New Guitar Or New Amp?! - Which Is More Important For Tone & What You Should Upgrade Next!

[@dwayneeffler9577]

practice an extra 30 minutes a day, you'll be amazed at how much better your rig, no matter what it is will sound. It all boils down to one thing, can you play.

[@codenamenot47]

I recently dug out my little marshall mg10 that I got in 2008 as my first amp. I hated that thing with a passion because of how it sounded but the reality was that it was me that made up 99% of the crappiness. Granted, it still isn't the best amp but I spent 3h just noodling around the other day and I had a blast. I felt like I owe that little amp an apology lol

[@FLOSSDOGG]

Dagan, this might be your best video to date. In 1 video you tapped in to and discussed all of the anxieties and psychological hang ups that we as guitar players deal with all of the time. Bravo sir 👏🏾

[@jcugnoni]

Either B or D is perfectly fine to me. But you are right: choosing a guitar that inspires you to play is key for the guitar player. But for the sound, it is mostly the amp and cab.

[@reymorado2980]

I have a squire strat that sounded really bad through my old amps. Hadn’t played it for a while cause i got a new guitar. Picked it back up and ran it through my newer amp and it sounds great now. Guitars help, but the amp matters a lot.

[@TheIkaika777]

And crappy sounding amps can be made to sound great with new tubes and speakers.

[@millermonsterair]

and then, better speakers goes alot further than you might think!

[@grene1955]

Of course they both sound great, but to my ears the Epi sounded slightly better, But more importantly, this is one of the most honest guitar vids I've seen in a long time! I salute you for acknowledging how subjective tone is, and how much it comes down to playing a guitar that makes you passionate about playing! And also of course, amps are a huge part of the experience, but the guitar is what you hold in your hands...

[@PMTVUK]

Thanks for watching, Gil!

[@kimballormsby9908]

I want to thank you for your channel. I learn something new from every one of them. I also love you passion for what you do.

[@kudokudami16]

Depends on what you need. If you have an alright guitar that plays well, but need some more volume a new amp. If you have a guitar you have to fight to play no matter how well it is set up a new guitar

[@camaderrygoat1314]

Havent watched a video from this channel in a few weeks, but the production on this is very nice, well received! All the best lads

[@johnkoch9315]

Guitar needs to be solid enough but often makes more sense to spend slightly more (double or just about nearly) on the amp then the guitar. i.e. $3-400 guitar and a $4-750 amp

[@WeaponizedKarma]

I put a pair of pearly gates pups in my early 2000s Epiphone G400 and I love it. I put 59/JB pups with push-pull tone pots to split the coils in my Epihone Sheraton II and it's great. Don't ignore Epiphones.

[@alexguitar841]

To me it was between B and D. B seemed to have a more harmonically rich tone when I did the first listen blind... That might've been helped by uncovered pickups. Either way all tones were perfectly serviceable and your playing was fantastic as always!

[@brandonjackson5865]

I thought B and D sounded the best too .

[@SionynJones]

Your completely correct dagen. Take your old glory that's a fine guitar. high end Epiphones are every bit as good as other high end guitars. Epiphone definitely is in a new era. The same goes for the pickups now they have nickel silver backs there is no difference between Epiphone and Gibson pickups construction wise. Plus the pro buckers have critical acclaim they do sound different because they are more vintage accurate.

[@amandagoodrich1035]

I really liked rig B. I guess that might mean I need to not worry about some of the debatable details of which guitar is better and just make sure I have a good enough amp for the guitar I like.

[@n3rdg4m3r]

The two that sounded the most pleasing to my ears ended up being Marshall 1987X. I guess it's time to save for a new purchase!

[@darrekweaver4199]

I love your explanation of different guitar and amp sounds. The sound is mostly subjective based on one's musical tastes and preferences.

[@dust17111]

Thanks Dagon, this is the exact situation I'm in and the only reason I'm going with a nice guitar as my next set up is I'm a at home player , I love my fender mustang lt25 it sounds better than most other amps I plug in at guitar center or without working on them it does , and I recently found out about the JOYO zombie and joyos in general , they are perfect for a at home player hoping it fulfills the metal tone I've been seeking and living in a apt with 4 kids and my wife with 2 bedrooms ATM practice amps or mini amps are all I need or want , so to me I weighed my decision based on circumstance and my environment and why I jam , if you want to play in a band or with other players that have big amps then yea get a good big amp , but if your a at home player like me that jams solo , small quality amps are ideal , I'm not gonna buy a 1000 amp and have it sit in the corner for looks , meanwhile on the other hand , a 1000 guitar or around that price range , would not only look how you want but sound and play so good that it will inspire you to want to play , I love looking at my guitars and when I get my ml1 chapman I'll be eyeballing that lady all day and playing her all night !

