All This Gear - But NO-ONE Cares What You're Playing? YES IT MATTERS (probably)

[@EmilioConesa]

That expensive knife a chef uses is not for the customer.

[@IFeastOnGlue]

That's a good analogy

[@kellygreenii]

That covers it. 👍

[@johnplaystheguitar123]

it is though isn't it? the chef needs it to do their work at their best, which ultimately trickles down to the the food being served to the customer. Expensive knives cut better, they stay sharp for longer, they probably feel better in the hand. I'd argue it couldn't be more for the customer. The chef wants to make the best food for the customer and wants to use the best tools to make the best food.

[@aarongonzalez5973]

@@johnplaystheguitar123 I agree but the argument being made is the the average customer can’t tell the difference between you using a $10 knife vs $100 knife. They only know subjective terms such as “good” and “bad”

[@EmilioConesa]

@ yes that’s my point

[@andersg9451]

I've done what I think many others have done - first you fill your pedalboard to the brim with what you think are pedals you can't possibly live without. After a while you realize that a lot of them are almost never used. Then you start to trim them down one by one until maybe half are left, i.e. the ones you really need.

[@3l84r70]

and then get a modeler/profiler rig.. and then build a pedalboard with a tuner, a boost pedal and 5 delays...

[@89digits59]

In Reality the Audience actually does not care what gear you are using as long as it all sounds good, only we guitar nerds care about all this stuff 🙂

[@GarrettMaple]

💯 Here endeth the lesson!

[@winstonsmith8240]

But how you feel affects your playing.

[@89digits59]

@@winstonsmith8240 True - but that is with the artist, sound wise the audience does not care about the sound as long as it sounds good to them. Audience does can care if you are using a custom shop guitar or a cheap guitar, if you are using a $5000 amp of a $500 guitar processor with amp sims, as long as it sounds good to them, it's all good.

[@ludvanlazarz]

Actually, i recently attended a party where a local wedding-band was playing. It was all covers. The Guitar player did a boss GT old style digital board direct into the PA on one Guitar only with hunbuckers. It sounded pretty meh to me, and not at all close to the covers in terms of tone. It both sounded and felt not rock n roll. Had they been cranking real amps on stage, in that venue, they would only need the PA for singing and the keyboard. Thats it. People are thinking "PA-mix" even though the venues dont need it unless you are doing a bigger venue

[@davidmaki6960]

Always enjoy your content, John. You're right, it's two different worlds. Playing at home where you have control over your backing tracks volume, unlike a live situation with a live band with a drummer, you can explore the nuances of sound that gets our creativity flowing. At 72 years old, I've experienced the sheer joy of playing live with a rockin' band at exciting volume with the crowd stamping their feet and dancing madly. Nothing comparable. Thanks for your teaching videos as well, I've definitely improved my legato playing. Have a Happy New Year!

[@rowbags3017]

An injury early in the summer meant I had to travel ultra-light to gigs and use a modeller into the PA. It sounded OK and proved so convenient, I didn't go back to my full rig. I've actually made it an early New Year's resolution to begin using my amp and pedalboard again.

[@EliasThury]

The viewer doesn't care what brush or paint a painter uses. But a painter absolutely cares what they are using and often won't paint well if they are using poor tools.

[@vorpalblades]

"A poor carpenter blames his tools."

[@DanAddison]

Yeah the trouble is they also won’t paint well if they never paint because they’re too busy shopping for new paints.

[@1man1guitarletsgo]

If you get a return booking, you're using the right gear.

[@jamesgoddin8880]

Honestly, for most gigs now I just use my Katana Gen 3 with GA-FC-EX and a couple of expression pedals. For in-ear gigs or theatre pit stuff it’s the GX-100. My Mesa Boogie and pretty expensive pedalboard are gathering dust in my office. Nobody’s complained about the quality of the tones, and my load in/out and setup is so much simpler.

