The biggest gear myths spread by Guitar Youtube
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- Опубліковано 12 чер 2024
- Intermediate Guitarists are sold a lot of stories and even more gear by Guitar UA-cam. I break down the only pieces of gear intermediate guitarists really need and the myths surrounding them
Utkarsh Mohan is a Singapore based writer, musician and artist of Indian origin. Formerly in corporate senior management, he now pursues his passions and is also the owner of the Ministry of Guitar collection
You can also follow him on Instagram @ministryofguitar
If you’re strapped for cash or unsure about pickup choice get a graphic equalizer.
After hearing ....."What you need, is one guitar ...... I'm going to give you one specific example" , I would have bet my life savings a PRS would soon be on the screen.
Any HSH or even HH guitar will work as long as it has a coil-split/tap switch. That feature is hard to find on cheaper guitars, but once you reach around the $700 to $1,000 mark is when you'll start to see guitars that have it, such as the Ibanez AMH90, PRS SE Standard 24-08, Charvel Pro-Mod S0o-Cal Styles 2 24 HH HT, Charvel Pro-Mod DK24 HH 2PT, Schecter C-1 Exotic Spalted Maple. When you get to the $1,500 mark, you'll see a lot more guitars with that feature. One of my favorites in that price range would be the Ibanez KIKO10BP, which has probably the best split-coil neck tone I have ever heard and better than any real single-coil I have heard (which busts the myth that a split-coil cannot sound like a real single-coil). There's also the Ibanez Premium RGT1220PB, which has the same DiMarzio pickups as the most expensive Ibanez Prestige models and 10 different tones. Another route you can take is to get a Line 6 Variax, which has an entire library of all the notable guitar tones in guitar history contained in its digital modeling.
@@LunatiqueRob You must be new here.
@@zemlidrakona2915 LOL I actually misread your comment because I just quickly glanced at it, and I thought it said you would have to spend your life's savings on that PRS on the screen, which actually isn't that far off from the truth for most people. But yeah, he's a total PRS fan boy.
To be fair, he did also mention a similar Ibanez. And also to be fair, his fave guitar of all time is a low budget Epiphone that once had a broken headstock. He has lots of different types of guitars. Like the Chapman he’s playing halfway through this video. And also btw, we all have a preferred brand. There’s nothing wrong with him preferring his PRS collection and using what he likes in his examples. Just sayin’ . . . .
@wind016 The only issue is that the 513 is way out of your average guitar player's budget, but otherwise it's a good choice.
Sadly all true. Been down the GAS route but most of it has now gone and I don’t miss any of it.
For those who are classic rock enthusiast I recommend any of the Fender Tone Master amps. Spectacular IMO ! Great video , tank you Sir.
I haven't tried them but I believe they should do a reasonable job for the budget. Thanks for sharing
Another thing to keep in mind is that if you use a Boss modeler, they have basically an effect to emulate single coils if you're using humbuckers and vice versa. They also have a nice acoustic emulation with a lot of control over the tone. I've used that a lot myself.
I have a lot of stuff these days. Sometimes I wonder if I was actually having more fun playing when all I had was a 1x12 Peavey Bandit and mid-range LTD. Most of the time I glance at my rack of guitars and have a hard time picking one to use. I'm lucky to have this problem, but it has it's unintended outcomes lol.
I find that I only tend to grab about 4 or 5 out of the herd with regularity. But the others also have something I really like about them so are hard to part with. Realistically I have too many guitars. I tend to trade more than sell and usually happiest when I leave home with 2 or 3 and come back with one.
Limitations, whether intentional or not, are the key to creative flow.
Great video.....appreciate your honesty!
If you mainly practice or record at home then I would recomend buying a set of monitors speakers for your modeler and headphones instead of an frfr speaker... Frfr would be useful if you need to gig with others or play live. The monitor speakers can be used in order to record yourself with a daw because most modeling pedals can be used as a soundcard... Its very easy to create home recording studio this way...
A graphic eq can also save money on amps. It can get your tone exactly where you want it to be. I consider it a must-have piece of gear. I've been using Boss EQ pedals since the mid 80s and they are wonderful.
