5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Buying A New Pedal

Lately I've run into a problem. My pedal board is full of great pedals. I know. That is a horrible problem to have, but hear me out. I may or may not have GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). I like to buy and try new gear, a lot. So when I see something shiny, or new, or cheap, I feel like I have to buy it. However, I just can't seem to figure out why. I love the way my rig sounds. Would it get better if I had the new/shiny/cheap pedal that has caught my fancy? Most likely not. But I still want it. For a while this would cause me to buy the gear and then ultimately regret it and sell it. Is this just part of pedal board evolution or is it the symptom of a great issue. Either way, I've devised a list of question to aid in determining whether your gear purchase is warranted. (Disclaimer: this is only a guide. This works for me, but ultimately you gotta do you and make your own decisions)

Do I Already Have One Of Those?

Jump on any guitar forum and you'll see that the new, spiffy pedal that is coming out is only a clone of another pedal that has been a around for ages. Take the Tube Screamer. The Tube Screamer lives in so many variations that it is hard to even compile an accurate list of all of them. Just assume anything made by Ibanez and painted green is a TS. Other companies have made their versions as well. Boss has the SD-1, EHX has the East River Drive, Digitech has the Bad Monkey, BBE has the Green Driver and just about any Boutique builder has their own take on the old circuit. So if you have a mid-hump overdrive that you like and the pedal you are salivating over closely resembles the one that you own... maybe think twice before throwing down your money. At least A/B them to decide if the differences are even noticeable.

Do I Need Another One Of These?

Similar to the first question, this question deal with the category of the pedal in question. For instance. My board is a little heavy with dirt pedals. I have to cover a lot of bases when I play, so I like to be prepared for just about anything. I have 6 different dirt pedals to cover anything thing from transparent OD to Fuzz. Overkill? Sure. But I can choose a different voice for each sound if I needed to. In the past few weeks I've been temped to get googly-eye over some pedals. The DOD 250 reissue has been temping. The Wampler Tumnus is another that is just too cool not to dig. But I have those bases covered. There are others that have really tempted me, like the Visual Sound/Truetone VS-XO and the JHS Sweet Tea, not to mention the VFE R(ainbows U(nicorns & )P(uppies). The Question goes like this:

"Man, that _______ looks awesome!"
"Do I need another ________?"
"YES!"
"Really?!"
"yes...?"
"..."
"no." (feeling sorry for myself ensues)

Will I Use This?

There are some weird effects out there. I love weird effects. I bought a Line6 M5 just so I could make weird noises with my guitar. One of the most talked about pedals right now tries to turn you guitar into an electric piano. There you have it, weird noises are cool, but do you really have a place to use that weird noise in your Top 40 cover band? Probably not. If you have the means and you want to make weird noises, then by all means buy the darn thing, but if you are like me and don't have a ton of disposable income to blow on a pedal that seems fun, then think again. Some things are gimmicks. Novelties don't hold up. You get tired of them quickly, aren't helpful, and will be cast out in short order. The M5 makes lots of cool noises, and I use it, but I most just use the reverb or some other subtle effect. That Step filter, that I thought was so cool, has yet to make a appearance on stage.

Why Do I Want This Pedal

This question can only be answered by the person asking it. (that sounds pretty meta, right?) It the world of guitar effects, there is a lot to be said for hype. The Klon (and all it's copies) has had a long life due to the crazy amount of hype that accompanies the pedal. Boutique builders and modders will tell you all that great things they've done to familiar circuits to make that so much better. But all the fancy words about NOS parts and HIFI mods and so on, are just that, words. Side by side most of these boutique creations are hard to discern from the original product. Pretty boxes and trendy names might sound appealing, but it doesn't translate into a better sounding pedal. This might be the hardest question to answer, because you have to be honest with yourself. Sometimes a good price will temp me to throw down some cash, but just because it's cheaper at Store B than Store A doesn't mean you need that pedal any more.

Can I Afford It

Maybe the simplest question on the list. It is possibly the most important as well. It should always be the last one to ask. After you have past all the other questions, you then need to ask yourself whether or not it is a smart financial decision. I have a budget that limits my pedal buying. I make special exception now and then, but for the most part I try to limit my pedal buying, because if I don't, it will get out of hand. I often stretch my budget by buying used pedals and by trading. I'm fortunate to have a large group of great musician that are almost always willing to swap and trade (sometime even loan out gear). This is invaluable. If you don't have a group like this, then try to start one. The internet is a great place, but you have to read past the sales pitches. (that's why I'm here). A good group of musician-friends should be straight up with one another.

So those are my 5 question to ask yourself before buy a new pedal, or any gear really. I have to ask myself those same question quite often. I don't always like the answers but it helps me sleep at night when I think about all those pedals I could have. When funds are low, it helps to remember that I probably don't need that pedal anyways. When I have funds it helps me choose the best pedal to spend my money on. I hope this help you guys deal with your GAS!

8 Ways To Make Your Life More Musical

If you meant to click on this post then you like music, or maybe you want to like music more. If you don't like music then I don't know whats wrong with you (also, why are you reading this?). Never the less, I'm going to give you 10 ways to make your life more musical. Let's start:

1. Listen To Music

Simple, right? Sure we listen to the radio when we are in the car. We hear music in movies and TV shows. Music is all around us, but sometimes we take it for granted. Sometimes music is down graded to "pretty noise". In a fast paced lifestyle we often don't take to time to listen to music while doing nothing else. Actively listening to a piece of music will take your full attention.

2. See A Concert

Similar to listening to music, seeing a concert takes your full attention. Life doesn't always let us attend the concerts of our choosing. Maybe they are out of town or sold out. Perhaps our favorite artists are no longer living. What ever the case, the internet is our friend. Invest in some nice headphones and plug them in to your favorite computer/device. Crank it up a little too load and immerse yourself in the show.

3 Learn An Instrument

Many people are intimidated by learning an instrument. Don't be turned off by the learning curve. Playing an instrument can be a great way to wind-down and chill-out. With just a few chords you can play most popular radio tunes. Guitar, Piano, Drums, or anything else that you'd like to learn will help your life become more musical. Even if your skill doesn't ever get you past "novice" you still get to proudly display your awesome instrument with pride.

4. Take A Music Class

Music classes are offered at any college or even a online class. These classes are great to learn about the origins of music, how music is written, or just how to sound like you know what you are talking about when you discus music with your friends. If you aren't a musician, you can still talk like one.

5. Learn To Read Music.

Whether you play or not. you can learn what all those little symbols mean and feel superior to all that people who just act like they do. If you do play an instrument, reading music is very helpful. Being able to convey ideas about music in written form can be very help. Just like English, Music is a langue. Reading and writing music will help you be more musical in a technical since at least.

6. Learn To Sing

Whether you like to sing or not, learn the proper techniques to sing. There are times in life when you need to sing. Someone wants to sing Christmas carols, Sunday morning church, boaring road trips... Why not prepare a little bit and be the best singer in the group.

7, Join A Forum

There are communities on the internet for nearly everything. If you like a certain genre of music, I'm sure there are others like yourself. Meet these people in a online, text-based medium. Discuss the superiority of the type of music that you like.

8. Subscribe To A Music Blog

Yep. The last thing on the list is a shameless plug your your to subscribe to this blog. Although it is a great way to stay up with whats going on with music stuffs. If you like this post then hit the subscribe button and get a notification when there's new posts.