I love guitar gear – amps, guitars, pedals, slides, picks, strings, straps, cases, cables… you name it, I’m into it.

But guitar gear can be a frightening thing if you’re new to the sport…

A lot of money can be spent, and like most things there is a point of diminishing returns. Does a $400 pedal sound $300 better than a $100 pedal?

Well, it will to one person and it won’t to another. So no matter what recommendations you read or what videos you see showing off the latest gadget or gizmo, you have to try it for yourself to see if it does what you want.

Most gear falls into 1 of 2 categories: it gives a sound you want, or it solves a problem.

Problem solvers are easy – tuners, buffers, noise suppressors… these are things that “fix” your signal more often than not. You might include things like EQs in that category as well but an EQ can be there to solve a problem, or it can be there for something else entirely.

But often times finding something that gets a sound you hear in your head or on record is tough. We’ve all been caught chasing the tone of someone else and it’s darn near impossible to do in some cases.

So before you spend a whole lot of money and waste a whole lot of time, here are some things I’ve found useful in my years of chasing gear:

  1. This thing likely isn’t your last… We all like to say that “this guitar is the last one I’ll ever need” but that’s rarely the case. And especially if you’re new to the guitar (like, less than 5 to 10 years of playing) your tastes will change and your ear will change as you grow as a player. What you want from an instrument, pedal, effect, or amp, will change over time and what you buy now likely won’t fit the bill down the road.
  2. Buying something “just in case I like it” never works out. If I don’t have a specific purpose in mind for a guitar, pedal, or amp, it will end up in the closet.
  3. Almost everything will need extras. Guitars need cases, amps might tubes, pedals will need a board to live on or a power supply or an endless supply of batteries. Try to find out what the extras are before you get too carried away.

Now I don’t necessarily want to push you in one direction, but I’ve always had good luck ordering from Sweetwater and it just so happens that they offer an enormous amount of stuff. Plus they often have videos of the products they sell so you can see and hear what it does.

If you’re curious, just go to their website (or Guitar Center, or Musician’s Friend, or many others) and just click the “Guitar” item on the nav bar and look around.

Sometimes I find things I didn’t know existed but when I see them I know exactly what problem they’ll solve for me and I can’t imagine how I didn’t realize that sooner.

Now if you happen to find that beautiful new guitar you’ve always wanted, you won’t hear me trying to talk you out of it so don’t email me asking for advice on it… that’ll get expensive 🙂


    80 replies to "Why I Love Gear…"

    • SlowHandFan

      I first started playing guitar 7 years ago after being a keyboard specialist for 40 years and had a tremendous amount of GAS. I was fortunate enough to be able to afford a nice amp, guitar and some stomp boxes. Fast forward to last year when I took an inventory of everything I purchased along the way but didn’t use. I put everything that hadn’t been used or still in the box up for sale on Reverb.com and after adding up my sales had enough to purchase a 2015 Les Paul Standard Plus from Sweetwater, something I always wanted but couldn’t afford. Check your closets gang. You never know what is hiding in the corners!

    • cowboy

      I’m guilty on all charges but do agree about Sweetwater…the best group of people to deal with…later.

      cowboy

    • Staggerleon

      Great blog Griff… I too have G.A.S. but not A lot of “disposable” income… what I have found to create my personal sound on a budget is a boss me-25 which includes a lot of customizable tones with a built in wah and looper… which I run thru an ART tube mp studio for that warm tube sound… and into a second hand crate GX-30M… everything I plug into it sounds good from my peavey raptor to my Washburn electric acoustic… I plan to stay away from all the “big name” toys untill my talent surpasses my equipment…

      • Mark

        Well said. I feel the same.

    • Mike Harshe

      I have a Fender Cyber-Deluxe amp with a bunch of presets and a midi board but mostly I use the same two or three settings all of the time, no pedals, boxes or other stuff. For years I have wanted to be able to play all of the parts to a song without jam tracks or others to accompany me.

      Last week I discovered the Ditto looper that does exactly what I wanted. It records up to five minutes and lets me add unlimited overdubs. It’s like having a one man band in a box.

    • jim

      “…And especially if you’re new to the guitar (like, less than 5 to 10 years of playing)…”

      I love that line!

      And unfortunately, it is so true. 5-10 years in some places (sports, military, etc.) is a CAREER!
      The piece of gear I need is the one that shortens the learning curve from 50+ years to a more manageable 10-20!

    • Steve Lasko

      Griff’s advice is spot on. The only suggestion I would make is, if you can, try to shop locally.
      A good local guitar shop — with an experienced and talented guitar tech or luthier — can be an invaluable resource to a guitar player. You might pay a little more for gear, but you’ll get a ton of great advice and the opportunity to try out gear in a friendlier environment than a huge, noisy, big-box store. You can A/B your gear with new gear. Plus, you’ll be helping out your local economy, which these days, is very important. Your local guitar shop owner will really appreciate your patronage.

    • Kim Alexander

      While this is great for research we always will prefer to do business in our community ,thereby strengthening the whole community with our tax dollars spent here. We would like to share, that i had a Fender twin-tube, it was great, the reverb quit, traded it in,40 years ago. This Christmas, i was given a little 15 ” X 15′ Marshall amp & with my Wah & a reverb pedal distortion off, on pedal ,on, on amp it sounds -GREAT ! & OH so portable !

