If you have the money to buy your dream gear, go for it. Even if you think you're unworthy, if just looking at it makes you happy then you made the right choice.
@@biohazard911If it weren't for amateurs with expendable income, there'd be no closet classics for the next generation to pick up for a reasonable price
I feel like this video was made for my youtube channel lol. The second I go 3 videos in a row without showing how fast I can play, people feel the need to decide the way I spend my money is a really big part of their life. I always say, if you want to buy a $10,000 custom guitar with 2 necks just to play cowboy chords, great! Life's too short, have fun. Thanks for the video, Kyle.
Most people who own something like a Porsche 911 GT3 will ever take it to the track, or even have the driving skills to do so at eve a mediocre level. It's the same thing really.
100% agree with this. I’m a mediocre bedroom player in my 50’s and I absolutely love owning some nice guitar gear. I honestly couldn’t give a *^+? what others may think. It’s like like someone having the money to own a Ferrari but can’t drive like an F1 driver.
Higher quality gear doesn't make you a better player, but good tone and player friendly gear does inspire one to play more often which does make you a better player. Ideally. 😊
I'm old, and I have been a professional music producer, and guitar tech for the last 35 years and I fvcking love this channel. You have always been a very humble person honest and a kick-ass riff maker with an awesome right hand. So, those people need to understand what this platform is used for. And they can fvcking them selfs
I’m only a halfway decent player but I have some cheap gear and some really nice gear. It makes me happy and that’s all that matters. I would never tell anyone to not buy the guitar/amp they love regardless of skill. Because that nice Gibson for a beginner may inspire them to play more. We all have to lift each other up in these trying times. Thanks for making this!
I have some nice gear and some budget gear as well but my friends with snobbish attitudes and all really nice gear get real but hut when my budget stuff kicks theirs ass haha. my one buddy quickly realized too that money doesn't always mean better either. he has 4k Gibson les Paul custom koa top its like 1 of 100 or something and his 300 dollar epiphone les Paul standard with a Seymour JB upgrade and thats it and it smoked his koa top custom shop and he even agrees. he said he'd sell it but at this point he's just gonna keep it as an investment for a while and hope I goes up an value and he said he just likes to look at it which I don't blame him its beautiful guitar. but the old eppiphone still out played it.
@@BrettRobinson-u6tmy cheap Les Paul has way more output than my custom shop 59 that costs way more. But the custom sounds like true vintage, so 'better' depends on what you want.
Im definitely competent and proficient enough to play the hardcore and 90s emo shit i love listening to, and one day i will play clean enough to play death metal but im in no way “good” guitar player in the ways i think makes a good guitar player “good”. I have had budget gear and right now own a pretty expensive rig but i made myself able to afford it by sticking with my beginner gear for at least a decade until i could afford the good quality stuff i was learning to want over all those years. Purchasing stuff with your own hard earned money is the one thing that should be no ones business other than your own. Thats why we earn our own money, the right to work for what we want.
I tell beginner-to-intermediate types to not buy expensive/dream gear all the time. Because nice gear usually will not make them happy in the way they think, and half the time the stuff they 'dream' of having isn't really what's best for them and they just dont know better due to lack of experience. I'm glad most of this comment section seems to be a bunch of people with mountains of disposable income, but that's not most people. Getting better bang-for-buck and being smart with your money in general is something I'm gonna advocate more than splurging on expensive stuff that most people dont really need. I am not dragging people down with this, I genuinely want them to be happier and more successful in the long run, rather than chasing short-term and often short-lived wish fulfillment.
I believe it was EVH that said "if it sounds good, it is good" which I have always tried to follow regardless of how much a piece of gear costs. And EVH was playing a partscaster, he never gave a crap what anyone thought. I currently have some high end guitars and amps and some less expensive things as well and I love them all. Great video Kyle
Yes indeed ! I have lived by that and I've got some killer, cheap gear because of it ! Look into the peavey Bravo and Peavey Rockmaster rack tube pre amp, both of those are killer and can be had cheap !
What a breath of fresh air. Going to the Hall of Fame was really eye-opening for me. My whole perspective changed when I realized that a lot of these holy grail guitars that get reissued for a small fortune are based on the originals that were picked up in pawn shops, put together from parts, etc. I personally feel that it's not so much about the gear, but what you can do with it.
Thank you for making this video. I can’t count how many times someone has told me that I can’t buy an expensive guitar until I get better because it was wasted on me because I ‘Can’t use them to their full potential’. Now, I’ve only been learning guitar for about 7 months but I feel that if you can afford it, go for it. The nicer the gear, the more you’ll want to play it, I feel.
Probably by using more expensive gear you will push your self more to use it , which will make you a better player and apreciate the money invested , win win situation here
The problem with buying expensive gear when you've only been playing seven months is that you likely dont have the experience to really understand what kind of gear is best for you. It is VERY easy to waste a LOT of money chasing gear that you think'll make you happy or better, but really wont. Similarly, it is very easy to waste a lot of money on gear that isn't really meaningfully better for you than certain cheaper gear would be. At seven months of playing, I'm sorry, but you dont really know shit yet. It's not that you're 'not good enough' for nicer gear, it's that you genuinely wont have the knowledge and experience to grasp what kind of gear is really gonna make you happy. Gear is expensive. Some of y'all must come from very privileged situations to be able to just splurge on expensive stuff, but most people are not. And encouraging smarter and more responsible buying decisions is better than just advocating giving into impulses.
@@TVsBen No, it's not envy. This is a bullshit ass response, sorry. There are very valid reasons to encourage people to be more cautious and not splurge on expensive gear when they're still early on in their guitar playing life. It's also extremely privileged and snobbish to act like everybody saying this stuff is just some 'poors' rather than people with a lot of experience trying to give good advice to younger/less experienced players so they DONT waste a ton of money.
Again, that’s an opinion that’s not based on all the facts. You “assume” I know nothing. The reality is I spend a lot of time researching all of my gear before I buy anything. I don’t go,”OH!!! Shiny!!!!” and buy the damn thing. I’m also 40. I’ll buy whatever I want with the money I work my ass off fixing your cars all day long. Keep you half-baked opinions to yourself because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. When you fuck me, feed me or pay my bills, I’ll listen to you, bud. Good luck and keep on doing your thing. Away from here.
I have plenty of students who most would consider to be intermediate, and usually the thing that motivates them to keep practicing is chasing new gear. If you have the money to chase custom shop instruments, cool. If you can really only trade for other gear in the same price range, that’s also a good grind. Any piece of gear in the right hands will sound great.
One story I like tell was that we where on tour and we played with this band the guitarist was telling us he hadn’t played very long and was still playing his first guitar which was a Ltd m-10 the starter pack Ltd and a Marshall mg100 half stack. Literally the best band we played with on that tour. His tone was perfect for what they are doing, the songs were super clever and they played great.
This is such a good message and the guitar community needed to hear it badly. Giving your friends a little shit is fine but there is a difference between that and telling someone they aren’t good enough.
I agree with you entirely, Kyle. Glad you’re publicly addressing the “bullying” that occurs with gatekeepers, because that’s exactly what it is, and I HATE bullies. I dig your videos and I’m glad that you are the one who has said what needed to be said, because MAYBE it will help get through to people and change this toxic culture that exists online. I am pretty certain that most of these people who display this kind of behavior wouldn’t do it at all if they weren’t sitting behind a computer and they were actually in front of the person they’re criticizing. Thanks for speaking out and please keep up the good work.👍🏻
It’s great to hear others that are sick of the negativity. I appreciate the time you took to remind everyone to be supportive to the musician community at any level.
Advising people to be smarter with their money is not 'negativity'. It's about trying to save people money, so they CAN have money to spend on nicer things when they better understand what'll be good for them. I say all this from personal experience, wishing I had somebody telling me this stuff when I was younger, when I was chasing all kinds of gear and spending loads of money on stuff that wasn't really getting me what I wanted cuz I didn't have the experience to know better.
Finding good tones with cheap or crappy stuff is a skill in itself, amazing what you can discover. My friend had a solid state crate combo that sounded amazing, like legit better than some tube amps.
I grew up using a Crate GX-15 combo and a DOD Thrash Master pedal, lol. When I started playing in bands, I had a very limited budget, so I would always have to use tricks to get shitty amps to sound good. Metal Zones with the gain set to zero, overdrive pedals with the gain dimed, you name it, I've tried it. Now, I feel like i can pretty much pull a decent tone out of just about anything, which has saved me a ton of money over the years. I played in a cover band, and the other guitarist had a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier and the oversized cabinet, and probably 10 pedals. A friend of mine complimented how much better my guitar sounded than his, and I spent a fraction of the money. I was using a 6505+ I got for $600, a Line 6 V30 cab I got for $200, and a Line 6 HD500X I used for effects in 4 cable method for $250. My entire rig cost less than just his head, lol. Being forced to use shitty gear for years made my rig super easy to dial in.
@@travisspaulding2222 I started out as more of a bass player so I didn't have a guitar amp for years, I used to just run one of those 100$ digitech multieffects into a bass combo and had some good tones from that.
I had a crate Gx15R and it sounded killer on both clean and drive. That crate amp sounding great made me act want to check out their Crate Vintage club tube amps and I'm glad I did !!!! Killer amps and even Joe Walsh, Mark knopfler and one other big name rocker used this Vintage club series amps ! The first series that are blonde are the best in my opinion. Obed Khan designed the amp and it's awesome !
