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Jazz III Ultex XL's are the way to go. Large enough to strum, sharp enough for speed and accuracy. Also sounds identical to my thumb nail with a clean tone and you can use a rounded edge to get a smooth tone with less high end when needed.
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Jan 9, 2015 00:15
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Kilo sent me a Dava pick and I used it for a bit because it was kinda quirky and gimmicky and then I realized, for some reason, have way more control with them then any other pick I have tried
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Jan 9, 2015 00:44
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SaNChEzZ posted:Am I lame for liking the .88 tortex standards? I refuse to use anything else when playing bass and used to use those things exclusively when I was in high school.
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Jan 9, 2015 00:46
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For real try one of the 2mm ultex ones if you can http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/ultex-jazz-III-2mm I got that mixed tin of different Jazz 3s (including the thinner ultex) but the 2mm one was the standout, it just sounds completely different. Super clear and chimey. I don't like it for everything, it's missing some low end for things like power chords, but for lead and jangly rhythm and stuff it's a good time I realise this might sound a bit audiophile MY SOUNDSTAGE but it really does have its own character, it's A Good Pick
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Jan 9, 2015 00:47
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baka kaba posted:For real try one of the 2mm ultex ones if you can I'm definitely still learning, but I'll give it a shot. It's not really a sound thing for me yet, just a feel thing really.
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Jan 9, 2015 00:49
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Well I used to really dislike the jazz 3 I had (the standard red one) and used tortexes exclusively, but one day I forced myself to use it during practice and it really helped. The precision involved and the amount of control I had made it great to hone technique, and eventually I just started using it for regular playing most of the time as well. It's worth a go!
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Jan 9, 2015 01:09
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baka kaba posted:For real try one of the 2mm ultex ones if you can I like the Ultex .88s, because they feel nice in the hand and they're meaty enough to get a good purchase on the strings.
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Jan 9, 2015 01:25
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How are you holding picks, is there a proper way or is it just whatever's comfortable. I've found myself holding between my index and thumb, but in the 'ok' hand gesture. Most things I've seen/eard is that it's supposed to rest on the index with the thumb placed over it.
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Jan 9, 2015 01:26
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SaNChEzZ posted:How are you holding picks, is there a proper way or is it just whatever's comfortable. I've found myself holding between my index and thumb, but in the 'ok' hand gesture. Most things I've seen/eard is that it's supposed to rest on the index with the thumb placed over it. yeah that's real wrong and your gonna have picks shooting out of your hands all the time. Plus you're using the wrong motion in your wrist and probably using too big of a motion. I play with the pick on top of my 1st finger over the last knuckle which I use as a pivot, so my motion ends up being a combination or my thumb pivoting the pick back and forth and a slight turning motion of my wrist.
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Jan 9, 2015 01:39
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You're right, and they do tend to move around a lot. I'm done making GBS threads up the thread for now, thanks!
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Jan 9, 2015 01:40
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SaNChEzZ posted:You're right, and they do tend to move around a lot. I'm done making GBS threads up the thread for now, thanks! The pick moving around is probably a combo of your grip and how hard you're playing. Most beginning players strum/pick way too hard. If you can feel the the string deflecting as you pluck you're either playing too hard or you have the pick too flat. The pick shouldn't be on the same plane as the string, angle the pick down and and to the left enough so you slice the string a bit.
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Jan 9, 2015 01:47
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HollisBrown posted:The pick moving around is probably a combo of your grip and how hard you're playing. Most beginning players strum/pick way too hard. If you can feel the the string deflecting as you pluck you're either playing too hard or you have the pick too flat. The pick shouldn't be on the same plane as the string, angle the pick down and and to the left enough so you slice the string a bit. Gotcha, I've never lost a pick but it definitely moves around a lot but as you mentioned that's probably because of grip. I've played off and on for a while and gotten used to strumming and stuff at this point.
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Jan 9, 2015 02:22
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Play with your fingers.
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Jan 9, 2015 03:11
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KyloWinter posted:Play with your fingers. Wilco Johnson or bust.
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Jan 9, 2015 04:38
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HollisBrown posted:yeah that's real wrong and your gonna have picks shooting out of your hands all the time. Plus you're using the wrong motion in your wrist and probably using too big of a motion. I don't think I've ever considered whether or not I do anything with my picking hand thumb while I play. I may have to investigate this. I'm sure it probably was, and I was just an impatient teenager, but I can't ever remember getting taught about the finer points of picking in guitar lessons years ago.
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Jan 9, 2015 04:58
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Telemaster arrived and assembled. I'd put the body on par with about a Vintage Modified Squier. Neck pocket didn't work out completely in my favour and 1mm gap on one side. Tossed flatwound chromes on it and I'm digging those.  Also to bring it back to pick chat, I usually use the Yellow Tortex .73s. Local shop guy set me up with a dozen of these. No complaints so far (sorry, not man enough for the Jazzers, even though I have a dozen different types of them). 