    • Ozzy

      I had never owned a tube amp before but always wanted one, right. Well, I was scrolling through Craigslist about a year ago and I came across a guy who had a Blues Jr that he wanted to sell for $500 or trade for a high end acoustic 12 string. I had a 12 string Takamine that was rarely being used and I only gave $300 for it but I thought I’d see if he was willing to work something out with me. Well we met and believe it or not , he traded me the amp for the guitar….straight up. I couldn’t believe my good fortune. This amp looked brand new with not a scratch anywhere and the sound was AMAZING. I have a Marshall 100 watt head with a 4×12 half cab ( that I dearly love) but this little tube amp sounds so much better to me. Those tubes definitely have a tone that you can’t get from a non-tubed amp. The moral to this story I guess is now that I’ve played a tube amp, I don’t like the tone of anything else. Nothing compares to that tube tone. The tubes have spoiled me as they will anyone else if they get a chance to play on them. My advice is to be ready to buy if you try.

    • Gary

      I am so impressed with my VOX VT40+. It has tons of sounds an effects. It took me a while to get use to it’s but great for a guy like me who loves monkeying around.

      http://www.voxamps.com/valvetronix

      • Russ carre

        Got a few amps myself. The little vox 5 rhythm is great. Best wishes from. Guernsey.

      • Carl

        Have to agree! I have a VT50 and folks who hear it wonder why it sounds so good for less than two hundred bucks.
        Coupled with my Fender hot rod iii in stereo with a splash of delay, there’s two-thirds of a band right there.

    • michael

      Thanks Teach ! I am fairly new to all of this, and found myself buying pedals and not getting the tones I hear everyone else playing. I just got a boss gt-001 desk top effects processor and it is awesome !!, but I also read a article by a great guitarist who said simply. Sound starts at your fingers-to the instrument-to the effects-then to the amp. It all still starts at your fingers!! Practice on guys 🙂

    • Michael Chappell

      Hey Griff, Wise words. I have to say some very good words of wisdom here.

      I like what Norm says. I have been learning since 2013 and have 5 guitars each for a specific sound and one Marshal 100 W AMP & a Practice 15w. I would like to get a Les Paul down the track and a Multi Function ( Band in a Box Amp)but not until I have reached the standard of playing and completed a few of the Griff Hamlin BGU purchased Lessons first. However I would like to experiment with a few Blues Pedals and on my list.
      Michael- St Andrews- Australia

      • Matt

        Try looking at the moded blues driver boss modded by JHS. Really makes this pedal so much nicer specially if into blues. I use cry baby JOE BONAMASSA version deeper blues sound can turn on and off buffer in the pedal my hand wired TS808HW with JHS modded blues driver in the end a custom shop FET driver to thicken things up on certain guitars and songs. Highly recommend hybrid chorus pedal, into a 70’s MXR script phaser into MXR Carbon copy. I have an Boss Eq great if going from LP to a Strat between the drivers and the others. I’m looking at a good compressor to maybe change the EQ. Put on my heavy rock pedals as it gets swapped around all the time. Love my Blues. Just an idea for you.

    • aitie

      Buy a Bugera 5 watt Vintage amp and a Stomplab IG. Both are cheap and are dependable. Both have white chicken head nobs and look beautiful together.The perfect practice and small venue combination. Trust me. I am a sound doctor.

    • Lardo

      I’m guitar hog. I have way more than I “need”. (Like that has anything to do with it.) But I just can’t stop myself. In fact, I just bought a couple more.

      The first was a used S-type, made by Lyons, for $100. I wanted a cheap “camp” guitar. And this fit the bill.

      The second one I’d been looking at it for some time, but didn’t really have the extra bucks. But then it went on sale and my resistance faltered. But I ain’t complaining.

      It’s from Eastwood Guitars. (http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/) Their take on the Gibson Les Paul Junior Double Cut. They call it the ‘P-90’, (And yes, it has a pair of P-90’s) in TV yellow. This think is awesome. Not only is the build quality very nice. But it has tone up the wazzoo. And the neck felt perfect from the first time I picked it up. Okay, sure… it doesn’t carry “the name” on the headstock. But for only 3 bills… who the heck cares? This thing is quickly becoming my #1.

