It’s so easy to blame the equipment… but more often than not, the gear isn’t the problem.
If your guitar sucks? Practice until you can make it sound good.
If your amp’s garbage? Practice shaping better tone with your fingers.
Pedals? Totally unnecessary for your first couple years. Yes, I said it twice.
Starting out with a giant pedalboard might be fun, but there’s a real risk: you end up learning to “play your pedals” instead of actually playing the guitar. That’s all well and good… until you show up to an acoustic gig with nowhere to hide.
Here’s the mindset shift:
Figure out what your dream rig costs, then set that money aside. But don’t spend it yet.
Instead, convert that dollar amount into hours practiced.
For example:
$2,000 dream rig? That’s 200 hours of practice.
Track those hours. Grind. Learn. Sweat it out.
Then buy the gear; knowing you’ve earned it with time, effort, and discipline.
That guarantees you're not just buying gear to make up for inexperience; you're investing in yourself.
So go forth and rock. Your tone starts in your hands.