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Jan 9, 2015 06:32
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SaNChEzZ posted:How are you holding picks, is there a proper way or is it just whatever's comfortable. I've found myself holding between my index and thumb, but in the 'ok' hand gesture. Most things I've seen/eard is that it's supposed to rest on the index with the thumb placed over it. it's good enough for george benson it's good enough for you e: if you want to know more than you ever wanted to know about picking, or have insomnia, this is a great article incidentally, tuck andress is annie clark's uncle. small world Alec Bald Snatch fucked around with this message at 06:48 on Jan 9, 2015 |
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Jan 9, 2015 06:39
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I want a Telemaster so badly. Where did you get yours?
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Jan 9, 2015 06:58
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R.D. Mangles posted:I'm interested in getting a tele, probably a Squier CV or a VM thinline. I haven't had a chance to play one, though I've played a few made-in-Mexico teles and some American ones that I can't afford. I like the tele neck and it seems pretty versatile. Is there a major step down in quality between a made-in-Mexico tele that retails for about $500 and the CVs? Is there a significant sound difference between the thinline and the standard? There's not really a drop-off between the MIMs and the CVs (and most people actually prefer the CVs). There probably won't be a huge difference in sound between the thinline and the standard unless you've got your amp cranked up, in which case they will feed back differently because of the body construction. Other than that, there aren't really tonal differences when it comes to body construction in electric guitars because of the way that an electric guitar pickup works. Verizian posted:Jazz III Ultex XL's are the way to go. Large enough to strum, sharp enough for speed and accuracy. Also sounds identical to my thumb nail with a clean tone and you can use a rounded edge to get a smooth tone with less high end when needed. one true pick  I actually got turned onto these by some metal guy on YouTube but they're basically perfect
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Jan 9, 2015 08:33
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Thanks for all the pick advice. I'll give a few different ones a go (particularly try a few thicker ones) and try a few more finger styles.
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Jan 9, 2015 11:00
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Jazz III used to be my favorite pick, but I got so tired of always losing them that I just started buying cheap 1.25 acetal picks in bulks of 100 with custom printed logo of whichever band I´m in at the time.
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Jan 9, 2015 11:17
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I'm thinking of picking myself up a guitar to celebrate my thirtieth yesterday and j was thinking of something put together in '85 - are there any stand out brands and types I should look into particularly? I've heard that both fender and gibson went through a bit of a crap stage then.
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Jan 9, 2015 11:20
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Get something pointy like a Jackson or Kramer. That's basically 1985 in guitar form.
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Jan 9, 2015 12:26
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KyloWinter posted:I want a Telemaster so badly. Where did you get yours? The problem is this specific model is only available as a blem. They shut down the line last year, or something. Still, that just makes the price better. May I suggest this one? http://www.guitarfetish.com/XV-JT90-Hybrid-Offset-GFS-PIckups-Caramel-Ash-Body-Rosewood--Blem_p_10990.html Little bit of work with a file and it's good to go.
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Jan 9, 2015 13:11
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Who needs 100 picks? I've used the same pick for half a year, what do you do with them? Sprinkle them around like confetti?
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Jan 9, 2015 14:06
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I know I've been looking craigslist for a semi-hollow and it's also not the finish I would want for the model, but I've found someone selling a like new Ibanez AG75 full hollowbody for $250 and I'm seriously considering it. Talk me down goons.
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Jan 9, 2015 15:15
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DeathSandwich posted:I know I've been looking craigslist for a semi-hollow and it's also not the finish I would want for the model, but I've found someone selling a like new Ibanez AG75 full hollowbody for $250 and I'm seriously considering it. Talk me down goons. Totes jealous over here as it is one of the models I'm considering but can't find second hand, would have bought it. Sorry for not talking you down.
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Jan 9, 2015 15:25
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EvilRic posted:Thanks for all the pick advice. I'll give a few different ones a go (particularly try a few thicker ones) and try a few more finger styles. I'm surprised to see that v-picks haven't come up. They come in lots of different sizes, shapes, and thicknesses, but I wholeheartedly picking up the starter pack or just the Screamer. It is a fantastic pick for acoustic guitar. Sharp and bright. I'll put my main three picks out:  The Dimension is basically the same as the Screamer. I like thick, unyielding picks. They force you to be very precise. I also like wood picks a lot - they wear fast, but have a nice, warm sound. I think that one is mahogany. Lignum vitae picks are cool, but you may or may not feel liberal guilt as the picks you can buy are probably not sustainably sourced. Using endangered wood is kind of gross. The metal pick is steel I had laser cut by goons at the now-defunct Robinson Laser, based on the V-Pick screamer shape. I lack real tools, so I sandpapered an edge down enough to use. It's heavy. comes along bort posted:e: if you want to know more than you ever wanted to know about picking, or have insomnia, this is a great article This is amazing, but I'd pay money for a version with photos or illustrations.
