Gear Begets Style or Vice Versa

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 8:15 am

I thought that this topic may make for interesting discussion Jason and I am interested in your take on it.

Does gear predispose one to a particular style of playing or does one's style essentially determine the selection of gear?

Does our search for the golden tonality push aside instruments with a musical sweet-spot? Does ease of playing compromise tone? Is there a one trick fretted pony? I am interested in the views of those who frequent here.

winston · Post by **winston** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 8:30 am

For me Peter at least, the various styles that I play determined the selection of my gear.

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 9:09 am

It all comes down to tradition. There's no reason why you couldn't play 'death metal' on a pink heart-shaped DaisyRock guitar, but nobody does it. If you play rockabilly, it's gotta be a Gretsch. For hard rock, it's gonna be a Les Paul and a Marshall stack. For Texas roadhouse blues, it's gonna be a Stratocaster and a Fender amp. For country, it's gonna be a Telecaster. This might explain why I don't know anyone planning to buy a Variax. Flip a switch and you've got a Gibson jumbo acoustic, or a Rick 12-string, or a banjo. Sure! I'd feel silly making Gibson jumbo sounds on a little solid-body electric guitar. It just wouldn't be right...

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 9:55 am

I know there is certain gear I can't do certain things on, in terms of fast playing or things like that, I prefer a Jazz to a P bass, I enjoy playing Les Pauls despite the weight, I think they are the best-sounding all around guitar. I think you can really do it all with one. I don't think I could do some of what I do on a Paul on a Byrdland.

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 10:09 am

Although I'm not a Ted Nugent fan, he breaks tradition by playing hard rock on a Byrdland. Obviously, there are guitar features (i.e. solid vs. hollow bodies, vibratos, neck shape, number and type of pick-ups) that make certain guitars better for certain styles. I think most players emulate their guitar heroes, and acquire the same gear. That certainly explains why I own the guitars and amps that I play.

shinynewtoy · Post by **shinynewtoy** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 10:49 am

Rick James isn't Larry Graham... but they both played the FUNK on a Rick Bass.

But there's a legit reason to having a varied stash of gear (or so I tell the wife...

)- I play different things on my Jazz than my Rick. But does gear dictate style? IMO, only if you let it.

jdogric12 · Post by **jdogric12** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 1:25 pm

Good question, Peter. It's a tough one. My kneejerk reaction is to say my taste dictates my gear, but I think it can work both ways.

When I got my first electric guitar, I had been listening to Genesis, Beatles, Rush, Yes, the Byrds, etc. and little to no SRV, Clapton, Allmans, etc.

My first electric was a cheap strat copy, and I imagine I am far from alone in my experience. Sure, I could play Mr. Tambourine Man on that hunk of wood with 6 strings and a crummy vibrato, but I found I could also play some Nirvana and Metallica, which were popular with novices like me (not me, LIKE me) at the time (early to mid 1990s).

So that makes me think it can work both ways, but the more intentional route is "taste dictating gear," because my second electric was a Hohner Tele-style twelve string. It was not quite a Rick, but closer to what I REALLY wanted to play. A few years later when I got into Brian Setzer Orchestra music, I bought a baby blue Casino with an Epi-Bigsby. Then I sold the Hohner and got my first Rick (a '91 360/12 FG which I have long since sold). Perhaps we should also consider that BUDGET dictates gear! Thankfully it does not dictate taste.

Of course as I slip into a very early senility, I like to pick up a Rick 12 and play blues licks, bending the strings as far as I possibly can, and using the microphone stand as a handy slide. But that's another thread altogether!

jdogric12 · Post by **jdogric12** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 1:28 pm

On the Variax... I played a cover band bar gig with a guy who used one BECAUSE it could impersonate most any guitar. He could get LP, Fender, acoustic, or jazz sounds out of it. And he only had to bring one guitar to the gig. Very important when you have to leave from your day job three days a week to go play downtown instead of going home and eating dinner or watching a little tube.

...and let's not forget Steve Howe of Yes using a big jazz box in the 70s with lots of distortion for prog rock.

winston · Post by **winston** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 2:47 pm

I have covered this elsewhere, but it in this context of this thread it is perhaps worth a read.

My first Guitar was a used Hofner Gold Top. The body looked exactly like a 60's Les Paul. Of course it has all of the traditional 60's Hofner appointments. I bought it used. I promptly had it painted a wine red color. The gold was too flashy for me. It reminded me of a guitar from the 50's. I then purchased a Vox AC 30 on the old "hire purchase" program. Essentially store credit. I still have the original bill somewhere.

Here's how all this fits into this topic. I had decided that Amercan Blues and R&B were going to be my main focus. My gear alone would have got me into any band of my choosing back then. No kidding. Well by 1963 the Beatles had changed what the the world was listening to with their music and over time jazz and blues and R&B started to take a back seat. Undaunted I used the same gear to play pop music as it was called back then until sometime later I went back to my earlier roots.

I chose my equipment that I had then, because it sounded good and it gave me some flexibility. I still do that today, except that today I have developed a "sound" that helps the listener to discern my playing style. Simply put if the gear will not allow me to get my "sound" then I will not use it.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 6:33 pm

Gear Begets Style or Vice Versa

both

telebob · Post by **telebob** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:41 am

When it's time to jangle the spine I reach for my 360. When it's time for some smooth blues, I grab one of my Suhr's. When it's time to rock, well, I have a few guitars to that with. When it's time for 80's rock, I whip out the pointy Charvel. When it's time for primal screaming, my Tele gets put to use.

Amps? Hmmmmmmm. I have a variety of amps to suit a multitude of gigging situations. My Rivera Chubster 40 is my "all around, any sound I want" amp and get the most use of all my amps.

captsandwich · Post by **captsandwich** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:58 am

I don't think berets are in style, regardless of colour.
I'd never tell that to a Marine, though.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:48 pm

The kind of amp and bass I use definitely has an impact on how I sound and to a lesser degree how I play so I use the best and let my limitations dictate how well I sound and play rather than my equipment. I use mostly Ric basses and always Ampeg SVT's.

j_gary · Post by **j_gary** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:00 am

Johnny come lately here! Great topic.

In the last year I've found myself in two very different bands. One is a three piece "power trio", loud aggressive rock, and a six piece laid back country band.

For years my weapons of choice were a Ken Smith/Trace Elliot set up. Punchy highs, loud, compressed attack M.O. In the three piece I could really push all boundaries of sound, volume and speed.

Enter the country band, the set up fell to it's knees. Got lost in the big sound of keyboards and steel guitars. Out comes the CS and SVT and who-la, I'm back in the game. It also dictated and whole different style of play.

Hmmmm.....starting to sound like the chicken or the egg argument.

tony_carey · Post by **tony_carey** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 6:41 am

Great question Peter. As you know, for sometime now, I have played Rics even though my band is a rock band & have extolled the virtues to anyone who would listen. However, during the recording of the demos for my second album, it became obvious that the Rics were no longer producing the sound that my natural progression demanded. My writing is leaning towards a 'heavier' sound, almost certainly as a direct result from gigging a three piece (we tried extra members, but it just didn't work!). As a result, the obvious has happened & I have moved to Les Paul Standards as my main 6 strings. I suppose it was inevitable....rock....Marshall stack....Les Paul!!

I will never feel the same about them as I do Rics, but you can't argue with results. Although Rics can be used very succesfully in a rock context, in a three piece, the extra bottom end of a humbucker is a Godsend.

So I would say that in my case, my head has finally got the better of my heart & my genre of music has dictated choice of equipment.....but on the basis of results, NOT influence.