A Guitar And Gear Support Forum

...And I mean the stupidest, least scientific, most ridiculously unproven and subjective idea you absolutely still have a steadfast, non-negotiable belief in.

Then...

Why do you feel this way, or what is your proof?

Mine is:

I can hold up an electric guitar body (or blank) by one corner, rap my knuckles on it a few times and tell you if it'll be resonant, warm, thin, or complete shit.

Source: I've now cut out enough guitar bodies to be able to have a solid sample size. I even use this crazy technique to help determine what pickup scheme it should have, so I know how to rout it. The pleasant sounding ones get made into bodies, finished, and sold (sometimes kept). The duds get ... experimented on.

What's your crackpot notion?

That resale value has importance

Tonewoods. 'nuff said.

Flametops are warmer?

I don't believe it, but it is:
solid body guitars sound good.

You never heard anything so dumb, right?

Cheap guitars and expensive pups rule.

That 99% of left handed guitars will come in 1 of 2 colors- black or cherry red. my reasoning is having looked at lots of leftys manufactures offer only 2 colors to leftys, then the fact black and red will sell that's what they offer . look at Epiphone.

nomadh wrote: ↑Thu Jul 09, 2020 5:12 pm Flametops are warmer?

I thought that would be QUILT tops.

I believe a strat sounds better with the backplate off. My proof is I saw it on the internet. That means it has to be true, right?

That I’m decent at guitar. Check our this wanky solo!

that people on guitar forums know what the f--k they're talking about.

That I can play!

This one maybe speaks to my psyche....i have this unfounded thing where if a pro plays Ibanez, I somehow take them less seriously. This despite the fact that I have played Ibanezezes for years.

Like, Vai and Satch: how could I not take them seriously? I do. And I would love a Jem or a JS. I would love to get my old RG410 back. It would be fun to get an old RG550. I would like to build my RG or Jem. But I still have this thing.

Of course, I also think that I am somehow unworthy of more expensive gear, or that the gear isn't worth it for an enthusiastic hobbyist like myself, and I see Ibanez as lower priced, though effective. Perhaps that is the core of it.

Rollin Hand wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 8:52 am This one maybe speaks to my psyche....i have this unfounded thing where if a pro plays Ibanez, I somehow take them less seriously. This despite the fact that I have played Ibanezezes for years.

Like, Vai and Satch: how could I not take them seriously? I do. And I would love a Jem or a JS. I would love to get my old RG410 back. It would be fun to get an old RG550. I would like to build my RG or Jem. But I still have this thing.

Of course, I also think that I am somehow unworthy of more expensive gear, or that the gear isn't worth it for an enthusiastic hobbyist like myself, and I see Ibanez as lower priced, though effective. Perhaps that is the core of it.

Wow. I didn't realize this, but with a caveat.

Because if you play a Destroyer I may take you seriously. But otherwise...yeah, kinda funny.

This one always bothered me and I'm not sure how to explain it but it's related to how one day you play your rig and it sounds glorious and the next day you play the same rig, same guitar, same settings, same songs and the tone just is terrible. I honestly believe that what you hear is influenced by your MOOD.

It would also explain why after a few drinks everything seems to sound better! I can't count the number of times I've had friends over, we'd get smashed and marvel over how great our gear sounded... then a few days later I'd fire up the gear and be shocked at how terrible the settings we were using sounded (in some cases I even WROTE down the amp settings while drunk).

Rollin Hand wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 8:52 am This one maybe speaks to my psyche....i have this unfounded thing where if a pro plays Ibanez, I somehow take them less seriously. This despite the fact that I have played Ibanezezes for years.

I generally agree with the above mostly because I've never met an Ibanez of any style, type, design that felt good in my hands.

rrobbone wrote: ↑Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:59 pm ...And I mean the stupidest, least scientific, most ridiculously unproven and subjective idea you absolutely still have a steadfast, non-negotiable belief in.

Then...

Why do you feel this way, or what is your proof?

Buying just one more new guitar will somehow assuage the misery of my life.

What is my proof that it's an asinine belief?

I'm still miserable, but I still want another one.

Roscoe wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 9:01 am This one always bothered me and I'm not sure how to explain it but it's related to how one day you play your rig and it sounds glorious and the next day you play the same rig, same guitar, same settings, same songs and the tone just is terrible. I honestly believe that what you hear is influenced by your MOOD.

I've had a similar experience with the sound system in my truck. Sometimes it sounds better than usual, sometimes worse. I don't think it's mood though, I'm thinking it is either humidity or number/type/placement of objects in the cabin, as I never change the settings.

Roscoe wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 9:01 am This one always bothered me and I'm not sure how to explain it but it's related to how one day you play your rig and it sounds glorious and the next day you play the same rig, same guitar, same settings, same songs and the tone just is terrible. I honestly believe that what you hear is influenced by your MOOD.

