Can Nick Johnston sound like himself on a budget? | Thomann

Does Nick Johnston still sound like Nick Johnston when he plays through a budget rig? In the first round Nick plays his Schecter Custom Shop Signature vs the import version through a Mesa Mark Five. For the second round he does the same thing through a really affordable Harley Benton rig...
Gear used: tho.mn/gwuxq
We use Triad-Orbit stands for our videos exclusively: tho.mn/triad
Interesting bits and pieces:
0:09 Introduction
0:52 Custom Shop Signature into Mesa | Crunch
1:46 Import Signature into Mesa | Crunch
4:48 Import Signature into Mesa | without Pedals
5:57 Custom Shop Signature into Harley Benton | Clean
6:53 Custom Shop Signature into Harley Benton | Overdrive + Delay
7:26 Custom Shop Signature into Harley Benton | Overdrive
8:01 Custom Shop Signature into Harley Benton | More Gain
8:54 Import Signature into Harley Benton | Clean
9:52 Import Signature into Harley Benton | Overdrive + Delay
10:12 Import Signature into Harley Benton | Overdrive
10:50 Import Signature into Harley Benton | More Gain

11:41 Conclusions
14:00 Thanks for watching & please subscribe
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[@Maxtodon]

Hair touching the strings is the real secret of his tone

[@deadNdivine12]

Alex Simchison I miss my hair..

[@theaceofchef5153]

That's the reason why i can't play like him....I'm bald..... Ahahaha

[@caseylee12]

🤣

[@ebee3522]

The true test would’ve been to have him play a Squier Bullet or cheap Yamaha Pacifica.

[@johnpearson4899]

My hair touching my strings screws me up and I'm 55 and have had long hair most of my life. Just goes to show ya: Some got it (meaning Nick, of course) and some don't (meaning me). Lol.

[@FloridaManMatty]

Nick is apparently auditioning to be Guthrie Govan’s stunt double...

[@chuckyinges]

Actually both are auditioning for the role of Jesus Christ...

[@Astral_Wave]

Whatever hides their faces

[@antitesisthrash]

Sshhh he's kinda angry if you told him looks like guthrie govan

[@markcolhan8901]

...Or is Guthrie Govan auditioning to be Nicks stunt double ???

[@hemantlama9564]

@Matthew Absolutely wrong...he has his own style ...his own dexture....own...soul...he is phenomenal...love him❣️❣️

[@soilent9618]

I like how Nick essentially had to take over hosting duties for this video because once he started playing the real host just became star struck and couldn't pick his jaw up off the floor lol.

[@w1third]

Very cool to see him to this in a cheap rig, not many high profile guitarist would do this

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

He was such a good sport, and I mean... At that level of playing I could have given him a shovel and a bluetooth speaker and he would've killed it haha // Guillaume

[@rowdyjohnson6026]

@Julius Narte which is why nick played budget versions of the same standard gear he always uses hahaha. He didnt use some cheap random guitar, he used his own sig. series import. He didnt use just any old amp or guitar, and he dialed that amp into his preferred stting just like the guys you are mocking. Besides let's not conflate sound with playing. A sloppy player is gonna be sloppy through a marshall or a fender, but they still wont sound the same. Same 8s true of an amazing player. Your fingers are never gonna make a box ac30 sound like a marshall jcm 900 or make a 59 paf sound like a tv jones filtertron, and nothing you can do to your fingers to make it sd sound like you have a dallas rangemaster in the chain so let that " tone is all in the fingers " myth go for a sec. Slash will play his same style with a strat and a fender blues jr sure, but it wont sound like his les paul through a marshall 2203. Sd tevie ray wasnt using that amp, guitar, screamer, and wah, to cover up " weaknesses in his playing". They dont use a particular guitar/amp to hide anything about their playing, they use it because they like that tone. Sometimes its because they saw some star they worship using it and had to have it... but that's another story and I don't think it's fair to compare hobbyists and fans with professional musicians.

[@NeoRichardBlake]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses Quick! We need to test this! Go find Rob Scallon!

