Am I an anti-guitarist?

Funkfingers

thecolourbox said:

If you can fettle a semi hollow type thing to play like that Mustang, I wouldn't necessarily have a hypothetical £1k but might be interested

My PRS S2 Vela is not for sale.

The SE Custom Semi-Hollow could be were it not for its 250mm scale length and my reluctance to part with the Seymour Duncan P-Rails pickups in Triple Shot mounting surrounds.

Nobody - not even Harry Seven - would want my modified Hamer XT Echotone with Roland GK pickup.



The Gibson Byrdland is short scale but fully hollow ... assuming you can find one for sale. Anyone who has to ask the price cannot afford one. (Including me.)

rico

Interesting replies - great to generate some debate. Let me say that I still get GAS on a massive scale - just not for mega bucks custom shop stuff or anything brand new & shiny. I spend hours a day (especially now since i'm on furlough) trawling for new (to me) gear.

boz_h said:

Are you secretly a drummer?

I wish.

DanR said:

In all of that you never actually said what you like music wise or what inspires you.

Fair point! I do like most rock/country/folk/americana stuff but my main genre is heavy psych/stoner rock. Basically if it has a slow swinging groove/riff then i'm in. 

Sassafras

I'm with you on the widdly widdly soloing, can't stand it, it just sounds like noise to me.
I've also got no interest in big, shiny pieces of digital gear.
I do like a fair bit of blues though.

HarrySeven

rico said:

Odd question I know but let me explain. Over the past few years I have come to the realisation that I consider myself pretty atypical in terms of my preferences in all things to do with guitar gear and music. Expensive and boutique gear just doesn't excite me one bit and any sort of widdly widdly soloing turns me right off, likewise anything to do with 'blues'. I say that in inverted commas because proper blues standards are a wonderful thing but the constant churn of 'blues rock' or modern 'classic' rock does my head in. Joe B, Matt Schofield etc etc are all great players no doubt but I find them so dull. Listen to anything on the likes of Planet Rock radio and its all the bloody same.

In terms of gear, there are some highly expensive and shiny pieces of equipment that one can buy but I can honestly say that it leaves me cold. It's not out of jealousy before you ask. For me, guitars are very much a tool and yes I have some idiosyncrasies when it comes to choosing gear but I prefer the plainer end of things whereas perhaps your typical gear fetishist ('plays like butter', 'lovely fiddle' etc etc) wouldn't be seen dead with a 20 year old plain black LP studio. I guess I have the underdog attitude to gear. There hasn't been a single bit of gear launched in the last five years that has made me think 'ooh, I really like/need/want that' (OK that's not quite true, some fuzz pedals get me going).

Am I alone in my thinking?

TL;DR: I don't like many of the things your typical guitarist would. 

Totally. Have a Wiz.

GoldenEraGuitars

I’m very much in your mindset @rico . 

My love for playing the guitar has decreased, severely, since starting the business. I actually had to force myself to play for 10 mins today and tbh it wasn’t very enjoyable. I don’t have a set guitar of my own either and while I’ve made plans to get myself into the guitar again by building myself a cool project I don’t have the heart to spend the money on it. 

Other things have come along that I’m more interested in and I’m one step away from selling my amp to fund making these past times more enjoyable. Thankfully I save my real enthusiasm for my customers orders and builds. 

As far as GAS goes, I’d “like” a late 70s JMP but I’m certainly not actively doing anything about it. It would be another pointless purchase for collecting dust. 

Rocker

I am with the OP on a lot of his points.  I love music but the guitar as a musical instrument is rather limited when compared to a piano or organ.  But the guitar is excellent as an accompanying instrument - supporting a vocalist.  Guitar music is not my idea of fun but the guitar is often good or excellent for lead breaks.  If you can square that circle?

I have no problem with expensive or cheap guitars.  I have both and I enjoy playing all of them.  They all speak differently so no duplicates in our music room.  If I can I get by without the use of FX pedals.  A decent tuner, occasionally a SparkleDrive and an amp and I am good to go.

I never cease to be amazed at the skills of concert pianists.  So all guitarists are not the same.  If I can be included in the species called guitarist.......

