It's Time To Trust Your Own Senses and Judgment.

[László]

Things got so much easier when when I started to trust my own ears instead of other people.

Make your ears happy, and chances are, what you create will make lots of other people's ears happy, too.

I couldn't do anything professionally in music or audio if I wasn't sure that what I'm hearing is right.

 

[deepender]

This morning I was reading The Athletic and noticed that two of its popular writers have walked back their predictions and theories about the game of football. I won't get into their theories and issues; I mean, who cares.

But it made me think about a world full of experts and critics who are no better at their evaluations than you or I.

People get Consumer's Reports, because they don't trust their own judgment about what widget to spend their hard-earned on (someone sent us a subscription as a gift, and it's like...what, who can't tell what quality is?).

You don't need a critic or tester to tell you that a Dyson or Miele appliance is generally higher quality than typical bargain store junk. The materials tell you that when you examine them.

Nor do you need a critic to tell you whether you're better off blowing your very own dough on something expensive, or saving your money and buying something less expensive that does the job OK enough. Your wallet tells you that.

These kinds of things should be obvious.

Much the same can be said of most things that people depend on other people to decide for them, like music, art, drama, film, etc. How many times have you seen a critically-acclaimed movie and thought, "This is terrible!" Or thought a movie that was supposed to be terrible is actually good, or at least fun to watch?

"You don't watch movies, Laz."

"Well, I used to, and I remember, OK?"

"Get to the point."

OK, the point is that people don't need a critic, or professional reviewer, or me, or anyone else to tell them what to like.

You think Fenders are better than PRS'? OK. I have no problem with that. Whatever floats your boat.

You need a forum to tell you which PRS finish in a dealer's inventory is nicer? I dunno, man.

Which pickups are better in a Model XP23 Extra Ten Zillion? Um...would that be better for me, or better for you?

You want to know if the bridge material or wood matters? Well, it only matters to you if you can hear it, right? So if you can't hear it, it doesn't matter. If you can hear it, then you know the answer.

It's the same with "Which guitar is better for the style of music I play?" Fergodsakes, go play a bunch and find out.

et cetera.

Rant over.

Although I agree in part with the general premise of your diatribe, mostly I think it’s off the mark. Yes, people need to open their eyes and use their powers of perception more, but there is much to learn from the experiences of others. As a well known example on this forum; think how many people have been saved from the heartbreak of purchasing a beautiful blue core guitar only to see it morph to an unexpected grey. I’m one of those who dodged that bullet. The same can be said of autos (exploding Pintos), and other products that looked great on the surface, but listening to the experiences of others revealed situations best avoided. The same can be said of being led to something great that one might not ordinarily consider. Case in point, would be a Ken Smith bass that on the surface looked nice, but nothing extraordinary that might validate the price enough for my consideration. But listening to reviews led me to finding, test driving and eventually purchasing a truly extraordinary bass. Also, through much research (of others’ knowledge and opinions) I have been able to modify some rather bland instruments into something so much more. Yes, one needs to be careful who they listen to, but there is still much benefit from hearing what others have to say. Even if it is just for the pleasure of checking it out for oneself to prove them wrong.
Rebuttal over.

 

[Mike J.]

One of lifes lessons that took me a long time to learn was......trust your gut feeling. I'm talking more about dealing with people than anything else.

To make some very long stories short, I could have spared myself a lot problems if I would have said no instead of yes.

 

[László]

Although I agree in part with the general premise of your diatribe, mostly I think it’s off the mark. Yes, people need to open their eyes and use their powers of perception more, but there is much to learn from the experiences of others.

I wasn't talking about learning things like color fading. I was talking about people wanting other people to make decisions for them.

As a well known example on this forum; think how many people have been saved from the heartbreak of purchasing a beautiful blue core guitar only to see it morph to an unexpected grey. I’m one of those who dodged that bullet.

I distinguish researching information about what to try out for yourself from allowing others to make decisions for you.

Things like 'does the color fade?' and 'does the hardware hold up well?' are detail, service info, etc., and worth asking about. However, that's not like asking someone to make a decision like 'should I buy a McCarty or a 594', which is a decision no one else can reliably make for you.

Side note: All folks have to do is keep the blue ones in the case. I have the notorious Northern Lights on a Private Stock I bought in early 2016. It's still as dark and vibrant as a new one. But it's always cased when I'm not playing it.

