Too many SOS readers are crusty guitarists. Discuss.

[Guest]

I thought that music technology freed us from the fretwork hegemony 30 odd years ago!

Bring it on, aged planksters...

[magicdog]

I don't think technology will remove the need for guitarists for a good few decades yet...

[RegressiveRock]

I thought that music technology freed us from the fretwork hegemony 30 odd years ago!

Bring it on, aged planksters...

We are raising a generation who believe that we live in a kind of musical Matrix, where all that is necessary to produce great music is a succession of Romplers.

They ignore fundamental musicality in the form of expression, performance and feel.

Bring it on neo-natal bit twiddlers!

[Guest]

Superb response "magic - dog"!

The defensive tone coupled with the predictable emoticon (within literally seconds of my original post) make me realise I'm on to a winner!

Can anyone do any better than this?

Guitarists are such easy prey...

As I said earlier - bring it on!

[Guest]

Before I'd even written my response to 'magic - dog", the aptly named "regressive - rock" had already posted.

Superb!.

I'm on to a winner, here...

BRING IT ON!

[Guest]

I love the way that guitarists think that flexible fingers are some sort of compensation for cloth ears and aesthetic unoriginality!

[steve355]

I am a "crusty guitarist", albeit one who dabbles with modern music technology.

Go away for a while and listen to a recording of Ella Fitzgerald and her band, playing perhaps "bewitched", "a song in my heart" or "the lady is a tramp" then come back and explain how in virtually any parameter, popular music is better in some way today than it was 60 years ago.

Ok, so she was a bit of a minger and admittedly Girls Aloud look better. But apart from that.

[The_BPP]

I play the piano because I love music.... People who love posing play the guitar.

Only kidding.(posers are sometimes lead singers, too)

[Evie McCreevie]

"Too many SOS readers are crusty guitarists..."

Ah, so THAT's why the mag is full of features about synths, sequencers, plug-ins etc. Now I get it!

[Guest]

Go away for a while and listen to a recording of Ella Fitzgerald and her band, playing perhaps "bewitched", "a song in my heart" or "the lady is a tramp" then come back and explain how in virtually any parameter, popular music is better in some way today than it was 60 years ago.

I agree. Ella was always the star. The guitarist never took over. Modern music seems to worship the guitarist more than ever!

"They're sellin' Strats in 'Toys 'R' Us'... man" (©Withanail & I)

A ratio of five guitarists to every other kind of instrumentalist (drummer, bassist, keyboardist - heaven forbid, horn player) in the population as a whole.

A shame.

[Guest]

"Too many SOS readers are crusty guitarists..."

Ah, so THAT's why the mag is full of features about synths, sequencers, plug-ins etc. Now I get it!

The mag may be (thank God!)

But this forum certainly ain't...

(rolls eyes in an attempt to validate ones sarcasm)

(cheeky wink)

[narcoman]

I thought that music technology freed us from the fretwork hegemony 30 odd years ago!

Bring it on, aged planksters...

Quite the opposite. Each successive technology brings us BACK to talent and instrumentation. The ability to do something that takes a while to become proficient in is now becoming more sought after rather than less...... technology is slowly freeing us from the mediocre....a level playing field TRULY allows the talent to shine - we're just not there yet. 10 more years I reckon.

[narcoman]

I am a "crusty guitarist", albeit one who dabbles with modern music technology.

Go away for a while and listen to a recording of Ella Fitzgerald and her band, playing perhaps "bewitched", "a song in my heart" or "the lady is a tramp" then come back and explain how in virtually any parameter, popular music is better in some way today than it was 60 years ago.

Ok, so she was a bit of a minger and admittedly Girls Aloud look better. But apart from that.

They're just different. There are plenty of people {most kids or pop fans} who'd go the way you wouldn't want to hear!!

[Guest]

technology is slowly freeing us from the mediocre....a level playing field TRULY allows the talent to shine - we're just not there yet. 10 more years I reckon.