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Jan 9, 2015 15:42
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Verizian posted:Jazz III Ultex XL's are the way to go. Large enough to strum, sharp enough for speed and accuracy. Also sounds identical to my thumb nail with a clean tone and you can use a rounded edge to get a smooth tone with less high end when needed. If they made those in Max Grip, it'd prolly be my perfect pick. Until that day comes: http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/max-grip-jazz-III Picks that slip annoy the crap out of me. Max Grip for life. That all being said, I was short a pick on my beater acoustic the other night and I pulled one of my Max Grip Nylon standards, an .88, out of my pick storage and used it for a bit. Thinned out the sound a lot in the lower mids, and it definitely took me a some effort to get used to playing at the same speed on fast stuff (fast? HAHAHAHAHA) with it as my J3's, but still... I may give those a go again on acoustic for a while... it opened a lot of chords up in a very pleasing way. In other news, modal substitution is a hoot. It's the best reason in the world to learn your scales, kids.
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Jan 9, 2015 18:23
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I wish I could use thin picks like the yellow ultex dunlops because they're really comfy and casual. They sound so thin and weak to me though. If I use them for a while I start trying to figure out what's wrong with my setup and it's always the picks killing my sound. I also really relate to the Joe Pass idea of a small hard pick bringing you physically and mentally closer to what you're playing. Intense strumming on an acoustic with a max grip Jazz is really zen like for me. You can't hold back or you'll sound bad and you can get sloppy or you'll ruin your hand.
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Jan 9, 2015 21:17
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Just wanted to pop in here for my first question as a beginner, of which I will try to keep to a minimum! After 20 or so years of wanting to learn to play guitar I finally picked up a Yamaha FG700S last week and have been working my way through Justinguitar. I am finding his lessons to be fantastic and very accessible for a new player. I'm already up to ~30 D/A one-minute changes and finding the routines to be productive. Someone in the PYF Purchases thread had recommended that I get my guitar set up at a local shop as being new out of the box they're not quite ready for use. I didn't want to derail the conversation in there so just had some follow-up questions to make sure that I am being prudent/informed with getting this done. - What exactly should I expect them to perform on the guitar. What should I make sure is done in order to get value out of the service? - The local shop recommended to me (Ann Arbor Guitars) charges $85 for the service and $9 for a set of strings. Is this fair? Seems reasonable to me, but am uneducated so don't know better. - When I receive the guitar back, what should I expect from having it set up. It seems odd that guitars are sold in need of initial set up, so am just cautious as whether this is more targeted to someone who would appreciate it being set up or if it absolutely necessary and everyone should budget for it prior to purchasing? - Not a question, but jesus christ the fingers on my left hand hurt so bad that I can't use them on my tablet without sensations of burning. Also a big gently caress you goes out to the E chord on that first fret. I can never get my first finger to push down hard enough on first changing chords to it to not receive a loud unharmonic flum. Practice practice practice.... Thanks in advance! I'm enjoying the hell out of this so far and am excited to dive deeper and deeper.
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Jan 9, 2015 21:26
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lilljonas posted:Who needs 100 picks? I've used the same pick for half a year, what do you do with them? Sprinkle them around like confetti? Sort of. I forget them in my other pants when I change, lend them away, lose them between couch pillows, drop them on shows, or just play until they´re not as pointy anymore. When I was 18 I would use the picks until their shape was more a circle than a drop. Now I have a cup full of picks in my bands´ rehearsal space and just grab a few fresh ones whenever I feel that I´m not packing enough.  Also, they are basically business cards as well, so I guess I care a little less about losing them now that I have many. I just order another batch whenever I run out.
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Jan 9, 2015 21:30
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TraderStav posted:Just wanted to pop in here for my first question as a beginner, of which I will try to keep to a minimum! After 20 or so years of wanting to learn to play guitar I finally picked up a Yamaha FG700S last week and have been working my way through Justinguitar. I am finding his lessons to be fantastic and very accessible for a new player. I'm already up to ~30 D/A one-minute changes and finding the routines to be productive. $85 for a setup seems insane to me unless it needs a fretboard leveling. I charge $40 plus strings. $9 is expensive for most strings also.
