Gear Photos

When you guys are looking for gear to make a certain sound in your head now, how do you go about finding it?

like gear I don't already own?

I know you're probably a unique case, but yes.

you mean a guitar sound? I think a lot of my favorite sounds I've had were just obtained by getting something really good or unique and plugging into it and thinking it was great and doing that... I think everyone knows how to get those basic sounds and you can refine them with boutique add ons if you anna get fancy, but like the truly unique signature tones are a voyage of accidental discovery and exploitation like columbus looking for china but finding cuba or wherever.... the best is when you're trying to copy a tone you loved on another record and then get something different that's better! Or even in synths when you buy a vitnage piece and mine out the sounds you thought it would make and you're like, thatw as fun, now what? I think failure to immitate or being elt down when you perfectly replicate something you love from someone else is the greatest source of inspiration. Even mixing, I lvoe when i get asked to copy a mix style and I do it with my ears and tools and I feel like tis close-ish and the band says "no no, but that's cooler!"

My uncle is ina covers band with this guy who is a master of replicating album tones with a single amp and a good multi FX (helix I think), theya re clsoe and his playing is note for note down to idiosyncracies like vibrato technique.... but its SOOOOO boring, only my uncle loves it.... and hearing their jam recordings at practice he's lost without an album to ape and those album tones he has preset lose something in a different context....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ5T1K-RS9k

When you guys are looking for gear to make a certain sound in your head now, how do you go about finding it?

I start with a similar sonic reference and do research on it. That could be surfing online for production techniques, consulting Equipboard for artists who did something close, or studying how the gear I already own behaves. Like Jim said, it's about experimentation.

or studying how the gear I already own behaves.

yeah, I agree Tom, when you're using your stuff try every extreme knob combination and everything in between and make note of the interaction with your amp, guitar, other stuff, how does a microphone hear it versus your ears and how does it change when you stand far away from the speaker. When I'm handling a new piece of gear of any kind I really see what it can do at extreme settings. Its never too late to get out gear you've had all along and try using it stupidly to understand it and discover new applications.

the old fender amp manuals told you to be cautious turning your amp up because they had extra gain for low output pickups and a hotter guitar could produce unmusical harmonic distortion because of the wide gain range..... just think if everyone had lsitened to Leo what music would sound like today!

Okay, cool. So how can we make Equipboard more conducive to that? How do we get tutorials, settings info, recording tips, weird uses, etc?

Okay, cool. So how can we make Equipboard more conducive to that? How do we get tutorials, settings info, recording tips, weird uses, etc?

Video demos! The review section and forums are useful for that already, but I could see it expanding into Jim's "freshman lab" concept.

I mean, no one ever records correctly anymore, its amateur hour.... I could run video in my home studio continuously and hopefully show people what they're missing out on or misunderstanding from videos but its a video so the same thing will go on where they replicate my settings with plugins on stuff that's not really the same.... that's what I hear is guys doing exactly what they saw without hearing their material.... first you have to assess the source material, then there's probem solving and once the hurdles are overcome there's creativity or not if its not needed and the material speaks loudly with a good balance... its hard to teach sensitivity and taste and I'm still learning every time I sit down to work

Video demos! The review section and forums are useful for that already, but I could see it expanding into Jim's "freshman lab" concept.

I appreciate someone read that, I think its a solid idea.... let the new guys help the new guys and provide them with a basic text too

I mean there's kids up on this sight who don't know shit from shinola in the words of R Lee Ermy.... I think that was him.... but its not like I knew what I was doing at that age, I just didn't have a forum to mouth off on and I didn't have any choice but to experiment and get books, the itnernet didn't become a real resource until Iw as in my 20s and had some shit together already

Video demos! The review section and forums are useful for that already, but I could see it expanding into Jim's "freshman lab" concept.

I appreciate someone read that, I think its a solid idea....

So did Michael.

I want more of this. How do we make it happen?

I think one challenge is I'm speaking to you guys, who both hang out on Equipboard a lot already (thanks for that, by the way). If everyone used Equipboard like you guys, we'd be the biggest site in the world. Problem is, we have about 30,000 people per day on the site, and I think we could really improve the amount that actually do something meaningful on the site as opposed to just reading it. I want to make the site more engaging and useful for people to find the music gear for them, and find a way to be better than the Sweetwater page, TGP/Gearslutz, Reddit, etc.

I think one challenge is I'm speaking to you guys, who both hang out on Equipboard a lot already (thanks for that, by the way). If everyone used Equipboard like you guys, we'd be the biggest site in the world.

I don't get it, I love this site with all my nerdy heart.... its all the info and thought provoking exchange on a good day, man, we cracked a nut on daft punk again today that sheds light on an underappreciated line of guyatone tube pedals... I think we lose people who like to shoot their mouths off and think that ehre unlike gearslutz or gesrpage they can get away with spreading disinformation, if anything we're LESS opinion based, just the facts man

ever think of doing a mentorship program? the studio system is dead but I learned so much as an assistant, maybe there's a way to pay it forward on the internet

what about partnering with modulargrid or like a pedalboard sight????

I'm between records which is a huge downtime for me to think about stuff like this, the shadow band will NEVER finish their vocals and I'm just doing midi stuff on trash godz to get to a point where I can mix like I want but I have my ups and downs

ever think of doing a mentorship program? the studio system is dead but I learned so much as an assistant, maybe there's a way to pay it forward on the internet

Yes please!

what about partnering with modulargrid or like a pedalboard sight????

Seconded. Teaming up with something like The Gear Page or ModularGrid might infuse this site with more contributing members.

