• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Guitar Gaf |OT| Fingerpickin’ good

Scottify

Member
Nice to see a guitar OT. Very nicely done. Hoping to learn from and teach others in this thread.

I figured this would be a good time to show my gear too.

Latest, turning a pawn shop beater into something usable. Needs a bit more work but I've jammed with it and it works well.
Left is before, right is after
Q3TS7oi.jpg

Here is my main setup. PRS SE Custom 24, Blackstar HT-40 and a few pedals, lurking behind it is my G-K bass amp. a 2x10 combo

Here is my PRS along with my RG7420 7-string and a RG3 EX1 that I am upgrading as we speak

This is a fairly recent eBay find. Ibanez RG3XXV, anniversary edition of th old RG565, definitely a favorite of mine

Better shot of my G-K bass amp, and my old SR405 5-string

Another eBay find, Yamaha BB450 bass, Pearl export kit behind it

Finally, my most recent bass. Ibanez SRFF806, fanned fret 6-string bass. sounds awesome and the fanned frets didn't take long to get used to at all
 

zbarron

Member
Subscribed. I only started playing recently but I'm enjoying it. Is there anything I should be doing with my forming calluses?
 

trebbble

Member
Great OP and thanks for posting this thread. The other one is a bit long in the tooth, and this could have a better chance of attracting new readers.

It could be cool to talk about guitars on a forum that isn't infested with constant blues dad talk and pseudoscience in the pursuit of tone :)
 

Sobriquet

Member
Nice OT!

However...

1) Gibson was founded in Kalamazoo, MI. Their old factory is now home to Heritage Guitar.

2) Fender is headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ although they actually make the guitars in California (and Mexico).

/guitarnerd

My girls:

XibFjFQ.jpg


Terrible picture quality, I know.
 
Nice, new thread! I guess I can share my electric collection:

jHrrXiq.jpg


From left to right: Agile PS970, Agile Ghost III, LTD MH(forgot the number, at work right now) added a Dimarzio liquifire to the neck and a Crunch lab to the bridge, LTD Viper Deluxe(my pride and joy).

One of my guitars is missing from the pic, a Yamaha Pacifica 112J in old violin sunburst.

My actual rig is this now:

 

Sobriquet

Member
What Strat is that? I love the big headstock Strats and that burst is excellent as well.

Thanks, man! It's a Classic Series '70s Strat (MIM) in Antigua burst. I love the neck so much on that guitar. It's D-shaped, which is kind of unusual for a Fender. I believe the '72 Teles have similar-shaped necks, if not the same.

I'm a fan of the CBS headstock as well. I'm surprised they aren't more popular, what with Hendrix and all.

edit for better pic:

5LO555O.jpg


It was a 2012 limited reissue but I found it NOS a couple of years later. A lot of people think Antigua is hideous but I ♥️ it. It was really hard to find.
 
Anyone have experience painting guitars? I rescued an old neglected guitar from a friends basement, gutted it, and am wanting to re-paint it and build a pseudo Kurt Ballou custom out of it.

I really like the idea of doing one of the swirl paint jobs, but I live in an apartment and have limited room (I do have a balcony/patio though).

giphy-6-1.gif
 
Subscribed. I only started playing recently but I'm enjoying it. Is there anything I should be doing with my forming calluses?

Just keep playing man! Different techniques - like sliding vs. bending - will form different calluses in various places on your fingers. People talk about putting nail polish, alcohol or even super glue on your fingers, but it really does nothing. 2-3 weeks of solid playing will build up a nice layer. I've learned that losing your calluses is like punishment for not playing, you have to endure the ritual and keep up with your playing to keep them on!
 

Kientin

Member
Thanks for the OT, OP. It looks great. So I got a question for you all, what did you do to pick up speed while picking single notes and/or doing hammer ons and pull offs? I feel like I've come a long way, but my lack of technique is holding me back at the moment.
 

Sobriquet

Member
Thanks for the OT, OP. It looks great. So I got a question for you all, what did you do to pick up speed while picking single notes and/or doing hammer ons and pull offs? I feel like I've come a long way, but my lack of technique is holding me back at the moment.

