I am almost 52 years old, which is old enough to remember when my parents' generation could afford a house and car, Mom could stay home and raise the kids while Dad worked a factory job- and the family lived COMFORTABLY. Those bitching boomers either have forgotten this, or don't realize what the cost of living is these days. I have a good paying job, yet two missed paychecks would have me out on the streets. I can't even imagine how tough it must be for young musicians to LIVE these days, let alone afford gear. Preach it, Glenn and fuck those boomers who shit on anyone who can't afford a $5K Gibson.
This could be partially due to their memories being awful. Not sure if its simply caused by age or something more sinister that makes boomers' memory hole all of human history every 2 weeks. One thing that's contributed to their brain rot is they've gotten "rich" in retirement but want to pretend its not just because the housing market went insane and screwed younger generations. Even boomers with no retirement plan have struck it rich thanks to what younger generations are forced to pay them for their homes. They all want to act like wisely invested retirees, when most of them would have been relatively poor in retirement without housing and rent prices going up 300% in a decade.
@@TheGamingHoser It's lead poisoning, man. Last gen before unleaded gasoline was the norm, among other things. When they really start dropping off all the brain research done is going to reveal they have brains like raisins from all the lead.
Im 63. I have an Eastman SB59 handmade guitar ( made in China). One of the best guitars I have owned. When I was a teen in the 70s I worked at a restaurant and saved enough to get a Les Paul Standard $500.00 case included .... In my opinion gibson ( and other) guitar prices are a joke. I live below poverty level, worked hard my whole life .... this boomer didn't get shit. I totally agree with you. Do you want to eat or own a overprice guitar. A good guitar is a good guitar. Peace !
That is why the homeless issue is so widespread today. And drugs are a ripple effect of the struggle. It's absolutely horrible and politically everyone is at war, so solutions are lost in hyperbole. My dad was injured when I was 8, and we LIVED on my mom's waitress pay for a long time with us 3 kids. It was lean but we never knew it. They were strong minded, resilient people that grew up without. Not choosing wifi and a cell phone over rent and food. I don't know what the answers are, but my $300 Austin single cut plays as good as any LP I've had with added Epiphone pickups. And My Crate G-60 single 12 f'n rips. At 54, I'ma poor, cheap bastard that loves playing and gives no fux what any gear snob thinks. 🤘🏻
Speaking as a Toronto freelancer who does quite well for myself, the reality is that artist fees haven’t caught up with cost of living. Rent is more expensive than ever, good quality food is more expensive than ever, gear, instruments and repairs are more expensive than ever. I do well for myself, but sometimes I look at the amount of work I have to do to make the same amount of money as friends of mine in other fields and then I usually have an existential crisis.
Yeah. The economics of being an artist have never been great. And the state of the economy definitely doesn't help either since we're all struggling. However, I would add that gear and instruments have gotten cheaper over time. If you look at the price of synths such as the poly evolver, prophet 08, lil phatty, Korg triton, etc. and you plug their MSRP's into an inflation calculator, you'll see that it would actually be more expensive to buy them now compared to their modern counterparts. Not to mention, the guitar market has gotten much better, and you can find a really good guitar for only a couple hundred to several hundred bucks. Even though you can make records now on a shoestring budget with reaper and free VSTs on the internet, most people still don't make min wage off their music. So musicians will always be poor and engineering time isn't gonna get any cheaper either.
@@lytona Art especially gets downplayed. People think it should be cheaper than it is until you somehow attach an ugly NFT to it, which is close to automating the character creation part of an early 90s PC game.
One of the best decisions I've ever made was getting a couple tools and taking the time to learn how to properly maintenance/mod my gear. Saves a ton of money and no time wasted waiting on someone else to do it. I wouldn't have half the gear I do now if I had to pay to keep everything maintained. I'd either have to sell some of it or it'd all just sound and feel terrible
Maybe do something that people want to pay for, and do your hobbies as a side activity. Instead of the mentality of "other people have to do the boring jobs that sustain our modern way of life, I wont, I deserve to be paid for the stuff no one wants to buy". Thats kind of a terrible entitlement. If no one did the boring jobs you wouldnt even have electricity. Maybe if you want people to pay for your stuff, do a valuable service for them.
@@adel616 when did I say anything about having that mentality? I said that artist fees simply haven’t kept up with the rising costs of living, especially in a large city like Toronto. That’s simply reality. Also, nobody in the arts that is doing anything of note is doing it as a “hobby”, if they’re making anything impactful. I make a good income solely from music, so clearly I’m doing something that people want to pay for. That being said, the effort required to make a sufficient living as a musician is astonishingly high. Also, for you who seem to place so little value on the arts (you sound like you’re perhaps someone who tried to make a career in the arts and are bitter because it didn’t quite work out), try going a few months without watching tv, listening to music, watching TH-cam, reading books… hell, even looking at billboards or advertisements out in public.
I think a miniseries featuring gear for hobbyists might be kinda fun. Some people want to play their local open mic and record love songs for their partners, and that's totally valid :)
I replaced a band member who's life choices forced him to not tour in '84-'85. I ended up replacing him permanently by the end of the tour. I've had a good life, few regrets. I will say to younger artists... It's WORK, be prepared. Ask questions and LISTEN to the answers. Hire a lawyer, UNDERSTAND what you sign. DON'T take anything personally and know how to take criticism. Family and friends matter, stay in touch. Good musicians aren't always good people. Get sleep when you can, even a power nap can do miracles.
This is golden advice. And I know this sounds a bit oversimple maybe, but if you're touring in a van in a colder climate, stuff as many blankets in that fkn thing as you can. You will *need* them. Don't try to be badass and skimp on anything that can keep you warm. You'll regret it. And those hand-warmer packets, too. Wrap cables in blankets with packets in them to keep them from snapping if you're unraveling them in real cold weather (it can happen to YOU!)
I can't find a way to give this a 10x like sign. This is SO true!. We musicians are real lucky to have a really enjoyable work, but hey, it's still work, and if you want any degree of success with it it must be handled in a responsible and sensible manner!
At 1:20, the comment about musicians being poor. My first show in a bar in 1984 at the age of 14 in Tennessee paid $150, split 3 ways, that was $50 in my pocket at a time when picking tobacco or throwing hay on wagon yielded a $10 bill for a sunup to sundown day of work. Years go by, I start playing music with friends again and a bar of larger size in 2010 wants to pay $200. I played for a while as I enjoyed the time with friends but I didn't do it for long as I have better things to do with my time than drag out several vehicles worth of equipment work for 8 hours and walk away with my $50 cut. A bar may sell $150 worth of beer a night... but friday or saturday night with a good band may sell $3000 worth of beer, they just won't pay for quality entertainment.
we did a Thursday Jam at a bar, where they'd likely have 5 people otherwise. They'd now draw anywhere from 50 to 100 people on a Thursday, rake in $3-$4k, according to the bartenders, but $300 was too expensive to pay the band according to the owner. After about 5 years, they stopped having any live music, and they are back to a few people a night, except on Sundays for NFL. They have karaoke and a dance DJ now.
@@JohnnyMegabyteCanada perhaps young and upcoming bands can convince club/bar owners that people can buy a six pack of beer and listen to their own spotify playlist for less than the cost of two beers... or clubs can pay to get bands to play live and give people a reason to come out.
Your channel is why i quit fearing costs on my stuff. I learned that gear thats expensive can be as bad as cheap gear or some cheap is better then the expensive. Because of you, i grew more as a musician then i did on my own. Thank you man. I know my rig is setup to be a wild shenanigan for most, but when its in the right hands, it will make amazing music, and becauw of you, i feel like i have done it right. So when i finally can throw down a proper recording, i may have to ask for help lol.
Nice of you to put viewers comments on my 60th birthday! I'm officially old now. Thanks Glenn! FWIW: I've found that one of the best ways to get around the financial burden of gear is to learn how gear works and build it yourself. A CAPI VP 28 kit will cost you about $300, an AML 1081 modules only about $250 - but the preamps you get when you finish building them is easily equivalent or better than to preamps that costs 2 to 3 times the price of the kit. Same thing applies for guitars - learn how to modify an inexpensive instrument and you could wind up with a guitar that smokes instruments that are 3 times the price. It's also always smarter to buy instruments that you can customize without destroying their "vintage" value.
You are 100% correct! Problem is people don't wanna learn and don't wanna do the work. Same goes for pretty much everything that people pay others to do for them. For me 99% of things that go wrong I can fix myself. If not for that I'd be dead broke!
+1 on this!!! Most of my instruments are "beefed up" budget or "upgraded" basic-to-mid-level ones, and they perform as smoothly (or sometimes even better) than other, more expensive ones. What's basic and important is to know what you want and what you can expect from them, and whether you can get that by upgrading certain parts or improving the setup. But nothing of this is real worth if you haven't paid your dues by honing and working on your skills as a musician, that's what will give you the needed perspective to bring your instrument to the next level, and actually be able to discern it and enjoy it!
The lead guy that I was in bands with from late 90s through mid 2000s always had people checking out his tone when we played out of state. The Dual Recitifer was mythical…we called it his “Sounds like Hecktifier”
My father was a professional musician in the early 70's, playing with his cover band in a dance hall every night they were open. Live music was the attraction that brought the crowds in. It's one of my earliest memories to have been at one of their rehearsals. By the end of the 70's he had sold all his gear and worked a 9 to 5 job, as DJ's had replaced the coverbands and all the dance halls had become discotheques. And nowadays DJ's have replaced bands as the live act. Pressing play on a playlist and waving your arms about is now being a musician and rock has become the new jazz, a niche music stream, just like it had done to jazz in the 50's. You can demand more money, but you can only negotiate what you are worth, and competition is fierce. Remember, that DJ is now a musician too and he doesn't cost so much as a live band. If you want to make more money you gotta pull in more crowds.
I think that's kind of unfair. Plenty of musicians back in the day were hacks and plenty of DJ's are extremely creative musicians. The issue isn't DJ's it's the same as it's always been-corporate labels.
