Gear Snobbery

SpaceFace · Post by **SpaceFace** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:32 am

I havent experienced that too bad except when talking to random people in music stores sometimes. Though I have been sneered at and or questioned based on appearance when I showed up to a few things such as auditions and or gigs due to having really long hair. I cant count how many times I have heard things like "oh we arent a metal band". However I had to laugh one time because on craigslist while cruising the musicians ads I seen a back and forth dealing with this between somebody and a band. Apparently this guy tried replying to this metal band ad and was rejected for not having the right stuff or as the band put it "right fit". It was funny because the band actually put up an application of sorts for people to fill out asking among other things age "must be between 18 and 31" and gear and rate yourself on the "face melting scale". I was truly amazed.

Vis · Post by **Vis** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:41 am

Will wrote:If it sounds good, it obviously doesn't matter what's being played. I saw a funk band some time ago where the guitarist was using a Line 6 Spider - it still sounded good and he copped the requisite AC30 sound that every Milwaukee band must have.

If it sounds like ass, that's when I really notice it. Like flame maple topped acoustics with super quacky piezos or strat players who never get off the bridge pup, regardless of how ear-piercing it is.

Vis might know John Sieger from the Milwaukee area. He goes down to Nashville a lot, so he has the required 1966 Tele. But live, it was usually too bright and thin sounding so he switched to a:

*drumroll*

Silvertone 1448. The cheapest, crummiest guitar Danelectro ever made. But it sounds great, so who cares? His acoustic is a similar deal - a Gibson SJ that someone tried to install J-160E electronics in but chickened out after drilling all the holes in the top. It looks like a wreck, but sounds awesome and set him back like $400 total.

Sound is all that matters, and most people I know get that.

The thing is with a guy like John Sieger or with Adrian Smith in the video I linked above, these really are guys with nothing left to prove. Their body of work is going to impress a lot more people than any name on a headstock ever will.

I hear you on the AC30 thing though

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 3:15 am

i personally have never kicked anyone out for not having suitable gear, the wrong gear, or in the case of our current drummer even owning gear (he just bought a drum kit.. he has been in the band for almost 2 years now...) as for brand snobbery, if it gets you the sound you want fuck em, i've never had to audition anyone though, and i've never auditioned for anyone. the only audition i've ever played was to get into some battle of the bands, i showed up with some god awful homemade cab plugged into a traynor voicemate and proceeded to beat the shit out of my jazz bass clone, while our drummer used paint stir sticks. we got some looks along the lines of "what the fuck are these assholes doing here" when we were setting up, but after 4 songs in 5 minutes, it was decided that we knew what the fuck we were doing.

timhulio · Post by **timhulio** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:10 am

Mages wrote: it's more when you start straying into this kind of stuff that you're really pushing it.

Exactly this.

I'm also guilty of inverse gear snobbery, usually if someone is playing a pub gig with a 4x12 cab or a wireless kit of any fancy custom effects switcher.

Post by **Mike** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:21 am

In my experience the people who care about gear are generally shit players or in shit bands.

The best songwriters, guitar players and bands have all been completely ambivalent about what they use.

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:30 am

My last band, the lead singer was a huge gear snob. He turned his nose up at my Peavey triple xxx all the time, but he played a mesa dual rectifier set to chainsaw mode so it sounded like shit. He totally had the gear snob mentality when we would have to try out new members too. We tried out one guitar player who had a marshall JCM 2000 and Gibson Les Paul Standard and the guy could barely play our songs, but our singer was like "he's got good gear, so he's ok!" I said absolutely not, then he passed on a good friend of mine who is a great player and amazing singer, and is actually in my new band now, because at the time he didn't own his own guitar or amp and was going to borrow my tele deluxe reissue and triple xxx, he decided on a guy who could play good but couldn't sing at all solely because he had a marshall jcm 2000 and gibson sg.

He also sneered at me the first time I brought my modified MIM jazz bass to practice because it wasn't american made.

Fuck gear snobs.

damienblair17 · Post by **damienblair17** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:40 am

On of my guitar players kind of has a "more money = better sound" mentality. personally I think you can't get the same sounds from a squire affinity that you can a American Fender, but I love my all my cheap guitars and basses (I don't own a single instrument worth more than $500 new).

What I don't really like is when I see a Squier bass with the logo covered or sanded off. Two bands I've seen the bassist had a Vintage modified Jazz and the "squier" logo was gone. Kinda bugged me. If you've got a good instrument, don't be ashamed it's a squier or whatever.

pumpkin · Post by **pumpkin** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 8:23 am

If it sounds good play it. However, I always reserve judgment until I hear how they sound. I'm as much a gear junkie as anyone but I'm not a gear snob.

My best friend is a really good songwriter, and has been acclaimed as such.

When I first met him he was playing on a super strat copy with what I am sure was a plywood body after that he got a B.C. Rich bottom of the rung bolt on... and get this the fretboard was coming off the high end of the neck. Funny he doesn't actually play metal.

Still he wrote some great songs on those guitars.

Eventually he asked me to go along with him to a go guitar shopping one day and after playing a bunch of different guitars he settled on a Gibson SG Special. He later bought a Fender Jaguar HH as well.

Personally, I think it's ridiculous to buy some ornate PRS with abalone inlay all over it and AAAAA flamed top when you can get a used Gibson Les Paul Standard for a third of the price that sounds just as good. All that decoration doesn't improve the sound.

Post by **Doog** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 9:01 am

pumpkin wrote:
Personally, I think it's ridiculous to buy some ornate PRS with abalone inlay all over it and AAAAA flamed top when you can get a used Gibson Les Paul Standard for a third of the price that sounds just as good. All that decoration doesn't improve the sound.

It's the same reason people buy sports cars, pretty much; there's no sense in it, it's aaaaaaaaall about the penile representation.

