Interesting psychology of guitarists

[Dr B]

Well, as some of you know I have been learning to play electric guitar over the past 18mths or so.

What an interesting bunch of people guitarists are (no offence to anyone reading this)

I am struck by the trend from Fender guitars to do relic copies of famous guitars. For example, the Dave Glimour black strat. You can get this brand new (and it's a beauty) - or, for reasons i cannot fathom, you can get it with all the wear and tear of Dave's own unit (complete with knocks, bangs, scratches etc). I do not get this at all. Who would want that aged version? What does this possibly add to your playing, tone, etc????? What does this tell us about the psychology of other guitarists out there????

As a slight disclaimer, i tried an Eric Clapton strat the other day (1400 GDP worth ) - but this was because it is fitted with vintage frets and a soft V-shape neck and i wanted to try both (for feel and tone etc). So its not the idea of signature series guitars i wonder about, but this more recent trend for having all the aged aspects of the original copied into your new unit. Utterly pointless by my mind.

PS - no i did not buy the strat...being an aspiring guitarist, I am broke.....

[Dr B]

...and another thing. Guitar shop behaviour is utterly fascinating. I have no piercings, tatoos, I have short tidy hair, have a wife, and have recently bathed .

Some of the young chaps have an array of body art that is in itself just as interesting as their playing. I assume its a kind of 'guitarists uniform' (at least for the hard rockers). In addition, a lot of the youngsters coming through all seem to think the faster you can play and the more fancy your technique then the better you are and it gets competitive very quickly.

However, in my opinion, this view of fast = best is a folly. Lots of these young kids are lighting fast and I fully respect their practice, effort and talent. But slow them down and turn the distortion off (as i did the other day in a shop) and one chap - simply could not play!!!!! He had no ideas outside of a pinched harmonic and fast legato....He sounded amazing when his sound was fully processed and distorted / hi-gain, but totally lost even with a mild bluesy crunch....what on earth are these guys practising????

[Dr B]

In addition to the above. I went into a shop recently to investigate a new jamming tool (the Boss e-band). I phoned the shop and asked if they could give me a demo of it and they said no problem, come down and we will take you through it.

So I went, and the guy showing it to me was one of these "death metal" type rockers. A lovely chap, who, after a short conversation, came over as being really nice and helpful. After 10 mins of him mentioning bands i had never heard of, and me feeling very old, he sat down at a demo station already set up. There was a cheap stratocaster plugged into the E-band. He tried immediately to leap off and show me all his super fast skills.

This was a mistake. He missed nearly every note and sounded awful - it was, what I call, fretboard vomit. He tried to do all sorts of fancy stuff then simply gave up and said "I don't and can't really play strats" and then walked off leaving me with the Roland keyboard guy (Roland make / own Boss effects), who, while not a guitar player, knew the E-band really well and took me through it step by step. It was an interesting experience but i am noticing an increase in the amount of young guitarists that are into this super fast / technical stuff, who work in shops, but simply cannot play the basics. Take away their hi-gain, and, well, in the case of this chap, he simply could not play anything.

I'm not having a pop at that style of music (in fact I've grown to like it a bit) - just perhaps how some approach it. Surely one should start from the ground up. Start out with blues, then rock, then metal and so on....or am I missing something here?

Each to their own and all that...but having technique limited to a small set of high-processed gain / effects is perhaps not the most comprehensive approach to the guitar.

PS - rant over.....


PPS - if you play the guitar - get an e-band....it's great fun and is suitable for a beginner to expert level.

[smudge]

Yes, Guitar shops are strange places and can be intimidating! Especially if (like me) you can't play very well! Once you get talking to the staff they are usually very friendly and enthusiastic. Just not very welcoming to strangers...or customers! Still, I suspect it is the same in many other specialist shops.
I have friends who are into motor bikes, tell me similar stories. A friend of mine works in a local mountain bike shop. I always get a friendly welcome there(and my bike fixed cheaply!) but others find it intimidating. These places become rather like little clubs. This has a good side (enthusiasm) and a bad one (seeming unwelcoming)!

I think if your interest is to learn properly, thats great. If not, it's also fine and fun to just play what you enjoy. Badly or otherwise!

And anyway, get a Gibson if you really want to make a PROPER noise!!!
Holding a Gibson Les Paul in your hand is worthwhile if you've not done it. You will be stunned at the weight of it compared to a Fender....

[smudge]

PPS - if you play the guitar - get an e-band....it's great fun and is suitable for a beginner to expert level.

No clue what an e-band is...Do you wear it around your head?!
Please tell me more....

[chaggle]

Yes, guitarists are strange creatures. My wife and I are both semi professional musical entertainers and have been for 30 - odd years. We have one guitar each - mine is a 12 year old Fender strat (about £500 when new) she has a semi acoustic Yamaha APX - same vintage, about £450. We have no need of any other guitars except an old electric Yamaha we use as a spare.

My brother in law who is an enthusiastic amateur has, maybe 20 guitars, all electric, some identical - he just can't stop buying them.

BTW neither my wife nor I are particularly good guitarists - just good enough to accompany our voices for our pub duo act.