We played fulltime in the 80's and were played quite well back then. Even with a large production we carried made a decent living. That was a gazzilion years ago. Fast forward to now and we did a gig at a premier club in my home town and filled the room with friends and followers from the social media places. At the end of the night the owner asks where my bro was so he could pay him. He actually gave him 40 bucks! Bro said keep it! The owner made over 6k on the cash register, i know that because i knew the head bartender quite well and she told me. Retired from playing now and i can understand the grief new musicians have to go through. Dave from the Tall Band. TC
As someone in there mid 20’s it really is sad seeing my friends and colleagues working 50+ hours a week in jobs that 35 years ago would have been able to afford you a house, decent car and the ability to support a family. But now at the most will get you a closet sized bedroom in a house you share with 3-4 other people and a vehicle that is one bad pot hole away from being totalled. So ya a $2,000+ “made in usa” guitar isn’t exactly on the radar lol
I’m actually almost 28 years old and still live with my parents and working full time and going to college to get my degree in computer science so I can get a good paying career as a software engineer! The reality is today you can’t just get a job and expect to make ends meet. Unfortunately only 35% of jobs support a middle class lifestyle and most of those require a college degree and specific skills.
Been subscribed since almost the beginning of your channel. The one thing I'd love to see is an interview with your Mrs! I'm sure she's been through a lot supporting you through this and I'd honestly be extremely interested in her take on your new career. Without a great woman/man/partner/etc we are nothing but grave dirt.
It's not even about being poor. I could afford a much more expensive instrument when I bought my first guitar with two humbuckers. Still, I chose a Harley Benton. Why? Well, because my intention was to play it. Because if I damaged it beyond repair, I'd just replace it. If I was unhappy with it, at least I wouldn't have burned a lot of money to get it. It turned out to be an excellent instrument, btw. Four years later I still have it and play it every day.
I paid $159.00 for the 7 string multiscale HB, after I put about $50 of upgrades into it I am still below $250 into it not counting the tax and shipping. I couldn't be happier with my cheap guitar!
Hey Glen. Yes, please do the noobie gear guide, and if possible throw in some added info for bass too. At least that way you can mix with a friend, or add some layers to your mix. Cheers.
Honestly a frankencab with 4 completely different speakers is an insane concept especially for the studio! Would also give a very interesting thing in the room probably
I find it funny how people looked down on guitars made in japan but now they are seen as symbols of extreme craft and quality. Jackson now sells the same budget guitars for 2000+ dollars because hey japanese guitars are premium. I feel the same thing is gonna happen to Korea and Indonesia in the future where companies are gonna increase the price because hey it's a premium instrument now.
If they were as good as MIJbwas in the late 70’s , early 80’s that would certainly be true. But alas. Not one of those I’ve seen is anywhere near as good as Tokai, Burny, and Greco from that era. As far as &2000 for MIJ new guitars? they can keep em. Lots of better options out there as you describe
@@ro307805 I think early 2000s Jacksons were really sick too. I recently ordered one because my friend got a Kelly from that era and he loves that thing. We're planning on playing some stuff at our uni in the coming year.
Well the perception of foreign guitars has to change with the advancement of the factories in some of the "import guitar" countries. It's a matter of companies, choosing the right contractors and factories and communicating and coordinating with them and also, holding them accountable for the expectations layed out in the contract. That's been happening and now, you've got Chinese factories that can make guitars that are now the same quality as the Indonesian guitars were, 10 years ago.
You can only sell so many high end guitars, especially as musicians with lots of money to burn are declining. Unless they are hobbyist blues lawyers. With most musicians not earning much to live off their music I think the demand for affordable decent quality will remain greater then for high end guitar and it would be commercial suicide for Indonesia and Korea to switch to that saturated market. They will probably instead try to increase their quality for as much as possible as a modest increase in price will allow.
I don't know, MIJ is like a sign of ultimate craftsmanship to me, but I've also only started looking at guitars a couple years ago so back in the day it might've been different
Awesome content, as always! It's always a pleasure to look for the latest video and find your view on things we usually ask ourselves but are not commonly discussed in the open. +1 on the idea for the starter kit video, nowadays is quite easier to find good equipment on a budget, than when I started on music 40+ years ago! Speaking of which, Have you considered doing a review on the Valeton GP-200 unit? It seems like it's a real unsung competitor in the modeler pedalboards game... Keep up the good job, and rock on!!!
I signed my first record deal in 88’ every musician I knew Was living hand to mouth…. Nobody had their own recording studios….. I know lots of musicians who have had hit records who don’t have any money for retirement…. Not a boomer take just a reality take.
Out of curiosity, what hits are you referring to? * I don't doubt at at what you say. It's reality! I see MANY guitarists that are WAY better than I'll ever be. Very few of them make a reliable living on just playing. It's almost like sports. A very few get rich, but most need a "regular" job.
@@davidnika446 my first experience with this was the lead singer for a band called “Cutting Crew” came to the studio I was working at- in the late 80’s to borrow a mic…. “I thought - wow- one of the biggest hits of the decade and he cant afford his own mic”- not uncommon in Los Angeles- and just to show you its an industry wide thing….. 2 guys from a Nashville 90’s super group more than 1/2 dz #1 records- who don’t have a pot to piss in….. if it wasn’t for shows at fair grounds…. They would be working at Home Depot…. And of course….. Timothy B Schmidt was famously “couch surfing” when the eagles reunited….. the only “job” in life with a higher degree of poverty requires a vow of poverty …..
People forget the phrase "starving artist." When I was in my early twenties in the late 90s, the only people I knew who had expensive gear were people with rich parents, or people who absolutely destroyed their credit to get what they wanted, lol.
@@NashvillePastaman Cutting Crew! That's cool that you met them. I think you'd agree that for musicians that have a big pay day, they shouldn't count on another one at all. And most don't have even that. That's why I would like to be "rich". To me, being rich means owning a house, having it paid off, and having enough reserve to pay the taxes, and eat. I wouldn't bet on making a living from music however. A few people do it. But it doesn't work that way for most.
That newbie gear guide sounds swell, more people in the mix, might get us new and exciting tones. I’m taking the liberty of suggesting a followup more indepth gear guide, from budget to high-end of different pieces needed for any beginners still out there, or advanced people who are browsing through the jungle of all the gear out there. Your brutal honesty will do wonders here! As always, loving your content Glen!
A “How to Get Started” gear guide for any instrument and ESPECIALLY recording would be awesome. Starting from “Which computer to I get?” to “What mastering plugins do I need?” would be outstanding!
Thank you Glenn for being one of the rare older public figures that stands up for young adults on economics. I'm 34 and I still don't know how to tell people why I'm working part time and living with my mother and sister. The reality is because even if i did work my ass off 40-60 hours a week i wouldn't have any joy left in my life for years upon years before i came close to achieving a stable independent livelihood. Like, sorry, meeting people's outdated expectations is not worth it
Hey there ! Wanted to share my practice routine to prepare for live or studio gigs : you're nailing that palm mute pattern ? Now do it on a telecaster. Your neck hand is doing the part smoothly? Try it on a 7+ strings. Your daily routine is doing good ? Well now try it standing in a minimal lightning. A lot of fellows musicians tend to forget how conditions changes everything and having multiple instruments is an amazing practice tool when you can afford it. ( Getting to know your main instrument is another way to do it tho, this idea is meant to work on versatility) Disclaimer: no one HAS to get multiple instruments, I just see way too much guitarists stashing instruments without using them.
Im glad your videos showed up in my YT shorts while on vacation a bit back, hadnt watched in a while and kinda forgot, wont lie and say I watch every episode but definitely a great occasional watch about my interests
everyone says if you have a fulltime job, music is just a hobby. Our singer once said, how many hobbies pay you? With that said, I started on some humble gear, 1982 Ibanez Blazer + Marshal JCM800 combo, then used 80's Roland JC-77 and pedals. But instead of pissing my money away drinking at the bars I was playing, I ended up with all sorts of decent gear, mostly used and cheaper, I have more than I need, and some recording gear. I have a full PA, lighting, lots of 57/58 all used. I have sold some of the guitars, amps and pedals I really don't need, and ya, I buy something more. Not so much in the last 4 years. Latest purchase though was Mackie Onyx 24 mixer/audio interface. Sold my old interface.
I had to move back in with my family around covid after my father wasn’t able to work as much. They needed help financially and with my dad’s health issues (PTSD he received while he was a combat medic for the military.) I’m not at a point where I’m having a hard time finding my own place to live because I’ve now been priced out of my area. I don’t work a bad paying job either. Now I’m forced to either stay with my parents (I have no issues with this, I’m close with both of them and I’m willing to help in any way I can) or move out of or across the state just to find a place to live. The people who can’t grasp how rough it is don’t realize the privilege spewing out of their asses.
You know why I love this channel Mix Master Glenn? Because you remind of my best friend from Boston😂. Dude will straight roast the shit out of you😂😂. But at the end of the day you both take up for the little guy.
...... but at least the vast majority of the 'relatively cheap stuff' is now actually usable! Back in the day an analogue synth which today something similar might cost around $100-300 would have cost the same as a house!
Yeah it's almost lile 100+ years of Keynesian economic policy, endless welfare domestically and internationally, outsourcing production for cheap crap, endless wars, allowing dual citizens to act as state and federal representatives, and going off the gold standard for the petrodollar (that Saudi Arabia just nuked) were all bad ideas.....
@@adel616 actually the 1970s equivalent to today's $400 is around $42, a Teisco 1970 Electric guitar cost around $35 to $90 depending on the model as far as I can tell from old ads, sometimes less if on offer.
The guy touting his 5150’s shift in tone after the tube swap probably had a failing tube somewhere. Along with the hot plate allowing him to saturate that power amp. Of course it’s going to sound a boat load better.
This is very true. Jobs don't pay anymore. I would bet the starting salary at the factory Glenn worked at has actually gone down and not up over the last few years. I know the starting salary where I work was $22 and hour in 2010. Now is $16 and change.
I took a grill off this old solid state peavey actually, then it started having grounding issues for no reason. The grill now lives in it's original spot and the grounding is better than wihtout.
Man ! I spent a little over a grand to rebuild a Gibson Ranger 1955. Installed an Alessandro GASC 59 speaker. New tube's some capacitors, vibrato wired correctly. It's awesome. Had doubts about doing it. Now no doubt.
10 bucks for a pizza? What is it, a 6" margherita from a shittiest chain in the area? I miss times when even like 10 years ago you could buy decent 12" pizza for a fiver with no extra cost to it but nowadays it's gonna be at least 15 + service fee + delivery fee + tip so nearing 20 in total
Glenn, you should poll what bands have issues with, especially Noise for rehearsing or home recording. Is headphones the only solution? To me, headphones are worse than a loud amp for ear problems, ringing, etc. Toronto Noise Bylaws really stink. I have a PA in my basement with a home studio setup, real drums + electric kit (neither are mine), but not used in 5 years, thanks to complaining neighbours ... vibrations from drums or bass amp, not the sound. I have had 12 visits from the cops since 2014, who think they came to the wrong house, because you can't hear anything from outside. They even called and scolded the person who reported me. One noise complaint was E-drums with headphones, but my friend was practicing. Elderly basement apartment neighbor claimed to hear the drums, most likely vibrations from the E-Kick pedal. BTW some of the cops that came over were musicians, and were happy we were jamming.
