Avoiding G.A.S Part 5: Buying What You Want Vs. What You Can Afford

December 14, 1998

Greetings!!! Here's another letter that brings up a few strong points.

Brett,

Fantastic article! I did all right on the test, I'm only a 6.

Some fantastic points were made. In my case, a number of times when I've regretted getting rid of gear, it's either been due to financial need or the belief that I'd pretty much stopped playing. I've noticed an occasional post by others in the forum who think they've hit that point, but it's rarely true, just a lull in the action.

Most of what you went through is really common sense, but in the heat of the moment we get a case of the "wants."

One thing that I've done, as a hobbyist, is to try to build my ideal rig deliberately over time. This makes sure I'm not going to do the impulse buy.

Last tax season I got my EBMM Axis to go along with my Guild acoustics. I've spent the rest of this year trying to select the ideal amp. This coming tax season, it's looking like there's a Boogie Mk IV in my future! :)

My intents are to get the stuff that really matches my style and tastes, and then never part with it... no matter how much it sits in a corner for a couple weeks/months/years...since I know I'll go back to it.

One point you might want to add at some point in this series is the trade off between getting "what you can afford right now" versus "what you really want." I've found that if I get something to just get by, I'll never be satisfied, and end up trading numerous times.

This in the long run is much more costly than just saving and waiting to get the ideal item.

This obviously has to be tempered with the gigging musician that needs to earn a living.

Thanks again for a great article... I look forward to the next one!

Mike Melzer

Mike is exactly right. If you just went out and bought the stuff you really want, you'd spend a whole lot less than if you got what you can afford now, and gradually upgraded and/or traded over time... eventually getting what you want.

Mike correctly adds, however, that getting what you want isn't necessarily practical. For example, take the case of the professional musician who's on a tight budget. He or she might want and genuinely deserve a Steve Vai-esque "refrigerator" rack. However, pros need their gig money to keep the van running and feed themselves yet another microwave burrito. When making gear purchases, the gigging pro needs to focus upon that which will get them through the gig.

Also, take the case of a student player. How is a beginner going to know what he or she "wants?" Beginners don't even know if they will still be playing in a year, let alone understand the specific equipment needed to enhance their favorite style.

This article aspires to shed some light on the aforementioned want/afford dilemma. Hopefully this article will also be of use to parents of children interested in learning electric guitar.

Before we begin, it should be noted that the initial strategy of this article was to assemble a variety of rigs (setups) that might apply to different types of players experiencing budget constraints: for example, the aforementioned club-level pro or the beginner looking for his or her first guitar. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the same basic setup would work for anyone... and any style. So here's my Uber-Rig for those on a budget.

Ooops... one more note. I refuse to recommend crap. Music is an expensive hobby. Think about it... ever priced a piano? Heck, even my saxophone in grade school cost several thousand dollars. In the grand scheme of things, guitars are actually pretty cheap. But prepare yourself to spend at least $500 to get someone started on electric guitar. If they are serious about playing, it will pay off. The idea here is inexpensive... not CHEAP.

GUITAR:

In reference to guitar, what does jazz virtuoso Mike Stern, country pickin' whiz Vince Gill, rock god Keith Richards, blues man Albert Collins, and modern-day troubadour Jakob Dylan have in common? They all play a Fender Telecaster.

In my opinion, the world's first solid body electric guitar is still the best all-around ax. With thousands lining the walls of used music stores and pawnshops nation-wide...not to mention new models made in the US, Mexico, and Japan... not to mention all the great copies being made, I challenge anyone to find a pro-level guitar for less money. To support my claim, I'll mention a few of the Tele's features and why these may be beneficial to a beginner as well as a pro.

• Fixed bridge: For the beginner, this makes the guitar easier to tune than one with a floating bridge. For the pro, if you break a string mid song, you can keep playing. An additional bonus is that a fixed bridge adds lots of smooth sustain. For these reasons, I typically don't recommend floating-bridge guitars (like a Stratocaster) as a primary instrument, only as a backup or for use on selected songs in a set.

• Bolt-on neck: For the immature player who still hasn't learned the distinction between musical instrument and samurai sword, a bolt on neck, if broken, is a TON cheaper to replace than a set neck. For the pro who winds up NEEDING to use his ax as a samurai sword to thwart raging drunkards, the same advantage applies.

