RP500 vs Stompboxes $$$
Here's something for discussion:
I'm wanting to buy an RP500 soon but they have a recommended retail price of $750 here in OZ. I would love to know what that equates to in $US and the Euro etc. Even though I'll still probably go out and buy one, I have to question the actual value of this product considering what it is. If you look at how its built, what its made of etc I just don't see the value.
People justify the price on units like the RP500 when they see the price of individual stompboxes. Sorry but I don't agree. For what they are, stompboxes are seriously overpriced for whats actually in them in the first place.
Whats your opinion of this??
I'm wanting to buy an RP500 soon but they have a recommended retail price of $750 here in OZ. I would love to know what that equates to in $US and the Euro etc. Even though I'll still probably go out and buy one, I have to question the actual value of this product considering what it is. If you look at how its built, what its made of etc I just don't see the value.
People justify the price on units like the RP500 when they see the price of individual stompboxes. Sorry but I don't agree. For what they are, stompboxes are seriously overpriced for whats actually in them in the first place.
Whats your opinion of this??
Comments
One reason I bought my RP 150, a very basic Digitech pedal, is it allows me easier tweaking, over my GNX4. I mean easier by way of simply playing a patch I'm use to playing, but given all the variables you experience with different guitars, pickups, hookups, location, etc. to even just how it feels to me at the time, it offers me such a quick on the spot easy way of tweaking the sound, without having to open up XEdit on my computer.
The RP 500 will give you this versatility too, and many more options and sounds to work from. Frankly, my tastes are somewhat narrow, and I don't need so many options nor do I feel ultimately that the RP 500 is going to give me more variations than my little RP 150 gives, because they use the same chip, and have the same tweaking range. The RP 500 just has more stuff already banked and a larger palate. The main consideration is construction. I think the RP 150 is a good practice pedal, where the RP 500 could hold up to live use. I learned from the GNX4, I hated having so much stuff to have to learn and work through all the time to just tweak my sound a little. I wanted to simplify things. I'd rather spend much less time with my devices, and more time with my guitar.
For that point, I will say, I tend to go a step further in my normal choice of sound. I play my guitar through a wah-wah, and a couple analog stomp boxes into my tube amp...and I have a narrow range of tone I seek. I find most of my tonal tweaking with this setup comes from my fingers. I get more feel from my tubes screaming than I feel from any digital hookup. How it makes you feel I think is most important. Other people will never hear or feel what you hear or feel. Maybe there is a noticeable difference in recording, but since I don't record stuff, I have no opinion in that regard. Most of my practice is with backing tracks, so I don't even bother with a loop.
The choices for me to GAS over are much simpler, than someone living in the prison colony. I'm always shocked at what you guys have to go through for equipment. I considered the RP 500, before I added it all up, and realized all I needed was the RP 150. Right now, I can buy an RP 500 brand new unopened, full warranty, with free shipping for $249.95 USD, which also has the Steinberg Cubase 4LE bundle. You can upgrade to the full Cubase 4 if you want online for another $40. Like I mentioned, I don't record, or I would have chosen that pedal. It is all you need, without getting too cluttered. One thing about digital that bothers me, is they fill these things up with so much crap, and half of it is crap in my opinion. I'm getting more cynical about digital offerings, by way of marketing, than I'd say by way of quality. I will end on digital sound has come a long way. I'm grateful for the choices, and I wish your choices in Oz were easier, and affordable.
http://tinyurl.com/cfs5vu
I've just been away on holidays over easter for the last week or so and I actually went and bought myself an RP500. The music shop I normally deal with had a big sale on and I picked it up about 300 bucks cheaper. The owner who is a friend of mine showed me his cost price for this unit and it wasn't much less than this so I really have to question what the local distributers are charging here in OZ. Anyhow I saved a bit of cash so that made this bitter pill a little easier to swallow so to speak.
Tou is right though about the choices we have here for gear - probably more accurate is that we have huge choice on brands but the pricing kinda eliminates that choice for most people. For example I was looking into possibly one day buying a PRS Modern Eagle, or at least trying one which I know will be next to impossible. I have a PRS now and its a bit of a dog, but I know there are much better examples around that sound better than mine. After a bit of research I found I would be paying around or above 10 grand for one of these suckers!! :shock: I think that price kinda eliminates this choice for me!