I am amazed that you prefer playing modeling amps while at the same time enjoying very expensive guitars
All other things being equal, nothing beats the feel of a 150W into a 4 X 12 on full chat. But the marginal utility of that gap does not usually overcome the convenience factor for me
Modelers have gotten incredibly good these days. For most practical uses, as well as versatility and convenience, they’re good enough now.
For me, I’d rather have a good but lightweight combo amp like a Blackstar St. James (25 pounds weight) -or a floor-unit modeler and an FRFR power cab as Mr. Mohan recommended-for leaving the house even for a jam session, than I would want to lug around my Mesa Lone Star Special combo (63 lbs weight!). The Mesa sounds great but it is a backbreaker that isn’t worth gigging for a nonprofessional, intermediate-ish musician like me when more versatile and/or lightweight options exist.
As far as expensive guitars…I can’t speak for Mr. Mohan, but for me, expensive guitars are more about feel and general vibe than about any actual tonal improvement. I like my Gibson Les Paul and my Fender USA telecaster, but I don’t think they’re miles ahead of a decent Epiphone or a Mexican Fender in sound.
You do typically get better non-locking trems and other hardware as you go up in price, generally. Though not always-I had a Fender USA strat once that gave all sorts of trouble with the trem despite multiple luthiers putting a ton of work and replacement parts into it. But for a guitar with a double-locking whammy bar like an Ibanez RG or whatever, you’re generally fine buying a decent Indonesian-made Ibanez instead of a pricey Japanese one (for example).
The Boss Katana is hands down the best amp on the market right now
I’ll go one better. I got rid of all my tube amps and large speakers. They take up too much space, are too heavy to move, are too loud, require too much setup and maintenance, and present a fire and electrical hazard. I’ve replaced them with decent but not super expensive speaker monitors that are fine for housebound players. Still like my tones though and agree about the large modeling units with a couple of caveats. First, the big line 6 is expensive and pretty large in its own right. Second, there are certain kinds of effects that modelers still don’t do well like spring reverb which is difficult to faithfully model and still capture things that like the characteristic ‘drip’. Same for certain kinds of preamp, overdrive, and fuzz tones. So if you play genres like surf or want specific amp tones it might be best to buy - few best-of-breed pedals for those specific sounds and pair them with a modeler. Also, while a big modeler with an expression pedal is best for ease of setup and tweaking and live situations , if you are going to incorporate additional pedals anyway you might want to consider buying the slightly smaller units like the Helix LT, the HX Effects, or something else with an expression pedal like the Valeton GP-200. Then you can make your board more modular and reduce weight and size when you don’t need all of the complexity. I would still avoid units that don’t have a built in expression pedal because then you will need to have a separate one for effects like wah, volume, or anything that you want to control dynamically hands free. Add something like a Tonex One pedal for amp and cab sim sounds and maybe a power amp like the Seymour Duncan Power Stage in case the venue doesn’t have powered cabs/speakers and you are done.
In a perfect world I’d have a 5150 full stack… in the real world I have a modeler… 99% will never, even once, have the need to use one. 90% of us wouldn’t have the opportunity if we wanted to, to use one w/o the cops being called. I own a fender mustang half stack so on the rare occasion I can turn something up I have an amp that’ll do it, but 90% of the time I’m using the usb into the computer and listening on monitors
Hello Utkarsh. Keep on the good work. 👍I have very eclectic taste in music, but if I had to pick a favourite band, it would be Rush. Alex Lifeson switched to Fractal for touring because it was simpler, more consistent and easier to get all the sounds from his decades-long career. Kirk Hammett (Metallica) also mentioned in an interview that they switched to modelling for touring as it is much easier to get consistent sound every single night.
I gig with 2 guitars; a modded LesPaul and one of my SuperStrats or a PRS. That combo does everything live. Everything changes from standalone at home vs in a band mix so the versatility of H and single coil fits that bill perfectly.
Exactly like me 🤘🏼
I agree about the guitar... but honestly for me a tube amps response is unmatchable... the modeler is impersonateing that. Ive tryed both.. but i certainly get that the modeler is easy to pack around.... but thats just me
yeah I agree with you. I find that difference (for my playing style) to not be significant enough to warrant the inconvenience, and while recording, I prefer the modeller
Thank you for such good, practical advice.