[@scottwinning7484]

Look at something like a hotone ampero or Headrush MX5, if your a home player and anything like me your next stop will be home recording, you can also play it trough your tv sound bar or any powered speaker and it'll give you great amp sims and effects tones.....I also picked up an ML1 Hybrid last week, love it!

[@dust17111]

@@scottwinning7484 chapman guitar ? How's the neck , oh bought the zombie and love it especially with a overdrive, it clears up any mud and makes it tighter love it, I've heard mixed reviews on chapman guitars, the red sea and abyss aesthiticly are perfect but hope they play as good as they look , been thinking of the new ltd eclipse rainbow crackle as my new dream guitar

[@LiveToPlayGuitar]

“It’s all in your head isn’t it…” 😆 Nailed It!!! I think real tone starts with the heart and flows through the fingers…

[@slipstream747]

Well, my wife was right then. I must have no heart because what comes out of my fingers is, "dog shite."

[@joeroe2622]

9:59 that soundcrack 😂🤘🏻 love your videos, super informative

[@jasonrogers7318]

Damn good message and video Dagan . Keep carrying that flag for us man. Cheers 🍻 🤘

[@PMTVUK]

Thanks for tuning in Jason, keep on rocking! 🤘

[@lemarchanddesable6419]

I used to have a Squire Strat using a Donner guitar amp and it sounded terrible. Granted, I just started learning guitar I held for a couple months and decided to get a Fender Strat and then 2 days after I went back and got a Mustang LT25 amp, sounded great until I got sick of it and upgraded to a Boss Katana 50 MKII. Now I’m having the best time of my life. I kinda wish I got the Boss amp with the Squire Strat cause I woulda never spent that much on the Fender (no big regrets tho). So for anyone starting fresh, make sure you get a decent amp and practice and practice, that’s the only thing that’ll stop you from buying new guitars or new gear that you’re not ready for.

[@SrPepe1977]

Some very interesting ideas there, thanks! More importantly: awesome playing!

[@anthonystark5412]

Great vid, Dagan. It turns out I need to upgrade my amp: Using headphones, the Epiphone and Plexi rig was my clear favourite during both comparisons. Edit: I didn't try to guess which guitar/amp combination was being used in the 1st comparison. I listened to it twice and decided on a pretty obvious favourite. The 2nd comparison and subsequent reveal merely confirmed my preference.

[@stoneslash]

In order of favorite to least favorite. C,A,B,D. I don’t know the first thing about the amps and only know a little about the guitars but I know exactly what sounds good to me.

[@miketurnbull7410]

That was truly excellent, thank you. At last, the honesty to tell it as it really is. Nice to see it isn't all about trying to sell the most expensive guitar and amp per se. As you say, it's all about our own individual take and what's in your fingers and playing. My 'more expensive' gear is bought because it brings an additional dimension - heritage and the evocation of great memories of gigs and players I idolised. I enjoy just sitting looking at it as I'm listening to music played on that gear of the time, nowt weird in that it seems to me. Even better that it plays and sounds great too. I hope this video gets the audience it deserves.

[@PedroYippeekayaye]

Dagan, the absolute beast that he is reminds me of Randy Watson from Coming to America. Much Love.

[@iamshainefisher]

Love the Epi, and the cheaper Marshall, if I'm totally honest. I have a custom G&L because I like the feel, and it's a dream to play, so I get your point about that

[@adge74]

Funny I thought the custom sounded better with the origin and the Epi with the plexi . Others sounded bit muddy to me. Nice test thou.

[@Ashley-oi8cj]

B and d were my choices. They just seemed clearer or something. But I guessed the wrong guitars for them. My personal favourite was b. And it's funny because I was so close to getting a Gibson 60s earlier this year but I liked the epiphone 60s more. So funny I picked the epi here too. They've really done some great work this year

[@beaumas]

Man nailed it!

