Are we ever satisfied?

shaunm

Nope!

I keep thinking "I'm happy with this set up" then the next "I don't need a two amp set up, I only need one amp and improve my effects"

Drives me mad. I envy the singer in my band who plays rhythm guitar because he is happy with his guitar plugged into a drive pedal and into his amp. So long as he has a drive sound he is happy.

I over think it way too much and think I need to fill in blanks with gear such as I don't have a Klon KTR or a Beano Boost and would I prefer my set up with these pedals and one amp instead of the two amps I have and the pedals I have.

It's not that I don't love the sound I get at the moment, I think it is a great sound but it's just "what if".

Perhaps it's the lugging round of two amps causing this?

Moe_Zambeek

Two amps would drive me nuts too, unless they were both very light, or I had roadies...

shaunm

I keep trying to weigh up if I'd be happy with just my tweed which I'm sure I would.

Two does give a couple of options that one amp just doesn't have but its deciding if that is a real difference or all in my head.

longi

I have 3 amps that I use, one for home use and two for the studio and/or live work. I don't use them at the same time though! I'm completely happy with my setup now, I haven't bought any effects for well over a year now. The last guitar I bought was over 2 years ago as well. With the exception of my MJW Orion none of my other kit is anything fancy. Middle of the range guitars, effects and amps are generally my staple.

In my experience expensive goodies don't make me play or sound any better.

shaunm

My set up as a rule is pretty basic (for this forum). My two MJW amps are the biggest extravagance, my guitars are a 60's classic MIN Tele and a Modded Epi Sheraton. I have a fair few effects but non super high end.

I like my sound, but I wonder if I was to go to one amp and add a few choice pedals.....

slacker

I've got a Les Paul, two Rics, a Bad Cat, Matchless, Klon, King of tone and other stuff I don't use much and I'll still look for gear.

The problem is when I'm not playing or when I'm playing at home. None of the above is my main rig. I'm helping out in a local church and play an ES125 straight into a cheap AC4. I'm happy with my sound because I'm concentrating on what I'm playing and not what I'm hearing.

Tuscan777

I try to be!

These days I need a clean sound, a drive sound (with boost) and some slight modulation fx. To this end I've got a stripped down, but good quality, rig that provides all this. I still get tempted to try new things, but that way leads madness (and bankruptcy!)

Once I'd got the sounds I was happy with, and did the job required, I stopped tinkering. It still proves difficult to avoid temptation though.

John_A

Come to the conclusion I'm happy with whatever I'm using.  This week it's back to big valve amps and pedal boards, but I also enjoy changing things round for the sake of it.  Next week I'll be sick of carrying amps around and go back to my little AMT

I know it would be a lot more sensible to stick with something, preferably something small and light, but wheres the fun in that!

Sassafras

I used to swallow the hype they put in magazines about the latest gizmos that were absolutely "essential" for a great sound till I realised it was my technique and the way I used my existing equipment that needed improving, not my gear.

terada

Pete24v

Yep.

After owning loads of amps, I've found 'the one'. And in 12 months I've not looked at another, have even sold most of my others.

Pretty happy with my last 2 warmoth builds, so no more looking at guitars.

Pedals.. Nearly got that sorted! Am happy with my two boards (one for each band), they have remained the same in about 10 months. I do have some Thorpyfx to try/buy though!

shaunm

Pete24v;990320" said:

Yep.

After owning loads of amps, I've found 'the one'. And in 12 months I've not looked at another, have even sold most of my others.

Pretty happy with my last 2 warmoth builds, so no more looking at guitars.

Pedals.. Nearly got that sorted! Am happy with my two boards (one for each band), they have remained the same in about 10 months. I do have some Thorpyfx to try/buy though!

And that is my point, you've left a caveat for buying more gear. I wonder if other musicians do the same? I can't think that a saxophone player needs several of each thing and needs to try out new things to complete his set up.

Sax players probably spend their time playing their instruments instead.

gazzauk

The answer to the question is...NO!

strtdv

I have 3 amps (4 if you count one that lives in rehearsal space). 

I had 2, then bought a "portable" one to bring to rehearsal, then realised it was still too big and loud so bought a dedicated one for the rehearsal space. The cab for the "portable" one was an anniversary present from my wife, so isn't going anywhere, so I figured I'd get a nice head for it, so now I've more or less accidentally ended up with 3 amps at home, none of which are going anywhere (although the 3rd head could be traded for another compact head if I get bored with it.