I couldn't agree more, narcoman. So why do most guitarist insist on playing the same old Bluesy and Metal cliches on an instrument capable of such expression?

It's not about the instrument, it's about the mindset of most players.

Music Technology should look to the future with a healthy knowledge and respect for the past.

I get the impression that many SOS guitarists, with a few exceptions, tend to forget the first bit.

[Steve Hill]

I've found over 40 odd years of playing everything from classical through flamenco, folk, jazz, rock, experimental and yes even blues and the occasional dabble in country and western that when all is said and done guitarists get more and better sex than keyboard players.

[Tui]

guitarists get more and better sex than keyboard players.

You wish, baba.

[Original Jambo]

guitarists get more and better sex than keyboard players.

No need to state the obvious.

[OneWorld]

I thought that music technology freed us from the fretwork hegemony 30 odd years ago!

Bring it on, aged planksters...

Dr. Freud would say you're suffering from Plectrum Envy LOL

[arkieboy]

OK - I would probably qualify as a 'Crusty Guitarist', although what little reputation I have was built playing a succession of Roland Guitar Synthesisers and I spend rather a lot of time in Logic...

If there is a predomination of guitarists over other types of instrument then why is that the case? I thought the guitar was about to die in the 80s but it seems as alive as ever! Could it be that acceptable instruments are so cheap? That you're still mobile while playing? That its a compromise between the expression of a saxophone and the polyphony of a keyboard? Or maybe that the phallic overtones of the guitar are more inspiring to a spotty teenager than standing behind a bunch of computers masquerading as musical instruments . Both of which are of course more preferable to standing behind a record deck pretending to be a musician (! )

I despair at the conservative nature of guitar players while understanding it. I've wanted a pukka Les Paul Standard since I started playing guitar but somehow, whenever I have got the money together I've always ended up with something else - a (rare) semi with Les' name on it was the closest I got - my main guitar was custom built by a British luthier. I think its the fact that guitars were established so long ago and they have such heritage that they command such attention. They can be crafted by hand and even when mass produced, the Strat doesn't have the same anonymity as, say, a DX7.

And you're seeing the 'crufty old synthesist' appearing. Despite the opportunities for innovation offered by VST instruments, what stuff sells the best? Moog imitations!!! Virtual orchestras!!! Mellotron imitations!!!

When Bach wrote his fugues they were already deeply unfashionable so unfashionable music is here to stay. There is a connection I feel between a lump of wood and six bits of wire that I don't feel for my D50 (another classic - or as someone (I think it was the Elf) put it on the vintage forum 'a pig in a dress').

I don't understand it but I guess you're going to need to get used to it because it doesn't seem to be going away...

Steve

[The Bunk]

when all is said and done guitarists get more and better sex than keyboard players.

but not, if an ex of mine is anything to go by, than saxophonists...

[magicdog]

guitarists get more and better sex than keyboard players.

It was always the handsome Bass player in all the bands I've been in...

I don't qualify as a defender of guitarists...

Some interesting points though - I have to agree on the wood versus plastic bit...I get around it by having a Korg DV800 analogue mono synth with wooden end-cheeks....OK, and some guitars and basses...

[The_BPP]

I've found over 40 odd years of playing everything from classical through flamenco, folk, jazz, rock, experimental and yes even blues and the occasional dabble in country and western that when all is said and done guitarists get more and better sex than keyboard players.

As any gigging musician will tell you, it's the lead singer that's getting all the rumpo. (lucky git)

[thenaturallevel]

I've found over 40 odd years of playing everything from classical through flamenco, folk, jazz, rock, experimental and yes even blues and the occasional dabble in country and western that when all is said and done guitarists get more and better sex than keyboard players.

As any gigging musician will tell you, it's the lead singer that's getting all the rumpo. (lucky git)

It's Carry on Forum

[Fat Cat Strings]

Some of us are crusty violinists...and we're not getting ANY sex

[IvanSC]

do not feed the trolls.
Comment is frankly superfluous in this case.