[@anthonyangelis1094]

Nick!! ❤️❤️👍👍🎸🎸

[@brennonhemsworth6315]

There are a ton who would actually just for fun

[@mishkatrahman20]

So this is Nick Johnston trying to sound like Nick Johnston without busting the bank

[@raysaade]

More like Nick Johnston telling us all "it's not the guitar, it's you. You suck" :P

[@sheepatore6646]

I love when Nick mutes the top strings while playing and it just goes *tackototackototackototackototackto*

[@ZiwaHD]

😂

[@AceBambam]

@@ZiwaHD stacatotacotack

[@Afurthyclays]

Greg Howe use that technique well, too! 😃

[@btta_wzrd6699]

Rick graham as well

[@anthonyderosa7730]

Chicken pick'n

[@genericnamethingy]

I had no idea who Nick Johnston is, but damn can he include chords in phrases beautifully! Perfect muting, picking, arpeggios, so freakin' clean

[@UmVtCg]

Problably, any good guitarist will. Zakk Wylde sounds like Zakk Wylde on a Hello Kitty guitar. Personally I sound like shit on a cheap and expensive rig. That's why I have an expensive rig, so I van be sure It's me, not the instrument or equipment.

[@rowdyjohnson6026]

Ah, but if tone was in the fingers, the whether it's a cheap lil rig or a "rig of the titans" , you would sound exactly the same. That method would not work if it was all in the fingers.

[@ToddtheExploder]

WaxP3 Good call, bro. Same reason I am a chronic sufferer of GAS.

[@IvanArdillo]

AHAHAHAHAH u r a genius

[@DominickDecocko]

By your logic, you can have cheap equipment and u know ure the real shit when u start sounding good on crap rig. But you wanna make sure that guitar neck playability suits you though but it doesnt matter if ure one of those gigantic handed fellas.

[@Sadowsky46]

WaxP3 good concept! Same with tools: if you use cheap ones you never know if you suck or the tools 🛠 😉

[@S745]

Nick is my favorite guitarist. Despite the fact that I prefer heavy, experimental and extreme music, and I don't particularly like monotonous shredders, his philosophy of minimalism is very close to me. His incredible dynamic way of playing is very addictive. And as a person, he is a very sincere, charismatic and positive guy. All this inspires self-improvement.

[@romanshredz]

Totally agree 💯 I’m a hardcore metal guy but damn I saw Nick doing a demo of the Mark V and was blown away 🤯 crazy inspiring

[@ConspireToConspire]

I love that Nick Johnston not only plays his guitar but he really plays the pickups too. He really incorporates the controls in his playing. It’s lovely.

[@FinnleyKaney]

Anyone else think his playing style is so incredible to watch, especially the fingers, the move so smooth. I must train harder

[@bak1386]

Love that he plays schecter. I think they are the most underrated brand out there. They know how to make a perfect neck for both guitar and bass.

[@JSession]

I can’t say enough about my reaper 6 FR. The MOST comfortable neck I’ve ever played. I feel like ultra thin c neck and 14 inch radius made it impossible to ever try anything else 😂

[@RanchJackaBee]

I straight up love how when Nick finishes playing each time the other dude is just "...uh...u...yea..." completley in awe

[@samcomfort6564]

He plays with so much dynamics, it’s a joy to listen to.

[@KostasSmonosGuitar]

Insane fluency on the instrument. Doesn't matter what your setup is when your playing takes the spotlight like that. One of the best for sure

[@Ross777DVP]

The presenters reaction at 3:58 is amazing!!! Nick's playing has that affect on me too!!

[@araxxisinnovations6544]

This cat is generally not someone I'd study and emulate but god damn.. respect for his craft. This guy has some next level immaculate control

[@daveyponderosa9549]

Damn straight Pal, dude can play.

[@musicwithmattG]

🇨🇦 Proud to see Nick Johnston being a true Canadian, just an amazing person.

[@zillagod721]

What neck of the woods is he from?

[@musicwithmattG]

@@zillagod721 He’s from Rockwood On. It’s near Guelph! Pretty cool story of how he built his career.

[@thatpeterboy]

What an incredible guitarist.. awesome Nick Johnston

[@theoduch5051]

I love how goofy Nick can be, seems like a really nice dude

[@robertclarkguitar]

I want one of these strats so bad. The cheap one or the higher end no matter. Both stunning.

[@TheMihaeli]

I played metal on a 7 string with active emg pickups for 10 years.. After many years I grew tired from all the exaggerating and decided to buy this guitar but with HSS setting. I must say that the sound of this instrument is insanely organic and feels natural, it can do everything from hard rock to jazz. It's awesome for composing music, blends in with other instrument perfectly.

[@yjmsrv]

Guillaume sounds, looks and acts so freakin' STONED in this clip- makes me laugh. Then "I'm kinda hungry now" - yep it's confirmed- he's high AF.