People are 💩. I recently saw a post in my Facebook feed for a Gibson guitar group - was a specific post gushing about an original DG-335. I couldn’t believe the crap questions you had to respond to join the group so you could just get in on the discussion. The level of detail and snobbery, not to mention proving you had a good enough Gibson (I can’t even afford an Epiphone) just to get into that group - I just walked away like wtf. I’m here for all the right reasons. Learning to play, enjoying music, making new friends, etc. I’ve met tons of great people along the way, but I wish those gatekeepers would spend more of their time and money helping people get some inexpensive gear if they can’t afford it rather than showing off and trolling. I don’t really know why those people are interested in guitars other than to show off and be asswipes. Like do something positive, right?
For me, it is all about what inspires you. Play what you love and ignore the haters. The music community should be building each other up...not tearing each other down.
I bought a nice guitar and it motivated me to practice more thus improving faster. Bought nice tube amp. Now I do not need new gear since my nice gear is life time. Bought custom Jackson two years after learning and high end amp, Worth it!
I think the focus should be on writing music and not taking part in trendy social media crap any which ways. If you're throwing yourself out there to the world then they have a right to ridicule you for whatever reason or even give you endless praises, which can also be a negative influence if you let it get to your head..thats a part of reality you cannot change. Thats why its your job to focus on your goals and why you got it in the first place, if you were serious about music you would spend time writing shit that you are proud of not just what you purchased.. Either way its good to see Kyle standing up for this, be proud of everything you do and do it yourself, you dont need approval from random people
Thank you for this. I started learning guitar in my forties, the first guitar/amp set up was an Epiphone Les Paul Standard '60s and an Orange Crush 35RT. About a year later, replaced those with a Gibson Les Paul Standard '50s, and an Orange Rocker 15 combo. I'm still a beginner, and honestly I'll probabaly never be "good enough" to own them, but you know what? I enjoy having them, and can afford them, to me that's what is important.
My guitar rig for Home is pretty simple. -$500 les Paul epiphone - 15 yr old peavey vypr 15($100) combo( sounds killer with headphones on but very mid with speaker) - drop tune digitech pedal with beefy bottoms and slinky top strings in E standard - Virtual Jeff, digital whammy bar All this stuff is very very budget friendly and allows me to get just about any decent tone or affects I want and I’m able to use my favorite type of guitar with a whammy bar without having any tuning issues and I can drop tune my guitar without having to do really anything. Total gear cost with some accessories comes out to about $1500
I’d consider myself a very solid player and my gear is significantly cheaper than many other guitarists I know who are not as solid. For those of them that just enjoy having nice things, that makes sense to me. They probably enjoy playing through great gear. But I also sometimes get the feeling they’re getting that crazy expensive gear because they’ve been convinced it’s somehow necessary. Whether they think they need it to improve as guitarists or to be taken seriously by other musicians. “These are luxury items” is something I think we all should remind each other every once in a while.
It’s really great to hear positivity and motivation from you man. Too many people take things to a toxic level in this community where no one can ever stop learning in the first place. Keep up the good work, Kyle!
I'm 38, when I was in my 20s I was all about "you need the expensive or best stuff only if you have earned it..." In my chase for tone I can attest that the peavey ultra series are great amps, especially when they were sub 300, I picked up my rivera used for 450 and that's another amp that doesn't get mentioned enough for how great they are. At the end of the day, you've earned the gear you paid for. You wanna play 12 bar blues on a custom reissue '59 and a dumble? have at it. You wanna put 6 metal zones in front of that same dumble and play For Whom the Bell Tolls? If that makes you happy, go for it.
Excellent points. I'm 58 and I've been playing for a LONG time. Younger guys may not realize this but we are living in the Golden Age of affordable gear. When I was coming up ALL cheap gear was absolute trash. But that's we had so that's what we played. I honestly think it made me a much better player. Although I have lots of high end gear now, I just bought a used Cort GT 110 for $110 and it's an absolute RIPPER. Lol.
I've been struggling with this as well. I'm a novice guitar player. I played for a year 20 years ago, and picked it back up about 1.3 years ago, but playing daily. I know I'm not giving up, so I just bought a Friedman Twin sister and Small Box to reward myself for my hard work. I feel silly struggling to play Zeppelin riffs on such expensive gear, but tbh the new toys make me want to play even more. If it's in your budget and you know you're not giving up on the hobby, I say go for it, or else stick with budget gear.
Couldn't have said it better myself man! People will be people, and everyone just needs to be happy with their selves. I'll never understand the bashing and hate in this community or anywhere for that matter. Keep on spreading the positivity and making awesome content for us all to learn from. Rock on Kyle!
I honestly believe the if you can't play 6, you don't need 7 or 8! Most of the bands who made 7 strings popular in the 90s could have just tuned their 6s that way and lived without the high e lol. Kinda goes along with, don't buy a 7 string just to play one or two songs, you can make what you got work.
When I was 17, I got a job and bought some nice gear. I uploaded a video to UA-cam playing a Muse riff sloppily and someone commented "delete this lol". 17 years later I'm a father and have traveled the world as a Marine and I still feel shitty whenever I hear that song. I have some really nice gear now but no time to play without distractions so I'm a pretty shit player, and it only further entrenches my shyness about playing around others. Never understood the impulse to put down other players.
I hope you can find that time to play. My biggest blessing in life, my two beautiful kids, always bust in everytime I finally get around to turning on my rig! Lol. My 9 year old daughter took right to the guitar, she's a nasty player. She sounds like the MELVINS at times, and says when I mention it, " who the heck are the MELVINS?"
I remember when I started playing in '09 with a 15w combo amp and getting shit on due to not having a nice stack like a Dual Rec or a Peavey. Always rolled with whatever I could afford at the time. But fast forward to the 2020's and the amount of options for budget gear that sounds awesome is insane compared to 10 years ago. I never understood the player hatin', especially since we're all just trying to jam.
I love that you made this video, it truly needed to be said. It’s basically a form of bullying and it unfortunately does happen in all “groups” of people and that is to bad. Love your videos man, your personality is awesome, keep doing it!
100% all of what you've said. I never understand why people need to feel like they have the "best". It comes across as them projecting their insecurities, and being a jerk to others as a result. Ty for the positivity!
Erm, I used to be this guy. I was an idiot in my early 20s. It's easy to be resentful of the spending power that people in their 40s have, until you get into your 40s and look back at all the hard work it took to get here.
One good thing about the times we live in is it’s so much easier to buy budget gear that’s much higher quality than it use to be. I started playing 35 years ago and was lucky enough to save up money to buy an Ibanez RG340 and a Peavey Backstage 50 and had a couple good friends that lent me pedals to use but that is all I was able to afford until 10 years later. I’m grateful that I had to play with minimal gear because it made me focus on my playing and also made me appreciate when I finally was able to get better gear. Thanks for caring about people & discussing this subject and for being such an awesome guy! 🤘🤘🤘
Am a beginner guitar player and I always love these discussions. My first guitar was a Harley Benton Tele clone and I liked it but I got it because it was the cheapest Harley Benton available at $69 excluding shipping. I did notice some of the downfalls of the guitar so it taught me how to properly set up my guitar with truss rod adjustments and adjusting saddle height so my strings are a lot lower. My second and newest guitar I bought last week, a used Squier Affinity from Guitar Center at $140 including shipping. I love this guitar, even though it's a Squier it feels more premium than the HB since the frets are smooth at the end. I was also able to lower the string height even further without any buzz. I am proud of this guitar even if it doesn't break the $200 budget, I still worked hard to afford it. I'm also proud of the amp I have. I bought a $100 Yamaha bass amp, the B30 and I get a lot more use out of that compared to when I was using my computer as an amp sim. As long as the gear doesn't turn off people from the hobby, it's still good enough gear
Man you're doing a great job keep it up! I love watching your videos. You've helped me go back down memory lane in a lot of ways, listening to the videos you've done with amps I used to own, a lot of them that people rip on.
Thank you, Kyle. I can afford almost any guitar I want but when I discuss “G” brand or “X” brand in certain groups it is the gatekeepers that turn me off. I play punk, it brings me joy and relief, and I grew up poor with simple taste with home grown heroes playing on approachable gear. I have now lived long enough to realize that #1 it was never the gear…though that helped translate the vision and #2 everyone doing anything of value will have haters. In fact if you have zero haters, that is when you should worry.
I have been playing for 20+ years now. About 10 years ago I got my dream amp - a Mesa Boogie Triaxis and 2:90. I have my own job and money. Nobody was going to tell me not to buy it. I also bought some Prestige Ibanez's over the last few years. Yes they're expensive, but I really like them. I also would put my as a 6.5/10 on skills.
Kyle I like your channel and content. I really like the message you’re sending on this subject. MUCH RESPECT! I totally agree that you big content creators need to quit sharing the negative comments. I believe at first it shows you can laugh at it and not let it bother you. However that gives these trolls the spotlight and they don’t deserve that. Share the most positive comments you receive. I’ve learned in this life what absolutely kills the haters/trolls is not acknowledging them at all. “Nothing” them. They’re thoughts and opinions mean “Nothing” to you. When you engage them you’re feeding their fire. When you post their crappy comments you’re feeding their fire. Lastly, for those out there that are stoked about a cheap piece of gear and it’s keeping you excited and interested in your instrument and/or music just ignore the haters/trolls and keep your excitement going. Learning and loving that cheap gear will make you more excited and passionate when you start moving up to better gear.
