Avoid these 7 Guitar Gear Mistakes I Made! 

Just a quick heads up, the Rode Mic wasn't recording so it's shotgun room mic only on this video 🤣. If you have something to add to the list please comment below. Thanks again! 😀

Someone once asked me, " I suck at guitar. Should I get a delay?" I responded, "Sure, then you can have two of you that suck at guitar."

words of wisdom from my wife... Don't buy another guitar, buy some guitar lessons!

Only seven mistakes? I've made way more than that.

"All in the hands"............my sex-life the last 4 years.

It was a mistake to keep my guitars in their case in the closet. I got a rack and put my six guitars on it and now I play them all more.

Me with a Squier, soul food, and a Peavey modeler amp seeing the thumbnail 😟

About three weeks ago, I sold a guitar for the first time ever. Why? I helped a friend make bail. A small price to pay for a mans freedom. Plus, it was just so Rock n Roll....on the way to the jailhouse to get him out, my local was playing some hardcore blues tunes. I felt like Elwood Blues going to get Jake.

Namm Spam - Well said 😆

I started playing in 1981, and put down the Guitar several times over the years. But now, with all the RESOURCES available now I'm hooked like I've never been before. "In my day" we got a chord book, and listened to our favorite songs on records, over and over. WHAT A TIME WE LIVE IN!!!!

Some good advice here. I couldn’t play that well when I bought myself an American Deluxe Telecaster. Part of me said ‘you’re not a good enough player for that guitar’. But I’ve still got it.......still love it. Bought it more than 20 years ago

My 59 Gretsch Jet is my biggest regret everytime I look at the invoice price - then I plug it in and figure I can always eat 2min Noodles.

Based on the thumbnail, I was worried he was going to put down my beloved Soul Food pedal. Glad to see that wasn't the case :-)

Every aussie has the "tell it like it is gene" coming through loud 'n clear. Good areas Shaney! 👍

My guitars are like my kids...I can't sell them...I won't even lend them to anyone. Still, a very sobering and true video, Shane.

My biggest mistake in gear is your videos giving me GAS!! Based on your videos alone I have owned a Fender Mustang III with your patches, a Bugera V5 and most recently a Marshall DSL40CR. I love your channel Shane but my wallet does not. I will say, every piece of gear I have based on your recommendations has been spot on. Thanks for doing what you do!

Glad you mentioned the Roland Jazz Chorus. I have a JC77 that was a hand-me-down from my older brother who taught me how to play. Any praise for the JC always makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

As a guitarist who’s been through a lot of different gear in the past, almost 40 years, I say great video! I still have the Peavy Studio pro combo I started learning in. Just had it fixed up. But! I’ve also put a modest home studio together with vintage gear, Marshall JMP-1 preamp, Alesis quadraverb, TCElectronics Gmajor… new crown power amp. Loving it! The quest for “your perfect tone” , never stops. But I think I have it now.

One of the greatest dirt bike riders of all time was Roger Decoster. An interviewer asked one of the other competitors after the race if Roger's win was because he had a better ride. The fellow responded by saying that Roger was so pumped up, he could have been riding a tricycle and he would have won.

Head and hands So true. I just decluttered 15 guitars in the past 3 months Still have 9 .

Great content, mate! Thank you for this 😊

My mistake with solid state amps was the opposite: I was too loyal to them. Everything I seemed to read/hear about tube amps when I was starting out was that tube amps were maintenance-intensive and unreliable, so I was solid state all the way. I didn't get my first true tube amp until a few years ago. I missed out on a lot of tonal fun.

Shane! You are my new favorite guitar channel. You’re such a straight shooter and tell it how it is that I don’t have the urge to double check or filter everything you say. And just like other comments I see here, your recommendations are always spot on. Keep doing what you do and I’ll keep watching!