[@monocyte2210]

Dude he is effin stoned haha

[@Brookzplayzmuzic]

Some ppl just cant accept the fact that they refuse to put the time in necessary to sound good and original..me being one of them

[@JazzGuitarNoob]

What people think of as "tone" is really a combination of dynamics, attack, note selection, and gear. Obviously players with extremely distinctive styles will basically "sound the same" regardless of the rig. You can't isolate what the rig sounds like from what the player is actually doing. But some elements of "tone" have nothing to do with the hands. Effects, for one. The type of guitar, to some extent as well. Kind of hard to make an acoustic sound like an electric and vice versa. Turn the tone knob down and the sound loses treble. Your hands can't do much about that.

[@Eric-dd8bk]

Agreed 100% from 1 year future.

[@chrisking6695]

Yeah I noticed that lots of KZbin review channels have really good stuff but they don't sound good regardless. No matter what guitar they play. But there are a few gems out there and they make any guitar sound so good.

[@stevennetzel]

Yep. It's not "tone" they're speaking of, but style. I've tried explaining the exact tone knob argument and people still just don't grasp that. Or a full Marshall stack next to an Orange Micro Dark with a PPC108. John 5 will embarrass me playing either and sound like him. But the two rigs are polar opposites and anyone saying because it's John 5's fingers the tone is the same needs their hearing checked!

[@justpassing5324]

Tone is determined by how you strike the strings with your pick/fingers, the way that you fret, the phrasing, and ofcourse, the gear.

[@Gregorypeckory]

Those things are all important, but while phrasing is a key part of your character as a player, it isn't tone. You can phrase the same way on a tele or a jazz box, and in that way, yes you still sound like yourself, but the tone will be completely different. The way you attack the strings can produce a difference in tone for an instant, but the instant the attack dies away you're left with a string simply vibrating naturally between two hard surfaces, and the attack ceases to impact tone.

[@Ayo.Ajisafe]

@@Gregorypeckory i disagree. The way you phrase surely has an impact on your tone. Running notes into each other vs long sustained notes. I think all things influence but what the saying is trying to say is IMO is if you hand a shitty guitar to a true master they will make you cry with it. They will bring out the beauty of the music. The fact is most players can't get the very best out of a cheap instrument so they blame the instrument and forget that they ARE the instrument. Ronaldinho barefoot without custom Nike boots is still Ronaldinho.

[@gunkanjima3408]

If tone is in the fingers then why can’t I get a Van Halen tone out of a strat and a clean amp? 🤦🏽

[@dogfalcon]

The most proven proof that the sound comes from the guitarist and not the gear. Gear helps to inspire a get more...feeling. Well done video! Cheers.

[@JGAbstract]

The cheaper one looks so damn nice. Love the aged pickups/guard, dark board, darker head. Wow.

[@infobahnpirate9713]

Just purchased the Atomic Snow today. Pumped to receive it!

[@gtrlover7]

I love Nicks personality almost just as much as his playing 😄

[@headbanger9378]

Such awesome playing:) Also having DB meter visible is really nice.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

The DB meter is a must for sure :) // Guillaume

[@Floppyrom]

Please tell Schecter to add stainless steel frets option on the affordable NJ guitars and they will sell like hot cakes!

[@ransombaggins9301]

I agree, but there's only so much they can add to that thing and keep it at that price. You'd be hard pressed to find a better value for money than that $799 model. But ya.... SS would be sweet! Add Nitro, too! 😉

[@Floppyrom]

@@ransombaggins9301 It's 949 euros on Thomann and for that money I would totally expect stainless steel frets, especially now that Harley Benton offers them for 450 euros guitars.

[@ransombaggins9301]

Mihai Barbat Fair enough. $799 here. Also, It’s not as easy as saying “Harley Benton does it so others should.” HB obviously deals in much greater quantities and products and they’ve admitted numerous times to even taking losses in certain products in order to drive brand recognition. Given the wide variety of HB items, losses can be made up for in many ways, and this is something a shop like Schecter (and most ships that are primarily guitar builders) can’t do. Finally, there aren’t any Nick Johnston Harley Bentons. 😉

[@Floppyrom]

@@ransombaggins9301 yet! I am sure HB will soon come up with a killer modernized Strat with the features present on the NJ Schecter at half the price. Look at what they did with the Amarok series. They should be able to make a 22 fret stainless steel Strat, 12 inch radius, gotoh 510 style trem, no string trees, locking tuners, graphtech tusk xl nut, spoke wheel truss rod, baked flamed maple neck in gorgeous daphne blue for 500 euros :)

