Essential Gear for your type of music

What, in general, is the essential gear needed for a certain type of music?

For example, A Les Paul is closely related with the Marshall amp for rock/punk.

Include pedals, hair due, "image" anything you can think of.

(Rock,Grunge,Punk,Country,Progressive Rock,etc., etc.)

hmmm...well I'm a death/thrash/black metal nut so...

EMG 81 pickups
Mean looking axes(B.C rich e.c.t)
Marshall JCM800's,Mesa triple rec's
Rocktron effects
Long hair and leather jackets

your ready to kill!

I don't buy the whole image crap, therefore I don't do it.

This is my rig;

Gibson Les Paul Double Cutaway + ->
POD XT->
POD XT Floorboard->
Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb
---------------------------

The only effects I use are Delay, Overdrive, and Distortion (and i rarely use them; I go for the clean sound); I will add an envelope filter to that list when I get my new custom guitar, however; I do something very rare; I play lead guitar with no effects on, usually; I've now accomplished an entire gig without doing flashy, non-musical crap, which I'm pleased with; Most guitarists fill their solos with meaningless flash, for no reason other than to impress people who are musical idiots. I don't agree with that.

I decided against getting the Vetta II, I tried it out at my music store; It was great, but it wasn't 'me', if you know what I mean. Now I'm considering checking out the Roland Amp Series; They are the best amps in the world, considered by Jazz Musicians. The unmolested tone is the reason why, apparently.

Roland Amps aren't too expensive, I'd have the luxury of having both a Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb Tube Amp, and a Roland Solid State amp; Two great amps!

~Incidents

i like yngwie's concerto sound which probly is the same as on other cds but i dont think i can achieve that through my bc rich..i would like to get a scalloped neck cuz i like the feel and some dmarrzio (sp?) pick ups but i figure i might as well buy another guitar instead of doin all that to my bc

Originally posted by Incidents Happen


I've now accomplished an entire gig without doing flashy, non-musical crap, which I'm pleased with; Most guitarists fill their solos with meaningless flash, for no reason other than to impress people who are musical idiots. I don't agree with that.

I know here is not the place, but can you explain a bit further what you mean?
You mean, you don't shred, don't do double hands, don't do arpeggios, or what?

I think he might be talking about stuff like huge phasing and delay to fill the solo or bridge e.c.t

... or like a guitar competition I saw recently.
One guy comes out with long blond hair down to his waist, and does this huge solo with all kinds of jumping around on stage, dive bombing on the whammy bar, and Beavis & Butthead head banging. Lights flashing and everything.

Right after him comes a guy with a cowboy hat and no effects on his guitar and basically blows everybody away with real talent. All the techniques of a great guitarist, mixing it up with hammer-ons, pull-offs, inventive bends, chord playing, rhythm playing, two handed tapping etc..

Then at the very end, he throws on his overdrive, does a huge divebomb, jumps up and bangs his head up and down and totally does an imitation of the first guy.
Not just talented but totally hilarious.

I know here is not the place, but can you explain a bit further what you mean?
You mean, you don't shred, don't do double hands, don't do arpeggios, or what?

My theory is that if the audience were blind, would they like it? Many of you move around onstage alot, and this is where I ask you "How does it feel?" if you were to play in front of a blind audience, suddenly realizing that your stage persona doesn't mean ****, how does it feel/?. I imagine it would feel like getting neutered or something horrible like that, because, Oh no! You have to rely on talent!.

Originally posted by Incidents Happen

I know here is not the place, but can you explain a bit further what you mean?
You mean, you don't shred, don't do double hands, don't do arpeggios, or what?

My theory is that if the audience were blind, would they like it? Many of you move around onstage alot, and this is where I ask you "How does it feel?" if you were to play in front of a blind audience, suddenly realizing that your stage persona doesn't mean ****, how does it feel/?. I imagine it would feel like getting neutered or something horrible like that, because, Oh no! You have to rely on talent!.

apparently he hasnt heard of steve vai.
I think people automatically feel threatened by someone with long hair and chops because it takes them back to a time when being a guitar hero meant something and todays guitarist are far from being know as guitar heros and it offends them.
Im all about substance over image.The best guitarist in the world is bald:-) ......satriani
Hes the best whether the people are blind or not.

Hmm....i think what Incidents is saying is that the image is not what makes a MUSICian its the music (DUH!)....but i don't think that just 'cause guitarists are huge image buffs doesn't mean they lack talent....my fav guitarist Jimi Hendrix was the lord of it all....of course with Jerry Garcia it also proves that your image doesn't need to belong into music so....ok im arguing with myself crap i gotta stop this man i cant decide....ugh i wont be talkin much on here cuz im all busy with school and stuff like that... ok just wanted to say something before i have to go back to the depths of never never land....:p c u all a round

I wonder if we'd ever have heard the name Eddie Van Halen if he'd been a fat bald guy. Or AC/DC wearing suits and ties with short hair and glasses.
In this business, if you want to make it HUGE, then 50% of your appeal is your image. Nobody would give Britney Spears a second glance if she looked like my grandmother. And they wouldn't listen to her cause she sounds like my grandmother.
And I'm still willing to bet that the only reason Satriani shaves his head is cause he's got a receeding hair line and doesn't want anybody to know it.

Originally posted by Hootayah
I wonder if we'd ever have heard the name Eddie Van Halen if he'd been a fat bald guy. Or AC/DC wearing suits and ties with short hair and glasses.
In this business, if you want to make it HUGE, then 50% of your appeal is your image. Nobody would give Britney Spears a second glance if she looked like my grandmother. And they wouldn't listen to her cause she sounds like my grandmother.
And I'm still willing to bet that the only reason Satriani shaves his head is cause he's got a receeding hair line and doesn't want anybody to know it.

