The Path to Minimalism

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misterMagoo
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The Path to Minimalism

Post by misterMagoo » Fri Sep 28, 2012 3:48 am

A few years ago I was bit by the bug. We’ve all been bit by it before in one way or another.

I used to just play my guitar til all hours of the morning, practicing away, then playing with my band through a little mesa subway rocket amp. It was okay, it did the trick.

Then I bought my Orange Rockerverb 50 back in 2009. I was bitten. I fell in love. I don’t know what struck me more, the tone or the look. But I was entranced. I spent my years bonus on that amp.

But I wasn’t happy, I now needed to have this holy grail of tone, which included finding ALL the right pedals, swapping pickups, more and more buying.

I bought a deluxe memory man. I bought a box of rock. I bought an AC30. I bought a Jazzmaster. I bought a Lehle amp switcher to biamp both my amps (and that **** was expensive!) I bought and sold some other pedals along the way. I bought scumbacks for my RV and blues for my AC30.

When things with my band weren’t super satisfying, I bought an m-audio midi controller to try and make stuff at home to make up for the lack of satisfaction I got at practice. Then I bought an interface so we could listen to feedback and make changes. When things in my rig didn’t sound perfect I was looking for the next piece of gear to buy to make it “right”.

I was buying more and practicing less.

Like Billy said, somewhere along the line I got carried away. With each purchase, with each upgrade in tone, my ego was satiated, if only for a short while. But at the heart of the situation, I was at odds with everything going on around me, truly unsatisfied with the music. Talk about cognitive dissonance. I knew what had to be done but I was afraid to take the step. It was a big move.

Late one October evening last year, we were practicing in the basement, and things just stopped working. We just stopped playing. I turned around and turned my amps off. No one needed to say anything. We knew that was the end. We didn’t belong playing together. It just wasn’t the right fit. I was frustrated. So was everyone. It showed in the music.

Since then I’ve taken a break from music. It’s been about a year now. I took a break to get some things off my chest. I joined a boxing gym and fought some amateur fighters, I got my skydiving license, I traveled around the east coast and saw things I never saw before, I made love to some of the most beautiful women I’ve ever had the chance to meet in my life. I’ve done things I wouldn’t dare to mention on a public forum! But most importantly, I’ve taken the time to confront myself and ask some real hard questions and make some REAL personal growth.

But that year is now so rightfully coming to a close, and music is calling me back once again. I miss it. I miss ME. I miss the feeling I get when the snare hits at the same time I snap that stinging g string up high. I miss the feeling.

I’m coming back with an all new approach. I’ve made an inventory of all my gear and posted it all on craigslist. Amps, pedals, guitars, most of it is going. I don’t really need it all. What I need is freaking practice.

So that’s where I’m at. On the path to minimalism. This isn’t hard. Just a decent amp, a handful of pedals, and I’ll even have some money in my pocket. Best of all I’ve got a shitload of inspiration right now. Already started writing some new stuff. I’ve still got a lot of soul searching to do, but I’m feeling good. I feel like tomorrow is a new chance for me, and I’m in complete control.

I know how we can get on here sometimes, and I just wanted to share my story with you guys to remind you why we are really here! Some of you need it, some of you don’t, but at the end of the day just don't lose grasp of your mission in life. And hey, I hope you were at least entertained...

Peace
-Joe
My mother wears army boots.

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Hot tamale.

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Check out my blog - adventure, travel, and the meaning of life.

Wendigo
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Re: The Path to Minimalism

Post by Wendigo » Fri Sep 28, 2012 6:26 am

I hear you. I had been getting into pedals a bit as well, but I am now literally down to guitar --> amp. This is mostly due to me switching to Marshall, which if you get the right ones, work fine alone and need no pedals. My rockerverb was awesome, albeit maybe a bit to "creamy". Maybe just not for me anymore but for most people it would be the perfect amp. This had me looking for compressors to make it punchy, eq to make it scooped, and various other pedals. Now I get the ultimate sound imho with just my axe into the amp. It's quite liberating.

About the rest of the stuff you mentioned, cocaine is a hell of a drug. :lol:

a.hun
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Re: The Path to Minimalism

Post by a.hun » Fri Sep 28, 2012 9:32 am

I hear both you guys and in some ways I'd love to go minimalist. I like the idea of one decent amp, maybe a couple of pedals, a favourite axe, and the rest just down to my fingers, ears and some sort of talent.

Trouble is that I took up electric guitar. If I'd just stuck to bass I'd be a lot closer to that ideal. (Or if I'd just taken up acoustic guitar instead of electric. :wink:) Reason I took guitar up was for songwriting inspiration and solo playing pleasure. I love playing bass but that is really a band instrument, a social animal, kind of boring to play alone. (When not playing with live musicians I spend a lot of time playing bass along to recorded music. Either complete or works in progress.)

Guitar is different though. You can do a lot more on your own. Complex chords, rhythm, melodies and bass lines. If you are good even all of those at once.

