiful sounds playing a few notes into a digital box, you create a category of musicians who "play the pedal". The pedal is the instrument, the guitar is the triggering device. Playing the pedal isn't lazy; It's a way for people to paint beautiful pictures from a limited palette. I play pretty well, but I have to be careful not to let TH-cam videos take me to the fantasy factory. A George Harrison pedal might make me sound exactly like George Harrison. But a Matteo Mancusco pedal would guarantee disappointment because what he has, and I don't, cannot be put in a pedal.
I certainly see as a creator standpoint, guitar pedal reviews go absolutely nowhere as viral as multi-effects. However, Effects in general do not catch on as much as guitar reviews. I remember back in the day searching every pedal shootout video. The affordability issue I see both sides, the evolution of competition kind of has created an awakening though where smaller companies are doing better productions at a cheaper price....so if the Big Name is charging 2x is it because thats what it costs and is the smaller company undercutting the Big Name. I have no hate fro either one, and hope to own both ends of the spectrum.
The worst thing is not the evolution of the actual gear. Pedals are ingredients and we are the cook that prepares the dish. Actually amps became better and ....smaller. analog fx returned together with amp profilers. Tone x or other multy fx got fx in a smaller lighter box. The worst thing is computer programming and recording at home. New tech isolated players to their basement. Players can't find easily music companion to play and even record live. I.e zoom multichannel recording gives you 8 to 12 channels. Many amps have line outputs so an average band with a vocalist 2 gtr 1 bass 1 drummer can use 7 to 10 channels directly to a digital recorder and then yes go to a pc and mix it. An average guitar bass amp drum set cost no more than 700 to 1000 euros A pedalboard I.e all boss wazas can be from 500 to 1000 euros. Agree that dumble amp and klon pedal will Improve sound but only a small percentage. Why 6000 for klon centaur and not 200 for WA CENTAVO? Why the hype for fz2 hyper fuzz when you can find EHX OR TC ELECTRONIC WITH LESS THAN 100 EUR? Why 5000 to 1000 for an old 50s tele while the fender player series or US PRO or US VINTAGE the most reach a tag of 1500 to 2000 ? One factor that all ignore is human ageing. When u are 20 y.o you hear like a bat. But no money! When you are 58 like me you have 50% hear loss but you have money. Unless one is a collector it's better to upgrade the existing gear and spend money on records and liste to music. Or produce music.but MOST OF ALL F8ND A MUSIC COMPANY AND PLAY NO MATTER WHAT.
I appreciate that. I gotta say I love having a lot of pedals so that I can choose my drive or delay depending on the mood. But then I stick to those 1-2 options that I have on the board and try to give it all I got. That's a mix of both worlds I guess. 😅
Oh man, of course! 😂 It's all good. Especially as long as GAS keeps you excited for guitar and inspires you to play more, it's all for the good cause. I'm only worried about a lot of people digging so deep into building a super complex rig that they forget to play their guitar. 😅
As Tommy Emmanuel has said in one interview: "I don't want to have to rely on my equipment being perfect otherwise I can't play." I feel like a lot of guitar players have replaced learning how to be better musicians with gear collecting. All you see nowadays is TH-camrs with no bands or much going on music-wise but they have at least 6 amps and over 12 guitars. And they do make for an enviable backdrop because you never see them using them.
Thank you so much, Kris, for speaking so honestly and clearly. It is very gratifying to realize that all guitarists (we) have the same feelings.
You‘re so right! I own 2 CS Strats and I’m very happy but not better in guitar playing only because I have them, I simply practice more because it’s so much fun! 🤩
Hello Kris, I like that you make videos like this too. The hard part is that having a (live) discussion about such topics would be better than commenting on a pre-recorded video. Cheers! Tamás 🙂
As a friend of mine used to say "the main goal of any player is achieved the moment he got his first instrument, you just enjoy the ride"
Just enjoy the ride. I love that.
You're right Kris ! I have a Squier CV 50 Tele and I was not very satisfied with the pickups. So I planned to change those (I was considering Fender CS 51s). But before doing it, I wanted to fix some stuffs like the back of the neck (too sticky), the frets, ... I gave my CV to a good luthier and the best thing he did was adjust the height of the pickups and strings, which completely transformed my guitar. Since then, I no longer feel the need to change the pickups at all. And it has become one of my favorite guitars.
