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Posts Tagged ‘thoughts’

Don’t Let Your Ego Get the Best of You

Posted in Guitars, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 9, 2011| Leave a Comment »

I mentioned in a previous article that I play a lot of golf (to be honest, golf and fine wines are my other obsessions besides guitar). While golf and guitar may not really seem very similar, having garnered a bit of skill in both, I can tell you that there are lots of similarities; especially when it comes to gear.

It was an absolutely beautiful spring-like day here in Silicon Valley, CA, so I took a couple of hours to go to the range to practice and what I witnessed at the range today compelled me to write this article. I was about a quarter of the way through my bucket when up walked a guy who kind of made me chuckle. He was decked out in obviously expensive golf clothing: Clean, white and pressed bermuda shorts; white polo shirt with collar upturned; a Fila sweater vest; topping it all off with a Titllest visor advertising his Titlest players clubs (“players” as in low handicap to pro). But even worse was that it was clear that he was looking for a stall to “show off.” What made me laugh was how he was watching people swing. He passed plenty of stalls before he finally picked one two stalls down from me where there were a couple of decent players hitting on either side of him. Talk about Alpha-male syndrome.

Having played for many many years, I’ve noticed that these kinds of players come in two flavors. They’re either REALLY great players (most probably pro), and their clothing is just decorum – though showing off is never a good thing, but at least they have something to show – or they’re total wankers who buy equipment that is far beyond their ability to play effectively because it’s “the best” or most expensive, never thinking that perhaps they should go with gear that will help enjoy the game. Let me tell you, having played with players clubs, you better be able to make great, consistent swings because the sweet spot on those clubs is much smaller than beginner or game improvement clubs.

I watched the guy warm up, and it looked like he had skills. His practice swings had a nice, fluid motion, and his body position at ball address was decent, so I figured he’d be a low handicap player. Then he swung at the ball for real. I had to step away from my own hitting because I started laughing. The guy swung like his torso and limbs were connected to tight rubber bands. It was the jerkiest motion I had ever seen, completely overpowering his club. The net result was that he hit EVERYTHING right and with a huge slice.

I laughed because he reminded me of the “rocker” dudes that go to Guitar Center. They certainly look the part, but then you hear them play. Some are actually pretty good, but most tend to be fairly one-dimensional in their playing, preferring speed over musicality. I suppose that’s okay to just play a single style, but they add insult to injury by cranking up whatever they’re playing, with no regard for the other customers in the store. A lot of times, it’s just not a pretty sight.

I guess I’m just taking exception to the attitude: Hey! Look at me! Forget about how I sound – I sound great, and am a legend in my own mind – but don’t I look great?!!! Well, confidence is one thing, but as Frank Herbert wrote in “The Lazarus Effect,” “No one likes an a@#hole.”

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On Gear Critics and Critiques

Posted in Guitars, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 30, 2011| 4 Comments »

Yeah, I suppose I’m a gear critic, considering the nature of GuitarGear.org. But one thing that I NEVER wanted to do was establish myself as someone who came off as “my word is is law.” To be honest, I would consider myself an expert on guitar gear – at least in general with respect to guitars and peripherals and how they all work together – but I also realize that my own proclivities and tastes are my own. And despite the fact that I employ rigorous testing in both studio and on stage, inspect every piece of gear closely, looking for build or finish flaws, or admiring the workmanship of some gear; in the end, my analysis is simply… an opinion. Because of this awareness, I’m always careful about making gear recommendations. I rarely, if ever, tell readers that they have to buy something; rather, I suggest they check it out and try it for themselves.

The reason I’m covering this particular subject is because as I was reading through some wine reviews this morning (yes, that’s yet another passion of mine besides guitar and golf), I realized that the critics I gravitate to are the ones whom I consider to have considerably more expertise than me, but rather than dictate, they suggest, and also provide contrast by illustrating similar wines.

Then I looked at my participation in various online forums, and the various so-called experts that practically live there. There are some for whom I have great respect and admiration who give and have given me some great insight and advice on various gear topics. But there are others who love to bandy about their knowledge, pulling out their credentials as proof that you need to listen. The worst thing is that they’re all very eloquent so many people are taken in by the things they say and advise, then they go out and buy a particular gear that the “expert” says they need, and they’re convinced beforehand that it’s everything they need; only to find out some time later that it just doesn’t work with their sound.

Look, I’ve been down that road; hanging on every word that a so-called “expert” says. And yes, I’ve been burned. Just remember this, as said in the movie “Platoon:” “Opinions are like assholes. Everyone’s got one.” 🙂 Seriously though, and I know, I repeat this all the time. Don’t just take the word of someone who raves about gear. Try before you buy. And if you can’t try it, make sure you do your homework and research!

