"Insulted" by a "professional musician."

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by Joe Beamish

It just sounds like petulance to me.

Originally Posted by Hotspur

Maybe somebody mentioned this already, but:

It's fairly frustrating when people appreciate what you're doing and give all the credit to the equipment. I can't tell you the number of times when I was doing a lot of photography that somebody praised one of my pictures by praising the camera, and I'm like, dude, tons of people have the same camera.

So similarly, while I understand curiosity about a professional musician's tone, and the desire to have a musician-to-musician conversation about the kind of minutia that obsess us here on AGF, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the musician in question didn't feel somewhat insulted by the question. As in, "Well, it sounds great, so you must have some magic stomp-box because I mean, it's can't just be your skill, right?"

Originally Posted by Joe Beamish

I totally see this also. Pretty much the only explanation for that guy’s behavior, as reported by the OP, if you assume the report to be remotely approaching the truth.

Originally Posted by ChrisE

Hey Joe,

I’m not sure what your beef is me. You keep mentioning over and over you don’t believe the event happened.

Two questions—

1) What do I have to gain by making it up?

2) What do you have to gain by constantly saying you doubt the event even happened?

Originally Posted by Inyo

I too don't believe original poster's story.

Very unfortunate that this thread got zombied, in my view.

The Thread That Cannot Be Destroyed.

[Wade Hampton]

Well, if it makes any difference I completely believe Chris’ story. But I think we’ve all had a chance to react to it and make any comments or add any insights that we wanted to make. The thread seems to have served its purpose, and now that we’ve arrived at mutually exclusive conclusions, there doesn’t seem to be anywhere productive that this thread can be taken.


whm

[wattsy]

Interesting thread, even if about two thirds of the contributions make the same point or mention Jackson Browne/Joe Bonamassa/Vince Gill as if it is some kind of Aristotelian insight. My own take from the thread is that the obnoxiousness of the musician in the original post has been largely echoed by a number of posters who have taken the opportunity to make the rather boring observation that "a $1500 guitar is not an expensive guitar". Somebody even stating that he had spent more than that on sales tax when buying a guitar – "multiple times!". As is frequently said, money cannot buy class.

[NotveryGood]

Originally Posted by wattsy

Interesting thread, even if about two thirds of the contributions make the same point or mention Jackson Browne/Joe Bonamassa/Vince Gill as if it is some kind of Aristotelian insight. My own take from the thread is that the obnoxiousness of the musician in the original post has been largely echoed by a number of posters who have taken the opportunity to make the rather boring observation that "a $1500 guitar is not an expensive guitar". Somebody even stating that he had spent more than that on sales tax when buying a guitar – "multiple times!". As is frequently said, money cannot buy class.

Well said, Id noticed that too!

[RP]

Originally Posted by RP

My point is that I don't believe that the number or price of guitars owned by an individual defines their status as a "professional." That merely defines their willingness to spend money on guitars; one's source of income defines their status as a professional. The guy that the OP encountered either had a bad day, was antisocial...

Originally Posted by paulzoom

Yes but the person who insulted the OP basically said that having more than one guitar meant you were not a professional. All I was saying is that number of guitars is not the measure of professionalism. So we are actually in agreement.

Cool...........

[Mr. Jelly]

Well it's better than being insulted by a nonprofessional I guess.

[j3ffr0]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

"I'm a professional working musician..."

My older brother has lived in central Missouri for the past 20 some years, a place where great sayings grow on trees. One of my favorites is "If you've got to go around telling everybody what you are, you ain't."

Exactly the point I was going to make

[RP]

Originally Posted by nightflight

Last time I saw Jackson Browne - acoustic concert - he had something like 19 guitars on stage. And he was incredible.

On his Acoustic Solo CD he shares an exchange with another guitarist who asked him (JB) how many guitars he owned. Browne's response was, "Well, I don't really know because I'm always getting rid of something and buying something else." Then the other person, who BTW was having a three-necked guitar built, said that a guitarist only needed one guitar. To which JB responded, "Yeh, with three necks."

[hermithollow]

I believe the original poster's story.
I had something similar happen to me. When I inquired about a performer's setup I got a "brush off". On reflection I understand his point of view. He had been on stage giving a good performance and charming his audience, and didn't really want to talk tech. It was time for him to take a break that he "earned". I was kind of miffed at the time but I got over it. Some people need that "down time" between sets.

