DON'T TRUST GUITAR YOUTUBERS THAT DO "THIS"... - Long rant on channels buying gear to demo/review

[@davetrombetti4240]

George Carlin had a great bit. I think it was George Carlin anyway. He said that the IQ scale is adjusted so that 100 is the average. Now, if 100 is the average then people who are below average are half of all people. People who comment that kind of thing about whether you can trust a KZbinr or not are not thinking through their own comment. If someone buys something with their own money, then they’re biased towards liking it so buying a product for review is not necessarily any more trustworthy. Since you can never be sure one way or the other then the point is to get an idea of what reviewers are saying and listen to their demo. If you think this is something you want to try you now have a decent idea of what you’re getting. Ultimately the reason someone would watch a review/demo is to get an idea as to whether they’ll like it. So it’s almost irrelevant whether the KZbinr likes it or not. It helps a little but it’s up to each person. I personally have bought products that got bad reviews because I thought the bad points were irrelevant to my use. Midi implementation simply isn’t something I’m concerned about.

[@60CycleHumcast]

This guy gets it.

[@BrantYaeger]

I just watched a similar video from Andy Ferris a while back, where he was being threatened with legal action by the company that sent him gear to review. They wanted to able to approve the video before he was allowed to publish. He sent the gear back and didn't do the video. Very interesting piece, Ryan. Thanks for all you do.

[@60CycleHumcast]

Yeah I remember that lol. That company is clueless.

[@petebrown8145]

There’ve been a few.

[@mr.giggles4995]

Would this piece of gear happen to have silicone strings for people with soft hands?

[@soapninja]

"If you have any doubt in the quality or features of your own product you probably shouldn't be sending it out for demo/review..." I clicked the subscribe button after reading that. Thank you for the transparency!

[@Screaminwitchdoctors]

"Be critical, be cynical, don't trust anyone". "Use critical thinking". "You are in the internet, who knows what's real?" I never read anything like that in Guitar Player, Total Guitar... Memorable. That is why I pay much more attention to guitar youtuber gear critics than I ever payed to guitar magazines' reviews. The reviews in guitar magazines have been ludicrously laughable and snobbish (something like "only 4,000$ guitars are decent"), they never had any credibility. Most people understood them as similar to ads. However, I have discovered many products with great price-quality ratios thanks to youtube reviewers. I like that Ryan recognizes, for example, in its Cuvave Cube Baby review "it sounds cheap, but it IS cheap!" Good information, good entertainment. And it is surprisingly honest that you recognize the ways of making money. Hats off to Ryan.

[@lizapotts5667]

Thank you for taking the time to give us a peek behind the curtain. As a professor who teaches content strategy, information design, etc., these conversations are so valuable to our students.

[@60CycleHumcast]

Glad it was helpful! - steve

[@traviswaynedoyle]

As suspected there's A LOT of work that goes into running a channel like this. Thank you again for keeping us entertained and being real.

[@JasonTMays]

You just robbed me of my entire negative three dollars and one cent ad revenue…Thanks a lot Ryan.

[@ParabolicDavid]

Summer viewer. In fact Ryan’s quirky rambles are a mainstay of my buying cycle over the past few years. I’ve been here since the grey backdrop and can always count on candor and honesty in your reviews. Even though we disagree about spring reverb, you can trust that I’m good for a few beers if you ever find yourself close enough to Notre Dame for a drop into my office/home studio. Stay awesome.

[@DasOmen02]

I appreciate your honesty here! I'm team "watching for entertainment" rather than team "watching for gear to buy" :) that and tbh you really remind me of my late guitar teacher for some reason, in a good way.

[@theyearsshallrun6641]

Hey man. Love your honesty, love your ethics. Good on you for making this.

[@kmjansen]

I initially thought that this video was goingt to be a rant about the opposite of what it actually was about. Thanks

[@seanzinger]

I agree. Buying online is always a risk no matter who demos it. You have to try it out in person to know if it works for you. You sometimes even have to just have it for a few months to really know. That’s why I mostly watch just for entertainment. You are extremely entertaining and honest. I love that the talking in this video wasn’t edited. Doesn’t get much more honest than that.

[@leebuck8532]

I used your links for all my effects bakery pedals. Using a link isn't real hard and I want the show to be successful. Because if it fails, I can't watch or listen anymore! And who doesn't want 60 cycle hum? We even have a community based around it! Support people!

[@gregmacklin9758]

Do you do that for Dan and Mick on That Pedal Show?

[@tequilawerewolf]

You almost never see this level of transparency in the KZbin OR guitar world, so thank you. Wish nothing but the best for ya boss, hope you and your family have a great summer you deserve it ❤

[@gregmacklin9758]

Yeah, well , in the first place, he's not your boss. Second, he gets to work remotely To push product, enough so that he's living comfortably, which isn't a bad thing necessarily, but he's still a pitchman. Anytime I see any of these "INFLUENCERS" I think of Sham Wow. Are ya keeping up with me, camera guy? Do I watch this guy, sure. But in the world of guitars, I recognize that it's about like marketing skis and ski apparel. If you get right down to it , what's the difference between a pro ski versus a beginner ski ? The answered of course, is the skill level of the person who happened to be on the ski. The guitar industry is a rabit hole, same as baseball cards. Nobody wants to give you anything on a trade when you're done with it.

