Your Audience Doesn't Care (About Your Guitar Tone)

[@rickjohns689]

When you feel comfortable with your sound, and digging it, you play better. That is where it matters. Great video Fluff.

[@charlieboudreau5172]

True. It's the first thing I thought about when I saw the title to this video

[@matthewtayloryowieresearch1912]

That's right, Rick. If you think it sounds good and you like it - it likely does sound good & others may like it too. Far too much guitar is grossly insufficient, woefully inadequate & nowhere near enough... Great talk btw Fluff = 11/10. 🦘Didyabringyabongalong Station, Central Queensland, Oz.🎸

[@brianelkins8604]

Lol I was coming to the comments specifically to say this very thing. If your tone sucks it can really put you out of your head and that will hinder your playing.

[@constantinosmavroyannis9409]

I believe very few musicians (if any) actually care if the audience recognizes a really good guitar tone. All that live tone chasing is mostly for the inspiration effect a good tone will give the player to play/perform better and in a more enjoyable way for him/her and, consequently, for the audience. And of course it's nice when the few people that know better among the audience recognize a good sonic result. But nobody really cares if everyone is going to like their guitar sound as long as it doesn't annoy or sound really bad at least...

[@Sticky_Tea]

I completely agree. I want an inspiring tone and part of that is simply in my head. The worst thing though, is having a really awesome tone, but not hearing any of it, due to the monitors not being really really awesome. Having good monitoring is important. I'm looking into in ears because of this.

[@joshuabeckwith7906]

Absolutely, as long as I'm happy with the sound that's fine. As long as it cuts through. Doesn't matter what cab or head it is because I can borrow someone's rig and use the FX Loop to put my X3 Live through. I'll always have my sound.

[@sauce_aux]

A younger version of my would be hard evidence against this thought. I was so focused on “the right amp” and not allowing myself to even be creative, because it was a “waste” if I didn’t have “the sound” … even down to the picks. I was so caught up on what I was being sold, that I wasn’t paying attention to what I was hearing. Owning a studio, you will see this even more often. It wasn’t even about exploring, it was about owning that THING. I have learned since then, but man, it was bad. Im jealous of your initial perspective in that regard haha

[@The_Audio_Phoenix]

Yeah, My Tone is for ME, I want to be able to feel a connection with my sound beyond the notes and rhythms I'm playing. The "better" my tone the better I'm able to embody the feel and emotion of the music I'm playing, and AS A RESULT I will perform better. I've done 2 Gig's back in college (at venues in my city) where I was using the colleges Peavy Combo amps, and NOTHING I did ever gave me a decent sound, and while I was able to play "Fine" it was NOT fun AT ALL, so much soo that outside of that I don't really remember much else about those gigs. But the Final Gig I got I was borrowing a friend's amp and pedalboard, he helped me set up an awesome tone and despite the nerves of doing my first gig playing original material I was able to completely forget about it and that gig was my greatest performance experience OF MY LIFE! The Tone sucked me in, and the audience was barely noticeable. Definitely the best I've EVER played. The idea that "AnY GoOD GuItArIsT wIlL GiVe A gReAt PeRfOrMaNcE wItH AnY tOnE" is BULLSHIT!! Can we play the song properly? Yes. Are we going to be ABLE to give our all? FUCK NO!

[@TribalGuitars]

Gene Simmons said as much when he was talking about his new signature bass from Gibson. They asked why only one volume knob he said it was mainly for playing gigs not studio work because not only does nobody care about your tube, but by the time the signal gets passed through your rig, then through whatever the sound guy has it do in the board, and finally leaving gawd-knows-what kind of speakers and bounces around in whatever kind of venue you're playing that night, you're not hearing your tone. No one is. Nobody cares. Tone is for recording, not gigs.

[@FanaticDrummer]

@ghost mall Its also Kiss… Not the most defined and know music for its bass tone or lines lol Now if you’re the bass player in Green Day, tone is essential because the parts are so well known it has to be defined. His bass lines are more known then Kisses so his opinion on tone and clarity is definitely more relevant. Arena music has no tone or clarity lol

[@mantashaft]

I don’t think I’d ever ask Gene about tone tips

[@TribalGuitars]

@@mantashaft Your choice, but with 50 years in the biz, producing a lot of artists (including VH's demo that got them their big break), and everyone he's worked with, you might want to give it some thought. Also, they were asking for tone tips, they asked why no tone knob and he answered, and the answer was the same as Fluff's point: No one cares about tone live.

[@ThreeBeingOne]

Zappa cared. Alot

[@TribalGuitars]

@@FanaticDrummer Yeah, 50 years of music, 10s of millions of records sold, Gene and Paul have written songs and produced for a lot of big names (Joe Perry for example), and worked with Eddie Kramer and Bob Ezrin, what could Gene and KIDSS possibly know about tone? GD has a bass sound, true, the same way Rush does with the Ric sound. I don't know that Dirnt's lines are more relevant, and everybody knows a KISS song. Gene's bass lines, contrary to people's biases, aren't Root-5th stuff. He uses walking bass lines in the vast majority of their songs. Gene's a much better and more diverse player than people give him credit for. I almost hate to tell you but Greed Day plays arenas and, as Fluff and Gene have said, no one cares about their tone.