[@mattpalmer5434]

Thanks for the videos John. There’s something different about a cranked amp on stage - the way it interacts with feedback etc and those unpredictable moments that is very inspiring. You get something different to bedroom practising - a sound that is more “alive” - and that’s really the greatest appeal of playing live for me (and the “crucible” of performance in a band). Agree that 95% of sounds for covers gigs is overdrives and delay/reverb. I deliberately run a small board to force myself to make hard choices! ;) Current edition includes a vibe-type for texture layers and a fuzz for one or two specific songs.

[@blackfishgaming7145]

Last year Primus had to play a festival show and their gear was stuck in a different state due to severe weather. They went to Guitar Center and bought inexpensive gear for the show. You can definitely hear the difference. However, they made fun of the situation and it still sounded good. You can see the footage on KZbin somewhere.

[@quatokistouffer9846]

the YES IT MATTERS or Not is a deep story that has a lot of moving parts depending on what you are trying to do. Highly depends on the person... and the situation.

[@Searchio]

The Sound made through gear is mainly for the listener. How it makes you feel playing is for you.

[@pastelcia42]

To me the most important part about gear is workflow. I like having a board with standalone pedals and a real amp because I like that workflow and can make adjustments that affect the whole set in seconds to get what I need, instead of having to change 15 presets to make the reverb a bit louder on all of them. Makes my life easier, and the multi fx/modeler just gives me the extra stuff I just use for a song here and there, like a pitch shifter or a tremolo.

[@matthewcasey892]

As long as you deliver the song to the listener with full conviction and reasonable proficiency there will be a connection. That is the point, I believe, connect the music to the listener. Everything else is nuance. Having said that, nuances can be where the gap between good and great are achieved. My goal should be to get connected through the music, not the gear.

[@Doomhamar]

Dude Leon Todd and you are my favorite players on youtube by far, these days I only have time to check out yours and his videos on the regular! You should give your self some credit, I think you inspire so many people with the awesome takes and amazing playing that inspires me to come each day to check out what you have to say and what you will play! You are amazing and I appreciate you so much for posting videos about guitar noises and cool stuff. At the moment i am a bit broke, but I will definitely join your patreon just as a thank you for all you have done, and for being a great dude that I would love to get some beers and talk guitars with and for an amazing player you are.

[@markstarlin]

I played in a 15-member cover band with horns and used a Mesa Express 5:25, a Plethora X5, and a Crybaby Wah. I didn't need any fancy modulated reverbs or synth sounds. The amp gave me my amp tones, and the Plethora gave me the basic (great sounding) effects I needed: reverb, delay, phaser, and chorus. For my acoustic trio, I use a Fender Smolder OD, a Plethora X3, and a TC Electronic Spark Mini Boost. When I livestream from home, I use an FM9 into a Boss RC-600. Different setups for different gigs. The audience just wants to be entertained/inspired/moved/or enticed to dance or sing along. They don't care about gear (except the musicians in the audience.) Find what works for you and learn to really use it. You don't need every new thing that comes along. Unless you are rich or get free stuff/paid for being popular on KZbin. 😉

[@millichips1]

In a band situation I've found less is more. Good amp, palyable guitar, reverb and possibly add a tad of delay / chorus for a bit of colour. In a duo situation I can have the luxury of adding more effects to for some ambience depending on the song. John, love the intro playing as always :0)

[@TbonePlummer]

I’ve used pretty much the same rig for a decade. A valve amp (Hughes and Kettner Grandmeister 40) and a 2x12 with three gain stages to allow for the room / venue and a delay and modulation. It covers 99% of all material we do. Guitars are entirely for my pleasure but usually one single coil and one humbucker. I’ve tried digital modelling etc and use an old school M5 if I need a lot of modulations. It is 100% how to approach live. Bomb proof, versatile.

[@RaySmithWeb]

The audience doesn’t care. Hit the riff, they dance, that’s it.