And still dreaming for a CS tele 51 😉. One day...
20 years ago I bought a multi effect pedal… And the funny thing is 95% of the time I play on the same preset and just either hit volume boost or distortion or chorus flange type effect, or delay by picking those out of four extra pedal buttons on the unit itself. It's got 64 presets on it imitating a number of different sounds and effect combos. I guess I just like the one particular sound as a base, and then throw on an effect or two as needed on the fly. I love the comment "I was lazy before I got my multi pedal… " and I agree that too many choices can sometimes stifle the enthusiasm to explore and tweak all the parameters. My amp choices are JCM 2000 through a 412 greenback tweed grill slant cab, or a Vibrolux reverb 'custom' which is a little bit hotter on the gain stage than the clean old fenders, so it has somewhat of a Bassman vibe to it. I like to have some grit and crunch most of the time. 🤷♂️
When the 'laptopgate' happened, with a band cancelling shows because of losing their laptops with pre-programmed changes, I have thought a little about the topic, and I'd say there are two types of music shows: theatre and concert. A theatre show, just like a theatre acting, has a certain order in its set; specific scene changes, dialogues, moves etc. Replace a spoken story with musical one, and that's what you get. For that, you need the automation so the musician can perform their prewritten part without being involved in technicalities of having to switch to correct sounds at the right times. Then you have concerts; musicians having some sort of idea of what they're gonna play in form of recognizable songs, but are not stuck to it and they allow themselves some unscheduled jamming here and there. Here, you need gear that you can easily modify on the go as the mood fits. And of course, neither is better or worse, it's just that some people want to be swept away by the drama of the overarching story, while others go for the vibe of things that are exciting and fresh.
Yes.. i agree..
25 years ago, i learned a hard way ...
My guitar teacher push me to fully use my guitar, ( volume control, tone control) ..
And im pushing myself to learn how to fully understand how my pedal works ..
gain knob, volume knob..
And of course the amp..
The excitement is real when you got the answer and understanding how to control your gear ..
I'm really happy because of that experience..now i have no problem to make myself heard on stage .
Whatever rental amp we got..
There's a "trend" of some people calling themselves "Ambient Guitarists". They seem to have unlimited funds to be able to buy high-end Strymons, Eventides, Meris, Line6 etc. They play the most rudimentary Guitar through all the "Algorithms" at their disposal and call it "Ambient Music".
My opinion, there is no "musicianship" involved, and therefore its not really music, nor is it creative. They are just pressing buttons (that anyone could do) and playing "Algorithms".
They can do that if it amuses them. They shouldn't fool themselves that they can play guitar.
Just having a looper and a 'Slow Down App'....is magic and all a musician needs really.
I think with everything you need to start your journey with the basics. Like drawing with just a pencil and paper. Here, a tube amp and a guitar, or an acoustic.
To play devil’s advocate though, there is definitely a different kind of learning curve now. You can make it simple for sure, but I’ve been using an axe fx 3 recently and I have to learn so much to fully utilize it it’s kind of crazy. Same with DAWs and midi and so on.
Still though, you definitely need to get the most you can out of a simple rig before you start branching out, and you will be better off in the end. It teaches you something you can get without trial and error.
I'm old school, still realise my guitar has a tone knob, pickup switch etc.
Remember buying a fuzz pedal, a wha wha pedal, and an echo unit, reverb on my combo single channel amp and thinking wow I've gone up ten levels(well in my eye's)
But I learnt to bend and blend sound, to sustain a note or a chord, etc, and to play live and real before.
45 years on, and I'm still playing, have a fancy Boss multi universe supetduper can do anything modelling pedal board but guess what! I still only use fuzz Wha Wha and delay when I gig.
Keep it real.
very wise words, Kris. Thank you.
Kris Barocsi, great content keep up the amazing work
Thanks a lot!