It's cool to see you mention this set up. About 5 years ago as I was getting more into guitars, I wanted a good guitar ecosystem to cover a wide variety of sounds. I searched, tested, watched videos and ended up getting a Line 6 Helix, a Powercab 112, along with a Line 6 Variax, which are all made to work together to have all kinds of guitars with variable tunings available to me on any gig (Granted, as limited emulated versions) I have since added several other guitars to my collection (Including PRS) but that same set up allowed me to explore a lot and just have fun, and has been absolutely great! (And to the purists, I get it, but it worked well for me)
I have a PRS SE Standard 24-08 and it can basically cover everything in the repertoire of the band where I play - rock, funk, RnB, metal, Top40, pop, jazz, blues and even disco. This together with my Line6 HD500x and running direct to PA, which is old by today's standards, are more than enough for my sound as a session guitarist in most cover and showbands I play in.
Thank you for your honesty and clarity on gear. What is your advice on the acoustic side of guitar?
Time to add the 513 to the collection! One more guitar I need!
Need...want? slipper slope :)
@@ministryofguitar jk, but honestly this is the best advice I've heard. You truly need to be a collector to understand quality in engineering and sound to understand what would be fundamentally the "best" and "minimal" tools. Glad we can rely on your experience ;)
I like your clear and precise way of thinking about the whole topic of gear and guitars. Your point of view is very pragmatic and very implementable in a lot of cases. Yet I think it all depends on the styles, that you play. As you said yourself about the guitar, maybe if your genre is country and your sound is the tele, instead of getting the most flexible guitar, better get that tele, cause it's the only sound anyways, that you need. Same holds for amps and effects. I have some friends in jam based bands or psychedelic/stoner rock bands, that use a lot of sound effects created by manipulating delay and distortion live on stage. Playing with volume and distortion. In this type of scenario there is actually some benefit of having the actual amp and being able to manipulate it more easily by turning the knobs, because you know how it reacts, because to them this is THE SOUND. You might argue, that it becomes some type of unwanted variable, which is not good for a live session, but on the other hand, that is precisely what they are going for. But still they try to keep the variables under control by not having 20 pedals for all kinds of stuff, but only those that they actually use and make the most of it. For them the endless options of a modeller would be overkill. It's totally different, if you play for example a rock/blues cover band and you need as many sounds as possible on tap, then it's silly to carry around 5 tube amps and 25 pedals.
Overall I would sum up the concept more as: how much do you really need and trying to squeeze most out of what you have, which is what being a musician is all about. The audience doesn't care about 'authentic' or the brand on your headstock or if the amp is 'real'. Try to make it as simple as possible. Humans try to complicate things unnecessarily, no one will hear a 5% difference in a full band mix or care. You are right, in the end it's all a tool and that's how we should see it. Choose your gear as being useful instead of some other adjective. Resourcefulness is a great skill.
I think you are absolutely right. And depending on the kind of music you play and gravitate towards, a more specialized rather than versatile guitar may be the right thing for you
Going to disagree about the modeler. May not be a difference to most of the people in the room but when I walk into a club and the guitarist is using a modeler, I can instantly hear it. Just something missing compared to a tube amp. When you factor in real tube gain vs non, the difference is even bigger. Id say that plugging straight into even a cheap tube amp sounds better and more authentic and alive than any modeler and all its presets. The difference is harder to tell on a UA-cam video but when its right in front of you, no comparison for me.
Your best video. Thanks a lot!
Thank you. Appreciate the kind words
My current rig: Guitar -> Boss GT1000 Core -> PreSonus Eris 4.5 Monitors ☺
Fender Tone Master Pro + Fender FR12 + two guitars with similar pickups for when you play live easy to swap guitars.
Always have a backup. So for live Boss GX 100 as a backup. Boss has no latency as feels very tube like.
Fender Tone Master Pro is the easiest quickest of the big boys. Fractal is the best but time consuming and diving into menus. Quad Cortex time consuming for me. Helix is time consuming - but you have used for eight years and are very familiar with it.
