Jon's Post

[Olivier Malhomme <malhomme@infobiogen.fr>]

Huuummm... I have been thinking a lot on this post.
I am prone to think that in fact it is basic modus operandi for everyone.
Yes everyone. I know that walking a guitar shop a sunday afternoon can be
a VERY disturbing experience. But I would rather say that all these people
who seem to all play the same thing with the same sound are indeed looking
for the same "magic phd". They choosed other way, or they were overwhelmed
with what seemed power of such or such sound to them , but it doesn't
change that when they play this sound that everyone use it is truly theirs
the time they play. No one can take that from them. Certainly for a lot of
complex reasons involving personnal history/state of mind and psychology,
the direction taken can SEEM the same for all, but  it CAN NOT BE. it is
impossible. Whoever this sunday afternoon guitarist it is who walks this
planet, there is no double of him/her. Besides, this search has nothing to
see with the quality of the music "produced" which is a whole other topic.
It is an effect I think of mass production that retailer and producers of
manufatured... produces (hum!) think in term of law of the market, hence
those nice discussion you were referring (at? to? I don't know). It is a
disturbing effect of the way economical actors because this pityful narrow
way of thinking is spreading all over the known universe. But it does not
mean people act as mass consumers REALLY even if it SEEMS so. The worst of
the guitarist f the planet, or the best copy ever produced of Vai or Morse
or Holdsworth came to this result as a matter of personnal
choices/directions/quest. It is a matter no one can discuss for
yourselves. And no one can tell me what I should do as far as my direction
of work is concerned (but I can seek advice, learn from people, and so on
if I choose to).
We could of course discuss the force at work to push a lot of people to
sound the same, but I'm not sure that can but scratch the surface... You
tell me, fellows...

Olivier Malhomme