[Big Band Guitar]

Being "insulted" is totally in the head of the person being "insulted".

Taking comments of a socially inept person and viewing them as a insult only gives them a rent free place to live in your head. Ignore it, shrug it off, and move on.

His comments may not have been meant as a insult. It may have been a bad day.

[Pickcity]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

Well it's better than being insulted by a nonprofessional I guess.

Haha...Hey I've known non professionals who had terrible attitudes. I've also known non professionals who were just as good as any professional, but simply chose not to play professionally.

Let's face it. Musicians are weird, and some guys are complete dicks, but some of the best people I've ever known are folks I met in the music biz, and I would have never known them otherwise.

It just goes to show how one short, rude comment can stay with a person forever. It is definitely best to forgive and let it go. As already mentioned, the guy who made this comment forgot about it the moment he walked away. He would probably be fascinated to know his comment caused a 3 year internet discussion with a couple hundred posts. lol

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by Big Band Guitar

Being "insulted" is totally in the head of the person being "insulted".
His comments may not have been meant as a insult. I may have been a bad day.

Mmmm, nope. If the OP's tale is taken at face value, the comment was deliberate shade at the OP, unprovoked, and a blanket condescending judgement. Sometimes an insult is just that.

Sure, you can choose to let an insult slide, but that doesn't make it any less of an insult.

[RP]

Originally Posted by Pickcity

Haha...Hey I've known non professionals who had terrible attitudes. I've also known non professionals who were just as good as any professional, but simply chose not to play professionally.

Let's face it. Musicians are weird, and some guys are complete dicks, but some of the best people I've ever known are folks I met in the music biz, and I would have never known them otherwise.

It just goes to show how one short, rude comment can stay with a person forever. It is definitely best to forgive and let it go. As already mentioned, the guy who made this comment forgot about it the moment he walked away. He would probably be fascinated to know his comment caused a 3 year internet discussion with a couple hundred posts. lol

The musician in question might also be a very decent guy who for whatever reason had had the worst possible day and to compound it, didn't play well that night. Let's also assume that despite his bad mood, he really regretted the petty manner in which he'd addressed the OP.

Were he here, he might just say, "You wouldn't believe the day that I'd had. Found out my wife was pregnant with another guy's kid. She was leaving me and took the dog, the pickup and the vintage Martins that I usually play but belonged to her father. And then I found out at the last minute that I had to play this $1500 guitar with the warped neck and terrible action. She was the breadwinner and so now I have to support myself from playing guitar..." You never know...

As a tangential aside, I went to see Tom Paxton https://www.tompaxton.com/about-tom/ perform in a small local venue about 20 years ago. A friend came up to me and introduced me to a woman about my age. It was intermission, and as we spoke, I got the distinct impression that she was "Midge" Paxton, Tom's wife. I remember it as a very nice conversation; but it was a really bad time in my life, and I can only hope that I didn't say anything untoward...

Ms. Paxton fell ill in 1999 and was cared for at home during the last five years of her life by Amy Amaya, who became a part of the family. A longtime friend described Ms. Paxton as invariably cheerful, a person who laughed all the time even as her health declined. “Midge made lemonade out of lemons,” one friend said after hearing of her death this week, calling her an example for others on how to overcome adversity.

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by Big Band Guitar

Being "insulted" is totally in the head of the person being "insulted".

Taking comments of a socially inept person and viewing them as a insult only gives them a rent free place to live in your head. Ignore it, shrug it off, and move on.

His comments may not have been meant as a insult. I may have been a bad day.

So it was you?

[Tony Burns]

The gig probably netted him 50 bucks -how could he ever have more than one guitar ?
I dont mean this as an insult , but real working musicians are struggling
to pay the rent -most of them are not big rock stars ( with money )

We who have more than 1 or 2 have better sources of income -even thou some of us do play out -most of us do it seldom .

I knew a pro who had a old guild D-25 ( they were like 200 bucks new back in the day ) its a great guitar by the way -but when you have a kid or two and your struggling by playing out -splitting the money 4 or 5 ways - its tough.
His attitude seems about right -hes out their doing it - God bless him .