Is one guitar and amp enough?

[RESROCKS]

Hi all

I ask this for two reasons. 

First one is I'm lucky enough to be in a position to get another guitar. 

Now the guitars I have are all so called cheap but sound good to me,and when you're recording I don't think anyone could tell the difference between a fender tele and a cheaper version. 

Anyway I was going to get one decent guitar and get rid of the rest, but I'm now thinking about getting 3 lesser guitars for a bit more diversity. Having said that you can get a lot of different sounds out of one guitar and it'll save time swapping them around to get the sound I was looking for! 

Secondly I've been recording guitars using vsts. Some sound good but the issue is I'm forever faffing around with different "amps" instead of just playing. 

I'm thinking about getting just one amp to use for everything (well a ua dream 65)

Does anyone else spend more time faffing with guitars and vst amp settings than actually playing??? 

 

[MikeRobinson]

"Does anyone else spend more time faffing with guitars and vst amp settings than actually playing???"

 

😀

 

You said it yourself:  "Just play!"  Because the only thing that your audience actually hears is you ... not any group of metal strings nor any piece of wood.

 

There definitely is such a thing in this world that is called "analysis paralysis."  Where you spend so much time agonizing over "what is the 'right' thing to do" that you don't do anything at all.  In music, at least, there is no "'right' thing." And, no way to know what "the 'right' thing" turned out to be, except in hindsight.

Edited June 14, 2023 by MikeRobinson

[Glammerocity]

On 6/2/2023 at 9:37 AM, RESROCKS said:

 

Now the guitars I have are all so called cheap but sound good to me,and when you're recording I don't think anyone could tell the difference between a fender tele and a cheaper version. 

 

 

 

 

 

I think a good amp can make an average guitar sound better than a good guitar through an average amp. The other guitarist in my band had a Strat, which cost twice what my Epiphone Les Paul cost, but he played it through a Peavey Bandit. It was like viewing a Monet through cheap sunglasses. I wasn't a fan. I put my Epiphone through a Marshall classic combo and it sounded like it should sound: classic Les Paul rock.

 

BTW, the Epiphones are made under license from Gibson, so they're almost as good as a Gibson for a more affordable cost.

 

"Sporting premium components and constructed with the same tonewood species that Gibson use, there are some players that actually prefer the specifications of Epiphone’s top-of-the-range models over Gibson’s sub-£1000 guitars."

 

https://blog.andertons.co.uk/labs/gibson-vs-epiphone-guitars

 

I can't speak about VST amps but, being old, I'm in the camp of valves and air molecules banging against a diaphragm. My Marshall classic sounded brilliant immediately and even better warmed up. No matter how long you leave a VST up, it won't get any better.

Edited June 20, 2023 by Glammerocity

[Charlie Bernstein]

It's up to you. Some people buy lots of guitars as a form of interior decorating. I keep my rig simple. A good Tele covers a big waterfront, and so do a lot of amps.

 

What to buy? Whether to buy? Cheap is good, crap isn't. Go for good deals, but don't compromise sound quality.

 

By the way, since you're a Tele guy, or at least a Tele clone guy, you should know about www.tdpri.com.

[RESROCKS]

16 hours ago, Charlie Bernstein said:

It's up to you. Some people buy lots of guitars as a form of interior decorating. I keep my rig simple. A good Tele covers a big waterfront, and so do a lot of amps.

 

What to buy? Whether to buy? Cheap is good, crap isn't. Go for good deals, but don't compromise sound quality.

 

By the way, since you're a Tele guy, or at least a Tele clone guy, you should know about www.tdpri.com.

Hi,yes I'm keeping things simple from now on.i used to have a simple set up but went down the rabbit hole with modellers etc.some are great but the choice of something like 50 or more amps just causes paralysis because you spend all day faffing and no time playing! Anyway I now just mic up my blackstar combo and it sounds great.I have purchased a Revival Drive Compact to beef things up a bit and give me a few more options.

That thing is amazing. It's billed as an overdrive but it's so much more.its all analogue and it's more like an actual amp or a console channel.You can get great tone out of this thing,it's pretty amazing, they're pretty expensive but got a used one for a lot less.cant wait to record with it. 

Cheers 

Les

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Christophe Tatlocke Holmes]

When I got my first electric guitar, I couldn't afford an amp as well so I put it through a Grundig reel-to reel tape recorder. It sounded awful, but then I could barely play either.

 

Years later I met up with a multi-instrumentalist locally and was struck by what a good sound he got out of fairly modest gear. Yes, the old cliché is true - it's about how you play it, not what you play (within reason).

 

I've got a couple of fairly decent guitars and some reasonable amps now - but I acquired most of them because they were available rather than seeking them out at all. I think this approach adds pleasingly random element to life.

 

Recently though I've down graded my guitar I use to play in pubs to a £20 Stagg acoustic I bought off a charity via the local recycling centre last year. Having filed down the bridge, tightened up the pegs, sanded the frets, adjusted the truss rod and changed the strings; I can't say it plays amazingly well, but it's good enough and it's not a disaster if it gets bashed or worse (although it would be annoying!).

