• 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

NEO0MJ

Member
31022505031_8eb8e34566_c.jpg


History

30993224852_553cb8d402.jpg


The Guitar is a musical instrument with a rich history. Most likely descended from the Lute and the Gittern, the first time it appeared in a form similar to what we know today was during the renascence, though during that period it only had around four strings and eight frets, though there was not a set standard and some luthiers deviated from that.
It was in the 19th century when a Spanish luthier by the name of Antonia de Torres Jurado built what is now known as the modern guitar. Through intense research and significant trial and error, he managed to make significant breakthroughs in guitar design in order to get the most sound, clarity, and volume out of a guitar. While improvements were made after his passing by others, none revolutionized it as he did.

31136741475_1dfc450b8a.jpg


Even since it became possible to easily manipulate electricity, specialists in many fields tried to use it to advance their work, and luthiers were no exception. The earliest known attempts of using electricity to manipulate sound in a stringed instrument date back to the early 20th century, where patents showed designs of modified telephone transmitters fitted within violins and banjos, though these were used mostly by hobbyists and produced weak sound.
The first commercial electric guitar was designed and built by George Beauchamp and his team at the National Guitar Corporation, which later became known as Rickenbacker. It was a hollow bodied acoustic instrument carved from maple cast in aluminum and used tungsten pickups, and was known as the frying pan. They were soon followed with companies who had their own twist on the design such as Dobro and Gibson.
The Electric Guitar as we know it today is often credited to have been popularized and made viable first by Fender’s Telecaster in the early 1950s, though there is heavy debate and confusion regarding this matter. They were soon followed by Gibson with the popular Les Paul. A factor that led to their widespread use at the time was the popularity of big bands and the need of guitar players of louder volume from their instrument as the sound of classical acoustic guitars was often drowned out during performance by other musical instruments. This was also why electric bass were popularized.



Picking a Guitar
30993219982_51fd661110.jpg


Despite popular opinion, starting with an acoustic Guitar is not a must when learning guitar. Each has its own set of positive and negatives.

31136736525_e4ee00f828.jpg


Acoustic Positives:
  • Generally cheaper to buy.
  • Easier to pick up and play and doesn’t have much that need tinkering with.
  • Requires little in the way of accessories and extensions.
  • Not as noisy as an electric guitar when the latter is played through an amp.
  • Your mistakes are not masked like when playing an electric guitar so you can make better notes or where you’re going wrong when practicing.

Acoustic Negatives:
  • Can be more difficult to play at the start due to its shape and requiring more strength from the player when strumming and holding chords.
  • Not as versatile or customizable as its electric counterpart.
  • Are larger than Electric and so are harder to store and a bit more difficult to hold.

30329776263_201373af12.jpg


Electric Positives:
  • Easier on a beginner to start with.
  • Offers a much wider selection of designs for those looking for an aesthetically pleasing guitar.
  • Can create a rainbow of sounds thanks to the many ways music can be manipulated before exiting an amp through the use of certain hardware.
  • Are generally more durable than acoustic guitars.
  • Can be practiced with unplugged or while wearing headphones to almost eliminate noise entirely.

Electric Negatives:
  • Tend to be more expensive than their acoustic counterparts.
  • Requires the use of cables and an amp, which adds a degree of hassle to playing it.
  • The variety of options and setting might be overwhelming when trying to find the right tone.

Personal opinion, just pick the one that matches the style of music you like.

Heading to the Market
31136734435_54e8aaa0d2.jpg


There are several factors that you should take into mind when buying an acoustic guitar. First among them is size and shape. While not as varied as an electric guitar it still comes in all sort of forms. One of the most popular is the Dreadnought. It’s of average size and is very versatile, syncing well with many styles of music. Regardless of what shape you choose, make sure that it can sit comfortably between your chest and strumming and that you can hold the neck using your chord hand without struggling.

Another thing to keep in mind is what kind of string the guitar uses. Most acoustic guitars use steel strings, however some are equipped with nylon string instead. These are classical style acoustic guitars and have a wider neck and a shorter fretboard than their steel stringed counterparts. They're easier on the fingers and have a wider variety of tone. Please note that these two while both acoustic guitars are still technically different instruments and so their parts, mainly the strings, are not interchangeable and are played a little different.

Something you might want to consider when buying an acoustic guitar is if it’s an acoustic-electric guitar. They’re equipped with a preamp and pickup which allow you to connect them to an amplifier and other electronic devices without compromising their original sound.

And lastly price. While if you’re a beginner you won’t need a $1,000 guitar don’t buy something too cheap like for $25 or so.

Other things to keep in mind, such as:
  • What kind of machine head it has. Locking are preferable but they’re pretty expensive.
  • Whether it’s solid body or laminate.
  • What kind of wood was it constructed from.
  • That there are no cracks or splits.
  • Check the action, space between the neck and the string. It should generally look even across the neck.
  • If you’re a beginner ask a friend or someone there to play the guitar for you. It can help get a better feel of the sound.

