How Much Is Your Gear Worth?

There are some musicians that are always chasing the latest gear to improve their sound. As a musician myself I know how the thought process goes. We believe that buying new gear will somehow inspire a great song, or make the old songs better. Gear is important but how important is it and how much should you invest.

While more expensive gear will give a different sound it is not always worth the cost. Sometimes the sound you may be looking for can be found in a cheap guitar, or microphone. A great song is not the product of an expensive instrument but a creative person. Dig up those old instruments and borrow from friends. I remember when I bought my American Fender. I still have it today and love playing it. I played on what seemed like a thousand guitars. The close competitor was a Mexican made Fender. They felt about the same, but the sounds were very different.

The American gave a cleaner and more twangy sound. The Mexican had a more distorted sound. Which was better? That depends on what kind of sound you are trying to get. If the more distorted Mexican made Fender gets you what you want you just saved yourself $1,000.

The majority of musicians buy gear on credit and attempt to pay later. They hope to be discovered and become a rock star. This rarely happens. The reality is that most musician probably spend more on their gear than what they make. That is another reason why you need to be mindful of what you purchase. What is the benefit of buying your new gear? Will your recordings sound 10 times better? Will you sound better on stage and sell more Merchandise? These are all important questions to ask yourself before buying gear.

Shop Around

I love shinny new gear. Especially when you get to take it right off the wall at Guitar Center or Sam Ash. These are great places if you have the money. If you're like me though you might want to look for a bargain. I usually find most of my gear online. Try out Craigslist, Ebay, PennySaver and any other classified listing. People who sell on many of these listings are willing to negotiate on price or barter for other gear. If you don't mind a few dings or scratches then this method can save you a lot of money.

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