“guitarboy” who is a reader of this column teased me recently about getting my Timmy pedal. To be completely honest and transparent, I’ve never played one. But I did do my research, listening to tons of clips, and fortunately for me, seeing/hearing one in action at a friend’s concert (Dylan Brock of “Luce”) where I could see how he set it. I was also able to talk to him after the concert to get his insights on the pedal. That particular conversation sold me on the pedal.

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Just Shut Up and Play!!!

Posted in Guitars, tagged , , , , , on March 23, 2011| 4 Comments »

The danger about being a gear freak or have a mania for anything is that you can easily waste lots of money chasing an ideal. Think about it a moment: Lots of things influence our decisions to purchase gear; and not all are that reasonable. We gear freaks tend to be a fairly compulsive lot. Something might look cool or feel or sound great in the shop; we read about something in a forum; see something in a magazine; all triggers for GAS.

Though I still get GAS and am intending to buy yet another guitar very soon – a Gretsch Electromatic 5122C – I’m not nearly as compulsive as I used to be. This is because about a year ago after I had amassed a bunch of gear, I looked at my studio with the line of guitars, stacks of amps and cabs, three pedal boards (with more in a special cabinet drawer), and said, “Damn! You just gotta play yer gear.”

I realized in that moment that I had a bunch of stuff that I’ve hardly used at all; for instance, a BOSS practice unit that sits on my recording console desk that I rarely if ever turn on. Or I have some pedals that are simply collecting dust. I resolved then and there to slow down my buying and be much more calculating with my purchasing decisions. After all, I told myself, you bought this stuff to play it, so play it!

The TC Electronic Corona Chorus was the first pedal I’ve purchased in about six months. I’ve looked at several, but haven’t pulled the trigger. I do have to admit that I didn’t necessarily “need” a new chorus, but the Corona sounds so damn good that I just had to have it. 🙂 Truth be told, it’s affixed to my main board and will not be leaving it. And that’s a real driving force for my purchasing decisions: Will I really be playing the gear in question. I gig at least two days out of the week, and I’ve stepped up my studio time as of late, so the gear I get has to be relevant to what I’m playing.

The net result of that shift in mentality is that my rate of picking up gear has significantly slowed; though I admit it gives me more to invest into fine wine and golf. 🙂

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Fear not and grow!

Posted in Guitars, tagged , , , , , , on May 30, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Every now and then, I go through huge, accelerated spurts of growth in my musicianship. Looking back, each time I’ve experienced musical growth, it almost always has been the result of simply letting go of certain preconceptions or assumptions; or let’s not the beat around the bush: getting over my inherent fear of – whatever: Fear of looking foolish; fear of making a mistake; fear of not being good enough; fear of authority. Take your pick. Whatever the flavor, fear has done more to keep me from truly realizing all that I can be than anything or anyone.

As Frank Herbert wrote in his masterpiece Dune,  “Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.” But as the Bene Gesserit “litany against fear” continues, “I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

I remember that litany hitting me like a ton of bricks when I first read it so many years ago. Basically, the idea behind it – at least from my perspective – is that you accept that you have fear; that fear may even elicit a physical response (stomach churning, cold sweat, etc.), but you will act in spite of that fear. And for those who are curious, I didn’t have that litany memorized. I remembered the first part, but had to look up the rest of it. 🙂

So what does that have to do with playing guitar?

Well, for me, it has or more accurately had to do with playing solos live. I was the consummate rhythm guitar/lead singer type for years, but when I started my worship band nearly eight years ago, I had the dubious distinction as being the most seasoned musician in the group, and with the other guitarists being quite experienced, but more like me, the duties of playing lead guitar and soloing fell on me. I never admitted it to the band, but I was absolutely terrified! But knowing my duty, I started learning all I could about playing lead guitar, learning scales and modes and such.

Then I got stuck; really stuck, because no matter how much I learned about the theory and patterns and licks, that all I was doing for a few years: Just playing linked licks, and just playing patterns. Frankly, what I was playing for solos was pretty old and tired, and reeked of someone else’s stuff. I relied on that stuff because it was safe, but I was scared to venture beyond it. I imagined an abyss of embarrassment from which I could not escape; people laughing at my phrasing.

That all changed this past Christmas season when I volunteered to play guitar for my kids’ school’s Christmas play. This was a very cool contemporary musical where I could crank up my amp (using an attenuator, of course) to get some lead tones, which were plentiful. And because the songs moved so fast, in many cases, I didn’t have time to turn pages, so I was basically forced to get the chord progressions down early, then provide fills and leads as necessary. The cool thing was that I didn’t have the time to let my fear get the best of me, and I just went for it!

