Guitar Gear

So I got an email announcement of Gibson’s new Billy Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior Double Cut. I’m not a big Green Day fan, but I’ve followed them over the years, and earned an appreciation for their body of work and success. Over the years, there has been lots of debate over Green Day. Did they sell out to Warner? Are they really that good? In guitar circles, people have debated on BJA’s playing ability.

Given the previous debates I’ve heard over the years, I clicked the link to look at the guitar. But while I scanned over the specs, what I was really more interested in were the comments. Sure enough, the debates about Green Day haven’t stopped. Also, the whole “cost of a Gibson” debate churns on… After reading through several pages of comments, I decided to chime in here, and share my perspective on a few of the issues.

1. On Green Day selling out…
   I had this very debate with my oldest son while listening to “Wake Me Up When September Ends” on the radio several years ago. I asked him if he still liked Green Day, and he replied, “Only their old stuff. They sold out, and I don’t really like their new stuff.” In rebuttal, I replied that I had read that they had been given full artistic control in their contract, and I shared that with my son. If they had full artistic control, then they were writing what they wanted. My argument – as a composer myself – was that just because a band writes in another style doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve sold out. I know that songs just sit out there waiting to be written. They could be blues, they could be rock, they could be classical, they could be pop. But as an artist, you write what you write and what comes out. In BJA’s defense, I think he wrote was what was in his heart at the time. If it happened to be mainstream, that’s fine. We don’t know what motivates a composer to write; I’ve been writing for years, and I really don’t know where the songs come from. They just come. So with Green Day coming up with mainstream music, at least to me, who cares?
2. On Billy Joe Armstrong’s playing ability…
   There is a lot to be said about playing in the pocket. Tell someone like Steve Cropper who has been around for years he’s no good because he plays rhythm guitar – or even Malcom Young for that matter. So what if BJA doesn’t play screaming leads?!! I know lots of players out there who can play all sorts of leads and cool licks, but they couldn’t carry a song if their life depended on it. Besides, with his punk roots, BJA’s message and energy are far more important than being able to do two-handed arpeggios, and sweep picking.
3. On the cost of a Gibson…
   I’m kind of with the camp that says, “You don’t like it, buy something else.” Everyone has a choice in what to buy. Are Gibson guitars pricey? In general, yeah. And while they had suffered in quality back in the late 80’s and early 90’s (which is probably where a lot of this angst comes from), I haven’t played a newer Gibson that I could complain about its quality. You have to pay for a good guitar, and a Gibson is a good guitar. Some of the complainers I’ve met have no problem shelling out several thousand dollars for a custom, boutique guitar. Hey! That’s their choice. For me personally, I love Les Pauls. I honestly couldn’t afford most of the brand-new Custom Shop guitars, but to me, and especially because I have an R8, for the most part, I think they’re worth the money. There are some like that Jimmy Page #1 copy that I think are over-priced, but I don’t really have too much of a problem with the pricing of a Les Paul.

We guitarists are certainly a passionate lot.  But one thing that I’ll reiterate again and again is: Whatever floats your boat, that’s fine with me.