Is it wrong for somebody to have the 'wrong' guitar?

Neon said:
i wouldnt. at all. he can afford it, i wouldnt care if he could play one beat. hes got the money why not?
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I find this very hard to believe.
So you wouldn't say something like "I've been watching him for 30 minutes and he hasn't yet hit any of those four toms to the right of him including the two floor toms and he hasn't hit those three cymbals over there yet. His cowbell hasn't got a mark on it and whats the gong for"?

Once again I'll repeat - I go to watch lots of bands young and old and it is very very rare to see gigging bands where the gear doesn't represent the ability of the musicians.

Neon said:
i suppose i shouldnt be sitting behind a gretsch kit eh!
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We wouldn't know - nobody has heard you yet.
 
dmpoole said:
I find this very hard to believe.
So you wouldn't say something like "I've been watching him for 30 minutes and he hasn't yet hit any of those four toms to the right of him including the two floor toms and he hasn't hit those three cymbals over there yet. His cowbell hasn't got a mark on it and whats the gong for"?

Once again I'll repeat - I go to watch lots of bands young and old and it is very very rare to see gigging bands where the gear doesn't represent the ability of the musicians.
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who cares how many bands youve seen. i rarely use to use my tom toms at all, i always did footwork and hihat, snare work....

im not really having a convo about it. im TELLING you yes...thats right. that nearl pearts foundations are a hihat, ride cymbal, snare, bassdrum. the rest are parts of kit built up over time most of the time the main beats come from the foundations.

its not just nearl pearts foundations its most drummers foundations.
 
I hate seeing rubbish musicians spend loads on decent instruments then play them like ass.

I had a friend who bought a brand new strat and then hardly played it, then there's me who's stuck with a almost beginner quality Ibanez and I play all the time and am not bad.

Makes me mad :mad:
 
dmpoole said:
I

We wouldn't know - nobody has heard you yet.
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BS, there was a video. about 2 videos. and people like mohinder, who is a respected member, and also nokkonwud came into this thread telling you.

your suppose to through music with a fine tooth pick. but obviously not.
 
Neon said:
who cares how many bands youve seen. i rarely use to use my tom toms at all, i always did footwork and hihat, snare work....

im not really having a convo about it. im TELLING you yes...thats right. that nearl pearts foundations are a hihat, ride cymbal, snare, bassdrum. the rest are parts of kit built up over time most of the time the main beats come from the foundations.

its not just nearl pearts foundations its most drummers foundations.
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Jesus, you're totally missing the point.
Substitute Neil Peart for any pro drummer.
Two of the best drummers I've seen basically stayed on their bass, snare, hi hat and cymbal all night (Ted Nugent and Bruce Springsteens drummers).

We're talking about a hypothetical drummer.
He owns a very expensive kit with loads of drums and loads of cymbals but not only doesn't he hit 75% of them, he also can't keep time and totally messes up all night.
I'm positive at some time during the evening you would say he doesn't deserve a kit like that.
 
dmpoole said:
Jesus, you're totally missing the point.
Substitute Neil Peart for any pro drummer.
Two of the best drummers I've seen basically stayed on their bass, snare, hi hat and cymbal all night (Ted Nugent and Bruce Springsteens drummers).

We're talking about a hypothetical drummer.
He owns a very expensive kit with loads of drums and loads of cymbals but not only doesn't he hit 75% of them, he laso can't keep time and totally messes up all night.
I'm positive at some time during the evening you would say he doesn't deserve a kit like that.
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possibly, but it comes down to the question or the fact. why does somebody need so many drums when you can play it on a basic setup.

also btw i now have a student that is learning under me :] never thought teaching would be fun, how wrong i was.
 
Neon said:
possibly, but it comes down to the question or the fact. why does somebody need so many drums when you can play it one a basic setup.
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Neon, you're missing the point of the whole thread.

The guitarist in the OP owns a guitar that a lot of serious guitarists would love to own but his skill is equal to the drummer with all those drums who only plays several of them and messes up all night. Its also like a beginner who goes out with a £100,000 Steinway and plays a few triads with their right hand, plays one finger bass notes and messes up all night (sounds like me).
Sometimes the instrument doesn't belong to the artist and it is very rare for me to see this happen. I normally see the opposite - young lads on Squires and Epiphones who deserve much better.
 
Back on point :p

I sometimes feel the same, used to happen a lot when i was younger and in bands. One band, whos parents obviously had more cash than most, had all the decent gear.. Gibsons, Marshalls, Orange County kits etc etc. And they sucked! it was painful to see them crucify their instruments with badly written Blink-182 rip offs.