[@TheMetalGamer3356]

I’ve noticed more and more in my playing journey that guitars and amps are combined 50 present of tone the other 50 is pickups and play style Pickups really change a guitars insides and what can come out and play style determines how that message is transferred

[@dinkeredwards5187]

i have owned and played through the Zoom G1X Four with expression pedal for the last 2 and a half years and when i bought it i think i paid $ 109.00 And i thought probably gonna be junk?Not in my opinion .I love it..looper.drum machine,,14 different amp models ..the list goes on ..and i still dont know all there is to know about it...its been a great tool and pedal/multi effects processor...May move up and try there other stuff sometime..im just and Old Guy Playing at the house,,No stadium tours set up as of yet lmao...Thanks Dagan for all you do and all the great info you share....

[@tarkett8529]

Epi and origin for live gigging, Gibson and plexi in the studio for me personally, if your guitar or amp gets damaged or nicked it’s not as big of a loss and in a live band mix no one’s going to tell a difference, sitting down with an album using quality headphones or speakers you’ll notice the difference.

[@DrDespicable]

You might want to mention pau ferro fretboards - *that* was Stevie Ray's preference. :)

[@s9plus20]

The amp is where its at! Add a great guitar and wow...

[@stevehusten7940]

Great video! Loved it. One of the best I’ve seen related to gear and price point differences. Thank you!

[@SteveBelong72]

B.... Definitely B but all are great sounds.

[@ArmandWijskamp]

Yeah bro, awesome vid \,,/ its really only all about what you hear and feel. GJ

[@explorervango880]

I liked the Epiphone into the expensive Marshall. However, I would totally save up for the Gibson Les Paul Custom. I have an Epiphone LP Custom Koa and a white Gibson LP Studio, and I like the plain looking Gibson way more…well, I put a gold Bigsby on the Studio and it looks pretty cool now.

[@munsonandrew]

B,D,A,C. (Must get an expensive Amp! 😀) Although they all sound great! I’ve had the same set up for years & still trying to play it better!

[@raytorvalds3699]

SRV used pau ferro, not Indian laurel. Nice try ;) Absolutely adore your Les Paul Custom !

[@matthewtucker1699]

My wallet didn't want to, but blindfolded I preferred both guitars into the 1987x, which I suppose means I like expensive amps, I've got a budget Gibson tribute and a full on sg '61. so maybe it's time to upgrade my amplification

[@szymonbalcer]

Rig D did did stand out to me but I am a les paul player. I think there is something about a custom les paul sound that only a les paul player will be able to hear it when compared to other guitars. Something to do with the overall growl and the pronunciation of notes that is just a little bit clearer and aggressive on a custom shop. Could just all be in my head as well but its something I notice anyway :) All 4 setups are great, so I guess just get what you can afford but if you truly want "that" guitar or amp, do what Dagan did and stock up on cornflakes! It'll be worth it 🤘🏻

[@toxicmartoc]

I really want a white les paul custom, and while I can afford a gibson, I will buy an epiphone simply because my other 2 gibsons live in their cases and I can't always be bothered to get them out so I can leave an epiphone out and ready to grab and these new inspired by gibson models are just as stunning in my opinion 👍

[@rickotap3859]

C

[@garyoneill5648]

I chose rig A. I'm definitely happy with that choice

[@rubencantu5067]

More important than a guitar's tone to me it's the playability of it, it needs to feel good, to sit well in your body, to have the right neck size and shape for your fingers, the right weight. You can always customize every aspect of it, but it is way easier to dial in a tone that you like from your pedals or your amp, than have your guitar worked on

[@manupbritain5232]

I think one point you make about your LP Custom is really interesting. It was what you needed at the time. Do you think you should go out and buy what you think you need at time? I have a Kramer, Gretsch, Marshall Amp and Vintage 30 cab. I love my set up but every time I get the (insert musical item here) I need, I'm soon finding a new item to lust over which coincidentally is a LP Custom. With your wisdom now I want to know which you would buy now.

[@O_Towne_Bear]

"C" was my jam. My two fave tones (at this point) are my Gibson Les Paul through my H&K Tubemeister 18 (Head & 12" Cab) or My Fender Strat through my Roland Blues Cube 60.