[@MashaT22]

Gotta love those skeptics! We ❤ you, Ryan! I couldn’t agree more with every one of the points you made, btw. I believe most people in the KZbin guitar space are doing it for the right reasons and with everyone’s best interests at heart. Sure we should be critical and careful, but that’s life advice and not specific to KZbin lol. However, we shouldn’t aim to be skeptical and think the worst of all channels unless there are repeated red flags and legit reasons to do so in a few isolated cases. And I really think your rates are quite fair for what you’re doing. I don’t think people even have a clue what is involved in this job. Someone should figure out a way to make a behind the scenes video that gives people a sense of what this job entails - planning, emails, shopping for supplies, keeping up with guitar and music news, packing and shipping stuff, unboxing and cleaning up the mess, setting up before filming, the actual filming, cleaning up after filming, editing video and audio, uploading videos, dealing with KZbin issues, staying on social media to interact with the audience and keep content flowing . . . I’m sure there plenty more that I’m not thinking about, but I don’t understand how people think it magically gets on the screen and how you guys all pay your bills. People need to understand that it doesn’t just magically happen.

[@60CycleHumcast]

It’s a full time job to get two videos and a podcast done every week. Sometimes it bleeds into the weekend because it’s hard to get it all done. It has it rewards but yeah, it takes a lot of work.

[@newmexicosaint]

Man I had to learn the hard way. Both on gear and in life. You have nailed it but at the end of the day as an adult we are responsible for our own decisions when it comes to spending money. Be mad at yourself first if you fell for all the glitz and glamour of a KZbin video. There are a handful of KZbinrs like you that give an honest and critical reviews of gear. Thanks dude.

[@andrewalderman]

I appreciate this type of conversation. I watch your channel because I enjoy watching your quirky, goofball demos. You look like you're having fun. I take all reviews with the proverbial grain of salt, but it is appreciated that you try to be as transparent as possible.

[@aaronkaaimarino]

My fave part about 60CH is that the videos have the same feel like when I was a kid with my friends and someone would get a new piece of gear and we would hang in the garage or room and just take turns spinning the knobs or playing guitar and you would just enjoy geeking out on exploring the gear. Always a fun experience! 🤟

[@killroy123]

That sneaky "Faith No More" lyric in the intro was impressive. Bravo.

[@allanharris970]

Excellent video. It's so refreshing to get an honest account of how these types of channels operate. Maybe I am naive, but I seem to have a feel for those who are sincere with integrity. When you follow a channel for over a year you really get a feel for the person's sincerity. It's absolutely wonderful to declare the obvious. You guys are making a living. But many are providing a tremendously valuable service. If a content provider is the inspiration for me to try a product, then I am happy they get compensated. Doesn't cost me any additional fee. Love the insight. And BTW I have met Shawn Tubbs a few times and he is the same guy I felt he comes across on his channel. And Ben Eller several times and he's the same Uncle Ben. I really appreciate the knowledge and the honesty encouraging people to have healthy skepticism.

[@60CycleHumcast]

Shawn and Ben are good people.

[@bubble-and-scrape]

I don’t trust any KZbinrs, it’s that simple.

[@walnawk]

Thank you!!! The two dudes with two different channels who live in California are surprisingly good in doing those reviews. I always believe them, and lately I have been questioning my judgment.

[@helloDobson3259]

I appreciate the frank discussion and transparency. I watch all gear channels with a critical mind, so I'm in sync with yuu. Most channels (that I watch of course) do a consistent good job, including 60 Cycle Hum. I can think of one channel that grew quite large that I lost a fair bit of respect for and watch a lot less now; I don't feel there was dishonesty per se, but the subjective element showed a consistent bias/skew in ratings that would would net more $ to the channel and courted larger sponsorship deals. Props for making time for the kiddos this summer dad.

[@johnnywithnell2806]

I watch your show because you enjoy what you do....we listen to very very different music, but I hope that helps me grow my music conceptually. Thanks for expressing the process.

[@grogueQ]

You have to watch multiple reviews from a certain channel for them to build trust. I trust your word because I've watched dozens of your videos and I've learned something about you and the way you review things. What I always do if I see somebody review something really cheap is I watch several other videos from the channels I trust and see what they say about it, definitely never make your decision from just one review.

[@Chucksguitargeekery]

I buy everything for my channel just because I haven’t reached the point where the companies that sponsor videos want to send me stuff, and that’s ok. But I’ll never say “this $15 pedal is better than the $200 pedal it cloned!!” I just present it as “this is what it sounds like, here are where it falls short, it’s up to you whether the more expensive version is worth it”. But, I’m just a dude on the internet trying to break even to fund my GAS, you should question my judgement, hell, I do. I just wish “do your own research” didn’t receive such a bad wrap over the past few years.