    • TB Shaw

      Okay, so I know everybody probably knows this, but tone is in your fingers, not really your gear. Having said that, GEAR RULES! I love it. Can’t get enough. In the 80s I went in with some friends on a music store, and we basically just used the wholesale discount to gorge ourselves on gear. We should have called the place GAS 🙂 (It was actually called The Music Factory, in Albuquerque New Mexico, and we built guitars for Tim Pierce, Mark Ross, some other semi-famous guys. Randy Castillo used to drop in to chat from time to time, etc.) At one time my house contained 72 electric guitars, 4 acoustics, and I dunno how many amps, pedals, etc. I had the 3rd Jackson Soloist that Grover ever built. I had a Kramer Baretta signed by EVH, and used on the 1984 tour. I had…well you get the idea. OK, so enough bragging and name-dropping…I just wanna say that now I have slimmed down my collection – hell, it’s downright anorexic! I have a Lou Pallo signature edition Les Paul from the Gibson Custom Shop, an American Standard Strat, A PRS Torrero (PRS with Floyd Rose and EMGs? You betcha, it’s a metal monster!), for amplification a Marshall TSL601 combo and a Vox AC15, and the best multi-fx out there IMO, a Nova System from TC electronics, and one lonely little T Rex Moller overdrive (heh, Griff doesn’t have that one!). So all this blah blah is to make one very salient point – I have no excuse for not sounding better than I do! I can’t blame it on the gear! So now I am concentrating on the basics, like actually practicing instead of looking for the latest new toy. It’s embarrassing to admit, but Griff (and many others, I’m sure) could kick my ass with a $100 Squire and a Frontman amp. Tone is in the fingers. But my gear is SO PRETTY! 🙂 Later guys, and have fun going broke with GAS! I sure have.

    • Kevin Stevenson

      Hey Griff, I am one of those who has been looking for a certain sound but haven’t been able to get it. I went to a Britt Floyd concert and the sound the lead guitar player had when he played the solos on Comfortably Numb blew me away. It was a smooth distortion with a lot of sustain. Now I know they have spent big bucks to get that sound. David Gilmour’s sound is the same, smooth distorted sustain. Can you tell me a combination of pedals that would get close to that sound without breaking the bank?

      Thanks,
      Kevin

    • Don Donohoo

      Griff
      I have been playing for about 40 years , never have I played lead and now I want to learn to play the blues both on the acoustic and the electric guitars. Which course do you recommend I should start with?

    • Mark S.

      +1 on the Sweetwater recommendation. I have had nothing less than perfect experiences dealing with Sean my sales engineer. I learned early on to trust his advice on gear I was considering and have not been disappointed. And their service cannot be beat!

      For the guys who like “rolling” their own, I think that’s great. Nothing like the satisfaction you get from making something with your own hands. And for those who dissatisfied with the Fenders and Gibsons, I sympathize. Once I thought Gibson would be the way for me to go, but I couldn’t afford what I wanted. Then I found Paul Reed Smith. PRS guitars, whether made in the USA or Korea, or Indonesia, are without a match in quality of workmanship, sound, or materials. For the money, nothing else comes close. I own one of each SE, S2, including a limited run core model, plus an acoustic.

      For amps, I bought into the Blackstar claim, “The sound in your head”. Also, for the money, they take the cake. Developed by former Marshall amp designers, you can guess just how good they are.

      I don’t own any pedals and don’t plan to until I learn everything I can from all the courses that I have bought from Griff, who, I might add is the best of all the instructors that I have run across. My biggest regret is that we live on opposite sides of the country, so I don’t know when we will ever have a chance to meet in person, but if that could happen I would do it in a heartbeat. Thanks, Griff. I will get to work in earnest as my hand recovers from the surgery. One thing I can do, however, is learn all the notes on the fretboard in the meantime.

      Cheers,
      Mark

      • Will

        Wise again damn PRS guitars, they are something special somehow, well said

        I am going to let loose of a bunch of stuff, and pretty sure my last electric will be a PRS freaking amazing, from student models to custom, never ever picked one up that had the feel and playability that is superior to any other brand, or at least has to be in the top few, I cannot figure out exactly why I know materials matter and craftsman ship but whatever they do in total works

    • John Kormanik

      I’ve been playing longer than I will admit. What I need is some kind of system I could practice with. Some kind of device that can play different rhythms. At this time I don’t need to record. It would be nice if the rhythm output could be adjusted in speed. Can you recommend something?
      Thanks.

    • Walt

      I have been doing all the stuff you mentioned for a long time and am up to my ears in everything:

      24 guitars! (my last one a Gibson ES335 from of all places “Sweetwater”and you’re right they are great! ask for Nathan if you want a great sales person to work with.)

      Amps, Pedals, Mics, digitizers, recorders blah! blah! blah!

      I’m lucky enough to have the disposable income that it hasn’t hurt me. As I once said to my wife when she started to remark about the number of guitars etc. “I don’t beat on you, I don’t cheat on you, I don’t do drugs, or drink to excess. My only vices are guitars and motorcycles!” She replied “Fine buy yourself that new guitar or bike!”.

      I’m pretty sure I’m done buying any more but I never say “never”!!

      • Will

        IF you are feeding the family, and not whipping out a 34% charge card, you earned it, spend it on what you enjoy, like anything else, some things are too much but if you have disposable income and all in order it’s a hobby not many hobbies are cheap

        Have fun and enjoy hell it ain’t hurting anyone and the result should be entertainment for those lucky enough to be around, there are vices and there are hobbies, I wouldnt be beating yourself up if youre in the KC area come by and make me some offers I need to thin the herd

    • JOHN FLASH

      Thanks Griff I know you know what your talking about. I have checked out Sweetwater and many others and still like Fender and Boss as well as Yamaha. Although Yamaha has different kinds without a video for much of the things…I thank you very much for the info….

