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Thanks guys. I've got some gear I want to get rid of (just not using it) , so I'll bring that in with some cash, and see what happens. The Cort needed some serious tlc, though it was playable. With any luck I'll be posting photos of it tomorrow.
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Jun 16, 2012 04:55
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Thumposaurus posted:Take cash, and tell the guy I noticed you have the price at xxx, I have here xxx in cash. That, but instead of leaving give him your number and tell him to call you if he changes idea.
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Jun 16, 2012 05:05
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At most smaller shops you can get a "bulk" discount if you buy several items. If you're in the market for pedals and such, you could probably get a good deal getting them all at once.
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Jun 16, 2012 06:14
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Well I couldn't talk the guy down on the price, so I passed. It's in rough shape, so I'll keep checking to see if the price goes down on its own. Anyway the Gear Deals thread died a while ago, so I'll post this here: 5 sets of Light GHS Boomers with free shipping for $5 (plus tax) over at Best Buy. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/GHS+-+B...9&skuId=2803695
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Jun 18, 2012 18:37
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So I just picked up my first guitar (electric squier strat) a few weeks ago and I'm basically trying to teach myself to play using Justin's free online course. I have a question about fret buzz: At what point is it my fault, and at what point is it a problem with my guitar that needs to be adjusted? It isn't usually a problem if I'm strumming the strings lightly, but when I start strumming with more force I notice significant buzzing. Occasionally it is a problem of my finger pressing down the string too far away from the fret (or not pushing down hard enough). Is this supposed to be the case - is pushing down on strings too lightly supposed to create buzz? Edit: I also notice a buzzing when I lift my fingers to switch between chords (Something I still suck at doing) - I'm not sure how to amend that... killaer fucked around with this message at 20:30 on Jun 18, 2012 |
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Jun 18, 2012 19:42
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killaer posted:So I just picked up my first guitar (electric squier strat) a few weeks ago and I'm basically trying to teach myself to play using Justin's free online course. I generally feel that this is something that will ammend itself with time as you become more aware of how to use a frst. I can say that, if youve been playing for less than a year it very likely may not be the fault of the guitar. Make sure to use the very top of every fret. Place as little pressure as you can onthe fret but not so little that buzzing is caused. In general, play ultra slowly until you can get this down. Just do a simple 1 2 3 4 warmup exercise with no metronome and use the tip of each fret. When moving between single notes, make sure no buzzing or excess string noise occurs. Trying using muting of both the left and right hand to ake this happen. This also applies with chords. Use the index finger of the left hand and any spare fingers which are not being used inthe chord to ute the strings which are not a part of the chord. This is extremely hard at first for a beginner, but its good to still try. I would suggest moving between first one note, and then two note chords (then three, etc) to alleviate this problem slowly but surley. It took me a while to develop the dexterity and general not being scared of the guitar to get the clean playing down. If you feel awkward holding the guitar still, then give it time. You need to find the right amount of pressure and the right place at which to hold each fret, the right force and angle to pick with, as well as how far away from the bridge/neck. This will be different for each guitar. It is imperative that you do this ultra slow warm up exercise each time you pick up the guitar, at least for now. Imagine your fingers as hammers, and the technique is like playing the piano except you must pick at the exact same time you fret. It is more difficult to play this way, but this is proper technique. Arch your fingers greatly, and try to use as much muting as you can. Muting is the big part of playing clean, imho. Consider doing finger dexterity exercises to gain independent control of your left hand fingers. Eventually, you will reach a point where you can strum with the right hand across all strings but only sound out one note that you want on one string. In general, you do need to work on clean playing. It's very good that you're thinking along these lines already. You need to analyze why these buzzes and noises are happening, and this is best done by just playing very slowly and watching you hands, the vibration direction of the string, and putting your ear down next to the guitar to see where the buzz is coming from, etc. Once you've figured out why, then we can build exercises or give advice on what to do. coolbian57 fucked around with this message at 23:07 on Jun 18, 2012 |
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Jun 18, 2012 23:01
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Try fretting a single note and experimenting how hard you need to press, and how close your finger needs to be to the fret wire, and how softly you need to pick the string, to completely eliminate the buzz. Just get a feel for it. What you're mechanically doing is pulling the string taut over the fret wire, and then making it vibrate. If you don't apply enough pressure, the string will vibrate freely and hum against the fret. If your finger is too far from the fret, the angle at which the string is pulled over the fret will be much less severe, and that will also result in a lower force trying to hold it down. And the harder you pick the string, the wider the vibration (excursion) and the more chance part of the string will hit another fret on the neck and cause fret buzz. Anyway basically it comes down to this: you shouldn't need to use much pressure, and you can adjust it so you can have a really light touch if you want. You should fret as close to the wire as you can, but you can't always get right up there (especially playing chords), so you should be able to fret a reasonable distance back without getting a buzz. And you should be able to hit the strings however you want without buzz - a very aggressive style might require some changes (more string height or higher tension strings), but you shouldn't get buzz from normal guitar playing, unless your guitar is specifically set up