Conference napalm::guitar

    If you define technically ignorant as a person who has no idea what goes 
    on behind the front panel, then I think it's possible to remain ignorant. 
    
    If you keep at it, I don't see how you can avoid learning stuff. I
    started by learning how to repair broken guitar cables and just
    progressed from there.

I don't mean that you have to know one transistor from another, I mean
knowing about the following (short list):

	o Speakers and Impedance
	o Knowing what different effects do
	o Active Vs. Passive electronics
	o Power amp power ratings
	o EQ
	o Etc.

I didn't mean you need to be an EE :^)

Let me ask it another way:

What is the minimum knowledge needed?

    The minimum knowledge needed is that you need to understand how to get
    your sound.  If for example, the only thing between you getting your
    sound on what you own now is getting the EQ set up properly, then
    knowing how to do that is important.  
    
    The phrase "knowing what effects do" is misleading.  Someone once asked
    me if I could pick out what kind of effect was being used on a
    recording and was surprised when I said yes (well, most of the time). 
    I mean, even if you don't know *how* a wah pedal works, most anybody
    can *hear* one being used, right?  Of course, the *first* time you hear
    some new effect you may get puzzled, but once you've actually had a
    chance to try one out or see one being used, it gets pretty obvious.
    Besides, all effects really do is cost you $$ and mess up your tone 
    8^)  8^)
    
    About the only technical thing worth knowing is how to calculate
    parallel speaker impedances.  
    
    
    							Brian

and it depends on your cash flow!!!!

    
    	I think the keyword here is *remain*. Generally, in "today's
    music environment" (whatever that is...) I'd think that the ignoramus
    would sooner or later be outclassed by someone else who understood
    these things - along with being as good a player.
    
    	"Joe was a good player, but his sound always ****ed, because
    he couldnt string up his cabs to save his life, didnt know _what_
    to do with the graphic or compressor and insisted on using those 
    flat-wounds...he just never bothered to try and understand "why"!
    So we replaced him with Pete, who's also a good player *and* had
    his hardware act together. NOW we're sounding sharp!"
    
    	Joe

    I'd say the minimum equipment knowledge would be the ability to set
    your equipment up so it doesn't blow up (ie don't hook up two cabs
    instead of one without resetting the impendence switch...) and how the
    controls on your amp and the more common effects units affect your
    sound (basically "how to get the sound you want").
    
    Greg

    
    
    I dunno.  I feel like I'm in the twilight zone as far as guitar fxs go. 
    I'd probably never make it in a band when even the drummer had
    rack-mount gear. 8-)
    
    I remember a GP interview with Johnny Winter where the interviewer
    asked him about the then state-of-the-art gear.  Johnny replied with
    words to the effect of "Don't know, they lost me after the Fender
    Bassman."   Boy, do I hear 'ya Johnny!
    
    I do understand the gear I've got well enough, and I suppose that's the
    bottom line.  I've seen players who were controlled by the complexity
    of their gear, as opposed to controlling the gear. You know the
    scene...make a patch change in a song, get the wrong patch, and blow a
    heavy metal hole into the middle of a C/W song. 8-) 
    
    Kevin
                       
    
    
    

    
    If there's one thing that turns me off watching a guitarist, it's
    when he/she is constantly fiddling with f/x during a song.  Very
    distracting, and as Kevin said, makes it look like they are controlled
    by their gear.  I'm a little worried about Johnny W. tho' after I saw a 
    picture of him with a headless Steinberger!  Where'd the Fiwa-bud go?

    The headless Winter axe, btw, is an IMC Lazer, designed and originally
    marketed by Dan Erlewine of GP column fame.  I read an interview where
    Johnny wasn't really that excited about it, but said it was a good road
    axe.  Maybe he figured those Fiwa-bud's were a little too valuable to
    taking on the road anymore.  He still goes pretty much straight into
    an old Super (or something similar).
    
    /rick

    My cut at this is:
    
    If you own it, you'd better know it...Else you'll end up in a 
    fix like Pat described.  Always diddling is N-F-G.
    
    jc (Who knows his gear and doesn't diddle knobs when he plays live
        - thats what rehearsal/personal time is for)

I think low tech, and I think of it more as just simplicity is where it's at, 
but this caveat:  As long as it gets you the sound you need.

For 99% of the stuff I play, reverb and distortion (both built into my amp) is 
all I ever use.  I had DSP-128+ for a couple months and really had fun with it,
but I don't think of it as my natural sound.  I like the guitar straigt into 
the amp.  I like the crispness and natural feel of the instrument like that.
It feels to me like its closer to an acoustical instrument in tone and 
dynamics.

I also don't chase the "sound of the record" very much.  I have a certain sort
of sound that appeals to me; I just use variations of it to mix it up during a 
set.  I try to sound like me, I guess, not the record so much.

Lo tech works for me,

Will

	Even in the acoustic world there's mountains of techical
	detail. Fortunately you aint gotta learn it all in one gulp.

	I personally beleive that all you really need to know is
	(like said earlier) is how to use the stuff you got. For the
	garden variety techno-phobe, this may mean that a $200 wooden
	guitar is the place to start.

	Minimally you have to know how to change strings and how to
	not get ripped off buying gear. A good guitar teacher can teach
	the former and one good lesson from one of your local stores
	cal teach the latter.