With the utmost respect, as a guy pushing 40 who's played for 25+ years some of this feels a bit "old man yells at clouds". Backing tracks/easy made music is still a genuine expression of creativity & musicality (unless it's AI, that's not creativity, that's not even cheating that's theft). Effort doesn't necessarily equal good, and vise versa. And building & playing to whole compositions/songs is a great way to really listen to how the whole fits. Yes people should play in person more, for mental health mostly, but when that's not an option being creative & expressive even alone is good for that. Modelling....look everything you plug into a 100watt half stack, a cheap app, your grandmas radio, etc; if it amplifies your guitar it's a real amp. Yes wholly different unique experiences but it's all valid Modelers are a great way, especially if you're new (or to your later point less privileged), to experience things & find the few things that inspire & excite you. Then you can get really nerdy about every little detail about what & why those sounds light that person up & gets them playing. And it can lead to educated purchases. Knowing from modelling you love a Soldano, you won't be buying a dozens of other things trying to find that sound & instead just get the Soldano. Which leads to the last point. People buying expensive stuff should never have to deal with venomous/jealous commentary from others 100% agree. But let's not ignore the societal imbalance of wealth does leave the vast majority of the population feeling raw & can easily be rubbed the wrong way & trigger an irrational, but understandable, raw reaction.
Overall I feel it's important to acknowledge that not everyone will have your shared experience or interest with regards to guitar, playing, music & creating. But embracing that shared enthusiasm is so so important. And even a kind hearted, well meaning attempt to express some things within music creation & playing that bother or feel lazy could cause a net negative to someone's enthusiasm. Which is why a "That's awesome mate." when someone is expressing themselves & their genuine creativity is important.
Thanks so much for the comment man, I really appreciate it! 🙏 Btw the age is 42 and playing for 26 years, pretty good guess... God I feel ancient, haha!
I agree with a lot of things that you say. Modellers educate the user indeed, a lot of people learn through those how guitar gear works. For that alone they are super useful.
I'm afraid you misinterpreted a few things though, playing alone and / or playing over backing tracks is more than alright. It's awesome, important and I do it all the time too. I'd never speak up against those things. All I was trying to say is that it can be very distractive getting lost in tweaking complex, modern rigs and that we really don't need 50+ presets to play our favourite songs. It's much more inspiring to work the guitar and try to make it sound "right" with just half the amount of presets / amp sims / pedals.
The social imbalance you mentioned is something that's always on my mind and makes me sad. Luckily we have amazing options for every budget, that's what I was trying to emphasize at the end of the video: you don't need the luxury stuff to become great and to sound awesome.
Thanks for the chat mate, cheers!
Guitar gear will evolve but as guitar players we have a choice to use stuff that makes stuff easier or not. Legendary rock & metal bands from the 60s, 70s, 80s, & 90s never had what we have. If you're interested in learning guitar, you don't really need the newest gadget.
For the first point i think everyone should do what works best for them.
But very well spoken at the other two topcis 👏
Amen :) good talks
Automation in your DAW is king for any guitar player at home. Every single track i create has automation, that way the DAW does all my switching guitars when needed playing to backing tracks.
Interesting take Kris, but I disagree a bit. With modern modelers, you really only get the very best out of those units by applying the same kind of knowledge gained from using physical analog gear. Signal paths matter. Virtual mic placements make a difference. Yes, those that simply use basic presets on modern modelers may indeed be considered to be a little "lazy".
However, those that are willing to deep dive a bit and apply time tested analog "best practices" usually will end up with superior tones.
So, the homework is really essential in both analog and modeling gear.
Very well put. To get great sounds out of a Modeler, you have to put in the time to learn it well. Being lazy when using a Modeler isn't going to cut it.
"Can't miss what you've never experienced..", great video as always.
I agree totally Kris! I would love to own a vintage strat or a great Fender custom shop but I cant right now but I am very content with my collection of player tele and mustang and my 3 Vintera strats! I love them and feel thankful that I even have them!
That's the spirit buddy. Those are awesome guitars you have there. And we need those dreams man, life would suck without stuff to dream about. 🙌
@@KrisBarocsi very true!
When learning songs, I don't like to learn by ear, that'd make me waste a lot of time, I like having as many as resource available. Covers on TH-cam, apps, tab websites, and some more reliable tabs, separating instruments by an app, lessons will make it easier to learn a song, this puts us on working more than before. As before people had to learn a solo through a cassette or vinyl, it should be difficult for a Marty Friedman song. They are not even properly mixed, solo's lack loudness whatever I song I came across for Megadeth(Unlike Metallica). Now learning guitar should be better than ever, so more ways to practice, when we want to learn guitar. When it comes to gear, it shouldn't play any role for not practicing guitar, once you are done and satisfied with your playing time, practicing gear doesn't play a role anymore, as long as it's reliable, and fun, easy to use, have 1 or 30 guitars.
