texred
New Member
You think I'm kidding? NOT. Except I'm only 56. I think. Do need the amp. You got just one spare wah pedal? This would be like giving a kid his first pencil and taking away the crayon
A Tale of Two Crises: GAS or Mod Fever
- Thread starter smitty_p
- Start date
texred
New Member
I would love to have that on a T-shirt "I used to play guitar . . ." I would even get a couple for some friends
Smitty, I feel honored to be blamed for inducing mod fever.
As for the Rectoverb, you NEED one.
I've had mine since August and can't imagine an amp that I'd love the tone of any more than that one.
There's always a way. New gear created happiness.
Stay happy!
As for the Rectoverb, you NEED one.
I've had mine since August and can't imagine an amp that I'd love the tone of any more than that one.
There's always a way. New gear created happiness.
Stay happy!
RVA
Ambassador
There is always an extra part that did not belong in there. Just ignore it...unless of course you are fixing your brakes!Are you kidding me, I'm the type of guy that takes something apart and puts it back together just to discover there is a extra bolt laying there. I can put them together the first time but after that........................
RVA
Ambassador
You did it to me too, so you should feel twice as honored. Darn Rectoverb!Smitty, I feel honored to be blamed for inducing mod fever.
As for the Rectoverb, you NEED one.
I've had mine since August and can't imagine an amp that I'd love the tone of any more than that one.
There's always a way. New gear created happiness.
Stay happy!
OP
THAT would be an awesome idea for a YouTube video!
OP
Smitty, I feel honored to be blamed for inducing mod fever.
As for the Rectoverb, you NEED one.
I've had mine since August and can't imagine an amp that I'd love the tone of any more than that one.
There's always a way. New gear created happiness.
Stay happy!
When I get closer to pulling the trigger on that mod, I'll start a thread on it. It will be awhile, as I'm still thinking things through. It will involve pretty much a complete redo. Think of it as an episode of "Counting Cars", guitar style. Though, there won't be much in the way of external, cosmetic changes, unless I decide to do something really wild like pinstripes!
You'd think I'd be satiated for awhile, having just completed my Les Paul Studio project. But, working through that project gave me ideas.
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ChasFred
Ambassador of Smooth Operations
Ha that is so redneck.......
I resemble that statement.
You are in crisis!!! LOL!!!!
I no longer suffer from either one. I have found much more satisfaction in designing a piece from scratch than modifying an existing guitar.
The thing that I love most about my Doublneck is that it needs nothing - even the setup was perfect.
As soon as we got it home, I sold my 2005 Schecter for a paltry $250 just for the sake of having more room. The double neck so far exceeded the Schecter's tone that the decision to blow out a guitar had hung onto for 13 years was instantaneously made.
I should have done this years ago.
Regarding gear acquisition syndrome:
I cannot think of a single piece of gear that I need. I own a DD3/CS-3/GE-7 & NS2 that date back to the 1980's. They have been modded for quiet operation by Modest Mike. That's it.
My latest acquisition of a Boss volume pedal was added only for live performances when I was working for "The Travellers. "
I did invest in a custom made 50 watt WGS Reaper 55Hz 16 ohm speaker and a Genelex Gold Lion T12AX7 tube recently, but only after a lot of research into how they would mold my sound.
At this point in my life, I have dropped thousands on original Gibson PAF's from the 1950's and played many "Holy Grail" Gibson's, some with $100,000USD+ price tags, and walked away feeling empty & unimpressed.
Even Mom's 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom holds no magic - and I could have it if I asked for it - but other than being an old relic, it doesn't play magically, neither does it sound magical.
Perhaps this is why some of the most prolific studio musicians I have met do not play these aging relics, but largely play PRS and EBMM's.
jtcnj
Ambassador of the Crossroad
^^^^+1
Robert knows what he is doing, and knows what he wants.
I, on the other hand do not on either count.
I have learned to build and / or work on things out of necessity and am glad I can do a lot of things that have allowed me some good playing / functioning guitars / amps / pedals that I could not afford otherwise.