[@ZackSeifMusic]

100% true. I’ve been touring with my Fractal for almost two years and I’ve never had a complaint. Only compliments. They are there to sing along and have a good time. It just needs to sound good, but it doesn’t matter how you do it. Just buy what’s necessary that allows you to do your job to the best of YOUR ability and budget. If it inspires you, great. If not, don’t worry about it. Do your job with the least amount of gear possible.

[@jaybirdgoody]

I'm a guitarist that plays in a band based in Akron/Cleveland. I recently decided to go no pedals. I fell in love with the crunch of my amp(s) and what I was doing pedal wise wasn't important. What mattered was a clean signal with nothing that could mess up in the mix. It's worked for me and I have a pedal I carry for situations like backline amps, an EQ pedal, but guys that's it... I play shows with 80s peavey amps to always asked what pedals I'm using. It's a weird freedom that is weirdly amazing

[@dresdensinn6669]

We (Band: Supremacy / Genre: Melodic Black/Viking/Thrash) were a local (Akron/Cleveland) act that did quite a few gigs at Peabody's Down Under back in early/mid 2000, I used a Crate XT120R combo amp and was happy with it. My bandmate however had the latest and greatest FX processor at the time which was the Zoom G9.2tt. Fluff's right...unless you're a guitar player the general audience doesn't care about your tone, FX, etc....they are there for the overall experience and engagement.

[@SophiaAphrodite]

Tommy Morello talked about tone in his Masterclass and talked about obsessing with tone is an empty goal . When his gear was stolen early on is career. Frustrated being unable to find it again. Her picked a sound that worked and marked it done. He decided that he was going to just play well and screw tone.

[@0megalul309]

People with 5000 USD pedalboards be complaining about their tone when they are plugged into crate amps.

[@Journey-of-1000-Miles]

I agree 100%. I play a guitar, plugged straight into an amplifier. I use the controls on the guitar, and how I play to change sound. I dislike externals so much!

[@0megalul309]

@Myke Fuller they do cos tone is in the amp and cab/speaker, not your 20 Strymon pedals

[@ChiAeNima]

Finally someone said it. Congrats Fluff. That's the real point. They don't give a f*ck about the gear. We are the gear nerds. Play well, with passion. Have fun. Enjoy what you are doing. The experience. That's it. With a Gibson Les Paul Custom or a Harley Benton.

[@matthewtayloryowieresearch1912]

The Karma Police will deal with the Gear Snobs whom sully the music industry. Well put ChiAeNima; from a mentally-guitarded guitarcheopteryx guitarcheologist since '79. Gear snobbery is for deadshits with chronic halitosis. Rock on!🎸 Didyabringyabongalong Station, 455,000sq/a. Central Queensland.🤘

[@FabianoChagas]

I always thought about that, nobody ever had published (as I know of) this sort of information, dude. Once while watching a gig, the guy changed from a Strat to a 335-ish one, and ... NOTHING changed sound wise. However, just as you said, the audience vibe and the interaction with the band was what put everything together. And it was an amazing concert. Thanks for sharing dude!

[@GreyManFaustus]

Joke's on you, I don't have an audience

[@juan666q]

Fluff, glad you put this clip up. This is something I’ve been saying to some of the people I play with for a while. Of course we all fuss over it but for the most part we aren’t playing to a room full of musicians who even know the difference. They just dig the music. Another thing I’ve learned over the years is no matter how nervous someone gets before a gig, large or small, the people there in the audience want you to do well. Cheers

[@mhoff7722]

Totally agree. I've been saying this for years. I once had my 100 watt Splawn QR head blow a fuse at a big outdoor show and I had to play through a distortion and delay pedal into an EHX 20 watt pedal power amp into a 4x12...I'd say 90% of the people could not hear the difference lol. I could definitely hear and feel the difference but it was a very eye, and ear, opening experience. 🤘🤘🤘

[@Paindriller]

My takeaway, as an underground rock musician of ten years now, is this - what matters is how you made people feel.

[@IDGAF_PLUS]

I don't scrutinize live tone that much I guess, but I do acknowledge when a tone is particularly outstanding. I recently saw Volbeat live and Rob Caggiano's guitar tone was absolutely amazing. It really stuck with me as something particularly memorable about the show.

[@paramourcat]

Yeah I was gonna say I don't normally care a lot, but I DO notice when the tone is incredible

[@jamowallace]

I needed to hear this today as have our bands second gig tomorrow and I’ve been stressing about sounds….but you are right, I’m just gonna have myself a jolly old time, toodle pip old bean! 🤘🏻

[@71N1S4]

let us know how it goes!

[@Davey-Boyd]

How did it go?

[@jamowallace]

@@Davey-Boyd went ok actually, bit of a disaster during soundcheck as I had a loose connection on my pedalboard somewhere but sorted it within 2 mins. Sound wise was ok and fluffed a few guitar parts but no one seemed to notice so fluff’s vid was right….no one cared so I just carried on and enjoyed the rest of the show….so much show a group of bikers that were there now want us to play at their annual meeting next year 🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@Davey-Boyd]

@@jamowallace Glad it turned out well! And you got another gig out of it! Good result for your second ever gig!