    • Steve

      I do a single. I too have a garden of guitars and always go back to my Godin solid body electric. As for vocal, I use a vocalizer III, Alesis SR16 drummer, “73 fender amp, and portable Peavey amp. I wish someone would invent an electronic bass, with runs that follow the chord I’m playing in (like the Vocalizer). Has anyone out there heard of such an animal?

      • Joe T.

        Look for “Band in a Box”

      • TB Shaw

        I think Digitech has the Trio, which is amazing! I saw a NAMM demo on YT that blew me away. It’s literally a band in a pedal! Check it out (BTW, I don’t have it…yet 🙂 and I don’t work for Digitech!)

    • Don

      Build your own guitar! It may or may not be as “GOOD” as the LP or Strat (I do own a 69 LP)…but I can tell you this ….the thought that goes into building your own guitar…the sweat and effort…choosing the materials, color, p/ups, knobs,tuners and on and on Will make it special….and fyi with some effort and thought…it will sound better than store bought.

      • Tom

        I agree. You can keep it simple – a lot of satifaction comes with just buying a no-name guitar (with a decent neck) and installing your own choice of pickups, pots, switches… you get the idea. There is all kinds of unique, high quality hardware out there and it is surprisingly inexpensive. You will have a guitar that has features none of the hi-$ guitars have for a small fraction of the cost and it is fun.

    • Ace...

      Exactly… I have picked up El Cheapo $200.00 Strats, thought they played fabulous and then picked up a “real” $1,600.00 Strat and thought the cheaper one to play even better. That’s certainly not always the case, but it’s nuts…

    • Roland Dreher

      Hi all. Just for the record, Sweetwater is the best in the business. I used to live in Fort Wayne and have been there many times. Everything about that place is top notch. They are not just a store, it’s more like a compound, think acres. They stand behind their products. They have a huge warehouse and knowledgable staff. These guys are well educated and receive constant training on their new products. They live for music and most are musicians. Ask for a free catalog and get on their email list. They have numerous youtube videos that are informative as well. Gearfest is their summer bash and it is amazing. Check it out.

    • Kirk

      I have a Epiphone Les Paul Special II and a Fender Starcaster Strat, playing through a Fender Frontman 25r amp. I need to replace my Les Paul, she feel over and broke the head off. I’m looking at a Epiphone Les Paul 100 to replace her with. During my search, I played everything from the sub-$100 kids guitar all the way up to a $8000 Gibson. I’ve been playing for about 2 1/2 years and can’t justify spending big bucks for gear that doesn’t sound any better than what I already have and that I don’t have the chops to play proficiently enough. The only thing I’m really drooling over is a Digitech 360rp pedal (or a Fender Champion 40 amp). The Digitech allows me to try out different pedals, amps, and cabinets, and doesn’t take up a lot of room.

      • Bob L

        I have a Fender Champion 100. Glad I brought it. It cost was $329 out the door with pedal. If you like the 40 just take the jump to Champion 100.

    • Chris Leide

      Nice warm and friendly take on toys and tools. Sometimes they are the same thing. Not good for the budget. Not good for the storage issues. And often what you think you need quickly becomes obsolete or surpassed by next gen gear. I am on a self-imposed buying ban. I cut myself off. Its a struggle.

      • PAUL

        OMG! IN MY 40 YEARS OF PLAYING GUITAR , I HAVE HAD SO MANY PEDALS ON DIFFERANT PEDAL BOARDS IT WAS CRAZY. AS I GOT OLDER AND FOUND MY STYLE AND MY OWN SOUND I GOT RID OF ALL MY PEDALS, EXCEPTP FOR MY 1972 FUZZ FACE . EXACT SAME PEDAL AND ANALOG ELECTRONICS. SAME PEDAL HENDIX USED WITH HIS VOX WAH PEDAL I HAVE A WAH PEDAL AND A SUSTAINER/COMPRESSOR PEDAL. MY WAH PEDAL IS A 1990 VOX. BUT SINCE I ONLY PLAY BY MYSELF NOW, I JUST USE A TECH 21 POWER ENGINE 60. NO PREAMP. I USE A VOX TONE LAB AND GO STRAIGHT THROUGH THAT. WHEN IN A BAND I WOULD HOOK UP TO THE EFFECTS RACK. IF YOU WANT THAT ANALOG SOUND THE VOX TONE LAB HAS IT. I ONLY HAVE 5 SETTINGS I USE AND ONE IS MY SIGNATURE FUZZ/DISTORTION SOUND. VERY TREBLEY. WHEN I LAY BLUES, I USE THE BLUES SETTING, TREAKED TO MY STYLE AND IT SOUND CLOSE TO BB KINGS SOUND. TO BAD MY HANDS DON’T WORK ANY MORE. VERY FRUSTRATING HAVING ARTRITIST AND WANT TO PLAY WITH NO PAIN, OR LOCKING UP. KEEP PLAYING YOUNGSTERS!! THANKS GRIFF.

    • Tex Salerno

      Love my Zager and Les Paul. Denny Zager plays every guitar before it ships.Les Paul is like a Timex.Takes a licking keeps on ticking!

