|
Guitarist Transformation update: Thanks to Rocksmith, and a fabulous book I bought off Amazon, I think I'm actually playing guitar. I've been practicing for roughly an hour a night, while I skype with MY WIFE (she's been my biggest fan). I think that Rocksmith has really helped and been a huge factor namely, as you get better, the difficulty increases, so I always feel challenged. It's frustrating because you never feel like you master a song, then you realize you're playing all the chords instead of picking at single strings. There have been days I want to throw my guitar and just quit. I'm now scoring over 100k on several songs. The book I picked up is this one: Guitar for Absolute Beginners It's really simple, and gives you great direction into understanding what you're doing. I've picked up a Capo, and it helped my fretting technique. I don't want to shill for this drat thing, but if you're starting out, this book will walk you into playing some stuff, then before you know it, you're strumming your own stuff. So, basically, this essentially is what I consider Learned: How to Tremolo Tuning Hammer Ons G-Em-A-D chord progression (thanks Pachelbel!) Chords: E Em A Am A7 C C7 D Dm Dsus G F Power Chords I can actually play songs based on their chords by sight now, and am slowly working towards by ear. I like playing music I recognzie because I know I'm playing it close to what it needs to be (Discovered About a Girl by Nirvana by accident!) What I really need to work on is getting my Barre stronger, and also to get my harmonics and pull offs sounding alot clearer. (Any advice on that?) I'm not sure which way I should be going here though. I'm trying to pick up music theory so I can take each of these chords and turn them upside down on their ear and make them mine for good. But, that will come with time I'm sure. I just wanted to thank the thread for giving me the inspiration to really make the guitar stick this time. Reading all the little details you guys have about Guitars, sounds, amps, gear, and theory just shows the wealth of information I don't have. Once I get back to the states, I'm going to sign up with an instructor and get me some hands on.
|
#
?
Jan 31, 2013 07:52
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 1, 2024 20:17 |
|
|
Declan MacManus posted:As someone who has gigged with Jazzmasters, good loving riddance. It's two pickups; three positions is all you need (maybe a kill switch if you're feeling frisky). I usually end up disconnecting the rhythm circuit all together. I like the GFS Jazzmaster pickups, as well. The wood isn't great, though. I've had that experience with an old Jaguar. Bought it unseen and was delighted to finally hold one of those machines (this was a long time ago), and then I plugged it in. Holy poo poo, what were they thinking. Abysmal choice in switching as well as the way to do the switching, impossible to find a spot where you weren't feeding back like crazy, a whammy bar so loose it would start to spin all by itself, a bridge that doubled as maracas, and a sound thinner than the cheapest Eko Fauxcaster. Abomination.
|
|
#
?
Jan 31, 2013 11:08
|
|
|
Underflow posted:I've had that experience with an old Jaguar. Bought it unseen and was delighted to finally hold one of those machines (this was a long time ago), and then I plugged it in. Holy poo poo, what were they thinking. Abysmal choice in switching as well as the way to do the switching, impossible to find a spot where you weren't feeding back like crazy, a whammy bar so loose it would start to spin all by itself, a bridge that doubled as maracas, and a sound thinner than the cheapest Eko Fauxcaster. Abomination. Those are all things that people like the Jaguar for. The switching isn't too hard to get your head around if you just spend a little time with it and mechanical issues with the bridge/trem can be taken care of with stock parts and just a little work. It's just not as simple an instrument as a Telecaster or something and requires a bit more setup work.
|
|
#
?
Jan 31, 2013 17:49
|
|
|
Cowboybot posted:Learning to play guitar Congrats! The first time you start to really "get" it is a great feeling. It sounds like you have reached the point in playing guitar where you are done climbing the the first and most difficult "barrier" of entry. At this point if you keep practicing you will start to get better almost exponentially, at least that's how it was for me. Once I got over the initial barrier of putting my fingers in weird positions while holding down metal wire on a slab of wood and started learning basic songs/chords...it was off the races! The feeling of finally accomplishing a piece of music never stops giving off that proud feeling no matter how good you get. Keep on keepin' on!
|
|
#
?
