Rant about Gear

[Given to Fly]

Right now I'm feeling very unsatisfied with my gear. I'll list so you have reference and then I'll get into why.
Guitars:
Ibanez RG 3120
Ibanez RG 570

Amps:
Carvin Legacy

Pedal Board:
Bad Horsie
Digitech Delay
Whammy Pedal

Alright so I just don't have very much confidence in my rig. I feel my 3120 is a peice of crap because it goes out of tune sometimes and I think deep down I don't really like it. All my guitars have Floyds and I don't think I really like Floyds much anymore either. I don't like my amp sometimes because it doesn't get the sound I really want out of it and I see rack effects and want those because pedals seem to be a real hassle.
Alright so that's how I felt today about my gear. Do you guys ever fell like this? I seem to have these spells of being unsatisfied but don't know what gear I would be happy with. Any suggestions on what to do? Any suggestions would be great. Thank You

[darren wilson]

I've happily given up Floyds for a few years now. Floating bridges just seem too tonally compromised to me, and for what purpose? So i can grab a bar and wank when i don't have a more musical idea of what to play? So i can have a guitar that takes longer to set up and change strings on, and that goes out of tune with greater frequency?

No, thanks.

I went through the whole mad whammy thing back in the '80s, and i got over it.

I think everyone goes through periods of hating their tone and their playing, and quite often, we blame it on our gear. Familiarity breeds contempt. Sometimes it helps just to try something different just to get an unfamiliar sound or feel into your head/hands to shake things up and make you try playing different notes and different techniques.

Try picking up a Tele or a Les Paul or a cheap gnarly '60s pawn shop special.

Try plugging straight from your guitar into your amp and dialing in a sound you normally don't use on your amp and write a song that takes advantage of the weirdness of it.

See how many different tones and textures you can get just by using your hands.

[microdmitry]

I own an RG3120 and it doesn't go out of tune all that often. It's been set up by a pro guitar tech though. It didn't go out of tune even before being professionally set up either. Find a good tech, let him have a look at what's wrong with your guitar. RG3120 kicks ass.

[rl^^]

everybody gets in ruts sometimes, do like darren said and shake
something up a bit.....usually works

[Mr Orange]

Well, I guess I may be walking on thin ice saying this here but, anyway... Ibanez guitars are not so great sounding IMNSHO. Actually the only guitar with Floyd that's sounded good to my ears was an old S-S-S Kramer.

The gear, except the guitars, seem cool enough. So, ditch them, recycle them, get new ones. Find a resonating, lively guitar. Keep searching & testing until you find one that you really want to take home.

Floyd or not? Have both types of guitars. Frets or none? Have both. S-S-S or H-H? I think you know the answer by now.

And yes, the frustration comes, but mostly because of my playing abilities. Then throwing the guitar around a bit usually helps. May end up with some cosmetic flaws but whattheheck.

Happy hunting!

[microdmitry]

I think the answer is: change the battery in your dusty metronome, crank up your Legacy and PRACTICE. The gear won't sound good without someone playing it no matter how expensive/rare/weird it is. Changing gear will only help temporarily, in a few months you'll be just as frustrated as you are now, only you'll lose a good chunk of money. Can't do it to yourself? Put that guitar away for a month (if you're not in a hurry), pick it up a month later and feel the joy. Don't torture yourself. If it's not fun, you're not gonna achieve much. Make it fun for yourself, enjoy every minute/note/noise you make. I'm telling you, RG3120 is one of the best guitars I've ever played, so I don't think the guitar is bad. It sounds like you're just tired.

[gkelm]

I'd say sell the 3120 & Legacy and try something different. Keep the 570 for reference. Put together a rack (everybody should do this once in their life!)...and buy a nice hardtail. If it's not what you want, move on. The internet has made it failry easy to swap gear, so I'd encourage you to experiment. You can always replace the gear if you miss it.
Greg

[bob mclaughlin]

I go through phases like this myself, buying different things to make my sound change or get better. BUT, I always come back to the same thing. My Jems, a few stomp boxes, and my Marshall.... AAAHHH TONE!!

[motogod927]

I go through the same thing when i get bored of playing. But thats all it is, is being bored of playing the guitar so you start focusing on tone and gear. When i make guitar tracks with different chord progressions to solo over, I dont even notice my tone. Even when i learn a new lick or song . I just put my favorite tone on and start jamming. Alot of times when i havent played for a day or so i will pick up the guitar and start doing warmups and i will just be all over the place and sounding like crap. Everything sucks my tone, my guitar. But once i warmup for about 20 minutes my tone just seems to rip.

[Texter]

Yep, cold hands means crappy playing, warm hands sheer delight.
I even enjoy playing utterly crappy guitars.

[guitarkatana]

I think the answer is: change the battery in your dusty metronome, crank up your Legacy and PRACTICE. The gear won't sound good without someone playing it no matter how expensive/rare/weird it is. Changing gear will only help temporarily, in a few months you'll be just as frustrated as you are now, only you'll lose a good chunk of money.

I agree with microdmitry. If you are unhappy with your gear, fine, save some money and buy stuff you like more. But if you can't sit down with what you have and come up with something you like, you'll continue to ultimately be unhappy with new gear.

[jay ratkowski]

Looks like you got a real typical jemsite setup. I've seen more or less that exact rig owned by a lot of people here, including yours truely.

Don't ditch it all at once, you may regret. Try and figure out what you do want. Then see if you can decide what you like the least. Maybe borrow some gear from a buddy. Play your guitar through other amps. Play other guitars through your amp. See which one you like less. Then trade/sell it for something you do like.

Most importantly, don't get the stuff we tell you to get.

Oh yeah, be carefull, because a lot of times you'll get a new guitar and come up with lots of songs and have fun... but then realize it was just the fun of owning something new, not something you really like/need.

[Mister2]

Originally Posted by guitarkatana

I agree with microdmitry. If you are unhappy with your gear, fine, save some money and buy stuff you like more. But if you can't sit down with what you have and come up with something you like, you'll continue to ultimately be unhappy with new gear.

+1 good advice..set of new strings a new pleck and off to the woodshed you'll feel better for it.

[Mr Orange]

Mister2's got it.... maybe the least expensive remedy of them all!
How did I forget that? Whenever I feel like playing sucks major hairy balls, I change the strings. Oh, what a difference a new set makes... it's always funny I don't realize my strings are in so crappy shape until it really hits me...

[Mister2]

Originally Posted by Mr Orange

Mister2's got it.... maybe the least expensive remedy of them all!
How did I forget that? Whenever I feel like playing sucks major hairy balls, I change the strings. Oh, what a difference a new set makes... it's always funny I don't realize my strings are in so crappy shape until it really hits me...

Hey Mr Orange

Hehe i do it all the time...i forget about the strings cause i hate changing them..then i eventually put a new set on and go WOOAHH kin ell why did i not change em....also like to add that brand choice is important...i litterally hate Ernie Ball strings now ..they by my reckoning last about 3 days before sounding "wierd" D'addarios..much better ...i must try some others aswell

Rich