    • RollyS

      As one gent said earlier, I feel out place a little here as well. As a singer who on the most part accompanies himself, I’ve only had 4 guitars in the last 50 years. My first guitar was a Yamaki (Martin knockoff) which I just sold last year. My next one was a Fender acoustic/electric (sold also last year) which I had for about 20 years that I played through a small 2 channel acoustic Beringer amp. I now have a Godin 5th Ave. Kingpin II which has beautiful tone but my old amp didn’t cut it. I now have a Fender Acoustasonic 150 which has a lot of built in effects but it was lacking a few things I needed to play with friends (who play Ventures and Old Rock) so went to my local store and ended up buying a ZOOM multi effects pedal and now can play any type of music I want. It doesn’t matter to your audience what gear you have, if you enjoy what you’re doing it will come across in the way you play and they will appreciate your music. My final guitar belonged my brother who passed away in 1985. I’ve received this just recently and have started to refinish it. It’s 1967 GUILD F30 which according to local luthier (who will finish the job)was well worth redoing. So when this is done this will be my goto acoustic. Thanks for letting me ramble.

      • Ugly Scott

        Ditto on the Zoom…..only need one of these….I gave my effects board the old heave-ho. I really like the Zoom 505 as it has lots of pre-set effects, multiple banks, easy switching with a cabled foot switch is super easy and you can modify, create or whatever new effects you want. When you get lost you can simply reset to factory and away you go. Battery or transformer power. Works with my 62′ Les Paul and my 25+ year old acoustic Epiphone.
        Save yourself some $$$ and go test ride one today!

    • Skip Huntress

      I’ve 53 and have been playing for less than a year and I had G.A.S. bad. So far I’ve a vintage Gretsch that my son will get, a banjo, mandolin, strat clone and my favorite, a $50 Gremlin acoustic from China. I’m done gathering gear and have to learn the instrument. It does make for a killer display though. The Gretsch stays in the case however. Thanks Griff, I really appreciate your lessons.

    • Ron

      Like things simple but I would like suggestions on the top 6 pedalsI I should own if I decided to go that direction. I also have problems with noise from my Distorter, Gretsch and Fender Blues Jr. would a noise suppressor work. I have a Vox Toned Lab ST not that crazy with the sounds and presets. Thinking about the new Boss Synthesizer what would it offer? I am still in the toy buying stage as you can tell?

      I have Boss Overdrive, Vox Wah Wah, Distorter, Chorus and Delay, I am trying to round out my pedals that I should consider. I know I have ignored the advice others on toys, but again I do like to experiment with affects. Any suggestions.

      Griff what does your pedal set-up look like for your gigs?

    • Neil

      If you try a recent Squier Classic Vibe Tele and Epiphone Les Paul 1960s tribute plus Les Paul or Epiphone 1956 Goldtop plus (P90s) , you may do what I did… sell the Gibson Les Paul and Fender MIA Telecaster.
      Pay no attention to the name on the headstock. These days many Squier and Epiphone guitars look, play, feel, and sound as good or better than the MIA versions costing up to 10x more. BTW, totally agree about Sweetwater.

    • Bruce A.D.

      I wonder what possessed me to buy 14 tube amps and 26 guitars. I am not a rock star. All amps need to be played or turned on every six months to keep electrolytic capacitors from crystalizing, and they also need to be replaced after 10 – 20 years. I have learned to service my own amps . Now at age 62 , I am starting to pity my heirs for the monumental task of trying to sort through the mountain of gear I will leave behind . It is all a bit laughable, but I do love to play with my toys.

    • Bruce

      Hi , l’d like to ask Griff if all of the pedals he has went through over the years , ever offered him mor than a 5 % difference in his tone search from the last one to the next one?l have seen his videos of his favorite overdrive pedals ,and l saw slight differences , but nothing earthchanging.
      lt seems other than the adult toy sydrome, which l am addicted to also, there just is’nt a sea change in these various pedals. Also l notice myself no matter what sound l get alone in house , when l play along with other musicians at church , all tones l though were right all change quite a bit when mixed with all the other instruments ,and the physical qualities of the venue itself. l wish Griff would talk of that reality sometime soon.

    • Bob Barnes

      I also have owned many guitars, Martin d28, Fender Telecaster, Tele Deluxe, Epiphone,Peavey Fender Strat, Ibanez. Its like when surrounded by guitars you want all of them. I was real disappointed with the expensive Fender Strat, just didn’t like the sound at all. The Martin was the best acoustic guitar I’ve ever played as far as tone goes. I liked the Fender Telecaster Deluxe 72 model with the humbucking pick-ups. I’ve been playing for 47 yrs now. What gets crazy is days where the guitar sounds great, the amp is wailing and I’m having a great time. The next day same guitar same set up but the sound is not there, the set up sounds horrible and I might not be satisfied w/guitar or amp. It can be a struggle at times to get that unobtainable sound or the right gear but in the end it’s all worth it. Music is your only friend until the end. I think I’ll check out the sweetwater website now. Thanks guitar friends for all your input and thanks Griff, your the best instructor I’ve had the pleasure to learn from.