[@scottwinning7484]

Great videos, can't argue with any of it..... amazed myself in getting all 4 rigs right.... it was a toss up between Rig A and D for my favourite, so I guess I like the Gibson sound...... annoyingly I own a 2006 Epi Custom (do love that too though and have swapped out the pickups).

[@WallyBoots]

We live in a time where you can have a budget guitar AND a budget amp and sound great.

[@samerbata]

I liked Rig B and D At the moment of commenting I don't know which is which. 🙂. Rig B and D had some sweet high end and less boomy. I liked that. Am thinking it's the amp more than the guitars. 🙂

[@flowjoe100]

What an excellent question! If I had to pick I would say Amp, a yet to watch this video yet mind you... (having watched it now I preffered B&D so I guess the amp is a better choice after all)

[@samsoniteeee]

That epiphone sounds unbelievably good, and not just for the money.

[@samright4661]

Les Paul and Marshall. Awesome Tone... You Much too modest Dagan . You're a killer player

[@Melo_EL]

Awesome video! Thanks mate!🤘🎸

[@kennysanti6557]

To my ears setup B sounds the best to me...they all sound great but B just had a nice tight crunch and sounded nice and bright, I've only been playing guitar for 6 months so still need more tonal training lol

[@thetacticalape8852]

The wand selects the wizard. I have walked into the store set on buying x guitar and walked out with a completely different guitar than I thought I wanted.

[@freshestemo]

Before going any further. Rig B and rig D. Sounds to me expensive amp cheap guitar 😬 Damn I was off. They all sound pretty good 👍🏼

[@teamloony]

Quality video again pal. I did pick out rig D as my fave however. Guess I’m going to be skint shortly 😄ha

[@BigAirNo1]

Listening through a good set of reference headphones, I got all the amps correct and got the guitars right on B and D also, I only mixed up the guitars on A and C. The truth is that I knew clip A was the cheap amp before hearing the rest of the clips 😬 and as soon as I heard clip D it couldn't be anything other than the full fat guitar and amp! The quality and smoothness of the distortion in the full fat Marshall is just unmistakable. Would be much harder to tell with clean settings but in the department of distortion there is just no contest imo.

[@Ryandavidsmith13]

I went A And D for best tone. I own the origin 50 head I think it’s great. Great video. I assumed I’d have a ‘lesser’ rig, but it’s how you push it imo(either better guitar or pedals)

[@colinmcguigan4630]

B and D gang 😂 just had more clarity to me.

[@alexanderplayspiano7157]

My snap decision was A, then D. Must be that Custom with the hot pickups. In total agreement that the Les Paul neck pickup is where the God tone lives! \m/

[@robeschauzier2621]

There is no simple 'best' answer. It depends on a lot of things and some are very much based on bias towards brands and 'vintage correctness' and stuff like that. As long as your gear is somewhat decent and catered towards your style of music, you should be able to make it sound good. But if you feel it's better if you have a 'real' Les Paul or whatever, that's fine too.

[@adriancoppin977]

Dagan, I reckon it’s the amp…and speaker…plus decent PUs.

[@TungstenOvergaard]

I love this guy

[@tripledistilled2822]

I didn't try to guess what was what, I just decided I would choose what sounded the best to me. That turned out to be Rig A and Rig C. I guess that means I like the Marshall Origin more than the classic Marshall!

[@mnytame93]

For me I felt B&D I liked the most. And see the common was the amp is cool

[@chrisanderson9331]

I got the amps right as rig B and D had more clarity in its tones but hard to separate the guitars are it all about touch and confidence at that point

[@VenancioPortalatin]

I could tell which guitar you used each time but only because the Gibson's pickups were hotter. That being said it's astonishing how good affordable gear has gotten. The Epiphone just sounds great on either rig. While I prefer the sound of the Gibson on either amp you played I gotta say the Epiphone will get you there. As to the amps they were very close sounding as well. I love a good old tube amp but the reliability issue with old amps is always a challenge. Again I preferred the classic tube amp but the affordable one was so close and will get you there. Today's quality control really creates a conundrum when it comes to gear because you can do a whole lot more for less then you could when I started playing over 30 years ago.

[@sometimesdimneverthin]

Very good video. A little smug as I preferred D but in my opinion guitar sound is not affected price as it is basically a magnet and coil of wire. Guitar price though probably has an impact on feel and the player's brain.