Also, through much research (of others’ knowledge and opinions) I have been able to modify some rather bland instruments into something so much more.

Again, that's good information. There's a difference between 'Are there mods anyone recommends that will improve my guitar?' and 'Will I like the Silver Sky or a Siinglecut 594 more for metal?', or 'Which is better, a PRS or a Gibson?'.

That's like asking, 'Tell me if I should dress up as a pencil or a Q-tip for Halloween'.

Pro tip: If you're going as a Q-tip, you're going to want to color the ends with a little ear wax simulation...

 

[Prina]

I distinguish researching information about what to try out for yourself from allowing others to make decisions for you.

Things like 'does the color fade?' and 'does the hardware hold up well?' are detail, service info, etc., and worth asking about. However, that's not like asking someone to make a decision like 'should I buy a McCarty or a 594', which is a decision no one else can reliably make for you.

There's also an intermediate point between researching info and allowing others making the decisions which is when you're confident in your research and overall knowledge including what you want, and also know of someone that's highly experienced with similar tastes that was in a similar situation and made a decision and was very happy with the outcome. It's especially helpful when you didn't even know that that specific option existed. And often you don't have the chance to easily try out different alternatives.

In my case, two specific examples of this working out well for me are my Stripped 58 and Wolfetone pickups for a SE245.

 

[CandidPicker]

I like hockey pie.

Here you go...

 

[CandidPicker]

@László,

With due respect, my feelings is that what your asking us to do is trust our own viewpoint or opinion.

While there is merit to this, the problem we all face is when our viewpoint or opinion is challenged by so-called experts who have done the research and are more qualified in whatever field or topic our viewpoint involves.

Much of what we view online caters to misinformation and imbalanced or biased views. The reason for this is because the reporting source has its own agenda and wishes to forward its own viewpoint over others.

Case in point, you can see for yourself how many YouTube review videos extol certain products while eschewing others. Some of it is because the reviewer is a paid reviewer. Other times the review is more subjective, yet either recommends or dissuades purchase of said product.

In either case, what we take away from this is that we can't trust merely one good review, or several average reviews. What is required is corroborative evidence that the product has a widely tested consumer market, and has stood the test of time.

If we were to rely on our own viewpoint, we might not grasp some deeper understanding of the product's features or capabilities. The folks who have done the research and have tested the product in various aspects reveal to us these features and capabilities. Some of these experts, yes, are paid endorsers of the products, and make a living demonstrating these products.

Where we might need to be cautious is some so-called medical expert (even though they say they are medical professionals) recommending some product for our health (when our own primary physician knows us better) and ingesting said product could be detrimental to our health.
Doing so would be risky, and could very well impact our health in a bad way.

Regards products that do not affect our health, it ultimately is left up to use to choose whether we buy a product or not. How we choose can be a matter of sensory appeal, advertising, word of mouth, personal test-driving, and so forth.

My educated guess is that you wouldn't buy something that was limited in its scope of capability, cost too much, and has competition that can do the needed job more effectively for less money. While there are people who buy expensive things for their sensory appeal, the fact remains, why spend beyond your means if a less expensive product does the job equally if not better?

EDIT: Just thought to add that one of my basic tenets is to never lean upon my own understanding. It is much better to ask someone older and more experienced in certain matters before attempting something on your own. (My carpenter brother often receives my phone calls regards woodworking projects that many times require his expertise. He never accepts payment for his assistance with my projects, and for that I am thankful.)

 

[CandidPicker]

One of lifes lessons that took me a long time to learn was......trust your gut feeling. I'm talking more about dealing with people than anything else.

To make some very long stories short, I could have spared myself a lot problems if I would have said no instead of yes.

One of my nephews gave me that advice some years ago...he said, "What do you trust more, your gut or your heart?" My reply was, "My gut." He then said, "Then go with your gut."

That advice also saved me numerous times regards situations that could have gone much worse had my heart over-ruled my gut.

What you're speaking about, in fact, is your "conscience." If your conscience tells you don't, it's likely gonna save you a load of trouble.