Jan 31, 2013 17:54
|
|
|
Cowboybot posted:What I really need to work on is getting my Barre stronger, and also to get my harmonics and pull offs sounding alot clearer. (Any advice on that?) An instructor will be great, and ideally they'll cover some theory as you go, so you'll know why you're playing certain things together. You can get a head start by learning your fretboard, and the circle of fifths - there's a great exercise for that here (and it covers the circle through the link): http://www.studybass.com/lessons/fretboard-notes/studybass-note-name-memorization-method/ The bass is basically the bottom four strings of a guitar, and your 1st and 6th strings are identical, so you just need to work out the B string for yourself. When you work up to all the strings you can drill the whole fretboard in a couple of minutes. The site's great for music theory in general, it's worth a read For slurs (hammer-ons and pull-offs) you probably need to work on strength and accuracy, so get a metronome (you should have one, it'll help everywhere) and practice plucking a note one time, hammering on to a higher note, then pulling off back to the first, then hammering back on to the second... make sure you're in time with the beat of the metronome, and try to get a consistent volume for both moves, and see if you can maintain that volume and evenness. At first you'll get tired and you'll probably start to lose strength and accuracy as you keep up the trill, but you'll get stronger. Just make sure you're in time - once you lose it, have a rest and start over. And do this with all combos of your fingers, so 1-2 1-3 1-4 2-3 2-4 3-4 (that last one is tough going). Justin's always great for stuff, he has some good barre technique tips http://www.justinguitar.com/en/IM-111-EShapeMajorMinorBarreChords.php Might want to look at his page on the CAGED method too (which will tie in with learning the fretboard) Honestly I'd treat all the gear stuff as a completely separate issue - you don't need to know about amps and guitar models to play the instrument, and you don't need to know how to play to be an expert on equipment and technical stuff. There's a useful crossover, like being able to set up your instrument or knowing what you need to get a certain sound, how to choose a live rig etc., but you'll come to that as you need it!
|
|
#
?
Jan 31, 2013 19:03
|
|
|
Speaking of Justin, his Fire & Rain lesson made me want to learn how to play it - however it seems to require a good bit of finger picking and all I've done is plectrum style stuff. What's my best options for doing finger picking without growing my finger nails out. Long nails don't agree with contact sports 
|
|
#
?
Jan 31, 2013 20:38
|
|
|
Warcabbit posted:Since you have the experience, Declan, how do you compare real Jazzmaster pickups and GFS ones? The GFS pickups are meatier than a typical JM pickup, even with the vintage wound specs. They're darker than the SD Antiquity, somewhere between a traditional Jazzmaster and a P90. It'll still get you in the ballpark, and rolling the volume back a bit helps. If you're looking to upgrade, say, a Squier Jazzmaster, they're definitely worth looking into and experimenting with.
|
|
#
?
Jan 31, 2013 22:05
|
|
|
That LTD EC-401FM came in on Tuesday but I haven't really had time to take decent pictures of it yet. The case is in good condition and so is the guitar. According to him it was set up in drop C with 12-52 strings but when I was setting it up in standard w/ 10-46s I noticed that the nut has been pretty much ruined. The guy filed the poo poo out of the slots and even after my setup the D and G strings still buzz around the middle of the fretboard (even when I bowed the poo poo out of the neck and set the action high as gently caress as a test). So far it's looking like a replacement nut is about 15 bucks and I feel comfortable filing down a new one but I've never removed one and I have no idea what kind/size/brand to get though I can likely file down the nut to fit in the space. I trust you guys with this kinda stuff so should I either: -replace the nut myself -pay a dude to replace the nut -butch up and deal with the buzzing because it's really not that bad -unlock it's full potential by giving up and just setting the guitar up in B standard with 13-56s
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2013 02:36
|
|
|
Gettin' nuts out is actually really easy. They're not held in with a whole lot of glue. If you're going to play it in E standard, go ahead and pull that bitch out and put a new pre-cut one in.
