Kemper doesn't work for Gn'R guitarists

  • In my book he's got the time feel and note choice of a great guitarist :)

    Well, on recording he sounds very nuanced, I give him that, but live, I think it is underwhelming, sometimes is like slash is trying too hard to play like slash LOL, I am also on the camp of it being good, not great. But to each their own.

    The answer is 42

  • Well, on recording he sounds very nuanced, I give him that, but live, I think it is underwhelming, sometimes is like slash is trying too hard to play like slash LOL, I am also on the camp of it being good, not great. But to each their own.

    Yea he is great on recordings.Absolutely.If he likes it he shines and gives this certain thing.And if he has a great producer by his side he does legend stuff.

    I have seen enough early days concerts of GnR which he played insanely good.With unbelievable passion.


    But ofcourse I admit he had a lot of "bad days"..specially later on.He often really just do not care.Not at all.This attitude of him is not theater.It is real.He is really a all or nothing player.I can respect this.

  • Just to qualify my views on my Slash bash...


    He is a good guitarist and great songwriter ( my point is he is definitely a great songwriter). He plays with passion and belief...I absolutely love the video Live at the Ritz, he is on fire.


    Why in my eyes isn't he great? Because although he has his own style, its very limited and not that different to other rock players - he's not exactly versatile and sometimes clumsy ( solo to you could be mine grates on me a bit, fast outro of Paradise city is a bit cheezy). He plays little that I find inspiring or changing the way we think about guitar - blues based heavy rock, which i grew up on and so I really like it and fun to play but "great"?


    It doesn't help that he also plays on a couple of my most hated songs - November Rain and their cover of Knockin on Heavens door, although he is not totally at fault for those!


    So I'm in no way saying he isn't a good (I'll even stretch to "really good"), but not in the same league as Randy, EVH, Hendrix and even Nuno (my fav guitarist) and many others less well known ( John Sykes, Jake E Lee, Gary Moore, Angus..even Mr Fortus! etc.).

    I apply the same logic to Richie Sambora or The edge who frequently come up as great guitarists - great songwriters no doubt but that is one ( albeit important) aspect of guitar .


    But this is personal so its what moves you. He doesn't move me but I quite like playing his songs....


    BTW I suspect he doesn't rate me much either :)


    Anyway, each to his own and I'll shut up now before I offend anyone else

  • Yea I know what you mean.He is not "innovative" and did not "change the way we play" or "the way we see guitar" etc..


    But he is mean.


    He is also quite a bit punk and has as I said before this true "I don't care" attitude.Very traditional and to the point but with a lot of modern punk attitude.


    Is this cheesy?


    Definitely.Rock guitar is cheesy.One big stereotype.Slash symbolizes that perfectly.He is the poster boy of this brand.And I like that.^^

  • My only problem with him is he didn't like KPA but then stroked Amplitude. I'm not crazy about his tone or playing, but I like him (as far as I know) as a person. Seems laid back and easy to smile, and not a diva. I never cared for him that much until I saw that video where a stage crasher blindsided him & faceplanted him and his guitar HARD over his monitor and he just stood up and kept playing his damaged guitar. Just about any other artist would have freaked and walked off stage. I was super impressed how he handled it. It made him look like an experienced warrior. Take a look at that vid and tell me how many others would have handled that like he did. I sure as heck wouldn't have. If someone did that to me and my favorite les paul, I'd put it back in tune with their head and went to jail.

  • I am not a Slash fan, but I recon his own merits. I believe that he helped to bring Gibson LP back to business, in middle of Eddie and the super strat era. He dared to be different, maybe his iconic songs and his top hat helped him more than his chops, to build his fan base.

    Not
    all great players or virtuosos out-there inspire or create trends like Edge and Slash did, with less technical skills.

    Clapton is not a virtuoso, compared to Hendrix, Page, but a master and great influence to many.


    Slash does not need a Kemper. In fact he still is a Marshall endorser, signature artist, it is very likely that, legally, he can not praise any device that competes directly with his signature products. He is doing great with Marshall and Gibson.

