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It sounds OCD as heck but washing your hands before you play helps as well. I'm sorta a weirdo in that I can't stand dirty strings at all so I also do everything else that's been recommended in the thread just now. It just feels good man.
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Nov 21, 2012 16:59
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Francostein posted:It sounds OCD as heck but washing your hands before you play helps as well. I'm sorta a weirdo in that I can't stand dirty strings at all so I also do everything else that's been recommended in the thread just now. It just feels good man. Yeah, this has helped me a lot in keeping the strings less disgusting. I don't even wipe them down afterward, and they still keep in pretty good shape.
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Nov 21, 2012 21:55
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Does anyone know what the heck size holes Ibanez drills for installing pots? I'm trying to plug up an unused pot hole and it's clearly larger than 5/16ths but not quite large enough for me to jam a 3/8ths one in. fake edit: aw gently caress they probably drilled it out in metric so the hole is 10mm exactly instead of approximately. loving superior measuring system users I'll post anyway just in case someone knows the answer exactly.
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Nov 22, 2012 07:18
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So I've been playing guitar for 5 years on my Mexican Strat, and I've been looking to take the plunge into buying a higher end instrument. Based on the type of music I find myself writing/playing, I've been looking into getting some sort of semi-hollow electric. What models/makers do you guys recommend? Cost isn't too much of a worry, but ~$1,500-$2,000 is probably the highest of what I can justify. Thanks!
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Nov 23, 2012 05:31
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Can you give any more details than that? That's really unspecific and doesn't tell us anything about what else you want. 25.5" scale? Humbuckers? Singlecoils? P90s? Size, shape, etc
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Nov 23, 2012 05:35
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Humbuckers preferably, maybe an archtop, but I don't really know anything technical about what I'm looking for. I have literally zero experience with any semihollow electrics on my own (no music store within an hour drive of me has any of any brand right now), and I just want something that sounds good.
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Nov 23, 2012 06:02
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That leaves a lot open then. Personally I'd just recommend a Gibson Vegas High Roller because they're cool as hell.
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Nov 23, 2012 06:04
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smokyprogg posted:Humbuckers preferably, maybe an archtop, but I don't really know anything technical about what I'm looking for. I have literally zero experience with any semihollow electrics on my own (no music store within an hour drive of me has any of any brand right now), and I just want something that sounds good. Before blowing $2000 on a guitar, I would recommend finding somewhere to try a few out. Especially since you've never played anything comparable. How did you decide you wanted one? Maybe take a day trip to a nearby city with a large music store and find some other stuff to do.
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Nov 23, 2012 06:17
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cornface posted:Before blowing $2000 on a guitar, I would recommend finding somewhere to try a few out. Especially since you've never played anything comparable. How did you decide you wanted one? Definitely not gonna buy something without playing it first. The nearest Guitar Center to me is a 2 and a half hour drive away, so I want to kind of know what I'm looking for before I head out so I can check their stock beforehand. And, I want one because I've been getting a lot more serious about music, need an upgrade from what I have now, and my playing style is based primarily off of jazz, so I feel the tone would be well suited.
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Nov 23, 2012 06:32
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I bought this guitar two years ago http://www.ibanez.com/ElectricGuitars/model-RG370DX because it was apparently a good guitar for the type of music I would like to play and a good first guitar for the price. I'm just now getting the time to actually play it on Rocksmith, just to get acquainted with some chords and have some fun playing songs(poorly). My hands are getting a lot better at quickly moving around the fretboard and so far I'm really loving this guitar. However I know nothing about the technical side of guitars, and just took it on good faith that the guitar was set up correctly at the shop. How does this guitar differ from other guitars? Are there any tips to get the most out of this particular guitar? Currently I just leave the pickup switching thingy on the bottom setting as it sounds the best (in my uneducated opinion), but what would be the benefits of switching it around? The guitar stays in tune for long periods (and was even in tune after it sat unplayed for more than a year) but I heard that it's a bitch to re-string and I'm dreading having to replace strings in the future. Is this true?