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2013 02:38
|
|
|
Pretty much I'll need a chisel to take it out or just hit a flathead screwdriver with a wrench like I do for most other things? My idea for the replacement is to put some masking tape down, mark where the strings already are, replace the nut, then file it down a little bit and constantly check I'm not filing it too much for my string gauge. I've filed nuts plenty of times to setup guitars in low tunings but never done a full replacement so I'm kinda nervous about it.
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2013 03:00
|
|
|
Well, like I said, you can get a precut nut to eliminate having to do that part yourself, but you definitely could mark the fretboard or something if you wanted. If you want to start with a nut blank, go wild, they're probably cheaper than pre-slottted ones anyway.
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2013 03:06
|
|
|
FancyMike posted:Those are all things that people like the Jaguar for. The switching isn't too hard to get your head around if you just spend a little time with it and mechanical issues with the bridge/trem can be taken care of with stock parts and just a little work. It's just not as simple an instrument as a Telecaster or something and requires a bit more setup work. Yeah I know, I wasn't being very reasonable there. I just remember the disappointment over how such a goodlooking guitar could go against all my expectations. That Jaguar was the reason I never looked at a Fender again. which probably made me miss out on a few nice Teles.
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2013 08:09
|
|
|
Francostein posted:Pretty much I'll need a chisel to take it out or just hit a flathead screwdriver with a wrench like I do for most other things? My idea for the replacement is to put some masking tape down, mark where the strings already are, replace the nut, then file it down a little bit and constantly check I'm not filing it too much for my string gauge. I've filed nuts plenty of times to setup guitars in low tunings but never done a full replacement so I'm kinda nervous about it. Check the measurements and get a Tusq nut blank. It minimizes the sanding you have to do and should be able to get it up to snuff in an hour with just a level sanding surface and some sandpaper. Most of that time is just putting the nut back on and tensioning the strings to check intonation. <edit: corrected misleading info> Removing the nut should be simple: take a new razor or xacto blade, and score the seam where the nut meets the rest of the guitar to make sure you don't crack the varnish in the next step. Then, take a small driver and position it against the side of the nut. Take a small hammer (this is what I use), and firmly tap the driver a couple of times. Should slide right out with a pair of pliers. I've done this with numerous banjos, and my first guitar whose nut was ruined in a way very similar to yours. Works every time. Loaf32 fucked around with this message at 16:14 on Feb 1, 2013 |
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2013 16:06
|
|
|
Underflow posted:Yeah I know, I wasn't being very reasonable there. I just remember the disappointment over how such a goodlooking guitar could go against all my expectations. That Jaguar was the reason I never looked at a Fender again. which probably made me miss out on a few nice Teles. All Teles are nice Teles. 
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2013 16:24
|
|
|
Underflow posted:Yeah I know, I wasn't being very reasonable there. I just remember the disappointment over how such a goodlooking guitar could go against all my expectations. That Jaguar was the reason I never looked at a Fender again. which probably made me miss out on a few nice Teles. Eh, I love the Jaguar but I can definitely see how it's not for everyone. Even set up perfectly they're quirky machines with a distinct sound.
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2013 18:08
|
|
|
Most modern Jags and Jazzmasters have non original spec'd bridges to compensate for the mechanical problems.
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2013 19:09
|
|
|
A mastery bridge is pretty drat expensive but most of the problems pretty tidily. You could also route the body for a tune-o-matic or file the saddles down; the main thing when fixing the bridge is adjusting for the radius of the neck; that's true of any bridge, though 
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2013 20:17
|
|
|
Mustang bridges drop right in and have what are considered by most people to be superior saddles. Warmoth even makes one that's adjustable. I went for the Mastery on my Jazzmaster because I couldn't get the stock saddles to handle the bigger baritone strings.