Since I'm far from being a mega talented guitarist (I mainly do my own mainly finger style rhythm thing, not really a lead player) I largely rely on getting great sounds for my inspiration. And to me those 'great sounds' come more from great sounding amps than fantastically expensive guitars or stomp boxes. So I've kind of collected too many amps, and sadly I'd miss any of them. It'd probably help if I stuck mainly to one style or another but I like to throw all kinds of different stuff in, so there is no one amp which does exactly what I want all the time. Most of my amps are fairly lowish wattage jobs, all have their own different characters, and I'll grab a different amp in the same way that most guitarists will grab a different guitar or hit a different pedal. My buzz with guitar isn't live, but creating musical ideas and amusing myself.

So which amp / guitar etc are you keeping? Can they do most / all of the stuff you want to play really well? If so thats great and yeah I'd be a bit jealous. Though in some ways I really wish I could I don't see myself going down that route anytime soon. But don't feel too bad for me - you shouldn't!

Never done cocaine myself! :P :lol:


Andy.
aNDyH. :wink:

Ever tried to outstare a mirror?

In the bathtub of history the truth is harder to hold than the soap, and much more difficult to find!

savage8190
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Re: The Path to Minimalism

Post by savage8190 » Fri Sep 28, 2012 4:28 pm

Well, first of all, Im' jealous as hell of your year of time to yourself...I've got kids, I'll never have that again :).

I think you're going down the right path though with the minimalist approach...I'm trying to do the same. 2 guitars, one amp, and I've downsized to a much smaller board. I very happy with it now and I feel like I am progressing a lot more as a player by forcing myself to use what I have to get what I need.

Plus its cheaper :).
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OrangePaul
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Re: The Path to Minimalism

Post by OrangePaul » Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:44 pm

I long for the day when I was happy with just my ADA, Roland, Lexicon, Marshall Rack with single midi floor controller :)
Paul.

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ironlung40
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Re: The Path to Minimalism

Post by ironlung40 » Sun Sep 30, 2012 3:30 am

Great post, OP

I hear ya loud and clear. you should visit my thread http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=48680" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Your stuff ends up owning you sometimes, it is liberating to just walk away from it all, sell it all, and start anew sometimes.

I was the same way, I wasn't practicing, and I was just overloaded mentally with all the gear I had accumulated or wanted to accumulate....
Last edited by ironlung40 on Sun Sep 30, 2012 8:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Sincerely,
Ironlung40
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nlimbaugh
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Re: The Path to Minimalism

Post by nlimbaugh » Sun Sep 30, 2012 3:53 pm

I quit music and pursued a normal life. I have kids now for which there is no substitute. My musician friends haven't experienced that joy. I was still on a quest and there were a lot of distractions... lots of ways to avoid doing what I knew I should be doing which was writing songs and playing guitar. After a marital separation I had a year of blissful manic chaos all to myself. The path of destruction was more silver lining than anything else in all honesty. Now I've buckled down... I've moved from the distractions and it hasn't been easy. I realize there was no real reward on that path. Today, I find satisfaction making the best music I'm able... and I'm in control. Cheers to the good life. I never even thought I'd live this long.

misterMagoo
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Re: The Path to Minimalism

Post by misterMagoo » Mon Oct 01, 2012 3:05 am

Cocaine... yeah, can be fun but I never really got into it as a vice. I'm pretty much 100% clean nowadays, even alcohol. It takes a real occasion for me to really tie one off.

Wendigo - I'm floored that you switched. Last I remembered you were a huge RV promoter around here. Either way, I'm glad you're happy. I'd love a vintage modern myself, that 2 band preamp gain is great. The 2266c might be in my future but idk if 212 is really a good solution right now.

Andy - To each his own is what I say. I'll never force my viewpoint on another, just share what I have come to know. I know you love amps, good on you man. If you are at a point in your life where you can collect em, by all means, dive in. Me, I'm just not there.

As for my gear, the jazzy stays. I think all my amps are going, in favor of a 112 combo of some sorts. Probably leaning to the ac15 right now. Would also love a DRRI.

Ironlung - you really nailed it with that statement "Your stuff ends up owning you sometimes"... And as for that thread, go back and check, I posted in it 2 weeks ago or so :D

The rest of you guys, I wish you luck on your own journey. Really all we can do is to forge on with drive and conviction. For me getting swept away in GAS was more of a detour than anything. Spending countless hours searching the web for sound bites, reviews, etc, when there was a whole world out there and a life to be lived.

And right now, man I'm livin'...
-Joe
My mother wears army boots.

Image
RV50 mkI
AC30 combo

Hot tamale.

http://lifereformatted.wordpress.com/
Check out my blog - adventure, travel, and the meaning of life.

a.hun
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Re: The Path to Minimalism

Post by a.hun » Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:03 am

misterMagoo wrote:Andy - To each his own is what I say. I'll never force my viewpoint on another, just share what I have come to know. I know you love amps, good on you man. If you are at a point in your life where you can collect em, by all means, dive in. Me, I'm just not there.
Probably pretty much done collecting amps to be honest. I'll never say 'never' but I'm not feeling any overpowering need to grab any more in the near future.

The point in my life where most of them happened was when I was single and living in Scotland at a recording / rehearsal studio. I also had the chance to rock out there day or night. Times change...