[@DavidLWhitehurst]

I did 13k viewers on TikTok tonight using an ME-90 and a Headrush speaker. The listeners don’t care. Years ago, whiskey, cigarettes, and yelling at the table over the band was the norm. I’m with you on the modeling and the FRFR cabs. And get a fan to blow wind on your legs. I do like to be inspired by my stuff. I get that live with a real tube amp and my Telecaster. We players like our stuff even if listeners don’t care.

[@steveliberty]

I've sold off any boutique fx pedals that I had. I've also sold off most of the drives that I've had. The HX Stomp is the centerpiece of my rig, played into a power amp and guitar cabinet, and the signal chain in the HXS is typically 2 drives, an fx loop, an amp model (no cab), an eq, a delay and a reverb. The fx loop has the HX One in it, and is used primarily for modulations. Everything is controlled by a Pirate MIDI Bridge 4. If I had to simplify, I could live without the HX One and the MIDI controller. The HX Stomp would get me through a gig. Currently my backup rig is an Ampero Mini. But I play to use a ToneX One as my backup rig. Now that the ToneX One can have a few effects in its signal chain, it should get the job done. And for times that I don't want to bring my HXS pedalboard, the ToneX One plus a power bank will provide the minimum needed in a much smaller and lighter package. I'd love to play through my 65 Bassman copy , but its too loud to be practical, and a bit heavy. If I had people carrying and setting up/breaking down my setup, I'd be using a real amp. But I am a basement / dive bar player, so I am my own roadie.

[@the_tone7167]

My live rig is a Mesa Boogie Mark V 25 Combo (light weight), HX stomp for Delay, Overdrive, and misc effects, and an OCD drive pedal. 4 cable method with a Volume pedal in the effects loop. Suits me fine for a blues-rock bar band.

[@alfred2011]

Great vid John. I agree, we guitar players tend have more gear than we need. I like your point about it being better than a gambling habit 😅

[@Homermad81]

Guitar gear is like having a corvette. While on the public roads doing things with everyone else around, you have to operate safe and within the rules of what is expected. But then you get in a space where you can open up and not worry about others and just let it rip. Same thing with guitar gear. All the amazing sounds on the Axe FX III are just for me, just me playing around for myself and playing to my mood.

[@gravyblue]

The amount of pro gigs I go to where I can barely hear the guitar

[@GraemeCampbellMusic]

As I do solo acoustic pub gigs I’ve just gone for the gear that’s easiest to dial for a full sound in a noisy environment very quickly. I usually use an acoustic (Epi J45 or Taylor), through a NUX pre-amp pedal into a Laney A-Duo Acoustic amp on a speaker stand (vocals go through that as well via an Beta 57). Sounds decent, quick to set up and load in and out.

[@winstonsmith8240]

I've not picked up the guitar for 6 months (personal reasons), but the tone you had at the beginning made me want to pick it up again. So yeah, it does matter. (And thanks). ❤

[@gregberry3524]

Another aspect people dont realise that has a huge impact. Micing an amp correctly live. It may sound great for you, but if it is not captured and eq'd well, it can come across poorly out front. More important in a bigger space, where your amp spill can't make up for it. Same issue with phase problems or a poor sound guy. The Sound Guy is your most important musician not on stage, who can make or break a gig.

[@ejguitars1679]

Helix into a 1966 Proreverb works great for my wedding gigs. Honestly, the amp is for the band. If you have acoustic drums, a bass amp, and 3 horns on stage, your IEM sound alone will never assert enough command to interact with the other musicians meaningfully.

[@budgetguitarist]

I built a pedal board and was buying pedals, but then I bought an HX Stomp and got rid of all of my pedals except one - a Keeley 4 knob compressor. The Stomp cured me of buying pedals. On the other hand, I do have like 23 guitars. And three basses. And a banjo. And a mandolin.