I would practice scales to a metronome. Once you nail it, increase the speed. And so on.
 

sgjackson

Member
Awesome that we finally have one of these. I might throw in links to recommended beginner guitars+amps into the OP. Based on what I've played I'd probably recommend Agile LP+Fender Mustang for electric and Seagull S6 for acoustic to most people, but I'm sure other people will have suggestions.

Like a lot of people probably did (and as is suggested in the OP), I learned via JustinGuitar's beginner and intermediate programs. If you do exactly what he says, you'll go from nothing to being able to play a solid arrangement of a lot of songs (and you'll probably learn a few dozen on the way), and you'll have a foundation to start figuring out playing by ear and music theory from. That said, if you can afford a teacher, get one. After a month of lessons I've learned a ton about how to approach technique and theory for improvisation and it's 100 percent worth it, and it's likely I would have advanced a lot more quickly had I done this earlier.
 
Thanks for the OT, OP. It looks great. So I got a question for you all, what did you do to pick up speed while picking single notes and/or doing hammer ons and pull offs? I feel like I've come a long way, but my lack of technique is holding me back at the moment.

It's all about taking it slow then gradually speeding it up. I used to hate the discipline behind that but these days I kind of dig the process. I really love the new youtube feature where you can slow down videos to a half or even quarter speed while maintaining pitch. It helps in learning guitar solos.
 
PRO TIP: Instead of paying thousands for big name brand customs, Kiesel Guitars who make for Greg Howe, recreate Jason Beckers guitars etc make amazing instuments for the price from what Ive read and seen. Theyre not as big as they will be in several years so before prices skyrocket I say you should look at their 1000$ models.

http://www.kieselguitars.com/guitarsinstock/electric-guitars

Other really good bang for you buck Id say are the Charvel San Dimas and Mexican/Maybe Japanese Fender Strats. not much experience with japanese strats but have heard good things
 

GG-Duo

Member
I have a black Highway One Fender Telecaster that I bought 8 years ago that is like new (pretty much unplayed)

I’m about to post it on Craigslist to sell – what price should I set it as? I know that they don’t make Highway Ones anymore.
 
Ah hell. More guitars. I've got 20 of the fuckers (18 electric and 2 acoustic), 3 amps and 12 pedals. I know, I have a problem.

Annoyingly guitar prices in the UK are going up thanks to the week £. Maybe that'll help my addiction? (Probably not)

Some pics?


Anyone have experience painting guitars? I rescued an old neglected guitar from a friends basement, gutted it, and am wanting to re-paint it and build a pseudo Kurt Ballou custom out of it.

I really like the idea of doing one of the swirl paint jobs, but I live in an apartment and have limited room (I do have a balcony/patio though).

giphy-6-1.gif
Joe Satriani has done some hand painted guitars. But they are prohibitively expensive. Vid
 

Sobriquet

Member
I have a black Highway One Fender Telecaster that I bought 8 years ago that is like new (pretty much unplayed)

I’m about to post it on Craigslist to sell – what price should I set it as? I know that they don’t make Highway Ones anymore.

Maybe $600-$700?
 

NEO0MJ

Member
Nice to see all the gear here~! Though I must admit I'm jealous of some of the collections here.

Anyways, did some quality of life improvements and added RPS due to all the guitar justice warriors :p
Kidding aside I was considering a guitarist legends section and was wondering who to add. I have Tarrega, Robert Johnson, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Tony Iommi, and Eddie Van Halen on mind. Who else should I add?

I should add that Rocksmith+cable is $30 on amazon US right now which is a great price.

Lefty here~

Brother!
 
Anyone have any suggestions for a cab? I was borrowing a friends Line 6 cab and was running my Bugera 333XL through it. Looking at any 2x12 or 4x12 with V30 speakers in it.

Thanks!
 
PRO TIP: Instead of paying thousands for big name brand customs, Kiesel Guitars who make for Greg Howe, recreate Jason Beckers guitars etc make amazing instuments for the price from what Ive read and seen. Theyre not as big as they will be in several years so before prices skyrocket I say you should look at their 1000$ models.

http://www.kieselguitars.com/guitarsinstock/electric-guitars

Other really good bang for you buck Id say are the Charvel San Dimas and Mexican/Maybe Japanese Fender Strats. not much experience with japanese strats but have heard good things

What the heck? Carvin got bought out?
 

olympia

Member
It was a 2012 limited reissue but I found it NOS a couple of years later. A lot of people think Antigua is hideous but I ♥️ it. It was really hard to find.