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Nov 23, 2012 11:22
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http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SEHBTriClr Sam Ash has this gorgeous PRS on Black Friday for $399, in store. Looks like a Ricky 360 inspired design to me.
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Nov 23, 2012 14:58
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KinkyJohn posted:However I know nothing about the technical side of guitars, and just took it on good faith that the guitar was set up correctly at the shop. Basically it's set up right if it's comfortable to play, doesn't feel uneven (like the strings being too high off the fretboard in some areas), it doesn't buzz or make any other weird noises, the output isn't too weak or strong, and it's in tune all the way up the neck (so if the open D is in tune, playing it at the 12 fret gives you a perfect D too). Some of this is subjective and depends how you play too, if you have a light touch you might prefer higher pickups (stronger output) and lower action (lower string height) - if you wail on the guitar you'll get the low strings buzzing against the frets and the pickups might distort. If it all feels and sounds fine you're good, you might develop some other preferences later. As for your guitar I think it's fairly standard - the notable things I guess are the locking tremolo and the pickups. Your trem is there for tuning stability, which is probably why you're seeing it stay in tune nicely, it's designed to let you do lots of crazy tricks (look up 'Floyd Rose tricks' or something on youtube) and have it all return to being perfectly in tune. That engineering does make it a bit of a mission to restring, but it looks more time-consuming than difficult. There are a bunch of tutorials on there anyway. Your pickups are HSH - humbucker - single coil - humbucker, which are basically about the way they're made and how they sound. Humbuckers are generally darker, have more grunt, and they also prevent hum at high gain (hence the name!). Single coils are brighter and chirpier, but they're noisy when you're cranked. Your 5-way switch selects which one you're using, the 2nd and 4th positions are split between the middle and an outer pickup and can give a 'quackier' tone. Their position matters too - the neck pickup (closest to the neck) tends to be darker and bassier, more mellow, it's often used for rhythm playing. As you move towards the bridge, you get brighter, more brittle frequencies - good definition for lead playing. You really just need to play with them, try all the positions and mess with the tone knob and see what sounds you can get. You might like to switch between different positions to get different tones, even during the same song, or you might stick with one perfect setting. Play around!
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Nov 23, 2012 15:46
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I'm trying to learn faster alternate picking, but I feel like I'm not really making any progress. I've been watching some videos, and it seems like most people use the pinky-edge of the hand to mute all the other strings, while I usually use the side of my thumb. Is this bad form? And does anyone have any tips to get better at alternate picking?
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Nov 23, 2012 21:09
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Boz0r posted:I'm trying to learn faster alternate picking, but I feel like I'm not really making any progress. I've been watching some videos, and it seems like most people use the pinky-edge of the hand to mute all the other strings, while I usually use the side of my thumb. Is this bad form? And does anyone have any tips to get better at alternate picking?
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Nov 23, 2012 21:17
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It might be fine if you're comfortable with it, but I'd guess that having your thumb against the strings limits your articulation. The pinky side is a nice solid block of hand to lay down, it's easy to move it or have it in place and definitely muting everything no matter what your fingers are doing with the pick, and it lets you palm mute the strings you're playing too. For exercises definitely get a metronome, and listen carefully to your tone as well as your timing - try to get it consistent, especially with the upstrokes (which are usually harder). Try string skipping exercises, like playing the 6th string followed by the 5th, then 6th followed by 4th, then 6-3, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3... then start on the 5th string and hit every other string, so 5-6, 5-4, 5-3... that way you're getting used to every possible picking movement. Mix things up with triplets too, so for that exercise you could go 6-5-5, 6-4-4, 6-3-3 which changes up your picking direction as you skip strings (sometimes you hit the string on the way, sometimes you pass it and come back), but it also helps you to pick constantly instead of thinking in terms of 1,2,1,2. Each triplet group starts on a particular string, as a first beat, but because you're picking in up-down pairs that first beat will sometimes be an upstroke, and every other time a downstroke. That might feel weird, like you want to start each triplet with a downstroke, so you need to break that connection and just get your hand used to alternating naturally. You can also try emphasising each first beat with a harder pick, which is a good technique to work on in general. You can do triplets in scales too - play the 1st 2nd and 3rd notes, then go back to the 2nd and follow that with the 3rd and 4th, then start on the 3rd... basically walking up the scale, playing each note followed by the next two. This is a pretty good mental workout too!