[@monsirto]

It's okay to have a hobby and collect useless crap [ glances at embarrassing pile of unused toys]. I think wifey is grateful I'm a lefty. My quiver of fiddles is relatively modest. Wonderful little jam on this video. All the best for the New Year!

[@muttonjeff105]

I think if you get a great sounding core tone as the foundation of your live rig, just add simple effects to the set up and that's all you need after that. I always think that your rhythm tone is what the audience hear for 90+% of the gig and if that is inspiring to you too the audience will pick up on that. There is such a thing as a great general guitar tone.

[@NickGranville]

Totally agree on your thoughts about the audience picking up if we’re inspired or not. I think it’s wrong to assume they don’t notice or care what we’re doing. Sure a small number of drunk munters might not care but otherwise people are listening and absorbing. So I often take the gear that gets the job done and that keeps me happy, which almost always these days is an FM3, some pedals and a frfr. I hate IEM’s so they’re a last option for me. Note - I don’t think they care if we play a Squier or Strat, just is it good or not.

[@jburdsinfuse]

My first live gig I had three guitars and 12 pedals. This week I played with a Tele, a Friedman IR-D and a Fractal VP4. A Walrus line isolator and canvas for power. Done. I have a UAFX Ruby in my bag in case the Friedman has a problem. $1500 for 4 amp channels and all of the studio effects I could dream of.

[@mixodorians12]

KZbin content creating guitarists need lots of stuff to review and talk about, for content and to make videos. Some guy in a bedroom playing guitar to backing tracks or a gigging musician doesn't need any of this stuff. A Boss katana (mk1) does all things well. Most businesses would be delighted that they could make money without spending much cash. Here we have to have a neverending conversation about gear, for some to have a youtube career.

[@Jackswan87]

My favourite band Karate (guitarist Geoff Farina) has been using a tuner and a KTR into a fender amp. I’ve learned a lot from this simple set up.

[@MrJingles021]

I played a bass gig yesterday where a guy had a super expensive Fodera bass, and I had a Cort....the audience couldn't hear the price difference, and people thought my Cort was a custom made bass.

[@JosephCompton66]

Uncle Larry says people can tell the difference, I think he is right. They may not know how the artist got the sound, but they know when it is off. I have a killer board that XTS built for me. Peterson tuner, pitch fork, XTS imperial drive, insert demo loop, HXone, Volante, reverse mode c, para eq, and flint. That can get you anywhere. All on a Pedaltrain classic jr board.

[@Eliminator-rl9sn]

Absolutely. I play live one clean and one overdrive channel. This is supported by a drive pedal, an EP Booster and the GE7 in front of the amp. In the FX Loop are delay and reverb and that’s it. Sometimes I play a real amp, sometimes just the HX Stomp and an FRFR.

[@fisch723]

For my gigs as the guitarist for a singer-songwriter band it’s generally a Helix floor and a PowerCab. I like to experiment at home with ambient sounds (and have this fantasy that someone might one day want to hear live ambient guitar), but despite how much can be done with the Helix, it’s basically a clean (sometimes chorus) snapshot, ones for lead both light and heavy, and a somewhat ambient spacey reverb-y sound as a filler almost keyboard-like sound. That’s pretty much it for most of the night but I like having the ability to call up something unusual when the mood strikes and go a little outside the lines when it’s called for, and the singer encourages me to get wild when it fits. So, following the classic “80/20 rule”, most of the night is done with a few basic tones and their variations, but using a modeler gives you those spare sounds without the need for a giant pedalboard. Although sometimes I wish the Helix was a little smaller - but I do use 2 expression pedals so I’m glad to have the i/o.

[@GitShiddy]

I have 9 effects & 4 utility/control pedals on my board and even with that amount of stuff I completely agree that a drive or two, a delay or two, and then everything additional is just spices. I could definitely chop down to 3 or 4 pedals easily. But when it comes to improvisation & writing & playing for yourself, as is true of life, variety is the spice.

