Is it the tone or the player/ing

[Mesanixta]

Just saw an ad on gumtree for a Gold Klon minus the centaur for $1800 and it made me think if the seller had come to the realization that the playing is far more important then the tone. Dont get me wrong tone is important but too many of us (yes myself included) got lost in the GAS jungle for far too long without really improving.

I mean its great for guys to come up to you after a set and complement you on your tone but it is far more satisfying to hear them complement you on your playing, licks, ideas and so forth.

Thats what I recon anyway. And im all the better for it. No GAS, good work ethic to playing/practising, a happier wife and a fatter wallet

 

[JCJones]

Neither. It's the music.

 

[Mesanixta]

Neither. It's the music.

You couldnt be more unambigious if you tried. The music is the accumilation of many things including both items in my topic above. Thats a very poor answer.

 

[vinchan]

Neither should be prioritized. It should be both. For obvious reasons, you need adequate playing skill, but you also need to get a good tone. What I meant tone is not really about what kind of equipment you use, but rather eq, volume and gain adjustment to complement with styles and setting of the music.

 

[Telecasteur]

For sure the playering

 

[AdamSH89]

Maybe it's Maybelline.

 

[topo morto]

More important to who? The player, the band, the audience..? live or recorded?

If you're talking live and from an audience's perspective, I think a player/band in most cases just needs to have a sound good enough be able to play well and for the music be heard. (IOW I probably agree with your OP?)

If you're talking about someone listening to a recording at home hanging on every note, or an artist in the studio trying to get inspiration, there might be a different balance going on.

 

[Rockerduck]

Life is short and I'm somewhat addicted to pedals I like to collect. That said and can play with just my amp and have a great time and have done so many more times than I've played with pedals. I had a conversation today about more musicians being concerned with what's on a pedal board than the actual player.

 

[Able Grip]

When you gig regularly, your gas and need to buy gear goes down. When you don't gig, you get gas and buy gear.

 

[7thString]

When you gig regularly, your gas and need to buy gear goes down. When you don't gig, you get gas and buy gear.

I have experienced the opposite of this

 

[Able Grip]

I have experienced the opposite of this

You are beyond help.

 

[kimock]

Neither. It's the music.

100%

 

[Fu Schnickens]

You couldnt be more unambigious if you tried. The music is the accumilation of many things including both items in my topic above. Thats a very poor answer.

But it is correct. The quality of the sound is the sum total of gear, tone, and technique, and music. If one of these is missing or sub-par, the whole will be lacking. I.E.:

If your gear sucks, your tone sucks and technique can't fix it.
If your tone sucks, your gear and your technique can't fix it.
If your technique sucks, your gear and tone can't fix it.
If your music sucks, nothing will fix it.

There. Fixed.

 

[Rockerduck]

"If your gear sucks, your tone sucks and technique can't fix it". -Technique achieves 70%, I've been there.
"If your tone sucks, your gear and your technique can't fix it". - 80%
"If your technique sucks, your gear and tone can't fix it." - Correct
"If your music sucks, nothing will fix it". - Correct

 

[bettset]

But it is correct. The quality of the sound is the sum total of gear, tone, and technique, and music. If one of these is missing or sub-par, the whole will be lacking. I.E.:

If your gear sucks, your tone sucks and technique can't fix it.
If your tone sucks, your gear and your technique can't fix it.
If your technique sucks, your gear and tone can't fix it.
If your music sucks, nothing will fix it.

There. Fixed.

i agree. does the tone play you or do you play the tone. i like when the tone plays me. the music flows. then i play with it. of course i have some good amps, cabs and guitars. i don't rely on pedals to make the tone happen. amp first. i have pedals that work with the amps. my drive is the amp only. my type of fuzz effect is on the clean channel with a mudhoney II. other than that it's the guitar's volume and tone control. i may use a few different gauges of pick too, but that's only for certain things. fingers too. as for people complementing my sound.....what we're after is people liking the music. i play parts in the music.......we want the music to play the people so that they will want to play the music

 

[Bieling3]

Maybe it's Maybelline.

 

[9520575]

For sure the playering

Yup

 

[scolfax]

People don't pay $1800 for tone. They pay that for collectibility, nostalgia, bragging rights, curiosity (if they can afford it), or maybe an investment gamble.