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Guitar Learning GET! + Show us your axes

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited January 2023 in General Chat
Ive had my guitar for about 3 months now, read about the cords, played them once or twice and then left it till i had more time. Well now im making time for it, its my goal now to learn it and be able to play other peoples songs. I'll never be in a band (i dont really want to be, i like the idea but hate the idea of practise sessions and stuff for much of my free time).

So today, i dusted off my dummies book and went back to the begining. Ive learnt the A chords. But will for the near future just be playing them over and over again, until i get faster at them and can remember where my hand needs to go in each place.

Im sure a number of people here play guitar so share some experience, show us your axes and if you wana play guitar, well go ahead and learn it now.

I bought my Guitar from Ebuyer for £40 which came with an amp and everything. (its now £50 on the site)

(link - http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/91385)

It's price may put people off but the build quality is top notch, the amp is fine for learning with (it is pretty loud in a small room) and well, read the reviews on the site yourself. Only downside is the strings sound a bit crap, but they are cheap to buy anyways.

You'll also want a tuner no doubt unless you got a friend who'll tune it for you.

(link - http://www.jhs.co.uk/qwiktune.html) I bought the Qwik Tune, its pretty cheap and does the job. Its a bit fussy about what string it thinks you are playing but it seems to work.

So yeah, learn with me, and tell us your stories.
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    if you don't like the strings, i'd change them asap. most knock off strats come with horrible strings. get some d'adrigio (however you spell it) or jim dunlops. I'd recommend 9's or 10's, but everyone is different.

    i'd also recommend getting a distortion pedal. The Boss DS1 is good, but many people have different preferences.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    My fake Gibson knock off and crappy acoustic.

    Picture047.jpg?t=1169458038

    My pedal board. This is actually out of date. It has evolved for the better since. My chain is now:

    Guitar >>> Tuner >>> Dunlop Crybaby >>> Boss CS-3 Compressor >>> Boss BD-2 Blues Driver >>> Marshall Guv'Nor 2 >>> Boss DS-1 >>> Danelectro FAB Chorus >>> Zoom G1 >>> Volume Pedal >>> Boss DD-20 delay >>> Belcat Delay >>> Amplifier

    Picture043.jpg?t=1169458135

    My rig. Fender Telecaster on the right. The amp is a KUSTOM 30 watt. It's been a nice little amp for the money, but the next thing on my shopping list is definately a good tube amp - probably either a Vox or a Fender Reverb. Apart from the way you play, the amp comes in second as the key to good tone.

    Picture044.jpg?t=1169458409

    Squire limited edition 'Blonde' strat on the left. Have modded this with fender parts, decent pick ups etc. This and the tele are my main axes. Crappy yamaha pacifica on the right. Have just had this re-wired. It's been sitting broken in a cupboard for years. It's plays and sounds like shit, but it's useful just for keeping in a different tuning - saves me from having to keep re-tuning one of my better axes.

    Picture045.jpg?t=1169458590

    Also got another acoustic and a squire bass that are not pictured.

    Guess I've been playing about 5 years, but had got lazy and been concentrating on other things for the last couple of years, so in the last two months or so I've started on a bit of a re-dedication. I'm a fairly useful player, and a good natural lead player (can knock off alot of classic rock solos no problem), but I'm trying to learn alot more theory and stuff to really take my playing to the next level. Sometimes theory is very boring, and very hard work, but I believe it will pay off big time one day. Rather than playing old songs all the time, I wanna become awesome at improvising and just coming up with riffs and stuff, and I believe theory is the way to go...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    my "set up"
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    For geetar.

    Fender Mex Tele -> Dunlop Cry Baby -> Boss Metal Zone -> Amp.

    I'm not really big on effects but one of those Boss Chromatic tuners would be nice.

    Bass.

    Epi Thunderbird -> Amp.

    Not really owt special there.

    As you can see, I like noise. This fucker puts out a hell of a lot of volume.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    For Guitar:

    See Attachment "DSC01349 (Large).jpg" - One '92 Epiphone Les Paul. Just a muck around guitar to learn stuff on, bought cheap on ebay. Don't have an amp for it to go through.