[@MrDwrench1]

Thanks for the information, Ryan. When a piece of gear gets on my radar, I watch several channels that covered that gear. I read articles as well, if they are available. It wasn't too long ago that we didn't have the resources we have now. We pretty much had to go in blind. My biggest problem is if I do decide to purchase the gear, do I use a link from a KZbinr? If so, which one from the 3 to 10 videos I watched. Guitar KZbinrs provide a great service, for the most part. I have used your links, and I have used your fellow KZbinrs links. Luck of the draw. Maybe I liked their T shirt more....

[@lastguymr.z6620]

I appreciate your transparency. I (mostly) trust your judgment and will check something out if I was looking for it already and you recommend it. Nice work!

[@devilsdoorbell]

I can appreciate videos like this, as someone who just watches youtube, sometimes buys stuff I watch about, but I don't create my own content. Seeing the inside/bts of the way it works is interesting. After a half dozen videos on the topic over the years, it seems clear that yes, in general, people making content aren't trying to deceive us, since that's not good for their channel longevity, but I agree that watching with an objective mind for those who may be making content 'for the money' even if it's questionable, can happen. I sometimes see videos that look like BS gravy content or 'I ran out of ideas so this week, you get this..." but I realize that's partially due to the platform trying to also make people consistent for rewards. I tend to think of youtube demo/review/unboxing as a guideline only - I can't get the full experience or trust the audio via internet but it gives me a foundation to work with and do more research about it. So even if an Evil Creator existed, it's still me that goes to find out more and trust my own experience with what I initially saw online. Faith No More FTW. :)

[@brandtanderson930]

Good on you, Ryan. Im so glad you put this out. Ive always loved your content, your quirky sense of humor, and the gear you choose to review. This is just a cherry on top for me. Enjoy your summer with the kids!

[@GrizzlyDave85]

You deserve time off with your family. Much love to you man, you’re amazing. Also the Godzilla shirt is incredible!

[@photobouph]

For me, I appreciate your suggestions. You can tell by your joy and expressions if you’re vibing with the product. Everyone should know it’s just your thoughts alone. Not for anyone else, someone has to show us how surf tones sound

[@JackTaylorGuitars]

This is such an interesting take and I think you're right. I buy my own gear to review, I'm not a big enough channel to be getting paid and the collabs I have done are all under the agreement that I'm completely honest. I've turned down a few opportunities because they wanted me to say certain stuff. I buy what I want and if I like it, awesome, if I don't then I tell people but I always try to be clear this is how I feel and guys should try stuff themselves before they take any of my advice. Being critical as a viewer is just as important as being honest as a guitar/gear channel but I also think most people are clued up on that. Cheers man!

[@rowbags3017]

Thanks for such an open and transparent explanation of how things work for channels. Keep up the good work. 👍

[@scorpionleader1967]

I consider KZbin reviews as advertisement, and I appreciate it.🥰 Sometimes just seeing someone handle the guitar can help. I don't like tons of effects on the guitar, and I can immediately move on. I gather information and make a decision. As many reviews as I can find.

[@stevenpipes1555]

THANK YOU SOO MUCH FOR THE FAITH NO MORE REFERENCE! LMAO! I love it. One of my all time favorites, and one of the most under rated bands ever!

[@60CycleHumcast]

I felt the setup happen and I couldn’t not go for it lol. Glad someone got it.

[@stevenpipes1555]

@@60CycleHumcast lmao. Right on man.

[@garrettendi]

I trust this channel, but because you and I play very different styles of guitar, mostly what I watch is for entertainment purposes. I'm not a big fan of offset guitars, for instance, but the videos are still fun to watch, and now and again I might see something and think it'd work well for me. Thanks for the transparency and honesty, it confirms that I can trust you, but as you pretty much said I still need to keep in mind the different guitar circles we inhabit! Having said that, your (at least I think it was you) HM-2 and clones reviews got me to buy a HM300. I confess, not on an affiliate link, but then I'm in the UK

[@BCThunderthud]

You were the first demo channel I remember adding the promotional tag to your videos and that made me more skeptical of other channels. I think the guitar space is a little different, occasionally you'll get pre-release gear so you can put out your video on the day the product is announced--the Pod Express was a recent example--but that kind of video is a pretty small fraction of your total output. In the synth space (and probably cameras, PC gear, etc.) there are many channels where that makes up nearly all of their content and everyone is racing to release their video on the same day. Losing goodwill with manufacturers is a bigger deal to them, that's why I find their disclaimers of "I got this for free but it doesn't affect my review" unconvincing. Anyway you make some great points and I wish more channels were as frank as transparent as you are.

[@fortheloveofnoise]

Really cool of you to offer those discounted rates for the small builders.

[@buzzyboy6505]

I enjoy your videos and I’ll continue to support this channel with my viewership, interactions and thumbs up.

[@1rwjwith]

I enjoy your channel and I agree with you…STAY CYNICAL…I think your methods are ethical….thanks! TRUST BUT VERIFY!

[@Issicra]

It's influencer marketing of the guitar gear sphere. At the end of the day, play with what you like and can afford. And for Pete's sake, don't get sucked into keeping up with the Jones' because you got sucked into a gear forum. Guitar KZbinrs have to eat too, and I wish them success, but do your own thing. Thanks for being a good guy, Ryan. I watch you because you're fun and entertaining, talking about things I enjoy.