Wow, I love the Antigua burst. Which pickups?

Also I bought a used 2000 MIM with a broken-in neck that I absolutely love, although it's not D-shaped.
 
This is currently why I play on:
yqkoqsi3hppe8hhefph7.jpg


This is a Gibson 335; It's one of the re-issues that they did in the early 2000's. I've had this guy for over 15 years. I love it.

I taught myself how to play on a borrowed Fender acoustic over the course of a year by watching Robert Smith on TV and on a couple of VHS tapes that I owned. I already knew how to read music, and I had a pretty trained ear when it came to picking out notes in a song, so it was a matter of matching fingers and learning from there.

The first song I learned was Just Like Heaven.
 
I think the Mesa cabs still have V30s in them. Sweet cabs.

Two things annoy me in regards to my Mesa rect. 2x12 cab. It only has one handle at the top, and the logo can start to emit an annoying noise at certain frequencies and high volume because it starts to vibrate.

Other then that, its masterfully build and connected (everything in the inside is soldered). This thing will survive a lot of abuse. Sound wise its a classic.

Legends are told that only Mesa gets England make Celestion V30 in them, other Manufacturers get the Chinese version. Don't really know if that is true and if there is a difference.
 

rObit

Banned
Tosin Abasi in the OP, I must be in the right place! Just saw AAL last week, super good show.

Here's my most recent gear pic, which is not the full collection but most of the main lineup:
From left to right: Agile Septor 827, Legator Opus Tradition 7 string, Ibanez RG3EXFM1, Ibanez S5EX1, Peavey Millennium BXP bass.


What the heck? Carvin got bought out?

No, Kiesel is just a name change. I believe Kiesel was like the super custom-shop side of Carvin but it became popular enough that they just rebranded. The founder of Carvin was Lowell Kiesel, so it's still in the same family.
 

Sch1sm

Member
Nice to see all the gear here~! Though I must admit I'm jealous of some of the collections here.

Anyways, did some quality of life improvements and added RPS due to all the guitar justice warriors :p
Kidding aside I was considering a guitarist legends section and was wondering who to add. I have Tarrega, Robert Johnson, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Tony Iommi, and Eddie Van Halen on mind. Who else should I add?

I should add that Rocksmith+cable is $30 on amazon US right now which is a great price.



Brother!

You one as well? Haha, awesome. Least there's some of us here to give recommendations based on that instead of people just restringing or playing upside down. I tried just playing right, but it didn't feel natural, so I first traded in for that SR 300 and some cash from a restored Jackson Charvel.

---

Maybe we should have something of a questionnaire/form for people with questions on gear, so we can better suit their needs. See they're already showing up on that front and at least knowing a budget or what sound they're looking for, etc, would help?
 
No, Kiesel is just a name change. I believe Kiesel was like the super custom-shop side of Carvin but it became popular enough that they just rebranded. The founder of Carvin was Lowell Kiesel, so it's still in the same family.


Thanks. I've always wanted to get a Carvin custom at some point. Their guitar finishes are unbelievable.

Nice collection btw. I forgot to add my LTD basa I got recently too, on the train atm.
 
Originally known as Gakki, they were simply a musical instrument store in Nagoya, Japan, that later started making their own brand of acoustic guitars. However after rebranding themselves as Ibanez in 1957 they started licensing electric guitars under their banner and even making some themselves. They were popularized in the west thanks to guitarist Steve Vai in the 1970s.
Popular choices include the Ibanez S970WRW Premium, the Ibanez RG Kaoss, the Ibanez Artcore AF75TDG, the Ibanez Artwood AW4000, and the Ibanez AEG10II.