[@dominickortega8489]

I just got the hss model in white. The guitar is made very well For the price point. You’re getting so much for $799. The features you get are found on high end boutique guitars. The necks the best part of the guitar, it’s so smooth and looks nicely baked. I’ve had those naked charvels the dk 24 with the 2pt trem And those necks are garbage compared to the nick johnston traditional baked maple neck. The only thing missing is SS frets. Also the pickups on the traditional are not very good. I can always refret to SS stew later but the pickups are so dark and dry sounding as well as muffled. They sound like that here in this vid. I just bought some suhr vintage pickups. This guitar just needs different pickups for it to be one of the best bang for your bucks guitars. UPDATE: Ive had this guitar for a couple months now and its still pretty great! like i said i have some suhr vintage pickups and they sounds great. I also added a hot suhr humbucker in the bridge just cause i like hot bridges. Other than the SS frets, I will be change the bridge to a gotoh 510 steel bent saddle bridge with a steel block. Other than that the guitar is great for the price and is playing well still!

[@chemajimenez447]

You should have given him one of your hb fusion to a complete true budget equipment video. Nice one!

[@leeg7106]

Well..Congratulations to that exclusive front row seat of a Nick Johnston jam sesh.

[@TenPester]

I think the real MVP here is that no one can ever say that gear holds them back. It's the person playing, adjusting to what they have, with the experience that makes a good sound. It's the cheap DSLR best lens scenario though, for folk trying to find a sound.

[@Maxischupp93]

3:32 are u kidding me ?! :O that dude is a wizard!

[@minisurfbanana]

Maxi Schupp I did when I was 12 Lolol

[@mikkelcolby568]

what is that technique called?

[@pedroleal7118]

Great playing! It clearly changes everything (give Nick a banjo and it will sound great!). Let's congratulate Schecter for making great sounding 'Strats' at an affordable price! And a brand always wins when a true musician is on board! Always been a fan of the Strat sound and they're doing a great job, keeping this sound relevant! I wish Schecter would go back to some of their Legacy, in order to stand out a little bit more from the beaten path of 'Quasi Strats'.Like the individual switches for pu's (no switchblade, used to on/off switches more). Just sold my American Standard Deluxe (Yes ,I regret it!), but might look at a Schecter to replace it for a while... Keep up the great work and a fabulous New Year to anyone around!

[@TheGreenKingdom]

Nick is awesome, he would make anything sound good!

[@flowryan5829]

Once a Schecter, always a Schecter. They build incredible instruments and I‘m very happy with them. And that‘s not just „For the price point“…they are fantastic instruments that don‘t need to chicken out of any competition. Had two Gibsons…sold them both and I regret nothing. Best move ever.

[@daveyponderosa9549]

Hey Buddy, do you still feel the same way about Schecter? I ask because I own a couple of Fenders and have been eyeballing a Schecter for a while now. Thanks for your consideration. 👍

[@flowryan5829]

@@daveyponderosa9549 I just couldn‘t shake the vintage off of me so I went with Maybach guitars instead. But: If you‘re into modern designs, Schecter is pretty hard to beat. Stellar guitars in every way. I‘ll alway remember them as one if the best players, I‘ve ever had the honor to play.

[@daveyponderosa9549]

@@flowryan5829 Oh wow! Thanks for your timely response and your insight, I do totally appreciate it. Kindest regards. 👍👍

[@flowryan5829]

@@daveyponderosa9549 enjoy your Schecter, my friend.

[@daveyponderosa9549]

@@flowryan5829 Will do my friend. Just not sure that I’m ready for 6 months of Ramon noodles with hot sauce. 🤣🤣 Cheers Pal, much obliged. 👍👍

[@ndrupereira]

The tone is in the hair, it is tapping at 20th to 22nd fret

[@TheJoern]

3:33! What an awesome effect!

[@Anton_the_Vampire]

Nick comes across as a really cool guy. I like him.

[@daveyponderosa9549]

Not sure about buying one of those guitars, BUT MAN CAN NICK PLAY!!! 😮

[@anthonygonzalez8684]

I love his guitars and his style of playing. NJ.🤗👍👍

[@putridabomination]

This guy can play really great! I clicked it thinking it was Guthrie, but this is just as good. His techniques are wild \m/

[@ostankovalex1176]

Well... I don't how the hell people don't admit that the cab+mic+power amp makes 80% of the tone in general. It affects the tone much more than anything else.

