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Author Topic: GAS slowdown  (Read 12710 times)

Offline firemodel55

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GAS slowdown
« on: March 09, 2012, 10:44:03 PM »
Aside from the higher prices of crude... I am simply running out of things to buy.  I mean sure its easy to buy the next best mass produced thing but that ain't got tone and character.

At this point in time, I have the next best thing to the real mccoy's.  I realized this when I ended up buying a Fender Custom Shop Tele -- something I would never consider because the musiczoo had reserved a good sounding BC Rich for me which I failed to visit because of the poor weather yet something attracted me to that Tele sound.  I am also very happy with my Jim Rolph PAFs which have brought my Baker firemodel#55 inline with Gil Yaron.  Also, after the Bruno, Ultrasound has reserved and kept a very special Komet 60 for me.  Ultrasound also felt that more or less I have covered the METAL-genre amps in spades capped off with the Diezel Herbert.

My trip to New York, also yielded me a Goodrich volume pedal, a vintage Ross Compressor, a Presecription Electronics Experience (Ocatver Fuzz), Mad Professor Snow White Autowah, Lehle Dual Amp Switcher and Spaceman Effects Harmonic Overdrive.

Moreover, my New York experience made friends of Jim Rolph, Gene of Ultrasound, Ardell of Matt Umanov and Matt of 30th Street Guitars.  So the question is HOW do you slowdown GAS?

1) Buy the best -- avoid brands with advertisements and everything carried in Audiophile, JB Mart, Perfect Pitche, TMS, Lazer etc.  ( I repeat this because I would consider them the Toyotas of Musical Instruments and nothing else)
2) Always looks for the person or ear behind the product your buying -- if its a group of engineers forget it even if its says Marshall
3) You don't need more stuff in terms of looks, style or COLOR but you NEED a lot of the good sounding stuff which is rare!!!
4) Avoid Youtube because its never accurate compared to how the piece of equipment translates in terms of feel.
5) Subscribe to Tonequest Report because they limit your scope to the good sounding stuff and I have tried their recommendations which beats any recommendation on this forum!!!
6) Have other experts with better ears and experience than you select your equipment instead.  This way the ego is deflated by someone in authority. 
7) Conversely, it is dangerous to keep selecting equipment based on your visual and physical specifications and requirements.  Use Feel and Sound instead.
8) Again, don't buy amps and guitars unless they cost US$3k and above.  I know that I have said this before but it does indeed reduce purchases.
9) Buy US made and European guitars and Amps.  I know that I have said this before but it ALSO reduces your purchases.  The US and Europeans have higher standards with regards to good sounding audio gear -- I say more so than the Japanese.
10) Don't believe any major brand endorsement by successful artists.  Just remember than the manufacturers who produce the best sounding equipment do NOT have the money to pay the endorsement fees of the big artists.  They are too busy trying to produce magical sounding equipment one at a time.

I hope this helps...
« Last Edit: March 09, 2012, 10:46:31 PM by firemodel55 »

Offline pualux

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2012, 12:07:18 AM »
to some extent, I agree

Offline teleclem

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2012, 12:19:23 AM »
My trip to New York, also yielded me a Goodrich volume pedal,

OT: Do you know how to contact them? I can't seem to find some direct info. I got mine at Tone tronix and I want to change out some stuff.

Back on topic - I also agree, to some extent. The idea of "going for the gold" is something that can save some money, I guess. But it should be noted that it's always ymmv.

There must be some things you'd still like to acquire (they probably haven't completely run out) - what's next? :)

I like the phrase "gas slow down". It acknowledges that it doesn't really end. Haha


Offline gnarly

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2012, 12:22:19 AM »
sad do say i'll never get close to applying the principles of sir firemodel55, but i like his conviction. maybe i can use that when i won the lottery(no pun intended).

for the mean time: i'll just stick with no. 3 and 5.