[@jamowallace]

@@Davey-Boyd thanks man, appreciate that

[@DaveMcEvoyMusic]

Totally agree / it’s about the songs & the music, most of the crowd doesn’t know the difference between a boss overdrive & a vintage tube screamer , as musicians the gear can be a huge influence to us playing & writing but the average music fan wouldn’t know that difference, much in the same when you go out to a nice restaurant, the chef may use his or her custom very expensive knives to prepare the meal for you (as they inspire him or her) but do you know what kind of steel the knives are made from or do you even care, your there to enjoy the meal 🥘 as guitar players we can get bogged down with all of the endless choices of gear available

[@marcmaiden7475]

I'm due to play a gig in London this evening. I'm playing through an ADA MP1, TC Electronics rackmount and a Marshall Poweramp. The other guitarist runs through a Kemper. I seriously doubt that the audience will care what we sound like as long as its reasonably decent. I on the other hand will probably bum out a little if it sounds bad. Hope it doesn't though! This vid came at an opportune time! Thanks Fluff!

[@xneurianx]

Having started playing in bands when I was 12, I couldn't afford a gigging amp or a backup guitar, so I would always just use what the practice space or venue had to hand, or I would beg/borrow gear from the other bands - one of the advantages of playing punk shows was that most people weren't precious about their gear as long as you didn't mess with their settings. Long story short: No-one in my band ever had "their sound" ever, it was always different, and the overall sound of the band being a sum of those parts meant that at every show we sounded kinda different, until we'd managed to scrimp together enough cash for the band to actual have a whole back-line. Not one person ever complained about our sound. A lot of people complained about our playing for the first couple of years but I think a bunch of 12 year old nerds playing hardcore punk was endearing enough that people kept booking us for local shows.

[@jasonstallworth]

Dude, so true! I actually just published a video on this a week ago. Guitarists, and I’ve been guilty as well, waste way too much time on tone. What matters is the song. Can your audience or potential audience relate to it? Does your song captivate then? Does it move them? Those are the questions we need to ask ourselves when writing music.

[@MrDavee1]

I've come to learn over the years, that most people can't, or don't even differentiate between instruments when they listen to music. They just hear it as a whole. Let's not forget how happy people were to listen to a lousy sounding bootleg of Hendrix, or Zeppilin. It's always the song, and the energy that matters.

[@rickpearce9239]

I agree 100%. People hear "the band" and not individuals in the band. If the songs are good, the band plays tight and the vocals are audible, people will enjoy the band. I am just as guilty of unnecessary gear acquisition as most players but I have learned that nobody cares except me.

[@KeithAlishinaLightning]

This 👆

[@armelind]

What sucks is when you learn to analyse the music and each instrument. You lose the innocence of just listening to a song.

[@MaestroJericho]

I think as long as everything's audible live when you see a band people get over individual tones.

[@hunterprice3320]

Before I started playing guitar I never really gave any thought to what instruments I was hearing I was just enjoying the song lol.

[@lilybeejones]

For sure Fluff. I try to take this philosophy in buying gear too. Is this overdrive gonna be that different than the one I have? Isn't the audience just gonna hear "distortion?" I mean most people I have talked to can't hear a lot of differences in distorted guitar. Or what kind of delay you have on. Dial stuff in but really think if you need that new thing! But energy and vibes are so important. Little sound slip ups aren't too big of they are just vibing to the song.

[@doknox]

If you like it why buy a different one? Use what works for you not what other people say. I did go thru 4 different distortion pedals and a couple noise gates before finding one I liked and sold the ones I dont use. Nothing worse than spending a bunch of money on something someone said was great and finding out it doesnt sound the way you want.

[@lilybeejones]

@@doknox I agree. I had a hard time finding an overdrive pedal that fit my needs. Too many options and subtle variations. I just ended up getting what I was drawn to, Strymon Sunset. I liked how it sounded in the demos, and the ability to switch the effect order and change between a few sound variations was great for me. Now I can really stop the gas when I'm like OOOOO NEW OVERDRIVE I can think wait, this one sounds good already

[@DrumWild]

I played in LA for 33 years on drums, guitar, bass, and keyboard. I only had one person ask me about my drum tone. That and maybe one dozen compliments on the drink holder attached to a cymbal stand.

[@deathmetalglenn]

I just watched a Tool cover band play last week, they absolutely killed it, and one thing we did comment on is how insanely well they nailed the tones, but it wasn't until pretty much the end of the show and everyone was just having a fuckin great time!

[@GarrettTurneyMrTremelo]

Underrated advice, my friend. We're finally getting back out, and that's been one of the details we've discussed as we rehearse and prep.

[@josephbenz4913]

I agree, for the most part. I do, however, feel that the audience IS aware when the guitarists’ EQ choices make the instrument inaudible. This happens at WAY too many metal shows and the audience definitely notices. Guitarists EQing for the bedroom has ruined many a show for me.

[@commisargamerson1666]

I presume the problem is guitar players not having enough mids and treble in a live setting?

[@josephbenz4913]

@@commisargamerson1666 correctamundo! The perfect sound in your head is usually the worst sound in a mix. I can’t count the number of guitarists I’ve heard blame the “sound guy” for their poor EQ choices.

