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Scott Grove - ******* or Visionary?

4K views 23 replies 13 participants last post by  Laobi 
#1 ·
Scott Grove - nothing more to say. If you've heard of him, what's your opinion? If you haven't heard of him, YouTube the name, he puts name in all his video titles. Nothing more to say. Personally he sounds like a jackass to me, but maybe that's because I'm a "dumb motherf*cker"(watch the videos, you'll get the reference)
 
#2 ·
I know of Scott Grove.My opinion of him is even though he comes off as an ******* to many, he's also very knowledgeable.He does insult people but I just look past it.I enjoy his videos for the most part though.but as I stated just my opinion of him.I know many feel otherwise
 
#4 · (Edited)
He definitely knows his stuff and makes boring details of used instruments interesting. He doesn't make generalizations like USA is always better than MIM Fenders or USA is always better than MIJ. He also isn't a pre-CBS or pre-Norlin snob and instead of looking at negatives, he finds the good points of just about everything he reviews.

I have seen more reputable "stores" online outlining a piece of gear and while the camera work or lighting was better, the substance was weak. Scott Grove is never weak and that says a lot for somebody who speaks for hours and hours.

He has a lot of confidence in his knowledge and his playing and isn't shy to say something that may not go with general norms but he can back it up.

I don't always like the showman type, but at least he's entertaining. I also find it a lot of fun, and get to hear a lot of old gear with Phil X on his Fretted Americana videos.
 
#5 ·
First impression was: Complete knob end who had his hair cut while wearing a WW2 stahlhelm.

However, like passing an accident I kept looking. The man knows his stuff, I think he may be somewhat of a conspiracy theorist though, seems like he has had a lot of great ideas stolen from him, so don't be surprised if in a few years he's arrested by the secret service for some presidential plot because the "pres has been reading my mind and stealing my idears". I will watch more of his videos though, so.....

Final verdict: Complete knob end who knows his stuff which makes the arrogance and ignorance somewhat easier to tolerate as he has quite a bit to teach.
 
#8 ·
Even though he is long winded, I find most of his stuff is helpful and informative. His abrasiveness is how he chooses to market himself and he even states so many times. Basically even if you don't "like" him it drives hits to his vids which gets him paid. I can't say Ive watched all his vids but I have watched a few. So far, the only the thing he states as fact that I can't agree with is that the wood of the guitar doesn't matter to the sound. I can clearly hear the difference between a tone zone in a mahogany RG vs a basswod RG, same goes with an evo.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Sometimes he likes the contribution of wood, but like you said, he's stated that it's all the pickups. I have learned a lot on different sounds and pickups from watching Scott though I don't always agree but much of what he says is more opinion. I think in general if you watch most of his videos, he believes it's "mostly" the pickups which I can easily agree with. But other factors like the wood can sometimes be heard easily, but other times not. Also vintage guitars with older pickups sometimes sound different than same model that's brand new. At least he doesn't think that all the pickup winders forgot how to do the job once Leo sold the company so he doesn't seem to be awed by collector's value and is more interested in guitars from a player's point of view.

If I was a vintage collector not interested in playing that much I would avoid Scott but for some kid just getting into playing and exploring all the models and sounds, this isn't a bad site.

Sometimes I don't agree with his sometimes extreme take on things but I would be much better off going with what I hear from his site than brochures of any brand I have seen. He tends to like telecasters and country music but he has his rocker side and a love for Icemans.
 
#11 ·
After watching some of the "Ghost building" vid he clearly thinks he knows what he's talking about, and it's a fact that companies will have guitars built by many different builders to suit specific needs, but he's clearly a tool when he says all Steve and Joe's guitars are built in California and not by Ibanez as any guitars actually built at the LACS are the most "Ibanez" guitars of any Ibanez built, because LACS is a production facility solely owned and run by Hoshino.

Any single custom guitar is most likely going to be built by LACS, as are most prototyping for new models for any US artist, because that is what custom shops do, build single one off guitars. Also it's far easier to deal with prototyping in the same country as it is doing it internationally, which doesn't make any sense. When prototyping is complete and production begins then the guitars will just come off the line in Japan [or Indo/China in some cases].