 

I don't see any harm in getting more gear - but if it doesn't encourage you to play more - maybe move it on.

Edited January 11 by Christophe Tatlocke Holmes

[Bridget Murphy]

Of course not. Specially if you play professionally.

[Auxiliarycord]

Don't worry about getting the right guitar or the right amp, I think at the end of the day what matters most is what you do with them. MikeRobinson said it well.

[Bridget Murphy]

8 hours ago, Auxiliarycord said:

Don't worry about getting the right guitar or the right amp, I think at the end of the day what matters most is what you do with them. MikeRobinson said it well.

Yes, some combo may not work for most but perform exceedingly satisfactory for others.

[GregB]

To my mind, as long as the instrument feels good and behaves as it you want it to (feel of fingers on the strings/frets, comfortable to hold etc.), everything else depends on your ears and analysis in the space between them.

 

Some people say that different guitars generate different feelings/vibes which helps diversify their songwriting. A person cab have 20 guitars on walls/racks ... and that floats THEIR boat.

 

I have one electro-acoustic 12-string that I love, and has inspired and been the focus of 60+ songs/tracks.  I know it inside and out. I've had other guitars and gizmos but I've steadily divested myself of everything else.  I never again want the hassle of cleaning, maintaining, restringing multiple things.

 

But we're all different.  If you have the money, do what feels good for you.  Experiment and find whatever works for you. You can always sell stuff later.

 

Greg 😊

[john]

As @Glammerocity said, a good amp will see you a long way. Good guitars can be a game changer as far as playability is concerned, but a good amp trumps the guitar when it comes to the sound.

 

Apart from that, I recommend the following equation:

 

Gi = Gn +1

 

Where:

 

Gi is the Ideal Number Of Guitars

 

and

 

Gn is the Number Of Guitars You Have Now

 

[Bridget Murphy]

On 2/6/2024 at 11:12 AM, GregB said:

To my mind, as long as the instrument feels good and behaves as it you want it to (feel of fingers on the strings/frets, comfortable to hold etc.), everything else depends on your ears and analysis in the space between them.

 

Some people say that different guitars generate different feelings/vibes which helps diversify their songwriting. A person cab have 20 guitars on walls/racks ... and that floats THEIR boat.

 

I have one electro-acoustic 12-string that I love, and has inspired and been the focus of 60+ songs/tracks.  I know it inside and out. I've had other guitars and gizmos but I've steadily divested myself of everything else.  I never again want the hassle of cleaning, maintaining, restringing multiple things.

 

But we're all different.  If you have the money, do what feels good for you.  Experiment and find whatever works for you. You can always sell stuff later.

 

Greg 😊

Whether you have a collection of guitars or stick to one beloved instrument, it's about what resonates with you. For me, my electro-acoustic 12-string has been the muse for over 60 songs. While others may enjoy experimenting with various instruments, I prefer simplicity and focus, avoiding the hassle of maintaining multiple guitars. It's about finding what works best for you and your creative process.

[john]

13 hours ago, Bridget Murphy said:

Whether you have a collection of guitars or stick to one beloved instrument, it's about what resonates with you. For me, my electro-acoustic 12-string has been the muse for over 60 songs. While others may enjoy experimenting with various instruments, I prefer simplicity and focus, avoiding the hassle of maintaining multiple guitars. It's about finding what works best for you and your creative process.

 

Hey Bridget, (Sorry for the quick aside Les)

 

I haven’t heard ANY of your songs, and you’ve written 60? Can you share links to any? I’d really appreciate that. Maybe in your own topic. We’ve hijacked Les’s topic more than enough!

 

Cheers

 

John

[RESROCKS]

No worries, it's all good!

[entersadmanisbroken]

It's interesting to hear your dilemma about adding to your guitar collection. Personally, I think having a few diverse guitars can open up a world of sonic possibilities, even if they're not all top-tier brands.

[entersadmanisbroken]

On 4/3/2024 at 11:46 PM, entersadmanisbroken said:

It's interesting to hear your dilemma about adding to your guitar collection. Personally, I think having a few diverse guitars can open up a world of sonic possibilities, even if they're not all top-tier brands.

As for VST amp settings, I totally get the struggle. It's easy to get lost in the endless tweaking instead of actually playing. Simplifying with a versatile amp like the UA Dream 65 sounds like a solid plan. If you ever need some guidance on guitar basics or want to delve deeper into guitar knowledge, https://guitarsrepublic.com/guitar-basics offers helpful resources/.

[john]

On 4/18/2024 at 5:20 PM, entersadmanisbroken said:

As for VST amp settings, I totally get the struggle. It's easy to get lost in the endless tweaking instead of actually playing. Simplifying with a versatile amp like the UA Dream 65 sounds like a solid plan. If you ever need some guidance on guitar basics or want to delve deeper into guitar knowledge, https://guitarsrepublic.com/guitar-basics offers helpful resources/.

 

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