30768852860_2fcc9bc747.jpg


A lot of what was said above regarding shape, size, wood type, and action can be applied here, so I’ll mostly go through what’s unique to electric guitars.
While it’s tempting to buy the coolest looking electric guitar you find, I wouldn’t recommend picking up something V-shaped or Explorer-like if you’re a beginner, they can be rather unwieldy. Instead look or something shaped like the Les Paul or the Stratocaster.

Electric guitars come in two body types, solid and hollow. Solid is the most popular kind and is what’s recommended for beginners. They come in all sorts of shapes and forms, and most parts and tools are designed with them in mind. Hollow body guitars are like their name implies, hollow, and the sound they produce has more resonance and feedback. They’re more limited design-wise and generally are more expensive. Like with

Another thing to keep in mind is what kind of pickups the guitar uses. There are two kinds of pickups, which single-coils and humbuckers. While I mention that some are preferred by certain styles over the other, it doesn’t mean you have to use that certain pick-up form as many guitar players buck the trend.
Single-coils came first and are characterized with their bright, snappy, and some might say thin sound. Singles are also know to make a continues static “hum” sound when left idle. They’re popular with funk, country, and pop players.
On the other hand, Humbuckers are known for their warm, thick sound, but are criticized by some for being too muddy. In contrast to single coils they don’t have a hum, which is where they got their name from. They’re especially popular with metal players but also hard rock and jazz players.
The number of pickups in an electric guitar can vary. Some only have one while others come with two or even three pickups to get more sound out of it. Guitars that come with three pickups usually have either three single coils or two singles and a humbucker. I’ll be discussing these in more depth later.

Something you might want to consider when buying an electric guitar is whether it has a tremolo/whamy bar or not. It allows you to play around with the sound it makes and generally has no negatives, though some designs might make it a little awkward to play near the bridge.

After finding out which guitar you like, it’s time to plug it into the amp. Buying a good amp is just as important as buying a good guitar. There are Solid-state and combo amps. The former is recommended for beginners and home as they’re often cheaper and easier to use, as well as less noisy. Combo amps are usually used by performers. Due to the variety of factors that impact their sound try multiple guitars with multiple amps and see what works best for you.

If you have some extra cash left after buying a guitar and amp you might want to look into buying a pedal. These allow you to add a plethora of effects to the sound, such as distortion, reverb, fuzz, and chorus.

Recommendations Form
31372140315_5f60a2eb40_o.jpg


So you set out to buy a guitar but are overwhelmed with the choices? Don't worry the members here are happy to help I think). just fill out the below form.

Guitar Type: Acoustic or Electric. Might to be more specific such as Classic Acoustic of Solid Electric.
Skill level: beginner, intermediate, or expert.
Preferred sound: If you have a certain tone in mind this can help narrow down your choices, especially with electric.
Planned use: Practice or stage.
Budget: How much you're willing to spend.
Country of residence: Would make giving options easier.
Misc: for other demands such as if you want something with a wider neck, tremolo, or other things that come to mind.

Resources
30351112353_66a7bde897.jpg

While you’ll definitely learn faster with an instructor, there are several other ways of learning how to play guitar now. Among the most popular are:

  • Justin Guitar: Originally mean to offer private lessons, Justin Sandercoe eventually offered all sorts of free courses on his website. Lots of useful information and products are available there.
  • Gibson’s Learn Guitar E-Book: Pretty useful book to read for those who prefer that to watching videos.
  • Rocksmith 2014: Guitar Hero with actual guitars, and available on PS4/X1/PC. Aside from being able to play your favorite songs it offers exercises and lessons as well. You’ll need a special cable to use it. For those without consoles the PC version runs on almost any device.
  • Yousician: Similar to Rocksmith but allows for the use of more instruments as it picks up audio using the mic. Don’t have much experience with it personally so I’d appreciate it if someone could help me explain its use better. Available for IOS/Android/PC.
  • Chordify: A service that breaks down any song you own into chords to read. Available for IOS/Android/PC.
  • Ultimate Guitar: An incredible selection of song tabs to learn here. Search for it and you’ll most likely find it.
  • Songsterr: Similair to the above, but more interactive and they even offer a mobile for IOS/Android so you can use it on the go.
  • Gametabs: I know this site has a lot of video game fans so I thought they might appreciate a site where they can learn their favorite tunes. Unfortunately it hasn’t been updated much recently so newer games might not have their music available.
 

NEO0MJ

Member
Popular Brands

30993223482_f390023706_n.jpg

31014407882_5b5a1d8928.jpg


A family owned business from Pennsylvania with a long history. Their classic instruments are some of the most sought after in the market. They’re highly venerated and can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Popular choices include the Martin D Jr., the Martin DC-15ME, and the Martin DXAE Black.