    For Bass:

    Amp: Attachment "DSC00408 (Large).jpg" - Trace Elliot 300W Valve Head with a Trace Elliot 1048H 4x10 Cab w/ High Freq. Horn. Both second hand off ebay, only had a problem with the head once, but gives a nice warm sound and the mid boost is great for the extra bit of grunt when playing slap style. Definitely no complaints with the volume that thing packs.

    Axes: Attachment "DSC00411 (Large).jpg" - Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray 5, US made, 2002 model, onboard 3EQ preamp, not really a 1 trick horse because of the single pickup either. Pickup selector switch allows the pickup to be configured in ways that allow sounds to vary from signature Stingray sound, to Fender Precision pickup sound and Fender Jazz pickup sound.

    Attachment "DSC01278 (Large).jpg" - Fender Jazz Bass (Mexican), 2005. Bought this as a backup bass (selling as I rarely play too). Changed the scratch plate and imported a BadAss II bridge from the USA as a replacement to the stock one for better sustain. Still love that signature, passive tone of the Jazz pickups but the lacquer finish on the neck just doesn't match up to the maple neck of the Musicman. I've never found it to be as soon and easy moving, but maybe that's me.

    Effects: Don't use many really, I have a Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner Stomp Box, a Boss ODB-3 Bass Overdrive Pedal and a Boss LMB-3 Bass Limiter/Enhancer (basically a compressor). But out of the 3 I mostly use the tuner with the rig.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    geetar - Epi Les Paul Standard
    Amp - Marshall 30w Valvestate
    Pedals - Dave Hall valve pedal OD, Jekyll & Hyde Overdrive

    I'm really not proud of my guitar or amp, they just don't reflect me or my playing in any way. I want a new guitar - Gibson Les Paul Special in TV yellow, or a Junior, or a blonde Tele, or a Riviera - not really decided yet. Just something to get away from the humbuckers.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Rich - do you fancy selling me your LP?

    I could do with another geetar that's all. Detuning and retuning is really doing my head in.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ReBop4NaturaloilDLXFM_lrg.jpg

    want want want :(
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Rich - do you fancy selling me your LP?

    I could do with another geetar that's all. Detuning and retuning is really doing my head in.

    Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

    Have to give me a call and name me your price tbh!

    I love that guitar and it's all I have to play on really...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    muse- wrote: »
    ReBop4NaturaloilDLXFM_lrg.jpg

    want want want :(

    Fuck that, if you're looking for basses of that style, Warwick are your friend. Honest.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    nahh im with spector all the way :D

    unless i get realllly rich then its pedulla. till then ibanez value for money :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Here's my beauty

    21148.jpg

    and my 10W amp which is REALLY LOUD!!!

    Ibanez_TB15_s.jpg


    and I would quite like this

    cs_dragon_tele.jpg


    I've been self teaching myself since the age of 10, but only properly in the past few years. I've stopped practising as much, so I dont know may songs off by heart anymore, so I need to practise more.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Updated pedal board:

    Pedals2.jpg

    Pedals1.jpg

    Boss DD-20 given back to my friend - to many damned features, didn't need all that crap. Digitech Digidelay in it's place. Nice no nonsense pedal. Would like to squeeze a fuzz on there at some point to really get that Hendrix sound, but pretty happy with this set up for a while now...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Dude.

    Boss Overdrive.

    Why?

    The crappest pedal in the world. Bar none.
    At least get the yellow super overdrive or the black metal zone. That overdrive is pure crap.

    To be honest, I personally feel any sound that you can't get out of a distortion and a wah ain't worth acheiving.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Dude.

    Boss Overdrive.

    Why?

    The crappest pedal in the world. Bar none.
    At least get the yellow super overdrive or the black metal zone. That overdrive is pure crap.

    To be honest, I personally feel any sound that you can't get out of a distortion and a wah ain't worth acheiving.

