Beer, pretzels, and simplicity

[NWBasser]

I guess I like things in life to be simple and straightforward and that extends to my guitar life too. Unlike my brother who has many guitars with all manner of tonal possibilities, I'm quite happy with one guitar and amp.

My favorite tone is a Les Paul through an overdriven tube amp which is what I run. No effects - just straight in. About the only "variety" I use is sometimes switching to the clean channel with some reverb.

This seems to extend to my playing style as well which is mostly straight ahead driving rock. I'm certainly no shredder and generally stick to rhythm and chords. My "leads", such as they are, usually consist of modified bass lines.

Even with the bass, I run directly into the amp with no effects and don't do five strings. Although my bass playing is a bit more adventurous than my efforts at guitar.

This approach is cheap too, which means more $$ for beer and pretzels!

Keep in mind that I do appreciate variety/complexity in other guitarists.

Does anyone else subscribe to a KISS approach?

[Eric***]

Oh yeah, 100%. I've been fooling with reverb lately, but that's about as far as I go when it comes to effects. With guitars, I like to keep things pretty simple.

I've gone through a number of different configurations, but I think I like my current one best: guitar -> cable -> amp with some reverb.

[R_of_G]

Even with the bass, I run directly into the amp with no effects and don't do five strings.

I once asked a friend of mine who is a phenomenal bass player if he'd ever considered using a five string bass. His response was "if Victor Wooten only needs four strings to do what he does, what could I possibly need five for?"

[Heywood Jablomie]

In general, I go the simplicity route. I see those guys with their complicated pedal boards and such, and wonder how they can remember all those settings and combinations. I currently have a guitar-cable-amp setup, but with a SS modeling amp. Although I really like tube tone, I sacrificed it for a bit of versatility with a Roland Cube. I enjoy the variety of the amp models and the digital effects, coupled with the simplicity of the Roland's controls. I think I sorta have it both ways.

[NWBasser]

In general, I go the simplicity route. I see those guys with their complicated pedal boards and such, and wonder how they can remember all those settings and combinations. I currently have a guitar-cable-amp setup, but with a SS modeling amp. Although I really like tube tone, I sacrificed it for a bit of versatility with a Roland Cube. I enjoy the variety of the amp models and the digital effects, coupled with the simplicity of the Roland's controls. I think I sorta have it both ways.

Heywood, my last amp was a Cube 30. Those are very nice amps and are quite easy to use as you suggest.

[NWBasser]

I once asked a friend of mine who is a phenomenal bass player if he'd ever considered using a five string bass. His response was "if Victor Wooten only needs four strings to do what he does, what could I possibly need five for?"

Yeah, I'll probably get a fiver once I've exhausted all possibilities with a four.

[bcdon***]

This approach is cheap too, which means more $$ for beer and pretzels!

That's the right mindset! Like the old saying 'I spent all my money on women and booze and the rest I just wasted!'

[Heywood Jablomie]

That's the right mindset! Like the old saying 'I spent all my money on women and booze and the rest I just wasted!'

After a few beers, Dave and I swear we sound better, and play better, too. Can gear do as much?

[Katastrophe]

I'm all for the simple route. I never bothered replacing my last effects unit when it took a dive. I found out that a guitar can sound good without effects!

[omegadot]

I have 2 pedals in my chain. SD-1 and a crybaby. I do have a Vypyr15 that'd is fine but I'd never buy again as most of the modeling/effects are useless to me. I occasionally play with chorus or something like reverb, but when I actually want to play it's just a bit of OD and I'm happy.

[deeaa*]

I'm a mixture, I live in two different worlds.

KISS in that:

- I use only one pickup, never use guitar controls (except volume)
- I never change my settings unless over time deem it appropriate
- Almost all my guitars are very similar or at least have same pickups
- I enjoy playing very simple chords and rock stuff
- I don't really use any FX whatsoever for 95% of my playing.

Complex in that:

- I have quite a complex system to make several pedals and combos available with simple clicks.
- I have a tendency to make riffs and stuff too complicated sometimes, especially timing-wise.
- I tend to replace chords like basic A with some weird sus-7-9-whatever I don't even know what to create sutble changes in how they ring out and play
- Although I don't use much FX live or change my gear/settings, I enjoy the hell out of testing and tweaking gear and sounds aside from my usual band stuff

[Jimi75]

Had a phase where I've spent sleepless nights over thinking of a concept for my pedal board. This pedal, that pedal etc....

Played the last two years pure wit only my OCD for a little solo boost and even the OCD is not in use currently.

Les Paul + Marshall JTM45 or Fender Chmapion 600, nothing more I need.

[marnold***]

I'm beginning to be that way too. For guitar the only pedals I have in line almost all the time are my delay and overdrive but a good chunk of the time the overdrive will be off. If I was playing all rhythm, the delay probably wouldn't be necessary. Yeah, I like my Jet City (seems to me I've said that before).

Back in the day I had a lot of pedals for my bass but when I actually played it was bass->amph 99% of the time. I used an equalizer as an overdrive pedal for playing "Hey Hey, My My." When I play my bass today there's nothing between the bass and amph. I will admit that my OD2 sounds pretty killer inline too.

Having said that, I'm not about to get rid of my chorus or EX-7. Sometimes you just have to make weird noises

[sunvalleylaw]

Hmm, I can't say that I keep it simple, though it might be well if I did. I like to run one or two pedals typically, like the sounds of different guitars, like different chord voicings, try to figure out modes and such for leads, and well, . . . it is complicated.




Seriously though, it would not hurt to stop thinking so much when I play, and just stay simple, feel and play. I get there sometimes, but as I am still learning so much, my head can get in the way.

[NWBasser]

I'm a mixture, I live in two different worlds.

KISS in that:

- I use only one pickup, never use guitar controls (except volume)
- I never change my settings unless over time deem it appropriate
- Almost all my guitars are very similar or at least have same pickups
- I enjoy playing very simple chords and rock stuff
- I don't really use any FX whatsoever for 95% of my playing.

Complex in that:

- I have quite a complex system to make several pedals and combos available with simple clicks.
- I have a tendency to make riffs and stuff too complicated sometimes, especially timing-wise.
- I tend to replace chords like basic A with some weird sus-7-9-whatever I don't even know what to create sutble changes in how they ring out and play
- Although I don't use much FX live or change my gear/settings, I enjoy the hell out of testing and tweaking gear and sounds aside from my usual band stuff

I think I'm pretty well with you Deea. I do use odd chords at times and different time signatures. One thing I do on bass is make these whacked out riffing basslines with odd meter changes. Then when I go to make up a guitar part for it, I become totally lost.

I suppose being a bass player and all, I happen to use my neck pickup quite a bit. I'll often use the bridge PU for chord work and neck for notes.

I wonder if this simple attitude comes from so many years of playing bass??

[marnold***]

Then today I add my chorus pedal with just a smidge of chorus and if it didn't make my distorted tones sound bigger . . .

Of course, that's what I've liked about this amph. It seems to make everything I throw at it sound good. Even my playing, if that were possible.

[FrankenFretter***]

I've never cared for pretzels.

[kiteman]

I'm lost without my Adrenalinn III which is not working for now. I'm using my GT10 and the Korg Electribe ER1 for the drums and it's not the same.

Man, I'm spoiled.