Learning to play a guitar!

cee

as others have said...

yamaha have a great reputation for cheap, well made and good sounding guitars. no matter whether you decide on an electric or an acoustic, you should definately look at yamahas.

Some of the cheaper fenders and gibsons (squires and epiphones) are good, but the cheap fenders are notorious, depending upon the year and place of manufacture....sometimes the korean ones are great, whilst other times the mexican ones are better....

Also, look in pawn shops for a 2nd hand guitar...might be a good idea to have someone more experienced go with you though.... I use my local pawn shop (nicolsons and edwards) as a kind of economic barometer...some great deals can be had (at someone elses expense to be fair but....ho hum)

NEVER buy a guitar without at least picking it up....some feel better than others...(e.g. the telecaster feels like a big plank sticking out, whilst a strat disappears into the body...some like a plank, some dont.) If you want to break your back get a Les Paul...they are heavy.

lastly, this site is a good resource for learning the guitar, as long as you don't take the whole zen thing too far, the content of the leasons is bang on....learn the fretboard.

hopper1

Ok, guys, first lesson out of the way....Brilliant, really enjoyed it.
Obviously it was very basic stuff, but still enough to see that my tutor had the right personality for teaching me. While we were playing and chatting (simultaneously! :shock: ), we didn't realise that the lesson had gone on for an extra 27 minutes!
I used his Gibson Les Paul Classic, very nice too, but a touch too expensive for me at this time, for a 1st guitar. So, tomorrow I'm off to get an Epiphone Les Paul, Classic or Custom, but, if I see a Gibson, I may just weaken!!! Well, it is Christmas.
Thanks for all your advice.

Oh, going to get a Roland amp, too.

hopper1

Arrrgh!!
I saw the Gibson in the shop..... :shock:
I'm now looking at it in my lounge!
Couldn't resist it's beautiful cherry sunburst finish.
To top it all, I thought I'd get some grief off the wife, so I thought 'in for a penny....'
I then went to the snowboard shop and bought new boots and clothing for this seasons hols! :shock: :shock:
Rocked up at the house, brasenly carted all my bags in to the house, and then confessed my sins to my wife...
She was very impressed with the guitar, and thought that I deserved some new 'boarding kit, then offered me a cup of tea!
I'll never understand women.

SCR Pedro

You obviously have a very cool wife. Congrats on buying a guitar. I could only dream of a guitar like that when I was starting out.

Is your teacher teaching you how to sight read? It's a great skill to have and is definitely worth learning.

Pedro

stfc1

If I'd realised you had that kind of money, I probably wouldn't have recommended a Pacifica! (Good though they undoubtedly are.)

Now you've got a Les Paul (and I know you've got money) I think you should be made aware that Les Pauls should only be played through Marshall amplifiers :-)

Billios

Not any old Marshall amp though..... A full Marshall Stack. And if you can afford two...the more the better.

CHRISNOIR

Wish my first guitar was as good as a Les Paul! Bloody good choice, have fun annoying the neighbours!

cee

stfc1 wrote:

If I'd realised you had that kind of money, I probably wouldn't have recommended a Pacifica! (Good though they undoubtedly are.)

Now you've got a Les Paul (and I know you've got money) I think you should be made aware that Les Pauls should only be played through Marshall amplifiers :-)

hmmmm don't know....I recently got a little Orange valver with a 16" speaker cab that sounds better than the marshall half stack i was using previously.

I also like the boogie valvers..

Tiny Explosions

Marshalls should never be used, full stop*. With your kind of budget, you want to go for a Vox AC30 or (even better imo) and Orange AD30 -best amp money can buy

*yes, Marshalls are good for some people, just never liked them myself

thedaffodilfish

Cantdosleepy wrote:

Like bikes, guitars have an objective 'This has good parts and is swet up nicely' range of qualities, and also a subjective 'Phwoar, when I see that beast I just want to play with it' quality. Don't think that the second part isn't as important as the first. If you buy a bike/guitar that everyone agrees is a good'un, but you know in your heart doesn't really excite you, then you'll not use it as much. when you start to play you'll want a guitar that
1) Is fairly easy to play / sounds okay
2) makes you go 'I want to play that sexy beast RIGHT NOW' every time you walk into the room where it lives. It's more important to foster enthusiasm at this stage than to worry about which guitar has more sustain or resonance or slightly better components or whathaveyou.