    I love the BD-2. I tested it in the shop alongside the SD-1 or whatever it is and it pissed all over it. And when you're done worshipping the Metal Zone, if you ever go onto the Harmony Central effects forums, where those geeks really know their stuff, the Metal Zone is one of the most widely slated pedals going. Check this: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1457431&highlight=metal+zoneAs for your last statement, it all depends what type of music you want to play. I like to play all sorts of different stuff, so just a distortion and a Wah would bore me pretty quickly. Plenty of people out there like the BD-2, there are plenty of positive reviews on the net, and I'm sure plenty of people like the metal zone. It all depends what you want to do with them. At the end of the day music is and always will be about personal taste. One man's shit is another man's gold. Besides, tone is in the fingers - ask Steve Vai...!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Just thought I'd share by showing everyone my cool, if a little quirky fender...it's my baby!! fender_stratacoustic.jpg
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    capo2 wrote: »
    Just thought I'd share by showing everyone my cool, if a little quirky fender...it's my baby!! fender_stratacoustic.jpg

    Haha, I like that...! :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hahaha thanks, it's my favourite out of my 5 guitars...and it's a Fender...:) Had to wait over 8 weeks on it though, it came from NYC!!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I love the BD-2. I tested it in the shop alongside the SD-1 or whatever it is and it pissed all over it. And when you're done worshipping the Metal Zone, if you ever go onto the Harmony Central effects forums, where those geeks really know their stuff, the Metal Zone is one of the most widely slated pedals going. Check this: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1457431&highlight=metal+zoneAs

    Anyone can contribute to Harmony Central. It's not just the geeks. I've seen some stellar reviews of things that I deemed totally shit. HC generally slate Danelectro pedals yet I've found them some of the best ones I've ever used. Take most things that HC say with a pinch of salt.

    I don't worship the MT-2 but out of all the Boss Distortion pedals I've ever tried, it's the most versatile and provides the best all round distortion for virtually any guitar/amp combo I've ever tried it with. You can get anything from crunchy blues to screaming shred which I know for a fact that you can't get with the one you use as I've tried it out and was very unimpressed.

    I guess we'll never see eye to eye on this.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    SRX300IPT-1M-01.jpg

    thats what i've been playing the past year... I kind of like it but its not the perfect bass for me, got some DR lobeams on it atm and it gives the tone I want to perfection... it just doesnt have "that feel", still definately happy with it for now :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Anyone can contribute to Harmony Central. It's not just the geeks. I've seen some stellar reviews of things that I deemed totally shit.

    That's my point though. There are plenty of great reviews of the BD-2, even though you think it's the crappest overdrive going! I admit you don't get screaming shred out of it, but that's not what it's for. For blues crunch and led zeppelin-esque drive it's fantastic. It does what it says on the tin very well. If i want screaming shred I've got patches on the zoom. If I want Marshall AC/DC crunch I've got the Guvnor on there. If I want distortion, I've got the DS-1 (Although admittedly this isn't the greatest pedal). I don't doubt that the MT-2 is probably very versatile, but for changes in sound, I prefer to stomp from pedal to pedal. And yeah, I quite like danelectro's from what I've tried.

    Now, what Fuzz do I get?!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    guitars:
    Fender Tele Deluxe 72 Reissue (walnut)
    Gibson Les Paul Studio (cherry wine red)

    amp:
    Fender Deville 212 (just got this last week, wow)

    effects:
    MXR90 Phaser, Boss Tremelo, Holy Grail Reverb, Ibanez Tube Screamer, Line6 DL4 Delay
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    guitars:
    Fender Tele Deluxe 72 Reissue (walnut)
    Gibson Les Paul Studio (cherry wine red)

    amp:
    Fender Deville 212 (just got this last week, wow)

    effects:
    MXR90 Phaser, Boss Tremelo, Holy Grail Reverb, Ibanez Tube Screamer, Line6 DL4 Delay

    **Drools**

    I have a Tele, but I would really like one of those reissues, preferably a '52. The Fender Deville line is just awesome, played one in the shop and wet my pants i think. I MUST get a fender tube amp this year. Cool effects to. I want the tube screamer - a true classic. Might even replace my BD-2 with one - that would make Thunderstruck happy! Have a Big Muff coming in the mail at the moment however - can't wait!
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