I keep discussing this point with friends: most things ( objects ) aren't exceptionally expensive, If anything, they should be more expensive, but in a completely different set of circumstances. The pay hasn't caught up with living expenses and essential services and the biggest issue is, of course, housing. What I think would be more correct towards people is to have manufactured goods be more expensive, supported for many more years ( along with consumer repair rights ) and have that go back to actual workers, actual decent wages ( with worker's rights ). I'd want to be able to buy less, but more premium, and "hand made" by workers with enough rights an economic/job security to become masters of their craft. No more race to the bottom and offshoring for slave labor; some stability and long term sustainability is required. Right now, it looks like our future is a cyberpunk nightmare, without the cool aesthetic and SciFi tech. rant over. I can only afford cheap gear and maybe some lucky flea market finds.
There are two things about paid musicians that up and coming musicians won't accept. #1 You are probably not very good at the trifecta (instrumentation, singing and writing). All of them have to be excellent. If you are an instrumentalist that can't write and sing, you aren't going far. #2 Let's say you are members of The Warning or Starcrawler level of talent (which is the minimum), it's time to do your location research. Like people moving to Hollywood to be an actor, your job is to find where your type of music is being played. You may have to use the internet to make connections to people in foreign countries. Some people are big in Japan and some people are big in Germany and you might have to accept that your sound is big in another country too.
I’d love to see more content on speakers. Could be a series of just fucking around and finding out. I’m curious what mixes well together and what doesn’t for X patterns
I'd love to see you do a series of gear needs for musicians and home recording, but one each for budget, mid, and upper (not pro) level. Maybe in each one have the rigs for a bedroom player and the players playing out, and a couple of options for each thing. Like, that HB SG is great but not everyone wants an SG, so what's another great option? My caveat would be that the gear should be readily available and not stuff one has to go hunt down, notification triggers set up across gear sites, or luck-out in coming across in some other way. That HB SG copy is definitely on my list, not for me but for my daughter. I'm probably going to borrow it a lot, though. lol Keep up the great work!
I like how you mentioned using a Mesa Dual Rec for bluesy tones. I am a huge Dave Matthew’s fan and I believe Tim Reynolds uses a Mesa Duel Rec for his rig. I feel like people attribute Mesa to heavy metal and rock, but I see a lot of guys using them for cleans and crunch. Kinda goes back to what you said about just use those wonderful things called knobs and turn them to get what you’re looking for!
Hey Glenn, I think you and I are about the same sort of "vintage" (and probably of the same opinion that whilst growing old is compulsory, the growing up part is entirely optional...) anyway, I digress. That quote from Schwabb regarding the "pay packets away from destitution" is a bit of an eye-opener because I remember a time when the phrase was "none of us are more than *five* pay packets away from destitution"... Now we're down to one!! It's a shit world out there, you're doing Crom's work my friend.
I absolutely agree with a noob toolkit series. While it's obviously your choice as to what gets presented, but I would suggest doing a "I have a five-year-old laptop with a hard drive packed with games" noob studio setup as well as a pristine, current-computer setup, and a couple of levels of inexpensive newbie guitar studio setups.
Man, i would love this channel if he would drop the high pitch/fast talking gimmick thing. You talk on great subjects my man. I just end up cutting the video off after hearing it a few times.
14:32 I’d love to see you do this! I play faster than most doom and like right rhythms but love the tone so I’ve been mixing a Sunn Model T (and a Sunn 0 pedal) with an Orange Rockaverb. Speakers are where I’m still experimenting with.
"Who wants a guitar made in China?" PRS do. Fender do. Gibson do. I do. Eastman, Shijie, Cortek-China PRS SE hollowbody, Alvarez acoutics. Yes please. I'll even take Epiphones. Sweeping generalisations just dont work. Theres a spectrum of good/bad/indifferent brands and factories in every country, and everything from low end to high end if you're willing to look. Cherry pick the right OEM factory. The country is irrelevant.
Having fresh strings is very important, as you have said in your videos, as many guitarists and bass players neglect!! Why not do a video comparing different brands and types of guitar and bass strings!! That should motivate a lot of players to replace their dull sounding strings, for a fresh set, as to save time in the studio, having to constantly tune and re-tune again and again!! Thanks for the enlightening and entertaining videos, Glenn!!
Maybe it's different in the US. In the UK when I was younger (25+ years ago) i struggled. I had to live in house shares to afford rent, I couldn't buy luxuries (and certainly not the high tier instruments - bearing in mind the lower cost instruments were not nearly as reliable as the lower cost instruments are now). I almost got kicked out of one place because I couldn't afford rent one month due to being ill for a few days. I didn't own a car at the time because car costs were high mostly because of the insane insurance on younger drivers. Buying a house was definitely cheaper but I couldn't afford to do so anyway. And this isn't just a personal experience, other people struggled too. At the time I met a man who was working 3 jobs to just support his family and he was too much of a decent man to just give up and rely on benefits. Now, there is so much information found online that you can teach yourself many things quite competently. You can learn guitar easier and get to a level when you can get work from it. We would have to pay for lessons, or buy books, or maybe use the already dilapidated libraries. You can look up how to generate your own content online. You can find bit jobs through 5iver etc. You can even do some tasks online to make a bit of money. So yes housing might be more expensive but I really dispute that overall the current generation have it any worse than any prior generations, at least when it comes to the UK. There are just different challenges, like with every generation. Not only that but the older generations do have a nasty habit of looking at their past through rose tinted specs.
I think you need shielded cable to do 4 channels of analog balanced audio. It can be cat5, cat6 or cat6a. It's not about the shielding. It's about having a ground. An XLR has 3 conductors: positive, negative and ground. They can all share the same ground, which is the shielding, while the +/- of each channel has its own twisted pair. The shielding appears to be just the 9th conductor for the ground. Installing data cables of all kinds is part of what I do for a living. I own one of these setups an for XLR over STP (Shielded Twisted Pair). I peeked inside the box, and the wiring inside the converter is just wiring, at least in the one I own. UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) will probably give you a signal but your ground might be unstable.
Hey Glen i’m a big fan of the channel! If you haven’t looked into the Peavey VTM-60 from the 80’s, I would love to hear you do a review of that amp as it is one of my favorites. Thanks!
I bought a guitar recently for $200. It was supposed to be $350 with hardcase, but they couldnt find it, so i talked them down to $200. Its an Ibanez AT hollow body. Its made in china, was made in 2015, and retailed new for $989 CAD. It's a wonderful guitar. I also played a $500 Epihpone and a $1000 Gretch to compare. The Gretch was lovely and well worth the money, but I hated the epiphone. The Ibanez felt best in my hands. The epiphone was fine but i didnt like the neck shape and the volume/tone knobs had red skulls on them, a very weird aesthetic choice for a "grandpa" hollow body guitar. I did not even ask or notice until after purchase that its made in china. I'm happy with the purchase.
My killer rig is dead simple. An epiphone SG Standard, Neural DSP Rabbea Massad and Positive Grid effects and Reaper. And this is after almost 25 years of playing. I wish I had this stuff when I was starting out!
I would love to hear what you suggest for new players. So a big fat "yes" to new player gear list! I finally got off my ass and modernized my rig (I was playing a Marshall 8200 Valvestate with a full stack: 1960-A and -B cabinet I bought in 1992) and now play a tonex one pedal into the power amp in on a 100W Katana MK II. Sounds as good as my old head/stack and I probably play about 400% more since I can take it anywhere, play with headphones, get my tone at non-deafening volume, and not piss off the wife/neighbourhood when I play. Bought my new gear for about 500$ (the Katana was used) and sold the old rig for a lot more than I paid in 92'. I think that my new rig is affordable and would be a good setup option for a new person as well. If they had this stuff back when I started playing in the 80's I wouldn't have considered buying that Marshall rig. Probably would have bought the tonex one, a Orange 100W pedal baby power amp, and a made a 2X12. Love your show and enjoy your trips abroad! Thanks for sharing your knowledge so guys like me can catch up! Things have changed a lot since the last time I was in a studio (1998)! Swamper on Lake Erie (Norfolk County)
A video recommending recording gear for a newbie would be great, maybe cover several budgets and recommend what stuff is worth spending the extra money on.
I'm 50 and when I was in my mid-30's I became disabled. Suddenly, I went from struggling to make ends meet to losing my house. My then spouse and I had to move in with a friend and ever since we've barely made it by. People who act like it's that easy to get and/or keep a job these days are living in a dream world. The most annoying thing I've seen people do is refer to those who don't have a lot of money as 'poors'. People are such douchebags, sometimes.
Absolutely a Newbie's Gear Guide! Especially if you could do a video on entry-level studio building that could be updated every couple of years as technology warrants. It'd be amazing if you could do separate recording rigs, like a desktop-focused recording setup and a laptop-based one.
@@war2thegrave I'd say, that's one of the visible symptoms of a broken society .. where rich and poor have separated so far, that it's inconceivable, they exist next to each other without the rich thinking: "Hey .. this poor person there has nothing .. I have too much, yet I hardly pay any taxes .. let's make things right, here." I guess, the so-called "christians" aren't, what they claim, they used to be, neither.
Speaker recommendation (for metal): Eminence Private Jacks. Sort of greenback voiced but definitely its own thing. I can say for certain they have a break in time. Since I bought 1, then another initially (within a month), liked it and bought 4 more much later on. In both cases, the fresh out of box is very harsh in the high end. And in both cases it took about a month of mild play for them to be leveled out. It was noticeable in the sense I was swapping each out (new and "broken in") to make sure I wasn't hearing things...more true for high gain stuff. I also noticed a fair amount of the reviews on this speaker to cite its harshness, which makes me wonder if they were reviewed NIB. I liked them so much because when you crank them up, you dont have overwhelming bass and the "harshness" isnt a thing when driven, while still cutting through the mix with a pronounced mid range. Give it a try!