Offline blacktele

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2012, 01:19:44 AM »
I do agree, it may slow it down because getting the best really requires more time to save for it.
GAS is proof that money has no value without velocity


Offline pualux

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2012, 01:21:43 AM »
I do agree, it may slow it down because getting the best really requires more time to save for it.

parang disiplina narin, yung gas kasi napapa impulse buy ka

Offline gyrome

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #6 on: March 10, 2012, 01:30:26 AM »
Ako hindi lang nag-slowdown, STOP talaga ako ngayon. TESBUN si GF. Yeah!! :D

Offline blacktele

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #7 on: March 10, 2012, 01:42:14 AM »
Ako hindi lang nag-slowdown, STOP talaga ako ngayon. TESBUN si GF. Yeah!! :D

Congrats bro!
GAS is proof that money has no value without velocity

Offline jamming_papu

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #8 on: March 10, 2012, 03:56:22 AM »
Totally agree with 1 and 3 at all cases. But for most people na nangangati na ang kamay para makahawak ng instrumento at makatugtog it seems that maximizing the current available budget using 6 and some point 7 is a good guide.
“Man, you don't have to play a whole lot of notes. You just have to play the pretty ones.”
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Offline gyrome

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #9 on: March 10, 2012, 04:00:18 AM »

Offline Chum

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #10 on: March 11, 2012, 11:18:12 AM »
Ako hindi lang nag-slowdown, STOP talaga ako ngayon. TESBUN si GF. Yeah!! :D

The best reason to slow down/stop talaga hahaha... Soon we will be welcoming you to the "Laging Puyat Gentlemen's Club"  :-D :-D :-D  No TONE beats the cooing and gurgling and crying of a little future Van Halen/Les Paul/Orianthi (malay natin girl haha)

Alright, back to topic...  :-D
Immanuel Kant, BUT Genghis Khan!!!

Offline gandydancer123

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #11 on: March 11, 2012, 11:31:33 AM »
agreed!

but let us not forget the fun factor......perhaps the list above  is for really really serious musicians..but for people who just like to rock out, write songs  and express themselves on stage and after 30 years talk about the great fun they had gigging around ...I guess criteria like these wont really matter much...when your on stage in some smokey,smelly rock joint with 20-30 fans wanting to rock out to your music..those small differences in tone, or wood density, or boutique amps, high end pots and cpacitors, the buzz on an unregulated pedal power supply adaptor....etc....wont really matter anymore..
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Offline abyssinianson

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #12 on: March 11, 2012, 11:38:14 AM »

So the question is HOW do you slowdown GAS?


this is easy: actually play the gear that you've bought and put it to good use.

this answer naturally follows the logical thought that if you've acquired enough stuff by GAS over t period of time, it must have been to serve a purpose, one of which would most likely be with the intent of making music -either through recorded media or by playing live, or as a bedroom rock-god, whichever. i've been fortunate to have pretty expensive gear and i've also been fortunate enough to have had the chance to see what they can do live in great venues. i figure, if i spend that much time (and money) buying gear, it better see play time from me otherwise, what was i buying all that crap for?

« Last Edit: March 11, 2012, 11:49:21 AM by abyssinianson »
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Offline xelalien

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #13 on: March 11, 2012, 11:40:26 AM »
this is easy: actually play the gear that you've bought and put it to good use.

this answer naturally follows the logical thought that if you've acquired enough stuff by GAS over t period of time, it must have been to serve a purpose, one of which would most likely be with the intent of making music -either through recorded media or by playing live, or as a bedroom rock-god, whichever. i've been fortunate to have pretty expensive gear and i've also been fortunate enough to have had the chance to see what they can do live in great venues. i figure, if i spend that much time (and money) buying gear, it better see play time from me otherwise, what was i buying all that crap for?




+1, focus more on songwriting, will definitely slow down GAS guuaranteed. maximize all the possible features of your current set-up.