[@myuncle2]

You placed an amp on a cooking valve amp?? apart from that I agree on everything you said.

[@samsoniteeee]

Great video 👏🏼

[@Styre69]

i got 50% on the challenge, had C and D swapped. But the big thing really is that based on the blind listen test at the start, I liked the Classic and Origin the most. Yay I dont need to break the bank! Although that might have a bit to do with me actually owning a both a gibson and epi lp classic so its tone quality was more familiar. Im still gonna save up for a M2M Gibson LP custom though. haha.

[@SashaCrutaire]

Speaker cabinet. Biggest factor. :)

[@wednesdays7791]

Dagan and PMT have taken the KZbin guitar crown away from Anderson's for sure!

[@sid35gb]

I liked A & C I wonder what setups those are. Lol I picked out the amp I do own an origin 20.

[@TheDistortionPrinciple]

I'd say this really just proves guitarists should care more about speaker type than the rest

[@safakhayta6889]

i really liked rig D but when realized most expensive among em .. cant afford , rip , cheers

[@sajisguitar]

beauty lies in your eyes ... similarly tone lies in your ears!!😀

[@bradleyberdahl6148]

HOLY SHIT!!! /// i THINK i LIKE THE CLARITY AND BRIGHTNESS OF THE EPIPHONE!(I xant believe I just admitted that)

[@liamongarosmusicshtuff1464]

I have a Marshall origin with an lp and knew exactly what wasn't and guessing the amount bass I managed to figure out rig b and d perfectly

[@renevillalba]

😂 at the begining of the video I said in my head wow that Rig D sounds great....at the end was like naaa is not that great

[@Lovell93]

Dagan saved himself by throwing the “they” in there.😂 Awesome video! I’m always going better guitar over amp!

[@ianjensen7989]

I liked B, but good quality Pickups on a cheap guitar can make a lot of difference.

[@dandyy7069]

I have kramer pacer vintage and marshall origin 50c, i love that amp, so my choice is gibson LP and origin.

[@raleqtambrobret]

Why does buzzing noises come from my amp when I’m not playing my guitar, when I record it it makes me sound worse than I actually am

[@progrmr]

New/good amp with any guitar = better sound than good guitar with mediocre amp...IMHO of course :) I just purchased Fender Champion XL for use with my Squier CV Strat...tone was 100% terrible, I mean bad/discouraged me from playing. Replaced amp with Bassbreaker 15, strat sings through that amp. Learn from my expensive mistakes LOL

[@jf5578]

great video!

[@beford628]

I love guitar videos with a pop quiz.👍

[@GWRFan281]

Pop quiz hotshot, Dagan offers you the choice of Gibson and Marshall Origin or Epiphone and 1987X. What do you do?

[@richardthomas4001]

Good rock tones and riffs dagan! Iwas teading some things people wtote so all 4 were ok. I like live music so tone is important but some obsess over it changing everything. Why would i buy a guitar and change everything? Buy a wormoth body if you want specific that you cant get out of a guitar off the shelf. Otherwise but a guitar you like.just an ol hippie's opinion thanks

[@jordanpratt9384]

Wound by a guy named dave in Tennessee...lolol terrific

[@stevestambaugh6501]

Figures rig D is the one I liked most.

[@CarlCarson362]

You got a nice looking gibson dude

[@immutablecantrip]

I think I actually liked the Origin better in both tests... I think a more fair comparison would have been between two modern amps than between a modern and vintage

[@ajayjadhav4052]

Rig D sounded the most perfect blindfolded

[@jordanpratt9384]

Damn well, the key to that tone was the amps.Neither guitar could help the origin,but both sounded great through the plexi.

[@leebuck8532]

It's hard to tell. My guess is swapping the cab would be way more dramatic.

[@wendelllaffin240]

if something matters to you, then that's all that matters. You decide what matters and to what degree it matters. Never buy a guitar or amp because it impresses someone else. in my opinion... start with the amp as a base tone regardless of price it needs to put out a sound that matches or reflects the style of music you play... then pick the guitar that matches your personality, something that you can vibe with. If you don't have the right amp to start... no guitar will change that, you can mask it with pedals maybe but its not the same.

[@matthewtyler-jones8317]

So hard to tell, but I thought A was the best, was that because it’s the first I heard though? The others felt the same (maybe D was a little better?)