Watching Glenn on a daily made me realize that there is little to no hope for any new rock/metal band who haven't got a shit ton of money nor contacts to make it big. The attention span has decreased to a minimal low and I genuinely fear that in 10-20 years time, only the existing big artists (pop stars) will continue putting out their redundant/overused songs and that's all the majority of the public will consume.
Newbie gear guides would go hard, always looking for a good setup to recommend friends starting out and Im tired of recommending the same DI box/ Scarlett combo lol
It's funny you recommended Creambacks to blend with a hempback, I just did a mix where I used a Cannabis Rex on one guitar because I had one years ago and I loved the sound, and almost at random picked a Creamback for the other guitar and really liked the way they worked together. Was gonna send it in for Monday mix reviews if the lads get it online in time haha.
Aww I've been itching for his thoughts on this but I guess I can wait for Mr. fancy pants to return from his travels, hey fuck you Glenn how dare you enjoy your money when I need you to tell me my snare sounds like shit haha jk please don't, much love and safe travels
On the reviewing for good stuff on the cheap. Glenn, I've been following you and subbed going on 9 years now, and I've bought some of the stuff you've reviewed. 1. Sampson CS1/CS2 mic. So for $30 it's not bad. They don't make it anymore sadly. However the CS2 (instrument recording top) really sucked. The CS1 was fine until you bumped it. It picked up every fly landing on the nole. If you're desperate, for $30 alright. But if you can just get an e835 or an sm58 for $100, they're still affordable. 2. The Joyo zombie. So I bought a used 5150 50w and it's amazing, like I get why it's so popular. Going through my schecter demon 6 with ABH pickups is insane. The zombie did have a lot to be desired though. The adjustments for what you can do really remind me of the "morph" knob on the metal master pedal. It is quite limited in tone, but it's cheap so okay if you're JUST starting out and don't know if you'll stick with guitar. 3. The Harley Benton 2x12 with celestion v30s... okay I literally cannot complain about this cab. The leather wrap is beautiful, it's sturdy, sounds amazing, and for the price, actually cheaper than 2 v30s depending on where you buy them. It's lightweight, easy to load up for gigs, and the handles make it super easy to take the cab and amp in 1 trip. 10/10 would 100% reccomend. 4. The Behringer Xenyx 4 channel mini-mixer. Look, it's a mini-mixer, it does it's job great, and tbh I've beaten the hell out of mine and it still works like a charm. Only downside... there's no power switch so you actually have to unplug it to turn it off 😅. So some are great, some are okay, and some have brought buyers remorse.
GLENNN!!! Regarding tone, cabs, speakers, IRs for bass and guitar. Can you review Celestion BN12-300S: Celestion recommend these for BOTH guitar and bass, their support (signed as Dr Decibel) just warn that using them in a semi-open guitar cab will lose some bottom end, though it's totally safe even to play bass through a setup like that. Some big names in boutique cabs market use them (Zilla, Barefaced, Quilter), and some people use them with a poweramp instead of FRFR for modellers. I'm thinking to load my H&K 100W 2x12 combo with these for capturing "moving air" with a mic, and blending that with tracks with IRs using Captor X or similar, both bass and guitar. I wonder how these would work for guitar/bass metal tones for someone who knows what they're doing, and how much using these in different types of cabs (2x12 vs 4x12, open vs closed, etc.) and/or using EQ at the end of the signal chain in effects loop would affect the tone.
Love your vids Glenn i just purchased my amp and guitar sadly i couldn't take your recommendations like the 6160 combo and the peavey vk because not alot of people sell amps in my country, i picked up a jackson js32t and a boss katana 50 mk2 i think the amp is really good for the price, it had alot of humm but i lowered the pickups down and now its enjoyable to play Keep up the good vids glenn!!
It’s crazy for the first comment like yes I have a business that is 6 figures something I didn’t have at 17 I’m 27 now but I still go budget options and only did buy 1 expensive “American made” guitar in 2021 which was a PRS CE24 but my other guitars are custom budget “Frankenstein” builds. I recommend US residents to check out guitar fetish pretty rad stuff!
My favorite guitar to play these last couple of years has been my super strat I assembled with Amazon purchase parts, Wilkinson and Guyker hardware with a Wilkinson pickup. Cost me less than $300 to put together. The Roasted flamed maple neck with stainless steel frets was only $70, not $7000.00! I recommend people familiarize yourself with guitar tech jobs and save yourself loads of cash.
Hey Glenn - please don’t hurt me but I do think there is a case where upgrading pickups is actually valid. When playing very low tunings (drop G and drop F) I have found that Fishman Fluence moderns produce a far less muddier tone than my old Ibanez brand pickups. You don’t strike as the kinda guy who would enjoy drop E modern deathcore songs, but it would be interesting to test if the ‘better pickups’ are better when it comes to those low tunings
It been said the EVH would go to Radio Shack and and get those JBL's just to fill the holes of the cab after blowing the 25 watt Greenback. So probably not used much if at all. They set up dummy cabs all the time just for the look.
Hey Glenn, we've heard your take on the differences in tone between humbuckers and how there is little to actually hear, but I was wondering about your thoughts on low vs high output pickups. Are there any real setbacks that a boost or overdrive can't fix?
Dude, I really appreciate that you not only have a grasp on the housing woes of non-boomer generation(s), but that you consistently speak to them. Boomers built their wealth on real estate, and every generation that came after is forced to rent from them. Home ownership is a fantastical dream for current generations.
My land lord went to school with my mother, only reason I can afford my house is because of that, my rent hasn't gone up more than $250 over the last 17 years.
i Use Cat6 cables in my car from the amplifier in the back to the speakers also i made the RCA cables from the stereo to the amplifiers with it, so cat5/6 cables works great for that :)
13:52 That sounds like a cool idea for a video. Make sure you use a variety of fuzzes (E.g. Big Muff, Super/Hyper Fuzz) because from my experience the Hyper Fuzz needs a pretty bright setup to do the "Dopethrone" thing and what settings make it sound good will make pedals like the muff sound terrible and vice versa
15:25 if you do a "newbies gear setup" video, It might be interesting to include drum sets. I know that would be mega expensive to do kit-to-kit comparisons, but I contend that a new cheap drum set is as serviceable as a pricey kit (both in studio or on stage). It's all about tuning the drums with decent heads and mic-ing them appropriately.
Would like to see a oawn shop Frankenstein rig put together....youre going in the right direction ...but your stuff sounds too good😂 I've seen some guys put together some Frankenstein rigs with some unusual sounds that ended up being pretty cool in their own way...
It’s funny how people complain about the cost of things and then b!tch because someone bought something that looks expensive, but isn’t. Today’s instruments are not yesterday’s. When I was younger Japanese guitars were considered cheap (with the exception of Ibanez, but I understand they started that way). The Epiphones and Squiers were cheaply made and it showed. Today’s instruments show a marked improvement in quality over the past instruments. I’ve even seen this company Fesley make some nice looking instruments at a reasonable price. They even address my issues with Gibson/Epiphone Les Paul models, no comfort cuts. I have a friend that owns a Steve Vai signature JEM and he let me try it out. I love the feel, but not keen on 7 strings. I saw that they make a six string model, but it’s in the lower tier (price wise). I have to go “test drive” one to see if the feel is the same. It should be as the neck is the same neck as used on pricier models. I would prefer the lower price anyway, no need to pay extra for someone’s name when I can get a quality guitar for a fraction of the price.
So many of my favorite bands have a second job. Jerry Gaskill from King's X distributes medical supplies when back in New Jersey Karl Alvarez from ALL and Descendents does video production when back in Utah. And those are just two examples, how many others own and run studios or have TH-cam channels or Podcasts to supplement their incomes?
Sunday works, but keep in mind Ola also his weekly show on Sundays as well. Fridays are always a great way to end the workweek, but they always premiere after work’s already started so I have to watch on Saturday morning instead When are we gonna get a Northern Mauler plugin like we did the Cock Blocker? Also, it’d be cool if you used ELE to try and match other drum mixes. It’d be a reliable content idea which would also add more value to ELE by showing what it can do and add to the preset list
I am almost 52 years old, which is old enough to remember when my parents' generation could afford a house and car, Mom could stay home and raise the kids while Dad worked a factory job- and the family lived COMFORTABLY. Those bitching boomers either have forgotten this, or don't realize what the cost of living is these days.
I have a good paying job, yet two missed paychecks would have me out on the streets. I can't even imagine how tough it must be for young musicians to LIVE these days, let alone afford gear.
Preach it, Glenn and fuck those boomers who shit on anyone who can't afford a $5K Gibson.
This could be partially due to their memories being awful. Not sure if its simply caused by age or something more sinister that makes boomers' memory hole all of human history every 2 weeks. One thing that's contributed to their brain rot is they've gotten "rich" in retirement but want to pretend its not just because the housing market went insane and screwed younger generations. Even boomers with no retirement plan have struck it rich thanks to what younger generations are forced to pay them for their homes. They all want to act like wisely invested retirees, when most of them would have been relatively poor in retirement without housing and rent prices going up 300% in a decade.
Based
@@TheGamingHoser It's lead poisoning, man. Last gen before unleaded gasoline was the norm, among other things.
When they really start dropping off all the brain research done is going to reveal they have brains like raisins from all the lead.
Im 63. I have an Eastman SB59 handmade guitar ( made in China). One of the best guitars I have owned. When I was a teen in the 70s I worked at a restaurant and saved enough to get a Les Paul Standard $500.00 case included .... In my opinion gibson ( and other) guitar prices are a joke. I live below poverty level, worked hard my whole life .... this boomer didn't get shit. I totally agree with you. Do you want to eat or own a overprice guitar. A good guitar is a good guitar. Peace !
That is why the homeless issue is so widespread today. And drugs are a ripple effect of the struggle. It's absolutely horrible and politically everyone is at war, so solutions are lost in hyperbole. My dad was injured when I was 8, and we LIVED on my mom's waitress pay for a long time with us 3 kids. It was lean but we never knew it. They were strong minded, resilient people that grew up without. Not choosing wifi and a cell phone over rent and food.
I don't know what the answers are, but my $300 Austin single cut plays as good as any LP I've had with added Epiphone pickups. And My Crate G-60 single 12 f'n rips. At 54, I'ma poor, cheap bastard that loves playing and gives no fux what any gear snob thinks. 🤘🏻
Speaking as a Toronto freelancer who does quite well for myself, the reality is that artist fees haven’t caught up with cost of living.
Rent is more expensive than ever, good quality food is more expensive than ever, gear, instruments and repairs are more expensive than ever.