Same with guitars, I've never wanted more than 2 really, but have ended up with 4 electrics, one of which could be traded/sold and replaced with something nicer, but the other 3 aren't going anywhere.

I've saved myself thousands of pounds by just not really getting into effects in a big way. What I have is nice (old EHX DMM, zcat Q-mod, OCD, EMMA stinkbug, Musket fuzz v2), but I'm content with those and don't intend to change. I could change my Soul Food for a Tumnus, but I'd be using it to get the exact same sound so don't really see the point.

Basically I've more stuff than I intended to accumulate, but I'm very happy with all of it, and could happily keep all I have for years without changing stuff, and my "core" sound (52 hot rod tele into Laney Lionheart) isn't going to change.

chromatuna

I blame gear forums and your tube! :-)

I stopped buying Guitarist magazine in the early 90s because I realised it just made me discontented with my gear and subsequently gigged for a good number of years with no changes. Found gear forums etc. in the late 00s and have been suffering from intermittent GAS ever since. It's possible that my sound is better but does that make me enjoy playing live more? Dunno really. 

I am sure the comment above regarding sax players is spot on

Pete24v

shaunm said:

Pete24v;990320" said:

Yep.

After owning loads of amps, I've found 'the one'. And in 12 months I've not looked at another, have even sold most of my others.

Pretty happy with my last 2 warmoth builds, so no more looking at guitars.

Pedals.. Nearly got that sorted! Am happy with my two boards (one for each band), they have remained the same in about 10 months. I do have some Thorpyfx to try/buy though!

And that is my point, you've left a caveat for buying more gear. I wonder if other musicians do the same? I can't think that a saxophone player needs several of each thing and needs to try out new things to complete his set up.

Sax players probably spend their time playing their instruments instead.

But once i'm happy with a low gain pedal, i'm finished. I am totally happy with every other part of my rig

Plus I gig every weekend, and teach 4 days a week... i'm constantly playing.

shaunm

Pete24v;990535" said:

shaunm said:

Pete24v;990320" said:Yep.



After owning loads of amps, I've found 'the one'. And in 12 months I've not looked at another, have even sold most of my others.



Pretty happy with my last 2 warmoth builds, so no more looking at guitars.



Pedals.. Nearly got that sorted! Am happy with my two boards (one for each band), they have remained the same in about 10 months. I do have some Thorpyfx to try/buy though!

And that is my point, you've left a caveat for buying more gear. I wonder if other musicians do the same? I can't think that a saxophone player needs several of each thing and needs to try out new things to complete his set up.



Sax players probably spend their time playing their instruments instead.





But once i'm happy with a low gain pedal, i'm finished. I am totally happy with every other part of my rig

Plus I gig every weekend, and teach 4 days a week... i'm constantly playing.

Believe me, that wasn't a dig at you. More guitarists as a whole.

We seem to be unique as a musicians because I'd guess that the majority of guitarists don't know any (much) theory or how to "properly" play the instrument. Also we get enormous amounts of pleasure from the equipment we use. I'm a fan of Miles Davis for example but I have no idea what make trumpet he used and what's more I don't care, I just want to listen. Conversely I know a lot about Jimi's gear.

If Miles wasn't satisfied with his sound, he played (or kind of invented) a new style to satisfy him. As guitarists if we are not satisfied by our sound we buy a new pickup.

Are we the only musicians where we view our instruments as consumable goods, like a TV or computer. Other than the fact we all want the oldest guitars we also want the latest new toy.

John_A

Pete24v said:

Yep.

After owning loads of amps, I've found 'the one'. And in 12 months I've not looked at another, have even sold most of my others.

Pretty happy with my last 2 warmoth builds, so no more looking at guitars.

Pedals.. Nearly got that sorted! Am happy with my two boards (one for each band), they have remained the same in about 10 months. I do have some Thorpyfx to try/buy though!

So what is this amp? 

Pete24v

It's cool, I get it... and up until a year ago I was flipping gear like most. But at the last amp purchase it put everything into place.

I have a few students, but one really springs to mind, he now has more pedals than me, has 2 amps, 4 guitars.. And he's only 17. He's a good player, but really knows how to dial in the sound he's after.

Nerine

Yeah. I am.

I have a Two Rock, a Diezel and a Marshall. There's very few tones that are out of reach.

MikeDearing

What all my kit, instruments and pedals are missing is the talent knob...  Glenn Tilbrook at the last gig we did used my p90 SG into a ramparte amp straight in with a cable.. and he trounced everyone... and that amp doesn't even have a tone knob.. sigh......