• Versatile: Right out of the box, the Telecaster is the quintessential country, blues or rock-n-roll guitar. Wanna play jazz? Drop a humbucking pickup in the neck position. Wanna play heavy rock? Drop a humbucker in the bridge position. Don't think a Tele is heavy-sounding enough? Get a life... rumor has it that a lot of Jimmy Page's eardrum-pounding riffs on Led Zep's records were actually recorded on a Tele. Besides, these things have PHAT bottom end.

• Timeless: Telecasters will never be a fad... and never uncool. Yet unlike a Stratocaster, which everyone seems to have (me included), you will own something a tad different than the pack.

• Inexpensive: Used models can be had for $250-$500 if you know where to look (like the newspaper or the Internet). New ones can be purchased for less than $700. Good copies to keep an eye out for are ESP's, Hamers, G&L's, Fernandes, and Schecters. In some cases, the aforementioned brand names will offer superior quality to Fender offerings, yet cost less because they lack the Fender logo. Still, if you go the copy route, stay away from CHEAP copies. These often feature plywood bodies, poor construction and crappy electronics.

• Here's one final note. When selecting a Tele, listen for a good solid "twang" when plucking the open low "E" string. Pass on a dull-sounding guitar in favor of one with more brilliance and chime. However, don't confuse old strings with a bad-sounding guitar. If you are serious about a specific guitar, ask the sales guy to put some new strings on it so you can hear it at its best.

AMPS:

Like I've alluded to in previous columns, if an amp gives you one great clean sound, it's a great amp. I would also add that country pickers probably qualify as authorities for what constitutes a good clean sound. That said, I think that despite the stigma, solid-state Peavey combo amps fuel the careers of more aspiring players slugging it out night after night in smoky Honky Tonks than anything else. Nashville's S.I.R. Cartage rents truckloads of them, too. The reasons for this are simple.

• Inexpensive: Used ones are abundant for around $250 in the paper or in pawn shops.

• Loud: The Bandit model, if I'm not mistaken, has 130 watts. That'll cut ANY gig.

• Never break down: Self explanatory

• Cheap and easy to fix: A quick trip to Peavey.com will reveal a whole network of authorized repair centers if something does break.

• Ain't no-one gonna steal it: Wouldn't you hate losing your prized Matchless DC-30 during load out?

• Decent clean sound: Forget there's even a distortion circuit on there. Play it clean, use pedals. Rent a Matchless when your band records a demo once a year.

• Many sizes and models to choose from: I recommend models with 12" speakers.

Here are some other solid state amps guaranteed to cost little, sound decent, and get you through the gig: Roland Jazz Chorus, Fender Princeton Chorus, and the Tech 21 Trademark 60.

PEDALS:

The final piece of this triumvirate is the pedal. In one or two reader letters, I have been accused of favoring the pedal route. I'll unabashedly admit it. Pedals are cheap, fun, durable, easy to use... and colorful I might add. Plus changing musical styles is as easy as swapping pedals.

• Country: Compressor into Volume into Delay

• Blues: Overdrive

• Jazz: Chorus

• '60s Classic Rock: Wah into Fuzz

• '70s Funk: Wah into Phase Shifter or Flange

• '80s Glam Rock: Compression into Distortion into Chorus

• Thrash: Wah into heavy Distortion

• '90s Grunge Rock: Stare down at your Doc Martin boots, play really sloppy... and use a "Big Muff" pedal for flatulent distortion.

CONCLUSION:

In my opinion, just because one's on a budget does not mean that a pro can't sound good on stage. It also doesn't mean that a beginner is stuck with stuff he or she will outgrow in six months. A good-ole Telecaster, a workhorse of a solid-state amp and a few well-chosen pedals can more than get the job done and done well. Then as finances improve or musical careers progress, it's time to upgrade. But in such a scenario, the initial investment was still worthwhile.

Brett Ratner is a contributor to Guitar Player, Musician, Electronic Musician and Music & Computers. He also spent two years as the Creative Writer for www.gibson.com. Currently, Brett plays sessions and performs regularly around Nashville with the band Katoorah Jayne.