I do well for myself, but sometimes I look at the amount of work I have to do to make the same amount of money as friends of mine in other fields and then I usually have an existential crisis.
Yeah. The economics of being an artist have never been great. And the state of the economy definitely doesn't help either since we're all struggling. However, I would add that gear and instruments have gotten cheaper over time. If you look at the price of synths such as the poly evolver, prophet 08, lil phatty, Korg triton, etc. and you plug their MSRP's into an inflation calculator, you'll see that it would actually be more expensive to buy them now compared to their modern counterparts. Not to mention, the guitar market has gotten much better, and you can find a really good guitar for only a couple hundred to several hundred bucks.
Even though you can make records now on a shoestring budget with reaper and free VSTs on the internet, most people still don't make min wage off their music. So musicians will always be poor and engineering time isn't gonna get any cheaper either.
@@lytona Art especially gets downplayed. People think it should be cheaper than it is until you somehow attach an ugly NFT to it, which is close to automating the character creation part of an early 90s PC game.
One of the best decisions I've ever made was getting a couple tools and taking the time to learn how to properly maintenance/mod my gear. Saves a ton of money and no time wasted waiting on someone else to do it. I wouldn't have half the gear I do now if I had to pay to keep everything maintained. I'd either have to sell some of it or it'd all just sound and feel terrible
Maybe do something that people want to pay for, and do your hobbies as a side activity. Instead of the mentality of "other people have to do the boring jobs that sustain our modern way of life, I wont, I deserve to be paid for the stuff no one wants to buy". Thats kind of a terrible entitlement. If no one did the boring jobs you wouldnt even have electricity. Maybe if you want people to pay for your stuff, do a valuable service for them.
@@adel616 when did I say anything about having that mentality? I said that artist fees simply haven’t kept up with the rising costs of living, especially in a large city like Toronto. That’s simply reality. Also, nobody in the arts that is doing anything of note is doing it as a “hobby”, if they’re making anything impactful. I make a good income solely from music, so clearly I’m doing something that people want to pay for. That being said, the effort required to make a sufficient living as a musician is astonishingly high.
Also, for you who seem to place so little value on the arts (you sound like you’re perhaps someone who tried to make a career in the arts and are bitter because it didn’t quite work out), try going a few months without watching tv, listening to music, watching TH-cam, reading books… hell, even looking at billboards or advertisements out in public.
I think a miniseries featuring gear for hobbyists might be kinda fun. Some people want to play their local open mic and record love songs for their partners, and that's totally valid :)
I replaced a band member who's life choices forced him to not tour in '84-'85. I ended up replacing him permanently by the end of the tour. I've had a good life, few regrets. I will say to younger artists... It's WORK, be prepared. Ask questions and LISTEN to the answers. Hire a lawyer, UNDERSTAND what you sign. DON'T take anything personally and know how to take criticism. Family and friends matter, stay in touch. Good musicians aren't always good people. Get sleep when you can, even a power nap can do miracles.
@@jeffgutierrez8796 thats actually really great advice …. Well done sir!!
This is golden advice.
And I know this sounds a bit oversimple maybe, but if you're touring in a van in a colder climate, stuff as many blankets in that fkn thing as you can. You will *need* them. Don't try to be badass and skimp on anything that can keep you warm. You'll regret it.
And those hand-warmer packets, too. Wrap cables in blankets with packets in them to keep them from snapping if you're unraveling them in real cold weather (it can happen to YOU!)
I can't find a way to give this a 10x like sign. This is SO true!. We musicians are real lucky to have a really enjoyable work, but hey, it's still work, and if you want any degree of success with it it must be handled in a responsible and sensible manner!
At 1:20, the comment about musicians being poor. My first show in a bar in 1984 at the age of 14 in Tennessee paid $150, split 3 ways, that was $50 in my pocket at a time when picking tobacco or throwing hay on wagon yielded a $10 bill for a sunup to sundown day of work. Years go by, I start playing music with friends again and a bar of larger size in 2010 wants to pay $200. I played for a while as I enjoyed the time with friends but I didn't do it for long as I have better things to do with my time than drag out several vehicles worth of equipment work for 8 hours and walk away with my $50 cut. A bar may sell $150 worth of beer a night... but friday or saturday night with a good band may sell $3000 worth of beer, they just won't pay for quality entertainment.
we did a Thursday Jam at a bar, where they'd likely have 5 people otherwise. They'd now draw anywhere from 50 to 100 people on a Thursday, rake in $3-$4k, according to the bartenders, but $300 was too expensive to pay the band according to the owner. After about 5 years, they stopped having any live music, and they are back to a few people a night, except on Sundays for NFL. They have karaoke and a dance DJ now.
@@JohnnyMegabyteCanada perhaps young and upcoming bands can convince club/bar owners that people can buy a six pack of beer and listen to their own spotify playlist for less than the cost of two beers... or clubs can pay to get bands to play live and give people a reason to come out.
Guns N Roses in 85’ played a gig on UCLA campus and were given a 12 pack of beer. Humble beginnings
Your channel is why i quit fearing costs on my stuff. I learned that gear thats expensive can be as bad as cheap gear or some cheap is better then the expensive. Because of you, i grew more as a musician then i did on my own. Thank you man. I know my rig is setup to be a wild shenanigan for most, but when its in the right hands, it will make amazing music, and becauw of you, i feel like i have done it right. So when i finally can throw down a proper recording, i may have to ask for help lol.
Nice of you to put viewers comments on my 60th birthday! I'm officially old now. Thanks Glenn!
FWIW: I've found that one of the best ways to get around the financial burden of gear is to learn how gear works and build it yourself. A CAPI VP 28 kit will cost you about $300, an AML 1081 modules only about $250 - but the preamps you get when you finish building them is easily equivalent or better than to preamps that costs 2 to 3 times the price of the kit. Same thing applies for guitars - learn how to modify an inexpensive instrument and you could wind up with a guitar that smokes instruments that are 3 times the price. It's also always smarter to buy instruments that you can customize without destroying their "vintage" value.
You are 100% correct! Problem is people don't wanna learn and don't wanna do the work. Same goes for pretty much everything that people pay others to do for them. For me 99% of things that go wrong I can fix myself. If not for that I'd be dead broke!
+1 on this!!! Most of my instruments are "beefed up" budget or "upgraded" basic-to-mid-level ones, and they perform as smoothly (or sometimes even better) than other, more expensive ones. What's basic and important is to know what you want and what you can expect from them, and whether you can get that by upgrading certain parts or improving the setup. But nothing of this is real worth if you haven't paid your dues by honing and working on your skills as a musician, that's what will give you the needed perspective to bring your instrument to the next level, and actually be able to discern it and enjoy it!
9:00 the dual rectifier is incredibly underrated for lower gain/clean tones I’m so glad you mentioned that
The lead guy that I was in bands with from late 90s through mid 2000s always had people checking out his tone when we played out of state. The Dual Recitifer was mythical…we called it his “Sounds like Hecktifier”
My father was a professional musician in the early 70's, playing with his cover band in a dance hall every night they were open. Live music was the attraction that brought the crowds in. It's one of my earliest memories to have been at one of their rehearsals. By the end of the 70's he had sold all his gear and worked a 9 to 5 job, as DJ's had replaced the coverbands and all the dance halls had become discotheques. And nowadays DJ's have replaced bands as the live act. Pressing play on a playlist and waving your arms about is now being a musician and rock has become the new jazz, a niche music stream, just like it had done to jazz in the 50's. You can demand more money, but you can only negotiate what you are worth, and competition is fierce. Remember, that DJ is now a musician too and he doesn't cost so much as a live band. If you want to make more money you gotta pull in more crowds.
Truly heart-breaking, my band and I feel it every day.
I think that's kind of unfair. Plenty of musicians back in the day were hacks and plenty of DJ's are extremely creative musicians. The issue isn't DJ's it's the same as it's always been-corporate labels.
We played fulltime in the 80's and were played quite well back then. Even with a large production we carried made a decent living. That was a gazzilion years ago. Fast forward to now and we did a gig at a premier club in my home town and filled the room with friends and followers from the social media places. At the end of the night the owner asks where my bro was so he could pay him. He actually gave him 40 bucks! Bro said keep it! The owner made over 6k on the cash register, i know that because i knew the head bartender quite well and she told me. Retired from playing now and i can understand the grief new musicians have to go through. Dave from the Tall Band. TC
As someone in there mid 20’s it really is sad seeing my friends and colleagues working 50+ hours a week in jobs that 35 years ago would have been able to afford you a house, decent car and the ability to support a family. But now at the most will get you a closet sized bedroom in a house you share with 3-4 other people and a vehicle that is one bad pot hole away from being totalled. So ya a $2,000+ “made in usa” guitar isn’t exactly on the radar lol
I’m actually almost 28 years old and still live with my parents and working full time and going to college to get my degree in computer science so I can get a good paying career as a software engineer! The reality is today you can’t just get a job and expect to make ends meet. Unfortunately only 35% of jobs support a middle class lifestyle and most of those require a college degree and specific skills.
Old joke:
Musician is an old Latin term. Loosely translated it means unemployed….lol
im barrowin this😂 🍻
Im 24 and a musician. Still work a full time job and do it cause i love it. Thanks for making these great points!
Been subscribed since almost the beginning of your channel. The one thing I'd love to see is an interview with your Mrs! I'm sure she's been through a lot supporting you through this and I'd honestly be extremely interested in her take on your new career. Without a great woman/man/partner/etc we are nothing but grave dirt.
It's not even about being poor.
I could afford a much more expensive instrument when I bought my first guitar with two humbuckers. Still, I chose a Harley Benton. Why? Well, because my intention was to play it. Because if I damaged it beyond repair, I'd just replace it. If I was unhappy with it, at least I wouldn't have burned a lot of money to get it.
It turned out to be an excellent instrument, btw. Four years later I still have it and play it every day.
I paid $159.00 for the 7 string multiscale HB, after I put about $50 of upgrades into it I am still below $250 into it not counting the tax and shipping. I couldn't be happier with my cheap guitar!
Not all stoner guitarists sleep late!
Truth! Most are early risers
@@LeftHandRiffssup
@@danhguitardemos sup!
Stoner guitarist here, been up jamming and drinking coffee since 5:30. 😂🤟 P.S. If you're not listening to Kyuss and Acid Bath are you even alive?