Thats probably true but what also sets satriani apart from the "metal gods" is his humble attitude toward most other musicians.I realize that 80s guitar isnt cool anymore but what is cool is that most of the more talented humble 80s guitar wizards still make music and sell records today without any mtv coverage or videos,
proving its always been talent over image for these guys.Not all are worthy of that statement but a rare few.
And beleive it or not I am glad that its about talent over image for these guys now.
I saw someone posted that guitar tricks are to impress the non musician.Thats total bs because you cant just overnight do some of that stuff.I agree its not what makes up a good song but comeon now that was a low blow for someone to say proly because they cant do it themselves.
Usually the people who complaine about fast guitar playing cant do it so they automatically blast it.
Its all jealousy.I think a lot of metal players go overboard with tricks because they can and its almost like a secret language between metal players or a rite of passage.If you dont like that music then fine but dont say that its non musical.

Theres talent over image nowadays???HuH??
The whole "rock scene" is more talentless then ever!
The 80's was the foundation(a matured foundation)for all the metal,rock,grind e.c.t.Back then they had image,but they had talent.Now you have bands with a "gimmick" image,and no talent(slipknot,mudvayne e.c.t).

If I was playing in front of blind people,I would still headbang.Whether people are looking or not dosnt take away the drive of the music.Thats just involuntary reflex to an awsome riff.
But there is that kind of "show" image(marylin manson).That kind of image is relied on for record sales,popularity e.c.t.

Youll here 1 of 4 things after a concert.

1.Those guys can play!(or somthing to that effect)

2.They put on a great "show"!

3.They sucked monkey balls!

4.Dude,I groped some girls t*ts!!!

Eh,I'm done
Later! \m/

I know what you are saying and it is true how most rock these days is image-ridden and talentless...i actually like Mudvayne and System of a Down though :)...there not like all those alt-rock bands that sound exactly the same....

I think you misunderstood me.I meant to say talent over image for the 80s guitar guys who make music today not for all these wannabe guitarist of todays hip music scene.

Originally posted by chucklivesoninmyheart
Theres talent over image nowadays???HuH??
The whole "rock scene" is more talentless then ever!
The 80's was the foundation(a matured foundation)for all the metal,rock,grind e.c.t.Back then they had image,but they had talent.Now you have bands with a "gimmick" image,and no talent(slipknot,mudvayne e.c.t).

If I was playing in front of blind people,I would still headbang.Whether people are looking or not dosnt take away the drive of the music.Thats just involuntary reflex to an awsome riff.
But there is that kind of "show" image(marylin manson).That kind of image is relied on for record sales,popularity e.c.t.

Youll here 1 of 4 things after a concert.

1.Those guys can play!(or somthing to that effect)

2.They put on a great "show"!

3.They sucked monkey balls!

4.Dude,I groped some girls t*ts!!!

Eh,I'm done
Later! \m/

I don't understand the Shred-Fetish that half of this board seems to be on; Can someone explain why guitarists have the need to shred like crazy? There is a reason that the 80's ended, you know.

~Incidents

Who happens to considers Django Reinhardt to be the best guitarist that ever lived, and not Satch.

theyre both great but as you all know for me i say Jimi and Jerry are the best.period.

I actually CAN shred: chromatic scale up to 240bpm, scales - up to 170 bpm. And I still consider it non musical and I avoid doing it when playing with other people. I view shredding just as a verry good excercise that improves your coordination and control of muscles.
And about all the discussion about image: Ok its the 21st century already, music and vision are going to be fused more and more together. NO WAY! And if you said that you are doing music as for blind people then why don't you just strum your acoustic guitar so that you can make music for the blind people and the people without electricity?
The thing about image is just to be very careful not to look like a whore and this is where it gets complicated and a great deal of the artists fail.
Also visualisations, I havent been to any live of TOOL but people who have said that they do mind-blowing shows which involve a lot of effects and acting and scenery and they have costumes. Such kind of performances which involve a fusion of several arts are getting more and more popular, we have even here in Bulgaria some bands that are getting really good at these. And I really am convinced that the future is closely related with such kind of multidisciplinary shows.

When I said satch was the greatest I know thats just my personal opinion and not everyones here.I do probably defend shredding guitarist more than I should but I myself am A big fan of it.I will be the first to admit that If i was any good at writing songs like neil young etc...I would probably slow down on the shredding.I get real defensive when I see someone make a statement that is so one sided and doesnt tell the whole perspective of it.Let me say that 1 million notes an hour all in 1 tempo isnt going to win any grammys but it is still an expresion of ones soul whether its self serving or not.Im not all about shred because my second favorite guitarist is neil young.To me guitar greats have to have something about their sound and technique that when i hear them it makes me want to drop whatever i am doing and get the "axe" out.Music is art, some people see picasso and say hes insane and some people love it, its all about personal preference.I will try harder not to say harsh things about other generations players.You are right this is not the 80s.
peace

Eh...some people are still wowed with a finger show.
Petrucci isnt so much a shredder as he is just fast in his left hand.I dont hear him trem picking all the time.So what makes a shredder?Playing fast or trem picking while playing fast?

I think alot of the "melodic" solo's bands churn out now are insanley boring.There slow(so they MUST be "melodic")but they never create a melody that hits you deep.Listen to "lip gloss and black" from Atreyu or "another day in quiksand" by In Flames.Some real good melodic solo's that have great melody and arnt just "slow for the sake of being melodic".The very word is in direct relation to music.Tool songs and solo's are NOT melodic...there slow..but theres no real melody.Boring,flat,emotionless,1 string strumming.I would much rather a nice soulfull shredding piece.

I think everyones caught up on speed...but forgeting that what notes comprise the solo "make" the solo.You can play boring,emotionless solo's at any speed.