Am I a "blues lawyer"?

[Tony Done]

Urban Dictionary: Blues Lawyer

and/or similarly:

"A blues lawyer is guitar slang for high-income hobby guitarists who buy expensive guitars, amps and accessories, and then play the same old blues and classic rock they've been playing for the last 30 years without improvement. It's like the musician version of “ok boomer”

[sigh] That describes me very well, except I think I'm improving, or at least diversifying my technique a bit, and I'm a lot more interested in playing acoustics as opposed electrics.

 

[Non-Musical Hack]

I am the worst of the worst.

I am a wannabe Britpop guitarist (in America) with a legal degree.

I'd kill to be a Blues wannabe at this point.

 

[Magnets And Melodies]

I'm an accountant, not an attorney, and I play folk, rock, some country-ish, in addition to bluesy music. But I AM a professional who makes a good income and can afford nice guitars. I have other hobbies, so as much as I love guitars, it isn't the only thing I spend my free time/money on. That seems pretty close to what I thought the term "blues lawyer" meant. Am I off?

If the label applies, it doesn't bother me, I was just curious. What's your definition of the term?

I’m a millennial project manager, but we’re all blues lawyers on TGP

 

[3940bigdaddy]

Three weeks ago I got injured in an accident . So I consulted a personal injury lawyer. When I came to see him for initial consultation. I notice he had a Yellow Ibanez RG Series guitar and a small practice amp in his office. So said to him " So you're a Shredder not a Blues lawyer". He busted out laughing.

 

[Howzaboppin]

What's your definition of the term?

Some moneyed dude spending huge amounts of $$$$ in a Wood Library Historic R10

...not that's anything wrong with that.

 

[Toolmaster Of Brainerd]

Here is the SBLAT (Standardized Blues Lawyer Assessment Test) for you to decide.

Do you own a PRS, a relic custom shop fender, and/or a Les Paul (preferably R or Murphy)?

Do you use the phrases "edge of breakup," "gain on tap," or "a Tele will get the job done every time"?

Are your technical skills far eclipsed by your knowledge of gear and willingness to run off your mouth on music forums?

Are you convinced deep in your marrow that Yngwie has "no feeling"?

Do you wear tan pants, loafers, or partially untucked dress shirts on your days off?

Have you gone through multiple Klon clones and remained unfulfilled?

If you've answered yes to two or more of the questions above, you may be a blues lawyer. It is recommended that you consult a medical professional or guitar teacher.

Not a fair test. Every member of tgp has more knowledge of gear then technical skills. That puts all of us at high risk of becoming a blues lawyer. Luckily I answered no to every other question.

OP, I don't think your guitars are expensive enough for blues lawyer status. Of course your pedalboard or amps could make up for it, but only if they're either vintage or super boutique and expensive.

Also, can we add 'insisting on non-master-volume single channel amps with NOS tubes' to blues lawyer traits?

 

[Space Jazzer]

I had a 30 something year old lawyer for my divorce who played Metallica does that count?

I’m guessing he set off your first meeting by playing “For whom the bell tolls”, no?

 

[Surfreak]

We are all blues lawyers in the making. Some got there earlier, that’s all.

 

[Zounds Perspex]

I prefer to think of myself as a "tone attorney."

 

[zeffbeff]

But do you jam on 12 bar blues on a back deck while wearing cargo shorts and socks with sandals?

 

[Member 240367]

Urban Dictionary: Blues Lawyer

and/or similarly:

"A blues lawyer is guitar slang for high-income hobby guitarists who buy expensive guitars, amps and accessories, and then play the same old blues and classic rock they've been playing for the last 30 years without improvement. It's like the musician version of “ok boomer”

I’m not exactly living the high life in IT but it’s paying the bills and covered some pretty nice gear. Not old enough to have been playing 30 years though and I’m still improving, just slowly. Lessons help.

 

[Capstan Philips]

 

[Pick53766]

I am a lawyer but I don't particularly like blues. My PRS is a just an SE.
I am probably safe, although my pedalboard IS worrying me.

 

[TheLesserCornholio]

I’m guessing he set off your first meeting by playing “For whom the bell tolls”, no?

Maybe The Thing That Should Not Be too

 

[Capstan Philips]

Urban Dictionary: Blues Lawyer

and/or similarly:

"A blues lawyer is guitar slang for high-income hobby guitarists who buy expensive guitars, amps and accessories, and then play the same old blues and classic rock they've been playing for the last 30 years without improvement. It's like the musician version of “ok boomer”

Sounds as though I may be a Blues Lawyer Lite (the worst sort of Blues Lawyer?)

• Not a boomer
• Not a lawyer or high income
• However.... can afford 'an' expensive guitar ('afford' is subjective, mind you)
• Most significantly: Have played the some old crap, stage and bedroom, for 30+ years with only the most modest of improvement

The only saving grace is that tan 'pants' are mercifully difficult to obtain in the UK.



P.S. I don't subscribe to the "shredders have no soul" opinion - some shredding is wonderful, I've just never been motivated/talented enough to learn how to do it. I'll go off now and crawl back into my pentatonic box

 

[Moderato]

I'm an accountant, not an attorney, and I play folk, rock, some country-ish, in addition to bluesy music. But I AM a professional who makes a good income and can afford nice guitars. I have other hobbies, so as much as I love guitars, it isn't the only thing I spend my free time/money on. That seems pretty close to what I thought the term "blues lawyer" meant. Am I off?

If the label applies, it doesn't bother me, I was just curious. What's your definition of the term?

wait a minute... all lawyers here its years that tell us how brutal is their working hours (including weekends) and now we discover you all have an enormous amount of free time? sure you are a blues lawyer!

 

[prodrigu]

I seem to fit the criteria (even though I am an engineer) but I try to break out of the blues and write my own songs…

 

[bemymonkey]

I try to hide my disposable income and lack of skill by using cheap-ish gear out live. All-in I'm probably under $2k (including everything down to my IEM and picks and cables) for a one-guitar live setup. At least that way it looks like my skill is in line with the money I spend on gear...

Most of the more expensive stuff rarely leaves my living room if I'm honest. Also, tube halfstacks are annoyingly heavy and I'm super lazy...

 

[C-4]

Apoyando said..." The cost of instruments is tangential to this…but the moniker suggests that those who can afford higher end instruments can’t play well.. also not (always)true. Really just resentment IMO."

This sums it up perfectly for me.

ymmv

 

[Strat58]

Hi playing all kinds of music the last 40 years of so I consider myself a musican, still learning new stuff from day to day. Man can't wait to retire then I have more time for making music. In the end, I guess they will find me dead with a guitar and a smile on mine face. Theres one word that defines it Dedication. Never made it realy big, made a lot of people happy when playing and thats what is al about to make people happy. So what are we ? we are minstrels in a moderne society.
Peace Strat58