Adding to your theory I have a couple of really nice vintage fender amps ,, the really don't use for gigging mainly I have my dream amp a Roland JC120 which can do that "beautiful drama" using it as a pedal platform (flat response ) the modeler I'm using is much simpler than most people use, a Boss ME-70 .
my main guitar is a warmoth frankenstrat with a strat neck pickup and a humbucker bridge pick-up and a piezo bridge. For me with this guitar I don't really need the coil split the neck pickup is a DiMarzio stacked single so it can get fatter nearly humbucker with gain and the bridge pup is a DiMarzio evolution which can get more stratty tones and even tele twang if you roll back the gain , so my guitar has a more versatile non specific tone the super strat thing is the wheelhouse I'm more comfortable in . So I dig this topic of finding what fits your personality as a guitarist and using it being more important than bringing 10 guitars and five amps to a gig , the only extra abstract I use is a Roland guitar synthesizer, people look at my crazy setup and think it's really complicated but it's actually simple, even with the synth it's basically one guitar two pedals and one amp, I can always expand for a gig if needed but the essential parts are just as simple as you're describing.
Question for you also , how do you like the PRS piezo?
Tube amps? Thats the example of tube amp you choose? To each his own, I guess.
I have a UA-camr question and one for a former professional marketer. Does the Minister ( of Guitar ) have a view on what perhaps is the changing tastes of the UA-cam viewer. It seems content with Gibson / Epiphone and then fender/fender association get most views. Gibson artist models do well and when I look at your own channel an Epiphone video was most popular ( am I correct ?) and even Andertons recent tour of the Gibson factory was a very popular spike in views. I would like to hear comments as I am getting viewer fatigue with inaccurate details; little or no editing and a level of dumbing down in quality from some content providers who just seem to switch the camera on and waffle.. present company excepted !
This is a very good question and you have articulated something I feel as well. It is something I thought of before I started putting time into this channel as I did not want to add to the barrage of me-too guitar content. I have two thoughts. There is no getting away from thumbnails and hooks that invite curiosity. As far as the content itself is concerned, I'm no expert but what I've found is 1) articulating something everyone is feeling but haven't really put in words 2) bringing a perspective that other people can't due to one's owns unique experience. The last point is popular brands matter, so you are correct I see videos on Epiphone and Gibson usually doing best
I think that you present an informed point of view and the videos are not too long…..maybe a beer/water proof modeller is a good idea? I do see a pressure on some UA-camrs to put out regular or daily content that can be very dull.
1. Ibanez RG
2. Fractal Audio
3. 2x12 cab
(why in this world would one need a cabsim and a FR when you can have a real cab with a pedal sized power amp???)
Good recommendations. However, I disagree that you need only one guitar. I’ve done plenty of gigs where I broke a string. In a live situation, it’s better to just grab a backup guitar and change the string during a break that take the 4 minutes you need to change the string, stretch it, tune, etc. Especially if the guitar has a Floyd.
fully agree
From the function perspective, I completely agree with 513 gives a lot of tones, Helix gives more than enough tone options.
If you’d consider budget, I would scale down to…
PRS SE Swamp Ash, still HSH, if we’re going down PRS road, which is absolutely fine.
ToneX, since it has one of the best amp-like tones for budget, and offers reverb, compressor and gate.
FRFR is great idea in general.
the SE Swamp Ash Special is a great shout
I’m using a da capo 75 amplifier for my modelling pedal sounds amazing. I have heaps of pedals and amps but found it just sounded different every time I turn it on. With the modeling pedal I have it’s on and done and sounds the same every time
Well in the basics I agree, we're pushed by companies to believe we need stuff, buy, buy, buy. However for me once you play gigs one needs two guitars, one as backup but an extra guitar is about it.
agree
Agree with u sir..
I never buyed any amp..
Using prs se 24
Ampero one as modeller
And in place of frfr, using my studio monitors which gives flat response..
Nothing more...
I'm a gigging drummer and an at home guitarist. It's weird because I'm a minimalist with drums and have GAS for guitars and pedals. The drum kit I gig with now I got in 2007. Guitars are more addictive I think.
I keep hearing the praise of modelers here on YT, but the guitar players I have jammed with aren't using them; for playing gigs anyway. I don't think they want to plug into the PA. And, if you're bringing a power amp so you can hear yourself, how is that any more efficient than just bringing an amplifier? Am I missing something? The guitarist in my current band plays either a Fender pro-junior and a Fender hot rod together or a Fender bass-breaker with a matching cab.