[@3l84r70]

I do have plenty of gear.. for gigs I use a Helix LT.. for home, I use a synergy amps based rig, with a pedalboard that consists of one boost pedal, 4 delays and one H9 unit. and each delay is my favorite setting for that pedal.. just the sounds I like

[@MarshlandPete]

I could definitely get away with a lot less pedals and less pedalboards (I gig sometimes with a mini pedalboard which is easier to carry, otherwise I have a fairly mid-sized pedalboard). If I am really honest, I could probably do what I need with just one pedal. The Helix Stomp XL is more than enough on its own for what I need, maybe I could even just use the Tone X One for most gigs. That said I do love the sound of pedals I add and it gives me great options for recording. As you say you can always sell them later. Which I might do with some of my older pedals which have fallen out of use.

[@picksalot1]

Necessary gear for a gig tends to be small, unless you're playing very complex and varied music. Regarding "inspiration," the best musicians bring it in their talent, and are not thwarted by their gear. If you only feel inspired when you've got the best gear, and all the stars have aligned, you'll be failing at anything less.

[@komalthecoolk]

This is exactly what I have been thinking in my mind all the time. Thanks for saying it!

[@geraldkeating7997]

I go to 20 live shows a year, I live in BRISBANE ,I go dancing at a club every week, at the shows 500 plus apart from about 10 other players at the show no one else gives a toss what gear you have. Same at the clubs.

[@stevet1578]

Since you run sound for your band, do you rely on hearing your amp through your monitor or do you tilt the amp so it faces you?

[@brianelza9807]

I feel sorry for guitarists who say they can’t be “inspired” unless they are playing through a 100W tube amp cranked through a 4x12 cab. I can be inspired without even plugging my guitar into an amp. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@adamherring6693]

I get repeat bookings regardless if I'm using a boss katana or a fender bassman with a 3k pedal board. But I get the most energy for playing with a boss katana because it always sounds great and I know it's all going to work.

[@nikolaki]

My live setup is a Zoom B3 (I now have a Zoom B3n but not played it out). A have a few bass pedals I tinker with at home. For electric guitar I use a Zoom G3n or Zoom G3Xn sometimes with an EHX B9. For acoustic a Fishman Aura Image Blender, Mooer Woodverb and Baby Water. Though I recently discovered the G3n is actually less faff and I get quite a usable tone with my electroacoustic. Over lockdown I have acquired a load of inexpensive pedals: BOSS, Behringer, TC Electronic, EHX and more and put together a couple of peedalboards. They're definitely a lot of fun and sound great. But for playing out, the G3Xn is perfect and hassle free and works well on all scenarios. I've never needed any parallel processing or the 4 cable method.

[@vintagetone22]

Im done with using 100 pedals to get different sound.after 25 years of playing .im down to an overdrive pedal a delay/reverb pedal ,and a wah pedal into a evh 5150.and thats all you need really.im happy with that.👍🌹🤟🎸🤟🙏🙏

[@Chimeskinkade]

Like most other bar gig players most times its. No sound check, half the time running sound from stage. Cramped or no stage, funky set ups and funky rooms. It all adds up to mind over matter even if it sounds like shit and half the time it will no matter what , power though it , smile and have a good time and a good sense of humor. The right attitude goes a long ways

[@expatguitarist]

I've spent my life collecting gear and seeking subtle differences in tone between pedals. I love my gear. But, there are gigs where I only show up with something to boost my signal (drive, comp, or boost). If I have a good sounding amp with reverb all I need is a boost. Perhaps surprisingly, my go to in this situation is a comp pedal.

[@neilgaydon5430]

Music is defined as “the international language of feeling and emotion”…so use whatever you can to connect the soul of the music to each other which will engage your audience. It’s not about perfect correct but soulless notes, autotune, click, approximate digital recreations but with flat tone etc. There is a reason the greats ie Beck, Clapton, Keef, Bonamassa, Mayer, Bukovack, Prince, Moore, etc consistently used the best gear and musicians around them. They respected the power of music and their audiences which cumulatively made them greats.