[@misterknightowlandco]

For a video like this its 90% mic placement and 10% "is everything working?" 😆 in real life its 10% is your guitar in tune 10% tone is in the fingers and 80% how high efficiency is the speaker in the cab. Brands mean nothing. Ive played junk at every price point and great guitars at all price points. You can get great gear at every price point.

[@guitarhiker4449]

Nick johnston is an amazing guitarist!! I wanted this guitar soo bad i went out and bought one!! First impressions were OMG for the money i was blown away!! Atomic green! Ebony fretboard!! That being said if your hoping this is a typical "S" type guitar it is not! There are pros and cons as with many guitars. Fit n' finish were A+!! For me the neck and pickups are a huge deal. The PU's sound just like his custom shop in my opinion so spot on there! The neck though ughhh.. I should have thought through a little more...Large feeling neck overall with a 14" fretboard radius and "Extra Jumbo frets". With that combination it feels way too big in my average sized hands!! Was really bummed about that!! Not their fault it was something i did not put enough thought into before purchasing. The bridge came floating like alot of trem style "S" types do. I have never been a fan of that. Made the action seem very high to me. I like a flat bridge and sometimes even block my bridges. I have been fighting with this guitar to get the action right and low enough to where its comfortable for me. Been playing for 20 years so its not my first rodeo. Intonation is ok. But still getting buzz mid way down the neck. Don't want to do a truss rod adjustment if i dont have to but im probably going to have to. The neck did have a slight curve. I think do to floating bridge setup. I like a super straight neck. Almost have it dialed in though! Really hope i can get it right!! If they just made this neck with a 12" radius max and medium jumbo frets i would be loving this guitar!! Hope this helps somebody thinking about getting one. If your over 6 feet tall with really big hands and fingers you should have no problems!! LOL.. I'm almost at a loss with this guitar...ughhh..Sounds great though.. LOL..Neck and fretboard feel is soo important!! Rock on!!

[@chasediffey2457]

this is that dude at guitar center that just crushes your soul with his playing ability around the corner

[@RandomGuitarist7]

After 10ish years of playing, it is not just all sounds. For me, build quality matters just as much.

[@sebastianbustios2461]

That mate face was priceless...

[@astarothgr]

the thomann dude had his first boycrush.. how cute!

[@lhzx]

I own the custom one and have tried the cheaper version. The different is there only who plays it can feel. As for recorded tone, Id say there is not that much of a difference.

[@francesco0185]

Could you explain better, please? What do you mean: what does you feel between the two? I ask because I'm about to buy the custom shop but I don't have the opportunity to play the other one.

[@lhzx]

​@@francesco0185 Just saw your comment lol. It's simply built better and feels really steady and under control when you play it. The dark neck feels more luxurious than other fender strats out there as it's made with a different wood. I can easily get that "green album" tone with it. It sounds like the wood and pickup combination gives the tone more harmonics in a certain frequency. Overall it's definitely a better guitar, at least on par with fender customshops and the suhr classic that I owned. That said, it's possible to get a very similar recording result if settings are done right with the cheaper version, but that's common for all guitars. The good feel and confidence a better-crafted guitar gives you is the key difference.

[@chusssMusic]

Well, Nick sounded great on both, that's a fact but I don't know about you, I can't hear that both guitars and tones sounded the same!! Not even a single bit! The higher end sounded better, fuller and just top quality. For less than quarter the price it is not bad indeed.

[@ToAnEnd]

Weirdly, I feel like the expensive guitar sounded better through the expensive rig and the budget guitar better the budget rig. Schecter knows their market!

[@digitalsketchguy]

So, the takeaway here is that amazing virtuoso guitarists will still sound amazing on shit guitars and shit guitarists will always sound shit regardless of how good the guitar or gear is.

[@ErikMontenegro92]

Indeed, tone is in the fingers, and whoever thinks otherwise have no sense of hearing.

[@benjaminwoodrowmusic6070]

It's the technique that's in the fingers...is all the distortion coming from his hands?

[@ErikMontenegro92]

@@benjaminwoodrowmusic6070 well you can actually create the feeling of subtle distortion in cleans, but not the sound

[@benjaminwoodrowmusic6070]

@@ErikMontenegro92 ok

[@theaxeman87]

So good... guy actually in shock at NJ's playing at 3:58 .. and rightly so.

[@Dug6666666]

Was the test to see if cheap gear would make him loss his ability to legato.? It's what inspires you to get there and the passion to do it , not what you can do on what when you already have the skills.

[@golfettigusta]

Very cool video man! There is for sure a difference, but the fingers are the most part IMHO.

