Like a sore thumb

kotornut · #1 03-23-2008, 08:01 AM

In my band I stick out like a sore thumb.

Singer: a Salmon Pink Fender Jaguar.
Bassist: a Tobbaco burst Fender P-bass.
Me: A Grape Ice RG560

I know that my guitar is awesome, I love it, but i still feel like I don't fit in with them. We just play rock like the Foo Fighters and I don't ever shred. At home I shred and play metal for my solo stuff. So before i was in the band I never thought about this.

It just makes me think some times that I should have a Strat or something. Does anyone else eve feel like this?

andy7jem · #2 03-23-2008, 08:44 AM

No.....don't give in to the dark side!!!!!

Be yourself.....and be happy to be yourself!!!!

And be content to know you have superior equipment

kotornut · #3 03-23-2008, 08:56 AM

Yeah, I'm really shallow. I don't want to change at all. I just wanted to know if anyone else felt that pressure. They look at me like "we are rock, not metal."

Japan is a very image concious place so it's just a wierd thing to me.

Algiman · #4 03-23-2008, 09:04 AM

I used that as an excuse to buy an excessive number of guitars - Stats, LP, various Ibz etc. Thing is, most of the time I still just grab the UV7PWH.

andy7jem · #5 03-23-2008, 09:14 AM

That's a strange mentality!!!

In that case, as Clapton and Stevie Ray played blues on a Strat...then that would make it a blues guitar!!

And as Dave Murray has played a Strat in Iron Maiden then that would make it a "metal" guitar!!

And so on and so forth

RG's are awesome and versatile and cannot be labelled. They are not merely a "metal" guitar

kotornut · #6 03-23-2008, 09:28 AM

Yeah, but that's just it. Honestly, in Japan a lot of it is more about your image than your talent or education. I have met at least five people that say "I play music, it's my life." And then when I talk with them or play with them, they haven't got a clue what a key, mode, or even a chord in 1 or 2 cases is. I'm not making it up. Someone told me they have been playing for 13 years and he couldn't even play a 4 chord rythm pattern because he didn't know how to play regular barre chords. And I'm no amazing player. I can't read music and I can't do half of the stuff they average player on this forum could, but I know enough to play nearly any genre. And If I applied myslef I feel I could eventually learn any song. But, virtuosity isn't in me at all. But, he had the jacket, the pants, the shoes and the hairstyle to say "I'm in a band." Not to mention the Les Paul. It's like how high school was but it last throughout your whole life.

Which brings me to another thing: if it ain't Fender or Gibson many people here don't buy it. Yeah, people have said to me "why don't you play a better guitar?" 'Cause we all know that Mexican Strat or Korean Epiphone is much better than my Japanese 1991 RG560. Even in Japan it is true that the largest groups of musicians buy Fender an Gibson and think of Ibanez as a sub-brand. Which is why I don't understand why J-Customs are only sold here when the vast majority of guitarists don't respect the quality of a J-Custom.

Back on topic though. I just wanted to talk about it. I think it's lame that I feel the pressure, but I really do and I'm always thinking about it.

Plus, you all are my guitar buddies, so naturally I'd want to talk about this with you all.

kotornut · #7 03-23-2008, 09:33 AM

I should say though in my bands defense they have never said anything to me about it. And the Jaguar is very nice, Fender Japan. The P-Bass is American. These aren't crappy instruments. And they aren't who I was talking about in the huge post above.

supermau · #8 03-23-2008, 10:46 AM

If you love your guitar then stick with it. I play a JEM7vwh in a band where the singer/guitarist plays a Tele and the bass player is all Fender and G&L. F'em. I love my Ibanez. Although I must admit I also play Strats - I love those too!

Vim Fuego · #9 03-23-2008, 11:09 AM

I play Jems and an RG in band that plays rock music, in fact as the average age of the band is 50+ most of our set is from the 1970s! I really like the fact that I'm playing comfortably Numb on a pink swirled Jem777 or Alright Now on a BFP!
Stick with it my friend, *never* bow to peer pressure, be an individual and do your own thing!
Jim

kotornut · #10 03-23-2008, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vim Fuego

Stick with it my friend, *never* bow to peer pressure, be an individual and do your own thing!
Jim

Yeah, I know man. Thanks guys it helps to have people tell me how it is.

Matheau · #11 03-23-2008, 11:49 AM

I mean, maybe I could see a slight argument if you were playing a guitar that is more obviously image related. It is a super strat, it is hardly a particularly gaudy looking guitar. Whatever guitar you are most comfortable playing is what you should go for.

Personally, I also think the Jaguar is a pretty ugly guitar.

kotornut · #12 03-23-2008, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matheau

I mean, maybe I could see a slight argument if you were playing a guitar that is more obviously image related. It is a super strat, it is hardly a particularly gaudy looking guitar. Whatever guitar you are most comfortable playing is what you should go for.

Personally, I also think the Jaguar is a pretty ugly guitar.

I didn't mean beautiful guitars just "rock" guitars. Mine, to them, looks "metal."

losgatosrg350dx · #13 03-23-2008, 01:07 PM

yup sound like you need a strat with a zebra top

stain it yellow!

rty13ibz98 · #14 03-23-2008, 02:09 PM

personally, i have different guitars for different styles/tones. i have hollowbodies, semi-hollows, strats, LP styles, rg's, s's, 80's hairband superstrats, and getting a talman for indie...danelectro tones. for you i actually would recommend the strat. find a good strat and drop a good set of pickups and your good to go. strat's are workhorses anyway. all my strats cn do anything. i have hot rails in each and they have really good single coils in them to go from sparkling clean, blues, jass, country, pop, indie, rock, to raging metal if i need. the only bummer is really just the limited fret access. sounds like in your band, you really won't use the upper frets much anyway.
if you want to compromise between the rg and strat, i HIGHLY recommend the ibanez rt series. it's basically the spawn of a strat and rg. i have 2. an rt650 and rt150(waiting on refin) and they definitely bridge the gap nicely. if you want a strat, but need it to say ibanez on the headstock, the late 90's blazers are great, too. 22 fret axes, with massive tonal versatility in the pickups and wiring. just more options. i will agree with you that most people are more down with image than talent. its just the adage of style over substance. hard to escape. i did use an rg in my old pop group, tho. it was the rg3120 and rgt3120. the maple tops made them a classier looking axe so that they weren't construed as "metal" guitars so directly.

rich

kotornut · #15 03-23-2008, 09:16 PM

That is good advice but my RG is HSS.

So I already have hum and single coil tones. As well as 24 frets and all. I honestly think there isn't a tone I can't get from my guitar. NOt to mention I don't have the money to buy more guitars.

It isn't a tone thing, because my tone is killer IMO for anything (except death metal) it was just how I look up there with everyone else.