[@pauljohnston1560]

As musicians … tone, sounds, textures really matter .. TO US🤣 As far as audiences are concerned I think the big thing is whether it’s a “pleasing sound” to their ears, or, and sadly if it’s most like the original 😆

[@DaveInkster]

My wedding band is 5 piece with a keys player who tries to progamme stuff to sound as close to the original as possible. A side effect of this is that the dynamics can change a lot across the set, so for that reason I tend to use 3 overdrive pedals ( an Okko Diablo GH for crunch, a Joyo Ultimate Drive fro more overdriven rhythm parts {cheap as chips, but when dialed in really sounds huge} and an EH Glove for lead. I also have TC Electronic Spark if I feel a solo needs a volume boost, but try not to use this. Other than that I use a Plethora 3 for everything else, and go through a Fender TMDR, with a line out into the desk just to top it up. Always wonder how other folk can get through a typical wedding set with just one overdrive pedal?

[@iandooley9962]

John, are you running the HXFX into the front of the fender or 4CM please? If into the front I assume you're keeping running the amp completely clean?

[@lenwhatever4187]

Normally I would be a minimalist, just what I need to gig. However, watching one of your recent videos, I think I may be picking up a looper at least for practice. I could run my guitar through my computer and use a looper plugin but then I would have to work out my whole signal chain to really enjoy using it. A pedal would be so much easier. My first digital effects box will likely be a Pi-Stomp but I expect my amp model will remain analog after that. I may end up with a cheap looper before that too. Yes, how I feel while playing matters. I use an amp but the speaker is pointed at me, like a wedge.

[@wayneavanson]

Nope. I'm pretty lazy and if I can get ALL my gear into a venue in one or two trips then that's perfect. I run the HeadRush Prime and an Headrush FR108, and have a speaker stand, mic stand and a bag of leads. More than enough for me. Now, for my photography business, that's a different story…

[@rockboy4470]

Saw L A Guns in small club in Phoenix recently. Traci Guns was using a Line 6 Catalyst modelling amp. I shit you not. Sounded fine. Maybe he had a problem with his normal amp that night.

[@theelderskatesman4417]

I have many artist friends. They deliberately paint with 'bad' implements all the time, like twigs and bits of bone.

[@AndrewWillmott-l8s]

So I think it’s largely fair to say that in a lot of cases a straightforward rig gets the job done. But, but sometimes a guitarist is pushing all kinds of “crazy stuff” and if they didn’t we wouldn’t have U2. For better or worse.

[@capedukewuhaha]

the audience does care, but not for your gear. Last show last saturday we were 3 guitar players: 1 with Marshall head an cab, 1 with Blackstar pedalboardamp inkl. poweramp and menwith Hx Stomp XL + Poweramp pedal. I had the most fun and got the most compliments for my tone. did I have the best tone? probably not, but as I said: I had the most fun :-D

[@fento9]

It’s simple. Gear is for us. The audience, for the most part couldn’t care less. We can tell the difference. Most of them can’t.

[@charlespeeler2274]

Great video

[@shanekerrmusic]

I do mainly solo gigs these days and I just run through a HX Stomp XL direct into the PA. But, if I'm playing in a band situation, I using an amp... usually my Traynor YCV40 just to feel more than hear.

[@nekkon1989]

I play with amps, so I'm gassing over a JAM multipedal. Easy to use, no patch cables, one power supply, great tone

[@yarbzag]

I want the pink flow!

