Preface
James Duke (John Mark McMillan, All The Bright Lights), one of my new favorite guitar players, wrote this recently on his blog. I thought it served as a great preface for this post.
“i think one of the hardest parts of being a musician is being yourself. musicians, like any artists, are an insecure bunch. it’s cool to be different, as long as it’s different like everybody else. you can play any guitar these days, as long as it’s a telecaster. you can listen to any music, as long as nobody has heard it before you. everybody wants to rock the boat, but nobody will grab on to the side and start pushing. it’s a culture of cool. it’s bad for you. it’s bad for your music. it’s bad for creating anything different.
If you want to have your own sound you have to be yourself.
now, i’m not saying you can’t play a telecaster because everybody else has one. i have a tele and i love it. i sometimes find myself on the opposite end of the spectrum and i don’t want to play it because everybody else does. that isn’t good either. it’s just a guitar. who cares. but still. if you play something different a lot of people (read idiots) will think less of you. i’ve seen it happen a thousand times. sometimes i want to play my prs places just because i know people won’t think it’s cool. who cares.
it’s not about the instrument. it’s what comes out of the instrument…”
My Tools
Given what James so eloquently put, a lot of other musicians ask me about what I use, here’s the breakdown of my tool box.
Guitar – MIM Fender Classic Player 60′s Strat.
Amp – Dr. Z Maz 18 Jr. head into an Avatar 1-12 Cab that is loaded with a Hellatone 30 speaker.
Pedalboard – (just look at these pics, it explains how it’s wired and what not…)
My Two Cents
These are just my tools as a musician. I was making music before I had all this stuff and I can still make music with a $99 Squier plugged into a crappy practice amp. It’s not the tools that make the music… It’s how these tools are used in hands of the musician. It’s all about getting out what’s inside. I’ve met way too many people who have the potential to be phenomenal musicians but they got way too caught up in: acquiring new gear, looking cool, using music to get them other stuff, etc… If that same guy spent as much time practicing or writing as he spent: looking at gear online and/or trying to impress girls; he’d be amazing. Don’t forget what set you off on the road of being a musician. You started b/c you wanted to be moved by music and move other people with music. If you didn’t get your start in music for that or something similar to it, you got into it for the wrong reason(s). Like Duke said,
“it’s not about the instrument. it’s what comes out of the instrument…”
I would add to that,
“it’s not about what wielding the instrument can get you, it’s about what you can do for everybody else when you’re using it…”
i will fight anyone who disagrees with this posting.
speaking as one of those “impressionable girls”….its not the gear ya got, but how ya use it! well stated jim!!!!
on a serious note, this goes past gear, and even to our voices as the instrument of us singers…..very challenging post dear sir!
Great words Jim. I believe you inspire alot of young musicians (myself included)
“It’s you who plays the equipment, not the other way around” – Jack Thammarat
Thanks for posting!
Great and profound thought. It has amazing implications for our spiritual life as well. Please make some time to come see us before you leave!
You hit the nail on the head. It’s not the tool, it’s how you use it. Equipment is no substitute for talent. George Martin and The Beatles made iconic recordings with a 4 track (OK, a Studer 1” 4 track) but you get my point. The best equipment can only capture what talent creates. Now get back to creating!
Fantastic, Jim.
Obi-wan Tone-obi