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2013 21:48
|
|
|
I'm looking around for a new bedroom practice amp, something smallish and quiet, and could use some advice. I play mostly low-gain post-punk, surf and a little jazz using an Eastwood Sidejack and, occasionally, a Fender American Standard Strat. I use pedals for effects, so I don't care for, nor want, anything with built-in effects besides a gain channel and possibly reverb. Combos are preferred, since this is only going to be used as a practice/home studio amp. I'm looking to pay under $350, although I'm willing to wait for sales to pick up something a little pricier. Clean tone and the ability to take pedals is key, here. I want something with more clarity and definition in the attack than the 90's budget Fender Frontman amps I'm playing through now, which sound a bit flat and lifeless, that can still keep its tonal characteristics when played at a low volume. At the same time, it has to take to the pedals I have, too. I'm not too worried about the modulation pedals, but I'd rather not drop money on an amp that'll sound crappy with my fuzz and overdrive. Lastly, ideally, I'd like something well-shielded from radio frequencies. I live in a hilly area surrounded by radio towers, and my amps tend to pick up talk radio. I know it's a tough thing to recommend, especially for the price point, but this would be a pretty big bonus for me. Any suggestions?
|
|
#
?
Feb 2, 2013 03:14
|
|
|
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-R1pMp7iwg Excelsior? Zuhzuhzombie!! fucked around with this message at 06:07 on Feb 2, 2013 |
|
#
?
Feb 2, 2013 06:02
|
|
|
OutOfPrint posted:I'm looking around for a new bedroom practice amp, Fender super champ or mustang, also get a ts808 as it'll be your favorite pedal. As to the nut problems, it's not too bad but I'm definitely replacing it eventually. I'm kinda super busy this weekend and next weekend is Mardi Gras so uh yeah, I'll try to do it after that. I have my old file set but not sandpaper so ill just spend those few weeks watching every single video on the subject on YouTube to see which tools I need to pick up. Either way I need new mechanics gloves so I can always justify a trip to a hardware store.
|
|
#
?
Feb 2, 2013 07:14
|
|
|
Have fun bustin that nut 
|
|
#
?
Feb 2, 2013 07:22
|
|
|
I've been playing guitar forever, but I have some questions for the people who know about guitar setup. I'm thinking about buying this guitar: Schecter Omen-8. I'm using this thing to make solo drone doom music, so what I'd like to do is throw some heavy rear end strings on it and use it as an 8-string baritone-ish guitar. I'm considering (realize: I just play guitar and know how to fix simple stuff like intonation and action, I've never modded a guitar) using a normal guitar set from the G-E (as in, the G would replace the high-E) as the first four strings, and then just buying individual strings for the lower four. I guess I really just have 3 questions: first, will this destroy the neck of the guitar? Second, will those giant strings even fit the tuning pegs? And third, will I destroy my amp's speakers by playing through it? If I'm gonna do this, should I just save up a little more cash and get an instrument with a longer scale length? [edit] Guess that's four questions [edit again] To clarify further: The lower 4 strings would probably be tuned as octave courses, so the strings wouldn't be getting heavier by the same amount as if I was tuning all four progressively lower. BUSH 2112 fucked around with this message at 09:00 on Feb 2, 2013 |
|
#
?