[@georgeflowers3730]

Live performances have many parts. The guitar player is one of those parts, and you have to be ready to play your part in that performance. Whatever equipment you're using, it has to serve the goal to entertain the audience. If you're playing many cover songs, you will need more effects. I have seen people with one Amp, no extra pedals, and give a great show! And all the way around, one amp, terrible performance. I've seen people with one cheap multiple effects pedal, direct to PA, great show. You have to spend the time to prepare your equipment for the show, use whatever is best for your taste. But remember that less equipment, fewer problems. With fewer worries, less stress. Your energy will be more focused on your bandmates and project that energy to the audience.

[@michaelbaldwin6543]

I play in church using a Pod Go and practice at home with the Pod Express. Honestly could get away with using the Pod Express for both. The folks at church never complain about the tones. Definitely think we over think the gear. If the audience is full of accomplished musicians then maybe you need the best gear available. Probably not.

[@andrewbecker3700]

John and that killer K line S type is a great place to start. I'm fairly positive those 2 items alone are the key. If he gets a Dumble someday, will it sound better? Sure. But until then we'll just have to suffer through it? Sounds ridiculous doesn't it? Cause it is. I'm from the ZW school of, play the shit outta what you have. And figure out how to set yourself apart from others. No piece of gear can teach that. Peace!

[@illbehereagain]

What I've noticed is that regardless of what gear I use I tend to set things so I sound the same, and importantly, that it "feels" thesame. I've noticed that you still sound like YOU when you either use the HX native or mic an amp or whatever ... and I mean that in a completely good way, I always know it's you 🙂. Conversley, I am a hopeless gear nerd 🤣so ...

[@viewoftheaskew]

Had to sell all my pedals when the rona hit in 2020, slowly building back the essentials. I usually sell most gear that I'm not using (to buy more gear of course lol).

[@Derducci]

True... Maybe 1% notices, by my humble opinion... But when I'm having fun it is transmitted somehow to the audience and gear is part of my fun... So i guess it matters... pretty much...

[@iamstan_rimp]

Nobody cares what we are using. Lol! I’ll probably buy a Tonex One and Hx stomp but right now I run an Empress Comp>Wampler Pinnacle>Jackson Audio Broken Arrow>Joyo American Sound>Sonicake Levitate Reverb/Delay bought all used.

[@nicolasmaurin182]

You need almost nothing … but an expensive amp, a good guitar, and some more pedals like a compressor, a delay / reverb pedal and an FX stomp that is just a bundle of 1000 sounds … it is quite simple indeed. 😊

[@psufilm]

I'm as guilty as anyone when it comes to getting GAS... but I've recorded content with a Squier Bullet Strat through a Line 6 Pod 2.0 and people just say things like "great job" and "sounds great". Nobody ever says "you should've used a Fender Custom shop through a 65 Deluxe Reverb miced with a Neumann U67 through a Neve 1073...

[@micktheman6]

The chroma console is very useful you can use it on lots of stuff. I don’t have wasted gear everything gets used nothing collects dust and I have a lot of gear.

[@KitoRodriguez]

YEah I have been going through it. Just sold my Pod Go Wireless, which worked just fine for many years on Bass and Guitar gigs. Thought I was going to build a Bass board and a seperate Guitar board because I gig pro on both. Started buying pedals and I was like, "wTF are you doing man, WHY?" So now I am just going with HX Stomp, a Radial JDI and maybe the LA-2A compressor just in case something goes wrong with the stomp 🤷🏽‍♂

[@slates1969]

I've thought this for years. Particularly when watching those PG Rig Rundowns and you see these players with super complicated live set ups designed to capture every little nuance when in reality 99% of the audience won't hear or care about any of this subtlety. Live , I think tones should be more broad strokes

[@TheBoomtown4]

My dog can tell the difference, it would be disrespectful and morally wrong to underestimate his ear and emotive response.

[@steel6322]

The audience knows what sounds good, but only when they hear it.

[@totterymanx]

Only people who care what you play through is other guitarists. Honestly, I could do everything with a Deluxe Reverb, compressor, tuner, and over drive pedal. I've been using a UA Dream 65 the last 2 weeks and it's on the money. Nice not having to carry heavy gear at my age lol.