The gigs I play usually provide a monitor on stage. If there is a amp backline, I plug straight into the power amp via an instrument cable into the fx loop in, while also providing a xlr out into the PA. Best of both worlds. Real world amp pushing air while balanced sound on the pa
Fractal FM3 is awesome as well, and is great cos is smaller as well.
I would also agree that the tube amps are more expensive. And also, you'd have to get it paid for to get it serviced and maintained.
Can't argue with those points, just one variable that might change the perspective on amp vs modellers = what kind of music are you drawn to and what tools are best suited for that? I know you said "intermediate / semi-professional" which already means that a good modeller should be 99% of the times just fine (regardless of the style of music). But consider this: would Julian Lage choose to play with a Helix? Would his art suffer from that? Conversely, would Karnivool ever require a Plexi or a Triple Rectifier to do what they do? I realise that I went straight to the pros... my point is, if you are an intermediate who is inspired much more by Josh Smith than, say, Opeth, you might want to start with the right tools. In that case, a tube amp with a Fender-style guitar and just learn how to ride your volume knob. See, I even reduced it down to 2 things :D - Seriously now, your channel is very interesting and thought provoking, keep it up! Greetings from Düsseldorf.
My son told me about the Line 6 Helix. I soon realized that I could get any sound I wanted out of my 'goldfoil' telecaster, which is my favorite guitar. I remember being surprised to find guitarists playing live with guitars that they did not record with. Anyway, we are on the same page with all this gear.
Totally true
EVM 12L FRFR there you go! That is the only speaker I will use. There are others, a JBL is somewhat in that category but very bright HI's. I can't argue with modern tech, if you want to cover a million different sounds, sure, you need a modeler, but if one good lead tone and a good clean tone sound is what you want, small light, but Hi performance tube amps exist. Mine weighs 16 lbs and if you find yourself playing in a place where 25 watts is not enough modern tube amps have line & or XLR outs for the PA EVM's are very efficient 100 DB with 25 watts is not hard. analog effects are the more clumsy part, and a modeler has digital clones onboard. but a delay a compressor and dirt box can be a very small format board. convenience? Digital wins there too, but not by much. I'd have to make a few more connections (loop for the delay) but those cords can be collected in a pedal snake
What about hollow and semi-hollow vs. solid body? Or acoustic vs electric? I agree that the guitar config you mention does cover lots of bases, but it still won’t cover everything out there. You can use modeling to try covering acoustic with an electric guitar, but it’s never going to play like an acoustic guitar or truly sound like one. Similar tones yes, but I know from being a primarily acoustic player that it’s practically a different instrument because the feel is just not the same and modeling can’t quite get the nuances of acoustic strings just yet. I can play the same song on both an acoustic and an electric with modeling, and the electric always sounds worse because of the difference in how both instruments play, and the tonal differences in using acoustic strings vs modeling. I know you’re primarily focused on electric guitar, but even then, if someone wants a hollow body, that’s very difficult to replicate with your suggested setup for similar reasons.
Overall, I agree that you don’t need to have a load of gear to play a variety of music, but I guess it depends on the type of music being played and the goals of the player. If someone wants to be able to play both an acoustic or electric guitar, any well setup guitar will work - these days, there are loads of excellent budget options that can be setup to play and sound like a dream with few to no upgraded parts needed.
So let’s say one electric HSH with a vibrato, and one acoustic, lol. I think that’s a fair conclusion! 😂🤘🏻🎸
Thanks for sharing. I agree with a lot of what you are saying. a few things. For this video, I was only talking electric tones. Acoustic I view as a different instrument though of course my Custom 24 Piezo apes one live. On hollow vs semi hollow, what I've found with the 513, which I didn't mention in this video but I did in an older one, is that the overwound neck humbucker with the tone down does a great job to getting close to jazzbox
Only one guitar? That's crazy talk. 🤣🤣🤣
bonkers
lol @ “need”
Need has almost nothing to do with my purchases.
I’m a little bit older than you, and if I was 16 again there would be zero chance I’d buy a tube amp.