Feb 2, 2013 08:49
|
|
|
What's your lowest string going to be tuned to? It sounds like you'd be going for something lower than C# at that point which is, honestly, the limit of the guitar's range. As is, a C# is going to need a bass string, not sure exactly how heavy you're going to have to go. Those tuners might take it if you drill them out. I'd definitely go with something longer than 26.5" here. I'd even say 28 would be too low, this is more in the territory of 30" or fanned fret instruments. You could probably pull it off at 28, though, especially since you're not going for a super tight sound. Some of the extended range guys here can help you out more, but man it sounds like you got your work cut out for you. Here's some guitars with longer scale lengths to peep: http://www.rondomusic.com/8StringGuitars.html edit: well okay then you should be fine. it'd be helpful to know exactly what you're going to end up tuning to, though, so I can get an idea of the string gauges and tensions. Try this website out to see what you'd be comfortable with tension-wise: http://hikkyz.net/misc/stringassembler/ Other string brands will have slightly different tensions but the idea's the same. And yeah, a guitar neck and a guitar amp will handle it just fine. edit2: what do you know, you can still get guitar strings at .090. You can up to .106 at CircleK strings, apparently. muike fucked around with this message at 09:08 on Feb 2, 2013 |
|
#
?
Feb 2, 2013 09:01
|
|
|
Guessing that mixing a pack of DR DDT7-11's and DDT-13's isn't going to cut it? You can get the DDT-13's to Drop C tuning easy so C# shouldn't be a problem, hell people have got them to Drop G# tuning with proper setup. 65' 56' 54' 42' 32' 22' 17' 15' As an example set. Scroll down on here. DrStrings.com speciality
|
|
#
?
Feb 2, 2013 12:16
|
|
|
Verizian posted:Guessing that mixing a pack of DR DDT7-11's and DDT-13's isn't going to cut it? You can get the DDT-13's to Drop C tuning easy so C# shouldn't be a problem, hell people have got them to Drop G# tuning with proper setup. I may be confused but I tune my 8-string F# B E A D G B E and use a 70 bass string on a 30" scale. That setup just barely has enough tension in my opinion so I think that tuning a 65 down to C# would rough.
|
|
#
?
Feb 2, 2013 12:50
|
|
|
Thanks for the input, guys. Yeah, I was thinking C# would be the 7th and 8th and G# for the 5th and 6th strings. The bottom 4 strings would basically just be used for drones. I might just get a cheapish Ibanez six string and put a Warmoth baritone conversion neck on it, and go from there. That Omen seemed like it could work for me, but I really want something with a long scale length. And to not totally break the bank, but I'd rather just save up some more cash and do this right. [edit] Meant G# and D# for the bass "courses", I got like 2 hours of sleep. So the tuning would be (G# G#) (D# D#) G# D# G# C# BUSH 2112 fucked around with this message at 17:46 on Feb 2, 2013 |
|
#
?
Feb 2, 2013 17:04
|
|
|
This sounds like a solid contender, but the lack of EQ knobs is a little off-putting, and 13W with a 15" speaker might be too much. I'm looking in the 1-10W range. From the demos I've been watching, the Blackstar HT series sounds pretty good. I might bite the bullet and go for the 5W option, but, like the Excelsior, I'd have to play it, first.
|
|
#
?
Feb 2, 2013 23:53
|
|
|
OutOfPrint posted:From the demos I've been watching, the Blackstar HT series sounds pretty good. I might bite the bullet and go for the 5W option, but, like the Excelsior, I'd have to play it, first. Also a lot of amps really don't need EQ knobs to sound good (current amp has tone and volume and sounds loving amaaaaazing).
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2013 00:09
|
|
|
I restrung my artcore with super slinky 9s, simply because I had a set (the CL seller included them) and never tried them before. Sometimes when strumming the low e will slip off the neck sometimes and get stuck against the frets. Is this a normal thing with this kinda string or am I maybe doing something strange? I did stretch the strings already and they aren't going out of tune.
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2013 00:48
|
|
|
OutOfPrint posted:This sounds like a solid contender, but the lack of EQ knobs is a little off-putting, and 13W with a 15" speaker might be too much. I'm looking in the 1-10W range. Ive been looking at them and the HT series looks really awesome. I really wanted to get one but I fell in love with an egnater tweaker and eloped with it.