Also, because the changes in the songs weren’t blues-based I-VI-V, I just had to be free-form in my phrasing, and concentrate entirely on the melody I was playing, damn the modes, damn the forms, damn the patterns. And after hearing various clips from the show, it all worked! I was actually scratching my head saying, “Was THAT really me playing?”

I now approach solos with the intent of establishing a melodic “idea” then building off that. Most people in the know would say, “Duh!” to me but hey! Better late than never, in my opinion. I still get pangs of fear, especially if I’m not really feeling the groove of a song, and I’ll revert to the old forms and patterns, but I no longer rely on them as a primary means of soloing.

The point to all this is that by breaking through that fear, or in my case, have a situation thrown at me where my fear had no chance to influence me, I was able to grow beyond my limitations at the time. So, fear not and grow!

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When Inspiration Hits…

Posted in Guitars, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 11, 2010| 1 Comment »

…I gotta go with it! I just got home from playing a three hour solo acoustic gig. I’m physically tired from playing and singing, but I’m going to go out to my garage and play some more after I write this entry! I’m on a real high from getting a great evaluation back from my latest song, “The Breakup,” and my gig tonight was really magical because I had breakthrough with letting my emotions pour out while I was performing. I’ve been doing this gig now for almost 8 years, week in and week out (except for vacations), and even after all this time, all I want to do is sling my axe!

Call it an obsession, but I could think of a lot of worse things to be obsessed with…

I’ve been trying to develop an idea for a new song. It’s a softer one, but I don’t necessarily want it to turn into a ballad…. oh well… Like I said, I’ll just go with the flow for now and see where this latest burst of creativity takes me. I guess that’s the point of this entry, just going with it. Tonight at my gig, I was feeling really passionate about playing. Normally I restrain myself from letting it all hang out emotionally, but tonight I just said, “Screw it. I’m feeling this way, so I’m going for it. I’m going to put everything I’ve got into my performance.” What that produced was magic. Normally, diners at the restaurant don’t seem to be paying attention – I get pretty good tips so I know they’re hearing it – but tonight, they really listened, and I think they connected with what I was feeling because the room was unusually much quieter than it normally is when I stick to the background, and I observed people just watching me play. That was so over-the-top cool!

I learned a great lesson tonight, and that is if you play with sincerity and with all your heart, great things can happen!

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Playing Just for the Love of It

Posted in Guitars, tagged , , , , , on February 3, 2010| 1 Comment »

I’m not ashamed to say that I’m very involved in my church’s music program; and I also play music for my kids’ school masses as well. I’ll admit that a primary driver of my involvement comes from my sense of duty to my parish community, but much of it also comes from just wanting to play guitar – ALL THE TIME! So even though it’s a church service, I don’t care; at least I get to play. 🙂 Today, for instance, was my turn to do music for my kids’ school’s weekly mass. I usually do it solo, but this time I invited a couple of my cohorts from Mass Hysteria, my Sunday Mass band to play. Only one of them showed, which was no big deal. The point was to play some music together, and get the kids rockin’!

And that’s exactly what we did. With my buddy Dave on acoustic, and me on piano and Blondie, my Tele, we just played our hearts out, both in praise, but also because at least for us, it’s pure enjoyment. Dave and I have been playing together for years, so we inherently know how either of us is going to react to pretty much any situation. There are no expectations, no judgments. It’s just loving to play music together, and sharing that love with whoever’s listening! Today was particularly special because the kids (about 500) really sang their voices out with us, and clapping their hands, and rockin’ the house. It was such a charge that it made my whole day.

And I guess that’s the point of me wanting to play so much. I just want to share the joy that I get from playing music. It’s not about image or how good or bad I am relative to others. If I can spread a little joy, maybe that’ll have an effect on others, and they in turn will share their joy with even more people.

You see, playing music to me is like a drop of water falling into a still pond. The drop might be insignificant in and of itself, but once it strikes the surface of the pond, its impact sends ripples in all directions, affecting the entire pond. For me as a musician, I’ve always been aware of that effect that music has on people. Joy is contagious. And joy spread through a medium like music can change the world.

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You Get What You Pay For…

Posted in buying gear, gear, guitar, guitar gear, guitar lifestyle, guitarists, Guitars, inspiration, instruction, Music, musicians, quest for tone, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on July 30, 2009| 5 Comments »

kiyosakiBack in the late 90’s and into the turn of the century, I got swept up in the craze of Robert Kiyosaki’s “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.” I soaked up what he was saying like a sponge. It made so much sense to me! I was hooked, and proceeded to buy all his books, and two of his board games! I wanted to learn how to get out of the rat race and get on my way to real financial freedom. I even went so far as creating my own business that was actually a great idea. Then reality struck. My business failed because of my inexperience and ignorance of running a business. I couldn’t keep up with my expenses. I sometimes couldn’t make payroll. It was tough!

