BRBS

[Flexkill]

Well this sounds killer. Around 3:10 on that V sounds incredible

[DonBot]

That does sound awesome and right up my ally but the chances of me making it sound that good are about zero. Maybe 0.5% if I really try.

[Stitsel]

That was pretty awesome actually....
Good playing & great sounding amp; seemed to have a lot of variety in the sound Dept., & loved the warning script on the front....like I'd ever pay attention to that! No matter what guitar he played, it sounded great & even the clean plinky/funky stuff he did sounded cool, certainly a versatile sounding amp.
That said, how may amp manufacturers are doing this, basically a different angle on an already established sound?No disrespect at all intended.The amp sounded good, the playing was good.But did the amp really set the world on fire, as in, a totally different sound? Eh, not really.

However, what do I know....possibly there's more to these that I don't realize. Whatever.Best wishes to all.

[Alan]

No matter what Doug plays on... he always sounds awesome. That amp does sound great though.

[Jeff]

Sounds killer. Dumb name for an amp though. Be right back…..seriously. 😂

[bigdave]

Doug could cut a wet fart that somehow has perfect vibrato and feel.

[Chris]

Ever since (whoever it was) pointed out that people are making all of this "Gear Review Music" lately, I can't unhear it now.

Cool tones/playing, dude definitely has great chops. But the song sounds like something you hear in the background of like a Playstation ATV racing game.

[Randy]

Ever since (whoever it was) pointed out that people are making all of this "Gear Review Music" lately, I can't unhear it now.

Cool tones/playing, dude definitely has great chops. But the song sounds like something you hear in the background of like a Playstation ATV racing game.

Derail but on that subject, Keith Merrow recently posted this ("Matteus" is in reference to Mateus Asato announcing he was taking a break from music some time ago). Relevant part bolded for emphasis :

"What Matteus might not realize yet is, when you completely disregard social media and remove it from your daily life, all that guitar inspiration comes flooding back at some point.
I've left social media 2 or 3 times in my "career". I'm currently in that mode and I'm happier and more productive/creative than I've felt in a long time. I actually have no plans to return. I come from the last generation to grow up without the internet. None of my favorite musicians ever had to rely on social media in order to be relevant and have a career as an artist. I know times change, but there are other ways to live and work as a musician. The internet can be a great tool for marketing, but that's really all it is anymore. If you get stuck in that world like many do, it will absolutely kill any meaningful art you might have in you.

Good for him, he's doing the right thing even though a lot of people don't understand why. Is it harmful to your career to leave or take a break from social media? Maybe. But in my particular case, it hasn't mattered at all. Business as usual. Unless there's a mass exodus, people will definitely still be there if you return. They don't instantly forget you and stop listening to your music.

Since I left, I've had people each day email me asking if I'm okay. If you're not on social media, people automatically assume you're either dead, or about to be. Its quite the opposite. I'm living. I have more time to do the things I care about. Despite having a lifetime of clinical depression, ptsd, and mental health issues, I'm doing great. You gain back so much life in the absence of social media. It makes me want to ask them the same question. Like, if you were consumed enough by your phone or screen to notice that a low level YouTube guy left the game, and needed to email me to know why, you're definitely over-taken by it. I'm doing okay, but are they? I've done these people a disservice by helping to keep them hooked on that screen. Its gross.

I'm guilty of making YouTube marketing videos as a job and masking it with music or flashy video work. I mean, I was one of the first to do it professionally. I haven't in a very long time now, but its a world devoid of inspiration without a doubt. I understand how Matteus feels here, and commend him for putting his craft and his well-being in front of everything that social media represents now, because it will suck the soul right out of you."

[Jeff]

Ever since (whoever it was) pointed out that people are making all of this "Gear Review Music" lately, I can't unhear it now.

Cool tones/playing, dude definitely has great chops. But the song sounds like something you hear in the background of like a Playstation ATV racing game.

Yep.

[bigdave]

Derail but on that subject, Keith Merrow recently posted this ("Matteus" is in reference to Mateus Asato announcing he was taking a break from music some time ago). Relevant part bolded for emphasis :.[/B]"

I have thought many of the same thoughts on how these days alot of the art of guitar has been lost. More and more people focus on "finger gymnastics" than the sound of it. So many younger players concentrate on YT content way more than being deep into being creative.

[Chris]

I have thought many of the same thoughts on how these days alot of the art of guitar has been lost. More and more people focus on "finger gymnastics" than the sound of it. So many younger players concentrate on YT content way more than being deep into being creative.

None of that bothers me, really. If some kid is super happy djenting out a bunch of 0 1 0 1 nonsense, good for them. It's the hyper monetization of everything that I don't like. Everyone wants to flip guitars, screw someone on gear, or endlessly plug their shit. Nobody cares who's listening, as long as they click like and subscribe. Look at Bulb - Buy my device, and my other device, and my signature this, and that, and click my videos, like my channel, like my facebook page, buy my album, buy my signature thing, like my video - it's an endless circle of self-endorsement and self-promotion. That's what young players are aspiring to these days. Shill, shill, shill, promote, promote, promote, plug, plug, plug.