[@garrysimmons111]

For me (shitty rock cover band bar gigs), my monitor mix matters as much to me as the guitar sound I hear on stage. I care more about hearing everything EXCEPT my guitar. My fingers know where to go. It's always great when I can hear myself well AND everyone else too, but that's rare. NOTE: no improvised guitar leads. We try to play the songs the same way every time.

[@peterjessop1878]

My main rig for a covers band is now a fractal FM9 and I feel more inspired playing that than any amp I have owned. This is mainly down to being able to replicate the sound I have in my head even when playing some one else’s songs. Having a single piece of gear and presets allows me not to worry and concentrate on playing the guitar thus enjoying myself more. When using an amp with a pedalboard something would often go wrong whether it be not being able to turn the amp up enough to make it sing, or a patch cable breaking or not be able to hear myself properly. Those issues are now all gone.

[@PooNinja]

I’m a WDW guy so it’s mostly toys but to play out my katana gen 3 and its controller are more than enough.

[@giovannibonapace4250]

I'll never use modellers period. I love my amp n organic approach... yes digital is more convenient... i don't like to pre program sets and i like my pedals on tap on/off when needed .

[@theelderskatesman4417]

Yes. The audience does not care about 'tone" unless it is ridiculously inappropriate, like using massive distortion at a trad jazz gig. IT DOES NOT MATTER ONE TINY BIT.

[@andrestrat]

A good gear pleases your ears and makes you want to play....

[@dnottis]

The best reason to only buy a Pod GO and gig it, is because the AUDIENCE DOESNT CARE!

[@davidwoods358]

The audience is either listening to the music (or in some cases maybe not so much.) Only the guitar nerds may be a bit interested in the actual gear being used (if the tones are inspiring to them.) I create my own tones to inspire myself to play better. Life is too short to settle for bad tone.

[@stevesteve1965.]

No-one gives a flying fig whether it's a Dumble(🙄) or not, very few could tell If it's digital or analog, very few of any could tell if it was a solid state or valve amp..as long as you are satisfied with your own sound and how it makes you play then that's all that matters because no-one else cares.

[@CarmineLombardi-e9f]

IT'S TRUE, HOWEVER IF A BAND THAT HAS GREAT DYNAMICS, STAGE VOLUME BALANCE AND GREAT TONE, ARE THE REAL PROS AND THE AUDIENCE CAN DISTINGUISH THAT FROM THE PRETENDERS ... SORRY FOR THE CAPS

[@mikeblue385]

i care and that's all that matters.

[@GuyNarnarian]

I’m surprised a Tele isn’t your #1

[@joeurbanowski321]

Gigging should be fun… and it’s fun for me to have my rig set up the way I like it.. So No Brainer…

[@TeleTonemonkey]

I’ve got no spare pedals! 😊

[@ukguitarnoodle]

Half the audience don't know which one is the bass guitar

[@Newnodrogbob]

Is there gear that is so bad that the audience will hate it? Yes. Is the difference between a fender tube amp and a tonemaster going to be detectable by them? Highly unlikely. Most of the vicious fights guitar players have about gear are over differences that are undetectable by the audience.

[@yaniv-nos-tubes]

modelers really messed with guitar players heads unlike anything weve experienced before ...some will never come back to the right path, not even for recording a specific part like a solo. all the things they learned about tone with real gear are lost and don't mean anything, they had to learn a new language and get used to latency and menues with too many options ,they got used to being sceptic about known brands of amps since their digital representation is crappy. let's set the record straight all these modelers/profilers are transistors with built in digital processors (if youre after that tone you can plug a multi effect to a jc 120 and youre there, it's not a new tone) therefore they sound like crap for distortion and get lost in the mix compared to a real tube amp with real speakers ,those are facts.

[@joony4614]

Zoom ms 50g is your answer to all