I agree, I hate seeing those comments in some of the FB groups. I find myself telling myself that phrase however "you're not good enough for that high end amp", but that's basically because I'm cheap. Also, I'm usually pretty satisfied with my 50w EVH 5150III since I'm a bedroom player. Good vid, Kyle.
Good stuff man. I love buying gear but try to limit it, and I do this by setting playing goals before I can buy the next thing. I wanted a TS9 because I heard Kirk uses one, so I made myself learn the Ride the Lightning solo first. Now I'm a little bit better AND I own another dirt pedal!
Here here man. Deleted all social medias due to drama posts from family, friends, groups, etc. I just do my own thing and couldn't be happier. Been lurking for a few weeks since discovering your channel and this hit home. Subbed.
Got my Peavey Bandit 112 as my first "real" amp at 16 years old. I still have it, I still use it somewhat regularly...sometimes with my Gibson Les Paul Custom. Always play what you like (in feel and sound) and you can afford. Forget the rest. I love my JCM900 SL-X. A lot of people hate 900s. I don't let it bug me at all.
My first big amp was an SL-X with a 1960A. I bought it new just as the JCM2000s were being rolled out, so I got a pretty good clearance deal on it! I was 19, I didn't know what I was doing. Ended up moving on from it a few years later after realising I really wanted two channels but I have some good memories with it!
I have a bandit 112 that I got in like 1995 that I hadn’t turned on in 20 years because I thought it was garbage. A couple months ago I took it apart and cleaned it up and played through it and was kinda impressed. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was. That being said I still probably won’t ever use it much but it was better than expected.
@@jcwoodstl the Bandit does a very specific early 90s black metal thing for me personally. But I use it for other things as well. Not gonna say it's a grail type amp, but it's very capable.
Hi Kyle, a lot of people who buy expensive gear do so because they are trying to achieve their own specific tone or the tone that they desire or crave. They also believe that it will make them play better. I myself have also been in the same boat. I have been caught out on the high seas of tone chasing and only after a very long time have realized that not every expensive bit of gear will yield sonic utopia. In the past days of rock and roll guitarists used to go with whatever they could lay their hands on and still make fantastic music with it, for example, Rory Gallager. Best Regards. John.
Exactly man. I started playing really crappy gear but it was what my parents could afford. Being a truck driver, been through a divorce is what sparked guitar again. I am super happy that i am going to be getting a couple Gibsons and a KSR Juno, next year. I definitely am glad i have a Mesa, KSR and omega. Couldn't be happier as it took alot of hard work to get here.
Great message Kyle! Kudos to you for bringing this up. People should learn to judge less other people and respect everyone's choices. At the end of the day, the only person that knows what’s good for you is yourself, no one else.
Love this video, the people who still try to do this toxic behavior, usually having never tried the things they pop in to comment on... just giving blanket statements and name dropping their credits/experience as if it improves the validity of their opinion. I'd even go as far as saying creators should feel free to moderate (delete) these kind of toxic comments right out of existence. Otherwise, they just end up dominating the comment feed. Futility.
If your hand sucks, good guitar is still going to sound cheap. I suggest getting any guitar you want but make sure to get better and open your way up to the best.
I totally agree. My experience: I played a Squier Strat with a 10w Park amp for years. Mostly Green Day and got really bored, gave up playing as i was so bored with it all. Ended up buying a used Schecter Blackjack, Used Engl 4x12, Used 6505+ combo amp. All of that together was about £800 and totally transformed how i felt about playing. I'd love a Fortin amp but damn, the prices and for what? If your bullet strat and headphones are good for you, stick with it. If you wanna upgrade to a custom shop Jackson and can only play 3 songs? Go for it, all the power to you! edit: Also i suffer so badly from imposter syndrome, I can play what I want, though would be happy to get better, but do I even deserve to play though an Engl 4x12? Do I even deserve a nice guitar? The doubts, they are crippling!
1st guitar was a Sears acoustic, 2nd guitar was a used Harmony strat from Sears and a used Sears amp.. Next amp was Peavey Backstage Plus, then a Bandit 65, then Renown 212. Then my 1st Line 6, a spider 212., followed by a Line 6 Spider IV 75 and Amplify 75. This year alone I have managed to acquire an EVH 5150-6L6, Peavey 6505+ 100 watt , and a Revv Generator 100P. The cabs are 4x12 Steel sound and B-52 also 4x12. All of it was USED !!! My guitars went from a Peavey t-60 new, to Gibson Firebrand SG to first Charvel Jackson Model 4 Brand New , to Multiple other Jacksons including a 7 string , and Now a Used PRS SE with trem and coil taps! got a Axe FX II + a few pedals and a Two Notes Torpedo and some Recording stuff. I started at 12 years old and am Now 56. Everyone starts somewhere, and goes on a journey. Not even gonna talk about my basses. Find a Guitar you like and Play it !!! Maybe even pay for a Setup !!!! P.S. Best deals out there are used guitars that just need a setup !!!
Here's my 2 cents: If you think a piece of gear will make you a better player or inspire you or just make you happy, get it. Just be prepared for the possibility that you will be disappointed or that it won't live up to the hype you created for it in your head or hype you read on the internet. You have to be okay with the fact that it just might not make you as happy or inspired as you thought it would and you have to be okay with letting it go and moving on and you have to be okay with this cycle not stopping. What I wasn't expecting was not how good it would feel to finally get that piece of dream gear that lived up to the hype but rather how good it would feel to arrive at a place mentally where I just don't crave anything else and got there by realizing no piece of gear is perfect and spending enough time with imperfect gear has allowed me to form a relationship with not just the flaws in the gear but the flaws in my own skills as a player. No gear will make me a better player and no gear will make YOU magically become better. More inspired by a better tone? Sure that happens but you don't need boutique gear for that. Lower action, more stable tremolo, better fretwork? Yeah that can help but you can find that on a $500 Indonesian or Korean instrument now. My 700 dollar charvel and 800 silver jubilee clone have been absolute flawless stage companions for nearly a decade and they are not perfect, not boutique, not fancy or anything but they always work, they always get the job done and I don't have to treat them like priceless heirlooms on stage. I enjoy those more than I enjoyed my $3200 Parker Mojo Fly and $3000 Bogner XTC. Those were my hero guitar/amp I lusted after for easily a decade and when I finally had the financial means to buy them... man... the slow realization over the weeks and months of gigging with them really busted up my ego and forced me back down to reality.
I have 3 SX guitars from Rondo. A Tele, a Strat, and a Strat with P90s. Truly, I love those guitars, and I think I have about $600 in all three, including shipping. I have a Peavey tube amp that was given to me, but my main amp is a Boss Katana 50, and I really love it. (I do have a 1970 Gibson Les Paul that I bought many years ago and never bonded with. I plan to sell it.)
I didn’t take guitar serious until I dropped 4k one year on two new guitars and a studio set up. I think some people buy new guitars thinking they’ll get better, but to me, I was playing a shitty Schecter that the neck was so bent the last time I got a set up they guy told me it may not be possible without replacing the neck. I also wanted something with a floating trem and I wanted a baritone and getting those two along with a studio, really made me get light years better.
I gig 3-4 times per month and here is the gear I have: Boss Katana 100 MKII head with foot switch as the head houses all my effects Gibson SG Harley Benton DC Harley Benton 2x12 angle cab Shure Wireless (low end) Xvive in ear monitors All of this stuff has me at about $2000. It sounds good and I am happy with it. That is all that matters. I used to play out of a Marshall Head and Cab and it was heavy and couldn’t even run it at a decent volume because of the size of venues we play. People listening to music dont care what gear you have. It is only the other musicians on the audience that care.
I totally agree with all of it ! I have been playing guitar since about 8 years old and can play. Im a carpenter so i have money and gig on the side. I have a vh4 and other good amps but at the end of the day i dont care what amp you have or plug into your gonna end up sounding like what YOU WANNA SOUND LIKE. i gig with an amp 1 because its convenient and i dont have to cart my 100lb diezel around and you know what it sounds pretty damn close . The other thing is the blue voodoo is a pretty damn good amp. I remember being a kid and wanting one pretty badly and im thinking im just gonna get one now cause i can....lol
I had a Fender Squier 15 and a no-name guitar with sky-high action that cost less than $50...for YEARS!! If you have the money to spend, spend the money. The new gear might motivate you to play more. If you don't, then work hard, woodshed, and suss out the gear that will work best for you within your budget. Just keep playing!! 🤘
I would only say beginners stay away from floyd rose bridges as your only guitar. Such a hassle. Not being able to tune to a song quickly makes it a chore to play or learn new stuff. Have a normal guitar as well .
Earned a sub bro. Love your down to earth personality. Keep doing what you're doing bro. I would label myself as an experienced guitarist with 13 years under my belt, and to this day some of my favorite gear to use is budget friendly
You are so on point and totally how I have felt about almost all fandom anymore. Ive aquired some cool vintage stuff either through trade or just being in the right place at the right time.
Went from a Peavey Bandit 112 to a Peavey VTM120 to a Marshall JCM800 2203 between my Freshman and Senior years of high school and every gear upgrade helped me reach a new level. If I could have just started on the 2203 I 100% believe I would have gotten even better at a faster rate. Oddly, I couldn't tell the difference between guitars until I played a 1969 Gibson SG and I could not believe how easy it was to play. The guy that owned it traded it for a Fender Stratocaster and I never forgave him.