Offline abyssinianson

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #14 on: March 11, 2012, 11:59:22 AM »

+1, focus more on songwriting, will definitely slow down GAS guuaranteed. maximize all the possible features of your current set-up.
yeah -great songs have been made with less stuff. i've actually got a nice story to use as an example. over the years i've met tons of artists and bands that have made it pretty big on the merit of great talent and songs. one recent story that comes to mind is Bon-Iver. I met Justin (Vernon) right when he first started and have run into him a few times over the years since then. we shared a lot in common because of where our family roots are, anyway the guy made his critically acclaimed record with the most minimum of gear AND it wasn't even the BEST gear. he showed me the guitar that he wrote a majority of the songs off that record and it was a beat up Sears Silvertone of some kind. he basically wrote a majority of the songs on that guitar, recorded it in an isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere (and I know the area because i've been to it several times) and despite these limitations, his songs garnered a ton of praise from fans, critics and his peers. this month, he won 2 Grammys.

do you NEED great gear? it helps. is great gear absolutely necessary to make great songs that will help you succeed at your craft? not necessarily BUT it would be nice, sure. the dude had a beat up silvertone and it smelled like an old guy but when he played it, it didn't matter whether he played a somogyi, a silvertone or a martin, the guy's songs said what needed to be said and he didn't need fancy schamncy gear to get the job done. some people say they need a $3000 amp to make music paired with a $5000 guitar. yeah, right. there are tons of examples out there on the gigging scene right NOW playing music with less costing stuff to prove those guys wrong.
« Last Edit: March 11, 2012, 12:03:00 PM by abyssinianson »
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Offline firemodel55

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #15 on: March 11, 2012, 12:06:27 PM »
this is easy: actually play the gear that you've bought and put it to good use.

this answer naturally follows the logical thought that if you've acquired enough stuff by GAS over t period of time, it must have been to serve a purpose, one of which would most likely be with the intent of making music -either through recorded media or by playing live, or as a bedroom rock-god, whichever. i've been fortunate to have pretty expensive gear and i've also been fortunate enough to have had the chance to see what they can do live in great venues. i figure, if i spend that much time (and money) buying gear, it better see play time from me otherwise, what was i buying all that crap for?

Because I can and I love it... I don't have to prove it and put it into play time.

Offline abyssinianson

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #16 on: March 11, 2012, 12:13:01 PM »
Because I can and I love it... I don't have to prove it and put it into play time.
hey, collecting is fine too. tons of dudes out there collecting stuff but can't play a lick on an instrument. there are players and there are collectors. the industry and market has room for both, in fact, that is why they make stuff that is meant to be a display piece and stuff that needs to withstand being hauled from state to state every day of the week.

if you've run out of stuff to buy, im sure the market will have something to provide soon enough especially since NAMM just finished. we have some amps in our collection in common like the Pitbull, the Uberschall and the Diezel (you the Herbert, me the VH4). if you're into metal amps try the new Fortin NATAS. you might like it. i tried one a while back and sprung for one. you might like it.
« Last Edit: March 11, 2012, 12:19:34 PM by abyssinianson »
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Offline firemodel55

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #17 on: March 11, 2012, 12:14:38 PM »
yeah -great songs have been made with less stuff. i've actually got a nice story to use as an example. over the years i've met tons of artists and bands that have made it pretty big on the merit of great talent and songs. one recent story that comes to mind is Bon-Iver. I met Justin (Vernon) right when he first started and have run into him a few times over the years since then. we shared a lot in common because of where our family roots are, anyway the guy made his critically acclaimed record with the most minimum of gear AND it wasn't even the BEST gear. he showed me the guitar that he wrote a majority of the songs off that record and it was a beat up Sears Silvertone of some kind. he basically wrote a majority of the songs on that guitar, recorded it in an isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere (and I know the area because i've been to it several times) and despite these limitations, his songs garnered a ton of praise from fans, critics and his peers. this month, he won 2 Grammys.

do you NEED great gear? it helps. is great gear absolutely necessary to make great songs that will help you succeed at your craft? not necessarily BUT it would be nice, sure. the dude had a beat up silvertone and it smelled like an old guy but when he played it, it didn't matter whether he played a somogyi, a silvertone or a martin, the guy's songs said what needed to be said and he didn't need fancy schamncy gear to get the job done. some people say they need a $3000 amp to make music paired with a $5000 guitar. yeah, right. there are tons of examples out there on the gigging scene right NOW playing music with less costing stuff to prove those guys wrong.