Things were getting pretty good in the late 90s-in 2024 like you say there are so many modelling options available that can do literally anything
Anything except sound like an actual tube amp.
@@RaiderJay9092 all these golden eared guitarists who say that can’t tell the difference between a major 6th chord and a major 7th lol
I suspect in a blind test there would be statistically no difference in being able to distinguish between a tube amp and a modeler (P
@@Lomoholga2 well I can hear the difference between a major 6th and 7th chord. Major, minor, dominant, augmented and diminished chords also.I can hear the difference between a modeler and a tube amp when I walk into a room. If your ear can't tell any difference in a sterile processed sound vs a authentic, organic sound, good for you. Keep using the modeler.
@@RaiderJay9092 such passive aggressive nonsense lol
Who cares?
Go live life with your chest puffed out believing you can discern the differences and those that can’t are inferior
Guitarists can be such dogmatic conservative and argumentative thinkers it’s a stark contrast with what should be an artistic and creative endeavor
@@Lomoholga2 Yes passive aggressive comments from you. Do you have the memory of a fly or did you deliberately ignore the fact that you started out your last comment with" those golden eared guitarists who claim they can't hear the difference between a major 6th and 7th chord?" As if there is no way they can hear the difference between a real amp and a simulated one because they have rudimentary ears.
Thats a pretty smart ass remark to start a comment with. Passive aggressive on your part. Makes it seem as if your going through the comment section with your chest puffed out and a superiority complex. So your telling me you can identify 4 note chords by sound but you can't tell the difference between a tube and non tube sound? Cool story. Oh and I never said anything about being superior but you implied it with your golden eared major 6th 7th comment.
Agree in theory with an H-S-H do it all guitar, however if people find they prefer a single coil sound an H-S-S may be ‘better’ as it may be better to have a specific single coil guitar instead of a jack-of-all-trades where the humbucker is split
fully agree. also SSH guitars like the Ibanez AZ do a great job at creating a pseudo neck humbucker with some switching
My man loves prs’ almost as much as his blazer
maybe more
@@ministryofguitarIt's a good blazer.
While I agree that the Helix and other expensive modelers are better, saving your money and getting a Boss Ir-200 or a Walrus ACS1 is really not a bad option these days. To my ear the everything less pricy sounds like a toy or is less versatile which is fine if thats what you need
Some of the commenters seem to view this as a personal attack for some reason, but I understand the gist: In today's modern gigging world: 1.) A Humbucker and Single Coil equipped guitar (whatever your brand bias may be) will cover that part of the signal chain. 2.) A modeler of your choice, because no matter the style, genre, tonal or effects preferences, it's there with the scalability and reliability to play any gig from recording studios to tiny coffeehouses, weddings, concert halls, all the way to stadiums. Let's be honest, none of the butthurt people in the comments are shipping a tube amp and wall of 4x12s across the country for stadium gigs. 3.) Backline monitoring solution be it FRFR, or power amp + cab, in-ears, whatever. Those are the modern basic gigging TOOLS of the trade. For personal enjoyment, and pure sonic bliss in the room or the proper venue: Tube Amp all day. But your audience doesn't sit in front of your cab, they get the interpretation as presented by the mic and PA.
is there a cheap alternative for this setup?
boss katana and a prs se
@@ministryofguitar is PRS SE as good as EPI LP custom or better?
I have to disagree with our host, for the following reasons:
* A solid-body electric guitar with a Mahogany body will sound different from one with, say, an Ash or Poplar body.
* A guitar with P-90 pickups will sound different from one with single coil pickups, which in turn will sound different from a guitar with humbuckers. Of course, you can have a coil tap to give added flexibiity, but the type of pickups are very important.
* A Hollow Body (archtop) will sound different from a solid body guitar, and a semi-hollow will sound different again
* Acoustic guitars differ from other acoustics dependant upon the size, design of bracing, and type of wood used - especially for the top. An all-Mahogany guitar sounds different from one with a a Spruce top which sounds different again from one with a Cedar top.
* Nylon-strung (classical guitars sound different from steel-strund acoustics, and Flamenco guitars sound different again.
* A Gypsy Jazz guitar sounds different again to all of the above guitars
* A Baritone electric produces lower notes from a 'conventional' electric.
