How to Become a Well-Adjusted Gearhead
STATE OF THE STOMP
How to Become a Well-Adjusted Gearhead
BY BENJAMIN HINZ
Music gear can be many things : a set of tools , a collection , an addiction . I view my own gear as a set of tools now , but I have definitely spent time in the Gear Addiction camp . It has been a process to come to this “ well-adjusted ” place . Chances are if you ’ re reading Premier Guitar , we have some common ground here .
As you ’ ve probably surmised , the pedals , amps , and instruments used to make music are a huge part of my creative process . I don ’ t have any beef with someone who is a “ guitar , cord , amp ” type of player , but it ’ s certainly not me . Since I first stumbled upon the concept and methodology of feedback , I ’ ve been on a mission to make new sounds with the guitar . This mission has taken me down many roads using many methods , but my current favorite is collaboration . Not in the “ Hey , can we write this chorus together ?” kind of way , but with gear itself .
It might sound a little strange to think of collaborating with a piece of gear , considering it isn ’ t sentient . But in place of a brain is a circuit chock full of possibilities . Collaborating with your equipment is very much like improvising with humans , in that listening is paramount . Listen to what the gear produces in response to your input . Then adapt your input , or change the controls and listen again .
Obviously this isn ’ t the type of thing you do in a high-pressure studio environment or onstage . This is a practice method . I call it “ the Circle of Truth .” It ’ s something that can be adapted any number of ways , but the concept remains the same . When I do the Circle , I set some pretty strict boundaries . Twenty minutes to set up , and that ’ s it . I usually like to start from scratch and grab some things I haven ’ t used in a while as well as some old stalwarts . I like to sit on a drum throne with the pedals arranged in a half-circle so I can spin around to reach different things with my feet , and it ’ s an easy bend-down to get my hands on knobs .
Once I ’ m ready to go , I dedicate the next 20 minutes to the act of interaction . As in many solo improv sets or exercises , I start simply — listening intently . Each move after that is informed by the sounds coming out of the speakers .
Of course , there are some things that don ’ t really play the collaboration game . When you ’ re dealing with a small rig , maybe a few simple pedals and an amp , the boundaries seem pretty clear . But even a simple rig can be opened up with some attentive knob tweaks , re-ordering , and creative playing techniques .
The flip side of collaborating with your gear is demanding things of your gear . If the pedal is designed to do that thing , you ’ re in luck . If not , you ’ re probably going to have a rough time . This is a tricky headspace , because great things can happen . Occasionally , you will find a new pathway neither you nor the manufacturer had intended . As I mentioned , one of my first forays into this kind of thing was feedback . I wanted to stand up and hear my guitar , so I put the amp up on my desk , which aimed the speaker directly at my pickups . Oh , feedback ! For a while there , my main purpose in life was making that amp and guitar feed back .
The dangerous aspect of “ gear demand ” is the gear madness that infects so many of us . I remember whipping through catalogs , circling everything I thought would make me sound awesome : pedals and amps , and , of course , many pointy guitars ! This can lead to a load of gear around the home and a big hole in the wallet .
Demanding things of your pedals can be a real drag , because they are not actually capable of reading your mind or adapting their behavior . If you ’ re in pedal-purchase mode , one can quickly decide the pedal doesn ’ t do the exact right thing , and you move on to another , and another after that . Spending time and money on what you think a pedal should do doesn ’ t leave much time or space for a person to find out what a pedal can do .
Whenever I practice the Circle of Truth , it has always been an eye-opening experience . I find new sounds , new combinations that I would never stumble upon during a full-band rehearsal or writing session . But most importantly , I find what the pedals are really good at .
This gives me a much clearer path forward as a musician . Sometimes a pedal just isn ’ t going to work for me , and that ’ s fine . It ’ s a chance we all take . Knowing a pedal well makes it a lot easier to let go of — or to hang onto and use to it ’ s fullest . Since I ’ ve committed to really collaborating with my equipment , the giant pedal stack has been trimmed down to a ( closer to ) reasonable size , and I find my satisfaction with my guitars and amps has gone way up .
If you ’ re interested in getting more out of your equipment , give the old Circle of Truth a try . And hey , if it goes badly , you just spent 20 minutes practicing ! Be sure to have your mom initial the sheet and turn it in to your band director on time !
BENJAMIN HINZ is the Supreme Commander at Dwarfcraft Devices and Devi Ever FX . In addition to experimenting with audio , he really enjoys Blade Runner and Tom Petty ’ s Wildflowers .
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