The review section and forums are useful for that already

Kind of. Some review sections are, if you're looking at the items that generally have the most artist usage. Those have gotten the lion's share of the traffic over the years, and thus get the ratings, reviews, etc.

I personally love more niche gear. I'd rather own a boutique clone than the tried and true original. And I don't think I'm alone, or we'd all just have the most basic ass gear setup (or a digital do-it-all multifx thing). But look at this item, which I'm considering buying to test it out. This page is kind of underwhelming to me. Hate to say it but I don't super care about the 2 artists that use it. There's 1 review which is decent but I can probably find more reviews on other sites.

The videos section is pretty decent... but I proposed to Michael what if we move videos further up, like in the main image carousel? That way you can have one playing to hear the gear as you're scrolling around on the page (someone earlier mentioned listening to gear demo vids in the background... I totally agree)

Furthermore, personally I'd like more info on price upfront. Like, hey Equipboard, save me some clicks. We have the pricing data - how much is it new, lowest and highest used prices on Reverb - why not surface it?? I personally love knowing what % off getting gear used versus new is. I suspect we all do some kind of calculation in our head ("ok I can save this much getting it used... if it sucks and I resell it it's worth about this much... oh damn but on Amazon the price is decent and I'd get it tomorrow..."). Equipboard can TOTALLY do a lot of this work for you.

And (hint hint something we're working on as we speak) ... what genres do people that use this gear make? Not just the pros, but users like you and me. 6 ppl saved the item I linked to above... what type of music do they make?

Things like that would really up my personal enjoyment of that specific lackluster product page. Anyone agree? Disagree?

I would avoid overpaying for an xotic, everything they make is just a mildly tweaked clone my friend.... but they are tweaked, watch your wallet

And (hint hint something we're working on as we speak) ... what genres do people that use this gear make?

there's genre specific gear, I'm against this idea generally, sure a grunge act wouldn't use a juno, but wow, I use my chorus echo on everything in different ways... a valley dynamite for example is universal and the tubescreamer is a handy pedal for anything from blues to metal... the best pieces are only limited by your thinking

I'd rather own a boutique clone than the tried and true original.

Ah, but what if the original is cheaper?

And I don't think I'm alone, or we'd all just have the most basic ass gear setup (or a digital do-it-all multifx thing).

What's wrong with that? ;)

But look at this item, which I'm considering buying to test it out.

By the way, I'm pretty sure that when I submitted Joe Satriani's it was still a valid link.

Hate to say it but I don't super care about the 2 artists that use it.

If anything, I will recommened Satriani's love songs. Top notch.

• Rubina
• Always With Me, Always With You
• (You're) My World
• Love Thing

The videos section is pretty decent... but I proposed to Michael what if we move videos further up, like in the main image carousel? That way you can have one playing to hear the gear as you're scrolling around on the page (someone earlier mentioned listening to gear demo vids in the background... I totally agree)

What you're describing sounds similar to a Sweetwater product page. That might get annoying for people who just want to scroll to their favorite artists.

Furthermore, personally I'd like more info on price upfront. Like, hey Equipboard, save me some clicks. We have the pricing data - how much is it new, lowest and highest used prices on Reverb - why not surface it?? I personally love knowing what % off getting gear used versus new is. I suspect we all do some kind of calculation in our head ("ok I can save this much getting it used... if it sucks and I resell it it's worth about this much... oh damn but on Amazon the price is decent and I'd get it tomorrow..."). Equipboard can TOTALLY do a lot of this work for you.

Yes please! I remember when one could see this in the item navigator.

Ah, but what if the original is cheaper?

Not necessarily always about that. I'm one of those weirdos that think inanimate objects have a "soul" haha. I LOVE the Pro Co Rat. But the Big Ear Woodcutter has this small-batch kinda thing that I love about it. Same with a Behringer synth that's trying to sound like a Moog... and a Moog itself. But hey, it's different for everyone, and that's kind of my point. I want the niche stuff to have a super useful page on Equipboard... as well as the common tried-and-tru stuff.

What's wrong with that? ;)

Nothing! In music gear there's no right answer.

By the way, I'm pretty sure that when I submitted Joe Satriani's it was still a valid link.

All good :)

If anything, I will recommened Satriani's love songs. Top notch.

I'll have a listen. I saw G3 in concert. Mad respect. Just saying, some pages have artists that just don't influence me. So how else can Equipboard pages be super useful?? That's the thought exercise here.

What you're describing sounds similar to a Sweetwater product page. That might get annoying for people who just want to scroll to their favorite artists.

I'm not saying put that section above artists. But maybe the top video should get placement in the main gear image carousel? Just something to show me Equipboard has pretty cool videos.

Yes please! I remember when one could see this in the item navigator.

Hmm not sure what you mean by item navigator, but glad you're on board with the feature. We're gonna move towards a design like this (ignore the actual contents it's just dummy data, it'll make more sense in real life)

there's genre specific gear, I'm against this idea generally, sure a grunge act wouldn't use a juno, but wow, I use my chorus echo on everything in different ways... a valley dynamite for example is universal and the tubescreamer is a handy pedal for anything from blues to metal... the best pieces are only limited by your thinking

Totally, I get the spirit of what you are saying. But let me put it this way. Say you were to partake in a mind altering substance. Most people will tell you the experience is very subjective. Totally depends what frame of mind you're in, who you're with, your surroundings, etc. Having said all that, isn't it kind of amazing that you can look up something like this? Imagine that for music gear. That's kind of our ambition here. Not trying to tell anyone what to do or how to live with their gear... but providing something beyond what you get from a Guitar Center page.

I can out drug story any of you, I ingested chemicals without street names in my 20s.... what's the point again? my wife died of a phentanyl OD.... this isn't that coool an analogy.