BE REALISTIC

Most of the unwise purchases I have made over the years were a result of me overestimating my equipment needs.  If you are just starting to learn guitar or if you primarily play for fun at home in your office or bedroom then you don’t need to buy Marshall half-stacks that take up half the room nor do you need rows and rows of guitars just in case you break a string on your main axe.  Angus Young needs those things when he is touring with AC/DC.  You don’t need those things for when you come home from work or school to practice your scales or chords.

IT IS NOT THE GEAR THAT MAKES THE PLAYER SOUND GOOD, IT IS SIMPLY THE PLAYER

The story goes that Ozzy Osbourne was having auditions to find his new lead guitarist. This small guy walks in with a tiny practice amp.  He plugs that little amp into the wall and proceeds to play some riffs to warm up.  Ozzy hears this guy and gives him the job on the spot.  That guy was Randy Rhoads, the  phenomenal guitar player you can hear melting faces on  “Crazy Train.”   No matter how big or expensive an amplifier or guitar is, the gear will never make up for a lack of skill.  A good guitar player will sound good on just about anything.  Don’t get fixated on the flashing lights, instead practice, practice, and practice.  That is what will truly make you sound good.

For many musicians the battle against G.A.S. is an on-going one.  I hope this advice–as well as a healthy diet and regular exercise–will give you some strength in the struggle against this “illness.”

Ok, I might be over dramatizing this thing a bit, but the truth is that many guitarists, myself included, are prone to making unwise guitar related purchases.  If it is shiny, loud, or it has a lot of buttons and knobs there is something inside us that screams, “I MUST HAVE THAT!”  The problem is that most of the time we don’t actually need that thing and in 3-6 months, we don’t want it anymore.  So trust me, I am trying to help you.  What follows are a couple practical rules to follow that can help anyone deal with G.A.S or G.A.S. like symptoms.

IF YOU DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS OR HOW TO USE IT, DON’T BUY IT

This seems simple enough, but I have personally bought several pieces of gear of which I had only a vague understanding.  This usually resulted in anywhere from a day to a month of frustration as I tried to figure out how to use the thing or make it do what I wanted it to do.  I eventually admitted defeat and returned the item or placed it in the black hole that was my closet, thus wasting my time and my money.  Be clear on what it is you need or want and you will avoid all of the aforementioned frustration.

DO SOME RESEARCH

Before you buy anything, do some research.  Read reviews online, watch videos on YouTube, talk to friends who have what you want, take it out for a test-drive so to speak.  Ultimately, you want to be familiar with whatever it is you are purchasing.  If somebody asked you what that item does, you should be able to explain how it works and how you are going to use it.  A better-informed purchase is simply a better purchase.

These 2 simple rules have saved me from many an unnecessary purchase, I hope they do the same for you.

As I said before, amp modeling can be done by computer software—Line 6’s POD Farm or IK Multimedias’ Amplitube—as well as standalone devices with computer hardware—Line 6’s POD desktop/floor units and modeling amps or Fractal’s Axe-Fx rack mount units.  The really cool thing about this technology is that it makes good guitar sounds available to everyone at an affordable price.  Amp modeling options start at around $100.  This affordability gives new guitarists a lot of options when choosing their first amp.  For a lot of new guitarists it makes a lot of sense to get a 15 or 20 watt practice amp.  When I started to play guitar, practice amps weren’t very exciting pieces of equipment.  Now though, amp modeling has turned measly practice amps into miniaturized sonic behemoths with enough effects and amp models to keep any guitarist occupied for quite some time.

Amp modeling has also had a huge impact in the world of music recording.  It used to be that you had to have a studio and top of the line equipment to make a quality guitar recording.  Now all you need is a computer, some way of connecting your guitar to the computer, amp modeling software and…violà! You can have professional quality recording at the tips of your fingers.   I personally use Line 6’s POD Farm (pictured above) to record all my own material as well as the back tracks I make for Guitar Smith Online®.  As an added bonus, this software turns your computer into an amp that can be used not only for recording, but also to jam or practice.

Now, you may be asking yourself, “What’s the catch?”  Up until a couple of years ago the catch was that while amp modeling technology sounded great in the studio, it just didn’t have the same feel when playing live.  There was something missing, especially in comparison to the tube amps that were being modeled.  This made many professional guitar players reluctant to incorporate amp modeling into their live rigs.  However, with the introduction of Line 6’s POD HD products as well as Fractal’s Axe-Fx the lines between digital and tube technology have really been blurred.  Many professional and famous guitarists now use amp modeling as part of their rigs.  The sounds are amazing and the digital technology allows for a lot more flexibility in a live performance.

Solid-state amps are great for new guitarists who just need an affordable and easy-to-use amp with which to practice.  Solid-state amps, unlike most tube amps, can be played at very low volumes which makes them ideal for playing guitar in your bedroom.  With the addition of digital technology—also called modeling technology—small solid-state amps are now able to make some heavenly “clean” sounds and super heavy “distorted” sounds—check out Line 6 and Rocktron for some examples of these powerful practice amps.  For all of these reasons, the general rule of thumb is to start with a solid-state or digital amp when you first start to play electric guitar and then move to a tube amp after you have been playing for a while and have a better idea of what kind of amp you want

So there you have it, the low-down on tube and solid-state amps.  This is really just scratching the surface on this topic and, as we will see next week, it is getting even more complicated because of  some amazing digital amp technology that has come onto the scene in recent years.

There are some different types of amps you can choose from.  Tube amps–like my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe in the picture above–are the “original” electric amplifier.  They amplify sound through the use of tubes—also called valves. In general, tubes are used in higher end, professional grade amps, while solid-state and digital technology are used in entry-level and practice amps.  Tube amps were used—and continue to be used—in a lot of popular music and the sounds of those amps have shaped the way we hear music.  They are the “standard.” For example, Fender’s tube amps are very well known for their “clean” sound—think of the jazz of Wes Montgomery or the blues of B.B. King and more recently, John Mayer.  On the other hand, Marshall is well known for the distorted and overdriven sounds of their amps—think Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and many other famous rock bands.

Most tube amps are highly valued for their sound, but they are also much more expensive than their solid-state and digital counterparts and are usually played by experienced and dedicated guitarists.  Next post I will take a look at some other options that are out there when it comes to guitar amplification.