with incredibly low strings for someone who plays with a feather touch. Which it shouldn't be, unless that's how you play. So experiment one fret at a time and get a feel for it. If you can't play naturally without some buzzing noises, something needs to be adjusted depending on where and when it happens! And muting is a skill you need to learn, you use both hands to keep strings quiet so during chord changes you'll probably want to let your picking hand rest against the strings to shut them up. It's also about fretting hand control, releasing pressure silently without pulling the string or squeaking along it. Some combination of the two. This guy lays a good technique out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tmM83KeP28 The left hand technique he's using there is something Justin will get to later, if you're not there already - about relaxing slightly so you can mute, instead of fretting straight on with your fingertips. It's like learning the fundamentals and then getting cleverer about it, so just bear this technique in mind for when you get to it
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Jun 19, 2012 02:17
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Poor technique will definitely cause buzzing, and the couple posts above mine are great for figuring that out. That said, if you are carefully fretting a note, in the right place, and it buzzes, it can certainly be your guitar. Squiers are Fender's budget brand and may have issues. They're not bad instruments by any means, but a poorly finished fret here or there isn't uncommon. Play a note somewhere so it doesn't buzz, then slowly go down the neck and play the notes one at a time. If you get buzz on one fret, or a small section of frets, it can often be resolved with a basic setup. A setup is taking your guitar in to a shop and telling them you want "a setup". A good shop will make sure your guitar is as playable as it can be. Setups run anywhere from 30 to 50ish, depending on where you live and where you take it. Most people recommend avoiding the massive chain shops, I take mine to a tiny mom and pop place and they do a great job. If your guitar buzzes and you're taking it really slow and holding down the note in the right place, it's well worth getting it looked at. A bad setup can frustrate you unnecessarily, which is a big barrier to just picking up the guitar and practicing. One last note, electrics are often set up intentionally to buzz slightly unplugged. My primary guitar actually buzzes quite a bit just because the strings are so close to the frets, but you can't hear it through an amp, so it's fine.
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Jun 19, 2012 21:39
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Can someone tell me the secret to getting a super creamy overdrive/distorted tone like in Death Cab for Cutie's "Cath" or even Hum's "Stars"? Both songs definitely have dirt to them but it's not crunchy or fuzzy, they're like smooth but with a bit of bite to them. I probably sound like a moron making up words, but I've always dreamed of getting those kind of tones and for whatever reason, I have a huge mental block about choosing equipment to get that sound or getting that sound to come out of my equipment. And then 9 times out of 10 when you listen to demos of anything guitar related the dude is playing lovely boring blues riffs and they're accentuating the crunchy kind of distortion.
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Jun 20, 2012 20:35
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I'm not very familiar with either song, but I just listened to them on Youtube and they don't sound very well comparable. As for the Death Cab song, I think you could get that tone pretty easily from a slightly overdriven tube amp.
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Jun 20, 2012 20:39
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rt4 posted:I'm not very familiar with either song, but I just listened to them on Youtube and they don't sound very well comparable. As for the Death Cab song, I think you could get that tone pretty easily from a slightly overdriven tube amp. They're not exactly the same but they both have a smoother quality than the kind of crunch you hear from Classic Rock acts, or alternative acts like Dinosaur Jr and Yuck.
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Jun 20, 2012 21:46
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Brand new guitar player here. Bought an acoustic. Noticed over the past couple days that some strings have a buzz to them. Now today, the EAD strings have such a loud buzz/rattle to them that its not even playable. If I put my hands on the back of the part with all the tuning pegs it muffles it significantly. What could cause that to rattle? The OP threw out some terms for fret buzz, but it sounds like something is just loose. Im not too sure how to correct it. Any ideas?
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Jun 20, 2012 22:45
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Kanish posted:Brand new guitar player here. Bought an acoustic. Noticed over the past couple days that some strings have a buzz to them. Now today, the EAD strings have such a loud buzz/rattle to them that its not even playable. If I put my hands on the back of the part with all the tuning pegs it muffles it significantly. Sounds like your tuning pegs are rattling. I'm not a guitar technician but i have had this problem before. I think your options are to try to tighten the tuning pegs or have someone else tighten them. Be very careful when doing this and you should be fine, though. There are screws on the back of each tuning peg. If it's not the tuning pegs rattling then you may have to consider either getting a new nut, adjusting the truss rod (if it's an acoustic it may not have an easy access or a truss rod at all), and adjusting the bridge. These things control the tension of the strings, and the height off of the fretboard of the strings. Both can be used to eliminate buzzes. One easy option is to put "shims" under the nut for the strings that buzz. In general it sounds like you may want to get your guitar "set up" at a shop or have them take a look at it. They won't (shouldn't) charge you for looking at it, as an experienced player will know right off whats causing it. A "set up" involves general maintenance of the guitar including restringing, setting the intonation, possibly putting in a new nut (you will have to buy the nut), cleaning the fretboard, adjusitng the truss rod, etc depending on what you ask for. You will take it in and say, i'm getting some bad buzzes and i'm not sure why and they should take it from there. Ask them to explain why it's happening, if they don't tell you. This will cost around $60, or you can try to do all this yourself. I trust you can google image the vocabulary i have used here, if you don't understand.