* An Acoustic baritone again plays in lower registers than a 'conventional' acoustic.
* 12-String guitars sound different from 6-string guitars
* Guitars in Nashville Tuning sound different from all other guitars.
There's a reason why there are such a variety of different guitars on the market. Confining yourself to just one guitar is crazy.
Damn Utkarsh, you didn't even mention the "Chibsons are as good as Gibsons" myth that so many UA-camrs spread. ;)
I only have 1/10th of your collection. 10 guitars I have held onto since starting in 78.
Modeling amps are cool, but die an unrecoverable death faster than tube amps.
I have an Amplifi 150 and a small Mustang for modeling amps. (for a student/lessons)
I have my tube amps for stage.
With guitars, as I already have my "it" guitars, any others I rotate in to my 10-guitar limit MUST have resale value.
Even with disposable income being at an all-time scarcity these days and the Volatile economic factors, I'd rather have something tradable.
I stay away from too pricy and too cheap, higher-middle-ground seems to be the sweet spot for me (Fenders and Gibsons).
Oh, and never purchased sight unseen, I physically play a guitar before I purchase. I'm that guy that asks Long & McQuade to pull out ALL their stock in one type of guitar for me to sample, I'll purchase the best of the lot (imho).
ah Chibsons. Have avoided them like the plague
Have you ever met Paul from PRS?
You got a great channel. If your free on a Friday or Saturday, pls come down with your buddies to Sgt Peppers Bar & Grill at Sim Lim Square, Basement 1. I play there with my band Krueger.
Fridays we start at about 1130pm & Saturdays at 1030pm. Come up & jam a song or 2. That would be cool.
Thanks for reaching out. Will try and come down with my buddies one of these days
The "Signature" Guitar Plugins are a bit misleading. And expensive (but you get the star's name).
You WON'T sound like your hero with these plugins .... you'll sound like YOU. So simple, huh?
Full size Helix is great but a pain in the @ss because of the size. I ended up liking so much better the HX stomp XL better because its so portable.
It kind of doesn't matter now since they've discontinued it, but the full Helix with the Variax input is great because with a foot switch you can change the tunings, type of guitar and pickup setting as well as amp and effects. You could go from Drop C Mesa to a 12 string acoustic to standard tuning w/Marshall with a couple of button presses.
But, yes, it's big and clumsy, but it's also built like a tank.
@@Scott__C Never said it was bad but way too big for my needs and space. Btw what do you mean they "discontinued it", does it mean we finally get a Helix Mk II ?
@@albertmarkethinkpr1325 the Variax
I play for pleasure and sometimes at open mics. I own 20+ guitars. I am both acoustic (primarily) and electric player.
Your comments are correct as it comes to 'working tools'. I can do everything I need to do with my $800 Yamaha Revstar with P90s. But I still own several other more expensive guitars that I love but get less attention. A Fender modeling amp and a small multi-effects pedal for open mics which I plug into the house PA. Had a half-stack tube Peavey 3120 120W amp and traded it off. Couple of small battery amps for back yard or camping.
It's not a matter of need but a matter of want. Like you, I do it for enjoyment. Every guitar I have had has taught me something new or pointed to a new voice in my playing. A couple have even been given names: Angel and Brown Dog.
Needs help us survive, wants help make life worth living. I am all of indulging one's wants as long as one is able. I really like what you are sharing and am glad you do open mics. It's a lot of fun.
It’s better you don’t have an amp addiction as well. If you diversified some guitars for some amps, could be good for your portfolio. But it’s probably a blessing for you that you’re satisfied with one of those electronic things😂😂
Less is more........more or less
Actually I think it's almost the reverse. If you are a person who does wedding gigs, restaurants, etc, then what you describe is all you need. But if you are a beginner or intermediate who really only plays at home: have as much stuff as your wallet and square footage allows! (joking a little)
Square footage is very important
For once, I'm going to completely disagree with our esteemed host. Fortunately, the intermediate guitarist does not NEED a PRS 513, a Helix or an FRFR speaker- this would all cost many thousands of euros/dollars/pounds. You NEED a 500 euro/dollar/pound guitar the feels and sounds right for you, a good quality cable and a Boss Katana (or similar). Anything more than that enters the "want" category.