Hey, as I've found out, to a point better gear keeps you honest. You begin to hear everything; good and bad. No snobbery here. If you can swing it, get it. Even better if you really are that good.
Amen. I just picked a Cort G100 $199 new. Got mine new used for $150. It hangs with my USA Tele as far as playing experience goes. I'm subscribed. Thanks.
Really enjoy and appreciate this video Kyle, I own cheap gear and even planning my own first high gain tube amp build, and I thoroughly enjoy everything
This is a great subject I am blessed to have several guitar heads and several 4x12 cabs, three years ago I bought my dream amp a Mesa triple rec and matching oversized cab, I'm in my mid 40s and have been playing all types of gear. I love crate and Peavey, it's what I started on. Long story short, I love owning my trip rec and cab it's a dream come true. But I will tell you my favorite amp is still my jsx head I bought for 450 used. I own a lot of of nice gear but I will tell you price does not always mean better sound. I have never understood the gear snob thing. Take my word for it I used a Peavey 5150 for years and thought I was missing out, younger people do t realize when I bought my first 5150 new for 600, the guitar store owners had there nose up at it and told me I would eventually graduate to a real Marshall. True story.
Gear may not make you “play better” but some guitars are certainly easier to play when set up properly. As far as amps, a semi decent tone may keep somebody from putting down the instrument for good if they get discouraged by “not being good enough”. Couldn’t agree more Kyle. If you can afford it and you want it, buy it. Who cares what people say on social media.
I have played drums in the past and took up guitar about a year and a half ago when my nephew gave a cheap Jackson Dinky. I then bought an Acoustic G35Fx to go with it. It was a really decent sounding setup. I then found a Gretsch 5222 on offer up for $200 and decided to upgrade. I then found a Laney 4x12 with Celestion V30’s for $100. I added a speaker jack to my amp and started using my combo as a head. Next I added a Joyo American sound and vintage overdrive pedals. My point is that at this point I feel I have a very good sounding rig for $400 all in. I would like to find a good and cheap metal distortion pedal to round the tone range that I would like to be able to play. Thanks for the vids and take care.
My first rig in the mid 80s was 4 Peavey Bandits, daisy chained with a Tokai Overdrive and Ibanez Delay. To this day I will always remember it. Everyone loves expensive, boutique gear but it dont make the player or the person. Great content. Cheers !
Thanks, Kyle, Well said. For all of us non-professionals, anything beyond decent, playable gear is indeed a luxury. And, as you say, better gear doesn't make you a better player. So enjoy what you have.
Great vid KB, TRUTH buying my first high end guitar and gear improved my playing 10 fold best move I made in my guitar journey ..lotsa help from this channel
It IS absolutely gate keeping but some people are also just flat out angry and mean towards others. If they think something is good they’ll ignore it and scroll on. But if they can knock it, they won’t pass up that opportunity!
In the beginning of this year i bought an HX Stomp after a long long LONG time of thinking if i really need it to record my own songs in my bedroom. My most expensive gear and it sounds exactly how i want it to sound. My best purchase, even if i don't get a millions of streams a month on Spotify, but i can write and record MY own music with it. Get the gear that inspires you.
Thank you so much for making this video. I've worked hard for literally every piece of gear I have, and I have some pretty decent gear. I still have my first real guitar and amp, a Squier Strat I bought at the local music store for $100 and a Fender Mustang 1 I bought from the same store for $200, and I don't use the amp for anyrhing more than a speaker, but I still pull out thay Strat from time to time, and it always feels like when I first bought it and it blew my 12 year old mind. Yes, I do have far better guitars now, but there is always something special about your first real piece of gear, and that spark is what keeps me from ever getting rid of them. I have also been able to gift some of my gear to people less fortunate, and that's because I'll do anything to keep people playing and enjoying the hobby. We are all just trying to enjoy this hobby, and life for that matter. Why make it harder for everyone else?
OK I think you're my favourite guitar vlogger after this. I stay away from the forums (one in particular) because of the frequent p**sing contests between the users trying to be the biggest edgemeister. Also, I got an AX8 (€700), an Ibanez SZ1220 (€600) and an Ibanez RG1527 (€450) and am absolutely delerious with my tone! And I don't care if it's a digital amp or used Ibanez, they still sound excellent. And you know what else?? I'm a terrible player! I can't sweep pick or speed pick, I just play the rhythm parts of songs I listen to from the 90s and early 2000s, so I'm sure by gatekeeper standards I shouldn't own any of that gear at all. BUT, having that gear makes me happy when I pick up a guitar once a week during my downtime - gatekeepers be damned
Love your content Kyle, this video was refreshing. I hate gatekeepers. I'm a tone chaser, I've spent years going through gear, but I love building up low end gear to great looking and sounding gear. I've got a Stagg L320 gothic Les Paul body that I've full upgraded and custom painted, and other guitarists at stores or friends houses have crapped on my guitar because it's a Stagg, until they hear it. It's a emg 81/85 loaded, monster sounding drop B tuned, gold on pearl black metallic with a gold Punisher skull painted on the body. I'm running that through a MKII EHX MIG 50 head, to a custom line 6 4x12 cab loaded with 2xDV-77s and 2xCelestion Hot100, and I love it.
The amount of times I've talked to students at my job and said "Don't stress about what kit you have, and don't worry about if it's cheap. As long as you gig with everything you've got, no audience you play too will care about the equipment you use". I'm the happiest I've ever been with my tone using some expensive gear now - But I've gigged with kit all the way from the old Peavey Vyper mk1 and a Line 6 Pod Go, all the way through to Hiwatts, high end Oranges and my old Kemper - the only time I've ever had a negative comment about my guitar tone was from my bands engineer when she said "Your Kemper's kind of phasing out a bit with the double tracker, I think we should go mono". That's litterally it. Now my rig is a beaten up old Orange 4x12 cabinet from 2003, an Orange OR30, a Torpedo Captor X and an Epiphone Les Paul Adam Jones Custom with a TS9 that's beaten to hell - I'm so proud to be ripping this rig up and gig with it
For the haters. I play an orange 2x12 v30, and orange micro dark with a long plate JJ tube I swapped in it(buy multiple they have variances in volume and tone to suit your sound). For guitars, my squier to my schecter hellraiser through it. That little amp has put more smiles on my face than other gear I’ve had.
Right on Kyle! I've been realizing the same too! you got so many gear purist and people who step on others because they have the USA made Fender, the Made in Japan Charvel, the UK made Marshall. They even talk down to those who are proud of the gear they have because its Line 6, a Made in Mexico guitar or even a Floyd Rose Special in their EVH guitar. Remember Eddie Van Halen did not create his signature sound on a Nice 3,000-dollar vintage guitar. He used left over parts to create his famous frankenstein. So those of you who love rocking on the beat up used gear, non-USA or UK made amps or guitars, stay proud! Who cares about the best Floyd Rose, the best hardware, best pickups, the real Dumble top model amp or the true Marshall tube sound. Rock on guys! Your talent and hobby are what keeps you going and happy. We all have one thing in common, playing music! So, let's forget about what gear is better and just rock out!
If you have the money to buy your dream gear, go for it. Even if you think you're unworthy, if just looking at it makes you happy then you made the right choice.
Pocket watchers are the worst
I’m not worthy , I can’t sweep can’t solo but I still purchased a shecter Keith merrow km7 , mesa dual rectifier here I come 🤘🏽
@@biohazard911If it weren't for amateurs with expendable income, there'd be no closet classics for the next generation to pick up for a reasonable price
@@biohazard911 I also can’t sweep pick lol. Sweep picking deficiency gang
great guitar player is purely subjective, buy whatever you want. I only cover pop music and recently got a gibson m2m custom.
I feel like this video was made for my youtube channel lol. The second I go 3 videos in a row without showing how fast I can play, people feel the need to decide the way I spend my money is a really big part of their life. I always say, if you want to buy a $10,000 custom guitar with 2 necks just to play cowboy chords, great! Life's too short, have fun. Thanks for the video, Kyle.
I think we need to stand and give Kyle a slow clap for this video. Andre I agree 100% with what you said.
Didn't expect to see you in the comments Andre. Love your channel, keep it up!
I've been watching Kyle's videos trying to learn how metal tone really works. I'm still pretty lost lol. @@dustinreid2947
Most people who own something like a Porsche 911 GT3 will ever take it to the track, or even have the driving skills to do so at eve a mediocre level. It's the same thing really.
Love your channel Andre. You do you.
100% agree with this. I’m a mediocre bedroom player in my 50’s and I absolutely love owning some nice guitar gear. I honestly couldn’t give a *^+? what others may think. It’s like like someone having the money to own a Ferrari but can’t drive like an F1 driver.
Me too and i`m happy with it ;)
Higher quality gear doesn't make you a better player, but good tone and player friendly gear does inspire one to play more often which does make you a better player. Ideally. 😊
I'm old, and I have been a professional music producer, and guitar tech for the last 35 years and I fvcking love this channel.
You have always been a very humble person honest and a kick-ass riff maker with an awesome right hand.
So, those people need to understand what this platform is used for. And they can fvcking them selfs
I’m only a halfway decent player but I have some cheap gear and some really nice gear. It makes me happy and that’s all that matters. I would never tell anyone to not buy the guitar/amp they love regardless of skill. Because that nice Gibson for a beginner may inspire them to play more. We all have to lift each other up in these trying times. Thanks for making this!