  • I am not a Slash fan, but I recon his own merits. I believe that he helped to bring Gibson LP back to business, in middle of Eddie and the super strat era. He dared to be different, maybe his iconic songs and his top hat helped him more than his chops, to build his fan base.

    Not all great players or virtuosos out-there inspire or create trends like Edge and Slash did, with less technical skills.

    Clapton is not a virtuoso, compared to Hendrix, Page, but a master and great influence to many.

    Completely agree that guitar players (or any instrument player by that way) needs not a virtuoso status/technik to actually be inspirational or relevant in the music media. Not everybody is Vai/Johnson/Plini/Malsteem level of virtuoso, and there you have guys playing humble styles making leaps in the genre. I mean, Kurt Kobain I bet inspired more guys to play guitar in the 90s than someone as Petrucci, that says something.

    The answer is 42

  • I never cared for him that much until I saw that video where a stage crasher blindsided him & faceplanted him and his guitar HARD over his monitor and he just stood up and kept playing his damaged guitar.

    I was there ..Milan 2011 or 2012 I Guess. Crazy Moments. He tried to go on and finish the solo but a tuning key had been seriously damaged and he had to switch to another guitar.. in the meantime, waiting for the spare LP he Also had some air-guitar time !!! Funny.


    back on topic, I ve never read Slash talking good or bad about KEMPER.. (it was Fortus' interview )

    about IK amplitube, beside the commercial aspect, for sure it's good for him to have an easy / quick way to lay down some tracks / new riff / ideas even on the road... bus..hotel room... that s the main positive aspect I suppose.. not the sound itself.

    (Anyway I don't think Amplitube is bad sounding.)

  • I promise I'll shut up about this now but...


    What annoyed me was GnR were anti hair metal, stripped back, more of a punk attitude as mentioned...then they turned into a 7 piece band, with piano's on stage, keyboards, backing singers etc. I know that wasn;t Slash but he was part of it. You could argue they were developing but to me they sold out and I lost interest.


    Has he influenced loads of people? Yeah. I just think he is overrated and is as much about the rest of the band. He's a really good guitarist in what was a great band. Attitude is important but most really good guitarists are "committed" in their own way...


    I d also agree you don;t have to be a virtuoso and I particularity didn't mention guitarists that I would consider virtuoso's as comparable. Compared to Paul Gilbert, Tosin Abasi, Vai, Malmsteen etc. even Hendrix and SRV or EVH are not in the same league, hence I was trying to compare apples with (at least) fruit..


    Back to topic....In the world of endorsements, access to high level gear ( including vintage) and possibly no reason for change, I can sort of understand Mr Fortus.

  • No man..don't shut up please.. we are just lads discussing a guy who lives the "nice boys don't play rocknroll" thing.And this by real.No fake.He is mean.And his band was called "the most dangerous band in the world".Also no fake.Cheap stereotype of long haired,tattooed,useless punks having fun.This is great.And sells like crazy if young angry kids sense that this is no fake.


    I remember him being asked about Michael Jackson a few years ago and he just said "He is a freak..and strange..but that's ok because I am a freak and very strange too"..


    How not to like him as a person??


    As a player..I guess he knows very well that he sucks in many ways.Lately I read that he was asked to work on his intonation during bends and vibratos and he said something like "yeah I should do that"....great guy..

  • If I could have access to my dream amps, a technic that gives them maintenance, guys that bring them everywhere for me, and tons of money to spare on 412s, mics and mixing desk, ¿why would I care about the portability, authenticity and reliability of the kemper? LOL, I bet a dumble is on the reach of slash, and considering how sought after are they, maybe he has one, just for the luxury of it.

    The answer is 42

  • What annoyed me was GnR were anti hair metal, stripped back, more of a punk attitude as mentioned.