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Nov 23, 2012 21:48
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Well, I just restrung my guitar for the first time. It was going great until I got to the high e. I snapped it during the stretching process.  Will get another pack tomorrow.I think I did a pretty good job on the others, made sure the strings wound down in the machine, stretched them a few times... It's easier than I expected as long as you don't hamfist it like a dumb ogre. They're Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottoms. I'm liking the sound and feel. The low e is seriously about twice the thickness of the one that was on there, it's got loads of sustain now, for all my droney needs.  Also, I've only ever used standard tuning, but after reading about DADGAD, I tuned to it since I love the eerie sound it has. Does anyone else use this or have any tips? I'd really like to stay in this tuning and learn it better.
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Nov 23, 2012 22:25
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Rion.exe posted:Well, I just restrung my guitar for the first time. It was going great until I got to the high e. I snapped it during the stretching process. Make sure when you are stretching the strings to hold down at the first fret, if you weren't already doing so.
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Nov 24, 2012 00:35
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Boz0r posted:I'm trying to learn faster alternate picking, but I feel like I'm not really making any progress. I've been watching some videos, and it seems like most people use the pinky-edge of the hand to mute all the other strings, while I usually use the side of my thumb. Is this bad form? And does anyone have any tips to get better at alternate picking? I typically plant my pinky down and use it to stabilize my hand when not palm muting or playing higher on the neck. Are you muting the strings with your fretting thumb or your pick hand thumb? Because I'm having a tough time thinking of how the hell you'd mute the strings with your picking thumb because that's kinda how you're supposed to do pinch harmonics. Other than specific, confusing examples I'd say the same as everyone else: Practice, Practice, Practice. Your forearm will be sore the first time you get fast at it but that's just normal. Oh almost forgot, here's a secret speed trick I learned from my friend's dad: 
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Nov 24, 2012 02:25
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So I was at a friend's house last night and his younger brother has a MIJ Ibanez RG550 that's in terrible condition that I was messing around with. And drat, I really loved the neck on it. I'm looking into owning a 2nd guitar and would love a neck like that Ibanez. However I don't really want another tremolo and would prefer H-H pickup configuration over H-S-H. this is my current guitar. http://www.rondomusic.com/hawerwilkamber.html Ideally I would like something as good or better in terms of quality. I would like to spend under a grand, but I am flexible if something is perfect. I am clueless and looking for suggestions.
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Nov 24, 2012 04:12
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Francostein posted:I typically plant my pinky down and use it to stabilize my hand when not palm muting or playing higher on the neck. Is this a "proper" thing to do? I realized I do this too and was wondering if it's something I should try to unlearn.
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Nov 24, 2012 04:17
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Some people anchor, some don't. Some say it's bad, some say it's fine. As long as it's not hurting you, it's fine to do it. moctopus posted:So I was at a friend's house last night and his younger brother has a MIJ Ibanez RG550 that's in terrible condition that I was messing around with. And drat, I really loved the neck on it. Good ol' 550s. Modern Ibanez wizard necks are a little different from the Wizards of the past - they're a little rounder and have smoother shoulders. There's a lot you can choose from if you just like slim Ibanez necks in particular rather than that specific Wizard. I don't mind looking through some old catalogs if you're interested in some of the 80's - 90's stuff. Do you have any other preferences? Would you rather have the old block joint or the modern rounded one? Maple fretboard, pickguard, no pickguard, etc. If all else fails, you can still grab a 550, take the middle pickup out of the circuit/remove it or even get a new pickguard that's just HH, and block the trem.