Stopped playing a pedal board a while back, best thing I could have done. They sap your tone, and I didn't need them. I might hook one pedal up, but that's pretty much it.
Many approaches to this issue, I would like the most simple and reliable rig (I don't make any money with my Hobbie) to be budget-responsible, Money is the big one, space to practice almost in private with headphones, and a chance to experiment with effect and sound. The learning curve to juice an all-in-one stomp is not easy. And be content and inspired to play more and learn more,
Spot on, im not a fan of a click or midi rime clock changes...as you know kris, im working as guitar tech for Avantasia, it's all live, 2 boosts and a compressor into a UA Lion .... Sounds great and simple.
everything said here is just right on poit! ☝
I hate that I agree with this
Great jam as usual.
I’d like to play devils advocate and suggest that sometimes too much choice and too many routing options can create its own problem and then procrastination starts as we have too many choices
I could of course just be being lazy 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤗
😳😠
Haha, true! I hate option paralysis. I always end up on my knees for hours and turn knobs instead of getting inspired by 1 or 2 awesome tones. 😅
For over a decade I was pretty sure I was done playing guitar. I didn't have passion or drive for it. I was still good for an occasional party or jam session, but I hadn't improved or desired to. That was until I stopped listening to people on the Internet about how going straight into a tube amp is the only way to go. A few years ago I started to experiment with the new modelers and stuff and my passion ignited and my skill grew exponentially. I found out that I'm happy playing straight into a tube amp for maybe half an hour before I'm bored. As soon as I had a playground of discovery I started replicating what I liked on a larger pedalboard and my tube amps that I thankfully didn't sell, though I had considered it. For the last few years I've consistently played for 2-6 hours per day compared to maybe 1 hour per week the old-school way.
@@nicholasaragon4126 Wow that is amazing to read. You see, that’s why I told in the video that this is just one opinion, it’s my perspective. So good to see that the opposite of what I experience and what I think can be so true and mean so much to someone else. This is fascinating. Thanks so much for sharing this with us. 🙏
Who wants a 59 Les Paul having that fantastic PJD?
Joking as if I didn't have GAS 😂
Great talk, after having a lot of gear I've become minimalist again and it's great to just focus on playing. I spend most of my playing time at home with my PJD and my THR2 over headphones.
@@Sanrolino And what a simple yet powerful rig that is. 🙌
Thanks for the comment man, getting and swapping gear is fun and important. It keeps us entertained and excited. Plus it’s all life experience and ear training. But it’s also nice to look in the mirror sometimes and reflect on stuff. 😅
From helix back to a friedman IR-x and uafx lion, some pedals and i am ok... but my marshall sv20c with a bit of reverb from a pedal is what I like the most at the moment ...way to much options in helix qadcortex etc.😊
I’m a beginner guitarist but I’ve already realised that as good as it is that for $250 you can get a multi FX unit that gives you almost any sound you could ever want, it’s equally a huge distraction when really I should be learning how to play a guitar first! It enables me to sound bad in 1000 different ways 😂 I think the auto-switching stuff does enable an entirely different type of music but if you’re using it to replace a simple footswitch then maybe you’re using technology for the sake of it
Haha, well the desire to sound cool should be there from day 1 of playing guitar. Learning how to play can absolutely go together with learning how to tweak amps, where you put a reverb in the signal chain, etc. You can learn all of that by tweaking your multiFX pedal, they are great for that (too). :)
I just find it important to go to a store one day and plug into a big, 1-2 channel amp. Just for contrast. It might be awesome. Or intimidating. Even strange and disappointing. It doesn't matter, it's about the experience. Have fun learning the guitar man!!
i was lazy way before i got my katana :-D
@@chrisdavies9197 I was born lazy 🤣 But when I do something that is exciting, that overwrites the laziness luckily, haha!
A guitar, an amp, a lead. All the gear you need
I've been using pedals without a switcher or anything for years. I would like to have one, but I don't have space on my pedalboard. I've been debating getting an HX Stomp to get more amp choices, but most importantly, the snapshots.
A real amp is not viable for me. I live in a small apartment. My main amp is an Line 6 Catalyst.
I also grew up in a small town. I had the biggest amp of all my friends, which was a 1979 Peavey Classic 2x12 combo. I ran a boss DS-1 into it because I was a teenager. Everyone had terrible Marshall combos and Fender Champs.