 

[aamefford]

Did I miss it, or did no one mention the amount of expensive "stuff" such as guitars and amps that we now buy on line, sight unseen? All of the "try before you buy," "trust your own ears" *advice* goes halfway out the window, because you have a fairly expensive and troublesome bit of work to return something with the shipping cost and hassle, restocking fees, etc. You can't "run the racks" at Sweetwater / CMS / Guitar Sanctuary or wherever if you live in California. My local is closing after 22 years, so I'm looking at an hour or more drive (double that if there is much traffic) to Danville Music or Bananas at large or something to try anything besides a beginner acoustic guitar or a drum stick. So... we are stuck with our friends here, the random masses at TGP and the paid "all opinions are mine" reviewers at utoobe for info in a lot of cases. OK, discuss amongst ourselves some more.

 

[László]

@László,

With due respect, my feelings is that what your asking us to do is trust our own viewpoint or opinion.

Actually, I'm asking people to trust their senses. In so doing, the brain assemblies the evidence of the senses into opinions.

If we were to rely on our own viewpoint, we might not grasp some deeper understanding of the product's features or capabilities. The folks who have done the research and have tested the product in various aspects reveal to us these features and capabilities. Some of these experts, yes, are paid endorsers of the products, and make a living demonstrating these products.

Of COURSE it's good to do research - demos are worth spending some time watching and hearing. It's good to arm yourself with info.

Just bear in mind that it's about the tone, functions and features that are demo'd that appeal to your needs and tastes, and not what Some Dude thinks. He's not gonna buy it anyway, he got it for free. You're the one who's presumably gonna lay out the dough.

Choose wisely.

 

[László]

Did I miss it, or did no one mention the amount of expensive "stuff" such as guitars and amps that we now buy on line, sight unseen? All of the "try before you buy," "trust your own ears" *advice* goes halfway out the window, because you have a fairly expensive and troublesome bit of work to return something with the shipping cost and hassle, restocking fees, etc. You can't "run the racks" at Sweetwater / CMS / Guitar Sanctuary or wherever if you live in California. My local is closing after 22 years, so I'm looking at an hour or more drive (double that if there is much traffic) to Danville Music or Bananas at large or something to try anything besides a beginner acoustic guitar or a drum stick. So... we are stuck with our friends here, the random masses at TGP and the paid "all opinions are mine" reviewers at utoobe for info in a lot of cases. OK, discuss amongst ourselves some more.

I have a few thoughts.

First, if you've owned a lot of PRSes (I have), you at least know how they feel and what to expect. You know how the neck carves feel, etc. Demos can show you how a particular model will sound.

As it happens, my dealer records demos of the actual instrument I'm interested in, with an amp like a model I use. So I know for sure what it's gonna sound like.

I ask for and get an approval period on every amp, guitar, and piece of recording hardware I buy. I have returned things. Anyone can do this, most retailers will oblige. Most retailers of guitars don't ask for a restocking fee. We all have the option of not paying for that.

There are quite a few stores in my area that carry the gear I'm interested in. So I can try it out. I'm going to go feel the difference between necks, etc. I want to see how an amp company I haven't bought from constructs their products. I will also drive up to 4 hours to check out a piece of gear of a type I've never played before that I'm thinking of dropping several grand on. Why wouldn't I? Road trip! Fun!

Et cetera.

I'd rather go to the trouble of sending something back and taking a small shipping cost hit, than be stuck with something that isn't for me just because Some Dude told me it's the cat's ass.

 

[Tosca]

This morning I was reading The Athletic and noticed that two of its popular writers have walked back their predictions and theories about the game of football. I won't get into their theories and issues; I mean, who cares.

But it made me think about a world full of experts and critics who are no better at their evaluations than you or I.

People get Consumer's Reports, because they don't trust their own judgment about what widget to spend their hard-earned on (someone sent us a subscription as a gift, and it's like...what, who can't tell what quality is?).

You don't need a critic or tester to tell you that a Dyson or Miele appliance is generally higher quality than typical bargain store junk. The materials tell you that when you examine them.

Nor do you need a critic to tell you whether you're better off blowing your very own dough on something expensive, or saving your money and buying something less expensive that does the job OK enough. Your wallet tells you that.

These kinds of things should be obvious.

Much the same can be said of most things that people depend on other people to decide for them, like music, art, drama, film, etc. How many times have you seen a critically-acclaimed movie and thought, "This is terrible!" Or thought a movie that was supposed to be terrible is actually good, or at least fun to watch?

