Tone is in the amp, the guitar, the cable, guitar strings, pick, the pedals… the pedal power supply. But how much of it? Nowhere near as much as your hands and the way your hours of experience animates them.
We all know buying gear will only get you so far, and British YouTuber John Nathan Cordy proves it here . But also something that is about what you spend your money on.
The musician went on Amazon and bought the cheapest Squier Strat you can find on there – the £129.99 Squier By Fender Debut Collection Stratocaster. An Amazon-exclusive range in the UK (and $118.79 on Amazon in the US) that serves as the entry-level Squier Strat and is available in Black, Dakota Red or 2-Colour Sunburst. It's also available as a Telecaster or Precision Bass model.
It's also the cheapest electric guitar he's ever played on his channel. The guitar features a laurel fretboard, maple neck and unspecified body wood – though Cordy notes it's on the lighter end of the Fender weight scale. While we're not surprised it sounds superb in Cordy's talented hands, beyond his always-impressive chops this video also illustrates another point about the perception of great tone.
Guitar amps matter. A lot. And here Cordy isn't even using a traditional amp at all but a Line 6 HX Stomp with one of his own favourite presets – some lush reverb definitely helps, also provided by the Stomp. It sounds great – chimey with an edge of grit – and illustrates the point that a well-intonated guitar (we can help with that) you're comfortable with – any electric guitar – can sound special through a decent amp setup.
So when you're starting out and thinking about where you want to invest your money, maybe it's worth paying more for the amp / modeller than the guitar.
The good news is we think the Line 6 HX Stomp is an investment that will last you throughout your playing journey – and is one of the more reasonable (as well as compact) in the echelon of best multi-effects pedals and amp modellers.