Music shops are strange places - some are very club-like as smudge mentioned. I always found it best to go to the same one all the time - it was a small one in Bristol and the guy there really knew what he was talking about, he had been in several named bands. He had minimal stock but if you expressed an interest he would always get in what you wanted - just to try.

I find trying guitars and kit very intimidating - because, as I said, I'm not that good.

However, one should not be shy. I once saw a girl in the 'posh' music shop testing conductors' batons. She must have tried at least 10, waving them around with an earnest, concentrated expression while the shop assistant and I looked on, trying to keep straight faces.

[chaggle]

No clue what an e-band is...Do you wear it around your head?!
Please tell me more....

Me too...

[brianp]

eBand JS-8

http://www.rolandconnect.com/product_2009-09.php?p=js-8

[Harryprice]

My brother in law who is an enthusiastic amateur has, maybe 20 guitars, all electric, some identical - he just can't stop buying them.

I've come across that sort of behaviour before, where people buy several identical products. I can see how a professional musician might require an identical spare but I've heard of people buying identical items who are not in such a position. Does anyone know what prompts people to do such things?

[chaggle]

http://www.rolandconnect.com/product_2009-09.php?p=js-8

Pitch and tempo control of imported songs

That's clever.

[Dr B]

Yes, Guitar shops are strange places and can be intimidating! Especially if (like me) you can't play very well!

Indeed. I cannot play well either - but i really enjoy having a go. I came to the conclusion a while ago to just get over those 'guitar shop nerves' and have a go because, with the exception of the guys at my regular shop, most of these mass market shop guys are actually not that good either! It's all about attitude. There are lots of kids out there that can talk a good guitar lick....

Once you get talking to the staff they are usually very friendly and enthusiastic.

My local shop is a small independent one and the guys are great. All age ranges and styles there and no pretentions. A nice atmosphere and good advice.

And anyway, get a Gibson if you really want to make a PROPER noise!!!
Holding a Gibson Les Paul in your hand is worthwhile if you've not done it. You will be stunned at the weight of it compared to a Fender....

Absolutely! I would have to sell a kidney to afford one . I like the Gibson / Les Paul blues rock sound of people like Peter Green to Slash - but i find Tele's and Strats just a little more pleasing to my ear (purely personal of course ). However, you have to overdrive the hell out of them to get the desired tone...

[Dr B]

No clue what an e-band is...Do you wear it around your head?!
Please tell me more....

As already noted above - its an audio interface and guitar effects unit. Check it out on YouTube. I have not put it down in three days....

The effects and options are endless. Great fun for all levels.

[Dr B]

My brother in law who is an enthusiastic amateur has, maybe 20 guitars, all electric, some identical - he just can't stop buying them.

I certainly know people like that. Buying new guitars can be inspirational when one is in search of new ideas and tones - but beware it does not become a substitute for simply practising harder. I know a few guys who can get tones out of dustbin lids - they are that good.

Music shops are strange places - some are very club-like as smudge mentioned. I always found it best to go to the same one all the time - it was a small one in Bristol and the guy there really knew what he was talking about, he had been in several named bands. He had minimal stock but if you expressed an interest he would always get in what you wanted - just to try.

I find the smaller shops to be best as well. I make my big purchases all in the same place (guitar / amp etc) and the quality of advice is much better. My fav shop is also independent from the big names so you get introduced to lots of alternatives like; PRS, Pacifica, G&L, Fernadez and so on. There is more out there than Fender!!!!!

[Dr B]

I've come across that sort of behaviour before, where people buy several identical products. I can see how a professional musician might require an identical spare but I've heard of people buying identical items who are not in such a position. Does anyone know what prompts people to do such things?

In my opinion even an amatuer needs two guitars (after a while) as sometimes one will require an overhaul and you dont want to be without any unit for a period of time.

The pros will have a few and probably set up slightly differently as well (i.e., for slide) or tuned differently for different songs - but this is only really necessarily if you perform on stage.

I think guitarists often feel that the more they own then the more legitimate they are (at least to some degree). It also acts as a substitute for practice. We all reach a peak and level off for a while and this can be a difficult time - a time when we look for further inspiration and there is nothing like a new guitar with different tonal options to keep one practising. Some are obsessive though - even pros. I heard Sambora (Bon Jovi) has a collection of over 100 units .

However, collecting is also legit in its own right so respect for those doing that....but I only have one at the moment and i struggle to play that one....

[smudge]

eBand JS-8

http://www.rolandconnect.com/product_2009-09.php?p=js-8

Thanks! That looks like fun....

Absolutely! I would have to sell a kidney to afford one . I like the Gibson / Les Paul blues rock sound of people like Peter Green to Slash - but i find Tele's and Strats just a little more pleasing to my ear (purely personal of course ). However, you have to overdrive the hell out of them to get the desired tone...

Yes, mine's bottom of the range, I'd upgrade if I could. May be worth selling a kidney for a black custom Les Paul, or a Goldtop.... Truth be told a 100 quid copy is more my level! My taste in Guitars faaaar out ways my ability!

Does anyone know what prompts people to do such things?

Enthusiasm! Love of a hobby...or just the object. I think a guitar is a beautiful thing. I'd have one in the house even if I never played!

Wish I had more time to play...

Chaggle; what kind of stuff do you play?