TTBZ

I made a conscious effort with my last band to only put a solo in if it was really adding something and I think everything has benefited from that. So most of the time there aren't any now, usually in place of a solo there's just more melodic stuff going on with chords and octaves etc. Ironically I like listening to really techy stuff (Protest the Hero, Periphery etc) but couldn't play it at all. I find it interesting you play stoner rock but hate bluesy stuff since the two are quite entwined - at least the stoner rock I'm into and play is anyway!

sweepy

Its got to the point   where I'd rather listen to someone like David Torn than a traditional guitar player, if you haven't got anything new to bring to the instrument then its a painful process realising that most of it is recycled pap but enjoy what you do anyway, it could be worse, you could always be a Golfist  

rico

I should have said, my love and passion for playing, writing and performing is stronger than ever at the moment. 

TTBZ said:

I made a conscious effort with my last band to only put a solo in if it was really adding something and I think everything has benefited from that. So most of the time there aren't any now, usually in place of a solo there's just more melodic stuff going on with chords and octaves etc. Ironically I like listening to really techy stuff (Protest the Hero, Periphery etc) but couldn't play it at all. I find it interesting you play stoner rock but hate bluesy stuff since the two are quite entwined - at least the stoner rock I'm into and play is anyway!

You have a point there, what I mean by not caring for blues is the specific rehashing and endless pentatonic minor wankery you get from the likes of Joe B etc etc. 

DB1

Funkfingers said:

thecolourbox said:

If you can fettle a semi hollow type thing to play like that Mustang, I wouldn't necessarily have a hypothetical £1k but might be interested

My PRS S2 Vela is not for sale.

The SE Custom Semi-Hollow could be were it not for its 250mm scale length and my reluctance to part with the Seymour Duncan P-Rails pickups in Triple Shot mounting surrounds.

Nobody - not even Harry Seven - would want my modified Hamer XT Echotone with Roland GK pickup.



The Gibson Byrdland is short scale but fully hollow ... assuming you can find one for sale. Anyone who has to ask the price cannot afford one. (Including me.)

The Epiphone 'Elite/Elitist' Byrdland is also excellent. Terada-built, I honestly thought that they were every bit as good as the Gibson Byrdland. Still getting on for £2000 apiece, mind.

Tenebrous

Rocker said:

I am with the OP on a lot of his points.  I love music but the guitar as a musical instrument is rather limited when compared to a piano or organ.  But the guitar is excellent as an accompanying instrument - supporting a vocalist.  Guitar music is not my idea of fun but the guitar is often good or excellent for lead breaks.  If you can square that circle?

I have no problem with expensive or cheap guitars.  I have both and I enjoy playing all of them.  They all speak differently so no duplicates in our music room.  If I can I get by without the use of FX pedals.  A decent tuner, occasionally a SparkleDrive and an amp and I am good to go.

I never cease to be amazed at the skills of concert pianists.  So all guitarists are not the same.  If I can be included in the species called guitarist.......

As someone that plays both, I'll have to wholeheartedly disagree & say both have things they're good at. Bends, harmonics, slides cannot be pulled off on a piano without the help of effects, but effects can turn a triangle into an orchestra with enough time, so it's fair to ignore that Plus there's certain kinds of rhythmic playing that just suits each instrument more than the other.

guitars4you

Many different views available on such a topic - I think as a broad overview that many guitar albums, by our 'favourite world renowned' guitar players, are often about the guitar first and song second - Is this boring is a matter of taste but there is an element of you know what you are going to get before you play it

I recall a copy of Guitarist 10/15 years ago whereby the readers had to vote for the favourite guitar solo - 100 solos listed amongst the results - The likes of Moore, Satriani, Vai have recorded so many solos that even amongst the Moore fans you can't pic the favourite solo - As such most regular favourite players never made the top 10 - I recall #1 was Hotel California and in the top 2/3/4 was The Carpenters Goodbye to Love - Both are classic solos that enrich the song - They are not the song 

I think many great solos are from tunes that are about the song first - As such the solo is there to enrich the song - Just shooting from the hip and you can have 'Somewhere in my heart' by Aztec Camera - And a few good solos amongst Lionel Ritchie songs - Obviously a host of other well known songs that have great solos including Baker Street - Many performed by a host of session guys or guess artist - Such songs are often more interesting solos IMO