    • Norm

      Thanks for the article and for the record I totally agree that the folks at Sweetwater are the best.
      Like a lot of us I have searched for and spent mucho dinero on Guitars, amps, and pedals that I thought would “fix” my sound. At 63 yrs of age been playing since I was 14 you can probably guess the changes that have taken place in the gear over the last 50 yrs. bottom line is thousands and thousands of dollars spent trying to “keep up” with trendy equipment that was mostly never what I needed and seldom if ever used, so here’s my two cents.
      Forget the names on the headstock or the logo on the amps and go to music stores and play everything you can get your hands on then TRUST your ears!

      I personally play everything from electric 50’s and 60’s rock to 70’s southern rock and hard rock, zeppelin, pink floyd, beetles, and of course Da Blues! As well folk and traditional “Americana” everything from the depression are songs that I heard my family play when I was a kid up in the Adirondack Mts. Steve Earl, Lyle Lovett, Del McClinton and Del McCoury, to the Lumineers so one might think there are a lot of different sounds encompassed in that group when there are only 2 BASIC sounds, electric and acoustic.

      I have given up on chasing instruments to “find” a sound and focused on being a better player to create my sound (Thanks Griff). I’ve gone from 14 guitars and 5 amps down to 2 guitars and one amp and none of them are “name brands”. I sold the Martin, Taylor, Yairi, Ovation, Takamine and Gibson and now play a Blueridge Br 180a acoustic (china made) recouped $15.000 and still have the nicest acoustic sound I’ve ever had that only cost about $1,300. I got rid of the Gibson, Gretsch, Fender, Schecter, Epiphone, Ibanez, Rickenbacker and Washburn and now play a Tele clone called a Swampkaster, American Made at around $600 and I promise you I don’t miss the ones I sold they were all dead weight. (another $10,000 recouped).
      Down to 1 amp, I’m not in a band and if I play with a band they have plenty of options to plug into their gear so I don’t need the 50 and 100 watt amps that I used to covet, besides that I could never take advantage of the ones I owned due to the extreme volume level needed to get the optimum effect of the amp. Fender, Crate, Ampeg, Vox and Marshall amps are all gone.(another $5,000 back from the dead). For all intents and purposes I get fun more from a Yahama Thr10 than I ever did from all the other amps combined and it encompasses both the acoustic and electric sounds I am looking for. Since I started BGU I realized that my $$$ was better spent on being better at what I did than it was being spent on things that “Might” make me sound better in a small phrase of a song, bottom line is that a good player will make any instrument he picks up sound good, a suck player will suck on any instrument he picks up! Learn to play first!!!
      Final note as for effects (strictly for learning and having fun) the only effect I now have is a JamMan Looper. There are tons of pedals that a good modeling amp can reproduce and Jam tracks are everywhere for blues players but what this thing does is to let me create the backing tracks I want which is not something that an acoustic player often has access to.
      Bottom line, invest your $$$ AND YOUR TIME into being a better player and you’ll soon see that no amount equipment will ever take the place of what you and your soul can sound like and isn’t that what its really all about.

      • Will

        Interesting and wise comments, like everyone on here, Griff has had such a huge impact on so many, nothing flashy except his sound, and advice that allows for the best from easily understood instructions, I also agree he is a real Teacher, it ain’t all about the money, he gives and gives and gives,

        Yep you nailed it sound you are proud of that others enjoy is all it is about, Griff said it, does it solve a problem?

        YES stacks of Marshall amps that requires a power substation solves a problem, if you are playing in a football stadium

        [like we all do most weekends]

        Hell I dont even know what a looper is, but I think I should find out,

    • Mark Arnold

      Great topic and yes through they years my taste has changed a bit through the 80s and early 90s I had to have super strats with floyd roses now I’m older they are a pain in the backside and I really don’t like the new Gibsons with weight relief and the adjustable nuts they crack the necks only good ones are in the $4000 and up range ya right I’ve got a epi Les Paul std that screams !!!

    • Jeff Burdick

      Hi Griff, and everyone here.
      Is is an obsession for me also.
      I am also out of place (I think)as
      far as my reasoning for joining this awesome society of guitar students, enthusiasts,and seasoned veterans alike,as I like the heavier of musical genres like metal,punk, and the like.

      (The roots of which all stem from The Blues and RockNRoll.

    • cowboy

      Sweetwater has the best customer service in the business. if my talent level was as good as my gear, I’d be a happy camper.

    • Ron Gilbert

      As a professional bassist, (for over 50 years) nothing was more annoying than watching a guitarist set up a pedal board with 17 different gadgets; and then not playing a lick better, pun intended. However, as a greenhorn guitarist, I see the allure, and I understand, (in the words of Brad Paisley, “I’m still a guy.”) A cautionary tale: Chuck Rainey, studio great, (Steely Dan, King Curtis, etc.) was playing a gig with Motown legend James Jamerson. Chuck was dying to see how Jamerson set up his off-the-rack Fender bass. The flat wound strings had never been changed; the neck was not true, and you could drive a Buick between the neck and the strings. The bass essentially was not playable. That bass launched a 1,000 hits. Perhaps because I am from a different generation and my instrument a bass, I learned that my “sound” came from my fingers, technique and taste. Remember, that many of today’s top guitarists listened to masters with no “gear.”