How else are you supposed to wake and bake if you don’t get up early?! 🤘🤣
Boomer mentality: "when I was young and everything was cheaper, I managed to buy a house and gear, why can't YOU KIDS do it, too???"
Hey Glen.
Yes, please do the noobie gear guide, and if possible throw in some added info for bass too. At least that way you can mix with a friend, or add some layers to your mix.
Cheers.
Honestly a frankencab with 4 completely different speakers is an insane concept especially for the studio!
Would also give a very interesting thing in the room probably
Love the "Frankencab" name!
this is my dream idea. 4 different speakers, 4 different mics, endless possibilities. 🍻
I find it funny how people looked down on guitars made in japan but now they are seen as symbols of extreme craft and quality. Jackson now sells the same budget guitars for 2000+ dollars because hey japanese guitars are premium. I feel the same thing is gonna happen to Korea and Indonesia in the future where companies are gonna increase the price because hey it's a premium instrument now.
If they were as good as MIJbwas in the late 70’s , early 80’s that would certainly be true. But alas. Not one of those I’ve seen is anywhere near as good as Tokai, Burny, and Greco from that era. As far as &2000 for MIJ new guitars? they can keep em. Lots of better options out there as you describe
@@ro307805 I think early 2000s Jacksons were really sick too. I recently ordered one because my friend got a Kelly from that era and he loves that thing. We're planning on playing some stuff at our uni in the coming year.
Well the perception of foreign guitars has to change with the advancement of the factories in some of the "import guitar" countries. It's a matter of companies, choosing the right contractors and factories and communicating and coordinating with them and also, holding them accountable for the expectations layed out in the contract. That's been happening and now, you've got Chinese factories that can make guitars that are now the same quality as the Indonesian guitars were, 10 years ago.
You can only sell so many high end guitars, especially as musicians with lots of money to burn are declining. Unless they are hobbyist blues lawyers. With most musicians not earning much to live off their music I think the demand for affordable decent quality will remain greater then for high end guitar and it would be commercial suicide for Indonesia and Korea to switch to that saturated market. They will probably instead try to increase their quality for as much as possible as a modest increase in price will allow.
I don't know, MIJ is like a sign of ultimate craftsmanship to me, but I've also only started looking at guitars a couple years ago so back in the day it might've been different
Awesome content, as always! It's always a pleasure to look for the latest video and find your view on things we usually ask ourselves but are not commonly discussed in the open. +1 on the idea for the starter kit video, nowadays is quite easier to find good equipment on a budget, than when I started on music 40+ years ago! Speaking of which, Have you considered doing a review on the Valeton GP-200 unit? It seems like it's a real unsung competitor in the modeler pedalboards game... Keep up the good job, and rock on!!!
I signed my first record deal in 88’ every musician I knew Was living hand to mouth…. Nobody had their own recording studios….. I know lots of musicians who have had hit records who don’t have any money for retirement…. Not a boomer take just a reality take.
Out of curiosity, what hits are you referring to? * I don't doubt at at what you say. It's reality! I see MANY guitarists that are WAY better than I'll ever be. Very few of them make a reliable living on just playing. It's almost like sports. A very few get rich, but most need a "regular" job.
@@davidnika446 my first experience with this was the lead singer for a band called “Cutting Crew” came to the studio I was working at- in the late 80’s to borrow a mic…. “I thought - wow- one of the biggest hits of the decade and he cant afford his own mic”- not uncommon in Los Angeles- and just to show you its an industry wide thing….. 2 guys from a Nashville 90’s super group more than 1/2 dz #1 records- who don’t have a pot to piss in….. if it wasn’t for shows at fair grounds…. They would be working at Home Depot…. And of course….. Timothy B Schmidt was famously “couch surfing” when the eagles reunited….. the only “job” in life with a higher degree of poverty requires a vow of poverty …..
I recall a story from Van Halen after a sold out world tour, getting a bill for like $400,000 from the record company to recoup tour expenses.
People forget the phrase "starving artist." When I was in my early twenties in the late 90s, the only people I knew who had expensive gear were people with rich parents, or people who absolutely destroyed their credit to get what they wanted, lol.
@@NashvillePastaman Cutting Crew! That's cool that you met them. I think you'd agree that for musicians that have a big pay day, they shouldn't count on another one at all. And most don't have even that.
That's why I would like to be "rich". To me, being rich means owning a house, having it paid off, and having enough reserve to pay the taxes, and eat. I wouldn't bet on making a living from music however. A few people do it. But it doesn't work that way for most.
A Fender tweed Bassman with an afterburner thrown in. 😂 Well put!
That newbie gear guide sounds swell, more people in the mix, might get us new and exciting tones. I’m taking the liberty of suggesting a followup more indepth gear guide, from budget to high-end of different pieces needed for any beginners still out there, or advanced people who are browsing through the jungle of all the gear out there. Your brutal honesty will do wonders here!
As always, loving your content Glen!
A “How to Get Started” gear guide for any instrument and ESPECIALLY recording would be awesome. Starting from “Which computer to I get?” to “What mastering plugins do I need?” would be outstanding!
Thank you Glenn for being one of the rare older public figures that stands up for young adults on economics. I'm 34 and I still don't know how to tell people why I'm working part time and living with my mother and sister. The reality is because even if i did work my ass off 40-60 hours a week i wouldn't have any joy left in my life for years upon years before i came close to achieving a stable independent livelihood. Like, sorry, meeting people's outdated expectations is not worth it
Hey there ! Wanted to share my practice routine to prepare for live or studio gigs : you're nailing that palm mute pattern ? Now do it on a telecaster. Your neck hand is doing the part smoothly? Try it on a 7+ strings. Your daily routine is doing good ? Well now try it standing in a minimal lightning. A lot of fellows musicians tend to forget how conditions changes everything and having multiple instruments is an amazing practice tool when you can afford it. ( Getting to know your main instrument is another way to do it tho, this idea is meant to work on versatility)
Disclaimer: no one HAS to get multiple instruments, I just see way too much guitarists stashing instruments without using them.
Boomers: it's nice to be 59 and finally be able to buy a Gibson
Millenials: it's nice to be 50 and finally be able to buy an epiphonr...
Im glad your videos showed up in my YT shorts while on vacation a bit back, hadnt watched in a while and kinda forgot, wont lie and say I watch every episode but definitely a great occasional watch about my interests
you are a fkn legend mate!! ty for all the wise advice you have and i have taken on many of your recommendations! you never disappoint! again! legend!
everyone says if you have a fulltime job, music is just a hobby. Our singer once said, how many hobbies pay you?
With that said, I started on some humble gear, 1982 Ibanez Blazer + Marshal JCM800 combo, then used 80's Roland JC-77 and pedals. But instead of pissing my money away drinking at the bars I was playing, I ended up with all sorts of decent gear, mostly used and cheaper, I have more than I need, and some recording gear. I have a full PA, lighting, lots of 57/58 all used. I have sold some of the guitars, amps and pedals I really don't need, and ya, I buy something more. Not so much in the last 4 years. Latest purchase though was Mackie Onyx 24 mixer/audio interface. Sold my old interface.
GLEEEEEEEEEN THEY ARE GETTING MORE INSANE.
One dude claimed he could HEAR the flame top on his guitar AHAHAHAHAHA
I had to move back in with my family around covid after my father wasn’t able to work as much. They needed help financially and with my dad’s health issues (PTSD he received while he was a combat medic for the military.) I’m not at a point where I’m having a hard time finding my own place to live because I’ve now been priced out of my area. I don’t work a bad paying job either. Now I’m forced to either stay with my parents (I have no issues with this, I’m close with both of them and I’m willing to help in any way I can) or move out of or across the state just to find a place to live. The people who can’t grasp how rough it is don’t realize the privilege spewing out of their asses.
You know why I love this channel Mix Master Glenn? Because you remind of my best friend from Boston😂. Dude will straight roast the shit out of you😂😂. But at the end of the day you both take up for the little guy.
PREACH BROTHER! Shit is stupid expensive these days.
...... but at least the vast majority of the 'relatively cheap stuff' is now actually usable!
Back in the day an analogue synth which today something similar might cost around $100-300 would have cost the same as a house!
Yeah it's almost lile 100+ years of Keynesian economic policy, endless welfare domestically and internationally, outsourcing production for cheap crap, endless wars, allowing dual citizens to act as state and federal representatives, and going off the gold standard for the petrodollar (that Saudi Arabia just nuked) were all bad ideas.....
Is it? In what other era could you buy a competent electric guitar for 400 bucks? Adjusted for inflation might be less than 200 bucks from 1970 lmao
@@adel616 actually the 1970s equivalent to today's $400 is around $42, a Teisco 1970 Electric guitar cost around $35 to $90 depending on the model as far as I can tell from old ads, sometimes less if on offer.
@@AmericanNationalist852bro you don’t know what the hell you’re on about.
The guy touting his 5150’s shift in tone after the tube swap probably had a failing tube somewhere. Along with the hot plate allowing him to saturate that power amp. Of course it’s going to sound a boat load better.
This is very true. Jobs don't pay anymore. I would bet the starting salary at the factory Glenn worked at has actually gone down and not up over the last few years. I know the starting salary where I work was $22 and hour in 2010. Now is $16 and change.
I took a grill off this old solid state peavey actually, then it started having grounding issues for no reason. The grill now lives in it's original spot and the grounding is better than wihtout.
A newbies' gear video sounds great! And thanks for your work!
0:06 *me holding my MKH Les Paul* “I know, I hate Chinese guitars, too!”
Man ! I spent a little over a grand to rebuild a Gibson Ranger 1955. Installed an Alessandro GASC 59 speaker. New tube's some capacitors, vibrato wired correctly. It's awesome. Had doubts about doing it. Now no doubt.
How do you get a guitar player off your doorstep? You pay him 10 bucks for the pizza he’s delivering.
You can get a pizza delivered for only $10?!
But yeah good call
whats the difference between a pizza delivery guy and a drummer ... the delivery guy can feed a family of 4
10 bucks for a pizza? What is it, a 6" margherita from a shittiest chain in the area?
I miss times when even like 10 years ago you could buy decent 12" pizza for a fiver with no extra cost to it but nowadays it's gonna be at least 15 + service fee + delivery fee + tip so nearing 20 in total
@@Sylkis89 Domino’s medium pizzas are 6.99 still. Got two of em tonight for under 20 bucks.
After paying online I take the pie, say thanks and shut the door.