[@commisargamerson1666]

@@josephbenz4913 idk how having more mids isn't the norm, especially since many people wear ear plugs to the show which further blunts clarity on the tone

[@resistorstudios]

Dude yes but also modeler guys with in ears that go FOH. No guitar stage volume sucks man.

[@blackspine343]

@@josephbenz4913 Super true. After the Burial's guitar tone is TERRIBLE without the rest of the band playing... but it cuts through the mix live like crazy.

[@JackStolz]

This is so true. For 15 years my band toured with rectos and 6505. We had a crate backup head with no badges on it. Every time we had to use it nobody noticed. Ever. I even used a modded MT-2 as a preamp in my fly rig at one point and nobody noticed. It’s so funny how we fixate on these things. I guess it’s because it’s the thing we have the most control of. Easier to buy then to get better at the instrument and songs.

[@blackspine343]

Tube Crate heads sound good, so...

[@JackStolz]

@@blackspine343 it was a Flexwave 120. We would have been stoked to have a blue voodoo for sure haha

[@ileutur6863]

@@JackStolz but did you notice?

[@JackStolz]

@@ileutur6863 of course, but it was still coming out of a v30 cab and in a full mix it worked.

[@chitstain89]

Played in a cover band for some gigs a few years back. Just small dive bar shows using a Line 6 HX Stomp. Had an older gentleman come talk to me between sets asking if I was playing through a half stack to get my tone. His mind was blown when I showed him my HX Stomp setup. I used to be a tube amp snob, but for live shows, getting a good tone with the most convenience is really paramount. I've long since stopped being a tone snob, and really? I had the best tone of all our guitarists (in both my and our bassist's opinion), and I was the only one not using an amp. I had the quickest, easiest, and lightest setup. This is all VERY true. As long as your tone is appropriate for the music you are playing, the audience cares more about your energy and stage presence as a performer. Only the gear snobs in the back of the room with their arms crossed in front of their chest are going to care.

[@rankin1289]

You da man fluff! Last year after coming across your channel. You inspired me to pickup the sticks again. I'm playing shows again!! Even though I'm 36!! Having the best time in my life. Thank you.

[@remyrabb97]

5 or 6 years ago when Gojira was playing a festival in Northern Norway, the airline were unable to bring their gear on time. Christian had to borrow some kind of Charvel Desolation (with EMG’s I believe) and Joe borrowed an awesome looking, but probably rather unfamiliarly playing and sounding, white Flying V with a mirror pickguard from one of the guys in Kvelertak. In terms of amps, I don’t know what they were playing through. Even though they didn’t have their own gear, they sounded great and put on an absolutely awesome show that night. I think this just serves as another example that helps prove your point, Fluff!

[@Guitar86YT]

You are 100% correct. I’ve been fortunate enough to to play around the UK and Europe with bands like A Wilhelm Scream, Belvedere and Skindred. Generally speaking most audience members have never seen you before. As long as what you play sounds good the audience is happy. Despite what was on the recordings I always just used two tones live. Cleaner and dirty. If you need more than that then chances are you are leaning on effects too much and the arrangements aren’t up to standard. It’s as simple as that. I was playing skate punk music so that could influence my view in terms of modern metal, but if I was to tour again I’d use the same logic having been there and doing it. Thanks for this great video fluff!

[@unpoloart]

My band did something a couple of months ago, we are a punk band, but I use H&K Tubemeister 36 with aMIDI controller/looper for delay, chorus and OD, 4 method cable, wah and volume pedals. That is my main rig. So We experimented one gig I only took my amp and my foot switch, next I use a Marshall mg200 (I just teak it to sound “ok”), the response was the same, because of the energy we have, so I bought an MX5 and the last 2 gigs I use it and it was great!. So basically the energy and the effort you put in the show makes a difference. One thing we also do as a band is that we regulate the volume so we sound balanced, not only guitar, and that makes gigs great!

[@lane2376]

I will forever go to bat that you guys have the best live sound I've ever heard. Out of Slipknot, Three Days grace, Judas Priest, Breaking Benjamin, Staind, VAN HALEN.... You're the first band I've seen live that sounded so clean and crisp and clear it was like hearing the album live. As a gearhead and musician, it was insane. As an audience member, it was even cooler to just be there in the moment with the crowd and you guys and feel the energy and excitement of the experience. Can't wait til y'all hopefully come back to Atlanta someday.

[@patrickmckibben1932]

10 years ago I was playing bass in a new band and I was sort of stressing what all gear I wanted in my pedal board for this band. We had been sharing some shows with another band. I really loved the guitar player. His sound was great. I was blown away when I found out it was some cheap multi-effects pedal from the 90s (remember how digital those sounded back then?). I had to ask him not only “How,” but “Why” he was getting his tones out of that thing. He told me that he uses all his “boutique” gear in the studio and his cheaper stuff on stage. He said mainly it’s easier to carry around and no one cares how it sounds as long as it’s close. I’ve always remembered that.

[@Billywagner22]

I hear a lot of local players say the audience doesn't care if they play well or their tone is good. When you hear them play you understand why. They're trying to justify their lack of skill and work ethic.