I have some nice gear and some budget gear as well but my friends with snobbish attitudes and all really nice gear get real but hut when my budget stuff kicks theirs ass haha. my one buddy quickly realized too that money doesn't always mean better either. he has 4k Gibson les Paul custom koa top its like 1 of 100 or something and his 300 dollar epiphone les Paul standard with a Seymour JB upgrade and thats it and it smoked his koa top custom shop and he even agrees. he said he'd sell it but at this point he's just gonna keep it as an investment for a while and hope I goes up an value and he said he just likes to look at it which I don't blame him its beautiful guitar. but the old eppiphone still out played it.
@@BrettRobinson-u6t Yeah one of my favorite guitars is the MKH Epiphone!
@@BrettRobinson-u6tmy cheap Les Paul has way more output than my custom shop 59 that costs way more. But the custom sounds like true vintage, so 'better' depends on what you want.
Im definitely competent and proficient enough to play the hardcore and 90s emo shit i love listening to, and one day i will play clean enough to play death metal but im in no way “good” guitar player in the ways i think makes a good guitar player “good”. I have had budget gear and right now own a pretty expensive rig but i made myself able to afford it by sticking with my beginner gear for at least a decade until i could afford the good quality stuff i was learning to want over all those years. Purchasing stuff with your own hard earned money is the one thing that should be no ones business other than your own. Thats why we earn our own money, the right to work for what we want.
I tell beginner-to-intermediate types to not buy expensive/dream gear all the time. Because nice gear usually will not make them happy in the way they think, and half the time the stuff they 'dream' of having isn't really what's best for them and they just dont know better due to lack of experience. I'm glad most of this comment section seems to be a bunch of people with mountains of disposable income, but that's not most people. Getting better bang-for-buck and being smart with your money in general is something I'm gonna advocate more than splurging on expensive stuff that most people dont really need. I am not dragging people down with this, I genuinely want them to be happier and more successful in the long run, rather than chasing short-term and often short-lived wish fulfillment.
I believe it was EVH that said "if it sounds good, it is good" which I have always tried to follow regardless of how much a piece of gear costs. And EVH was playing a partscaster, he never gave a crap what anyone thought. I currently have some high end guitars and amps and some less expensive things as well and I love them all. Great video Kyle
Yes indeed !
I have lived by that and I've got some killer, cheap gear because of it !
Look into the peavey Bravo and Peavey Rockmaster rack tube pre amp, both of those are killer and can be had cheap !
Ha, I always thought that was an Yngwie quote? Doesn't really matter who said it I guess, it holds some truth for sure!
yup I recently tried out a non custom flying v into a cheap evh amp and it sounded anazing!
EVH was so cheap he asked Peavey to make him a copy of the Soldano SLO 100 instead of using the amp in question.
What a breath of fresh air. Going to the Hall of Fame was really eye-opening for me. My whole perspective changed when I realized that a lot of these holy grail guitars that get reissued for a small fortune are based on the originals that were picked up in pawn shops, put together from parts, etc. I personally feel that it's not so much about the gear, but what you can do with it.
Sure it is. But it's very nice having a good sound and a guitar that is easy on your hands.
Thank you for making this video. I can’t count how many times someone has told me that I can’t buy an expensive guitar until I get better because it was wasted on me because I ‘Can’t use them to their full potential’. Now, I’ve only been learning guitar for about 7 months but I feel that if you can afford it, go for it. The nicer the gear, the more you’ll want to play it, I feel.
It’s just envy because you can afford it and they can’t. Like Kyle says they don’t deserve a response
Probably by using more expensive gear you will push your self more to use it , which will make you a better player and apreciate the money invested , win win situation here
The problem with buying expensive gear when you've only been playing seven months is that you likely dont have the experience to really understand what kind of gear is best for you. It is VERY easy to waste a LOT of money chasing gear that you think'll make you happy or better, but really wont. Similarly, it is very easy to waste a lot of money on gear that isn't really meaningfully better for you than certain cheaper gear would be. At seven months of playing, I'm sorry, but you dont really know shit yet. It's not that you're 'not good enough' for nicer gear, it's that you genuinely wont have the knowledge and experience to grasp what kind of gear is really gonna make you happy. Gear is expensive. Some of y'all must come from very privileged situations to be able to just splurge on expensive stuff, but most people are not. And encouraging smarter and more responsible buying decisions is better than just advocating giving into impulses.
@@TVsBen No, it's not envy. This is a bullshit ass response, sorry. There are very valid reasons to encourage people to be more cautious and not splurge on expensive gear when they're still early on in their guitar playing life. It's also extremely privileged and snobbish to act like everybody saying this stuff is just some 'poors' rather than people with a lot of experience trying to give good advice to younger/less experienced players so they DONT waste a ton of money.
Again, that’s an opinion that’s not based on all the facts. You “assume” I know nothing. The reality is I spend a lot of time researching all of my gear before I buy anything. I don’t go,”OH!!! Shiny!!!!” and buy the damn thing. I’m also 40. I’ll buy whatever I want with the money I work my ass off fixing your cars all day long. Keep you half-baked opinions to yourself because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. When you fuck me, feed me or pay my bills, I’ll listen to you, bud. Good luck and keep on doing your thing. Away from here.
To be fair, 350 bucks is a perfectly fine budget for a kid's Christmas gift
I have plenty of students who most would consider to be intermediate, and usually the thing that motivates them to keep practicing is chasing new gear. If you have the money to chase custom shop instruments, cool. If you can really only trade for other gear in the same price range, that’s also a good grind. Any piece of gear in the right hands will sound great.
One story I like tell was that we where on tour and we played with this band the guitarist was telling us he hadn’t played very long and was still playing his first guitar which was a Ltd m-10 the starter pack Ltd and a Marshall mg100 half stack. Literally the best band we played with on that tour. His tone was perfect for what they are doing, the songs were super clever and they played great.
This is such a good message and the guitar community needed to hear it badly. Giving your friends a little shit is fine but there is a difference between that and telling someone they aren’t good enough.
I agree with you entirely, Kyle. Glad you’re publicly addressing the “bullying” that occurs with gatekeepers, because that’s exactly what it is, and I HATE bullies.
I dig your videos and I’m glad that you are the one who has said what needed to be said, because MAYBE it will help get through to people and change this toxic culture that exists online.
I am pretty certain that most of these people who display this kind of behavior wouldn’t do it at all if they weren’t sitting behind a computer and they were actually in front of the person they’re criticizing.
Thanks for speaking out and please keep up the good work.👍🏻
It’s great to hear others that are sick of the negativity. I appreciate the time you took to remind everyone to be supportive to the musician community at any level.
Advising people to be smarter with their money is not 'negativity'. It's about trying to save people money, so they CAN have money to spend on nicer things when they better understand what'll be good for them. I say all this from personal experience, wishing I had somebody telling me this stuff when I was younger, when I was chasing all kinds of gear and spending loads of money on stuff that wasn't really getting me what I wanted cuz I didn't have the experience to know better.
Finding good tones with cheap or crappy stuff is a skill in itself, amazing what you can discover.
My friend had a solid state crate combo that sounded amazing, like legit better than some tube amps.
I grew up using a Crate GX-15 combo and a DOD Thrash Master pedal, lol. When I started playing in bands, I had a very limited budget, so I would always have to use tricks to get shitty amps to sound good. Metal Zones with the gain set to zero, overdrive pedals with the gain dimed, you name it, I've tried it. Now, I feel like i can pretty much pull a decent tone out of just about anything, which has saved me a ton of money over the years. I played in a cover band, and the other guitarist had a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier and the oversized cabinet, and probably 10 pedals. A friend of mine complimented how much better my guitar sounded than his, and I spent a fraction of the money. I was using a 6505+ I got for $600, a Line 6 V30 cab I got for $200, and a Line 6 HD500X I used for effects in 4 cable method for $250. My entire rig cost less than just his head, lol. Being forced to use shitty gear for years made my rig super easy to dial in.
@@travisspaulding2222 I started out as more of a bass player so I didn't have a guitar amp for years, I used to just run one of those 100$ digitech multieffects into a bass combo and had some good tones from that.
I had a crate Gx15R and it sounded killer on both clean and drive. That crate amp sounding great made me act want to check out their Crate Vintage club tube amps and I'm glad I did !!!! Killer amps and even Joe Walsh, Mark knopfler and one other big name rocker used this Vintage club series amps ! The first series that are blonde are the best in my opinion. Obed Khan designed the amp and it's awesome !
Betting that was a gx130c, still used in death metal to this day. Maybe a vtx350h combo?
People are 💩. I recently saw a post in my Facebook feed for a Gibson guitar group - was a specific post gushing about an original DG-335. I couldn’t believe the crap questions you had to respond to join the group so you could just get in on the discussion. The level of detail and snobbery, not to mention proving you had a good enough Gibson (I can’t even afford an Epiphone) just to get into that group - I just walked away like wtf.
I’m here for all the right reasons. Learning to play, enjoying music, making new friends, etc. I’ve met tons of great people along the way, but I wish those gatekeepers would spend more of their time and money helping people get some inexpensive gear if they can’t afford it rather than showing off and trolling. I don’t really know why those people are interested in guitars other than to show off and be asswipes. Like do something positive, right?