Couldn't agree more. I remember spending about 3 months choosing an acoustic guitar - trying out various makes and models, different fretboards, woods, borrowing friends' and also in shops. Eventually settled on a £400 Seagull because, for me, it kept it's tone and warmth when I bashed out chords without buzzing , and sounded sweet when fingerpicking. Recently I started getting into alternative tunings and went to the wee music shop round the corner and bought their own brand cheapie acoustic at £25, just to keep it tuned and to practice down the park...
I can't put it down!! It's aMAZing Best quids spent. Ever.

SCR Pedro

I would also agree that the Les Paul/Marshall combination is a tad clichéd.

They are both top grade products, but wouldn't you rather sound a little more individual?

Also, don't be a complete plank like me. I bought a Fender Roc Pro amp, but I can't get it past 1 because it's just too loud :roll:

CHRISNOIR

SCR Pedro wrote:

IAlso, don't be a complete plank like me. I bought a Fender Roc Pro amp, but I can't get it past 1 because it's just too loud :roll:

Sounds familiar; I've still got a Marshall half-stack in the corner of my room. Useful for when the neighbours are p*ssing you off though (at least it would be if it wasn't biffed and in dire need of an overhaul...).

Bikerbaboon

Always love the sound of a old strat through a good fender valve amp get a 15W fender valve crank the volume till the little amps crys then go play gigs with it ( ok never going to be a thrash metal sound but play a jimmy or a SRV lick and you will smile at the sound.)..... Also if you are after a good £300 guitar have a look at tht 80's Tokia repros of the 60,s strat. great guitar for the cash. IMO i would say better than a moden strat usa.

Billios

Tiny Explosions wrote:

Marshalls should never be used, full stop*. With your kind of budget, you want to go for a Vox AC30 or (even better imo) and Orange AD30 -best amp money can buy

*yes, Marshalls are good for some people, just never liked them myself

Oh Orange full valve amps are incredible. But even the little combos (Not the crush's) are so expensive. And my ability really doenst justify that kind of expense. One day...one day (Just like the Time RXR ive got my eye on)

stfc1

Orange amps are indeed fantastic, but it's a sad day (in my world at least) when the Les Paul/Marshall combo is described as cliché rather than classic :-(

Anyway, I'm off to listen to Led Zeppelin!

hopper1

Hey guys,
I forgot to mention I bought a Roland Amp, Cube 60X.
It's f**kin' loud enough!! :shock: ...Especially with the sort of awful sounds I can make!
I really should be ashamed of treating a Gibson LP in that way! :oops:

I've just moved house, and it was quite hilarious to see the looks on my neighbours faces as I pulled the Gibson and Amp out of the back of my car!! :twisted:
I have to say that, apart from the stunning looks swaying me into buying a guitar way above my skills level, the actual case is really something else, too. I was blown away, when the guy in the shop opened the black case to reveal a beautiful soft white fur lining! That did it for me!!! If I was a wee bit smaller, I'd live in it.

SCR Pedro

stfc1 wrote:

Orange amps are indeed fantastic, but it's a sad day (in my world at least) when the Les Paul/Marshall combo is described as cliché rather than classic :-(

Anyway, I'm off to listen to Led Zeppelin!

In all fairness I'm not refering to bands like Led Zep'. For me the LP/Marshall combo stirs up visions of 80's Hair Metal and dare I say it, Slash's solos which haven't changed much in 20 years. I suppose, if it sells records, it can't be bad. It's not quite to my tastes though.

Now, a vintage Telcaster through a Fender tube amp. Oh god, to die for!

Pedro

Cantdosleepy

CHRISNOIR wrote:

SCR Pedro wrote:

IAlso, don't be a complete plank like me. I bought a Fender Roc Pro amp, but I can't get it past 1 because it's just too loud :roll:

Sounds familiar; I've still got a Marshall half-stack in the corner of my room. Useful for when the neighbours are p*ssing you off though (at least it would be if it wasn't biffed and in dire need of an overhaul...).

Is the Roc Pro a separate head/cab? You guys should have a look at some kind of attenuator between the bits so you can crank out the sweet tube noise at a more bearable volume...

CHRISNOIR

Cantdosleepy wrote:

CHRISNOIR wrote:

SCR Pedro wrote:

IAlso, don't be a complete plank like me. I bought a Fender Roc Pro amp, but I can't get it past 1 because it's just too loud :roll:

Sounds familiar; I've still got a Marshall half-stack in the corner of my room. Useful for when the neighbours are p*ssing you off though (at least it would be if it wasn't biffed and in dire need of an overhaul...).

Is the Roc Pro a separate head/cab? You guys should have a look at some kind of attenuator between the bits so you can crank out the sweet tube noise at a more bearable volume...