[@kernelxsanders]

In my experience and with all the hundreds of musicians I've come across through the years, it's never been about trying to please the crowd with their tones. The reason we chase the tones that we chase is for our own inspiration and the fun of tone tinkering. When we have a tone that we feel strongly about, it inspires us to play better and to feel the music more, which transcends unto the audience as a better show. Obviously the audience doesn't care about the tones, unless you are at a periphery show and most of the audience are gear snobs, but the tones are important to the player, which is equally important.

[@stinnaplaysmusic]

I've had a couple of times after relatively small gigs where people would come up to me and ask what I use to achieve sounds. I find those people just as fun as an audience because they are there for a good time, like you mentioned but they come with one thing extra and that is interest. It's always been a fun conversation :)

[@MythosSoundStudio]

Fluff, thanks for this. So true. I'm reminded the tone I have is personal to me, has nothing to do with the live experience - and even if I think my gear affect my live performance, if the energy of the crowd is high, I'm not even thinking about my gear. And yeah, the threshold is important to understand. It really is about the experience. Thanks again for sharing this.

[@nickgiles8293]

Played a show with a borrowed Dual Rec that was drastically different than my modded marshall, but the marshall was being repaired and I didn't have much of a choice. No one ever noticed anything was out of the ordinary but me. Great video! Focus on the performance and have fun and so will everyone else.

[@KaldDodeGitarist]

A buddy of mine got a kitchen sink modded jcm800 a couple weeks ago, and I've been obsessed with amp mods ever since. How is your amp modded?

[@nickgiles8293]

@@KaldDodeGitarist Crunch mod from LA Sound and Design. Its probably the best Marshall tone I have ever heard.

[@KaldDodeGitarist]

@@nickgiles8293 jcm800?

[@musicauthority7828]

I was told by a very good guitar instructor something that was similar. timing is more important than other factors. you can be playing in front of an audience if you have the timing correct. you can screw up on a chord. but if your timing is correct the probably won't notice it.

[@Weaseldog2001]

And with experience, you get better at turning that bad chord, into a passing chord, and then its art.

[@armelind]

I agree with you 100%. I have also been telling this to musicians I know. My reasoning is similar but slightly different. Here is how i put it, you get your tone from either your rig in the practice room or in your bedroom. When you go to a show, the sound engineer may have their own idea of how you will sound. Once the sound leaves the Cab, you have no control of it. Your tone doesn't matter to anyone "other than you" because there is a huge chance no one will hear the tone you intended everyone to hear. And if you aren't the headliner, you won't hear it either. Because in most gigs, unless you are the headliner, you don't get soundcheck. And that means, no monitors either.

[@TheMountainDemon]

I recently played a couple shows where I experimented with this same idea. One show was a medium sized club and I brought a large rig, tube amp and 412 with pedalboard. The next show, at a similarly sized venue, I just brought a guitar and a pedal with cab sim and just ran into the PA. Made me a little uncomfortable to be without my main setup but I had just as many compliments on my playing and sound.

[@louaguado995]

I had an amp blow out after 3 songs on a 12 song list at a huge festival. I didn't have a spare amp, but I had an amp modeling pedal, so I finished the gig with the pedal direct into the p.a. And yes, I was freaking because I didn't have the tone of my tube amp, but the crowd didn't know or care, they were still rocking along. 😊

[@Tognar]

I just had the opportunity to play on a loud, big (to me) stage with a cranked 100W amp behind me… As a living room rocker, that was an insane, new feeling. I’ve never played that loud in my life, and it was glorious!! I played way better than normal. I dunno… I accessed some next level. I think part of that was how stoked I was about the tone. Guitars just do a different thing at that level, and I was all about it.

[@iLLuzion1st]

your body for sure picks up on the vibrations and feeling the bass and other frequencies flowing through you is a huge part of experiences music imo

[@Tognar]

@@iLLuzion1st It was scary just plugging into a backline that I had nothing to do with selecting or setting up or dialing in. I told the stage tech who plugged me in to crank the mids, and I am glad I did. Made all the difference.

[@edwinstovall3334]

What you're saying is something I've thought for years. Chasing tone is a worthwhile activity, but it's really for the musician, not the audience. The guitarist might know that s/he likes a real tube amp over solid state and digital representation of amps, so the resultant tone will affect the way s/he plays -- but the audience will know and care nothing about any of it. All they will know is what the end result is like, and that's all they will -- and will be ABLE to -- care about! At the bottom line, the small stuff may seem important and may actually be important for a time, but when you take the stage all that matters is giving your best to the show and the audience and taking that audience on your (band's) trip! THAT'S what's up!🤘

[@klrbee03]

I came to this conclusion as well recently. I play in a busy cover band and was trying to program my Helix for a different "preset" for each song to get that perfect "vibe". Queen song? Gotta use the AC30 model! Guns N Roses? Marshalls! Eagles? Fender! I eventually decided to go with one preset to cover clean/crunch/gain/lead. Its so much easier to manage. Now all I've got to do is watch my "bigfooting" the high gain snap during "Stand by Me" at a wedding gig when Grandma and Grandpa are dancing...

[@DJBuglip]

I agree. "If it doesn't sound bad", being the key part of that statement.