[@jamesknudsen1852]

I bought my goldtop Firefly moments after watching your brief video saying you had got a semi-hollow for $140. I have never regretted that purchase.

[@BIBSTERSrepairshop]

It’s why I think it’s so important to have a track record of being honest. You are one of the channels I will trust the option of I will still compare with other channels and see what the general thoughts are if all of them seem happy with a product and I want to buy it then I will based on those videos.

[@scottbecker3485]

Much respect for the morally upright likes of you, Andy and Henning. Thanks for being who you are!

[@petebrown8145]

Dylan shared Henning’s too.

[@scottbecker3485]

@@petebrown8145 Not sure I understand your remark. Dylan? Bob? Shared Henning‘s what?

[@petebrown8145]

@@scottbecker3485 sorry, Henning is a German guitar tech reviewer. EytschPi42. He made a similar post a few weeks ago and Dylan of Dylan Talks Tone (he builds boutique guitar electronics) shared it.

[@Ripprock1]

Thank you. Somebody needed to say it and you did.

[@justinmckinney39]

Like many people, I searched for a unique guitar voicing . . I had the benefit of having an electrical background from Purdue Uni, so that helped with things like . . building a modular tube amp and switching out resistor / capacitor values, until I tuned the amp perfectly to my fingers, ears, guitar and pedalboard. With a custom padouk archtop, fingerstyle of a bass player, flatwound strings, paf humbuckers wired in England . . If I had it all to do over again . . I would tell myself the following - 1) Start with the guitar. Nail that down first. The neck shape with your hand size, the weight, the body shape. What do you like to hear the most? Fast syncopated rhythms (probably a Strat 25-1/2" scale) or thicker riffy leads (probably a humbucker 24-3/4 scale). The pedals are mostly about feel and EQ filters - different EQ circuits just feel different. Again, the feel you want really depends on how fast you want to play. Faster Rhythms will require a much thinner sound (less bass / less mids - more poppy treble). The other side of the spectrum being a one note lead line that you want to sound like a human voice with complex overtones . . maybe a Joe Cocker smoky voice - you're going to need to start from a different place. Think of a Sax vs a Trumpet - a Sax cannot play nearly as fast as a trumpet . . but there's alot more overtones with a sax

[@codelicious6590]

I turned 50 on the 7th and Ive learned to never "make my mind up" about anything aside from like a choice which not making up my mind would leave me stagnant or stuck in something. Avoid ever thinking or believing I know everything about anything or really anything at all; this leaves my mind always open to new and exciting knowledge and ideas.

[@Zvilnik]

Loving that T-shirt, where'd you get it?

[@justbob9006]

I have 4 firefly guitars. Spanning 3 yrs. All came in with little need to do set ups. Frets were spaced correcty and leveled correctly. Maybe i have been lucky. I had all of them looked over by a luthier and he was impressed with all of them.

[@tundratom]

Well, of the infinite number of Guitar KZbinrs. I have eventually come to trust you Ryan. I have changed many pedals now due to your afford-a-board reviews. Every thing was spot on. Keep up the amazing channel. F*ck the trolls….

[@jimhart1959]

I watch your videos mainly because they are really entertaining, but I've also come to trust you and your demo/reviews.

[@trukr817]

I would say I hate watch, but I don't want to start lying, I enjoy your videos. OH! Thanks Steve, what an amazing selection, compressor, distortion and delay. Hopefully I will finally get a chance to try them, things went south and I have had no chance, but I am excited to do so, and make the neighbors crazy, loved the sound of that distortion on the video. I have told everyone I know about them and how I got them. Told them to watch too hehee.

[@ewindowpc]

Really appreciate what you do. Honestly.

[@codelicious6590]

I LOVE that Ryan mentioned his reduced rate for the small makers and shed-builders etc. I hope evryone who watches this catches that little, "side tangent" Lol

[@MrJosephSeely]

A few years ago now, I was in the market for a few different pedals. I watched a couple of your shoot-out videos comparing several brands of comparable types. I ended up buying 3 pedals that you compared, I have no regrets. Did the pedals do what I expected? (as a result of watching your videos) Yes..., well one goes way beyond what I expected, but that is on me. Were these the top choice in the comparisons? NO. I like to think I used critical thinking looking for the most applicable for MY usage. Again, I have no regrets. Thank you for what you do!

[@Trinin]

Great work as usual Ryan. But where can I get that AMAZING Godzilla and kaiju shirt! I love how it progresses chronologically!

[@diamondj3509]

Seconding the comment on where'd ya get that shirt? That is awesome!

[@mikestrowbridge]

A useful owner video I watched recently was with a Gibson Les Paul Custom and the Kalamazoo Headstock Epiphone Les Paul and the most recent Epiphone IGC Les Paul Custom and he had all three. A lot of KZbinrs are hungry for more of the IGC so it was nice no matter what but he also did a great and honest review and that usually comes through.

[@RamoneCelso]

I've bought 6 pedals thanks to your videos and advice. And yup I don't buy everything you recommend. You are one of the good ones, thanks man.