I'm so glad I grew up before all this shit.

[Chris]

This kid doesn't count btw, because everythign he does is fucking ace.

[bigdave]

"That's what young players are aspiring to these days. Shill, shill, shill, promote, promote, promote, plug, plug, plug.

I'm so glad I grew up before all this shit.

All this AND , at least to me, the creative part has been pushed down the list of what to do by a bunch of check-list items to get clicks. I'm all for people having fun and if they can make a buck, more power to them, I just dont like how the others who are presenting real art are getting pushed aside more and more. I guess the good that goes with the bad is that anyone these days can have a chance to present their music to the world, back in the day a record company might not even listen to your demo if you didnt have a good looking frontman. Ugly people rejoice !!

[Dominic]

BiRBS?

[Lozek]

Merrow stuff"

None of this surprises me that some influencers are starting to burn out. Having made at least a couple of years attempting online marketing for a previous band, constantly viewing every activity in your life as 'viable content' is mentally exhausting. Having to understand the constantly shifting platform algorithms to stay visible has to be even worse.

I think there is a market shift coming. I know of at least one influencer who has re-balanced his revenue streams and no longer does paid reviews unless he wants to talk about the product, and as a flat rule will not review a product at launch alongside 50 other influencers.

[Randy]

None of this surprises me that some influencers are starting to burn out. Having made at least a couple of years attempting online marketing for a previous band, constantly viewing every activity in your life as 'viable content' is mentally exhausting. Having to understand the constantly shifting platform algorithms to stay visible has to be even worse.

I think there is a market shift coming. I know of at least one influencer who has re-balanced his revenue streams and no longer does paid reviews unless he wants to talk about the product, and as a flat rule will not review a product at launch alongside 50 other influencers.

The traditional gear influencer is on the losing end of the profit to effort ratio scale IMO.

Having to build the audience and game the algorithm, then market yourself for the companies to send their stuff, handle the transaction, "write" your shitty demo music, produce it, film your playthrough/review, edit the video for upload is a lot of work for having your soul sucked out of you.

By comparison, the shit my girlfriend watches on YT are people who mow their lawn wearing a Go Pro, groom a dog wearing a Go Pro, clean their house wearing a Go Pro or literally eat infront of a camera and talk. They don't have tens of thousands of subs, they have hundreds of thousands to millions.

Bulb is god tier gear influencer and I don't even know if he makes music anymore or even demos. There's a lot of ways of making "money from music", some at the cost of your soul and some not but I do think the era of the "OMG!" face thumbnail and "like comment subscribe to my horrible jam sessions" is kinda fizzled.

[Hulk Krogan]

It's the hyper monetization of everything that I don't like. Everyone wants to flip guitars, screw someone on gear, or endlessly plug their shit. Nobody cares who's listening, as long as they click like and subscribe. Look at Bulb - Buy my device, and my other device, and my signature this, and that, and click my videos, like my channel, like my facebook page, buy my album, buy my signature thing, like my video - it's an endless circle of self-endorsement and self-promotion. That's what young players are aspiring to these days. Shill, shill, shill, promote, promote, promote, plug, plug, plug.

I'm so glad I grew up before all this shit.

Capitalism rots everything good, eventually.

None of this surprises me that some influencers are starting to burn out. Having made at least a couple of years attempting online marketing for a previous band, constantly viewing every activity in your life as 'viable content' is mentally exhausting. Having to understand the constantly shifting platform algorithms to stay visible has to be even worse

Yeah, and this isn't just music. It's everything. I have family members who are personal trainers, and their entire lives basically revolve around producing content for instagram and whatnot to keep the stream of clients coming in. At dinner? Gotta take pictures for a post about macros or making good choices while eating out. On vacation? Need a good shot for something about self care. It seems absolutely, existentially exhausting to me.

That freelancing website, Fiverr, used to have subway ads here that looked like the billboards Roddy Piper sees when he puts on the glasses in the They Live. There's this insanely pervasive idea now that everyone needs a side hustle and you need to monetize all your hobbies, because nothing is worth doing unless it turns a profit. It's infected almost every corner of life and I hate it.

[Dominic]

"Hey kid! Your dad got you a peanut M&M!"

[Chris]

That freelancing website, Fiverr, used to have subway ads here that looked like the billboards Roddy Piper sees when he puts on the glasses in the They Live. There's this insanely pervasive idea now that everyone needs a side hustle and you need to monetize all your hobbies, because nothing is worth doing unless it turns a profit. It's infected almost every corner of life and I hate it.

So absolutey spot on.

[Randy]

There's this insanely pervasive idea now that everyone needs a side hustle and you need to monetize all your hobbies, because nothing is worth doing unless it turns a profit. It's infected almost every corner of life and I hate it.

I'd argue the pervasive part isn't that there's some outside pressure to monetize your hobbies as a mechanism of society, and more the idea that there's necessity in a side hustle and the idea people don't think their needs are met by their 9 to 5.

[Randy]

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