[@FernicusShred]

I was fortunate enough to have friends we toured with in Europe. They let us borrow Laboga Mr. Hector's. First time I ever heard them and I was blown away. So much so that I obsessed over it for 8 years before I got one for myself. Such an amazingly brutal and versatile amp. Some of the heaviest distortion around and some of the crispiest cleans. I'd never use another amp.

[@JustBlueFish]

People that make the argument, "the audience doesn't care" what your tone sounds like, they're missing the point. We aren't selecting our gear for the audience's benefit. We obsess over and spend time on these things for our own benefit. It's about what inspires the artist, what makes them happy and what they enjoy. This argument comes up a lot in discussions about Analog vs Digital synthesizers, and that the audience won't care if it's digital. But musicians don't pick vintage analog synths for the audience benefit they're picking those vintage analog synths for their own benefit.

[@elihue_redneckreview]

Yes! When I was in a band consistently playing shows on the local/regional scene, we all just played straight jack and focused​ on our performance and execution, the audience never mentioned tone, but always emphatically complimented the performance. We were there for entertainment and to facilitate a good time. Now that I'm just a bedroom rocker, I have invested in all sorts of unnecessary gear that inspires me to be creative and have fun. If I were to get back into a band, I would revert back to a simple set-up....

[@BPToneReview]

I’m glad this opinion isn’t shared by others on lead singers.

[@GalansKey]

Мне нравится, что со временем появилось больше видео подобного формата (рассуждения и негитарные разговоры). Смотрю канал с удовольствием уже несколько лет!

[@johnpatitucci7919]

True story... The band that I joined 5 months ago, (Slaves Wage) lost their guitarist and bassist at the same time. I joined as a bass player. The singer also plays lead guitar. All their music has 2 guitars in it. So I brain stormed a bit. In order to reproduce the 2nd guitar until we find a suitable replacement, I had to split off my bass signal, putting one into the bass effects and the other into a Pod Go, where I then added an octave pedal, then added a harmonizer pedal where I added the 5th. After tweaking the EQ and IR's a bit I was able to mimic a guitar at about 80-85%. Of course, there are certain nuances that a bass just can't reproduce as a guitar due to string thickness, but for the most part, everyone seems pleased with it in a live setting and it really helped fill out the sound. I've had to change my bass playing to accommodate for the guitar, so there's give and take on both sides. Hopefully it won't be a long term scenario. I just might hop onto guitar and find another bass player.

[@Voiceoftheseed]

Just play to a click track and backing track it.

[@flamesarewicked]

100% spot on.. only people who care what gear ya use is the other guitarists in the audience.. “whoa look at that sick guitar he’s playing”…

[@waitin4winter]

As an architect, we labor over all the small details of a building’s design, which in the end, the users don’t care about or ever even notice. However, all those details added up together make up the project and can matter to the experience of the people who use the spaces. I totally agree that the audience doesn’t care about the tones the same way we do, but tone is just one of many pieces of the tapestry that make up the whole experience. And that’s why, in my mind, we as musicians should care about our tone, as well as all the other aspects of our craft.

[@leonardskinerd7758]

I heard a guy play in a classic rock cover band at an open mic. They sounded great! I went up to him after the show and asked him what he was playing. A Firefly guitar and an Amazon multi-effects unit, plugged into the PA.

[@Pokey7317]

I've been saying this for AGES now... I play guitar and sing and had a HORRIBLE gig the other night. Guitar tone went to shit, lost my voice after 3 songs. Somehow managed to dig deep and delivered a performance which is the MOST IMPORTANT PART... Crowd was singing along, drinks were flowing and people were dancing.... MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! Turned out volume pedal was stuck at 60% so did not have full gain as pedal was in front of the amp... I just played what i play in practice and went from there...

[@ddcraun]

And THIS is why for 20+ years I have essentially had my blue line Peavey Ultra 60 and a Peavey Butcher straight front cab and a tuner. Reliable, repeatable, loud enough for almost any venue, cheap enough to replace if tragedy strikes, and easy to get serviced. It doesn't hurt that this is in hardcore and punk bands, but it is the right tool for the job.

[@ryanadams1483]

Completely agree as a musician and as a concert goer. Practice your show more than your deep dive on your fractal. ( but deep diving a fractal is pretty fun!)

[@scottdavidson226]

I've been playing in a cover band lately. I have a few decades of playing under my belt and I am also a sound engineer. Most folks at the show are there for a good time. I've stripped down to a Headrush Pedalboard directly to the mains and a monitor return. Way easier to get a good mix if you don't have stacks cranking out dB. Love the content Fluff!!!!

[@garyshelly6555]

Great video Brian, this topic has been around for years and years. Take it from an amateur guitarist who has been playing for 40 years, I have forgotten how many local shows I have played, using only a Laney AOR 50, a PV Sheffield cabinet, and a boss metal zone. Believe me my tone has been all over the place with that rig. With that being said I use that rig for 20 years. People don't care as long as the music is good as you stated sir.