I also have to question what the current global financial situation is doing to the price of gear in relation with the value of our dollar. A while back the Oz dollar was really high compared to the $US and since its come down a bit the price of new gear has soared. For example, if I was to replace my Rivera KR7 head the dealer said I would be paying about $6,500+ to order one from the States......sheesh! A Mesa Roadking would be asking over $7k probably.
I know I'm talking about some high end gear here but for many muso's out there, the dream of one day having some gorgeous guitars or amps etc is something to aspire to......who needs talent
Tou, I didn't miss your 'prison colony' line either mate....
An English mate of mine did tell me a little of Australian History;
A pom, fresh off the plane at Sydney airport, is trying to negotiate Australian customs.
Finally, when it's his turn to get his passport stamped,
the customs officer starts rattling off the usual questions:
C.O. - How long do you intend to stay?
POM - 1 week.
C.O. - What is the nature of this trip?
POM - Business.
C.O. - Do you have any past criminal convictions?
POM - I didn't think we still needed to!
You'll end up sounding more like yourself and hopefully that is your goal.
If you can get that by only spending $150.00, Then why get something for twice as much that is more complicated? But I would have to say to only buy gear that compliments your sound and the way you play. While I do have a GNX3000 setup with stereo cabs, Lots of times if I'm going out to just sit in on 2 or 3 songs I take my Fender 75 combo and my tube Screamer and I'm good to go. It don't get no simpler. I don't need all the bells and whistles to get my sound, but if I have em I'll use them to compliment it.
Not that anyone's ever asked me to play with them - jealous, I'm sure :roll: - but if it happened, I'd probably just grab my 'binez, my Peavey Special (it's a little 1x12\", although it weighs as much as a car :shock:), and maaaaaybe my GNX1 with a single direct preset made for the Peavey, with distortion I could turn off n on - only 'cuz I don't have any stompboxes. But a tubescreamer or whatever would surely be enough.
That said...I also agree that your typical stompbox, if it's of any reasonably good make, is overpriced, considering what any given one can do. A good dist'n/OD pedal is usually worth it 'cuz they're pretty versatile, but beyond that, when you get into chorii, flangers, phasers, EQ's, gates, compressors, yada...you can spend a grand or two on a set of stomps that can't do 1/10th of what a nice GNX or RP will do. And they're not programmable either - I love the ability to create a sound and save it for instant retrieval.
I'm a MFX head all the way. :oops:
Those 112 Specials are a heavey sucker for sure! My dad bought one new back in the early 90's and its been a superb amp - never had a problem with it except I blew the arse out of the Scorpion Plus speaker in it.....surely I wasn't playing that loud
It's over 20 years old and sounds as good as the day it was new, and has enough power to rattle your fillings out. But heavy - never weighed it, but I'd guess 45-50 lbs, which seems like a lot for a 1x12 combo. I put little wheels on it so I don't embarrass myself trying to lift it. No roadies, y'see... :oops:
I have to join shredd in the MFX camp. For what you get for ur $ RP or what ever makes sense. Though their still the analog only club still out their, and they have some valid points, But...... I ain't no working studio pro. So MFX is the way to go IMHO.
My point is that while MFX may give you more bang for the buck, At the same time if it doesn't compliment your sound and inspire you it's a waste of money. If you connect with a tube amp, then you use a tube amp. If you connect with stompboxes then you use stompboxes and if it's an MFX then so be it etc. I connect using celestions speakers. It doesn't really matter if I drive em with a tube amp, a transister amp or a combination of the two. If I got a tube screamer and a pair of celestions I'm a happy camper although for the many years I used my GFX1 preamp I didn't use a pedal in front of it at all, But I still used my Celestions. I guess that I've been fortunate over the years to have played long enough and done sound long enough to develope a few basic combinations of gear that I can get a perfectly satisfactory sound from and not have to rely on only one setup electronic wise. Speaker wise it's still gonna be Celestions although model isn't an absolute. They just float my boat more than any other piece of gear. And you can and will always be able to get them anyware. But more importantly what will decide your sound is the wood your guitar is made of and whether you use single coils or Humbuckers. Until you have the right guitar nothing else down the chain is gonna matter. Then it's all really relatively easy.