[@daccrowell4776]

Back in the day, when the majority of reviews were in print and little else, things were actually a lot less transparent. Having done some of that during that period, I can safely say that manufacturers trying to "push" reviewers was most definitely a thing. However, it was more "top down"; reviewers like myself would write about a product, send it in, and the people who caught the flak were the editorial guys. Bigger corporations were actually far worse to deal with, tbh. Here's what I look for in online reviews: 1) Do they make a disclaimer that the company has NO input into a review? This is usually a good sign and tends to mean that the reviewer isn't hamstrung by outside influence. Usually. 2) Do they really dig into the gear in question? If they hit the good AND bad points, I tend to pay attention. Also, if there's nothing BUT bad points. But if I feel that some company has their hand up a reviewer's a** so far that they're making them talk...and it's pretty obvious when you encounter that...I'll tend to reject anything they say from that point. 3) Is the reviewer themselves competent with the device they're using? For example, let's say that I make pickups for woodwinds. It wouldn't make sense to tune to your channel for that, irrespective of how that device wound up being reviewed by you. Likewise, if I want the lowdown on some new pedal, I wouldn't turn to, say, Trent Hamilton...because that's not his lane. But if you run across someone reviewing literally EVERYTHING with lots of prime accolades for all of it... that's sus as hell, and I avoid reviewers of that sort. 4) Is there a real, genuine passion in that reviewer for the MUSIC...or are they doing this purely for clix 'n' bux? Fact is, you fit into that last one. Like a glove. The reviews and other bits you put out really show that sense of exploration that I look for. And it's all of those cues that make your review work something I follow. The Afford-a-board thing, for example... There's other reviews of Chinese pedals out there. But it was via that running series that I got turned on to the sonic bonkers-ism of these. It started with that demo of...you guessed it...the Cuvave Fuzz. To just look at it, you'd think it was some kind of a joke: it's a little beige nondescript box with the worst brand logo in history that just says "fuzz" and has a few knobs. It looks like a joke. But it's not a joke. And that was apparent in the demo, especially since you had much the same "oh, s***" reaction I had upon hearing it there. Several days later, I ran one of my B'ger 606 clone drum machines thru it, and this vista of corrosive, NASTY industrial beats spilled forth! Total glee! So I got into that part of sonic weirdness thanks to that review, and then I subbed and kept an eye out for further troublemaking stompboxes from the Far East (including Sehat in Indonesia and of course, obscure Japanese widgets). Total win. BUT...yes, it was a review...an HONEST one at that...that opened up a whole new weird sonic doorway. So it matters to me about ethics AND how a device gets framed by a clearly-qualified user of that gear. This isn't print, though. The reviewer is right there on the screen. You can interact. And you don't have to second-guess what a publication might or might not be doing inside of the concealing walls of a print gear mag. If there IS nonsense afoot, it becomes real obvious, really fast. Plus, I catch plenty of flak over long posts (like this) as opposed to little one-line quips. But at the same time, this characterizes much of the Internet. The TL;DR mentality is something that plays into bad reviews, though; music gear being as subjective a subject as it is, it helps no one in the end when reviews are reduced to near-identical blurbs. It also makes me mourn the apparent death of READING as a tool. But when I run across long, detailed reviews... that's when I pay attention. And it's when everyone should, IMHO. Case in point: one of the best synthesizer reviewers out there is Loopop. When I need something TOTALLY broken-down into individual features and details, Loopop is the proverbial Gold Standard. Or when Hainbach gets his mitts on some fascinating hunk of avant-garde electronics, he shows how it slots into his sound...and does so VERY aptly. And Florian's "Bad Gear" is a must-watch for demystifying older synth tech...or just the hilarious meme barrage he cooks up each week. So we've got our good and bad reviewers in that lane, too. It's just a matter of finding the really "real" ones that's a pain. Keep doing what you do, Ryan. Gut feeling here tells me you're on the right track. It's not exactly easy to articulate what that gut feeling is like, but when I run across something "right", I rely on it going off to let me know if I really AM right. It's like being on a road trip, seeing a little, dumpy food joint, and all but going 100% Tokyo Drift to get in there because the "diner radar" went off in my brain. Like that. Not explainable, but if you know, you KNOW, y'know?

[@60CycleHumcast]

This comment won a 60 Cycle Hum Magazine Editors Top Choice Award.

[@DMStern]

I worked for a music-adjacent company for a while, and to get the products reviewed in music mags we essentially had to buy ad space, which is such an incredible conflict of interests. These were UK-based magazines, I don't know if things were better elsewhere.

[@60CycleHumcast]

I’ve heard similar stories about the American print mags - steve

[@daccrowell4776]

​@@DMStern Similar. Big companies can get really difficult on this. If one or two "bigs" pull their advertising buys, they could cause some serious fiscal damage. So you have to have that in the back of your mind at all times when reviewing gear in print. The SOLE exception to this, these days, is TapeOp. Because you have companies big and small vying for ad space there, losing one company just means that you just wheel in a different advertiser and that's that. Plus, they're VERY clear about their review rules...no control whatsoever over the content, money cannot change hands, and so on. Because of that editorial model, TapeOp's product reviews are perhaps the best AND most objective in MI mags. And the articles are beyond compare.

