Our inner critics constantly tell us we need to be better. Humble Hendrix knew that imperfection is part of the art equation.
āHow bold one gets when one is sure of being loved."
Sigmund Freud
Although the music world is reportedly full of egomaniacs, it seems like there are a lot of wildly talented, self-deprecating guitar players out there. When great guitar players deflect compliments and say they're stinking up the joint, I used to think they were so comfortable with their own bad-assery that they could afford to be gracious and appear humble. Now I think it's more likely that a lot of groundbreaking, talented players are as insecure about their playing as any of us.
During an interview with Dick Cavett in 1969, Jimi Hendrix said: "I hate compliments, you know, compliments are so embarrassing sometimes because you know it's not really the truthā¦. I'm constantly trying to create other things, that's why I make a lot of mistakes." It takes absolute fearlessness to be as innovative as Hendrix, yet his self-doubt is genuine. How can this strange dichotomy be so common among musicians?
Jimi Hendrix on Performing The National Anthem at Woodstock | The Dick Cavett Show
Playing guitar is immensely rewarding but learning guitar is mostly frustration and hand cramps. That's why most people quit. At one point, none of us could make an F chord. For some reason, we stuck with it and eventually that plunking, strummy strum began to resemble music. Eventually you learn a dweedly dweedle, apply it successfully to a solo and think, "Sheaze, I'm really good." That gives you the confidence to try more difficult things.
But as we get better and more deeply invested in music (with both time and money), we begin to love music more deeply, and love like that breaks your heart. We start to notice the music we're performing is not as good as the music we imagine. We detect ourselves rushing or dragging or we hear ourselves playing our same bag-o'-riffs until every phrase is as predictable as a nursey rhyme. That's when self-doubt, fear of judgement, and the unhealthy tendency to compare ourselves to others starts to make us hate what we play.
Artists hating their own work is nothing new. Vladimir Nabokov spent five years working on Lolita, then set the manuscript on fire in his backyard. Thankfully, his wife pulled it from the flames and insisted he finish the book. Emily Dickinson begged her sister to burn all of her 40 handbound volumes of unpublished poetry after she died. Woody Allen hated his movie Manhattan so much that that he offered to make another movie for free if the studio agreed to not release Manhattan. If left to the artists, none of this work would have ever been seen by the public. Outsiders saw the value in this art that the artists could not see themselves.
"It's the artist equivalent of body dysmorphia, but instead of a thin person looking at themselves in the mirror and seeing fat, we listen to ourselves and only hear what we wish we didn't do or should've done differently."
It's the artist equivalent of body dysmorphia, but instead of a thin person looking at themselves in the mirror and seeing fat, we listen to ourselves and only hear what we wish we didn't do or should've done differently. When I hear players like Joe Bonamassa or John Mayer talk with such reverence about their guitar heroes, I feel like telling them "How can you not notice that you play way better than your heroes?"
But the truth is, what we perceive is not what is. Descartes argued that there is no reality behind the senses. We can't actually hear or see ourselves accurately because everything runs through a filter of our inner critic. That nasty inner voice is like an abusive teacher that undermines not just your performance, but your sense of self.
Life is one big art project. Art is supposed to be free, not perfect, so I'm trying to adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward self-criticism or imagined criticism. Even as I type this, I imagine the inevitable criticism in the comments. It's paralyzing until I remember that a critics' anger rarely has anything to do with what they criticize and more to do with their general unhappiness. Demanding perfection from yourself is so counter-productive, because perfection is irrelevant in art. Jeff Beck remains one of my all-times favorite players, but nobody would argue that he's perfect. He intentionally bends under or over the note to create tension. Beck is about emotion, not perfection. We accept that in others; we should accept it in ourselves.
For decades, I hated listening to myself in a playback, but a breakthrough came unexpectedly when I recently upgraded cars (sadly, my 1994 Mercury Grand Marquis now rests in a junkyard in a rainbow pool of oil). My current fancy car automatically syncs to my phone, so by virtue of random shuffle I've been listening to literally hundreds of demos and sessions I've played over the past 25 years (all stored in the cloud). I remember leaving some session cursing myself for not demanding another pass at a solo, but in listening back years later, I don't know what I was so worried about. I want to go back in time and find that earnest, not particularly bright, younger me and say, "That part totally serves the song. Good job Johnny boy. Now let that shit go."
[Updated 11/8/21]
Lutefish, the real-time music collaboration device and platform, is excited to announce a suite of new features designed to simplify setup, streamline collaboration, and offer more flexible subscription options for Lutefish Stream users. These latest updates, Audio Presets, Automatic Session Recall, Improved Scheduling with Contact Visibility, and a new Yearly Subscription Plan, are all about making it easier than ever for musicians to jam together, no matter where theyāre based.
