Local Music Gear Feature Story
Written By: Jac Harrison
Written By: Jac Harrison
Recently I was called a "guitar snob" on a social network and at first I took offence to it, but then I really thought about it and I have to agree. Here are my thought on it --
In my twenties I knew everything -- but now at the ripe old
age of thirty-four I have realized that I know very little in the grand scheme of things, but what I do know I understand completely or find out about by research. As a self-proclaimed guitarist with
over 25 years of experience, I would like to think that I have developed a refined palate and consider myself knowledgeable when it comes to understating guitars and related musical equipment. With
my "refined palate" I have also developed a taste for quality gear much like a wine snob has to wine. Now that word "snob" -- it is a
label that most guitarist do not want to be associated with, who would?
The definition of the word is less than flattering. According to the Bing
Dictionary there are two ways to use this word to describe a person :
(1) somebody who looks down on others: an admirer and cultivator of
people with high social status who disdains those considered inferior (2) somebody
who feels superior: somebody who disdains people considered to have
inferior knowledge or tastes. But when the word "snob" is used
to descried a person in relation to a particular product or
hobby, I believe that it takes on a different meaning. For example; I enjoy a good bottle of wine with breakfast just like the next guy, but there is no way I would know what to look for when buying a bottle out of the novices price point. I would want an expert with an unbiased opinion to coach me through the different types of wine, explaining what makes them different from each other and most importantly what I should be paying for them based on their quality, like a "wine snob" would. So why not the same in the music world?