Glenn, you should poll what bands have issues with, especially Noise for rehearsing or home recording. Is headphones the only solution? To me, headphones are worse than a loud amp for ear problems, ringing, etc.
Toronto Noise Bylaws really stink. I have a PA in my basement with a home studio setup, real drums + electric kit (neither are mine), but not used in 5 years, thanks to complaining neighbours ... vibrations from drums or bass amp, not the sound. I have had 12 visits from the cops since 2014, who think they came to the wrong house, because you can't hear anything from outside. They even called and scolded the person who reported me. One noise complaint was E-drums with headphones, but my friend was practicing. Elderly basement apartment neighbor claimed to hear the drums, most likely vibrations from the E-Kick pedal. BTW some of the cops that came over were musicians, and were happy we were jamming.
I keep discussing this point with friends: most things ( objects ) aren't exceptionally expensive, If anything, they should be more expensive, but in a completely different set of circumstances.
The pay hasn't caught up with living expenses and essential services and the biggest issue is, of course, housing.
What I think would be more correct towards people is to have manufactured goods be more expensive, supported for many more years ( along with consumer repair rights ) and have that go back to actual workers, actual decent wages ( with worker's rights ).
I'd want to be able to buy less, but more premium, and "hand made" by workers with enough rights an economic/job security to become masters of their craft.
No more race to the bottom and offshoring for slave labor; some stability and long term sustainability is required.
Right now, it looks like our future is a cyberpunk nightmare, without the cool aesthetic and SciFi tech.
rant over. I can only afford cheap gear and maybe some lucky flea market finds.
housing isn't a need for a condition for life, it's a financial instrument for financial dominance.
@@nunninkav of course, of course. "my financial instrument for financial dominance is bigger than yours. and I've also got more than one"
I saw somewhere that including inflation minimum wage is lower than in the 70s while cost of living in general has risen by 50 percent
I had to pause it on the Price Of Bread chart. Insane! Also, Newbie guide would be cool!!!
There are two things about paid musicians that up and coming musicians won't accept.
#1 You are probably not very good at the trifecta (instrumentation, singing and writing). All of them have to be excellent. If you are an instrumentalist that can't write and sing, you aren't going far.
#2 Let's say you are members of The Warning or Starcrawler level of talent (which is the minimum), it's time to do your location research. Like people moving to Hollywood to be an actor, your job is to find where your type of music is being played. You may have to use the internet to make connections to people in foreign countries. Some people are big in Japan and some people are big in Germany and you might have to accept that your sound is big in another country too.
Got a 4x12 with greenbacks and v30s. Sounds good. Might disappear when playing live but gives you options when you mic them. Good stuff.
If you have money you have no time. If have time you have no money.
It takes time to become musician... 😂
I’d love to see more content on speakers.
Could be a series of just fucking around and finding out.
I’m curious what mixes well together and what doesn’t for X patterns
I'd love to see you do a series of gear needs for musicians and home recording, but one each for budget, mid, and upper (not pro) level. Maybe in each one have the rigs for a bedroom player and the players playing out, and a couple of options for each thing. Like, that HB SG is great but not everyone wants an SG, so what's another great option? My caveat would be that the gear should be readily available and not stuff one has to go hunt down, notification triggers set up across gear sites, or luck-out in coming across in some other way.
That HB SG copy is definitely on my list, not for me but for my daughter. I'm probably going to borrow it a lot, though. lol
Keep up the great work!
I like how you mentioned using a Mesa Dual Rec for bluesy tones. I am a huge Dave Matthew’s fan and I believe Tim Reynolds uses a Mesa Duel Rec for his rig. I feel like people attribute Mesa to heavy metal and rock, but I see a lot of guys using them for cleans and crunch. Kinda goes back to what you said about just use those wonderful things called knobs and turn them to get what you’re looking for!
Hey Glenn, I think you and I are about the same sort of "vintage" (and probably of the same opinion that whilst growing old is compulsory, the growing up part is entirely optional...) anyway, I digress. That quote from Schwabb regarding the "pay packets away from destitution" is a bit of an eye-opener because I remember a time when the phrase was "none of us are more than *five* pay packets away from destitution"...
Now we're down to one!!
It's a shit world out there, you're doing Crom's work my friend.
I absolutely agree with a noob toolkit series. While it's obviously your choice as to what gets presented, but I would suggest doing a "I have a five-year-old laptop with a hard drive packed with games" noob studio setup as well as a pristine, current-computer setup, and a couple of levels of inexpensive newbie guitar studio setups.
Man, i would love this channel if he would drop the high pitch/fast talking gimmick thing. You talk on great subjects my man. I just end up cutting the video off after hearing it a few times.
14:32 I’d love to see you do this! I play faster than most doom and like right rhythms but love the tone so I’ve been mixing a Sunn Model T (and a Sunn 0 pedal) with an Orange Rockaverb. Speakers are where I’m still experimenting with.
"Who wants a guitar made in China?"
PRS do. Fender do. Gibson do. I do. Eastman, Shijie, Cortek-China PRS SE hollowbody, Alvarez acoutics. Yes please. I'll even take Epiphones.
Sweeping generalisations just dont work. Theres a spectrum of good/bad/indifferent brands and factories in every country, and everything from low end to high end if you're willing to look. Cherry pick the right OEM factory. The country is irrelevant.
Having fresh strings is very important, as you have said in your videos, as many guitarists and bass players neglect!! Why not do a video comparing different brands and types of guitar and bass strings!! That should motivate a lot of players to replace their dull sounding strings, for a fresh set, as to save time in the studio, having to constantly tune and re-tune again and again!! Thanks for the enlightening and entertaining videos, Glenn!!
Newbie guitar setups would be cool. That seems like a great way to get other people involved. Thanks for everything!
The gear for newbies video sounds like a great idea!!
Would love to see a newb recording gear vid. So many of us out there that need just the basic hardware and knowledge to record their music.
Maybe it's different in the US.
In the UK when I was younger (25+ years ago) i struggled. I had to live in house shares to afford rent, I couldn't buy luxuries (and certainly not the high tier instruments - bearing in mind the lower cost instruments were not nearly as reliable as the lower cost instruments are now). I almost got kicked out of one place because I couldn't afford rent one month due to being ill for a few days. I didn't own a car at the time because car costs were high mostly because of the insane insurance on younger drivers.
Buying a house was definitely cheaper but I couldn't afford to do so anyway. And this isn't just a personal experience, other people struggled too. At the time I met a man who was working 3 jobs to just support his family and he was too much of a decent man to just give up and rely on benefits.
Now, there is so much information found online that you can teach yourself many things quite competently. You can learn guitar easier and get to a level when you can get work from it. We would have to pay for lessons, or buy books, or maybe use the already dilapidated libraries.
You can look up how to generate your own content online.
You can find bit jobs through 5iver etc.
You can even do some tasks online to make a bit of money.
So yes housing might be more expensive but I really dispute that overall the current generation have it any worse than any prior generations, at least when it comes to the UK. There are just different challenges, like with every generation. Not only that but the older generations do have a nasty habit of looking at their past through rose tinted specs.
I think you need shielded cable to do 4 channels of analog balanced audio. It can be cat5, cat6 or cat6a. It's not about the shielding. It's about having a ground. An XLR has 3 conductors: positive, negative and ground. They can all share the same ground, which is the shielding, while the +/- of each channel has its own twisted pair. The shielding appears to be just the 9th conductor for the ground.
Installing data cables of all kinds is part of what I do for a living. I own one of these setups an for XLR over STP (Shielded Twisted Pair). I peeked inside the box, and the wiring inside the converter is just wiring, at least in the one I own. UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) will probably give you a signal but your ground might be unstable.
Hey Glen i’m a big fan of the channel! If you haven’t looked into the Peavey VTM-60 from the 80’s, I would love to hear you do a review of that amp as it is one of my favorites. Thanks!
I bought a guitar recently for $200. It was supposed to be $350 with hardcase, but they couldnt find it, so i talked them down to $200. Its an Ibanez AT hollow body. Its made in china, was made in 2015, and retailed new for $989 CAD. It's a wonderful guitar. I also played a $500 Epihpone and a $1000 Gretch to compare. The Gretch was lovely and well worth the money, but I hated the epiphone. The Ibanez felt best in my hands. The epiphone was fine but i didnt like the neck shape and the volume/tone knobs had red skulls on them, a very weird aesthetic choice for a "grandpa" hollow body guitar. I did not even ask or notice until after purchase that its made in china. I'm happy with the purchase.
There’s a Mesa cab without it. It’s in the back cover of Appetite for Destruction.
My killer rig is dead simple. An epiphone SG Standard, Neural DSP Rabbea Massad and Positive Grid effects and Reaper. And this is after almost 25 years of playing. I wish I had this stuff when I was starting out!
Yes please on the noobie 4:46 gear guide 1000% yes!!!!
I would love to hear what you suggest for new players. So a big fat "yes" to new player gear list! I finally got off my ass and modernized my rig (I was playing a Marshall 8200 Valvestate with a full stack: 1960-A and -B cabinet I bought in 1992) and now play a tonex one pedal into the power amp in on a 100W Katana MK II. Sounds as good as my old head/stack and I probably play about 400% more since I can take it anywhere, play with headphones, get my tone at non-deafening volume, and not piss off the wife/neighbourhood when I play. Bought my new gear for about 500$ (the Katana was used) and sold the old rig for a lot more than I paid in 92'. I think that my new rig is affordable and would be a good setup option for a new person as well. If they had this stuff back when I started playing in the 80's I wouldn't have considered buying that Marshall rig. Probably would have bought the tonex one, a Orange 100W pedal baby power amp, and a made a 2X12.
Love your show and enjoy your trips abroad! Thanks for sharing your knowledge so guys like me can catch up! Things have changed a lot since the last time I was in a studio (1998)!
Swamper on Lake Erie (Norfolk County)
A video recommending recording gear for a newbie would be great, maybe cover several budgets and recommend what stuff is worth spending the extra money on.
I'm 50 and when I was in my mid-30's I became disabled. Suddenly, I went from struggling to make ends meet to losing my house. My then spouse and I had to move in with a friend and ever since we've barely made it by. People who act like it's that easy to get and/or keep a job these days are living in a dream world. The most annoying thing I've seen people do is refer to those who don't have a lot of money as 'poors'. People are such douchebags, sometimes.
Absolutely a Newbie's Gear Guide! Especially if you could do a video on entry-level studio building that could be updated every couple of years as technology warrants. It'd be amazing if you could do separate recording rigs, like a desktop-focused recording setup and a laptop-based one.