Save Time and Stay in the Flow with Audio Presets & Session Recall
Musicians can now save and reuse their exact audio settings, reducing setup time and ensuring every session sounds exactly as they want.
- Automatic Session Recall: When users leave a session, their current audio levels are automatically saved and restored when they rejoin.
- User-Defined Audio Presets: Each user can create and name up to five custom presets, like āBand Practice,ā āStudio Mic Setup,ā or āQuick Jam,ā making it effortless to jump back in with the perfect sound.
āThese tools are all about saving time and hassle,ā said Patrick Finn, Business Manager at Lutefish. āMusicians want to make music, not spend time rebalancing levels every session. With presets and recall, weāre giving them time back and helping them sound their best, every time.ā
Smarter Scheduling and Contact Visibility
The latest update to Lutefish also made it easier to find collaborators and book sessions. Users can now:- View all their contacts at a glance when scheduling a session.
- Instantly identify which contacts own a Lutefish Stream deviceāso they will always know whoās ready to jam.
Go Yearly and Save 20%
Lutefish now offers a Yearly Subscription Plan, providing users with the same great access as the monthly plan at a 20% discount.
This option is now available within the Lutefish app and web platform, and current monthly users are eligible for a discount with an upgrade to a yearly subscription.
Lutefishās mission has always been to empower musicians to connect and collaborate without boundaries. With these new updates, Lutefish Stream continues to break down barriersāwhether youāre jamming with a friend across town or collaborating with a bandmate 500 miles away.
For more information and to start jamming today, visitlutefish.com.
Empress Effects is proud to announce the release of the Bass ParaEq, a bass-specific parametric EQ pedal.
Building on the success of their acclaimed ParaEq MKII series, which has already gained popularity with bassists, the Bass ParaEq offers the same studio-grade precision but with features tailored for bass instruments.
Basses of all types ā including electric and upright basses with active and passive electronics ā can benefit from the Bass ParaEqās tone-sculpting capabilities.
The new pedal follows the success of the Empress Bass Compressor and ParaEq MKII Deluxe, which have become some of the companyās best-reviewed and top-selling products. The Bass Compressorās popularity confirmed what Empress had long suspected: bassists are eager for tools built with their needs in mind, not just adaptations of guitar gear.
The Bass ParaEq retains the lineās powerful 3-band parametric EQ and studio-style features while introducing a bass-optimized frequency layout, a selectable 10M⦠Hi-Z input for piezo-equipped instruments, a dynamically-adjusted low shelf, and automatic balanced output detectionāperfect for live and studio use alike.
The Bass ParaEq also offers an output boost, adjustable by a dedicated top-mounted knob and activated by its own footswitch, capable of delivering up to 30dB of boost. Itās perfect for helping your bass punch through during key moments in live performance.
Whether dialing in clarity for a dense mix or compensating for an unfamiliar venue, the Bass ParaEq offers precise tonal control in a compact, road-ready form. With 27V of internal headroom to prevent clipping from even the hottest active pickups, the Bass ParaEq is the ultimate studio-style EQ designed to travel.
Key features of the Bass ParaEq include:
- Adjustable frequency bands tailored for bass instruments
- Selectable 10M⦠Hi-Z input for upright basses and piezo pickups
- Auto-detecting balanced output for long cable runs and direct recording
- Three sweepable parametric bands with variable Q
- High-pass, low-pass, low shelf, and high shelf filters
- Transparent analog signal path with 27V of internal headroom
- Buffered bypass switching
- Powered by standard 9V external supply, 300mA (no battery compartment)
The Bass ParaEq is now shipping worldwide. It can be purchased from the Empress Effects website for $374 USD and through authorized Empress dealers globally.
Few musical acts did more to put their fame and fortune to good use than punk rock icon Wayne Kramer. Known for his enduring commitment to activism, especially in justice reform, his life story embodies the defiant, DIY ethos of punk, directly inspiring generations of bands and musicians who followed. Now, fans and fellow musicians alike can attempt to emulate Kramerās incendiary sound with the new, limited-edition pedal.
Designed before his death in February 2024, Wayne Kramerātogether with friend Jimi Dunlop (Dunlop CEO) and Daredevil Pedals owner Johnny Wator āthe pedal features artwork from artist and activist Shepard Fairey (Obey Clothing founder). A majority of profits from the sale of the pedal goes directly to Kramerās charity supporting the rehabilitation of incarcerated people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds.
In honor of his close friend, Tom Morelloāthe innovative guitarist behind Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, the Nightwatchman, and moreādemoed the pedal, showcasing its sound and shining light on Wayne Kramerās incredible legacy.