[@Chris_the_Muso]

Yep, you have to have your spidey senses turned up to full when watching reviews. I've bought afford-a-board pedals based on what Ryan has shown. What Ryan says and shows has matched my own experience pretty well note for note. Not so much from other channels, but I'm getting reasonably good at spotting bullshit. I very much appreciated the work from ethical reviewers like Ryan.

[@AM2PMReviews]

I should talk bout this with my mattress videos. I often get beds for review or I just buy things to review. For me, it's just like my job. I dont value mattresses like the average person but I dont really care if it's a good review or bad review. I just talk about my experience with it. It's so subjective with mattresses or guitars anyway. I hope it just actually describes my experience. I have been working on KZbin for over a decade and it usually takes a whole weekend to post a video. It's not super lucrative but I do want to provide value and have you click a link if it also provides the viewer value. I have only really posted a few videos of beds that I really hated. I guess I dont want to review things that are just terrible so I try to say no to a lot of crap I am offered to review. I used to love memory foam beds but now they seem to only last a few years so I usually recommend hybrids now. But back in the day, I would love those memory foam beds since they were new. So my opinion has changed over the years and people often to see that in videos since they might watch an older video that is no longer my current view. I do try to always be honest but it is a business as well so I tell people why I like a bed and if it's soft, I say it might be good for you but maybe not for me.

[@ywtcc]

Review channels have an inherent short term bias. The best information usually comes from long term users. This is part of the reason why new products have a hard time breaking through. Early adopters are the ones that produce the information about the product. Music gear is tied to the techniques used on them, and the techniques and the product market evolve hand in hand. I think the best advice is make sure you know how to get the most of the product. If you're an early adopter, know that comes with challenges that will require innovation to overcome.

[@progresspedals]

Cognitive Dissonance theory suggests that if I spend my own money on a piece of gear, my brain will tell me I like it even more, to ward off buyer's remorse.

[@celticwolff5429]

That is based on you making the purchase for yourself, not to review. Buying it for yourself means you're emotionally attached to it. You want the item. Buying it to review keeps you at an emotional distance. Whether the item is good or bad doesn't matter since it is the review itself that is important.

[@progresspedals]

@@celticwolff5429 do a Google scholars search on the theory of cognitive dissonance if you would like to learn more about this. But this is a field that tries to measure implicit or inate biases even when the subject has every intention to be unbiased, emotionally detached, or otherwise objective. Your hypothesis that a skilled and experienced reviewer might be able to mitigate some of the impact of this type of bias is certainly plausible. There might be research comparing the reviews of novice vs experienced reviewers.

[@joermnyc]

Nope, I have bought gear and after getting it I have an immediate “nope, not for me” feeling and it ends up being a return, or a Reverb listing. Best example: I was GASing for the Epiphone Koa topped LP Custom because I had a Fender Koa Strat a while agoand I was hoping it would be similar (those Koa Fenders are now really expensive)… I unboxed the Epiphone and I hated it… too heavy, and it sounded very generic… it was like “an guitar” in tone. It did not feel like a Custom should, it did not sound like I thought a custom should, and I was very disappointed and that went back in the box and was sent back to AMS for a full refund. (Mind you my LP Modern figured dealer exclusive from AMS was the exact opposite, I loved it out of the box, and am happy I have it.

[@progresspedals]

@@joermnyc yes, the effect was not strong enough to overpower your judgement. You inspire the sort of engagement balanced with critical thinking that our host is encouraging!

[@raymondtuckerjr1886]

​Wrong. Not many, buy gear JUST to review....humanity says what I buy, reflects on ME, on some level.... Ain't happening. You WANT it to be good if YOU bought it, human nature says so.​@@celticwolff5429

[@March1966]

All I know is I have personally bought pedals based on your review of them and I’m quite happy with all those purchases.

[@thomastgnome6526]

I've always had a motto regarding any reviewer. Get to know them. It goes back to music and movie reviews back in the late 70s, early 80s. I got to know my local newspaper reviewers well enough that based on what they said, good or bad, I could judge what I'd like. No matter who you are, no matter how honest we try to be, we all have our bias. If a guitar youtuber raves about every instrument they review? I might watch them for entertainment purposes, but that's about it.

[@blakejackson4483]

KZbinrs influenced me to get fireflys, worse mistake ever lol. Horrible waste of money. I really appreciate your honesty and I love your channel

[@allivegottado]

Really appreciate your ethical approach to making the content you make. My only “umm..actually” is that I wish you would use the word skeptical in telling people to be cynical. Cynicism is more about expecting or believing most people are out to get you and I personally feel like that kind of pessimism isn’t necessary. Being skeptical or being difficult to persuade and requiring strong evidence to be convinced seems like a more apt word and also a healthier approach to people. But maybe I come off as too much of an optimist even though I consider myself a realist. I just think cynical leans too hard in the other direction towards assuming the worst in everyone. But I obviously agree with all your points in the video and some people are just trying to make a buck off of us.

