
the above smells of ‘freedom’.
i’ve been round the block a few times in this game of GAS, which in not so many words, was the equivalent to me pulling down my pants and screaming, ‘My dick is bigger than yours!’ despite the salient truth behind that statement, i lack the competitive gene because i hate confrontation. if you wanna compete, you usually have to talk big, and talking big requires some level of comfort in confronting someone in whatever that you’re competing in. i’ve tried that a few times, and it usually ends with me being smacked down hard.
i was so deep into this game of GAS that i once got on the waiting list for an Analogman King of Tone, just so that when stingcartney asks me ‘Where’d you get that from?’, i’d be able to reply, ‘The question is not where, old friend. The question is when.’ in a deep buddhist monk-type voice (btw, the waiting list for a KoT is almost 2-years long).
so i repeatedly bought and sold gear. tried this and that out. went for the more rare, or obscure pedals, with the subconscious objective of trying to be unique. if you’re reading this, and a guitar player, c’mon… i know your game. don’t judge me as if you’re any different. :-P
having completed my ultra-cool pedalboard, i was so intrigued as to why i was still discontented. i started looking at other people’s rigs and tried to see beyond the gear of rich kids with trust funds in their name. i analyzed what people who play clubs and gigs were using. i picked the minds of players who could effortlessly blow me out of the water (which is almost everyone, if you think about it) and the recurring theme i met was, “if you’re good, you don’t need extraordinary gear.” you need good gear, yes. but you don’t need a handmade overdrive pedal which came out of a custom shop in Scion, infused with angel’s breath and peppered with unicorn dust, with a waiting list as long as the time it took noah to build his ark, to sound good.
and funnily enough, i feel happier now. anyone interested in a KR Mega Vibe and an Analogman-modded Electro Harmonix Electric Mistress? drop me a line. :-)
Posted in Gear
Tags: BOSS, CE-5, CS-2, dm-3, Ibanez, OD-3, TS-808, Tube Screamer