    • Jim Kubitza

      Totally agree about Sweetwater. My guy Nick has been a godsend, absolutely bends over backwards to keep me happy! The only times I ever buy anywhere else is when I want/need something that Sweetwater doesn’t carry.
      I also agree with others that Gibsons and MIA Fenders are way over-priced. And agree also that a good modeling amp is the way to go unless you are ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that gee-whiz tube amp IS exactly what you want/need and that it will satisfy you for many years.

    • Bill

      “The Relentless Pursuit of Tone” so says the Vox tag line. Indeed.

    • Kevin

      In the end it all comes down to budget – & what level a player you are though I think it’s true that a half decent guitar will encourage you to pick it up more often & practice – whereas the literally ‘unplayable’ piece of rubbish I had for years held me back a huge amount i.e. I didn’t play it.
      I’m more into acoustics & the 2 I have fare me well. Cheap by a lot of what I’ve just read (a Seagull & a Norman both 2nd hand) but they do the job for me.
      What say you Griff (man of a hundred guitars)?

    • Primo Roy

      Marriage and guitars are like a cafeteria!
      You go through the line, pick EXACTLY what you want, sit down to enjoy, look over at the next table and wish you had gotten THAT instead!
      😉

    • Dave... UK

      It’s not the gear that makes the different… It’s the Player…

    • Andrew Sutton

      I don’t know about sweet water but I’ll check it out you have so many good people to deal with over there here in oz it is a bit limited for example we don’t have a griff Hamlin that I know of I don’t mind buying stuff from the states it just takes time I just ordered theo blues guitar unleashed it should be here in 2or 3 weeks that is the problem of isolation but I’m sure it’s going to be worth the wait good night America.

      • Ozzie John

        Hi Andrew

        I live in Oz too… I alwaystayed get Griff’s stuff by instant download. … who wants to wait?

        Just a thought

    • Terry

      I have read with interest all the above, I feel sorry for the guy that took out a second mortgage for his LP. In my 50 years playing and with out dropping names I have toured and played all the major venues. I learned a very important lesson over the last few years. After swearing by Gibson, Fender, Yamaha and Ovation, no more will I waste vast amounts on dosh on a piece of wood with a name on it. I will not buy an amp with Marshal or Fender on it. The reason is I now know they do not play or sound any better than their equivalent and a fraction of the price.

      I once bought an Epiphone LP Gold top built in Taiwan in 1998 advertised on a card in the local Spar shop. When I got it home and played it, it was amazing. so much so that the new Gibson LP ordered and arrived later just did not compare in sound and most defiantly in build quality. The Gibson at over 3K was returned the same day. Since then I have built Telecasters with bits bought cheap on the internet. I got an incredible neck for £20. I have build 3 that sound and play actually better as I have a fret dressing tool that allows me to file the frets with the stings on. This was I get the action really low. Next is amp modelling. the latest stuff is incredible and you have the equivalent of very expensive amps through a 12″ power wedge. All at a vey low cost and with the amp modelling once you tire of the AC30 you just change to a Fender or Marshall. So unless you are a wealthy working musician you can afford your sound searching.

      • Will

        think he might be kidding ???? doubt he mortgaged the house but then again…..

    • Andrew Sutton

      Gday I must be one of the lucky ones I’ve been using a mansfield guitar for 30yrs a no name put some dimarzio classic blues pick up s in its fantastic. I just bought a fender strat deluxe second hand the most beautiful thing l have ever played l also use a peavey jack Daniels limited edition for my slide playing I’m not big on effects just a tubescreamer I don’t think I could better for what I need the fender is unbelievable you really get what you pay for

    • Scott McGilliard

      Two and a half years ago I bought my first guitar to start to learn to play on. It was a nice Martin. Nine months later the neck warped (Southern Colorado dryness) and it spent 8 months at Martin getting fixed. That’s when I started making cigar box guitars. I’ve made 22 instruments in the last year and a half. I have my 5 personal favorites that I play a lot and gave away the rest. I gave my first bass to the bass player in the church band and she hasn’t touched her nice Fender since. I love my 3-stringers and try to translate what I can from the 6-string lessons. I’m having a lot of fun which is what it’s all about.

    • Pig Iron

      Well, that explains a lot! Still can’t keep my hands off the Gretsch when I visit the store, but I totally agree with your comment about Sweetwater, Paul has been taking excellent care of my needs for years.

    • Cassandra

      I am in love with all of my guitars. Each one has its wears and tears of age. I hadn’t bought a guitar in almost 30 years. Went to buy strings, walked around the guiar room, and this Taylor ended up coming home with me. I was in shock. Took me 3 years and a chance video of Griff and now I have two courses and am wearing some love into that not-so-brand-new Taylor. I just bought my first toy. A slide. Hmmmm. Now I will need that course soon…

    • Ray

      I agree with your comment about Sweetwater. They do go out of their way to satisfy you.