Post by **Mike** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 9:04 am

Not really a viable analogy.

Sports Cars are much faster than regular cars and extremely exhiliarating to drive, plus if you get a softtop you can feel your hair in the breeze on a hot day, and girls love them.

PRSs are just wank guitars that look like coffee tables.

Johno · Post by **Johno** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 9:36 am

As long as it sounds good & works i don't see a problem with what gear people choose to use or are forced to due to finance, although if someone rocked up to an audition with a B.C. Rich Warlock i might change my tune.

Similar thing with some vintage gear, all well & good but you have to maintain older gear. I know a guy that has some nice vintage Fenders but they never stay in tune hum like mad & the pup sound dead, I'd rather play my CIJ any day... it works.

Ankhanu · Post by **Ankhanu** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 10:33 am

damienblair17 wrote:What I don't really like is when I see a Squier bass with the logo covered or sanded off. Two bands I've seen the bassist had a Vintage modified Jazz and the "squier" logo was gone. Kinda bugged me. If you've got a good instrument, don't be ashamed it's a squier or whatever.

That COULD have been an adversity towards advertising a brand... period. I've known people who simply don't want to advertise the brand of instrument they use, and sand off or cover the brand whether it be Squier, Yamaha, Gibson, Fender or what have you... that logo is gone!

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 12:12 pm

Mike wrote:Not really a viable analogy.

Sports Cars are much faster than regular cars and extremely exhiliarating to drive, plus if you get a softtop you can feel your hair in the breeze on a hot day, and girls love them.

PRSs are just wank guitars that look like coffee tables.

My first guitar was a PRS and I have to say they great instruments. I just happened to be a Fender guy and didn't know it which is why I sold it and got a Jaguar. I would rather fork out the money for a PRS than an overpriced Gibson. That said, I was a little bit snobby towards Squiers until I bought my Jagmaster and my CV Duo Sonic. The Classic Vibes are exceptional for their price. I am surprised some people would discriminate again someone just because of their gear and not how they use it. It's like in 7th grade making fun of the guy who can't afford designer sneakers.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 12:44 pm

Fran wrote:I think categorizing is more common.. "oh you got a Jag. you like Nirvana and that"?. Or "you can't play Metal on a Jag lol" and i own BC Rich guitars so i must only play Heavy Metal!?

To be honest, I've always loved that people do this, because I like challenging it. I like showing up at gigs and playing cheesey blues on a jag-stang or playing trashy garagey stuff on a big jazz box.

JJLipton · Post by **JJLipton** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:47 pm

timhulio wrote:
Mages wrote: it's more when you start straying into this kind of stuff that you're really pushing it.

Exactly this.

I'm also guilty of inverse gear snobbery, usually if someone is playing a pub gig with a 4x12 cab or a wireless kit of any fancy custom effects switcher.

hey now, my friends bass looks exactly like that. It cost him $50 bought from a friend. My current dream is to own an ibanez jem, although i doubt it will ever happen. I think once you get past the $1000 range or so you're just paying for bragging rights and bells and whistles.l Also, of course higher resale or even appreciating value. My les paul is worth way more now than when i bought it

Rhysyrhys · Post by **Rhysyrhys** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:41 pm

I like a lot of PRS guitars except for that archetypal figured top CE22 thingy with the bird inlays. Just makes me think of all the really bad nu-metal bands. The Starla and Mira and there cheap range of guitars are fucking sweet IMO.

I get annoyed with metal guitars, I wouldn't play one and I wouldn't want to play in a band with someone who plays one. That goes for any bassist that has more than 5 strings or a 5 string bass that is ridiculously elaborate. Drummers; I don't mind what they have, no one can see them anyway usually.

Callous as that sounds, I have a picture in my head of the sort of band I would like to have. An image. I might get a lot of flack for saying something like that but it's the truth. I don't think that any people that have any of the above items are lesser musicians, I've jammed with a lot of extreme bassists with extreme basses and they've been some of the best and most intense sessions I've ever had.

I'd hope usually that my band mates have there own gear. But then the best bassist I'd ever been in a band with has never owned a bass. I had to lend him mine.. for 3 years. So, snobbery doesn't come into. Taste. Taste does though.

JJLipton · Post by **JJLipton** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:47 pm

Rhysyrhys wrote:I like a lot of PRS guitars except for that archetypal figured top CE22 thingy with the bird inlays. Just makes me think of all the really bad nu-metal bands. The Starla and Mira and there cheap range of guitars are fucking sweet IMO.

I get annoyed with metal guitars, I wouldn't play one and I wouldn't want to play in a band with someone who plays one.

slow your roll, pilgrim. My ibanez RG and Charvel san dimas are some mighty fine instruments.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 3:00 pm

A bit harsh on teh Metal guitars there Rhys, some very diverse models out there that play amazing. I cut my teeth on Superstrats so i've got a nostalgic fondness for the Charvels and Ibanez of this world. They also bring a lot of fun into playing

PRS make some nice stuff too although im not fond of exotic tops.. on ANY guitar.

Vis · Post by **Vis** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 3:37 pm

damienblair17 wrote:What I don't really like is when I see a Squier bass with the logo covered or sanded off. Two bands I've seen the bassist had a Vintage modified Jazz and the "squier" logo was gone. Kinda bugged me. If you've got a good instrument, don't be ashamed it's a squier or whatever.

What's worse is when they sand off the Squier logo and put a Fender decal on there. That's just fucking lame. How people who are THAT insecure manage to get up on stage beats me. That shit was all over the Squier 51 modder's forum a while ago.

George · Post by **George** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 3:48 pm

The risk is also that some c*nt puts it on ebay as a Fender, whether on purpose or because it's changed hands enough for them not to know.