I had a 70's Kustom 100 Watt 2X12 Combo Solide-State Amp with a Nightmare Spring Reverb. I got it mainly for nastalgic reasons. Cost $200. My band mate rhythm player tried lead turned the amp up to Max volume and twangiddy boom, blew the speakers cones out of the amps front grill ! ! !😵, Then we ROFLOAO, then he repaired the amp and I padded that reverb tanks springs to guitten it down. I got a free 60's Fender Rhodes Keyboard Amp, which was 50 Watts per Channel Stereo , 4 square back Fender 25 Watt Speakers. I still have this amp and it works like new. It came from the Middle School I attended in the mid 70's. The amp was used as a PA System. I keep it because of it's nastalgia reasons and artists/ musicians such as my favorite Blues/ Rock dude icon and friendGregg Allman had and used, as did the late great Lap and Pedal Steel pioneer Zane Neck had and used one along with Fender Twin Reverb Valve Silver Face Twin amps and others such as the Roland Jazz Chorus amp. I learned so much from these two guys and members of the Nashville Wrecking Crew members and other artists that played at the local Jamboree Barn on Saturday nights . I had and my bass player sat in and jammed with these guys and gals, and we worked concessions also on the side . Now the place is a Veterinary Clinic ! ! ! I bought a Crate DC-120 2X12, solid state 500 Watt Combo Amp. I still have this amp. It has a Chorus and tube emulation drive, gain, EQ, master volume, effects loop, and a headphone output. It was and is still a work horse amp with a pristine clean channel, and the drive channel offers up just amazing tone and power. Cost me $200 in a pawn shop and is a mid 80's model.👍🤘 I have a 10 Watt Solid State Sears Silvertone 1X10 combo amp from the 60's and another 2 X10 15 Watts Solid State Sears Truetone combo amp with vibrato and Spring Reverb. I have a Roland Jazz Chorus 2x12 100 Watt Solid State Combo Amp, with effects loop, and headphone output. So many applications. I bought a 90's $30 Behringer 1X12 Combo Solid State 30 Watt Amp with Nasty Clean and DriveTones & Hummed Bad, and it got GONE ! ! ! Lots of gear come and stayed or got gone over the years ! ! ! I always take my own personal guitars and effects to try out amps of any brand, model and features. I play the amp out clean to drive, and I use all features, then I use add ons, comparing dry and wet tones ! ! !😎 Peace & Play 🎸 On . . .😎 👍🤘 DDHarris 2-12-202.

For me I never buy a guitar or amp without reviewing what I have and selling something most times! Part of the process.

I’ve managed to make every single mistake here!!!!🤣😆🤣😆 Guitars are my guilty pleasure and we live and learn as we continue this journey in our personal playing. The beautiful thing is now we have so many resources to help us along the way and a community of people to bounce ideas off of. Enjoying the journey is the utmost importance!!! Cheers!!🎸🎵🎼🎵

I definitely believe in getting what you want the first time and not making concession for price or versatility. Doesn't mean get the 2k dollar guitar vs a 500 dollar one necessarily, staying in budget is important! It also applies to pedals and amps too. Just spend the extra up front to buy what you want and bypass the re-selling part!

Am I the only one that couldn't stop staring at the Pacman ghost? I was trying to see if my eyes were tricking me because it was changing colors.

I appreciate the time it takes to complete these videos, Shane. I love your honesty and agree with all the points you make. Buy a good guitar once and save the heartache of going thru multiple axes, I have done this as well. cheers T.

Great, sound tips Shane! Nice job.

I love your pac man ghost!! Thanks for the great advice Shane! You are pretty spot on.

I haven’t been subscribed the whole time , but I remember watching you way back then! And Rick! Always enjoyed you guys for sure.

This is a good reality check! I realized recently that so many gain pedals that sound night-and-day different on a track sound almost the same live in the room, and it was quite a wakeup! Ya just gotta get what works and then go play!

I like the new stuff at NAMM because the older models go on sale. NAMM just happened, Jackson came with a few new models, and lo and behold, the sl2q that I had been eyeballing for months dropped dramatically in price. Got it in a heartbeat. Thanks for the new stuff, NAMM!

Great video! I struggle with the "Dr-cluttering" thing-but I AM currently actively working on that-again great video. Cheers-Chris

I bought a highway one Tele back in '08 and to me it out played all of the other more expensive fenders they had. I still have it and it plays better than ever.

Love your vids,mate. Good honest opinions and a funny guy! Keep em coming!🇬🇧

Much love from Austria, love your vids

Great advice, thanks for this.

Looking great in this fashionable Tee ;) Very helpful video, as usual!

Excellent video Shane

Good advice. I enjoy your playing on your other videos.

Great video, mate. Thanks!!