    In the 70's les pauls were so overdone, and went out a bit in the 80's. In the early 80's you could buy a used standard or deluxe goldtop for $350.00-$450.00 (My 69 goldtop was $350.00) When G&R came out they had kind of a "new" Aerosmith /stones vibe that was a break from hair metal and spawned a bunch of copycat bands that sang like Axl. I can remember it well as the vintage les paul market went sky high (Even though Slash played a copy) and never went back down. I believe Slash to be more than partially responsible for that. IMO The debut album was just about the only thing they ever did worth buying. ONE album.

  • I never said I didn't like the dude :)

  • I never said I didn't like the dude :)

    I know.Sorry if I sounded like you would not.


    I just saw George Lynch doing "ain't talking about love" evh tribute on a les paul.He sounded like slash doing randy rhoads..


    Somehow Les Pauls are not for shredders.At least not in their classical form with PAFs and without EMGs 81/85s..and indeed Slash with a mockingbird is a much more accurate player.

  • I know.Sorry if I sounded like you would not.


    I just saw George Lynch doing "ain't talking about love" evh tribute on a les paul.He sounded like slash doing randy rhoads..


    Somehow Les Pauls are not for shredders.At least not in their classical form with PAFs and without EMGs 81/85s..and indeed Slash with a mockingbird is a much more accurate player.

    All good bud :)


    Yeah Yngwie sounded odd on that Les Paul too.

  • Somehow Les Pauls are not for shredders

    Not usually, but I think it's cool when shredders use them because it's a bit of a challenge up high. Sykes, Rhoads, Sinister Gates all used them. I really think it has to do more with looks -like you wouldn't usually use a BC rich warlock in a bluegrass band, les pauls don't look like shredder guitars. When it comes down to it, You could use a Warlock in a country band or a Gretch with a humbucker to play Van Halen songs on and it would probably sound fine. Guitars don't know what shape they are when they make sound, they have a neck, strings, pickups etc.

  • Not usually, but I think it's cool when shredders use them because it's a bit of a challenge up high. Sykes, Rhoads, Sinister Gates all used them. I really think it has to do more with looks -like you wouldn't usually use a BC rich warlock in a bluegrass band, les pauls don't look like shredder guitars. When it comes down to it, You could use a Warlock in a country band or a Gretch with a humbucker to play Van Halen songs on and it would probably sound fine. Guitars don't know what shape they are when they make sound, they have a neck, strings, pickups etc.

    Hmm..yes,ofcourse.I am a big "the sound is in the fingers" believer too.


    But..the Paul..a really good vintaye style les paul has this what I call "abrupt attack/slow release" kind of tone.It just needs "room" to develop its tone.Sounds a little strange this theory but for me personally I rather shred on a good low output stratocaster than on a vintage style PAF les paul.The vintage strat "reacts" better to fast playing.The vintage style les paul has this beautiful voice that is a also a little bit muddy.At least this is what I feel when I play good Paul's & Strats with vintage characteristics.


    But as you said..I love Sykes,Rhoads etc but they definitely belong into the same group as malmsteen,EJ with their stratocasters and their shred styles..rather exceptions.

  • Not usually, but I think it's cool when shredders use them because it's a bit of a challenge up high. Sykes, Rhoads, Sinister Gates all used them. I really think it has to do more with looks -like you wouldn't usually use a BC rich warlock in a bluegrass band, les pauls don't look like shredder guitars. When it comes down to it, You could use a Warlock in a country band or a Gretch with a humbucker to play Van Halen songs on and it would probably sound fine. Guitars don't know what shape they are when they make sound, they have a neck, strings, pickups etc.

    Well, looks were constructed with the legacy of some guitar players decades ago. Nobody would think on shredding on a strat without EJ and EVH I think, super strats were just the result in design AND looks to what guitar players were after in a shredding situation. I have my trusty Solo II custom, it has a 12" neck and it is totally shreddeable, but then I had this ibanez prestige with the thinnest and flattest neck I ever tried, and understood the point of it, it is butter on the fingers. I prefer more meat on my hands, but I bet some guys prefer the lighting fast action of a shredding axe.

    The answer is 42