I think you are very correct about the 513. There are plenty of cheaper HSH options, including from PRS (the swamp ash special SE comes to mind). On the Katana, I have to disagree. I got one recently just to explore the exact point you are making, on whether these have gotten that good. To my ears, they are severely lacking vs. modellers like the Helix and of course Tube Amps themselves. Maybe the next gen will get there. I certainly think they should. Technology gets progressively cheaper and there is no reason they cant
@@ministryofguitar I take your point, but remember we are talking NEED here. A Helix and an FRFR speaker will cost you at least 10x more than a Katana 50. I think you are looking at this from a rather privileged position... (btw I'm not a Katana user, but I do live in the real world!)
I love this channel but when you have these epiphany and have a wall of guitars and all high end guitars and eqip.. its kinda funny.. 4 tones rule the world, tele, strat, and gibson.and an acoustic...those are the only 4 tones you will ever need in life ..and a good amp or processor ..do you need a Helix, Fractal to capture good tones? nope because so many cheap computer-based DSP will do more than any amp or processor ...with so many options..save your money and go with what works for you...
Thanks. I agree on the four main tones. I also think tone is also very subjective. I have a boss katana and it doesn't do it for me tone wise while the helix keeps me more than satisfied.
2:51: "It also has a tremolo."
Actually, it has a vibrato. I wish people would stop doing that. It's irritated me for decades. It's Leo's fault.
Utkarsh, please take off the blinders! I’ve enjoyed watching a lot of the topics you address. However, you are assuming your viewpoints are the correct ones. I won’t bore your viewers with a lengthy discussion or debate on the points you mention. But I will say, we are at opposite-ends on these topics you addressed.
Chris
Fair enough. I'll only say anyone's opinion (including mine) is an opinion at the end of the day. I don't lay claim to objective truth at all
Your unique pronucation of "cork sniffers" cracked me up a lot more than it should have.
Absolutely love your channel and your takes on gear and musicianship Sir.
Modelers sound fantastic, but I still can't get on board. It's a computer simulating an amplifier. It's false. Replace "modeler" with "Android Wife" that can be Any Woman and do Anything You Want. Then you will understand my issue with the "It's 'just like' or 'even better' than a Real Woman" argument. It Is Not. It is a Robot Pretending to be a Woman. It may be a very good facsimile of a "Real Amplifier" but will NEVER EVER EVER be a Real Amplifier. My preference is to interact with Real Things despite all that goes with it, be it a Woman or a Princeton.
My 2 cents.
Keep on Rockin Mr. Mohan!
Very very fair and thanks for the kind words. The sad thing is that the robots are getting close to taking over
@@ministryofguitar I know it's an existential argument, and the technology is amazing, convenient, and relatively inexpensive, but as far as I am concerned it is no different than sex with a robot and pretending it's a woman. I simply can't see it as anything else.
Don't like PRS. Just saying.
"Purists" are old cats in Nashville whose tastes and ears..... are stuck in the 1970s.
Don't be a purist, kids! It's more fun to be a guitar rebel!
Tube amps vs. Modellers is just another pointless debate like tonewoods or whether gibsons are overpriced...find stuff you like and use it, whatever it takes to reproduce the sounds in your head
Heavily disagree.
You dont need to spend several thousand dollars in order to have a good playing, great sounding versatile rig. Charvel, Schecter, LTD, Solar and Fender have guitars under 1K that maximize price-quality radio in different pickup configurations. Get a ToneX, a practice amp and you're good to go for live and studio purposes.
Dont buy into this big buck, latest trend narrative promoted by manufactures and useful idiots. Prioritize practice and lessons over gear puchase and looking at gear online.
You can do whatever you want with your money but there's something quite sad about people with a bunch of guitars and expensive stuff worth more than a down payment that dont really bring anything to the table musically: you want to be a collector or a musician?
Lies! ;-)
Utter tripe bud...pushin crap
You're funny bro. Condescending much? Lets hear your opine again in ten years. If you can afford a sense of humor you should buy one😊
What a horrible video and opinion. I need exactly as many guitars as i want and nobody but me tells me what to buy or build. Some people shouldn't make UA-cam videos and this guy is one of them.