Who he?

Kung songs ang measure mo, whats his NET worth?  Arnel Pineda is worth US$15MM without ever needing a silvertone. 

Kahit sino naman pwede mag gig pero why would I gig with inferior equipment if I can enjoy better with expensive great sounding equipment?  Eh kung ganon bibilan ko si Justin ng Lumanog to trade in his Sears Silvertone. Papayag kaya siya?

Offline firemodel55

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #18 on: March 11, 2012, 12:15:49 PM »
hey, collecting is fine too. tons of dudes out there collecting stuff but can't play a lick on an instrument. there are players and there are collectors.

I don't collect.  I buy based on character...

Offline abyssinianson

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #19 on: March 11, 2012, 12:40:08 PM »
Who he?

Kung songs ang measure mo, whats his NET worth?  Arnel Pineda is worth US$15MM without ever needing a silvertone. 

Kahit sino naman pwede mag gig pero why would I gig with inferior equipment if I can enjoy better with expensive great sounding equipment?  Eh kung ganon bibilan ko si Justin ng Lumanog to trade in his Sears Silvertone. Papayag kaya siya?

haha, knowing him -he would go for it. dude scours for stuff at pawn shops and Ebay all the time. if he had a lumanog, he'll prolly find a use for it. i know lots of musicians that would go for obscure instruments and instruments of varying quality. just because something doesn't cost a gazillion bucks doesn't mean you can't write awesome songs with it. some awesome examples are the things you find in Eric Valentine's studio. i've been in that place and awesome records by the Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age and Third Eye Blind have recorded there. some weird cheap stuff made it onto records because they sounded great.

check who Bon-Iver is, you have the internet. released two albums on his own, one of which was an indie label and his first was voted one of the most influential albums of 2009. the latest one won him best new artist at the Grammys. he continues to be carried under an indie label but has had major label offers too.

ah -net worth. hell if i know. im not the guy's agent nor do i intend to be. i do know that Justin has released 2 records on his own and established an identity based on his songs and live performance. he wasn't picked by a band off a youtube video singing a cover of a song made famous by someone else. Pineda? sure he might be worth 15M but, mind you, he was also hired to fill some very specific shoes by a band that has been around since the 80s. he can write songs as much as Schon will let him but pound for pound, dude was hired to do a specific job within a franchise that most likely doesn't let him write his own songs. take from that what you will.
« Last Edit: March 11, 2012, 12:59:42 PM by abyssinianson »
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Offline abyssinianson

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #20 on: March 11, 2012, 12:42:35 PM »
I don't collect.  I buy based on character...

that is fine too. humour me for a bit, i've been away for a few years from this forum so refresh my memory again: is "hiyaw" synonymous with character? i don't think i ever established what it actually means.
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Offline siore

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #21 on: March 11, 2012, 01:18:25 PM »
to some extent, I agree

Me too. I liked a few things on the OP.

"Use feel and sound."

Yes.

"I hope this helps."

Yes. I hope as well.
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Offline firemodel55

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #22 on: March 11, 2012, 06:16:16 PM »
that is fine too. humour me for a bit, i've been away for a few years from this forum so refresh my memory again: is "hiyaw" synonymous with character? i don't think i ever established what it actually means.

Yes, Hiyaw does/is the best measure of character but character is more... Hard to describe really.  Very very few guitars have them.

