Can't be bothered with the chase any more.

thomasross20

Trim your collection and get an acoustic.

Jetsam1

From someone who mainly plays with headphones through a modeller (small kids and full time work, you know the usual) when I do get a chance to use the actual amp it does sound and feel very different. To the point of discombobulation. And weird having the sound come from somewhere else other than straight into my ears............ Maybe it is part of this switch from modelling to the amp itself and the very different characteristics?

The Kemper must have been quite something. I only have a POD 2!!!!!

TeleMaster

57Deluxe said:

Leftfield: Ask your GP to have your hearing checked. Tinnitus can creep up and is not always the ringing in the ear syndrome, but a significant change to how you hear frequencies.

Tinnitus is literally ringing, buzzing, roaring in your ears. 

jonnyburgo

Chasing "the sound" is like chasing smoke, you'll never get there, so I guess either keep chasing or get your head around working with what you have. I always try to remember that back in the day, all the legendary players didn't have as many choices and just got on with it.

thomasross20

Exactly, they had shit gear.. and we try to replicate it lol

marxski

Option paralysis can be a kicker. Back in the 90s used to make an EP in a few days and all of them sold out and got radio play.

By 2003 did an album piecing it together in Cubase. Took 2 years and sold bugger all. Sounded…. OK. But I hated it because of the process of endless faffing about tainted it for me personally.

The point I’m making is the faffing about may be spoiling it for you. Try replicating a rig you had before you could afford “better”. When you didn’t know all this was possible or available. Remove the options.

One other point - I have days when things don’t sound good coming out the speakers and it is usually tiredness. Also if I’ve worked all day and listened to YouTube much of the day my ears are knackered and guess what? My guitar sounds bad! I single out YouTube particularly because the ads are loud - some kind of brickwalling going on there. Paid for ad free just to get rid of the din of the ads for a while.

ScreamingDave

Just a thought, but have you thought of teaming up with a producer to get the sounds you want?  Music production is a skill in itself, and just because you're a talented musician and writer, doesn't mean you can get those songs recorded well.  There are dozens of little back street studios around which don't cost the earth (probably cheaper than another round of buying and selling amps and pedals, at any rate) and they'll really help you to get your songs recorded how you want them.

Supportact

ScreamingDave said:

Just a thought, but have you thought of teaming up with a producer to get the sounds you want?  Music production is a skill in itself, and just because you're a talented musician and writer, doesn't mean you can get those songs recorded well.  There are dozens of little back street studios around which don't cost the earth (probably cheaper than another round of buying and selling amps and pedals, at any rate) and they'll really help you to get your songs recorded how you want them.

This is not a bad idea at all. An experienced engineer or producer will be used to getting all kinds of sounds, and will know how to get them to sound good recorded. You could booka few hours for much less than buying a new pedal, and probably come away with some useful insights. 

Jonathanthomas83

Superb idea, must say. It won't stop me spending on gear though, I'm afraid. But I will consider that, definitely, thank you!

ScreamingDave

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Superb idea, must say. It won't stop me spending on gear though, I'm afraid. But I will consider that, definitely, thank you!

Buying new gear is a laudable aim in itself

hollywoodrox

I sometimes think about giving up the chase , but hairdresser chicks nearly 3 times younger than me are so infatuating ,there’s no fool like an old fool 

NelsonP

Did Paul Reed Smith tap the wood that your guitars are made from.  Because if not,  that's your problem right there.  ;-)

My main 'rig' was an Atomic Amplifire for a while.  When I first got it,  I thought it was amazing. Sounded great, so flexible, one small unit for everything. Gradually over time I found things to dislike e.g the gainier sounds are too compressed and lacking dynamics vs a valve amp, I spend too much time auditioning IRs etc.

So I bought a Marshall DSL20CR. Switched the stock speaker for a Greenback (improvement). Bought an EP Booster to thicken up the cleans (improvement) and a tubescreamer to tighten the gain (improvement). Then a reverb and delay pedal (improvement). Really miss the one touch switching of a modeller though, so started gassing for loop switchers, something which I've managed to avoid buying as they are £££.

Next thing I know I'm onto effects in quite a big way. I've now built a second pedalboard and am well into only marginal improvements. I am enjoying flipping gear but finding the obsessing over it and time suck a bit annoying tbh. I'm constantly trying to figure out how to squeeze one more pedal onto my board.

So recently I decided to have some lessons. They have helped with theory and technique, but I need more practice to translate that into 'tone'.

No silver bullets in afraid. First World problems etc...

guitarjack66

marxski said:

Option paralysis can be a kicker. Back in the 90s used to make an EP in a few days and all of them sold out and got radio play.

By 2003 did an album piecing it together in Cubase. Took 2 years and sold bugger all. Sounded…. OK. But I hated it because of the process of endless faffing about tainted it for me personally.

The point I’m making is the faffing about may be spoiling it for you. Try replicating a rig you had before you could afford “better”. When you didn’t know all this was possible or available. Remove the options.

One other point - I have days when things don’t sound good coming out the speakers and it is usually tiredness. Also if I’ve worked all day and listened to YouTube much of the day my ears are knackered and guess what? My guitar sounds bad! I single out YouTube particularly because the ads are loud - some kind of brickwalling going on there. Paid for ad free just to get rid of the din of the ads for a while.

There are adblockers available for youtube,if you weren't already aware.

marxski

guitarjack66 said:

marxski said:

Option paralysis can be a kicker. Back in the 90s used to make an EP in a few days and all of them sold out and got radio play.

By 2003 did an album piecing it together in Cubase. Took 2 years and sold bugger all. Sounded…. OK. But I hated it because of the process of endless faffing about tainted it for me personally.

The point I’m making is the faffing about may be spoiling it for you. Try replicating a rig you had before you could afford “better”. When you didn’t know all this was possible or available. Remove the options.

One other point - I have days when things don’t sound good coming out the speakers and it is usually tiredness. Also if I’ve worked all day and listened to YouTube much of the day my ears are knackered and guess what? My guitar sounds bad! I single out YouTube particularly because the ads are loud - some kind of brickwalling going on there. Paid for ad free just to get rid of the din of the ads for a while.

There are adblockers available for youtube,if you weren't already aware.

I wasn’t aware - always thought YT had that side of things stitched up and the option was the premium account.