Even still, I kept on buying Kiyosaki’s books. But by about the fourth book, I realized he was saying the same damn thing that he had said in the previous books, only rephrasing the message so it sounded different. That was also when I came to the realization that he perhaps Kiyosaki was just a front man, and that his “advice” wasn’t all that sound. What he was really after in getting rich was to sell more fucking books and “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” paraphernalia!

It was like this personal development seminar company that I got involved with in the early 90’s. They had three courses: Basic, Advanced, and Leaderhip, plus a satellite seminar for couples. I took the Basic and Advanced and my wife and I did the couples course. Those three courses changed our lives forever! And for the good. But then we both realized that what the company was really after was getting people to take the courses, and go through all of them, then recruit more people! They weren’t really interested in creating leaders. They were interested in filling up the classes! Needless to say, I divorced myself from this organization once I realized what they were up to. I’m not the only one who became enlightened to this, as the company is no longer in existence.

I shared this with you because while I learned a great deal from reading through Kiyosaki’s books and attending these seminars, they ultimately led me to one ultimate truth: I am responsible for my success. Only I can make the choices to excel at something or remain in obscurity. I can pray as much as I want, and dream and scheme till the end of my days; but in the end, I’m responsible for where I take myself in life.

So what does all this have to do with the title of this article? I shared these two experiences because despite the fact that they ultimately turned out to be somewhat fraudulent, they did have a lot of great material. Common to them both was this concept of “You get what you pay for…” Within that context, both stressed that we should beware of “free advice.” Free costs nothing, and in many cases, it’s very appealing. But blindly heeding free advice is essentially putting your success into another person’s hands, and not taking the responsibility for it. Yeah, free is good, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come without a cost down the line.

This concept of free advice applies to buying gear. Like most gear sluts, I hang out in a few online forums to see what people are playing, and to engage in conversations. It’s great fun. But one thing I’ve noticed a lot in the forums is the plethora of free advice saying that things like “X cable is better because it has the lowest capacitance. You should get this.”

One thing I’ve learned in writing this blog for the past couple of years is to avoid giving advice. I’ll make suggestions for sure, and if asked, will say what I do to approach a particular problem. Usually, I’ll just tell people to try out a bunch of gear to see what they like because everyone’s idea of good tone varies from person to person, and tone being subjective pretty much behooves the buyer to “try before you buy.”

What sparked the idea of this article was a comment a reader left on my review about the Roland CE-5 Chorus: “I find it amusing that every other guitar player says that a pedal is better solely because it is analog, regardless if they actually own an analog pedal or not. I’d like to blind-test these people and see if the can actually tell the difference between a digital and an analog pedal. Maybe you can blind-test yourself, you maybe pleasantly surprise at the result. Well, unless you are Eric Johnson anyways…”

That got me to thinking about all the free advice that’s out there regarding gear. I’m not saying you should ignore it. But use the free advice you get as reference points rather than guides. Make decisions based upon your own research. Even with the reviews I give here, remember, they’re my personal opinions. Ultimately, you have to make the choice. But if you go in blindly, and you’re disappointed with what you get well, you read the title…

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Sigh of relief: I finally got some inspiration…

Posted in guitar, guitar gear, guitar lifestyle, inspiration, Music, musicians, Worship Music, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 9, 2009| Leave a Comment »

I don’t know about you, but as a songwriter, it bugs me when I go for long periods without writing songs; or more precisely to the point, when the inspiration to write doesn’t come to me. I’m not a calculating songwriter, and completely rely on that inner voice that inexplicably sends music to my head. For the past couple of months, I haven’t had the inspiration. Oh, I’ve written short clips of stuff, and I’ve had the beginnings of song ideas; in fact, I just counted last night, and in the last couple of months have recorded 25 song ideas. With some of these, I even recorded several instrument tracks. But none of these developed into full songs.

But over the weekend, I got a new guitar from Adam Hernandez of Saint Guitars (read the review here). This functional piece of artwork stirred something in my soul and I got the inspiration to write a song – it’s about time! The song is based upon Psalm 146; yeah, it’s religious, but hey, a song is a song in my book. Besides, I haven’t written a religious song in awhile, and it’s actually where I started, so nothing like going back to my roots. But more importantly, just getting that one song out has made my creative juices start flowing again, and that’s a good thing. Give it a listen:

Being naturally introspective, I took a look at how I got the inspiration. Sure, the trigger was probably that gorgeous guitar, but more importantly, it had the effect of changing my current perspective. And I think that’s the key to inspiration. When you’re feeling in a rut, do something else or try out some other gear. The idea is to derail the status quo.

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