For me, it is all about what inspires you. Play what you love and ignore the haters. The music community should be building each other up...not tearing each other down.
Thanks for the positive message Kyle. Like you said, this is supposed to be fun. What you play doesn't matter as long as you're enjoying it.
I bought a nice guitar and it motivated me to practice more thus improving faster. Bought nice tube amp. Now I do not need new gear since my nice gear is life time. Bought custom Jackson two years after learning and high end amp, Worth it!
I’ll buy whatever the fkk I want and I’ll advance whenever the fkk I want. I play drums, bass and guitar just well enough to write my own shit.
I think the focus should be on writing music and not taking part in trendy social media crap any which ways. If you're throwing yourself out there to the world then they have a right to ridicule you for whatever reason or even give you endless praises, which can also be a negative influence if you let it get to your head..thats a part of reality you cannot change. Thats why its your job to focus on your goals and why you got it in the first place, if you were serious about music you would spend time writing shit that you are proud of not just what you purchased.. Either way its good to see Kyle standing up for this, be proud of everything you do and do it yourself, you dont need approval from random people
Thank you for this. I started learning guitar in my forties, the first guitar/amp set up was an Epiphone Les Paul Standard '60s and an Orange Crush 35RT. About a year later, replaced those with a Gibson Les Paul Standard '50s, and an Orange Rocker 15 combo. I'm still a beginner, and honestly I'll probabaly never be "good enough" to own them, but you know what? I enjoy having them, and can afford them, to me that's what is important.
My guitar rig for Home is pretty simple.
-$500 les Paul epiphone
- 15 yr old peavey vypr 15($100) combo( sounds killer with headphones on but very mid with speaker)
- drop tune digitech pedal with beefy bottoms and slinky top strings in E standard
- Virtual Jeff, digital whammy bar
All this stuff is very very budget friendly and allows me to get just about any decent tone or affects I want and I’m able to use my favorite type of guitar with a whammy bar without having any tuning issues and I can drop tune my guitar without having to do really anything. Total gear cost with some accessories comes out to about $1500
Great vid, my dude! I'm with ya 100%. Let's make this community welcoming and fun to be a part of. 🤘🎸
I’d consider myself a very solid player and my gear is significantly cheaper than many other guitarists I know who are not as solid.
For those of them that just enjoy having nice things, that makes sense to me. They probably enjoy playing through great gear.
But I also sometimes get the feeling they’re getting that crazy expensive gear because they’ve been convinced it’s somehow necessary. Whether they think they need it to improve as guitarists or to be taken seriously by other musicians.
“These are luxury items” is something I think we all should remind each other every once in a while.
It’s really great to hear positivity and motivation from you man. Too many people take things to a toxic level in this community where no one can ever stop learning in the first place. Keep up the good work, Kyle!
I'm 38, when I was in my 20s I was all about "you need the expensive or best stuff only if you have earned it..." In my chase for tone I can attest that the peavey ultra series are great amps, especially when they were sub 300, I picked up my rivera used for 450 and that's another amp that doesn't get mentioned enough for how great they are. At the end of the day, you've earned the gear you paid for. You wanna play 12 bar blues on a custom reissue '59 and a dumble? have at it. You wanna put 6 metal zones in front of that same dumble and play For Whom the Bell Tolls? If that makes you happy, go for it.
“Six Metal Zones in front of a Dumble”…
Classic.
Excellent points. I'm 58 and I've been playing for a LONG time. Younger guys may not realize this but we are living in the Golden Age of affordable gear. When I was coming up ALL cheap gear was absolute trash. But that's we had so that's what we played. I honestly think it made me a much better player. Although I have lots of high end gear now, I just bought a used Cort GT 110 for $110 and it's an absolute RIPPER. Lol.
I've been struggling with this as well. I'm a novice guitar player. I played for a year 20 years ago, and picked it back up about 1.3 years ago, but playing daily. I know I'm not giving up, so I just bought a Friedman Twin sister and Small Box to reward myself for my hard work. I feel silly struggling to play Zeppelin riffs on such expensive gear, but tbh the new toys make me want to play even more. If it's in your budget and you know you're not giving up on the hobby, I say go for it, or else stick with budget gear.
Couldn't have said it better myself man! People will be people, and everyone just needs to be happy with their selves. I'll never understand the bashing and hate in this community or anywhere for that matter. Keep on spreading the positivity and making awesome content for us all to learn from. Rock on Kyle!
I honestly believe the if you can't play 6, you don't need 7 or 8!
Most of the bands who made 7 strings popular in the 90s could have just tuned their 6s that way and lived without the high e lol.
Kinda goes along with, don't buy a 7 string just to play one or two songs, you can make what you got work.
I really appreciate this video and the positive change your trying to make in the world.
When I was 17, I got a job and bought some nice gear. I uploaded a video to UA-cam playing a Muse riff sloppily and someone commented "delete this lol". 17 years later I'm a father and have traveled the world as a Marine and I still feel shitty whenever I hear that song. I have some really nice gear now but no time to play without distractions so I'm a pretty shit player, and it only further entrenches my shyness about playing around others. Never understood the impulse to put down other players.
I hope you can find that time to play. My biggest blessing in life, my two beautiful kids, always bust in everytime I finally get around to turning on my rig! Lol. My 9 year old daughter took right to the guitar, she's a nasty player. She sounds like the MELVINS at times, and says when I mention it, " who the heck are the MELVINS?"
I remember when I started playing in '09 with a 15w combo amp and getting shit on due to not having a nice stack like a Dual Rec or a Peavey. Always rolled with whatever I could afford at the time.
But fast forward to the 2020's and the amount of options for budget gear that sounds awesome is insane compared to 10 years ago.
I never understood the player hatin', especially since we're all just trying to jam.
I am glad to hear you speak out. People tend to forget that we all started playing music for fun and it should always be fun.
I love that you made this video, it truly needed to be said. It’s basically a form of bullying and it unfortunately does happen in all “groups” of people and that is to bad. Love your videos man, your personality is awesome, keep doing it!
Buy whatver you want as long as you have the money for it. This applies even if you don't know how to play any musical instrument
100% all of what you've said.
I never understand why people need to feel like they have the "best". It comes across as them projecting their insecurities, and being a jerk to others as a result.
Ty for the positivity!
Erm, I used to be this guy. I was an idiot in my early 20s. It's easy to be resentful of the spending power that people in their 40s have, until you get into your 40s and look back at all the hard work it took to get here.
Jealousy, really.
One good thing about the times we live in is it’s so much easier to buy budget gear that’s much higher quality than it use to be. I started playing 35 years ago and was lucky enough to save up money to buy an Ibanez RG340 and a Peavey Backstage 50 and had a couple good friends that lent me pedals to use but that is all I was able to afford until 10 years later. I’m grateful that I had to play with minimal gear because it made me focus on my playing and also made me appreciate when I finally was able to get better gear. Thanks for caring about people & discussing this subject and for being such an awesome guy! 🤘🤘🤘
I can't play for shit and have SEVERAL high end guitars and amps. I also grew up begging for 1, never got it. So I buy em all now. F IT!!!!!
Am a beginner guitar player and I always love these discussions. My first guitar was a Harley Benton Tele clone and I liked it but I got it because it was the cheapest Harley Benton available at $69 excluding shipping. I did notice some of the downfalls of the guitar so it taught me how to properly set up my guitar with truss rod adjustments and adjusting saddle height so my strings are a lot lower. My second and newest guitar I bought last week, a used Squier Affinity from Guitar Center at $140 including shipping. I love this guitar, even though it's a Squier it feels more premium than the HB since the frets are smooth at the end. I was also able to lower the string height even further without any buzz. I am proud of this guitar even if it doesn't break the $200 budget, I still worked hard to afford it. I'm also proud of the amp I have. I bought a $100 Yamaha bass amp, the B30 and I get a lot more use out of that compared to when I was using my computer as an amp sim. As long as the gear doesn't turn off people from the hobby, it's still good enough gear
Man you're doing a great job keep it up! I love watching your videos. You've helped me go back down memory lane in a lot of ways, listening to the videos you've done with amps I used to own, a lot of them that people rip on.
Thank you, Kyle. I can afford almost any guitar I want but when I discuss “G” brand or “X” brand in certain groups it is the gatekeepers that turn me off. I play punk, it brings me joy and relief, and I grew up poor with simple taste with home grown heroes playing on approachable gear. I have now lived long enough to realize that #1 it was never the gear…though that helped translate the vision and #2 everyone doing anything of value will have haters. In fact if you have zero haters, that is when you should worry.
Great message bro! Spot on. Thanks for telling it like it REALLY IS!!!!
You’re the man, Kyle 🤘🎸❤️
I have been playing for 20+ years now. About 10 years ago I got my dream amp - a Mesa Boogie Triaxis and 2:90. I have my own job and money. Nobody was going to tell me not to buy it. I also bought some Prestige Ibanez's over the last few years. Yes they're expensive, but I really like them. I also would put my as a 6.5/10 on skills.
Kyle I like your channel and content. I really like the message you’re sending on this subject. MUCH RESPECT! I totally agree that you big content creators need to quit sharing the negative comments. I believe at first it shows you can laugh at it and not let it bother you. However that gives these trolls the spotlight and they don’t deserve that. Share the most positive comments you receive. I’ve learned in this life what absolutely kills the haters/trolls is not acknowledging them at all. “Nothing” them. They’re thoughts and opinions mean “Nothing” to you. When you engage them you’re feeding their fire. When you post their crappy comments you’re feeding their fire. Lastly, for those out there that are stoked about a cheap piece of gear and it’s keeping you excited and interested in your instrument and/or music just ignore the haters/trolls and keep your excitement going. Learning and loving that cheap gear will make you more excited and passionate when you start moving up to better gear.
