Hard but true

Couldn't agree more, Alan. Very well said. But that truth is quite uncomfortable sometimes due to human nature

...and by the way as well true for "the best 20 free VSTs" to be added to your DAW so that you finally can create the pro mix

good stuff!

while i don't want to imply i fault anyone for doing as they please, to more of an extent, i don't understand why so many players need to amass so many free/paid rigs and stuff. sure, i like to have choices too, but i don't want or need so many that the primordial "search for tone" becomes less about focusing on improving my playing and almost wholly more about browsing storefronts, watching/listening to examples or reviews, buying, downloading, unzipping archives, trialing, and on and on....and then it begins AGAIN!

90% of the time, i set a rig and just leave it. i want to get lost in playing guitar not lost in another checkout!

Before every practice session, I open up my $50,000 wishlist at Sweetwater and go over which item I can afford next. I usually bump up the Pack of Strings.

Quote from BayouTexan

Before every practice session, I open up my $50,000 wishlist at Sweetwater and go over which item I can afford next. I usually bump up the Pack of Strings.

go for the 3-pack! live a little!

Quote from Wheresthedug

Every time I think I need more options or “better” sound quality I take a look at this and realise that the best thing any of us can do is learn to use the stuff we have to its full potential and spend more time learning how to play music. No one in the audience is listening to us saying “great band but if only the guitarist was using a Quad Cortex (AxeFx, ToneX, real Marshall etc etc) but if we don’t actually play the music with conviction they will notice.

No, they won't really. Unless audiences have gotten a lot smarter since my weekend warrior days (which i seriously doubt) or are much more astute across the pond than they are here in the States they're pretty obtuse when it comes to music. They don't know or care what amp or guitar you are playing. I have seen audiences rave about mediocre bar bands and yawn over players I really admired. I myself have been patted on the back numerous nights when I wasn't feeling it and just "mailed it in". They don't care. And they shouldn't. They are not there to be music critics. They are there to have a good time. There is only one thing that matters to them - and it's the only thing that really should matter to them. "Did you enjoy yourself and have a good time?" If the answer is yes then all is well.

For the record, I agree with your first sentence entirely.

Edited to add: Had I followed this advice five years ago I would never have gotten my Kemper. I'd still be wailing away on my Hot Rod 50 half stack.

Some time ago I approached the guitar player of a really great cover band which was playing at our company's summer party. He had a Kemper on stage and I asked him during a break what profiles he's using. He looked at me sooooooo puzzled and super surprised. Very nice conversation then and he admitted he never had something like that before - because audiences simply do not care if they are not very full of musicians (or even full of guitar players). So it is probably a bit different on music fairs or similar.

By the way: The answer to the profile questions was nice and along the lines of "uh... wait... not exactly sure... some 69 Marshall profile that sounds good and came with that box...". Needless to say he sounded perfect that night

When I got my Stage, I spent months on profiles and I came to a conclusion of "If I can play just about any song on it and it sounds good, that's a good profile". So for my tastes, a Marshall just works and could easily see myself playing the MBRITT 69 Marshall forever also.

I too have waay too many profiles. It's fun and I accept it as a relatively inexpensive addiction. I have rationalized by trying to play a new and different lick/riff every time I audition a new profile. Forces me to do more than tone chase.

You are free to invent your own mind games, lol!

I agree with the idea of squeezing as much out of gear as you can stand.

I spent a fair amount of time bouncing between profiles. I bought several (mostly from Guidorist). I also drove myself nuts 'chasing' certain sounds. Then I just decided to build a handful of sounds *I* like. Making no effort to sound like anyone other than what my ears liked.

I still try to mimic certain tones just because, but when I go to play....it's the same two profiles assembled in various ways, regardless of the guitar I'm using.

I still use a King of Tone and a Tumnus Deluxe in the loop. You cannot get the Kemper Drive close enough to a real KoT IMO. Then again....no one else can, either....and I waited four years on the list....so I'm using the dang thing.

The Kemper Fuzz, though? Yeah, man...that's the ticket.