We guitarists are special bunch, and like any Unique group of people we have vernacular and phrases that only we regurgitate on and on in conversations and gear forums the world over. Here I am gonna list a few terms and comments you are likley to encounter perusing the web and or guitar store!
“Does It Go To Eleven?”
An oft repeated joke paying homage to the very best musician parody to date, Spinal Tap. I that Famous scene Nigel Tufnel is showing Marty DiBergi his Guitar and amp collection. He goes on to explain how he has modded his Marshall’s to go to eleven as opposed to the typical 10… The scene is a classic and just one of many quotable moments in the movie.
“Does It Djent?”
A relatively new Sub-genre of Progressive Metal that sports über high gain guitar amps. The word Djent itself is an onomatopoeia for the distinctive high-gain, distorted palm-muted, down tuned guitars typical of this genre which has gained a massive following… This popular phrase can be found on YouTube videos and Guitar forums on the daily!
“I’ve never taken any lessons”
Often repeated by the newer generation of self-taught guitarists. A phrase spoken with pride by the self learners and resented by more traditionally trained guitarists…
“I Plug In Straight”
Some guitarists think that they get a purer tone if they eschew the use of guitar pedals. Going straight into the amp prevents the buffering of the guitar tone… These people are usually assholes.
“Nice Tone! Tube?”
Another purist is the Tube snob. Every piece of technology known to man has benefited from digitization. Except the guitar amp. Many a guitarists will play solely through a tube amplifier, typically high wattage. The saturation and compression provided by tube (called valves oversees) amplifiers can not be denied. It is no surprise that these tones are still sought after more than a half century later!!! However the Tube snob never gives digital or solid state its credit. Tough in its earlier days the technology left a lot to be desired, modern gear is astounding in sound quality, yet the tone hound will tell you that the tones are, “cold”, “clinical”, “lacking warmth” and “Fizzy” etc… These people should be avoided cause no one needs that kind of negativity in their life!
These are just a few there are so many that is would require publishing a book to document them all!
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