So I have had a bit of a revelation this week...

[behndy]

hurm. i've been lucky where i'm sooper dooper happy with the (sorta) expensive purchases, bass and rig. 4 Aggie GS12's with a big ass poweramp and a Dingwall have made me feel gooooooooooooood about spending the rest on pedals.

[dubkitty]

i still lean towards the guitar as the most important part of the equation for me, because it's my direct interface with the signal chain. there are things i can do to work around the qualities of a less-than-optimal amp, but a guitar with the wrong sound or feel screws me from the very start.

i also think that speakers should be considered separately from amps. the same frontend can sound very different through different speakers of the same size; e.g. the Laney VC30 1x12 with the Jensen sounded WAY different than the 2x12 with low-frequency Greenbacks. and that's in addition to the difference between voicing the same amp through 10s vs. 12s and 15s.

[Ilikewater]

I started with the Super Reverb that I got for a steal price, and I've always just played my yamaha 912. once I bought my baritone (700$) I was all and I knew there was more out there for me when it comes to guitar. I love the feel of my Yamaha, but it's sustain and tone aren't quite there. I'm pretty damn happy with Mr. Nelson's guitar. It makes for a lot of where my Yam was lacking. The neck is more rick/gibson like than the wizard thing I feel most comfortable with, but everything is so playable I can hardly complain.

1. Amp
2. Guitar (if it doesn't make you write, sell it)
3. Pedals

The pedals don't sound as epic if they can't rip the studs out. An amp helps with that. Buy an expensive guitar, and fuck it up. That way people know you are not a doctor/lawyer, and you mean bidness.

[Bassus Sanguinis]

In the optimal situation You have a smoking hot instrument with crazy fuzz pedals and an amazing amp. For most of us it's about the sacrifices that can be compensated, really, by other choices. So...

1. instrument (with extentions - like pedals)
2. amp

Instrument comes first. This is pretty obvious if You think it this way: You can pick ONLY the instrument OR the amp for a lone weekend in a secluded forest cabin - which one will be more fun? Supposing You haven't got booze and dope enough for any shortcomings and Your name and address to become trivial.

Anyway. After the instrument comes the amplification so it can be heard. But Fuzz counts as an instrument, too, as i s pretty obvious when You think of it from the noise artists viewpoint: that's just as much instrument as Your geet, banjo, synth, bass, or harmonica. And the rad sounds are the reason why You want the abusive loud amp with wide enough frequency spectrum. Some times it comes with so much character You want to spotlight that instead of Your pedals or even Your guitar. But if You don't have one AT ALL, You'll want a nice tie.

A really good fuzz and a decent amp can make any decent guitar still sound pretty rad. But if the fuzz isn't that great either, You probably don't end up sounding so super.

But If You've got a super hot instrument, a horrible distortion pedal and a totally piece of shit amp... You want end up looking the chandelier with the tie in Your neck.

If You've got a super amp and a piece of shit instrument and equally crappy distortion, the amp will tell everybody that, well, You've got a piece of shit instrument and equally crappy distortion and they want to buy You the tie.

[Chankgeez]

Why is it that when you play a show with a shared backline, the amp is the piece of shared equipment and not the guitar?

If the amp were the most important part of the equation, shouldn't it be the other way around?

[Psyre]

I don't think I understand. are you asking why players would share an amp but not a guitar?

[Achtane]

Why is it that when you play a show with a shared backline, the amp is the piece of shared equipment and not the guitar?

If the amp were the most important part of the equation, shouldn't it be the other way around?

It's more difficult to quickly change amps in/out and set them up than it is to plug in a guitar?
And whoever's on sound hopefully has an idea of how to easily adjust the shared amp's toanz for the venue.

[Psyre]

Also maybe amps are since a lot of people have shared feelings on how good/important some amps are, people use the amp that's on stage instead of just bringing out their identical amp

All I'm saying is for me personally, I would rather play a $350 guit that feels good and a pricier amp that gives me the tone I want. Guitars for me are for the feel, I can tinker with mods if it's super important that something gets changed.

[Achtane]

Agreed, if the ergonomics of the guitar and the neck are good, if it feels comfortable, etc. the electronics can always be switched out...

[behndy]

FUZZ FIRST FUZZ LAST ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ARE

[dorfmeister]

For me its:

Guitar - This is the interface. This is the control panel. Set the controls for the heart of the sun.

I only need one guitar that really feels right.

Amp is 2nd in importance. I really need Reverb but I am starting to think I could do completely without effects.

My biggest moment of revelation:

STOP OBSESSING OVER GEAR!

Also: Play more drums. I like the physicality of playing drums. Gets me out of my head which is where I can get stuck with guitar.

[Ilikewater]

To maybe backtrack, but guitar is most important sonically and creatively, but money goes a lot further on amps. A good guitar can be had cheap. The more you spend on your amp the more youll get back.

Importance
Guitar
Amp
Pedals

Money allocation
Amp
Guitar
Pedals

[snipelfritz]

Y'all are cray. Which would sound better, a Rickenbacker through a 15w solid state crate amp, or a daisy rock through an Orange half-stack?

(for the record, you're supposed to pick the second one)

This thread needs pollz.

[Psyre]

Y'all are cray. Which would sound better, a Rickenbacker through a 15w solid state crate amp, or a daisy rock through an Orange half-stack?

(for the record, you're supposed to pick the second one)

QFE

[sonidero]

GREAT THREAD!!! I shed a tear as I realize our lil ILF has grown up a lil and is on it's way to true Musical Transcendence... I agree with almost everybody in this awesome thread... Carry on gentlemen...