I agree, I hate seeing those comments in some of the FB groups. I find myself telling myself that phrase however "you're not good enough for that high end amp", but that's basically because I'm cheap. Also, I'm usually pretty satisfied with my 50w EVH 5150III since I'm a bedroom player. Good vid, Kyle.
Good stuff man. I love buying gear but try to limit it, and I do this by setting playing goals before I can buy the next thing. I wanted a TS9 because I heard Kirk uses one, so I made myself learn the Ride the Lightning solo first. Now I'm a little bit better AND I own another dirt pedal!
Here here man. Deleted all social medias due to drama posts from family, friends, groups, etc. I just do my own thing and couldn't be happier. Been lurking for a few weeks since discovering your channel and this hit home. Subbed.
Got my Peavey Bandit 112 as my first "real" amp at 16 years old. I still have it, I still use it somewhat regularly...sometimes with my Gibson Les Paul Custom. Always play what you like (in feel and sound) and you can afford. Forget the rest. I love my JCM900 SL-X. A lot of people hate 900s. I don't let it bug me at all.
My first big amp was an SL-X with a 1960A. I bought it new just as the JCM2000s were being rolled out, so I got a pretty good clearance deal on it! I was 19, I didn't know what I was doing. Ended up moving on from it a few years later after realising I really wanted two channels but I have some good memories with it!
I have a bandit 112 that I got in like 1995 that I hadn’t turned on in 20 years because I thought it was garbage. A couple months ago I took it apart and cleaned it up and played through it and was kinda impressed. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was. That being said I still probably won’t ever use it much but it was better than expected.
@@jcwoodstl the Bandit does a very specific early 90s black metal thing for me personally. But I use it for other things as well. Not gonna say it's a grail type amp, but it's very capable.
Hi Kyle, a lot of people who buy expensive gear do so because they are trying to achieve their own specific tone or the tone that they desire or crave. They also believe that it will make them play better. I myself have also been in the same boat. I have been caught out on the high seas of tone chasing and only after a very long time have realized that not every expensive bit of gear will yield sonic utopia. In the past days of rock and roll guitarists used to go with whatever they could lay their hands on and still make fantastic music with it, for example, Rory Gallager. Best Regards. John.
Exactly man. I started playing really crappy gear but it was what my parents could afford. Being a truck driver, been through a divorce is what sparked guitar again. I am super happy that i am going to be getting a couple Gibsons and a KSR Juno, next year. I definitely am glad i have a Mesa, KSR and omega. Couldn't be happier as it took alot of hard work to get here.
Dude the Juno is awesome!! I’d love to hear more good demos of it.
@travisschuster4676 I've had one before. Used the wrong speakers, cab and didn't dial it in like a Marshall. But brain ticks
Towards. Mesa😂
\,,/,
Hey Kyle, if I haven’t said so, I enjoy your channel. So many of the amps I “rag on” are because manufacturers disrespect those who can only afford X.
Gatekeepers buy twice as many pedals because each one has to have a gate to go with it
😂👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
If I listened to gatekeepers I wouldn't have gotten anywhere.. Go forward and destroy!!!! :)
haha love it
Easy fix: add a noise gate to the yappers
Best guitar video I have seen in a while and that's saying something since guitars were barely seen or heard. Thanks for a positive message ,Kyle.
Would love to see more positive videos like this from all musician content creators
Great message Kyle! Kudos to you for bringing this up.
People should learn to judge less other people and respect everyone's choices.
At the end of the day, the only person that knows what’s good for you is yourself, no one else.
Love this video, the people who still try to do this toxic behavior, usually having never tried the things they pop in to comment on... just giving blanket statements and name dropping their credits/experience as if it improves the validity of their opinion. I'd even go as far as saying creators should feel free to moderate (delete) these kind of toxic comments right out of existence. Otherwise, they just end up dominating the comment feed. Futility.
If your hand sucks, good guitar is still going to sound cheap. I suggest getting any guitar you want but make sure to get better and open your way up to the best.
Buy what you want to buy, who cares.
Good for you man, awesome to hear someone speaking up!!
For all the gatekeepers out there. I'm mildly okay on guitar and I'm going to spend $6500 on a custom shop Les Paul. Because I think it looks cool.
I totally agree. My experience: I played a Squier Strat with a 10w Park amp for years. Mostly Green Day and got really bored, gave up playing as i was so bored with it all. Ended up buying a used Schecter Blackjack, Used Engl 4x12, Used 6505+ combo amp. All of that together was about £800 and totally transformed how i felt about playing. I'd love a Fortin amp but damn, the prices and for what?
If your bullet strat and headphones are good for you, stick with it. If you wanna upgrade to a custom shop Jackson and can only play 3 songs? Go for it, all the power to you!
edit: Also i suffer so badly from imposter syndrome, I can play what I want, though would be happy to get better, but do I even deserve to play though an Engl 4x12? Do I even deserve a nice guitar? The doubts, they are crippling!
Here you are speaking against gatekeeping while gatekeeping. That’s total gaslighting.
I enjoy your mental gymnastics
1st guitar was a Sears acoustic, 2nd guitar was a used Harmony strat from Sears and a used Sears amp.. Next amp was Peavey Backstage Plus, then a Bandit 65, then Renown 212. Then my 1st Line 6, a spider 212., followed by a Line 6 Spider IV 75 and Amplify 75. This year alone I have managed to acquire an EVH 5150-6L6, Peavey 6505+ 100 watt , and a Revv Generator 100P. The cabs are 4x12 Steel sound and B-52 also 4x12.
All of it was USED !!! My guitars went from a Peavey t-60 new, to Gibson Firebrand SG to first Charvel Jackson Model 4 Brand New , to Multiple other Jacksons including a 7 string , and Now a Used PRS SE with trem and coil taps! got a Axe FX II + a few pedals and a Two Notes Torpedo and some Recording stuff.
I started at 12 years old and am Now 56. Everyone starts somewhere, and goes on a journey. Not even gonna talk about my basses.
Find a Guitar you like and Play it !!! Maybe even pay for a Setup !!!!
P.S. Best deals out there are used guitars that just need a setup !!!
Here's my 2 cents: If you think a piece of gear will make you a better player or inspire you or just make you happy, get it. Just be prepared for the possibility that you will be disappointed or that it won't live up to the hype you created for it in your head or hype you read on the internet. You have to be okay with the fact that it just might not make you as happy or inspired as you thought it would and you have to be okay with letting it go and moving on and you have to be okay with this cycle not stopping.
What I wasn't expecting was not how good it would feel to finally get that piece of dream gear that lived up to the hype but rather how good it would feel to arrive at a place mentally where I just don't crave anything else and got there by realizing no piece of gear is perfect and spending enough time with imperfect gear has allowed me to form a relationship with not just the flaws in the gear but the flaws in my own skills as a player.
No gear will make me a better player and no gear will make YOU magically become better. More inspired by a better tone? Sure that happens but you don't need boutique gear for that. Lower action, more stable tremolo, better fretwork? Yeah that can help but you can find that on a $500 Indonesian or Korean instrument now. My 700 dollar charvel and 800 silver jubilee clone have been absolute flawless stage companions for nearly a decade and they are not perfect, not boutique, not fancy or anything but they always work, they always get the job done and I don't have to treat them like priceless heirlooms on stage. I enjoy those more than I enjoyed my $3200 Parker Mojo Fly and $3000 Bogner XTC.
Those were my hero guitar/amp I lusted after for easily a decade and when I finally had the financial means to buy them... man... the slow realization over the weeks and months of gigging with them really busted up my ego and forced me back down to reality.
I have 3 SX guitars from Rondo. A Tele, a Strat, and a Strat with P90s. Truly, I love those guitars, and I think I have about $600 in all three, including shipping. I have a Peavey tube amp that was given to me, but my main amp is a Boss Katana 50, and I really love it. (I do have a 1970 Gibson Les Paul that I bought many years ago and never bonded with. I plan to sell it.)
I didn’t take guitar serious until I dropped 4k one year on two new guitars and a studio set up. I think some people buy new guitars thinking they’ll get better, but to me, I was playing a shitty Schecter that the neck was so bent the last time I got a set up they guy told me it may not be possible without replacing the neck. I also wanted something with a floating trem and I wanted a baritone and getting those two along with a studio, really made me get light years better.
I gig 3-4 times per month and here is the gear I have:
Boss Katana 100 MKII head with foot switch as the head houses all my effects
Gibson SG
Harley Benton DC
Harley Benton 2x12 angle cab
Shure Wireless (low end)
Xvive in ear monitors
All of this stuff has me at about $2000. It sounds good and I am happy with it. That is all that matters.
I used to play out of a Marshall Head and Cab and it was heavy and couldn’t even run it at a decent volume because of the size of venues we play. People listening to music dont care what gear you have. It is only the other musicians on the audience that care.