[@TheGuitarGeek]

I am commenting before I watch like a good boy

[@Mikex0123]

Good video. I saw a Fesley video where the bridge was in the wrong place and had to be moved do get the intonation right. I trust a channel that tells me what is wrong with a guitar more than one that says "this is a good guitar" and leaves out details like if the frets are level.

[@stevenpipes1555]

I believe you and I appreciate your honesty. I depend on lower price guitars. Most of my collection has been rescued from yard sales and flea markets. I know guitars like I know the back of my hand, and I'm not surprised about your experience with Firefly. That's the catch with Fender. They may be over priced but that price tag also subsidizes Squire, and say what you want about Squires, but they are good instruments. I have yet to find one that I wouldn't recommend to a parent for their children. And when a friend says they're thinking about learning, Again Squire is the first name in my mind.

[@morrinsville23]

Ive worked for several guitar importers, ive done setups on entire runs of a single model of guitar, there are always variations, even crazy expensive ones, theres no guarantee of perfection

[@Ou812em]

Wow! Just watched this entire video and now I don’t know whether or not you were being sincere. 😂 But seriously. I don’t comment on videos often but I believe I sensed some real honesty coming through. I started watching your videos because you seemed to know your gear pretty good. You are definitely not the best guitar player out there but that doesn’t matter at all to me. Knowing your shit and most of all being honest about it is my number one priority when I watch a KZbinr such as yourself. I made the mistake once of buying what turned out to be a piece of junk from a review a KZbinr did and I am really trying to never let that happen again. Like you said, maybe I just got a bad guitar. Who knows. But now I am more skeptical than ever. I really appreciate you coming out and explaining things a little more about how you guys operate. But I will always hope you keep your integrity as a person who may have a lot of influence on purchasers. Keep up the good work my man. Love your channel and enjoy your family time.

[@greevar]

I know where this question is coming from. It's regarding people like Glenn Fricker of SMG Studios and Jim Lill . Glenn often buys gear out of pocket through a proxy the vendors don't know. He often gives praise to affordable gear that he thinks has earned that praise, which upsets those who need to feel validated that buying expensive gear ensures that it's the best quality. Jim demonstrates how little wood, pickups, and amps matter. People say "don't trust guitar tubers" because they're mad that someone with the reach of SMG would dare spread the idea that you don't have to spend over $500 to get a good instrument or a good amp. Thanks to people like Jim and Glenn, I've discovered that I can reduce the size of my home rig to nothing but a pedal board and cab sim. I got a fantastic guitar for under $500 that is better than guitars I've paid twice as much for. Yes, use some critical thinking, but don't presume someone is lying because they say good things about a product you think should be trash simply because it doesn't have a specific name on it.

[@60CycleHumcast]

I wasn’t thinking of Jim or Glenn at all lol.

[@trukr817]

I used to watch Glenn Fricker a lot, agreed with him tossing the trashy Marshall off the roof and smashing it. People were upset, but the thing really did seam to be utter trash. I bought the plugin version of his noise gate (CockBlocker) and thought that most of his points were valid. I just got bone weary tired of the insults to Christians from him, it just got old. I figured if he thought I was that stupid, maybe he was right, I was stupid enough to consume the content of someone who thought so little of me. Never looked back, don't know if I could even get that plugin back if I wanted to.

[@greevar]

@@60CycleHumcast I wasn't talking about you. I was talking about the people who complain about Glenn and Jim.

[@Screaminwitchdoctors]

@@trukr817 Felt exactly the same. Fricker made interesting points about affordable gear, but I got really turned off by his videos against Christians. Besides, I don't like metal....

[@jazzaspirin]

i'm gonna send this link to a friend. he believes everything people say online (i'd link him directly, but that might embarrass him). i tell him the same thing all the time. when it comes to gear review, i prefer those guys playing out of their garages, no microphoned amps, no studio ready basements, no sound/mixing boards that cost as much as their custom Suhr guitars. thanks, man.

[@johnsenior2566]

Ryan I believed every word you said about not trusting people. Stay Golden.

[@mjdbruyn]

What, no baritone? Unsubbed.

[@jamwayofaiken-augustarockb7643]

He only did it to enforce the no trust statement. Please forgive.

[@Si_G]

You’re a good egg, Ryan. Don’t ever change.

[@BlueBarrier782]

Some really important points brought up here. Thanks for removing the veil a little bit on guitar youtubers. FYI, skepticism is what you want, not cynicism. Being cynical is being overly skeptical to the point of being biased rather than believing good evidence once presented.

[@johnmundt7834]

I feel like you need to find gear channels that entertain you enough so that you watch a lot of their videos, after that you can start to gauge a true reaction to something new. I feel like I watch enough of you and Danish Pete to tell when you think something is fine vs when something really impresses you and excites you

[@thelastnic]

Reviews/demo are commercials. I get ideas but if not at my local store or local guitar center.....not buying unless I hold it first. Its amazing what comes through the used sections of the local GC and local store.

