Do BKP users reflect the state of guitar playing scene?

[TwilightOdyssey]

I've noticed a high number of guitar talkers on many forums, not just this one.


As for the number of guitar players, and what styles they are playing? That I don't know about ...


Go to any forum for aftermarket ancillary devices, such as pickups, and you will have a much broader range of styles than that of particular guitars or amplifiers.

[jt]

:D Like a lot of the guys on the boards here i love my Metal but i play many different styles. Metal is the only music form driven by guitars. Hence most forums will tend to be Metal heavy with the people that frequent the boards. As it goes BK P/U`s are great as guitar pups regardless of what music you make. I play every week live in a little duo, we do songs from the 50`s up to the modern day & my Mules, VH11`s can handle everything without a problem & all with a great sound/tone to. We also have plenty of other types of players as well on the boards & its always good to hear there clips & talk to `em on the boards to.

 :D  8)

[indysmith]

Metal is the only music form driven by guitars.

errrr, what!? :?

[jt]

:D Yer not to clear was I !!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

What i ment was serious players will tend towards guitar driven music & Metal is about as guitar driven as you can get. I`ve never heard of a metal band that didn`t have a guitar in it. But could name off of the top of my head half a dozen pop bands that only used guitars in passing. This is a specific forum, not many guitarists will frequent a pickup forum most will be on guitar based sites ie: Fender, Ibanez, or more specifically a music genre site, say i dedicated Metal site or indie music site etc etc. Yep it means us lot are wierd !!   But i like you all none the less !  :P

again its great to hear from the none Metal types on this forum & listen to the clips they record as well. Does that clear it up a bit ? What do `ya think ?

 :D  8)

[Mr Ed]

I love metal... but I don't play it, my band is more "alternative" and grunge-influenced.

We find it increasingly difficult to find gigs in our local area because, from my experience, the live music scene wants three things:

1. Cover bands.
2. Indie.
3. Emo/metal.

All things I will never do, especially cover bands. I would take no pride in playing a song that someone else wrote.

[indysmith]

Does that clear it up a bit ? What do `ya think ?

 :D  8)

yeah i reckon you're right that metal is very guitar driven - there is, as you say very few bands i would call 'metal' who don't use guitars.
However, i think genres like the blues, indie music, straight up rock music are all just as guitar driven, if not moreso. It's true that metal usually has the more technical playing that pushes the boundaries of what you can do with a guitar, but not all guitar players aspire to play lightspeed, tap the fretboard, and just generally widdle away to their mates (although most of them do)...

[_tom_]

I dont really play loads of metal myself anymore, but most of my mates who play are into metal, with only a few who dont really like it. I think what we need is a return of the riff, I'm bored of songs with no decent catchy riffs in them.

[Ratrod]

When I lost my anger, I lost my interest in metal.

I kinda have the same thing. Occaisonaly I like to rip it up a bit but I mostly play good ol' rock n' roll.

[MDV]

Something else I've noticed:

A lot of blues, rock, and epecially indie and punk guitarists barely know what colour their guitar is. I'm not making any total generalisations here, I know there are a lot of representatives of those genres here that know exactly what they play through, and a tonne about gear in general. But there are a vast number that havent a clue.

Metallers on the other hand tend to be more gear-savvy in my experience/observation: if someones a metaller theres a better chance they know their gear inside out.

Therefore theres a disproportionate chance that you'll find them on after-market pickups forums!

[Will]

I would classify my interests as hard rock really, metal gets samey by my definitions anyway

[Mr Ed]

Something else I've noticed:

A lot of blues, rock, and epecially indie and punk guitarists barely know what colour their guitar is. I'm not making any total generalisations here, I know there are a lot of representatives of those genres here that know exactly what they play through, and a tonne about gear in general. But there are a vast number that havent a clue.

Metallers on the other hand tend to be more gear-savvy in my experience/observation: if someones a metaller theres a better chance they know their gear inside out.

Therefore theres a disproportionate chance that you'll find them on after-market pickups forums!

I often find the exact opposite, a lot of the "metal" bands round here are so focussed on GAAAAAAAAAAAINRARGH that their sound is just gash.

[Roho]

And they all play black guitars, so, of course they know what color their guitars are.  :D

[hunter]

I've noticed a high number of guitar talkers on many forums, not just this one.


As for the number of guitar players, and what styles they are playing? That I don't know about ...

Hmm, good thought TO, actually I'm talking more than playing if I'm honest to myself.

Actually I think there are more metalheads on other forums, like HC or rig-talk. I find BKP quite mixed, at least among the most active users it's rather from Blues to 80s Hardrock than "teh brootalz".

But also a fair point that people will be according to the gear available, so if you go to the Diezel forum, there are more people playing metal than in the Orange forum for example.

So it's kinda logical that we have more metal players here than on a Fender forum.

On the other hand, I think Tims lineup is a good representation of all possible guitar styles across the range, and so are his forumites.

[_tom_]

Hmm, good thought TO, actually I'm talking more than playing if I'm honest to myself.

I'm guilty of this as well  :oops: I just find myself getting bored of playing fairly quickly these days, so I spend the rest of my time talking about guitars instead :lol:

Actually I think there are more metalheads on other forums, like HC or rig-talk.

HC is actually quite varied. The Amp forum is mostly full of metalheads (and also a lot of tw@ts, whether the two are related or not, I'm not sure :P), Electric Guitars is blues/classic rock/80s metal, and Guitar Jam seems to be a bit of everything.

[Philly Q]

Hmm, good thought TO, actually I'm talking more than playing if I'm honest to myself.

I'm guilty of this as well  :oops: I just find myself getting bored of playing fairly quickly these days, so I spend the rest of my time talking about guitars instead :lol:

I know what you mean, and I'm the same (x100), but is it something we should feel guilty about?  It's only a hobby after all.

I like guitars, I like customising guitars and I like talking about guitars.  I like playing guitar too, but I can't do it to save my life.  Why?  Probably 50% laziness, 25% lack of time and 25% total absence of talent.  So OK, I'll never be Richie Kotzen, but so what?  Other people blow their money on cars, holidays, booze or drugs, I'm entitled to blow mine on guitars if I want to.

*******

Going back to the original topic, I'm not sure if guitar players (or talkers) are necessarily heading towards metal or heavy music any more than they were before.  Isn't it kind of "natural" to want to rock out when you plug a guitar into an amp?  There's just something about the buzz of turning everything up to 10.

Of course loads of people play and love other musical styles, but I suspect most young guys who take up guitar are attracted by The Majesty Of Rock in some shape or form.  When I say that, I'm not talking about specific styles like of metal, hard rock, classic rock or whatever - just "rock" in a broad sense.  

When you read interviews with younger blues and country guitarists in Guitar Player, most of them were in rock bands as kids.  I bet even the coolest sunglasses-after-dark indie guitarists aren't averse to a bit of secret heavy riffing when the mood takes them.  It's in the blood.  :)