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Jan 9, 2015 21:44
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TraderStav posted:Just wanted to pop in here for my first question as a beginner, of which I will try to keep to a minimum! After 20 or so years of wanting to learn to play guitar I finally picked up a Yamaha FG700S last week and have been working my way through Justinguitar. I am finding his lessons to be fantastic and very accessible for a new player. I'm already up to ~30 D/A one-minute changes and finding the routines to be productive. We charge $75, and $7.50 for a set of strings, so that's about right. A setup should address the relief in the neck, provided it's adjustable via the truss rod and bridge saddle, minor fret work, correctly slotting the nut, polishing the board and checking any electronics. It's about 'setting up' the instrument to play as well as it can, provided the guitar doesn't need substantial work (such as a neck set, or a refret).
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Jan 9, 2015 21:46
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TraderStav posted:- What exactly should I expect them to perform on the guitar. What should I make sure is done in order to get value out of the service? Setups usually involve truss rod adjustment, adjusting string height, setting the intonation, and usually basic fret maintenance. I may be a little off but that gives you an idea. None of those things are really impossible to do yourself but they take some knowledge and confidence in what you are doing. Where I am (NY) I can get a setup for $50-75 depending on where I go. $85 seems a little high but I don't know your area, and if they do good work... Cheaper guitars are basically just banged out and it depends on the company how much effort they will put setting it up. I have had sub-$500 guitars with excellent setups and others with awful ones. Not to mention things get mangled on shipping and just the temperature changes can bollocks your truss rod. You will build up calluses and the thicker the string the more pressure it will put on your fingers to keep them down. unlawfulsoup fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Jan 9, 2015 |
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Jan 9, 2015 21:50
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comes along bort posted:Get something pointy like a Jackson or Kramer. That's basically 1985 in guitar form. If only! I Already own a Jackson soloist - what explorer shapes would be good from that era?
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Jan 9, 2015 22:23
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TraderStav posted:Just wanted to pop in here for my first question as a beginner, of which I will try to keep to a minimum! After 20 or so years of wanting to learn to play guitar I finally picked up a Yamaha FG700S last week and have been working my way through Justinguitar. I am finding his lessons to be fantastic and very accessible for a new player. I'm already up to ~30 D/A one-minute changes and finding the routines to be productive. Setup charges tend to vary wildly, as above you can see upwards of $85. Where I live our local mom and pop guitar shop charges $30+strings unless you have a Floyd Rose Tremolo in which case they charge $60. Setups are commonly needed on new guitars because it's just something a lot of factories do before shipping them out of their doors. Setup includes making sure your strings are close enough to the fretboard to make it low action and easy to play while not so close that they make your guitar buzz. Intonation is set up at this time too, so your pitch is correct for where you're playing on the neck. They will also adjust the truss rod, which controls how much 'bend' is in your neck and changes depending on how it's strung and environmental conditions. Basically Setups are a luthier doing the fiddly bits of guitar maintenance that you don't necessarily know how to do and the factory doesn't want to do. After you get it back, expect the strings to be much easier to play, with the action (the distance you have to push down to make it ring) adjusted it shouldn't wear so much on your fingers. It also shouldn't start to sound flat as you get further down the neck. The hand pain sucks but stick with it for 2 weeks or so and the pain should mostly pass and the calluses form. When you get setup, lighter gauge string will require less force to push down and won't tear up your hands as much. As far as general advice, just keep practicing. Justin Guitar does good with the lessons, but it's going to be for naught if you don't practice. A lot of people, myself included, augment online/book lessons with RockSmith on PS3/4 or Xbone/360 or pc/mac. You can use it to learn songs or to practice things like working the neck or nailing chords. DeathSandwich fucked around with this message at 22:54 on Jan 9, 2015 |
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Jan 9, 2015 22:42
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Pickup question: I just changed the humbucker on one of my guitars. How far from the strings should it be adjusted? How does it affect the sound?
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Jan 9, 2015 22:55
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kjetting posted:Pickup question: I just changed the humbucker on one of my guitars. How far from the strings should it be adjusted? How does it affect the sound? Humbuckers can be really close to the strings. I generally adjust them up until I start getting wolf tones or it's too close for my playing style then crank it down a full turn on each side. More distance gives you decreased output and in some cases gives you less bass response.
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Jan 9, 2015 22:57
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DeathSandwich posted:I know I've been looking craigslist for a semi-hollow and it's also not the finish I would want for the model, but I've found someone selling a like new Ibanez AG75 full hollowbody for $250 and I'm seriously considering it. Talk me down goons. The Artcore hollowbodies are really good guitars for the money, particularly used. About the only caveat I'd add is that the pickups are really meh---not the worst thing ever but I had to dick around with them a lot to make them sound like anything and they were still kinda muddy. I ended up replacing them with a pair of GFS humbucker-sized P90s, which are substantially nicer than the ACHs that came with it. Dicking around with the electronics in a hollowbody is of course a huge pain in the rear end, so there's that.
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Jan 9, 2015 23:52
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