      • Gerald A. Hughes

        I agree with you Griff, when I am trying g to find a certain type pedal I talk to a salesman Dave Brow, this man has helped me on many purchases. I remember you m

        • Gerald A. Hughes

          I agree with you Griff, when I am trying g to find a certain type pedal I talk to a salesman Dave Brow, this man has helped me on many purchases. I remember you mentitled the type strings you use on your Gibson, please remind me again as I have forgotten. Thanks and have a great GUITAR DAY.

          Jerry Hughes

    • Steve

      It’s a G.A.S! My Guitar Acquisition Syndrome has been followed by Amp, Pedal and most recently Pickup Acquisition Syndrome…putting a Seymour Duncan SSL5 in the bridge on the Strat and some Pearly Gates in the SG has really worked wonders. Now it’s even harder to choose because their voices are very different but both are now really expressive and sound fantastic…but do I plug into the Blues Jr or choose the baby Marshall SL5? With OCD or TubeScreamer or just a little Delay? It’s taken a few years and changes in taste like you say Griff but I now have lots of options and possibilities… and I forget it all when I’m playing and it sounds great and that’s what makes it worthwhile.

    • tony

      well said as always . i own six guitars now had seven . seems that not one will do . diffrent guitars have their own sigiture sound no two are exactly alike even if they are the same type . when you get into amps and pedals well thats diffrent . the same two amps would be the same . yes demo before you buy. i am not into the multipul pedals i like it simple . went didgetech it is all contained in one unit . you can program 40 diffrent channels with 40 preset channels . i have a rp80 and dont use it much anymore and use a rp7 which has a tube in it . a valve state marshall amp vintage . thinking about getting a marshall stack with a marshall head . seeking a clearer sound . fenders have a buzz to them witch is commom, a ground issue unless you have your fingers on the strings. two of my guitars have seymour duncans on them which they sound blaring loud . its all a matter of taste in sound quality . just listen to billy gibbons sound now thats quility sound, he is a tone doctor of sorts . he custom builds stereos for all of his rides . im sure he builds his own custom sounds for the stage as well . okay enough said later .

      • Will

        You are right on, Gibbons uses a lot of simple techniques, from tuning to gear, to “simple” chording and lead, but again anything is simple when you put in the hard work and dedication to learn whatever.

        One guy other than Griff that amazes me is Joe Walsh, check out Walsh on the internet teaching guitar setup basics, I loved Funk 49 but when I heard he was going to join the Eagles I thought that is no fit, here is this wild man joining a group that produced dozens of the most famous, but laid back and memorable songs ever, I thought no way shows you what I know, and it also shows everyone hard work and practice will allow you to play or play with, or even improve the most unlikely its all in the hard work and dedication, and thanks to Griff the hard work isn’t grueling no one even with four notes can make four notes sound like Griff, the timing the pauses the little things most beginning would think I can skip that part it can’t make much difference wrong

    • Roger

      Searching for the perfect guitar is as elusive as searching for the perfect wave is for the surfer. It is out there somewhere.

    • Ed Green

      Just took out a second mortgage on my home for a ’59 Les Paul. Good deal?

    • Bob

      Good advise and very true, after 54 years playing, I have no idea how many guitars I’ve bought other then a lot of them! Still looking for my perfect tone and still trying to learn new things, it never stops once your really hooked.

    • John Bassett

      I spent a whole year looking for a new amp and bought one, now I want a Tele… that could take a lifetime.

    • Nubbin

      I know you’r right. I been playing about fifty years and i still don’t have a guitar i really love and i have all kinds. I just can’t get satisfied. It’s very hard and expensive.

      • Will

        Know what you mean, I have too many guitars myself, I have found one thing that makes a world of difference on any guitar that might make it special, setup, I played a new Gibson at a local shop, and a used Dean both LP style.

        In my opinion the Dean was superior, maybe it was the setup but the new Gibson with funky auto tuner on the headstock seemed like junk, I know the Dean was played and setup, and tweaked, now maybe string size and height get personal but the overall setup can make a $100 guitar play way better than a $500 guitar, my problem is finding someone who can or will consistently do a professional setup,

        So I went out and got some guitar tools and started learning on a junker guitar, its amazing what effects setup, even time for the neck to settle is critical

        By now I am sure you have tried most brands and models, but when you see a group of famous musicians gathered for some sort of tribute or gala, most have Telecasters,

        The one brand I have played which I found unreal and I have 40-50 guitars. is a PRS never picked one up that did not play like “butter” and once you find a guitar that fits you and it plays like “butter ” it is amazing, as to sound there are some very wise comments on here, and Griff, what can you say about a guy like that? Not only is he amazing as a player but as a teacher, and sincere, he got us all thinking and talking for our best interest not his ours,

        Hope you find one you love, I suppose I don’t love any of my keepers either, some are beautiful some of my favorites include a Squire, to me the Squire plays as well as my brand new sandblasted tele,

        As to gear with the gibillion combinations even on ONE AMP, drives me nutty, better off to practice and practice through a clean channel than twist dials and buttons, again Griff, just like the four notes, who would think four notes could sound like that? Pay attention to Griff and you cannot go wrong.

    • geoff

      Gibson 61 reissue SG wot do you think.
      Thanks griff

    • John England

      Wise words Griff.

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