The interner convinced me i needed a tube amp on my 300 dollar budget as a teen, ended up with a all tube crate v33. Ive been buying and selling gear and my goto amp is now a solid state b52 lg100a, a much more powerful and useable amp.

Good point about the “sound in your head” mantra. I have multiple plugins from free to downright expensive in my DAW and no matter which one I use or which combination of amps, mics, speakers, pedals I still seem to gravitate towards the same sound I like. The same between my Valve Marshall and my Bandit. It helps when you need a good sound out of someone else’s backline gear that’s unfamiliar.

Excellent video shane !!

Great video brother...lovin' it

Oh man! Tip #7 helped me so much! It made me appreciate my #1 and #2 guitars even more so. Cheers from Anchorage Alaska!

Your channel feeds my gas, but your focus on usable blues/classic rock tones helps me to better buy with my ears. VERY helpful! Thanks!

This is great - so true on all points!

I still have a 1994 Peavey Bandit 112 Teal Stripe and it’s my foundation amp. I use a Zoom G3x multi-effects pedal into it, and it does the job just fine.

Great words of wisdom. I like when you were talking about playing live with a Kemper or alternative and you said something like "no body really cares anyway". If you're talking about the audience not caring about any nuances in tone or the brand of pedals you're using I have to agree. Most of the time the audience is there to have a good time, drink beer and check out each other. The band is for atmosphere. I've played with cheap stuff and expensive gear and no one has ever come up to me and said "wow that Ric sounds great through your AC30". Of course family members might come up and say things like "why do you have to play so loud" or "can you play Freebird?". Great videos.

Thanks so much for the good advice. Best wishes.

Love the artwork on the wall behind you. 🎸🎸🎸😍

It's all about the relationship you have to your gear and not whether it's budget or high end. I've had a yamaha pacifica 112v for the past 18 years I always go back to even if it stays in the case for certain stretches of time. I've got lots of guitars in my flat and I play all of them on and off. Recently, I took out an old epiphone wes montgomery style model I hadn't touched in years because I've started working with a sax player and it has renewed my love of the instrument. The music it makes sounds wonderful.Thank god I didn't sell it to buy pina coladas at some vacation resort! Give your gear time to work for you...

That's great content Shane. Surelly that's wisdom and it doesn't come for free. Not so good decisions makes us wiser. This video has some priceless advices. Cheers from Brasil.

There’s a lot I can agree with here but I’ll just say my kemper is the best purchase I’ve ever made. I know it’s not for everyone but I love how it works and being able to save performances and not worrying about knocking knobs out of place. But, to each their own!

Great video. At first I thought this was a quick and easy "get more views" type of video but your tips are obviously given from real life experience so kudos to that !!!!

Good honest advice.

Great advice Shane. Thx

I wish I still had my Carvin sx100 solid state amp. They don't make them anymore but they were awesome and even got the Guitar Player pick of the month way back when!

Responding to #4 on the list about multi-effects pedals. If you want to be able to tweak your sound live, add a couple of expression pedals to your rig. That way if you want to be able to dial in more or less reverb, chorus, delay etc. you can do it without scrolling through menus.😊

Thanks, Shane. I especially liked the one about tone in the hands and the head. I wish more gear channels gave this topic it's due emphasis.

This helped me alot. Especially the selling what you don’t use and thinking long term when buying a guitar. Thanks!

I have been playing 50 years and I agree your tone is in your head and hands. I can play a Squier Bullet Telecaster and get a similar tone as a Fender American Standard Telcaster. Happy with the full range of Squier and Fender Guitars.

#3 is spot on. Learn how to make the guitar talk. The biggest mistake I learned was not upgrading my amp quicker. I was happy with my tone but I thought It was because of guitars and pedals. One day I plugged into a fender princeton and I realized that I should have been looking into amps before the guitars.

Lol, 1st pedal I ever bought was the Joyo Gem box, demoed by you. Got me in this channel. Ya....I never use it either. I just stack pedals now. Thanks for the cool content.

All great points!!

Love your vids shane

Thanks bra, solid wisdom right there!

I really dig the setup- nice and bright!

Great advice here. We’re in a time where good gear is plentiful and affordable, so it’s hard not to turn into an obsessive purchase of new stuff. I’ve recently trimmed down my guitars and pedals as I realised it was starting to become a barrier to playing well

Your right on the hoarding bit. I see guys with 10 or more guitars and wonder why. I have four. 2 acoustics , one being electric accoustic. 2 electric. A strat and a Led paul. Covers what I need.