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Nov 24, 2012 04:28
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muike posted:Some people anchor, some don't. Some say it's bad, some say it's fine. As long as it's not hurting you, it's fine to do it. I just liked that it was so much thinner than the neck of my current guitar. I don't really have any other preferences. I'm indifferent on pick guards. I don't know the difference between block joints, or the pros/cons of maple fretboards.
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Nov 24, 2012 04:47
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Polidoro posted:Is this a "proper" thing to do? I realized I do this too and was wondering if it's something I should try to unlearn. I have no idea. It just happened over time to me since it just felt better. I never really made the decision to do it. I've seen and heard of some weird rear end pick hand techniques so I think it just doesn't matter how you do it, just that it's comfortable.
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Nov 24, 2012 04:53
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moctopus posted:I just liked that it was so much thinner than the neck of my current guitar. I don't really have any other preferences. I'm indifferent on pick guards. I don't know the difference between block joints, or the pros/cons of maple fretboards. Well most Ibanez electrics do have pretty thin necks, so that opens up a lot possibilities for you! What do you like about your current guitar, and what do you dislike about it?
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Nov 24, 2012 04:54
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muike posted:Well most Ibanez electrics do have pretty thin necks, so that opens up a lot possibilities for you! What do you like about your current guitar, and what do you dislike about it? I actually love everything about it except the tremolo. I just found out I love thinner necks way more. Just feel really natural in my hand.
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Nov 24, 2012 05:00
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Well for the budget you stated you can grab a used RGA121 which is extremely similar to your guitar with the exceptions of 1: not having a trem, 2: having a slimmer neck. There's a whole bunch of different ones too. Natural, sparkly pinks and blues, fancy flame-top blues, etc. https://www.google.com/search?num=1...c.1.SxPNH_RScp4 I've got one and they're great guitars.
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Nov 24, 2012 05:12
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muike posted:Well for the budget you stated you can grab a used RGA121 which is extremely similar to your guitar with the exceptions of 1: not having a trem, 2: having a slimmer neck. There's a whole bunch of different ones too. Natural, sparkly pinks and blues, fancy flame-top blues, etc. Thanks a lot, I'll look into it!
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Nov 24, 2012 05:17
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If you do look for one, definitely look around for a good price. You can get them anywhere from 500 to 800, but I wouldn't go much above 650 on one unless it was a flametop one and in good condition.
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Nov 24, 2012 05:20
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Francostein posted:Are you muting the strings with your fretting thumb or your pick hand thumb? Just like when doing pinch harmonics, I'm just not touching the string I'm playing with my thumb. Thanks for the tips, I'll give them a shot.
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Nov 24, 2012 12:15
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Thanks for the great reply Baka Kaba, I really appreciate it.
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Nov 24, 2012 12:28
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No probs! And the anchoring thing, do you guys mute the lower strings with your hand? It's a useful technique for keeping things under control, and since your hand's resting there you don't need to anchor it separately https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tmM83KeP28
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Nov 24, 2012 22:27
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Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. It depends on where I'm playing, how I'm picking, if I'm palm muting and if I am how far I'm choking up on the strings, etc. I really use all of my hands for muting strings.
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Nov 24, 2012 22:38
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Boz0r posted:Just like when doing pinch harmonics, I'm just not touching the string I'm playing with my thumb. Huh, that's really weird to me but if it's comfortable then keep doing it I guess unless it's really causing problems with not being able to play the way you want to play. I personally use my unused fretting fingers in combination with my picking pinky to mute strings but I just developed that out of time and because it was comfortable to me while playing fast. So just play how you like, really. The jazz IIIs take some getting used to, so don't worry if you spend your first day with them fumbling around and dropping them a lot. It took me a while to get used to them and now I can't play without them. As to which ones to look for, all the materials are good but the Ultex ones are my favorites, even though they're impossible to find when they're dropped on the floor.