[@philwood9760]

One thing that I have noticed about guitar channels is that the guitar's signal is being ran through foot pedals, amps that have a myriad of effects, and then through a microphone that goes who knows where and does ?? to the signal. Looking back through history, you can see that people will do anything for money.

[@jamesturner519]

Welcome to journalism, Ryan!

[@jamesstonehouse3448]

I bought an Epiphone SG Muse model a couple of years ago. It sounded great, but every fret past 13th was buzzing. I had to get it completely set up under warranty by a good luthier. I'm glad i did, because it plays like a dream now. But from new it was barely usable. No one on the KZbins had anything close to my experience with this model.

[@justinTime077]

Listening to KZbinrs is how I ended up buying every frfr thing for my modeler instead of keeping my triple recto and a guitar cab

[@MrAaroncissell]

I wish I could have liked and commented on the preview. I completely agree with you in that I have selected down to about 3 guitar gear reviewers due to the fact that I watched the videos then went and looked at the item where the reviews come in at 3 stars with just a couple KZbinrs saying Oh this is kinda crap. I even bounced back and forth on subscribing to your channel because of the feeling that the videos were over scripted and that the items represented were staged. Obesely this way of viewing your channel has changed. I wish more bass channels felt more honest. Thanks for saying that this is a problem and people need to be careful. I am sure that for every honest review there are 6 that are bots or someone who dialed it in just to sell the item,

[@andybungert]

UPDATED WITH ANSWER! Can anyone tell me what that 3 pickup monster in blue/seafoam is on the left? That guitar is rad! Want. ANSWER: SX LIQUID RN ALDER 3P90 (NOTE THAT IT LOOKS LIKE RYAN CHANGED THE BRIDGE PICKUP!)

[@TheSoundofForgetting]

Thank you for being straightforward 🤘 another reason I subscribed to you..Honesty.. wish more I followed were like this much like musicians use to help fellow musicians which now yeah they help a little but always a link to buy something or selling something and a reminder to buy. Maybe I’m just getting to old but I still after decades of playing I still help and when I do I get what are you selling or can I buy a pdf tab🙄keep rocking 🤘🎸🤘

[@cap9041]

Another thing I thought of that can skew a review of something someone bought themselves is trying to justify the purchase. If they spent a lot of money on something, they might want to overlook a problem to make the purchase seem great to themselves. Not just the viewers.

[@60CycleHumcast]

We’ve all been there. Now throw a camera and an audience into the mix lol.

[@ampthebassplayer]

Completely agree with every word.

[@ShawnShipstad]

I could not agree more. I KNOW some of the tricks. It is unfair, No out right lying. They are running some of the pedals thur expensive P.A. systems, expensive mics etc.-Thank you for another great video.-I hope some people get help from this.

[@60CycleHumcast]

I’d be surprised if other youtubers are recording through PA systems.

[@jamwayofaiken-augustarockb7643]

Ryan, how dare you suggest we be anything but mind numbed robots? Love what you do, bro, (borrowing Loverboy's 2nd world tour logo) "Keep it up"

[@robertthornton1657]

Thank you for the frankness, Ryan.

[@JPTRFX]

For the record 60ch never showed us material beforehand! I don’t need to. I trust my product and know who I send it to 🤷

[@JPTRFX]

And if channels do that it’s more because of “this knob is clipping right?” If I would tell them to change the review to “it’s the best pedal on the market” I would get the finger and bad reputation because people can smell bs. In 9 years as a brand I been NEVER been asked from a channel what they have to say 🎉 it would be so easy but it’s not it’s hart work

[@johnro6659]

I like this channel and you seem to be pretty honest about the stuff you demo. I bought a couple afford-a-board pedals after seeing your reviews. I am always suspicious and I do not take every review as written in stone. There are a few channels I think are very honest and that I trust fairly well and there I are channels I feel like they are just reviewing items they get for free and keep wanting to get free stuff if they give great reviews the products just do not deserve. You mention Firefly and I have seen reviews that really over rated the guitars all three I got were disappointing. Aside from a few finish flaws the electronics were my problem all doing to the terrible soldering and bad grounds and weak wiring. So far frets have been good but an issue I can fix as far as high frets fret sprout etc. The bad grounds and soldering were disappointing but flaws I could fix easily. I bought a Leo Jaymz Monsoon because they get good reviews and the one I got was IMO very underrated IMO one of the best affordable guitars I have bought and the reason I just ordered the new Leo Jaymz - Swiftor a real metal guitar.

[@johnb5691]

Great video 👍 Keep doing what you do.

[@IcanhearClemFandango]

I recently got featured by Glen on Spectre because I said there is quality control variation in cheap guitars. He basically just yelled CNC MACHINES and said I was wrong.

[@nicholas372]

Some KZbinrs also sell the gear they purchased after making the video, sometimes directly to patron members or in their known reverb shop. If they say the guitar sucks, it likely will sell for much less.

[@raygehring]

"& buy a shirt if you're naked!" Great line.

[@kingorbit]

Two things from me: R J Ronquillo makes every piece of gear sound so awesome because he is awesome. The other is my own pet peeve where you click on a video to see a review of a Tremolo or something and they have the thing connected to a $200 delay pedal.