Solid advice, especially the point about diminishing returns as the price climbs.

Every time I sell gear I get regret. Probably a combination of the nostalgia of what I made with that gear and the fear that I won't be able to capture *that sound* again (even if *that sound* wasn't so great anyway).

I'm in purge mode right now. Sold two guitars in the past two weeks. Great tips Shane. Cheers

Great tips! I have considered selling my looper, but feared I would want it a few days later 😛

Very good points.

But,but, I am a guitar hoarder ! 😉🎸 I do rotate through all my guitars ,I don't just let them sit . Cheers mate !

I'm learning that your tone is a lot about what you don't want to be heard. Picking/strumming hand accuracy, dampening unwanted strings, string slide noise, string vibrating against the pick before you actually hit it, chord change timing, pinkie nail tapping the guitar body, unplanned pull off and hammer on, ... while deciding where you actually want your fingers to go and then sometimes the extra noise can be great.

I started playing in the mid sixties with a Mustang and a 50s Champ, years before pedals( excluding wahs and fuzz) and digital amps. I went through the new guitar thing once but learned it is all about playing and dialing in your sound. It was a huge upgrade getting a twin reverb in the 70s, and I grooved with just reverb through the decade. I'm a minimalist now with one solid state and 2 tube amps, only 10 guitars, 10 pedals, a bass and that's all I need for now. Good video man. You're observations are real close to my own.

One of the deepest rabbit holes I fell into was deciding which DAW to buy and be married to long term due to the learning curve and commitment required. The good thing about hardware and gear is that it can be re-sold where expensive software and plug-in's can not.

Make a video about your personal pedal board. Love the content.

I just gave my 23yo son a beautiful 1989 Olympic White MIJ Strat for Christmas that I’ve owned for a couple of years. I’ve also got an equally-beautiful 1985 Olympic white Strat. I love them both (one has rosewood fretboard and the other one has a maple 1-piece neck with skunk stripe). They are so similar, but different, and I don’t use them enough. My young bloke is a better guitarist than I am and I’m confident that he will use it and look after it. My decision to pass it onto my son was largely based on your attitude to accumulating too much stuff. I’m happy that it’s going to get used and the frets will get worn out. All the best for 2021 and keep up the great work!

Thanks for the mention of Gibson special w p90's - moded it and added a wcheap whammy and turned out lovely for basic rhythms and funky licks!

Great stuff.

Great advice shane.

I've had my Peavey Bandit since 1991, and other than the scratches on the side of the cabinet where one of our cats decided to engrave it with her autograph, it still plays great 30 years later!

Hey Shane! I couldn't agree more on this! 100% with you

I love my solid state fender side kick reverb and my vox da15 and my Marshall mg15 mini stack, and the new 2020 epiphone inspires by Gibson guitars are new and worth it to buy.

Makes total sense. Thanks.

Sounds advice, Shane! I left the circuit long ago & just play/record at home now. I even left that for a while, just keeping my '69 Fender acoustic handy when I got the itch. All my gear is low dollar but it works for me. As I'm getting back into electric more I'll probably be doing a little more purchasing, especially if my old gear rotted in storage. Thanks for another great vid!!

thanks for the advice bro. gob bless you.

"Sound" wise advice Shane and as you said the principles apply to most other things too, like photographic gear for eg. ( it's the photographer, not the camera ! ) Great tips for those on a budget. Some makes or certain models are well known for their great value while others have a reputation as a bit of a rip off, learning which is the case before buying makes sense, Buying Second hand and also modding / adapting equipment can often save money. Enjoy your channel Shane , keep up the good work and greetings from Scotland.

RU-vid on his best.. food for thougth ..thank you man

NAMM spam! LOL, so true.

Yes. Good points. Shane. Buying a guitar is like buying a mirror. No matter how nice the frame looks, the middle section will still show you. Thank you sir!

#3 resonates with me I played through a fender twin and an orange rockerverb 5 recently and it didn’t sound all that different than when I play through my two solid state combos

Number 5 - I agree! I felt kinda bad about getting the guitar I wanted straight away, but I didn’t want to go through the buying and selling.

It has to be said. Words of wisdom! Thanks.