I totally agree with all of it ! I have been playing guitar since about 8 years old and can play. Im a carpenter so i have money and gig on the side. I have a vh4 and other good amps but at the end of the day i dont care what amp you have or plug into your gonna end up sounding like what YOU WANNA SOUND LIKE. i gig with an amp 1 because its convenient and i dont have to cart my 100lb diezel around and you know what it sounds pretty damn close . The other thing is the blue voodoo is a pretty damn good amp. I remember being a kid and wanting one pretty badly and im thinking im just gonna get one now cause i can....lol
Great video! Observed the same in a lot of different forums that’s why I don‘t frequent them anymore.
Kyle, you're a real one... Honestly, it's so nice to hear someone speaking sincerely and constructively for a change! Great video, great advice.
I had a Fender Squier 15 and a no-name guitar with sky-high action that cost less than $50...for YEARS!! If you have the money to spend, spend the money. The new gear might motivate you to play more. If you don't, then work hard, woodshed, and suss out the gear that will work best for you within your budget. Just keep playing!! 🤘
I would only say beginners stay away from floyd rose bridges as your only guitar. Such a hassle. Not being able to tune to a song quickly makes it a chore to play or learn new stuff. Have a normal guitar as well .
Hats of dude. Your channel has become one of my favorite and this is certainly one of the reasons for!
Earned a sub bro. Love your down to earth personality. Keep doing what you're doing bro. I would label myself as an experienced guitarist with 13 years under my belt, and to this day some of my favorite gear to use is budget friendly
**Looks over at shelf made out of guitar cases**
Hey, mom! This guy on the internet said I'm amazing at guitar!
You are so on point and totally how I have felt about almost all fandom anymore. Ive aquired some cool vintage stuff either through trade or just being in the right place at the right time.
Went from a Peavey Bandit 112 to a Peavey VTM120 to a Marshall JCM800 2203 between my Freshman and Senior years of high school and every gear upgrade helped me reach a new level. If I could have just started on the 2203 I 100% believe I would have gotten even better at a faster rate. Oddly, I couldn't tell the difference between guitars until I played a 1969 Gibson SG and I could not believe how easy it was to play. The guy that owned it traded it for a Fender Stratocaster and I never forgave him.
Hey, as I've found out, to a point better gear keeps you honest. You begin to hear everything; good and bad. No snobbery here. If you can swing it, get it. Even better if you really are that good.
Amen. I just picked a Cort G100 $199 new. Got mine new used for $150. It hangs with my USA Tele as far as playing experience goes. I'm subscribed. Thanks.
Really enjoy and appreciate this video Kyle, I own cheap gear and even planning my own first high gain tube amp build, and I thoroughly enjoy everything
This is a great subject I am blessed to have several guitar heads and several 4x12 cabs, three years ago I bought my dream amp a Mesa triple rec and matching oversized cab, I'm in my mid 40s and have been playing all types of gear. I love crate and Peavey, it's what I started on. Long story short, I love owning my trip rec and cab it's a dream come true. But I will tell you my favorite amp is still my jsx head I bought for 450 used. I own a lot of of nice gear but I will tell you price does not always mean better sound. I have never understood the gear snob thing. Take my word for it I used a Peavey 5150 for years and thought I was missing out, younger people do t realize when I bought my first 5150 new for 600, the guitar store owners had there nose up at it and told me I would eventually graduate to a real Marshall. True story.
Gear may not make you “play better” but some guitars are certainly easier to play when set up properly. As far as amps, a semi decent tone may keep somebody from putting down the instrument for good if they get discouraged by “not being good enough”. Couldn’t agree more Kyle. If you can afford it and you want it, buy it. Who cares what people say on social media.
I have played drums in the past and took up guitar about a year and a half ago when my nephew gave a cheap Jackson Dinky. I then bought an Acoustic G35Fx to go with it. It was a really decent sounding setup. I then found a Gretsch 5222 on offer up for $200 and decided to upgrade. I then found a Laney 4x12 with Celestion V30’s for $100. I added a speaker jack to my amp and started using my combo as a head. Next I added a Joyo American sound and vintage overdrive pedals. My point is that at this point I feel I have a very good sounding rig for $400 all in. I would like to find a good and cheap metal distortion pedal to round the tone range that I would like to be able to play. Thanks for the vids and take care.
Couldnt agree more brother. Its music!! Enjoy it, enjoy creating it and lift each other up.
Wtg Kyle!
My first rig in the mid 80s was 4 Peavey Bandits, daisy chained with a Tokai Overdrive and Ibanez Delay. To this day I will always remember it. Everyone loves expensive, boutique gear but it dont make the player or the person. Great content. Cheers !
You are one of the only guys reviewing these amps in the way I would use them. Playing Thrash. I was so happy to find this channel.
Thanks, Kyle, Well said. For all of us non-professionals, anything beyond decent, playable gear is indeed a luxury. And, as you say, better gear doesn't make you a better player. So enjoy what you have.
Great vid KB, TRUTH buying my first high end guitar and gear improved my playing 10 fold best move I made in my guitar journey ..lotsa help from this channel
It IS absolutely gate keeping but some people are also just flat out angry and mean towards others. If they think something is good they’ll ignore it and scroll on. But if they can knock it, they won’t pass up that opportunity!
In the beginning of this year i bought an HX Stomp after a long long LONG time of thinking if i really need it to record my own songs in my bedroom. My most expensive gear and it sounds exactly how i want it to sound. My best purchase, even if i don't get a millions of streams a month on Spotify, but i can write and record MY own music with it. Get the gear that inspires you.
Thank you so much for making this video. I've worked hard for literally every piece of gear I have, and I have some pretty decent gear. I still have my first real guitar and amp, a Squier Strat I bought at the local music store for $100 and a Fender Mustang 1 I bought from the same store for $200, and I don't use the amp for anyrhing more than a speaker, but I still pull out thay Strat from time to time, and it always feels like when I first bought it and it blew my 12 year old mind. Yes, I do have far better guitars now, but there is always something special about your first real piece of gear, and that spark is what keeps me from ever getting rid of them.
I have also been able to gift some of my gear to people less fortunate, and that's because I'll do anything to keep people playing and enjoying the hobby.
We are all just trying to enjoy this hobby, and life for that matter. Why make it harder for everyone else?
The law of diminishing returns comes in fast and hard regarding guitar gear these days.
the point of different gear is different tones. they are just tools to express yourself. use the ones that you think sound good, thats all it is
OK I think you're my favourite guitar vlogger after this. I stay away from the forums (one in particular) because of the frequent p**sing contests between the users trying to be the biggest edgemeister. Also, I got an AX8 (€700), an Ibanez SZ1220 (€600) and an Ibanez RG1527 (€450) and am absolutely delerious with my tone! And I don't care if it's a digital amp or used Ibanez, they still sound excellent. And you know what else?? I'm a terrible player! I can't sweep pick or speed pick, I just play the rhythm parts of songs I listen to from the 90s and early 2000s, so I'm sure by gatekeeper standards I shouldn't own any of that gear at all. BUT, having that gear makes me happy when I pick up a guitar once a week during my downtime - gatekeepers be damned
Love your content Kyle, this video was refreshing. I hate gatekeepers.
I'm a tone chaser, I've spent years going through gear, but I love building up low end gear to great looking and sounding gear.
I've got a Stagg L320 gothic Les Paul body that I've full upgraded and custom painted, and other guitarists at stores or friends houses have crapped on my guitar because it's a Stagg, until they hear it. It's a emg 81/85 loaded, monster sounding drop B tuned, gold on pearl black metallic with a gold Punisher skull painted on the body. I'm running that through a MKII EHX MIG 50 head, to a custom line 6 4x12 cab loaded with 2xDV-77s and 2xCelestion Hot100, and I love it.
The amount of times I've talked to students at my job and said "Don't stress about what kit you have, and don't worry about if it's cheap. As long as you gig with everything you've got, no audience you play too will care about the equipment you use".
I'm the happiest I've ever been with my tone using some expensive gear now - But I've gigged with kit all the way from the old Peavey Vyper mk1 and a Line 6 Pod Go, all the way through to Hiwatts, high end Oranges and my old Kemper - the only time I've ever had a negative comment about my guitar tone was from my bands engineer when she said "Your Kemper's kind of phasing out a bit with the double tracker, I think we should go mono". That's litterally it.
Now my rig is a beaten up old Orange 4x12 cabinet from 2003, an Orange OR30, a Torpedo Captor X and an Epiphone Les Paul Adam Jones Custom with a TS9 that's beaten to hell - I'm so proud to be ripping this rig up and gig with it
For the haters. I play an orange 2x12 v30, and orange micro dark with a long plate JJ tube I swapped in it(buy multiple they have variances in volume and tone to suit your sound). For guitars, my squier to my schecter hellraiser through it. That little amp has put more smiles on my face than other gear I’ve had.
Right on Kyle! I've been realizing the same too! you got so many gear purist and people who step on others because they have the USA made Fender, the Made in Japan Charvel, the UK made Marshall. They even talk down to those who are proud of the gear they have because its Line 6, a Made in Mexico guitar or even a Floyd Rose Special in their EVH guitar. Remember Eddie Van Halen did not create his signature sound on a Nice 3,000-dollar vintage guitar. He used left over parts to create his famous frankenstein. So those of you who love rocking on the beat up used gear, non-USA or UK made amps or guitars, stay proud! Who cares about the best Floyd Rose, the best hardware, best pickups, the real Dumble top model amp or the true Marshall tube sound. Rock on guys! Your talent and hobby are what keeps you going and happy. We all have one thing in common, playing music! So, let's forget about what gear is better and just rock out!