There are many great songs that don't even need a solo - I recall a Ray Charles video from a live gig in Europe in the early 60's - Great selection of songs with a hell of a groove - 18-20 piece big band etc - Only 1 solo, all night long, by a tenor sax player - Could apply such a thought to many Chic style songs by Nile and many by Stevie Wonder etc

I find myself leaning more towards song first these days with a good solo in their when required - And less towards the typical guitar led track from our hero's

Tenebrous

I agree entirely with guitars4you. There's definitely still a lot of place in my heart for Malmsteen & the like, but one of my all-time favourite guitar solos is definitely a case of the solo just being a piece of the puzzle rather than the entire picture.

It's all about having the right instrument for the right moment. Guitar isn't always going to be that instrument, but when it works, it works damn well.

lasermonkey

I've often felt the same way. I absolutely cannot abide blues, most classic rock and all but a few metal bands. It's almost like if you're a guitar player, you *have* to like solos but, for the most part, I don't. I could count on one hand the bands or artists where I find that the solos offer something in the way of enhancing the song.

Many years ago I read an interview with Mark E. Smith from The Fall and in it he said "proficient musicians are shit." Now, while that obviously isn't true, I kinda get where he was coming from. If there's one thing I don't want to hear it's a virtuoso who just absolutely has to let you know just how damn talented they are. If I want to be impressed, I'll watch something like The World's Strongest Man. If the music doesn't move me, it's just noise.

My personal approach to guitar has always been to make noises and tunes that I'd want to listen to myself and I've never bothered to learn anything outside that. If I hear something new that inspires me, I'll try to take it on board but the last thing I want to do is start overcomplicating things just because I can. I really hate that!

I do love guitars though. Well, some guitars! I've never been a fan of Strats or LPs or anything I think is ugly. I'm a firm believer that life's too short to play ugly guitars. I tend not to like anything too blingy, that has exotic woods or too many angles. Just give me a nice, solid colour or something sparkly. Mostly though, I love Jazzmasters. Been using one since '91 and never found anything that plays, feels, sounds or looks better.

I love effects too. I tend to see effects as much of the sound as the guitar itself. I've been accused of making guitars sound like anything but on more than one occasion. "Why don't you just get a synthesiser instead?" is a common question (I have a few, by the way) but that really isn't the point and you'd never get those sounds, voicings and feel any other way.

My feeling is that the more disparate our views on the guitar as an instrument, the more varied the music. Surely that's a good thing, right?

soma1975

I mean, J Mascis, Kurt Cobain, Ed O'Brien and Tom Morello had signature guitars. 

Jack White is playing blinged up one-off custom shop Acoustasonics. 

Mike McCready plays a '59 Burst that has been recreated as a high end limited edition by Gibson. Cornell has a sig 335. 

It seems the correlation between low budget or 'functional' pawnshop guitars and alt rock or indie music has disappeared somewhat.


That said I still feel there is something inherently weird about watching someone play Smells Like Teen Spirit on a £3k Suhr. 

brojangles

I share most of these views and prejudices. I've got zero time for blues rock, hard rock and metal. But I've got no problem with metallers as a subculture - in my experience they're usually really nice. It's more the guitar-magazine-world thing of assuming that the median punter is into awful shite like Eric Clapton or Van Halen that does my head in. 

KevS

I listen to loads of music with no guitar in it..Some with very little..I have to be in the mood for guitaristic type of stuff these days..I listened to that stuff to death,I've still got my favourite albums with guitar on them though..The widdly widdly stuff can be like a game to try and work out how my stumps for fingers can do it.Guitar to me should be fun...If it is played with attitude,it can be good..Or if it is your own kind of Widdly Widdly it can be good..The guitar can do so much more though..It just depends on the music you create..I can truly admire what Yngwie is capable of,I've even stole licks,although they were tabbed in a magazine..lol..I think by now it's got to the point that Yngwie is like Chuck Berry,you are hearing 4 generation interpretations..If people come up with their own versions though,I think that's OK..I couldn't listen to that music too long on the Stereo and that is the instrumentals..The actual songs I think are awful,the lyrics,kill me now..So many songs out of that genre were awful or interchangeable...A Good guitar solo is the icing on the cake..My taste in music really is eclectic..If you are playing fast music,then some widdle amongst the solo can work..Too much widdle in the Blues though no thanks..It's about feeling or the groove..