Robert knows what he is doing, and knows what he wants.
I, on the other hand do not on either count.
I have learned to build and / or work on things out of necessity and am glad I can do a lot of things that have allowed me some good playing / functioning guitars / amps / pedals that I could not afford otherwise.
gball
Ambassador of Boogie
While I don't have any issues with mod'ing guitars, and have done it myself many times, you are squarely in the realm of diminishing returns, i.e., you won't significantly alter the fundamental vibe and tone of a guitar. It may be different but it won't be a night and day thing.
However, an amp is one of the most essential tone generators in the chain, arguably much more important than the pickups or even the guitar itself. And the Rectoverb is the kind of amp that will have you forgetting all about mods for a while becuase the sounds coming out of it are so amazing. I dare say a Recto will have you rethinking the need for any kind of boost pedal as they really do not need them. So, my vote would go to getting the amp and working out all its possibilities. You may find it cures your GAS, etc. My Mesa amps definitely killed the desire to mess with my guitars for me.
Truss_rod
Ambassador of Picks and Sticks
Its vapor lock and its ugly.......
^^^^+1
Robert knows what he is doing, and knows what he wants.
I, on the other hand do not on either count.
I have learned to build and / or work on things out of necessity and am glad I can do a lot of things that have allowed me some good playing / functioning guitars / amps / pedals that I could not afford otherwise.
I'm just a humble picker....But I discovered what I prefer and want and that made things easier on me...
OP
Yeah.
This may be the route I go.
Gball’s comments make a lot of sense; though, I may still sneak some of the less expensive mods in on one of the guitars!
Now, I have never heard any music by Tom Morello that impressed me, but his theory about gear impressed me:
From Guitar World - August 3, 2016 -
Attention, gearheads: Tom Morello has a message for you. “Gear doesn’t matter.”
The Prophets of Rage guitarist joined Red Bull TV on the latest edition of its Gearheads series, and he didn’t pull any punches.
“My take on gear,” he says, “is that it does not matter—at all—ever—in any circumstance.”
The former Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave guitarist says he’s been using the same gear “for about 28 years.” He notes that his custom “Arm the Homeless” guitar—which features four illustrations of smiling white hippos—was professionally crafted for him years ago at great expense.
“And it stunk,” he says. “It was the worst piece of crap that any guitar player has ever played! "
“And so through the years I dismantled it, and it’s had about 10 necks on it. The only thing remaining from that original piece of crap is the body of the guitar and the hippos. I settled on the final version of it sometime around 1990, and it’s stayed the same since.”
Like most players, Morello spent a good amount of time working on his tone when he was starting out.
“I was sort of chasing this elusive tone,” he says, “and finally one day I gave up. I spent a couple of hours at rehearsal, I marked the settings on my amp. I got it as good as I could.”
In the end, he decided, “This is the tone I have, so what are the songs that I’m gonna make with this?”
From Guitar World - August 3, 2016 -
Attention, gearheads: Tom Morello has a message for you. “Gear doesn’t matter.”
The Prophets of Rage guitarist joined Red Bull TV on the latest edition of its Gearheads series, and he didn’t pull any punches.
“My take on gear,” he says, “is that it does not matter—at all—ever—in any circumstance.”
The former Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave guitarist says he’s been using the same gear “for about 28 years.” He notes that his custom “Arm the Homeless” guitar—which features four illustrations of smiling white hippos—was professionally crafted for him years ago at great expense.
“And it stunk,” he says. “It was the worst piece of crap that any guitar player has ever played! "
“And so through the years I dismantled it, and it’s had about 10 necks on it. The only thing remaining from that original piece of crap is the body of the guitar and the hippos. I settled on the final version of it sometime around 1990, and it’s stayed the same since.”
Like most players, Morello spent a good amount of time working on his tone when he was starting out.
“I was sort of chasing this elusive tone,” he says, “and finally one day I gave up. I spent a couple of hours at rehearsal, I marked the settings on my amp. I got it as good as I could.”
In the end, he decided, “This is the tone I have, so what are the songs that I’m gonna make with this?”
