stevevnicks Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Being talentless and a newbie to guitars and effects, when I decided to buy a guitar and start trying to learn .. about all I have learned so far is .. fook I'm a sucker for a good review and must live in doo daa land while I read them, before I knew it I was throwing hundreds of pounds into guitars, amps and effects ... then it kind of dawned on me why bother at my level? a shoe box with elastic bands should be plenty good enuff for my ability.. if it is possible to play that bad it actually sounds good then I might be talented after all ? I mean if I was a skilled player I could justify owning an £650 or more guitar etc, I have sold off all my amps, but kept my orange RT 35watt, HD500 and 2 guitars. I have a much better understanding of what I need at my level ...... But I know I wont be able to stop myself from buying the Helix lol ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CipherHost Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 The terms "want" and "need" can get blurred when it comes to guitar gear. Every person on this forum may very well have their own definition of need when it comes to gear. "I need it for work." B) "I need it for "that tone"." :ph34r: "I need it to impress my mates." :unsure: "I need it to cover up what a crappy player I am." :( "I need it because I am such an awesome player." :P "I need it because I have such a small..... whatever." :blink: :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncann Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Only you can really answer your question. Others can offer a different perspective. - You won't always be at the same level you think you are at now, so... - Most people only live once, and shortly at that. - If you really like playing the guitar (hobby now? maybe more serious later? who knows?) why not spend the money on a most likely very decent piece of gear that will also likely last a long, long time. Spanning a decade, maybe more, is $1500 really that much? - Maybe it will inspire you in some way to improve at guitar that much quicker. I was struggling too whether or not I need to get one of these. Probably I don't, a HD500X does fine for me, but I know for certain I will eventually. I called a place yesterday with the intention of pre-ordereding one, but didn't because I think I can do better than 6.67% off, which is what I was offered. The more time passes the more I'll have trouble keeping my mits off, and any reasons, rational or not, for not getting one, be damned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartnettle1 Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 There are plenty of ways to look at it; Look at it in a purely business sense; what can I spend $1500 on that will give me the best return. In other words does it make you money. Then is falls under equipment and can be a tax deduction. You could also look at it in terms of purely Artistic reasons. An Artist must have certain tools and or equipment to produce his Art. Similar to above but the return may not be as immediate, (whole album to record and produce before it is released.) A question that needs to be answered for a logical purchase is; does the Helix give you an edge on the opposition (others creating in a field that already has plenty of create in it) What about the latest sound! Does the Helix give you the next great thing? It is true, improvement or upgrades closest to source of your sound usually works out. That includes improving as a player the most. A great player can make any old thing sound good. If you add the latest sound it stands out. The next great thing usually makes it onto the charts Hip Hop Rap and EDM aaarrrhhhh. Hell has hit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillBee Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 my personal and simple advice would be: if your skills are so so, you would better spend your money to take lessons from a very good teacher, and if you learn well, that will give you a much more enjoyable experience that you will bring with you all your life (no firmwares updates needed), and you will be able to get good sounds from any instrument/device you decide to use now and in the future.. This is the best advice my man unless you have $$$ to burn. Good gear does help to an extent but nothing replaces solid understanding and fundemental skills. We have all been there. -B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 This is the best advice my man unless you have $$$ to burn. Good gear does help to an extent but nothing replaces solid understanding and fundemental skills. We have all been there. -B +1...The best gear in the world won't make you a (better) musician. You'll have the same skill set the next morning, just with less money in the bank. SRV's famous "Number One" Strat came from a pawn shop for a couple hundred bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbieb61 Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 "Helix want one but, do i really need one lol .." I could rhetorically ask myself that same question about every woman I've ever been with. So the answer is: HELL YES!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerosol_d7 Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 Wait for the first price drop, as podhd packs.....I d say 3 month wait? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRSGuy Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 I would suggest you buy it....not like it....sell it to me for half price. It would be a win win... :P Joking aside, gear can be inspirational but nothing beats being proficient at your instrument (which is really a life long endeavor)...then gear doesn't really define you anymore it just becomes a tool to get stuff done and realistically any brand will work for you...you pick what is practical versus it making you think you'll be better than what you really are... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonk931 Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 I personally found that while my skills were forthcoming and still are, looking for and upgrading my gear without killing my credit score was wise. New gear can sometimes be a good motivator. If you are playing through crap, sometimes it can be a dream killer. However, be wise, buy modestly and build up. I started fast and bought every guitar imaginable, every 'magic' pedal, and read every forum and watched every YouTube video. I have returned to my roots, sold all my guitars except 2, and have dedicated to focus on only keeping the gear that I truly enjoy the tone from. Will I get more gear in the future? Of course! Restraint is wisdom, but like an earlier post said...who cares if you have tons of gear if you can't play it! Dive in deep and play every single day, no matter what. Noodle while watching tv, and just commit to be better every day! I can tell you from experience that as you play better your ideal tone in your head will change! Tonal Maturity can be expensive, so be wise and let the skill grow with modest gear and as tonal maturity grows you will know what you truly need for your tone. Cheers Mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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