It would also explain why after a few drinks everything seems to sound better! I can't count the number of times I've had friends over, we'd get smashed and marvel over how great our gear sounded... then a few days later I'd fire up the gear and be shocked at how terrible the settings we were using sounded (in some cases I even WROTE down the amp settings while drunk).

Not sure how to put this but you probably didn't sound better after a few drinks.
I've heard tapes from a few of Nashville's famous "all night guitar pulls" and they tend to be extremely funny
because they sound so bad but the participants obviously think they sound WONDERFUL!

PsychoCid wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 8:59 am

Rollin Hand wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 8:52 am This one maybe speaks to my psyche....i have this unfounded thing where if a pro plays Ibanez, I somehow take them less seriously. This despite the fact that I have played Ibanezezes for years.

Like, Vai and Satch: how could I not take them seriously? I do. And I would love a Jem or a JS. I would love to get my old RG410 back. It would be fun to get an old RG550. I would like to build my RG or Jem. But I still have this thing.

Of course, I also think that I am somehow unworthy of more expensive gear, or that the gear isn't worth it for an enthusiastic hobbyist like myself, and I see Ibanez as lower priced, though effective. Perhaps that is the core of it.

Wow. I didn't realize this, but with a caveat.

Because if you play a Destroyer I may take you seriously. But otherwise...yeah, kinda funny.

If we are talking the older Vs and Destroyers, yeah, because they are incredible.

As well, Ibanez treats their endorsees very, very well. Lots of long relationships there.

Rollin Hand wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 8:52 am This one maybe speaks to my psyche....i have this unfounded thing where if a pro plays Ibanez, I somehow take them less seriously. This despite the fact that I have played Ibanezezes for years.

Like, Vai and Satch: how could I not take them seriously? I do. And I would love a Jem or a JS. I would love to get my old RG410 back. It would be fun to get an old RG550. I would like to build my RG or Jem. But I still have this thing.

Of course, I also think that I am somehow unworthy of more expensive gear, or that the gear isn't worth it for an enthusiastic hobbyist like myself, and I see Ibanez as lower priced, though effective. Perhaps that is the core of it.

Well I guess Ima hijack this thread for a minute and try to change your view, for the purposes of self justification. I love my AM93, AS73, heck I like my AX120 and I am trying to talk myself out of an RG550.
The problem is marketing. I believe Ibanez endorses too many people in an effort to appeal to everyone. It's like a car dealer commercial for the 90's with "how to we stay in business? Volume!"
We'll appeal to you because we endorse at least one of "everyone." Didn't that "hold my wine" douche have a signature Ibanez? I don't know, can't take him seriously.
Like telling me to share my opinion by hashtag
nope, I stopped listening when you said "ha"

Okay, sorry, no RG for me today. I have a similar rant about Gibson.

mickey wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 9:42 am

Not sure how to put this but you probably didn't sound better after a few drinks.
I've heard tapes from a few of Nashville's famous "all night guitar pulls" and they tend to be extremely funny
because they sound so bad but the participants obviously think they sound WONDERFUL!

Of that I have NO DOUBT! We've recorded a few of those sessions as well... our caliber of playing was, shall we say... sub par?

Ok, let's see...

Oh!

"Tube amps are inherently better sounding than any sort of digital modeling."

I haven't thought this was the case ever since I learned just how much processing goes into a guitar track to tweak it before it sits in it's final place in a mix. In the context of a studio situation with a knowledgeable engineer, you will almost never hear the same tone the guitarist hears as he/she's recording. It is always tweaked to the point that the source of the original tone doesn't matter that much anymore (this assumes quality equipment all around, of course). that engineer will make that tone fit the song, as well they should. For my recordings, I am trying to de-mystify this dark art.

mighty_duck wrote: ↑Thu Jul 09, 2020 5:11 pm Tonewoods. 'nuff said.

In general, there are properties that can be attributed to certain species - but that's as far as it goes.

Tighter grained and more dense species are brighter sounding on the whole, but the inverse of that isn't necessarily true. Each tree grows differently, thus each plank of wood is different and will have different characteristics. Every guitar is going to be different, which is why I strongly prefer to buy guitars in person.

rrobbone wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 1:33 pm Ok, let's see...

Oh!

"Tube amps are inherently better sounding than any sort of digital modeling."

I haven't thought this was the case ever since I learned just how much processing goes into a guitar track to tweak it before it sits in it's final place in a mix. In the context of a studio situation with a knowledgeable engineer, you will almost never hear the same tone the guitarist hears as he/she's recording. It is always tweaked to the point that the source of the original tone doesn't matter that much anymore (this assumes quality equipment all around, of course). that engineer will make that tone fit the song, as well they should. For my recordings, I am trying to de-mystify this dark art.

The Axe FX just couldn't sound as good as the 5150 in person. But if you're micing the amp rather than direct in, you're stuck with that base. Whereas it's easier to re-mold the digital sound into whatever you want it to be.