OP
That's an interesting article. Thanks for posting it Robert.
But, I'm not sure I entirely agree with what Mr. Morello is saying. For example, at one point he makes this statement:
My take on gear,” he says, “is that it does not matter—at all—ever—in any circumstance.”
Then, he makes this statement about his custom-made guitar:
“And it stunk,” he says. “It was the worst piece of crap that any guitar player has ever played! "
Contrary to the first statement, he describes how horrible his guitar was. So, it seems the gear matters, after all. It mattered enough that he was dissatisfied enough with it to attempt to correct it. Whether his need for changing the guitar was a matter of sound or feel, apparently there was some circumstance that prompted him to try.
In fact, I don't think you agree with him, either! A 25.5" scale is a circumstance that matters enough for you to get rid of some of your guitars!
I think it's better to say that price isn't always an indicator of gear that will meet expectations, and regardless of how much you chase gear, it may not always do what you were hoping. I can certainly think of many cases where gear matters!
When it comes to things like pedals and amps, I'm not really a pedal or amp chaser. I would much rather tweak on guitars. The Rectoverb 25 really has my interest as it checks the boxes I want and need in an amp.
But, I think @gball makes a really good point. Getting the amp may preclude the need for additional pedals. So, as far as the GAS is concerned, I'm going to focus on the amp and use any pedal money toward that.
As for mods, In many cases, my mods really aren't about chasing tone, but enhancing usability, playability, and versatility. The other part is that I'm an incurable tinkerer and I need something to scratch that itch!
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Good points, and yes, those are his unedited statements. I posted the entire article as opposed to cutting out bits and pieces. I do find some wisdom in what Tom says, but I cannot blindly subscribe to his point of view either.
For me, I discovered that I preferred the 24.75" scale length and the thick 50's style necks. I also prefer the vintage-esque PAF style pickups in the mid to low 8kΩ range. If I have those elements, the guitar will feel comfortable to me and the comfort factor is what I shoot for. My Doubleneck doesn't look like a toy on me, and henceforth, I play it with much more feel and aggression/abandon because I am not subconsciously worrying about how small it looks, or how razor-thin the tone is - as when I play Fenders with single coils.
This was a major factor in me getting rid of my 25.5" scale guitars and stick with a more comfortable platform. I create better when I am 100% comfortable with an instrument. I can switch between my Gibson SG and my VH Doubleneck and other than weight, everything feels the same.
Amp and effect wise, I have good equipment and I am now concentrating on writing and producing.
Agreed that GBall makes a very valid point too...
For example, my 1997 Marshall Valvestate VS265 2X12 Stereo Chorus actually has a better metal tone than my DSL40C and a much better clean tone too. The on-board chorus KILLS a chorus pedal as well. However, the DSL40C, is more versatile and covers a much wider range of possibilities, so it's still my "Number One" amp so to speak.
I honestly feel like right now - today - my tone is better than it has ever been.
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83 blazer
Well-Known Member
smitty_p There is one other point to the Tom Morello story which Is the key and that is, the piece of crap custom guitar he’s talking about is the one one that he played through all of Rage Against the Machine. He didn’t throw it and get something else.
He tried to mod it until it became what he wanted and when he realized that it was never going to play or sound how he wanted it to he decided to stop and just concentrate on writing music instead.
He bought an amp because it was the one that was available in the store at the time he needed one and he’s stayed with that as his amp setup ever since. As a touring player he has since had to expand the amount of gear he has and duplicated the same rig so that he can have a setup in the city he’s going to but he hasn’t changed the rig by chasing different gear.
The first two minutes of this video will give you an idea of where he’s coming from.
In any case, I don’t believe he’s saying we all have to stop spending on gear and upgrades and mods, rather just recounting his personal story and the decisions he’s made for himself.
I’m no Tom Morello disciple by the way, I just think it’s an interesting insight.
Heaven forbid I stop wanting to buy this or tweak that in search of enjoyment and inspiration. If I had to rely on my talent alone for that I’d be bloody disappointed!