Yeah, it's only a 50w and providing you're a bit delicate with the volume it can be ok (although not as good as it sounds when cranked up!). I did a quick thread about it previously. since then I've got the name of a place near me that does repairs. May be pricey but hopefully will be worth it!

musicalrock

Hi,
I like rock music. For this electric guitar is best suitable one i think.
www.totallyguitars.com

Thank you.

mmitchell88

SCR Pedro wrote:

In all fairness I'm not refering to bands like Led Zep'. For me the LP/Marshall combo stirs up visions of 80's Hair Metal

Could you please tell me what, exactly, is wrong with that??

SteveR_100Milers

I just started playing with a pocket POD. fascinaing device, not sure whether its got too much choice, but its great fun. Some of the modelled band sounds are quite convincing, and I am impressed with the various amp models, but somehow I always end up with the JCM800 setting, which goes rather well with a thumping great lump of mahogany and maple bolted to s seymour duncan duncan custom! There's a you tube demo with some geezer in shades showing some of the songs to be found if you google pocket pod.

mrushton

Billios wrote:

Not any old Marshall amp though..... A full Marshall Stack. And if you can afford two...the more the better.

Clearly the opinion of someone who has never had to move a marshall stack or 2 or has had the assistance of someone to carry the eqpt. in/out of the gig. Should you ever have to move an Ampeg SVT, you'll know about the phrase 'heavy rock'Even the biggest bands don't actually use the stacks you might see on stage, often using small Fender/Marshall/custom combos hidden away backstage. Kiss used to have a series of mocked-up amps/cabs with a single amp/cab each behind the mock-ups. ZZ Top have their rigs off-stage, using in-ear monitoring. The Eagles used to use Fender Princetons (10w) carefully miked up and Clapton uses a custom Cornell I think of about 25w. Even the mighty Angus Young oly runs a 50w vintage Marshall in the studio with newer models for live shows.

SteveR_100Milers

aah but angus runs his *little* 50W head thru a 4x4 cab at a pretty decent volume setting, which would work in a pub/small gig. I cant imagine anyone is going to use more than one amp with one guitar directly connected, and there are only so many cabintes you cold drive with one power amp.....

Clearly for large halls/stadiums then the signature amp/cab sound is simply mic'd through the PA system, which bands have been doing for centuries. The point is perhaps that there isn't anything quite like a valve power amp stage at full whack, in true spinal tap style.

mmitchell88

mrushton wrote:

Billios wrote:

Not any old Marshall amp though..... A full Marshall Stack. And if you can afford two...the more the better.

Clearly the opinion of someone who has never had to move a marshall stack or 2 or has had the assistance of someone to carry the eqpt. in/out of the gig. Should you ever have to move an Ampeg SVT, you'll know about the phrase 'heavy rock'Even the biggest bands don't actually use the stacks you might see on stage, often using small Fender/Marshall/custom combos hidden away backstage. Kiss used to have a series of mocked-up amps/cabs with a single amp/cab each behind the mock-ups. ZZ Top have their rigs off-stage, using in-ear monitoring. The Eagles used to use Fender Princetons (10w) carefully miked up and Clapton uses a custom Cornell I think of about 25w. Even the mighty Angus Young oly runs a 50w vintage Marshall in the studio with newer models for live shows.

In a previous life I played bass - still have my Trace Elliot Series 7 combo (4x10"). My god, did I make no friends hauling that down and up stairs (Leeds 1991, student band Moroccan Roll - basement practice room. Sorry chaps).

I sold the bass some time ago (warwick something or other) - I think a nice acoustic guitar might be something to look at this year.

CHRISNOIR

Bumped in order to pick some our resident guitar players' brains...

Has anyone ever bought a guitar from America? I’ve been looking at it and buying online seems to offer a bit of a saving (used US Strat delivered for around £650 - £690) but then I thought about customs charges which could bump it up into the ‘not much a saving really’ category…

Anybody tried this or got any ideas what the charges could be on a £650 guitar? Or would you keep looking for one in the UK (has to be sunburst / rosewood fretboard - I'm fussy like that...).

SCR Pedro

Is this what you are looking for? The top/middle-left.



For £684 new, who needs imports?

http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/75218

Pedro

CHRISNOIR

You beauty - and within five mins too! I thought I'd scoured all web sites (inc GAK). You rock, dude etc...

Serously that's a great spot!

edhornby

Thomann.de

although the pound weakness tends to rule them out, they are the cheapest place to get internet deals from, although GAK are pretty good for UK prices

SCR Pedro

You're welcome

I've just noticed that the Sunburst comes at a £30 premium. That's probably still cheaper than importing though.

Good choice though, but I could never have anything other than a maple neck. Even if my Strat hardly ever sees daylight. I should bust it out later and have a jam 8)