I was asked to help an ex-bandmate out by playing with his OLD band that he re-formed. Unbeknownst to me he had also drafted in his old guitarist. We both ended up playing the gig.
I used my Rockerverb 50 head, an Avatar 4x12, EJ Strat and Furman pedalboard.
The 'other' had a Behringer combo something like this:
I'm not sure I can come up with an adequate description for how bad this thing sounded....its distortion was like a mobile phone on vibrate....BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. For slow songs to add 'feeling' (apparently) he kicked in its onboard chorus effect. I'm sure you know the one.....that fake-sounding, syrupy, warbly under-water chorus that is like having more dressing than salad. Even Prince in his 'Purple Rain' pomp didn't use that much.
I was diplomatic and philosophical about the whole thing and even gritted my teeth and said he sounded OK when he asked. No sense in kicking a man when he's down. I also acknowledge that real life comes first and not everyone has the cash to splash on Orange and/or boutique and/or high-end gear. But in a live setting there's nowhere to hide really.
The moral of the story is we often forget how good we've got it.