Okay I have to take issue with this. Just sloppy.
Hoshino Gakki (originally a book store) got a luthier named Salvador Ibanez to make acoustic guitars for them.
They bought the right to continue using the Ibanez name from his family after he died.
They basically made Les Paul and Fender clones up until the CBS lawsuit but decided to try and make their own designs in the mid 80s. Steve Vai became a sponsored artist in the late 80s and they actively pursued the metal crowd since.
A consistent part of their marketing has been the production of signature lines to artists famous within the musician demographic
Their major model lines are the RG (roadstar guitar), S series and Artcore semi-hollow and hollow designs.
They also have an extensive range of sponsored artist models many of which are derivatives of the RG and S model lines.
They make very few guitars themselves.
Their main production was based out of contract manufacturers such as the Cort and Samick factories in Korea and the Fujigen factory in Japan. Chinese factories have also been used.
They have since branched out into production in Indonesia and have managed to raise the quality of production their significantly.
 

Rest

All these years later I still chuckle at what a fucking moron that guy is.
So this is an interesting look at components and construction of name brand vs. generic vs. no name guitars: Phillip McKnight, Squier vs. Fender.
 

Sch1sm

Member
No left handed guitar players here?

Do lefties just say: "fuck it" when they walk into a guitar store?

I'm a lefty* who only buys left in the hopes that one day our options will be as abundant as those for right handed players.

I just do a lot more research before I go in, if anything. Pick out a handful from browsing. Try them out. See what suits me best sound + feel wise. Standard stuff across the board, I assume!

*I write with my right and stopped questioning a long time ago why a left handed guitar feels more comfortable for me. Mixed handedness mess, I call it.
 
No left handed guitar players here?

Do lefties just say: "fuck it" when they walk into a guitar store?


We are here. I learned on right-handed flipped upside down and made the decision to commit to true lefty a couple years ago for various reasons. Relearning has majorly messed with my brain, but I have committed to it. Chords have sufficiently been rewired in my head, but years of fingerpicking have been a struggle to reacquire.

The only lefty guitar in the house, and the only thing I will now touch, is my Les Paul.
I really want an acoustic, but there aren't a ton of options:


Taylor 214CE ?
Fender Sonoran ?
Breedlove Persuit ?
D'Angelico Mercer ?

Am itching to get a nice acoustic, but it's hard to pull the trigger on such an expense without physically playing it. You righties get to go in any shop and play everything in stock. Nobody stocks lefty gear.
 

Sch1sm

Member
We are here. I learned on right-handed flipped upside down and made the decision to commit to true lefty a couple years ago for various reasons. Relearning has majorly messed with my brain, but I have committed to it. Chords have sufficiently been rewired in my head, but years of fingerpicking have been a struggle to reacquire.

The only lefty guitar in the house, and the only thing I will now touch, is my Les Paul.
I really want an acoustic, but there aren't a ton of options:


Taylor 214CE ?
Fender Sonoran ?
Breedlove Persuit ?
D'Angelico Mercer ?

Am itching to get a nice acoustic, but it's hard to pull the trigger on such an expense without physically playing it. You righties get to go in any shop and play everything in stock. Nobody stocks lefty gear.

Larrivée the lord and saviour of lefties if you've got a place that stocks them in your area.

With you, though. I struggled to find one. Part because they're not sold so widely since I guess there's just not enough of us, and part there's so few of them available you can't really find them used or for trade in nice enough condition to bother.
 

NEO0MJ

Member
Okay I have to take issue with this. Just sloppy.
Hoshino Gakki (originally a book store) got a luthier named Salvador Ibanez to make acoustic guitars for them.

Sorry, guess I messed up a bit when offering the abridged version. I actually knew some of those details but thought it didn't matter enough. I'll see how I can fix it later.

No left handed guitar players here?

Do lefties just say: "fuck it" when they walk into a guitar store?

The lefty selection in our stores is pretty bad. I don't live a place where buying online is an option either.
 

kogasu

Member
Anyone have experience painting guitars? I rescued an old neglected guitar from a friends basement, gutted it, and am wanting to re-paint it and build a pseudo Kurt Ballou custom out of it.

I really like the idea of doing one of the swirl paint jobs, but I live in an apartment and have limited room (I do have a balcony/patio though).

giphy-6-1.gif

Ohhh, so weirdly satisfying watching them do these swirl jobs. I'd love to have a guitar like this as well but I've never done it myself though.
 

Rest

All these years later I still chuckle at what a fucking moron that guy is.
Ohhh, so weirdly satisfying watching them do these swirl jobs. I'd love to have a guitar like this as well but I've never done it myself though.
Having watched several of these (as well as one with acrylic nails) I'm pretty sure I could do this.
 