[@johnhendricks8140]

This guys facility on the instrument is top notch.

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

Personally. I think Nick looks like that POW from the Metal Slug series that gives you some form of power up when you save him from a prison camp.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hahahaha I wish he'd given me one of these power up! I'll keep it in mind for next time // Guillaume

[@theguitarsurgeon6213]

anyone think we are watching andertones

[@BenjisBoxingChannel]

Anderson's without the annoying tossers.

[@disturbed157]

And the video time cut in half

[@neurocosm]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL YES

[@janataylor8518]

That's what I thought to

[@CwGuitar01]

I love Andertons and think all the players over there are better than thomann

[@MrVyrtuoso]

Tone is in the mind. One's mind conceives the tone, sets one's guitar and processors along the signal chain reproducing the conceived tone and succeeds to the extent that one is competent with equipment, and then translates the expression of that conception through the fingers, succeeding to the degree that one has sufficiently developed facilities that are actually capable of that expression. It's why an artist will still sound the way he normally does even when using variant equipment and components.

[@orel1996]

Amazing player, love his album Atomic Mind

[@Kasper911band]

Nick can make any guitar and amp sound good! But! His tone was better when he was using the Friedman BE! Great playing tho! 👍🏽

[@levgtz8158]

Then he didn't make any amp sound good, I conclude.

[@Thatmusicdude91]

Dude is soooo good. Favorite song by him is "Gemini"

[@J_Un1t]

The toan is within you, Luke

[@tonybrown7847]

I think Nick would sound good on any guitar but in all seriousness, that is probably the best guitar for the money out there

[@exodusfivesixfivesix8050]

Clarity is in the hands tone is in the rig

[@hankgalt]

Tone is in gear. Feel, skill, etc, is in the hands. It’s what makes good tone fun to listen to or not, and can even make decent or bad tone palatable.

[@colaboytje]

They should have given him a Gibson through a Fender Pro Junior, instead of a copy of his own guitar...

[@levgtz8158]

Funny, Vai said "tone is in your head" and I agree. This guy can take new machines everyday and if he didn't go experimental, he will turn knobs in order to get pretty much the same timbre, even unconsciously. Just like a dance music producer can get a 303-style acid line out of pretty much any subtractive synth, not only from a TB-303.

[@Rondozza]

who cares about the gear... :) this guy has an amazing style. awesome playing. gr8 video.

[@UmVtCg]

Almost every guitar player cares about the gear. Especially when visiting a ytube page of a big music store. The people who don't care are in the audiance, not on the stage.

[@Rondozza]

@@UmVtCg this was a joke... you see the smile behind it? i'm shoping guitars and gear by thomann since 1990. the store is 20km from my hometown. i know the owner of the shop, hans, personally. i'm also a professional musican for about 25 years. full time... relax and peace. a joke

[@chicksalsmelodien7713]

rischtisch 😛

[@Rondozza]

@@chicksalsmelodien7713 hi chick... wie geil... :) schön von dir zu lesen, auf diese art. witzig. :) hoff es geht dir gut... cheers

[@UmVtCg]

@@Rondozza I'm sorry Ron I did'nt mean to come off too harsch. I completely missed the sarcasm there. I envy your proximity to the Thomann store though. As I'd have to drive a couple of hours to get there.

[@ghost79ish]

The amp made by far the most difference and even still, not bad on the cheaper rig. Side note: I find those dots on the neck very aesthetically pleasing.

[@mikedervos5974]

that guy left speechless from so much shred!

[@wider7998]

I feel like his guitar playing is just going from incredible to one of the best in the world, maybe the tattoos popping on his arms over time have something to do with it xD

[@oscarr5810]

very good video, real performance, nice guitars and Mr. Nick amazing as always...

[@dkijc]

I have the Indo model. Finally got to try the Custom and the neck was incomparable. I like thick necks and custom definitely delivered. It just felt beautiful in my hands. The acoustic on that guitar was also divine. I have a Suhr (spec'd for Scott Henderson) but I'd say NJ Custom played much much better, even with all the right setups I've done to my Suhr.

