Here at Pro Music Tutor, in all of our guitar lessons series and saxophone lessons series, we have a short video included in each of them called “Tone and Gear.” The purpose of these videos is for the artists who tutor the series to discuss the equipment – their gear – they have used when making the series and how they have used it to create a particular sound.

Why Your Gear Matters

If you’re a musician and you are looking to generate a certain style or sound from your instrument, the gear you use can be the difference between creating a distinctive, recognisable groove or something that is nowhere near what you’re actually trying to achieve. Depending on what you’re specifically looking to do, it might be the instrument itself that needs to change.

Here are some examples from our own artists as to how their gear has helped them to create a great sound in their series.

Micky Moody’s Gear

In Micky Moody’s Acoustic Series 1 he naturally uses an acoustic guitar, but in the Tone and Gear video he mentions that he chose a Lowden guitar for recording this particular series. Micky also gives a great tip about his strings, noting that he uses heavier strings in order to still maintain the correct sound should he happen to detune.

This is a brilliant example of how a subtle change in your gear can make a difference to your sound. As Micky explains in the video, if he had used lighter strings then he’d have had to retune his instrument before continuing should he had a problem. A great tip, particularly if you play a lot of live gigs with an acoustic instrument, or you’ve had that problem in the past and looked a little foolish after it happened.

Jerry Crozier Cole’s Gear

In his Tone and Gear video for Funk Rock Series 1 Jerry talks about the setup of his guitar including why he chose a guitar with certain features and why he prefers the pick-up in a particular position on the instrument. He even mentions why a particular style of guitar pick is useful for playing his distinctive funk rock style.

Jerry also talks about the pedal setup he uses and how this can help with sustaining his sound and creating several different musical effects. If you find yourself struggling to add depth to your own music, then listening to Jerry’s tips will help whether you want to play a funk rock style or something different. Another great example of how the equipment you use can make a difference to your music.

James Morton’s Gear

One for the saxophonists now. In James’ Funk Improvisation Series 1 he goes into great detail about how the setup of your sax can play a huge part in the sound you ultimately play and hear, as well as talking about the type of sax he uses, and why he prefers a particular model.

Using the Right Gear

There is no question that the gear you use can make a massive difference to your sound. Take the time to choose the right gear for you, and listen to the pros if you need to, and help kick up your sound to the next level.