I find John Scofield and Eric Johnson Boring..Sorry..

I loved The Smiths,pity Morrissey turned into a Racist Dick..

Hell I love X ray Spex Germ Free Adolescents..

Wishbone Ash Argus.. Sabbath,which has Widdle..

The Velvet Underground,The Beatles..Canterbury Stuff..

Echo and the Bunnymen Ocean Rain..

Out of the actual Mega Technical Guitarists I like Satriani Most..I like Al Dimeola too..

I wouldn't be able to play like Holdsworth in a Million Years ,but I find him Boring..

I would rather listen to the playing on MC 5 Looking at you than Holdsworth..

Although what he does on Bundles by Soft Machine isn't too bad....

The Stooges couldn't play that well when it was the Asheton Brothers and Dave Alexander,

but it had a certain thing going on..

The First Ramones album is as basic as you can get,but I enjoy it more than a Steve Vai Album..

A long guitar solo should develop and vary etc,you can get good long solos,

but 2 minutes of pure wank over a looping chord progression is awful..

If the lyrics are a crime against Humanity as well..Groan..

Be Bop deluxe done some quality widdle..
Camel Snow Goose..

You shouldn't widdle just because you can.

jonnyburgo

If you are a fan of the widdly widdly than chances are you are going to want a widdly guitar, something about refined likewise I like dirty fuzzed up stuff like White Stripes and early Black Keys and Vintage blues stuff like John Lee Hooker groove lead stuff well as RL Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. I also love The Meters. I like stuff that is rough round the edges and doesn't require expensive gear to make a half decent attempt at. It seems attainable to me whereas Vai and Satch who's playing I respect very much is so far from what I'm about I'd never dream of splurging on Floyd Rosey widdle machines.  

Ultimately it's whatever makes you happy. Music is subjective and nobody can say if either Velvet Underground or Frank Zappa (polar opposites in terms of technical ability) are "the best" 

If the music serves the song and vice versa then it's all good.

AlexC

Leaving aside Musical likes and dislikes for a moment - if I can just pick up on half of the OP.
With regards to GAS there’s an elephant in the room (on TFB in general, I dare say) and that is...
Money!
I'm astonished at the pro level gear and £400 fuzz boxes that folk have and swap out on a regular basis for home playing. All of my gear, including guitars, are either presents or what I can afford. Simple as. And through gigging it’s all paid for itself several times over.
But I can’t have GAS for the simple reason that if it’s paying the food shop or the utility bills then there’s no contest.
At the moment all I really want to complete my set up is a phaser pedal. But I can’t afford one. Because I know £50 is diddly squat to many, but to others it isn’t.
Hope I’m not coming across as a whinger... Just stating a fact. GAS is only a thing if you can afford it is all I’m saying.

Loobs

rico said:

Odd question I know but let me explain. Over the past few years I have come to the realisation that I consider myself pretty atypical in terms of my preferences in all things to do with guitar gear and music. Expensive and boutique gear just doesn't excite me one bit and any sort of widdly widdly soloing turns me right off, likewise anything to do with 'blues'. I say that in inverted commas because proper blues standards are a wonderful thing but the constant churn of 'blues rock' or modern 'classic' rock does my head in. Joe B, Matt Schofield etc etc are all great players no doubt but I find them so dull. Listen to anything on the likes of Planet Rock radio and its all the bloody same.

In terms of gear, there are some highly expensive and shiny pieces of equipment that one can buy but I can honestly say that it leaves me cold. It's not out of jealousy before you ask. For me, guitars are very much a tool and yes I have some idiosyncrasies when it comes to choosing gear but I prefer the plainer end of things whereas perhaps your typical gear fetishist ('plays like butter', 'lovely fiddle' etc etc) wouldn't be seen dead with a 20 year old plain black LP studio. I guess I have the underdog attitude to gear. There hasn't been a single bit of gear launched in the last five years that has made me think 'ooh, I really like/need/want that' (OK that's not quite true, some fuzz pedals get me going).

Am I alone in my thinking?

TL;DR: I don't like many of the things your typical guitarist would. 

no you sound quite similar to me