"You don't watch movies, Laz."

"Well, I used to, and I remember, OK?"

"Get to the point."

OK, the point is that people don't need a critic, or professional reviewer, or me, or anyone else to tell them what to like.

You think Fenders are better than PRS'? OK. I have no problem with that. Whatever floats your boat.

You need a forum to tell you which PRS finish in a dealer's inventory is nicer? I dunno, man.

Which pickups are better in a Model XP23 Extra Ten Zillion? Um...would that be better for me, or better for you?

You want to know if the bridge material or wood matters? Well, it only matters to you if you can hear it, right? So if you can't hear it, it doesn't matter. If you can hear it, then you know the answer.

It's the same with "Which guitar is better for the style of music I play?" Fergodsakes, go play a bunch and find out.

et cetera.

Rant over.

So you’re saying that, in your opinion, some people have too high an opinion of other people’s opinions?

 

[Mike J.]

One of my nephews gave me that advice some years ago...he said, "What do you trust more, your gut or your heart?" My reply was, "My gut." He then said, "Then go with your gut."

That advice also saved me numerous times regards situations that could have gone much worse had my heart over-ruled my gut.

What you're speaking about, in fact, is your "conscience." If your conscience tells you don't, it's likely gonna save you a load of trouble.

I'm going to give you a good exmample of one time when I should have said no.

My son wanted to get a house and he asked if I could loan him "X" amount of dollars. I was hesitant for a few reasons. His plan was to move in with two friends of his because they were al sharing an apartment. I asked if he could make the house payment without his roommates and he said no. (That should have been my first red flag). I said "okay, suppose your roomates move in with you and for whatever reason they decide to move out. Then what?" He said he didn't forsee that happening. I told him he'd better look over all the numbers with a pencil and paper. Told him make sure 2 plus 2 equals four because if it doesn't you could be in big trouble. A week later he said things would be fine.

I knew, I knew, I knew deep inside he wasn't ready (that was my gut talking to me) but I didn't want to come across as a greedy S.O.B and I wanted to help him and wanted him to know I was on his side. I mean, my son was asking me for help and I didn't want to let him down.

Well, about a year later he had a falling out with his roomates and they moved out. His girlfriend moved in a few months before, he got her got pregnant and she wasn't working. He couldn't make the morgage payment, wound up filing for bankruptcy and lost the house. Of course, I never got paid back either because it was one financial setback after another with him after he lost the house. Things were on a downward spiral for him ever since because of the credit card debt they got themselves into.

Moral of the story. Sometimes, even with the best of intentions on your part, your helping someone can be a big mistake. In part I blame myself because if I didn't "loan" him the money he never would have gotten the house. If I said no then just maybe things wouldn't have gotten as bad for him financially as they did. My gut was telling me no, don't do it but I wanted to be a good dad. Things went from bad to worse. They had two more kids and would up getting divorced. He's been living with me for almost 3 years now. But he's my son and I do love him very much.

But to this day I keep I keep asking myself "would his life have been better if I said no?"

Best of intentions gone wrong.




hinking

 

[MWebster]

The commercialization of amateur content and ever-increasing shrillness of polarized consumer attitudes has made any sort of neutral, unbiased, trustworthy opinion near-impossible. I’m not talking about people we know, but rather seeking out such evaluations from zero existing knowledge.

Most every product now has a launch-plan that involves timed releases from “influencers.” Algorithms are built to push that content front and center, to the exclusion of content that doesn’t literally follow the given script. Companies like PRS are as much to blame as the people who make their living by being modern-day snake oil salesmen.

Then there are the rabid, ride-or-die fans of products and companies. They’d eat their own left nut before they’d be lukewarm or negative about their chosen brand—their own identities are too wrapped up in their fandom and wanna-be affiliation to make any other choice.

It’s all reflective of the surface veneer that society is now covered with. Substance gives way to image, bad drives out good, and simple kills subtle. Genuine expertise is scorned while an idiot’s “hot take” is heralded.

That was a badass rant. Great writing.

 

[László]

So you’re saying that, in your opinion, some people have too high an opinion of other people’s opinions?

Yes, and this includes my opinion, which no one should take seriously unless they think it's useful.

