GUITAR
CHOOSING YOUR GUITAR | Chris Rocha
I remember playing a concert in Argentina back about four years ago and feeling an overwhelming sense of assurance that I was meant to play guitar . I felt that the guitar was just an extension of my body . I truly feel that I was put on planet earth to play this particular instrument . I felt extremely comfortable with the guitar I was using . I was able to execute the desired tone I wanted and play my parts with ease . I wouldn ’ t have had that feeling if I was using a guitar that wasn ’ t suited for me . Choosing the right guitar for you is so important . There are a few factors that are key for choosing your guitar .
Let ’ s chat about tone for second . I ’ ve seen lots of guitar players in the worship world play worship music with guitars that are meant to give off a hard-rock sound or even heavy metal . The sound that they wind up playing doesn ’ t match the style of music at all and that can cause a lot of frustration . One of my favorite guitars is this hard-rock solid body . I played it for years and so many people associated me with that guitar . It has a very aggressive and thick sound that roars when I play solos but that ’ s about all I can do with it . It doesn ’ t let me get much of an ambient sound . I ’ ve tried many times to get that modern ambient tone , but that ’ s not possible , so I don ’ t use it much these days . Tone has become so important . I know producers that prefer to go with a guitar player that has great tone over a guitar player that has amazing technique but lacks in tone . I personally use Gretsch Guitars cause the tone that they give me helps me hit the sound I want . I ’ m not saying that you need to have a Gretsch Guitar to have a great sound but they definitely help , especially if you ’ re playing in the worship world .
The way a guitar looks is important for me too . Some people like the relic look and others like the brand-new look . I personally like the brandnew look with very nice hardware so that the guitar pops and looks great on pictures . I ’ ve gotten a couple guitars with the white paint job and gold hardware because I LOVE that look . Choosing your pickups can also have an impact on the style you ’ re going for as well . Make sure you get that instant connection with your guitar . It ’ ll come across in your playing .
Budgets have to be one of the most important aspects to choosing your guitar . The last thing you want is to get a guitar then have to sell so many other things to recover from your purchase . That has definitely happened to me in the past .
About nine years ago I did a live recording and wanted to get a new guitar . I talked my wife into letting me buy one . I went to Guitar Center and got me a Gibson Les Paul Gold Top because I fell in love with it . On my way back home , I got a phone call and was informed by someone that my dream guitar was for sale . I immediately bought it and by the time I got home my wife was asking why $ 5,000 was taken out from our bank account . Ha !. I remember going to my studio and making videos of some of my other guitars so that I can sell them because I had to find a way to recoup a lot of the money I had spent . Definitely try to stay within your budget when it comes to getting your guitar . The good thing is that guitar companies have different tiers of guitars . They offer more affordable models that still give you the sound you want … without having to spend more than you have to .
Chris Rocha Lives in Houston , TX , and is the guitarist and producer for Miel San Marcos