A punter noticed my flanger...

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GrunfeldGrunfeld Frets: 4027
In [does maths] well over a thousand gigs something new happened last night.
Punter comes up in the break and says:  "I really liked the way your guitar sounded on [song]."
He noticed the judicious application of an effect pedal (MXR 117r since you asked) and how it had made the guitar sound different.
pause
I'm on and off pedals all night.  And I guess I kind of want them to be invisible.  They're spice to the playing.  At one level I don't want you to notice the salt I've added to your curry but at another level I've chosen that salt and I want you to appreciate it!  But if you notice it, I've failed.

This is kind of a musing on the back of another thread at the moment where I realise that a DD-3 does all that I need despite me really, really wanting to have lots of shiny shit that echoes me to forever and back. 

So the question is:
Does anyone actually ever notice what we spend shit loads on?
Or is there a better question?
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Comments

  • soma1975soma1975 Frets: 6625
    My son really likes the lights and buttons on my Volante. 

    I don't recall anyone ever complimenting how my guitar has sounded ever. 
    My Trade Feedback Thread is here

    Been uploading old tracks I recorded ages ago and hopefully some new noodles here.
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  • darthed1981darthed1981 Frets: 11669
    Wood and trees mate, you had a happy punter, happy enough to compliment you and find something specific to compliment you on so he could do so.

    You did your job!
    We have to be so very careful, what we believe in...
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  • Not done thousands of gigs but we had a chap dep with us on bass for a bit. Miserable bugger although good bassist and played in lots of bands.  Sometime later we did a double header with his reggae band, in the meantime I’d changed my Laney for, err, another Laney. Miserable bugger approaches me after our set to tell me the new amp sounds really good. Pleased me no end.
    Although playing in a band with a singer who usually has a Gretsch White Falcon around his neck any gear attention usually went his way. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • droflufdrofluf Frets: 3611
    soma1975 said:
    My son really likes the lights and buttons on my Volante. 

    I don't recall anyone ever complimenting how my guitar has sounded ever. 
    My wife often comments positively on how my guitar sounds. It’s when I start playing that the negativity begins.....
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  • FelineGuitarsFelineGuitars Frets: 11494
    tFB Trader
    Loved this - can't recall whose board it was....


    Many guitars have a re-sale value. Some you'll never want to sell.
    Stockist of: Earvana & Graphtech nuts, Faber Tonepros & Gotoh hardware, Fatcat bridges. Highwood Saddles.

    Pickups from BKP, Oil City & Monty's pickups.

      Expert guitar repairs and upgrades - fretwork our speciality! www.felineguitars.com.  Facebook too!

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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    Towards the end of my gigging I got rid of my super complicated rig and switched to a Amplifire straight into the desk using 3 patches for the whole set. 

    Got way more compliments on tone than at any other point in my gigging life. 

    Also got quite a few when I was using a POD2 into the desk circa 2002.
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  • ColsCols Frets: 6953
    I lent a pile of very expensive pedals to the other guitarist in my band a while back.

    His daughter spent a happy hour or so arranging them into colour order.
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  • digitalscreamdigitalscream Frets: 26450
    edited December 2019
    For the most part, the tone-related compliments I've had were largely of the form, "Your guitar sounds awesome! That looks like a boutique amp...what is it?".

    It was always a Jet City. And yes, they were always deflated when they found out that my amp cost less than one of their drive pedals.
    <space for hire>
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  • I often get compliments on my tone and guitar solos at gigs.   But always from some big beardy fellows drinking pints in the corner not the cute hotties that were dancing along.  Must be doing something wrong.  Not playing wonder wall,  probably. 
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  • slackerslacker Frets: 2215
    Grunfeld said:
      They're spice to the playing.  At one level I don't want you to notice the salt I've added to your curry but at another level I've chosen that salt and I want you to appreciate it!  But if you notice it, I've failed.

    So the question is:
    Does anyone actually ever notice what we spend shit loads on?
    Or is there a better question?
    Salt is a good analogy, the right amount is key. For me, there's two type of effects, basic sounds and     effects. I use over drives simply because I don't want to carry a second amp or frighten the sound engineer. I like a little reverb or slapback on cleans. Hopefully it sounds like its a guitar. That's the salt.

    Then because I really like out there sounds I've got two synth pedals and an arpeggiator filter. They get used sparingly.

     I buy expensive pedals because I've bought sold repaired and scrapped many cheap ones. 

    I've had two situations where a guitarist was using my set up blind and were using my Klon without knowing its price or controversy. One loved it, one hated it. Btw no one in the audience has ever cared. I play better when it sounds good. When I get bored or jaded with the klon I swap it out for something else.

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  • I’ve had non-guitarists mention the combination of a Digitech Hardwire Reverse Reverb into an El Capistan as a big ambient pad being cool, and guitarists have definitely commented on how nice the ElCap sounds. But nobody generally cares, an M9 or other half decent multi would do fine. 
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  • Towards the end of my gigging I got rid of my super complicated rig and switched to a Amplifire straight into the desk using 3 patches for the whole set. 

    Got way more compliments on tone than at any other point in my gigging life. 

    Also got quite a few when I was using a POD2 into the desk circa 2002.
    Yes!! I one of the few times anyone came up and asked about my tone I was using a POD2 into a Marshall valvestate 8080! 
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