 

[László]

But to this day I keep I keep asking myself "would his life have been better if I said no?"

I don't think so. He'd have still made mistakes, as we all do. You tried to help, and you're a good dad for that.

 

[László]

There's also an intermediate point between researching info and allowing others making the decisions which is when you're confident in your research and overall knowledge including what you want, and also know of someone that's highly experienced with similar tastes that was in a similar situation and made a decision and was very happy with the outcome.

Yes, in that case you're simply factoring their advice into the rest of your research. So I agree!

 

[CandidPicker]

Actually, I'm asking people to trust their senses. In so doing, the brain assemblies the evidence of the senses into opinions.



Of COURSE it's good to do research - demos are worth spending some time watching and hearing. It's good to arm yourself with info.

Just bear in mind that it's about the tone, functions and features that are demo'd that appeal to your needs and tastes, and not what Some Dude thinks. He's not gonna buy it anyway, he got it for free. You're the one who's presumably gonna lay out the dough.

Choose wisely.

Well, at this writing it's about trying to come up with a kitschy name for my crock pot recipe.

(Scribbles on 3x5 card....) Larry's Paella. That'll do for now.

 

[CandidPicker]

Actually, I'm asking people to trust their senses. In so doing, the brain assemblies the evidence of the senses into opinions.

Sure, but what if people realized that most all of what we view on TV is fictional and made up, for the purpose of recreation or entertainment? Likewise, a lot of streaming services on TV and online are skewed to provide one of the following things:
1) To inform
2) To teach
3) To entertain
4) To deter
There is a huge psychological connection viewers have with their favorite TV show, and many times one show might supersede another in terms of useful information based on a day-to-day viewership.
How might you feel if you learned that much of what we view is fake, and designed to entertain only part of the viewing demographic?
Would you more likely buy something because what you're watching "tickles your ear," or shy away from it?

Of COURSE it's good to do research - demos are worth spending some time watching and hearing. It's good to arm yourself with info.

Just bear in mind that it's about the tone, functions and features that are demo'd that appeal to your needs and tastes, and not what Some Dude thinks. He's not gonna buy it anyway, he got it for free. You're the one who's presumably gonna lay out the dough.

Choose wisely.

If this is your main point, gotta say I agree. But let's not forget that our education is designed to help us make a decent living, not separate us from our hard-earned money. It's advertisers and folks who are trying to sell you stuff who want your money. That, and the folks who encourage buying things because they feel it's their job to tell you how to spend your money and support the economy.

In ancient times, the only things people really wanted was "bread, and a cure." Bread to eat in order to live, and a cure for what ailed them.

Today, it's more about what luxury people can buy even though they're busier working to be able to pay for these luxuries. Even if some dude says to buy thus and such, even lemmings know that the last thing they do before they barrel off that cliff is "follow the crowd."

 

[GuitarJammin]

I agree with Laz 100%. I came to this realization of trying to research stuff and found out that a "blues" player or a "classic rock" player was usually off the mark when evaluating things I was interested in when it applied to me.

So.......I went out and bought a BUNCH of guitars and amps and pedals and pickups and strings and speakers and and and. I went to a bunch of stores all around my area trying things and educating myself.

Educating myself in what......Gear?.....NO. I learned after over 250 gutiars bought, sold and returned (lol) and who knows how many amps I bought and sold....Pickup swaps...guitar mods....guitar setups...

I learned I was educating myself....IN...Myself as a player.....answering those questions that Lazlo states can only really be answered by myself. Now I can recognize a great guitar quickly. I also learned that things the internet doesn't like might work for me...and also that I may not get along with some things the internet think are great. I don't think you need to go to the extreme like I did...but you gotta get out there and play on stuff.

All these variables that vary by player...I was able to better know myself as a player. Vids and reviews can feed some info...but truly you should be the top expert in what makes you happy, and it isn't an automatic thing to know.

My faded out blue fade CU24 is sooo special of a guitar for me....I went out and bought it face to face from a local shop. NEVER have I heard another CU24 sound remotely close to it. It also for some reason makes my creativity level up farther than my other guitars. It isn't the easiest of my guitars to play either. If I hadn't played it in person I might've passed over it and that would've been a shame. Don't buy everything online....just sayin.