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Nov 25, 2012 01:41
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I find the anchoring debate for the guitar a bit weird. With the banjo, every player and teacher under the sun will stress to you how important it is to anchor your bottom two fingers the whole time you're picking. It is incredibly difficult to pick accurately at bluegrass speeds if you don't have your fingers anchored for stability. Maybe I'm weird in that I pick the guitar in banjo-style because that's how I first approached string instruments, but I seriously cannot think of any reason why you wouldn't want to anchor your fingers (when possible) for the guitar aswell.
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Nov 25, 2012 02:43
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Captain Mediocre posted:I find the anchoring debate for the guitar a bit weird. With the banjo, every player and teacher under the sun will stress to you how important it is to anchor your bottom two fingers the whole time you're picking. It is incredibly difficult to pick accurately at bluegrass speeds if you don't have your fingers anchored for stability. Maybe I'm weird in that I pick the guitar in banjo-style because that's how I first approached string instruments, but I seriously cannot think of any reason why you wouldn't want to anchor your fingers (when possible) for the guitar aswell. Well finger picking and using a pick are really different motions. I play Banjo and acoustic fingerstyle and I play those the same essentially, with my pinky anchored, unless I need to play 3 finger stuff. But for picking it puts strain on your tendons to anchor, at lest it seems to for me.
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Nov 25, 2012 03:01
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I don't really force any part of my hand to stay in a single place while picking, my right hand is just always in contact with the guitar in some way for stability. Do people not consider that anchoring?
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Nov 25, 2012 04:18
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I never anchored anything anywhere, and it has made trying to learn how to play standing up rather than hunching in a chair a real challenge. All my gimpy self taught palm muting techniques really fall apart when the guitar can swing around. The perils of computer music.
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Nov 25, 2012 04:38
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When I started taking guitar lessons, my teacher told me to never anchor any part of my picking hand or fingers to the guitar. But I see people doing it all the time.
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Nov 25, 2012 20:43
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Koth posted:When I started taking guitar lessons, my teacher told me to never anchor any part of my picking hand or fingers to the guitar. But I see people doing it all the time. Yeah, technique is often a "do as I say, not as I do type thing" for me, when . I was self taught forever and developed some technique problems that I just don't care too much to get rid of. But if I had to do it all again I would've done it the "right way", if they're really is such a thing. Another thing to take into consideration is what you play. Country player often play straight armed which really contributes to the sound they get. Scalpel picked has a more "refined" sound to my ears, not as snappy. I can't Sarod pick worth poo poo so I can't really tell you what that would sond like. So honestly everyone does it a little differently and everyone's anatomy is a little different and it's hard for me, even as a teacher, to tell someone exactly how to do it.
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Nov 25, 2012 21:06
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Francostein posted:I typically plant my pinky down and use it to stabilize my hand when not palm muting or playing higher on the neck. Are you muting the strings with your fretting thumb or your pick hand thumb? Because I'm having a tough time thinking of how the hell you'd mute the strings with your picking thumb because that's kinda how you're supposed to do pinch harmonics. Other than specific, confusing examples I'd say the same as everyone else: Practice, Practice, Practice. Your forearm will be sore the first time you get fast at it but that's just normal. I literally came to this thread to post this. Lord almighty I went into a Guitar Center looking for picks, after talking to the clerk who was just this total music nut finally went "you know you should just try these, I swear by them" and he pulls out a small pack of Jazz III's from behind the counter. The rest is history. They aren't that great for big sweeping motion like acoustic (they do an ok job but it's a lot easier with a regular pick) but goddamn are these things ever precise. Apparently Petrucci uses these as well, and I don't blame him, they're the best picks I've ever used.
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Nov 26, 2012 02:13
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