I mean it's mostly jealousy, but i do think - "Do they really deserve that!?". and the answer is.. if they can buy it.. yes. I'd have had a PRS Custom 24 when i was 14 if it was offered or i had the cash..

Didn't stop it from being annoying though...

all's well now, i got exactly what i want.. :D

..bar the PRS of course..
 
To be honest, and this is the way I progressed when I learned, the best thing to do is to start on not-ultimately-crap but good, cheap gear (in my case a Yamaha Pacifica 112 through a Marshall MG15 solidstate) - so you get a nice sound, but not the best. Then, as your skills improve, move onto better stuff : I went from Yamaha to Jackson to Ibanez J-Custom. That way, your gear can improve with your ability - for me that always inspired me to get better, so I could justify to myself going out and buying better gear. I totally see dmpoole's point.

-C
 
dmpoole said:
Sometimes people don't deserve certain things.
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Alright then, heres a question I pop at you. As a guitarist, I'm more of a 'bedroom rocker' than an active gigger if you get what I mean. I have a pretty top of the range guitar (Parker Fly) and my ability is far from tip top. Who knows, you might be scoffing inside when you watch me play.

I know that bit of kit is far above my level of playing.

I worked a whole summer in KFC (4 months) and spent 95% of my earnings on that guitar. 5 days a week in KFC serving greasey crap just to get my hands on something I wanted so badly and had for so long. I earned my money and it took a lot of patience, but I got there.

Therefore I fully think I deserve my guitar. Do you?
 
I agree with dmpoole too. At the end of the day, your only as good as you can play and if you think spending £1000 will automatically make you a better player you are wrong. :)

It's the same with anything. My friend uses a £40 Ronnie O/S pool cue when we play pool down at the local pub, and i use the standard ones inside and it doesnt make him any better than i am, just he looks the fool when i beat him and people are watching. :)
 
I was at the same gig, I know who you're on about and it was embarassing. I'm not a muso but I know gear and I don't mind who I **** off.
The band were bloody awful but seeing a PRS Custom 22 gave you the feeling that there was somebody special on the stage. How wrong can one be? They continued to torture everything they did but DMP is too much of a gentlemen to tell you that. DMP will also be the first to admit that he doesn't deserve a PRS Custom 22 also. It is true that somebody's gear usually tells you the standard of the band but this was way off.
 
I don't think the question is right or wrong, the question is (or the fact is) that the guitar is wasted on someone who doesn't know how to use it. Same as a noob in photography thinks spending £2k on a new DSLR will make him Ansel Adams, or someone who spend £150,000 on a Ferrari will make him Michael Schumacher. Yes, there's no problem with someone owning expensive items because they can afford it, it is not about deserving but more of its being wasted.
 
And as an extension to this, dont you think it's cool when guitarists in a band pull out a Squier and then proceed to tear it up into a world of playing you've never seen before?

Cant beat that.
 
dmpoole said:
Absolutely.
If I walked out on stage with a PRS Custom 22 all my peers would be laughing.
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disagree with all who say the less skilled dont deserve good gear.
 
dmpoole said:
Absolutely.
If I walked out on stage with a PRS Custom 22 all my peers would be laughing.
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Nah I wouldn't, I'd just think "he's got a nice guitar". Except I don't like the PRS Custom 22 so I wouldn't. But if you had a nice guitar I'd think "that Dave's got a nice guitar" :D
 
I kind of see your point dmpoole.

I've seen a fair few pub bands over the last 10 years or so, and i can normally tell from the gear set up on the stage if i'm likely to like them or not.

If i see a decent Floyd Rose equipped guitar (jap Ibanez, us Jackson, Washburn etc.), and a decent amp, then i assume the following:
a) the guitarist is likely to be pretty good
b) i'm probably going to like the music they'll be playing

It's not always right, but it's amazing how often it is.

If i'd seen a nice PRS Cu22 sat on the stage, i would expect the guy to have been playing a few years to warrant such a guitar. Thus, be worth listening to. Recently i saw two Ibanez PGMs on a stage as i walked into a boozer. A PGM30, and a PGM 90HAM (anniversary model). I had good feelings about that band. When they walked on stage and started blasting out Stereophonics, Foo Fighters etcetera, i was a little suprised. Then it got to the solos, and it turned out i was right. He couldn't half play.

This doesn't mean it's wrong for the PRS guy to have it (I have a PRS btw), it just means i'd expect him to be able to play pretty well, just as you did. Maybe the guy had a few bob, and therefore just bought the guitar he liked best?
 
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