*Tent-cities in the US keep growing and growing*
Some rich person: Hey .. why aren't people buying luxury items, anymore?!?
Fentanyl is a hell of a drug.
Simpleton
@@war2thegrave I'd say, that's one of the visible symptoms of a broken society .. where rich and poor have separated so far, that it's inconceivable, they exist next to each other without the rich thinking: "Hey .. this poor person there has nothing .. I have too much, yet I hardly pay any taxes .. let's make things right, here."
I guess, the so-called "christians" aren't, what they claim, they used to be, neither.
@@AmericanNationalist852 Stimpleton, please, good sir .. I insist :)
Speaker recommendation (for metal): Eminence Private Jacks. Sort of greenback voiced but definitely its own thing. I can say for certain they have a break in time. Since I bought 1, then another initially (within a month), liked it and bought 4 more much later on. In both cases, the fresh out of box is very harsh in the high end. And in both cases it took about a month of mild play for them to be leveled out. It was noticeable in the sense I was swapping each out (new and "broken in") to make sure I wasn't hearing things...more true for high gain stuff. I also noticed a fair amount of the reviews on this speaker to cite its harshness, which makes me wonder if they were reviewed NIB. I liked them so much because when you crank them up, you dont have overwhelming bass and the "harshness" isnt a thing when driven, while still cutting through the mix with a pronounced mid range.
Give it a try!
Beginners guides from a reputable source are always a good idea.
Watching Glenn on a daily made me realize that there is little to no hope for any new rock/metal band who haven't got a shit ton of money nor contacts to make it big. The attention span has decreased to a minimal low and I genuinely fear that in 10-20 years time, only the existing big artists (pop stars) will continue putting out their redundant/overused songs and that's all the majority of the public will consume.
I’ve seen folks talk about blending Swamp Thang and Texas Heat speakers to get a darker sound from the ST but the Heat bring a bit of top end back.
I didn’t know Quentin Tarantino was a metal head
Newbie gear guides would go hard, always looking for a good setup to recommend friends starting out and Im tired of recommending the same DI box/ Scarlett combo lol
It's funny you recommended Creambacks to blend with a hempback, I just did a mix where I used a Cannabis Rex on one guitar because I had one years ago and I loved the sound, and almost at random picked a Creamback for the other guitar and really liked the way they worked together. Was gonna send it in for Monday mix reviews if the lads get it online in time haha.
Not going to be a mix stream for a couple of months as Glenn rubs in that he can afford to go to Europe. So you gots plenty of time.
Aww I've been itching for his thoughts on this but I guess I can wait for Mr. fancy pants to return from his travels, hey fuck you Glenn how dare you enjoy your money when I need you to tell me my snare sounds like shit haha jk please don't, much love and safe travels
On the reviewing for good stuff on the cheap. Glenn, I've been following you and subbed going on 9 years now, and I've bought some of the stuff you've reviewed.
1. Sampson CS1/CS2 mic. So for $30 it's not bad. They don't make it anymore sadly. However the CS2 (instrument recording top) really sucked. The CS1 was fine until you bumped it. It picked up every fly landing on the nole. If you're desperate, for $30 alright. But if you can just get an e835 or an sm58 for $100, they're still affordable.
2. The Joyo zombie. So I bought a used 5150 50w and it's amazing, like I get why it's so popular. Going through my schecter demon 6 with ABH pickups is insane. The zombie did have a lot to be desired though. The adjustments for what you can do really remind me of the "morph" knob on the metal master pedal. It is quite limited in tone, but it's cheap so okay if you're JUST starting out and don't know if you'll stick with guitar.
3. The Harley Benton 2x12 with celestion v30s... okay I literally cannot complain about this cab. The leather wrap is beautiful, it's sturdy, sounds amazing, and for the price, actually cheaper than 2 v30s depending on where you buy them. It's lightweight, easy to load up for gigs, and the handles make it super easy to take the cab and amp in 1 trip. 10/10 would 100% reccomend.
4. The Behringer Xenyx 4 channel mini-mixer. Look, it's a mini-mixer, it does it's job great, and tbh I've beaten the hell out of mine and it still works like a charm. Only downside... there's no power switch so you actually have to unplug it to turn it off 😅.
So some are great, some are okay, and some have brought buyers remorse.
GLENNN!!! Regarding tone, cabs, speakers, IRs for bass and guitar. Can you review Celestion BN12-300S:
Celestion recommend these for BOTH guitar and bass, their support (signed as Dr Decibel) just warn that using them in a semi-open guitar cab will lose some bottom end, though it's totally safe even to play bass through a setup like that.
Some big names in boutique cabs market use them (Zilla, Barefaced, Quilter), and some people use them with a poweramp instead of FRFR for modellers.
I'm thinking to load my H&K 100W 2x12 combo with these for capturing "moving air" with a mic, and blending that with tracks with IRs using Captor X or similar, both bass and guitar.
I wonder how these would work for guitar/bass metal tones for someone who knows what they're doing, and how much using these in different types of cabs (2x12 vs 4x12, open vs closed, etc.) and/or using EQ at the end of the signal chain in effects loop would affect the tone.
pay, low. rent, unaffordable. food, unaffordable. used/affordable gear that glenn points out, priceless. 🍻
Love your vids Glenn i just purchased my amp and guitar sadly i couldn't take your recommendations like the 6160 combo and the peavey vk because not alot of people sell amps in my country, i picked up a jackson js32t and a boss katana 50 mk2 i think the amp is really good for the price, it had alot of humm but i lowered the pickups down and now its enjoyable to play
Keep up the good vids glenn!!
Well, the grille is for protecting the speaker from damage when you move the cab. They should make them easily removable.
Noob gear guide would be dope. A lot of people would appreciate it.
It’s crazy for the first comment like yes I have a business that is 6 figures something I didn’t have at 17 I’m 27 now but I still go budget options and only did buy 1 expensive “American made” guitar in 2021 which was a PRS CE24 but my other guitars are custom budget “Frankenstein” builds. I recommend US residents to check out guitar fetish pretty rad stuff!
My favorite guitar to play these last couple of years has been my super strat I assembled with Amazon purchase parts, Wilkinson and Guyker hardware with a Wilkinson pickup. Cost me less than $300 to put together. The Roasted flamed maple neck with stainless steel frets was only $70, not $7000.00! I recommend people familiarize yourself with guitar tech jobs and save yourself loads of cash.
Hey Glenn - please don’t hurt me but I do think there is a case where upgrading pickups is actually valid. When playing very low tunings (drop G and drop F) I have found that Fishman Fluence moderns produce a far less muddier tone than my old Ibanez brand pickups. You don’t strike as the kinda guy who would enjoy drop E modern deathcore songs, but it would be interesting to test if the ‘better pickups’ are better when it comes to those low tunings
It been said the EVH would go to Radio Shack and and get those JBL's just to fill the holes of the cab after blowing the 25 watt Greenback. So probably not used much if at all. They set up dummy cabs all the time just for the look.
Hey Glenn, we've heard your take on the differences in tone between humbuckers and how there is little to actually hear, but I was wondering about your thoughts on low vs high output pickups. Are there any real setbacks that a boost or overdrive can't fix?
Its all just gain-staging at the end of the day. For high gain stuff you'll get there easier without having to turn the knob to Dimebag.
Dude, I really appreciate that you not only have a grasp on the housing woes of non-boomer generation(s), but that you consistently speak to them. Boomers built their wealth on real estate, and every generation that came after is forced to rent from them. Home ownership is a fantastical dream for current generations.
My land lord went to school with my mother, only reason I can afford my house is because of that, my rent hasn't gone up more than $250 over the last 17 years.
i Use Cat6 cables in my car from the amplifier in the back to the speakers also i made the RCA cables from the stereo to the amplifiers with it, so cat5/6 cables works great for that :)
13:52 That sounds like a cool idea for a video. Make sure you use a variety of fuzzes (E.g. Big Muff, Super/Hyper Fuzz) because from my experience the Hyper Fuzz needs a pretty bright setup to do the "Dopethrone" thing and what settings make it sound good will make pedals like the muff sound terrible and vice versa
15:25 if you do a "newbies gear setup" video, It might be interesting to include drum sets. I know that would be mega expensive to do kit-to-kit comparisons, but I contend that a new cheap drum set is as serviceable as a pricey kit (both in studio or on stage). It's all about tuning the drums with decent heads and mic-ing them appropriately.
Would like to see a oawn shop Frankenstein rig put together....youre going in the right direction ...but your stuff sounds too good😂 I've seen some guys put together some Frankenstein rigs with some unusual sounds that ended up being pretty cool in their own way...
It’s funny how people complain about the cost of things and then b!tch because someone bought something that looks expensive, but isn’t.
Today’s instruments are not yesterday’s. When I was younger Japanese guitars were considered cheap (with the exception of Ibanez, but I understand they started that way). The Epiphones and Squiers were cheaply made and it showed. Today’s instruments show a marked improvement in quality over the past instruments. I’ve even seen this company Fesley make some nice looking instruments at a reasonable price. They even address my issues with Gibson/Epiphone Les Paul models, no comfort cuts.
I have a friend that owns a Steve Vai signature JEM and he let me try it out. I love the feel, but not keen on 7 strings. I saw that they make a six string model, but it’s in the lower tier (price wise). I have to go “test drive” one to see if the feel is the same. It should be as the neck is the same neck as used on pricier models. I would prefer the lower price anyway, no need to pay extra for someone’s name when I can get a quality guitar for a fraction of the price.
So many of my favorite bands have a second job. Jerry Gaskill from King's X distributes medical supplies when back in New Jersey Karl Alvarez from ALL and Descendents does video production when back in Utah. And those are just two examples, how many others own and run studios or have TH-cam channels or Podcasts to supplement their incomes?
Yes yes newbie guitar guide.
Glenn you are good enough to make a good records.
You just need very good lyric, funny music and smart music planning.
People over 40 in certain cities are being messed over even worse. The age discrimination in hiring is an absolute Nightmare.
Sunday works, but keep in mind Ola also his weekly show on Sundays as well. Fridays are always a great way to end the workweek, but they always premiere after work’s already started so I have to watch on Saturday morning instead
When are we gonna get a Northern Mauler plugin like we did the Cock Blocker?
Also, it’d be cool if you used ELE to try and match other drum mixes. It’d be a reliable content idea which would also add more value to ELE by showing what it can do and add to the preset list