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2013 01:10
|
|
|
Salt Fish posted:I may be confused but I tune my 8-string F# B E A D G B E and use a 70 bass string on a 30" scale. That setup just barely has enough tension in my opinion so I think that tuning a 65 down to C# would rough. Why are you using a 70 bass string? Grab the 8 string daddarios with the 74. It would be perfect for you. I use that on my 8 and its as good as I'm going to get. I wish I would have gone with fanned frets though.
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2013 01:28
|
|
|
I've got an HT-5R, and it's a pretty nice amp, effects loop and everything, but the cleans suffer for sharing an EQ with the gain circuit. It sounds pretty good, overall, though. Especially after a EQ and a boost or two.
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2013 02:05
|
|
|
Fender also makes that Greta, which is a tabletop amp with around 5w, I think.
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2013 02:06
|
|
|
Clitch posted:Fender also makes that Greta, which is a tabletop amp with around 5w, I think.
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2013 02:36
|
|
|
Kilometers Davis posted:Why are you using a 70 bass string? Grab the 8 string daddarios with the 74. It would be perfect for you. I use that on my 8 and its as good as I'm going to get. I wish I would have gone with fanned frets though. I don't know about daddarios but the ernie ball 8 string pack is unsuitable for a 30 inch scale with body-through bridge. The 8th string had a taper that was ~30" down the string which meant that the taper fell in front of the nut near the 2nd fret. I personally think the GHS bass 70 works pretty well on the nut and tuners. The one issue I have with it right now is that the ball on the end is too large and so it sticks out the back of the guitar body.
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2013 02:58
|
|
|
Salt Fish posted:I personally think the GHS bass 70 works pretty well on the nut and tuners. The one issue I have with it right now is that the ball on the end is too large and so it sticks out the back of the guitar body. http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/bass_ferrules.htm Just make drat sure before you drill it out that it's not going to drill through an adjacent ferrule; the bit will center itself the instant you engage the drill so do yourself a favor and flip the bit to eyeball what the size of the hole is going to become. Any overlap with an adjacent ferrule and this is a no-go Also there are rivet nuts of various sizes if the 3/8" Gotoh are too big; there might be a metric one that would fit nicely. Make sure to get the diameter of the flange as well as the inner diameter, as these vary from manufacturer to manufacturer as well as intended primary purpose.
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2013 07:29
|
|
|
I've wanted a decent acoustic for a long time. Finally bought one yesterday. It's a Yamaha FG730S. I went to Guitar Center and played a bunch of guitars. Made the mistake of picking up a ~$750 Martin and loved the rich bass, so I asked the dude at the counter if anything cheaper than that could approach that bass. He suggested checking out guitars with rosewood backs and sides, so that's what I did. I really liked the tone and feel of this one, and it was in my price range, so I bought it! Before this, I was using a Carlo Robelli CW4110 that an ex was given for free and then had let me indefinitely borrow since she didn't really have any motivation to learn to play. 2-3 years after we broke up she suddenly wanted it back, so I took that as an excuse to buy myself a nice guitar. dakana fucked around with this message at 16:05 on Feb 3, 2013 |
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2013 16:01
|
|
|
Remulak posted:I restrung my artcore with super slinky 9s, simply because I had a set (the CL seller included them) and never tried them before. Sometimes when strumming the low e will slip off the neck sometimes and get stuck against the frets. Is this a normal thing with this kinda string or am I maybe doing something strange? I did stretch the strings already and they aren't going out of tune. 9s on a 24.75" neck are pretty much spaghetti. I've moved up to 12-56 in standard on my tele over the years, and really love the higher tension.
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2013 21:38
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 1, 2024 20:17 |
|
|
dakana posted:I've wanted a decent acoustic for a long time. Finally bought one yesterday. You're gonna be happy with it. I have the FG700 which is very similar soundwise (back and sides is a different wood, but they aren't solid woods so I don't know how much it would really affect sound) but less good looking. It's awesome, plays really well and I have no bad thing to say about it. Go get it set-up well as soon as you can though, it's worth every penny.
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2013 21:58
|
|