[@lupusblux7757]

No doubts, Nick is a beast whatever guitar he plays

[@Kevonehits]

It could be me but the import model sounds more shrill or it seems like to has more high end while the custom shop has a more balanced EQ so it doesn't sound as sharp. I'm not sure if the custom shop and the import have different pick ups or if it's the same pick ups. There is a difference in the playing and which pick up was used but the sections where Nick would play with the bridge on both guitars has a clear difference. Both sound amazing regardless. I wouldn't say there's no difference but with headphones it's pretty clear but I'm not sure if it's the pick ups, or if it's his playing, or if KZbin compressed the hell out of the video and made the difference like that or if there were post processing after the video was filmed. The custom sounds better to me but not sure if the difference from the import model is worth that much extra cash. The import is still a great way to get in the ball park of the custom shop. Regardless both sounds amazing! 🤘

[@lonnyhandwork422]

Kevonehits Not just you. I heard a difference between the two - particularly in the upper mids. Whether or not the difference matters to you (aka is it worth the price?) or which of the two you even prefer is another question entirely. For me though, I wasn’t impressed with the cheap rig.

[@Kevonehits]

@@lonnyhandwork422 I liked both. It's mostly in what context you'd use both and like at the end, I feel like a good player will make any rig sound good. And Nick is a great player so the rig sounded amazing to me regardless.

[@jayteesgear]

Buyin the $800 one 2moro! Great vid guys

[@bosstha.]

1:22 tons of difference 😂 Indonesian model doesn’t have that dynamics, warmth and over all tonality. Pretty much accurate cuz Nick is playing and it’s sounds amazing.

[@soencoe1]

The USA version sounds really great with distortion / drive, you can not compare with the Indonesian which was much too sharp. In my opinion, it sounded much nicer, rounder, more powerful with the clean setting. It's a great Stratocaster and for the price with the fetaures like 2-point tremolo, locking mechanics you hardly get better instruments. Nice work Schecter.

[@n1w4]

8:54 does sound absolutely killer. Yes tone is in the hands etc., but gear for a far lower budget has to cut corners to even exist. Its great to hear how much you can still get out of clearly a decent imitation of the 'real thing'.

[@vinhsanity]

I’ve played the import and custom shop, both are great. Obviously the custom shop was the better of the two, but for my purposes, it’s out of my price range. The pickups on the import are obviously replicas of the custom shop and you can tell a slight difference in tonal quality. But its doubtful anyone can notice the difference unless they’re plugged into a Mesa Boogie. In terms of craftsmanship I put this on the same level as my PRS SE Custom, it’s likely they’re built in the same Indonesian factory. I plan on adding this to my collection as I like it better than the MIM Fender Strats

[@LilSirAxolotl]

I don't know if it's just me. But his guitar sounded more open while the cheaper one sounded more muffled? Not sure... But most of my guitars are cheap (from €100 to €500) and have that open sound without even plugging it in or clean. It's just my intuition and preference. But that's what I always look for in a guitar. I don't plug anything into an amp if it doesn't feel/sound right to me without amplification.

[@adamimberti6948]

I thought the exact same thing. The cheap guitar sounded more compressed with more lower mids.... sounded good with lots of gain. His guitar sounded more open with a broader and more even frequency response.... more clarity and note separation too.

[@LilSirAxolotl]

@@adamimberti6948 Yes you explained that better than I did 😊 I usually just say "It rings like a bell"

[@adamimberti6948]

@@LilSirAxolotl I think we were saying the same thing.... i just nerded out a little more 😀

[@adamimberti6948]

@@LilSirAxolotl To nerd out a little extra, you mentioned having cheaper guitars.... I really think that "rings like a bell" thing we're all looking for is down to the wood.... you can find it at any price point if you know what you're looking for. I've had very expensive guitars that sounded dead and mid priced guitars that sounded godly. That extra 5% that makes a guitar special is in the wood.

[@LilSirAxolotl]

@@adamimberti6948 I don't know much about it. But I have noticed that I'm always drawn to Strats and Teles with maple fingerboards. Seems like they sound brighter and snappier. But it might be the feel that makes me play different. Since maple fingerboards are laquered while rosewood isn't. And I have two ES-335 copies made of maple and wether it's the maple or the fact that they're semi-hollow but the humbuckers in them also sound brighter than I'm used to. So although I love how they sound unplugged I still want to replace the pickups with ones that sound a bit darker.

[@MyGuitarThing]

yep...this guy is good, and a guitarist will sound like himself or herself on anything he or she plays

[@brianmenard4743]

It's gotta be the speakers that make him sound like him.... right?? That's the only thing that didn't change!

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

TONE IS IN THE SPEAKER!! haha that's gotta be it // Guillaume

[@brenlouissurio2404]

I agree. Most of the tone is in the amp and speaker. That's why for someone on a budget, it's better get a better amp and a cheap guitar, then upgrade later. A high-end guitar guitar will sound shit on a shit amp, a normal mid-range guitar will sound better on a decent amp and speakers.