Many times Joe or Steve will be playing their final version LACS built guitar, but just as often they will be playing a guitar fully built at Fujigen, right off the production line, tweaked by their techs just as I would work on anything I would sell. So when Steve gets replacement necks for his VWH's, right off the Fujigen production line. When Joe wants a new 2400, LACS doesn't build it, there's no point, it comes off the production line. After having many LACS guitars I have always preferred the regular production Fujigen models.
 
#15 ·
Yeah. He posts highly opinionated Youtube videos spouting off very controverisal things ("wood doesn't matter - it's all pickups") as fact, and is very dismissive towards people who don't agree with his views. The idea, as I understand it, is that if they're controversial enough they'll get posted and reposted enough and debated enough on guitar discussion forums all over the internet, by people who agree AND disagree with him.

In some ways he's pretty knowledgeable. In others, my personal experience doesn't agree with his (I do tend to hear a difference in the picking attck of different fretboard materials, and I can hear clear enough acoustic differences between guitars made from different body woods, consistently enough, that I can't believe wood doesn't have ANY influence), and if he stated his beliefs with a more moderate, "these are my views for these reasons" tone I wouldn't have any problem with him.

In others though, he's dead wrong. I remembered watching a video where he states that there's no difference between American and Mexican Fenders, because it's often the same workers driving back and forth over the border making them. Even ignoring obvious differences like specs (21 vs 22 fret necks) that's obviously not possible considering the two factories are something like 400 miles apart.

So, I just don't take him terribly seriously. For all of his accurate points, there are too many statements he make that are much more debatable than he lets on (some people really believe fretboard wood doesn't make a difference; I disagree, but that's my personal belief and that's fine, there's room for a range of opinions), and there are still other statements (the Fender employees) that are just factually inaccurate and are NOT open to debate.

So, I just make a point of not watching his videos, because the more plays he gets, the more he's encouraged to continue posting flame-bait like this. I think this kind of stuff hurts reasoned discussion.
 
#14 ·
Yeah, the guy comes off as a jerk... but it sounds like he does know what he's talking about to some degree. You can't fault a guy for relying on his wealth of experience to make some crazy or not-so-crazy conclusions... but he could be a little more decent about it... lol!

In my mind, very little is completely black and white in this world. Especially when you talk about something as subjective as "sound quality", which can be completely different from person to person. So many factors play into sound... or vibrations, compression and rarefaction. Acoustical interfaces... elasticity and density of materials greatly affect the way that sound waves travel through substances. I can see how electrically the signal from a pickup would be the same no matter what... but you can't discount the subtleties of sustain and how that affects complex harmonics at barely perceptible frequencies. Kind of like the way that records sound better than cd's... but logically there is no way that the human ear should be able to perceive a difference.

Moot point anyway... good sound is good sound! 8)
 
#16 ·
I think he's knowledgeable in some areas. But like someone said, on others, he's dead wrong, and that's the part I have a problem with. If some newbie (we all were) watched his videos and couldn't faze out the bullsh*t, they're going to be set back a ton in progress. He says everything with confidence. I respect that, I guess. But I can guarantee you guys he's buried somebody in the art of guitar by now.
 
#17 ·
I think on some aspects with gear, his "wrongness" is often just a strong opinion and it's not likely to hurt anybody. Hopefully we can see through his antics and he's not unlike the talking heads on Fox. His confidence should come from a lot of experience but I think it's also peppered with some arrogance. He reminds me of a lost brother from Duck Dynasty.

Personally I learned a lot of things the hard way over a long period of time and when I was young I wish I knew somebody like him who could give me ideas.

I would say about 80-90% percent of what he says is right, or at least stuff I agree with, so that's better than what I find in many guitar magazines who tell you stuff with the agenda of wanting to sell it to you. From just about every review I read in almost any magazine, even if less than stellar according to the said review, it still makes you want to buy the product. They can't all be good but that's what the mags seem to say and that can be expensive. Try this string, it won't go out of tune. Try this guitar, it's cheaper than the next guys. Try this pick, it will make you play faster. Or try that amp, it's reminiscent of all the great things of an old Fender, etc. ;)
 
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