Okay I have to take issue with this. Just sloppy.
Hoshino Gakki (originally a book store) got a luthier named Salvador Ibanez to make acoustic guitars for them.
They bought the right to continue using the Ibanez name from his family after he died.
They basically made Les Paul and Fender clones up until the CBS lawsuit but decided to try and make their own designs in the mid 80s. Steve Vai became a sponsored artist in the late 80s and they actively pursued the metal crowd since.
A consistent part of their marketing has been the production of signature lines to artists famous within the musician demographic
Their major model lines are the RG (roadstar guitar), S series and Artcore semi-hollow and hollow designs.
They also have an extensive range of sponsored artist models many of which are derivatives of the RG and S model lines.
They make very few guitars themselves.
Their main production was based out of contract manufacturers such as the Cort and Samick factories in Korea and the Fujigen factory in Japan. Chinese factories have also been used.
They have since branched out into production in Indonesia and have managed to raise the quality of production their significantly.

Man, imagine if Steve Vai arrived in the 70s? LoL. Van Halen would be rekt. Anyway, Ibanez sponsored plenty of name artists before Vai, including Steve Lukather and Stanley Jordan. But yeah basically in the 80s all the guitar companies pursued metal/shred.
 
Old Rig:

bcPQnhYl.jpg

e1h0V94l.jpg


New "After having a kid" rig:

0NTpfF4l.jpg


Best gear decision I've ever made. The Kemper is ALL of the amps. It sounds amazing with headphones or recorded direct. With a cab and the power amp I put in it, it gets the "amp in the room" feel with ease.
 
Hey guys, I'm currently in the market for a new electric guitar and could use some guidance :)

I used to have a Stratocaster back home and played it quite often for 4 years, I consider myself decent enough to play for my own amusement but never tried to be really "good" at it. I couldn't bring it with me when I moved to another country, I've been meaning to get a new one for a very long time and I've finally decided that it's about time I take the plunge.

I mostly enjoy playing 90s alt-rock songs, so I think I want a guitar with humbuckers or P90s... However, I don't really know what else to look for besides that. I've also been to a couple of guitar stores already and found some quite cool looking ones that I fancied, but I always get too anxious and never get to actually try them out :( I think my guitar/pedal/amp setup at home was quite poor and couldn't really get the sound I wanted out of my guitar, so I'm also interested in getting some decent amps and pedals this time around.

Finally, while I know I'm getting a bit a head of myself here, I really want to eventually start writing and recording my own music and/or covers, possibly putting them on Youtube first. I literally have no idea about what kind of equipment would I need for that, or if that should influence my guitar/pedals purchases in any way. Any tips for that?

Thanks :)

P.S. One last question, do you guys reckon it would be possible to get some good deals during Black Friday in the UK? I've seen some guitars on the Black Friday section on Amazon, and while I'm not too keen on buying a guitar online I would definitely consider it if it has good reviews and it's cheap enough...
 

Sobriquet

Member
I mostly enjoy playing 90s alt-rock songs, so I think I want a guitar with humbuckers or P90s... However, I don't really know what else to look for besides that. I've also been to a couple of guitar stores already and found some quite cool looking ones that I fancied, but I always get too anxious and never get to actually try them out :( I think my guitar/pedal/amp setup at home was quite poor and couldn't really get the sound I wanted out of my guitar, so I'm also interested in getting some decent amps and pedals this time around.

When I think '90s alt, I think Fender single coils with a Rat or Big Muff. Unless you want to go heavier like Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, or Melvins. Rivers Cuomo, Billy Corgan, and Kurt Cobain used humbuckers too. Maybe an HSS Strat? The only '90s dudes I can think of that used P-90s are J. Mascis (on recordings, he doesn't use them live) and Mike Ness. Jim Adkins too if he counts as '90s. I could be wrong, but that's off the top of my head.

Wow, I love the Antigua burst. Which pickups?

Also I bought a used 2000 MIM with a broken-in neck that I absolutely love, although it's not D-shaped.

They're stock. American "vintage style" pickups, whatever that is. They sound good though. Also, slight correction, the neck is apparently U-shaped.
 
Top Bottom