I live in Korea, and I'm in a Korean rock band. The practice room we use has a Victory Kraken, MT15, and a JCM 800....but nobody uses them. Everyone uses their Quad Cortexes
Small apartments and amps aren't good friends, I'd do the same as you did.
About the switcher though 😉 Compare the bypass tone of all your pedals with going straight into the amp sim you have. If there's a big difference, maybe sacrifice 1-2 pedals on the board to make space for the switcher. If the difference is small, don't worry about it.
Like most activities in life, what you do is constrained by the skills you have. When you can make beautiful sounds playing a few notes into a digital box, you create a category of musicians who "play the pedal". The pedal is the instrument, the guitar is the triggering device. Playing the pedal isn't lazy; It's a way for people to paint beautiful pictures from a limited palette. I play pretty well, but I have to be careful not to let TH-cam videos take me to the fantasy factory. A George Harrison pedal might make me sound exactly like George Harrison. But a Matteo Mancusco pedal would guarantee disappointment because what he has, and I don't, cannot be put in a pedal.
I certainly see as a creator standpoint, guitar pedal reviews go absolutely nowhere as viral as multi-effects. However, Effects in general do not catch on as much as guitar reviews. I remember back in the day searching every pedal shootout video. The affordability issue I see both sides, the evolution of competition kind of has created an awakening though where smaller companies are doing better productions at a cheaper price....so if the Big Name is charging 2x is it because thats what it costs and is the smaller company undercutting the Big Name. I have no hate fro either one, and hope to own both ends of the spectrum.
Facts
The worst thing is not the evolution of the actual gear. Pedals are ingredients and we are the cook that prepares the dish. Actually amps became better and ....smaller. analog fx returned together with amp profilers. Tone x or other multy fx got fx in a smaller lighter box. The worst thing is computer programming and recording at home. New tech isolated players to their basement. Players can't find easily music companion to play and even record live. I.e zoom multichannel recording gives you 8 to 12 channels. Many amps have line outputs so an average band with a vocalist 2 gtr 1 bass 1 drummer can use 7 to 10 channels directly to a digital recorder and then yes go to a pc and mix it. An average guitar bass amp drum set cost no more than 700 to 1000 euros
A pedalboard I.e all boss wazas can be from 500 to 1000 euros. Agree that dumble amp and klon pedal will Improve sound but only a small percentage. Why 6000 for klon centaur and not 200 for WA CENTAVO?
Why the hype for fz2 hyper fuzz when you can find EHX OR TC ELECTRONIC WITH LESS THAN 100 EUR?
Why 5000 to 1000 for an old 50s tele while the fender player series or US PRO or US VINTAGE the most reach a tag of 1500 to 2000 ? One factor that all ignore is human ageing. When u are 20 y.o you hear like a bat. But no money! When you are 58 like me you have 50% hear loss but you have money. Unless one is a collector it's better to upgrade the existing gear and spend money on records and liste to music. Or produce music.but MOST OF ALL F8ND A MUSIC COMPANY AND PLAY NO MATTER WHAT.
Listen To Patala Band: Who knows.
That’s the mobile phone effect i think
I appreciate that. I gotta say I love having a lot of pedals so that I can choose my drive or delay depending on the mood. But then I stick to those 1-2 options that I have on the board and try to give it all I got. That's a mix of both worlds I guess. 😅
@@KrisBarocsi It's not any kind of purist thing for me, just rather focus on the music without all the option paralysis.
Love youuuuuuu
Modern everything has made us lazy
Where does the tone come from ...❤
tonewoood!
@@BigEdWo absolutelly 😂
Ohh... I though from the moon. Damn it. 😂
@@KrisBarocsi ...nerver use distortion on a full moon!
But with this gear you showing up, is normal having GAS. ;)
Oh man, of course! 😂 It's all good. Especially as long as GAS keeps you excited for guitar and inspires you to play more, it's all for the good cause. I'm only worried about a lot of people digging so deep into building a super complex rig that they forget to play their guitar. 😅
It's not WHAT you have in your house, it's WHO you have in it. Understanding this makes your life so much simpler.
Often perfect guitarist are dull, boring.
Nerallink predictive signal chain management. 🤖 it knows what you want before you do!
I'm pretty sure that's gonna be a thing one day. 😂
@@KrisBarocsi be kind to the machines the Robo revolution is inevitable muhahaha