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Jun 20, 2012 23:48
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Epi Lepi posted:Can someone tell me the secret to getting a super creamy overdrive/distorted tone like in Death Cab for Cutie's "Cath" or even Hum's "Stars"? The Death Cab song sounds like a generic Tube Screamer tone, and the Hum song sounds like a Marshall head or something similar. Those are also studio recordings and you will never be able to replicate exactly, for a number of reasons. A Tube Screamer is your best bet for getting the same kind of tone, especially one modded to original specs. Ideally, a modded Tube Screamer plugged into a tube amp. Use the middle or bridge pickup. Turn the Presence knob on your amp down for creamier tone, up for fuzzier/chunkier tone.
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Jun 21, 2012 20:16
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CalvinDooglas posted:The Death Cab song sounds like a generic Tube Screamer tone, and the Hum song sounds like a Marshall head or something similar. I have a Fender Blues Jr, but I never push the master volume past 2 which is probably part of the reason I can't get that tone I want in my head. Gotta do what you gotta do when you're a bedroom player though. Do I have any pedal options for a Marshall tone?
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Jun 21, 2012 21:08
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Epi Lepi posted:I have a Fender Blues Jr, but I never push the master volume past 2 which is probably part of the reason I can't get that tone I want in my head. Gotta do what you gotta do when you're a bedroom player though. Do I have any pedal options for a Marshall tone? Check out something like the MXR distortion, or the Fulltone GT-500. You may be able to get close to with a Tube Screamer set on high gain and the amp's Presence knob turned up.
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Jun 21, 2012 23:07
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I have an acoustic guitar I want to try and sell on Craigslist, but I have no clue what I should ask for it. I played pretty casually and I honestly can't even remember where I got this guitar. It's a Washburn, says it's model D 10N, decent shape. Any idea what I should ask or how to find out?
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Jun 22, 2012 23:05
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Doghouse posted:I have an acoustic guitar I want to try and sell on Craigslist, but I have no clue what I should ask for it. I played pretty casually and I honestly can't even remember where I got this guitar. It's a Washburn, says it's model D 10N, decent shape. Any idea what I should ask or how to find out? Guitar Center has 2 used for 99.00. Amazon has people asking anywhere from 225.00 to 270.99, and eBay had one that didn't sell a few days ago for 89, but then one that was listed "used with BRAND new case" sold for 200.00. Not sure if that helps much with as far apart as those numbers are.
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Jun 23, 2012 04:42
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I just bought this Ibanez S Series guitar, and I love it except for the clear finish on the neck, anyone know how to remove this so I get that smooth unfinished neck feel WITHOUT ruining the whole instrument? Its a Prestige so i might just have to take it to a shop to get it done.
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Jun 24, 2012 18:29
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AcidRonin posted:I just bought this Ibanez S Series guitar, and I love it except for the clear finish on the neck, anyone know how to remove this so I get that smooth unfinished neck feel WITHOUT ruining the whole instrument? Its a Prestige so i might just have to take it to a shop to get it done. http://www.scotch-brite.com/wps/por...=5716383&rt=rud This is what I use.
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Jun 24, 2012 20:10
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How fair are places like GC and Sam Ash when it comes to selling them stuff? I'm moving soon, could use some extra scratch and I have some effects pedals I wouldn't mind selling (all perfect shape in box.) E:VVV Figured as much, thanks. Rolo fucked around with this message at 21:36 on Jun 24, 2012 |
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Jun 24, 2012 21:29
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Not fair at all, you're better off selling through ebay or craigslist (as a last resort I guess) if you have the time.
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Jun 24, 2012 21:30
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muike posted:http://www.scotch-brite.com/wps/por...=5716383&rt=rud so you literally just scotch-brite it off? it almost seems too simple....
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Jun 25, 2012 04:55
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Just enough to smooth it out, you don't want it to be completely bare for protection's sake.
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Jun 25, 2012 04:57
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muike posted:Not fair at all, you're better off selling through ebay or craigslist (as a last resort I guess) if you have the time. If you can find a decent used "mom-and-pop" store they might be able to give you a fair price with a more guaranteed buy than the CL flakes. (FULL DISCLOSURE - I work at one!) Where are you located?