[@dankay7982]

You obviously don't pay attention to details. It's the pattern of the rug. Every real musician knows that.

[@Stefan-]

@@dankay7982 Id say his tone is in the color of his hair.

[@dankay7982]

@@Stefan- I'm not an expert on having hair anymore so I don't know :)

[@jakevidovich7851]

I hear a difference between Amps and guitars tones. But his STYLE is still him. I think that’s something the myth of tone is in the fingers comes from. He’s always going to be excellent because his style is very clean and very technically sound but I preferred the sound of the expensive rigs. Sounded way more balanced. Just my two cents 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@JoelWetzel]

Licks, timing, and phrasing have much to do with sounding like yourself. Then there are strings, pickups, effects, amps, and speakers. If someone tends to use the same combinations then someone else using the same combinations can come close to the sound, especially if they have the licks, timing, and phrasing.

[@LiveMusicOntario]

Last year I watched a bunch of those short videos where the vlogger interviews guitar techs on location. The tech gets bombarded with questions about gear from the pickups through to the main amps, anything that might give that signature sound of each musician (the musicians aren't available on these vlogs). I could see the tech for Brian May was ready to wrap it up and get back to work when he said basically, "If you took Brian down the aisle to pick out a kid's guitar at Walmart, he's still going to sound like Brian May."

[@benjaminwoodrowmusic6070]

Yeah because he's Brian may

[@levgtz8158]

No no, the Wal Mart shits sounds more compressed. Liars! they didn't share their secret. rlol rlol rlol

[@6strung21]

Just picked mine up this week (SSS Atomic Green). What a great instrument.. I had to order the HSS in Atomic Snow after getting the SSS model . . Thanks Don over at Studio Gears in Temecula.. Hit him up he's a dealer for schecter with lots of stock at his shop ( online store) Studio Gears out on Temecula Can.. Mention 6strung or Man Goo Goo to get a discount.. Call in grab yourself one of these fine instruments. You won't regret it.

[@Inverted314]

To me the notes sound way more articulate and ring out clearer on the custom shop through the Mesa. Nothing wrong with import guitars but the USA models wouldn't exist if there were no differences at all in tone or playability.

[@strangebrutoo]

Yep

[@renthal971]

The Custom has some hidden depts of deliciousness.

[@alexandreanonimous7056]

Awsome I never heard about his work and I think it's really great and unique heavy metal has something so deep that's why there's so many different styles and heavy rock bands

[@guitarfreak585]

Not a ton of difference, but I feel like the pickups in the cheaper one are weaker. The custom shop one sounded very full all the time, and maybe his playing was a touch cleaner, but that could be my imagination. Especially with all the fx off, it just seemed like the cheaper one wasn't giving him back the same magic.

[@strangebrutoo]

I agree

[@imnotwadewilsonsee3656]

Honestly the biggest difference to me is with instruments is the feel of them. I think if you are struggling with a fat neck it messes with the tone. I haven’t had the pleasure of playing either of these guitars and want to but unfortunately my local gc doesn’t have them.

[@pillepalle3614]

I never believed it. After decades of playing very expensive instruments I finally realized, that I sound always the same no matter what. I sound like me on a cheap and I sound like me on a expensive one. 🤷‍♂️

[@misterknightowlandco]

Its all branding and marketing. All tone is in the fingers.

[@pillepalle3614]

Ben Welch you‘re both right. But listen to Hendrix on his flying V. Sounds just like Hendrix (only a little fatter then with the strat)

[@bikrambasnet8178]

Its not only about sound and components in cheap and expensive guitars but the sound consistency through out the years.. In cheap guitars it changes drastically but in high quality guitars their change are almost unnoticeable..😊

[@calebsnow6901]

I just bought the affordable model and wow does it blow similarly priced guitars out of the water. The fender player strat (both the Mexican and American models) don’t even come close in my opinion. I HIGHLY recommend you pick it up if you’re looking for an amazing guitar but can’t spend a huge amount of $$$

[@nlumby]

...the custom shop is way ahead ...he's a supreme guitar player ...we had one at school in the 70's and he sounded GREAT through a transistor radio!

[@TheSolfilm]

I thought he was going to play with a Harley Benton, that would have been intersting !

[@beerdrinker8514]

The tone totally sounds different to me.. I feel like it’s lacking the Low end compared to the custom. But his playing is still as amazing and immediately recognisable.