[@EasyHeat]

Brutally honest and soo true. Great video man!🤘

[@bengirard1984]

Super interesting video! I totally agree with you. The way I see it is pretty much like this : At home, I have a smaller rig to practice that sounds great at low volume. For our band practices(this is when I play the most amount of time like many bands), I have my “my main big rig” that I wouldn’t even bring to gigs because I wouldn’t want something bad happening to it. I have a custom Ceriatone King Kong that took 45 weeks to get…no way I’m bringing it outside of the jam space hahaha Then for gigs, I have a 212 and a “cheaper” (but more common) amp (Peavey 3120) that sounds great too(imo of course). It’s true that unless you don’t play right or sound really bad, people don’t care about your tone at the end of the day. Related to that, I’m even at a crossroad right now, realizing that as much as I love my Ceriatone, I sometimes prefer to play on my 3120 or JSX. So I’m debating if it’s worth keeping a boutique amp or not. I already know too that I will move with the Bluguitar Amp X when it will be released, especially for gigs since it’s a compact amp pedal format that has everything I need and I could bring it everywhere in a back pack.

[@jackworster3643]

I missed last video or 2. But your captions lead me to believe your stressing! Hope all pans out well

[@tonepilot]

That's pretty true as long as your tone is somewhat close, no one will care. However, the magic of modelers like the Quad Cortex lets me dial in a tone I like which makes me happy :)

[@jefffoertsch2867]

I think what you touched on is the joy of live music. Much like watching NASCAR is better when they wreck, obviously we don't want anyone hurt, but the excitement of something unexpected happening and navigating through it.

[@cdawg-switchhitter2473]

I can tell people are going to like these video. You should do a video on how to pack for tour in the states and out of the states. Could be 2 separate videos

[@surethebest]

It’s so true! Have played for many girls/ girlfriends/ audiences over the years. They couldn’t care less about your gear as long as the rhythm is right and the song’s great.

[@jimsz520]

Soooo true!! I've been saying this to friends for years, all the time we take with our tone only reflects how we feel when playing and helps us to perform comfortably, no one in the audience knows / cares if you're playing Dimarzio's or BKPs, Ernie Balls or Elixirs 🤣

[@EVH5150iii]

I’ve been playing guitar for 20 years and the first time I seen Chevelle, all that went out the window and I just blew up with excitement. I did notice a juicy Mesa cab with red mesh and thought that was super cool; overall I was happy just to be listening to my favorite band

[@mesared40]

Your Audience Doesn't Care about Your Guitar Tone! you´re 100% right. Period!

[@Journey-of-1000-Miles]

I play with the guitar into a five watt Blackstar. I crank the Blackstar on stage, and that is for me. I change tones with the controls on my guitar, and how I play. That’s it that’s all. I play all night like that. No one ever comments, unless I play my Bo Diddley signature series guitar, then everyone comes up to me and comments on the rectangle shaped guitar. Other than that, people don’t care at all!

[@DammitCartman]

tone is part of what makes playing interesting. its part of the craft that attracts me to the guitar and is especially interesting in recording. i agree that the majority of people don't care about the specifics of guitar tone unless its extremely bad, but to suggest that players not worry about it as much misses the point entirely for me. there's a lot of enjoyment in chasing and creating a more perfect tone. plus, playing live is about the interaction and feedback- if what you're feeling/getting back from the guitar is good is leads to better, more confident playing and that goes out to the audience.

[@absea7918]

Yes! Its crazy to me how down in the weeds people get about the specific model BBD chip that is used in some vintage effect. For the small shows I play, I only bring a single-row (4-5) pedal board to play in front of a small 20w combo amp. Agreed that the audience don't care, as long as the mix is decent.

[@denniscoverband4369]

Great vid Ryan. You really boiled it down brother !

[@clugokillscluco]

Bravo, Fluff. It took me a long time to realize this. Probably too long TBH.

[@thebreakfastmenu]

The last time I played live, I got plenty of compliments on how smooth my tone was. Which was great feeling because I've worked hard on tweaking my tone to be exactly what I want it to be. David Gilmour's tone is literally WHY I wanted to play guitar as a teenager. Any time I've used backline gear, it's been an absolute nightmare, and the performances have suffered. And THAT'S where audiences care.

[@beaston_guitar]

The first show I ever played, all I had was my guitar, a wah, and a digitech grunge pedal plugged in direct. Even with tons of sound issues with the venue's PA, everyone there was just drinking and having a great time. I got so many compliments on the show that night and WE SOUNDED AWFUL! That night I learned two things: #1 gear doesn't matter, and #2 holy shit a lot of things can go wrong when you're playing live!

[@enlat2003]

Best way to summarize this is the gear doesn't make the musician sound magical, the musician's talent is what drive even the crappiest of equipment.

[@timgraham5240]

"the songs matter" words of wisdom right there.

[@glen7228]

I've been preaching that since my 7th grade band played our first school dance, I'm 62 now and mostly play on my couch, and no one cares there either.

[@Vlogimo]

I was just thinking the same thing the other day, we spend so much money chasing a sound or tone with equipment...but we lose sight of playing,technique and composition.

[@juanziegler1471]

Great honesty .and I'll add if the critic guitar player makes a comment ask them why they had a night off . Well said .