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Jun 25, 2012 15:23
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I'm around Raleigh so I don't think it'd be hard to find a few smaller places that might buy some stuff. I may just try my luck in SAMart.
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Jun 25, 2012 22:40
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Rolo, throw those pedals right up in the Gear Trades thread here in ML. There are probably a metric fuckton of us that check that thread religiously when new posts pop up. 
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Jun 26, 2012 02:32
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A friend of mine recently got a Yamaha APX-500II, and I haven't had the chance to try it out yet, but I've been looking for a nice entry-level electroacustic for a bit, and I kinda love how the white model looks. Any opinions oh it? Also, weird question. A friend of mine is in the states and -may- be able to fly it back here when he comes back. Do they let you take a guitar with you on a plane (up in the cabin), or do they send it to the cargo hold? If so, will a guitar survive a plane trip in a hard case? Cheers.
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Jun 26, 2012 15:40
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Rolo posted:I'm around Raleigh so I don't think it'd be hard to find a few smaller places that might buy some stuff. I may just try my luck in SAMart. I don't know if you're willing but I'm from Rocky Mount and I'm currently looking for some new pedals and stuff. I don't have anything but a crappy metalzone pedal my friend found in the back of his closet.
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Jun 26, 2012 16:45
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So I just bought a new (used) guitar and amp but ran into an issue. When I'm not touching any metal on the guitar I get some humming through the amp. However, when I touch the bridge/strings/pickup/cable it goes away. I'm assuming this is a grounding issue, but how can I figure out if it's with the amp or guitar?
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Jun 27, 2012 05:28
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DeNofa posted:So I just bought a new (used) guitar and amp but ran into an issue. When I'm not touching any metal on the guitar I get some humming through the amp. However, when I touch the bridge/strings/pickup/cable it goes away. I'm assuming this is a grounding issue, but how can I figure out if it's with the amp or guitar?
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Jun 27, 2012 09:09
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Dolphin posted:What kind of guitar? Single coils do this normally.
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Jun 27, 2012 12:48
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Amp question. I've got an amp that I guess software simulates pedals and poo poo. What's the difference between, not sure if this is the right term, pre and post processing? Like I can toss an effects pedal between the guitar and amp, or I can put the thing after the amp, it sounds kinda different, I'm wondering what the actual difference is.
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Jun 27, 2012 17:48
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Most likely thing is that pre-processing puts the effects before the preamp as though they were plugged straight into the guitar. Post-processing is probably after the preamp but before the power amp the way that an effect loop works on amplifiers with those connectors.
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Jun 27, 2012 17:56
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What's the rational for choosing one over the other?
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Jun 27, 2012 17:59
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The power amp is usually very clean, so if you want a nice smooth reverb or something then you'll put it after the preamp so it doesn't pick up any extra distortion and muddy things up.
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Jun 27, 2012 18:00
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Ah that makes sense. Cool.
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Jun 27, 2012 18:04
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rt4 posted:The power amp is usually very clean, so if you want a nice smooth reverb or something then you'll put it after the preamp so it doesn't pick up any extra distortion and muddy things up. Experiment both ways, though. While the above is a totally sound approach, it varies from amp to amp how much ambient noise each component creates. If the preamp is noisy, that noise gets transferred into anything in the signal chain after it. Usually the earlier in the chain you place an effect, the less noise it's dealing with on its input stage. I'd suggest you always put any compressor-type effects pre-processing, because while comps tend to produce very little noise, they'll actually significantly amplify noise due to how they handle signal ratio. Distortion, too, tends to do better the earlier it is in the chain, for similar reasons. This varies depending on how fuzzy or tight you want your distortion to be, though. TL;DR-- experiment. You tend to get a warmer sound by putting effects after the preamp, but a cleaner, more defined tone before it (i.e. straight out of the guitar)
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Jun 30, 2012 05:36
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Yay, I can post here! I bought my first guitar (Yamaha F310P acoustic pack) and am looking forward to learning me some geetar. It's only a cheapy but I love it already  After I learn some basics I'm looking to get an electric too. I've been eyeing the Schecter SGR 006 because it seems like good quality, looks pretty, and most importantly has a string through/no tremelo bridge. I'm not a fan of LPs (I don't like the way they sit when I've tried them) but I really don't want to mess with a tremelo system I won't use. And that cuts down a lot of my choices because it seems like every beginner electric has a friggin' tremelo. Any opinions?
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Jul 1, 2012 10:01
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I've never handled one of those budget models, but Schecter makes a very good guitar in general. It would probably be a pretty safe purchase even if you order online and aren't able to try it out first. Also: curse you for letting me know those exist. I have a very real impulse control problem when it comes to cheap guitars.
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Jul 1, 2012 16:32
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