MMmmm I don't know. I've read and heard to many stories of players picking up whatever and plugging into whatever and sounding like themselves. take that recent vid iliace posted of satch playing someones off the wall strat. At the end he basically said this guitar sucks, but he still sounded like JS...
As far as the above quote. I think it is important to have the right guitar and gear to get you to where you want to be. But once you have discovered and/or perfected your musical character/identity, then it is definitely a matter of preference imo. LoL maybe that's why I suck! I have found the right guitar yet
Once I got my gnx I was totally stoked/inspired! Interesting thought though? If I had gone out and bought several amps and 20 stomps. Would I have been just as enthusiastic/giddy? What also is interesting. Is even with the gnx I still only use 2 or 3 presets 90% of the time, and all variations of the same amp!? LoL So you make a good point. But is there really, a right or wrong when it comes to personal taste?
but the possibility to change the sound for \"landscaping\",
going from fuzzin 70’s to tremolorgies soundin 80’s,
back to dry jazzin and so on...
it helps to put your audience into the proper mood.
which, imo, does a hole lot for emotional purpose.
analog gear can do that, but often with additional weight and cost.
sometimes its even inpractical for gigs.
it depends on your skills, your bandwidth of styles, the rest of your band
and personal taste. and so on...
there’s no finite answer to such comparisons. imo.
Then you take a guy like SRV or Clapton who can sit down with a strat and a little tube amp and rock the house.
Just different music, is all. Lifeson couldn't do what he does with a strat and a princeton.
I like the simplicity approach - for me, a MFX is simple. Set it up, and you're done.
I've had the stompbox/pedalboard setup before; I remember doing a lot of fiddling to get them all to play nice together, and lots of shorted/noisy cords.
But they sounded great!
Couple of points here to comment on. Firstly, if I all the sudden had all the amps and cabs out of mr GNX3K or RP500 sittin in my house, would I be enthusiastic/giddy? Um, well HELL YEAH!!
Secondly, you are exactly right about using only a few different amps. I've been exactly the same with my GNX's etc by using only a couple amp models I particularly like. People tend to zone in on a particular sound and that is personal taste. I guess we're spoilt for choice. But guitar choice does change your sound, what stays the same is a guitarists technique. Yes, JS did sound the same through that strat to a degree but would his tone be the same if he played a 335 Gibson? Its quite interesting how much technique affects tone. But once you start layering effects the individualality of your guitar probably reduces.
What annoys me is music gear that sounds the same no matter what guitar you plug into them. I can think of several amps that are like this and a bunch of effects units that do the same. So I guess if you are the owner of these products your choice of guitar is negligible. Its really refreshing to have an amp that does the particular guitar you have plugged into it justice. I'm a minimalist - a nice valve head and a decent guitar with the option of a few effects when I need it......or if I get bored and get a need to tweak. :roll:
Absolutely..I have no doubt on that!! But here's a strange analogy... LoL as most of mine are! Lets say you've been using a can of air freshener over the winter, LOL ( chose your climate!) spring rain, mountain air, ocean breeze etc...of course you thought it smelled pretty good, or you wouldn't have been using it! LoL now winters over, you go out after a spring rain, head down to the beach, hike to the top of your favorite mount. Nothing smells as good as the real thing! Now I ain't trying to bring up the ole tube vs SS debate... just saying.... There ain't nothing like valve tone and warmth and a volume knob set at 11, to get ur nuts vibrating and a smile on your face :shock: 8)
In 6 months or whatever you are gonna plug into the gnx and flick it on and go wow, I forgot........ LoL I do that! I walk by take a gander at my amps say to myself.. dang them are dusty I should clean 'em... next thing I know I'm plugged in, the valves heated up and it's a month or so later before I get back into the gnx LoL.
In todays world, it's almost a ying & yang thing LoL need both for perfect harmony! :shock:
I hear what you saying Rawb. & I agree kind of