Tom Morello Introduces MC5 Wayne Kramer-Inspired Pedal For Charity: MXR Jail Guitar Doors Drive
"What they've tried to bake into the MXRĀ® Jail Guitar Doors Drive distortion pedal is not just Wayne's sound but Wayne's attitude, and the grit and the rawness of Detroit and of the MC5," said Morello, one of Kramerās best friends, during his demo of the pedal. "This is the guitar pedal that was used on the song 'Heavy Lifting' that I recorded with Wayne for the last MC5 record.
"Named after the late rocker's charityāwhich provides instruments and art workshops to incarcerated individuals as rehabilitation toolsāthe MXRĀ® Jail Guitar Doors Drive pedal aims to capture all of the high-voltage energy of Wayne Kramer's sound. It features two uniquely voiced gain circuits cascaded together with a singular pot controlling both the output level of each circuit and the overall saturation level of the distortion.
Music makers looking to capture Kramerās raw, fiery sound can pick up the new MXRĀ® Jail Guitar Doors Drive pedal, exclusively on Reverb via The Official MXR Jail Guitar Doors Drive Reverb Shop for $199, here: https://reverb.com/shop/the-official-mxr-jail-guitar-doors-reverb-shop.
The veteran Florida-born metalcore outfit proves that you donāt need humbuckers to pull off high gain.
Last August, metalcore giants Poison the Well gave the world a gift: They announced they were working on their first studio album in 15 years. They unleashed the first taste, single āTrembling Level,ā back in January, and set off on a spring North American tour during which they played their debut record, The Opposite of December⦠A Season of Separation, in full every night.
PGās Perry Bean caught up with guitarists Ryan Primack and Vadim Taver, and bassist Noah Harmon, ahead of the bandās show at Nashvilleās Brooklyn Bowl for this new Rig Rundown.
Brought to you by DāAddario.Not-So-Quiet As a Mouse
Primack started his playing career on Telecasters, then switched to Les Pauls, but when his prized LPs were stolen, he jumped back to Teles, and now owns nine of them.
His No. 1 is this white one (left). Seymour Duncan made him a JB Model pickup in a single-coil size for the bridge position, while the neck is a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound Staggered. He ripped out all the electronics, added a Gibson-style toggle switch, flipped the control plate orientation thanks to an obsession with Danny Gatton, and included just one steel knob to control tone. Primack also installed string trees with foam to control extra noise.
This one has Ernie Ball Papa Hetās Hardwired strings, .011ā.050.
Here, Kitty, Kitty
Primack runs both a PRS Archon and a Bad Cat Lynx at the same time, covering both 6L6 and EL34 territories. The Lynx goes into a Friedman 4x12 cab thatās been rebadged in honor of its nickname, āDonkey,ā while the Archon, which is like a ārefined 5150,ā runs through an Orange 4x12.
Ryan Primackās Pedalboard
Primackās board sports a Saturnworks True Bypass Multi Looper, plus two Saturnworks boost pedals. The rest includes a Boss TU-3w, DOD Bifet Boost 410, Caroline Electronics Hawaiian Pizza, Fortin ZUUL +, MXR Phase 100, JHS Series 3 Tremolo, Boss DM-2w, DOD Rubberneck, MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe, Walrus Slo, and SolidGoldFX Surf Rider III.
Taverās Teles
Vadim Taverās go-to is this cherryburst FenderĀ Telecaster, which he scored in the early 2000s and has been upgraded to Seymour Duncan pickups on Primackās recommendation. His white Balaguer T-style has been treated to the same upgrade. The Balaguer is tuned to drop C, and the Fender stays in D standard. Both have DāAddario strings, with a slightly heavier gauge on the Balaguer.
Dual-Channel Chugger
Taver loves his 2-channel Orange Rockerverb 100s, one of which lives in a case made right in Nashville.
Vadim Taverās Pedalboard
Taverās board includes an MXR Joshua, MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe, Empress Tremolo, Walrus ARP-87, Old Blood Noise Endeavors Reflector, MXR Phase 90, Boss CE-2w, and Sonic Research Turbo Tuner ST-200, all powered by a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus.
Big Duff
Harmonās favorite these days is this Fender Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision Bass, which heās outfitted with a Leo Quan Badass bridge. His backup is a Mexico-made Fender Classic Series ā70s Jazz Bass. This one also sports Primack-picked pickups.
Rental Rockers
Harmon rented this Orange AD200B MK III head, which runs through a 1x15 cab on top and a 4x10 on the bottom.
Noah Harmonās Pedalboard
Harmonās board carries a Boss TU-2, Boss ODB-3, MXR Dyna Comp, Darkglass Electronics Vintage Ultra, and a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus. His signal from the Vintage Ultra runs right to the front-of-house, and Harmon estimates that that signal accounts for about half of what people hear on any given night.