Offline firemodel55

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #23 on: March 12, 2012, 03:27:50 AM »
agreed!

but let us not forget the fun factor......perhaps the list above  is for really really serious musicians..but for people who just like to rock out, write songs  and express themselves on stage and after 30 years talk about the great fun they had gigging around ...I guess criteria like these wont really matter much...when your on stage in some smokey,smelly rock joint with 20-30 fans wanting to rock out to your music..those small differences in tone, or wood density, or boutique amps, high end pots and cpacitors, the buzz on an unregulated pedal power supply adaptor....etc....wont really matter anymore..

The more so, I believe.  Somebody told me recently, why keep a good sounding 62 strat in pristine condition when you can gig with, and take pictures with and remember times that you played with it and pleasing the crowd specially if you have no one else to give it to when you die?  Doesn't that element make your memories of gigging richer?  And maybe pardon my opinion -- I hope you do not get offended -- rocking out to express yourself is just not about capturing the richness of music.  Mukhang lifestyle lang ang hinabol at hindi ang musical experience kasi wala kang paki sa small differences in tone, boutique amps, high end pots and caps and buzz on unregulated pedal power supply adaptor.  The really great guitarist I know and I read about care about these because music for them is  just more than a good time. Its about communicating EXPRESSION -- as you pointed out.  Anything less than their perfect or greatest effort makes EXPRESSION less than their best.  At the end of the day, when the hits are gone and all your fans have suddenly disappeard and you are NOT the next best thing anymore and replaced by some inferior musical act, its about the company and friends who stuck with you AND believe me your equipment and NOT about rockin' out 100% of the time. 

Offline firemodel55

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Re: GAS slowdown
« Reply #24 on: March 12, 2012, 03:41:47 AM »
haha, knowing him -he would go for it. dude scours for stuff at pawn shops and Ebay all the time. if he had a lumanog, he'll prolly find a use for it. i know lots of musicians that would go for obscure instruments and instruments of varying quality. just because something doesn't cost a gazillion bucks doesn't mean you can't write awesome songs with it. some awesome examples are the things you find in Eric Valentine's studio. i've been in that place and awesome records by the Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age and Third Eye Blind have recorded there. some weird cheap stuff made it onto records because they sounded great.

check who Bon-Iver is, you have the internet. released two albums on his own, one of which was an indie label and his first was voted one of the most influential albums of 2009. the latest one won him best new artist at the Grammys. he continues to be carried under an indie label but has had major label offers too.

ah -net worth. hell if i know. im not the guy's agent nor do i intend to be. i do know that Justin has released 2 records on his own and established an identity based on his songs and live performance. he wasn't picked by a band off a youtube video singing a cover of a song made famous by someone else. Pineda? sure he might be worth 15M but, mind you, he was also hired to fill some very specific shoes by a band that has been around since the 80s. he can write songs as much as Schon will let him but pound for pound, dude was hired to do a specific job within a franchise that most likely doesn't let him write his own songs. take from that what you will.

Based on the few snapshots of Bon Iver, he has a unique style. It reminds me of Enya to a certain extent because of its mood.  It seems that his songwriting is his strength and he is soulful BUT...

1) I think Arnel sings with more SOUL than he does even if its just a Journey song -- I have to agree with Neal Schon on this.  Bon has this monotone that I can appreciate but NOT listen to the whole day.  He sounds as if his balls are squished... I don't mean it in a bad way but it sounds contrived.
2) Bon Iver's songs can get boring despite the different textures he does which I like. 
3) For me, I am NOT impressed with his guitar tones -- but you have to excuse me because I listened via Youtube so I could be totally wrong in a live situation.
4) But to be honest, I prefer him to Willie Villarame but NONE of his songs are on the LEVEL OF JOURNEY.  It may be unfair to compare him to them but if I had the same amount of money to spend on a CD by Bon versus the Journey CD, I would in MY OPINION buy Journey.