Pretty satisfied with what I now have anyway. :)


Andy.
aNDyH. :wink:

Ever tried to outstare a mirror?

In the bathtub of history the truth is harder to hold than the soap, and much more difficult to find!

Spaceboy1
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Re: The Path to Minimalism

Post by Spaceboy1 » Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:51 pm

I went through something similar. I never took a break from music, but I took a break from being active in bands after getting disheartened and stressed after years of touring and then not being able to really do what I wanted. I was hoarding gear which is odd since I seemed to care less about gear when I was active, but over these past few months I have purged everything and was using a high-end modeler for awhile. It was too complicated for me in the end, so I got an amp and cab and now I'm looking for that ONE good sound to be everything for me. I need one amp, one cabinet, one guitar. I'm not really into pedals personally. I'm floating around here to find the right amp for me, the amp I'm using now is good, but not the sound I need. I'm with you on minimalism. I don't want to get back into the constant search for gear, the endless tone chase. I want the simplest setup possible to get the sound that fits the music I write.

Also... first Orange Amp Forum post! 'Sup everybody?!

ironlung40
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Re: The Path to Minimalism

Post by ironlung40 » Wed Oct 03, 2012 4:17 pm

Spaceboy1 wrote:I went through something similar. I never took a break from music, but I took a break from being active in bands after getting disheartened and stressed after years of touring and then not being able to really do what I wanted. I was hoarding gear which is odd since I seemed to care less about gear when I was active, but over these past few months I have purged everything and was using a high-end modeler for awhile. It was too complicated for me in the end, so I got an amp and cab and now I'm looking for that ONE good sound to be everything for me. I need one amp, one cabinet, one guitar. I'm not really into pedals personally. I'm floating around here to find the right amp for me, the amp I'm using now is good, but not the sound I need. I'm with you on minimalism. I don't want to get back into the constant search for gear, the endless tone chase. I want the simplest setup possible to get the sound that fits the music I write.

Also... first Orange Amp Forum post! 'Sup everybody?!
Welcome to the forum........you're in a great place for advice, but it could lead to a severe case of incurable G.A.S.
Sincerely,
Ironlung40
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Jackson5
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Re: The Path to Minimalism

Post by Jackson5 » Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:24 am

i have tried to go minimal a few times, and then i end up back in the game
These forums are bad places to be posting if want to cut back on gear-- it's like an alcoholic hanging out in a bar!

misterMagoo
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Re: The Path to Minimalism

Post by misterMagoo » Sun Oct 07, 2012 2:46 pm

Andy,

This weekend I pulled out my trusty old Mesa Subway Rocket... for the first time in almost two years. I had it up for sale and I got an offer, so I pulled it out for one last play. Ironically enough, this will definitely be staying. It's just a great little amp, and will always have it's place in my home rig, regardless of whether I take it with me or not. That's something I got right seven years ago, serendipity I guess.

If memory serves me, you have one of these little guys too. Don't forget about him.
-Joe
My mother wears army boots.

Image
RV50 mkI
AC30 combo

Hot tamale.

http://lifereformatted.wordpress.com/
Check out my blog - adventure, travel, and the meaning of life.

a.hun
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Re: The Path to Minimalism

Post by a.hun » Thu Oct 11, 2012 8:13 am

You're right, it is in the corner of my living room right now - as usual. :D

Ironically I normally use it for the fat juicy clean sounds, but the wee Rocket can certainly rock out too. Huge sounds out of a diddy wee amp with a ten inch speaker. Needs wound up a bit to sound really good though and I can't do that at home.

Mine is the Rocket Reverb, but the reverb isn't its strongest point, so in some ways I wish I had the previous version with a presence control instead. Or possibly the straight Subway Blues. I might do a straight swap for either of those but otherwise yes it is a keeper. Great wee amp - quality stuff!

Don't know if I ever mentioned this but my tech mate John P. once had a long chat with Randall Smith. When asked why Mesa had stopped production of the Subways his answer was they were simply too good and too well built for the market! He went on to explain the what it actually cost to produce these no compromise build quality low wattage amps was more than people were willing to pay for a 20W amp. They simply turned out to be uneconomical to produce. Note that the F.30 from the following series was labelled as 30W 'DynaWatt Power', but was like the Subways still essentially just a 20WRMS amp with their clever Dyna Watt circuitry. Marketing labels too often have more real influence than substance.


Andy.
aNDyH. :wink:

Ever tried to outstare a mirror?

In the bathtub of history the truth is harder to hold than the soap, and much more difficult to find!

misterMagoo
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Re: The Path to Minimalism

Post by misterMagoo » Thu Oct 11, 2012 1:34 pm

Yep, mine is also a Rocket Reverb. Great build quality and great sound. Playing my jazzmaster through the clean channel at volume was pure bliss. It's just a shame that this amp wasn't built with a 12 inch speaker.

It's nice to see that they are still going for the same price on the bay that I bought mine for 7 years ago.
-Joe
My mother wears army boots.

Image
RV50 mkI
AC30 combo

Hot tamale.

http://lifereformatted.wordpress.com/
Check out my blog - adventure, travel, and the meaning of life.

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