[@dekhruel]

So true! Played Copenhell, Rock for People, Hellfest, VOA and Resurrection Fest and For Copenhell my pedalboard didn't arrived and had to play with a really shitty sound... and a lot of people said that our show was the best of Copenhell hahaha

[@higorslva]

Absolutely agreed. I've always searched about the "perfect tone" in my guitar, changing the configs and all for years (and ruining everything at the end). Last week I went to a some local bands shows and I didn't give a shit about the tone lol. As long as no guitars sound bad, with hiss and etc. then no one will pay attention to it.

[@L1AML0V3SDRUMS]

I love how you used the Glasgow gig to show the audience watching.

[@omarsharif927]

So true my focus has been in writing songs. I have seen most musicians are now simplifying there rig for gigs. I'd love to have just a pedal board to plug into the pa and just two guitars for a gig.

[@wykydrone]

Honestly, I love those tone mess ups. It's the human element and shows that not everything in music can be perfect. I watch a lot of Metallica's live videos and the little clinks, plinks and plunks show that while their veterans, they still have off moments. It's perfect.

[@jphi1000]

Reminds me of a story about John Lennon. He was going on a tv show or a movie or something and he was asked “What amp would you like?” His response was “Any amp that works”

[@Cluless02]

Depends on who your audience is. Certain types of music draws more/less discerning audiences. Most, not all metal tones are virtually the same, to my half deafened ears. But a band like Opeth, I do notice differences in tones, not just guitar but drums through changes in lineup. So maybe it's just a huge let off steam situation, to each his own. I just don't dig it when the tone is off, it's like getting cheated - the one place ya go where you trust they're not going to give to shaft you, hope you don't notice.

[@harrybryan9633]

In a live environment - stuff happens. As the audience know this and accept that occasionally the sound will mess up - it is part of the experience.

[@jamesmarkham7489]

Once told my student that the audience doesn't care about the brand name of anything your playing. They care if you are playing well. It kinda blew his brain for a moment. He had been chasing expensive gear bc he thought it mattered so much more than it doer.

[@priorwitness]

There will always be that one guitarist that wants to come up to you after the show to nit pick. But I've learned for the most part after the show if there are a bunch of smiling faces during and after the show and a bunch of people are coming up to you to tell you you kicked ass then that's all that matters. This ultimately hit home for me when I was playing my guitar at home in front of my wife and I asked her what sounded better in front of my amplifier: an Ibanez 808 or the TS9 Maxon? To my ears I could hear the difference, but when she laughed and shook her head and said they sounded exactly the same to her is when I realized the typical listener just doesn't care to the level that us guitarists do. And that's ok :) Hell my drummer gives me grief about it al the time as well and he doesn't care either. He pokes fun at me all the time about switching 3 db out on this frequency or that pedal over here. As long as you're playing what you're supposed to play that's all that matters at the end of the day

[@gearViewmirror]

Now you can’t argue with that! D’accord all the way🤘🎸🤘

[@Bigwoody95826]

Totally man, well said! !! So true!!! My band STONEHAT just uses mooer micro pedals(inspired by Cradle Of Filth)and other pedals through the P.A. and we got just as good feedback from that as we did from hauling big amps to the gigs.

[@slates1969]

I've always thought along these lines when i see these amazingly complicated rigs some players use like on Rig Rundowns and thought, are the audience really getting half of what this set up does . Recording and studio is different. I love tone chasing but its hard to imagine many in an audience are picking up on amny of the nuances some of these setups try to achieve

[@shemmp9008]

I've been saying this for awhile now too! Find gear that's within your reach that inspires you, then put everything you've got into your writing and playing. That's what the listener is after!

[@DrKevGuitar]

100% agree. Most of the audience can't hear the difference between a strat and a les paul. The difference between say, a TS9 and SD-1 will be completely lost on everybody except us, even the other band members generally don't actually care even if they can hear it. Yes, just as Van Gogh had probably had preferred shades of yellow paint, we should have our preferences for our sonic palette too. BUT there always comes a time to call "good enough" and get on with playing actual music.

[@ResidentRob]

I look at is this way, I've seen some bands (like Killing Joke) where they have different drummers or bassists for different shows who have different gear set ups and the crowd don't care that one bassist has a more crunchy tone vs a smoother boomier tone.

[@danasutter8203]

100% true! but, which i’m sure has been mentioned already here in the comment section, if my bass tone is absolutely crushing, whether it’s my settings, or the room, it will inspire me to play better, have more fun, and be more entertaining! but yes, tone doesn’t matter much to the crowd, but to me it’s pretty important. i just can’t play my heart out with, let’s say, the bass tone on billy idol tunes.

[@ctwarmuth]

One of the reasons I don't have a pedalboard. After hearing band after band with huge pedalboards with so many pedals it looks like the guy is stopping on a control panel they tore off of the Deathstar...I realized most folks hear clean/ dirt/reverb/tremolo and that's about it.

[@CarlosKTCosta]

This is extra extra true for bass players. Usually the sound guy will fuck up your tone anyway so...

[@Yohahn]

My rig at home is 1 marshall JCM 2000 and 1 Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier.. my rig on gigs: HX Stomp. The audience really doesn't care.

[@NorthwestGuitarworks]

Good video, I noticed similar situation and it helped me stress less about my gear