Plugging straight in this week.
And that’s to an amp, of course.
Am I selling my pedalboard? Nope. Writing off effects forever? Nope. Sick of pretending it’s 1982 and I’m actually pioneering the sound I’m ripping off from U2? Oh, absolutely not. It’s simply that we’re gonna be doing a more folky, bluesy set, and plugging straight in lends itself more to that set.
Which is why I’m posting this…something that’s been brewing in my mind for a good long while. Why must we have guitarist camps? The ‘effects’ camp, the ‘plugged straight-in’ camp, the ‘acoustic’ camp, the ‘acoustic with effects’ camp…etc. Are we really that insecure that we have to surround ourselves with people who think the same way we do as far using effects or not? (Well, I know I am…but that’s something entirely different. ;) ) It’s like, you play somewhere and someone sees your pedalboard. ‘Oh, you’re one of those guys, huh?’ Or you play somewhere with just an amp, and you get, ‘Hey, did you know they have these things now that’ll put effects on your guitar and it’ll sound even better?’ These are real, honest situations, that actually happen…a lot. And then we form camps, and look down upon the other camps. Which is so odd. For me, most of the music I play does call for some effects, or some looping, or something that requires external sounds which a simple guitar and amp cannot provide me with. But when the music calls for that ‘guitar only’ sound, I plug straight in. And when the music calls for external sounds, I’ve got an effects board for that. (Ya, I know, a huge board……hey, always be prepared. No. That’s wrong. I just love sound, in all it’s different palettes of glory.) When the music calls for acoustic, I use an acoustic. When the music calls for no guitar, I stay home. I mean, sound has an infinite number of beautiful colors, and a guitar, amp, delay pedal, e-bow, pick, reverb unit…these and any mix of these, are all just different palettes to bring about the certain sound you need at any given time.
But I guess it’s more fun to have camps? My favorite is when a guitarist tells me that my effects are all a crutch, and that I’ve forgotten how to play without them. And then when they want to try out my guitar and amp, I turn on my master bypass switches so that they can hear it without effects. And they say, ‘Oh, I can’t play like that, with the pedals off. I have to be plugged straight in.’ Um……what’s a a crutch, now? hehe In the end, I guess I’m just hoping that I can continue to do both, without having to get a passport and defect each time. It seriously feels like ‘Hunt for Red October’ every time I do this.
Oh, and just because I’ve been remiss lately towards those of you who just scan this blog for pictures of awesomely terrible movies (sorry, life…meaning music…is wacko right now), you guys get to eat your hearts out as well:
See that face there? That’s pretty much the extent of Mr. Reeves’ acting throughout the entire film. And I had no idea this movie had that cheesey of a tagline! Just awesome! Gotta love a movie where a bus can turn in mid-air, and where to run into anything at all means you will explode.
Splendid.
Karl.
Guitar for Worship 