30768855880_ce71e793db_n.jpg

30350759853_eca7127d1d.jpg


Known for making high quality acoustic and electric guitars, this company started from a small workshop in Michigan but are now headquartered in Tennessee. Known for devouring their rivals such as Epiphone, they offer guitars that fit all price ranges and tastes.
Popular choices include the Epiphone Les Paul 100, the Gibson HP 635 W, the Gibson Flying V T, the Epiphone Hummingbird Artist, and the Gibson Explorer T.

30993221272_532b02a7c3_n.jpg

30790476990_d42efe6025.jpg


Hailing from California where they still make their guitars but now headquartered in Nevada, this company popularized the electric guitar and is highly regarded in that field. They also make acoustic guitars, but their reputation does not match their electric counterparts. They also bought popular electric guitar company Jackson, though they keep it separate from their own stuff.
Popular choices include the Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster '50, the Fender American Standard Stratocaster, the Fender Classic Series ’72 Telecaster Thinline, the Jackson USA Warrior WR1, and the Jackson Pro Series Rhoads RRMG.

30315709544_253cba109d_n.jpg

30790475570_104d4778a3.jpg


Originally known as Gakki, they were simply a bookstore turned musical instrument shop in Nagoya, Japan. They later began importing guitars from a workshop owned by a luthier known as Salvador Ibanez. Eventually they rebranded themselves as Ibanez after buying the rights to the name in 1957 they started licensing electric guitars under their banner and even making some themselves, often clones of the more popular Gibson and Fender models until they were hit with a lawsuit. They were popularized in the west thanks to their custom guitars used by guitarists such as Steve Vai in the 1980s. It should be noted they don't really have many workshops themselves and most of their guitars are contracted to manufacturers in other countries.
Popular choices include the Ibanez S970WRW Premium, the Ibanez RG Kaoss, the Ibanez Artcore AF75TDG, the Ibanez Artwood AW4000, and the Ibanez AEG10II.

31100394796_38c4543c2c_n.jpg

30336891924_a50d60b5a2.jpg


A Japanese conglomerate from Hamamatsu known for their presence in many fields, they entered the guitar market in 1966 and offer a large selection of products, fit for beginners and experts.
Popular choices include the Yamaha PAC012, the Yamaha CG192C, the Yamaha SLG200N, the Yamaha APX500III, and the Yamaha RS420.

30768855090_3b3ab55bbe_n.jpg

30350756363_31a2b04afa.jpg


A relatively modern company headquartered in Connecticut, they primarily focus on acoustic guitars and have an iconic look due to their round back. Due to financial troubles it was originally sold to Fenders but has been moving between parent companies.

Popular choices include the Ovation Elite TX Mid-Depth, the Ovation Custom Legend, and the Ovation Celebrity Standard Mid-Depth.

31100394526_88dca01c49_n.jpg

30790476910_e08b793b76.jpg


Founded by Robert Godin and few of his buddies in Montreal, Canada. They manufacture electric and acoustic guitars, and have a popular sub-brand known as Seagull which specializes in making Solid top acoustic guitars.
Popular choices include the Godin Session Custom '59, the Godin LGX-SA, the Godin A6 Ultra, the Seagull Entourage Rustic CW QIT, and the Seagull S6 Original.

30329776433_192f8c6687_n.jpg

30350754573_13c3e64d5f.jpg


Founded by Bob Taylor, Kurt Listug and Steve Schemmer at a young age in California at the year 1974, they eventually became the #1 manufacturer of acoustic guitars. While they mostly cater to the high-end market they have a few midrange offerings.
Popular choices include the Baby Mahogany, the GS Mini, and the 214ce.

30813413110_78a08530bc_n.jpg

31066394531_6815375e6d.jpg


Another you company. Headquartered in Maryland, USA, the company was founded by surprise, Paul Reed Smith (does any american company not name itself after its founder?), they were originally a custom guitar shop that offered high-end instruments, slowly started offering more relatively affordable guitars. Still, even their cheapest stuff can run you $500 so it definitely isn't meant for beginners.
Popular choices include the S2 Mira, S2 Starla,SE Standard 245, and the SE Custom 22.

Amps

Now that you have an electric (or acoustic electric) guitar, it's time to complete the second half of the equation with an amp. No matter how good a guitar is you won't make great music without an equivalent level amp. Amps are actually formed from two parts, a head and a cabinet. However for most personal use a combo amp is what's recommend, especially if you're a beginner or just practicing. Below are some of the most popular brands but once again there are merely samplings and there's more to find out there.

30340897144_1761900e36_n.jpg

31047990471_e0bceb54c8.jpg


Making another appearance in this thread, Fender are also known for their amps which fit a wide variety of tastes and price range. Popular models include the Fender Frontman 10G and the Fender Vintage Reissue '65 Twin Reverb.

30340901694_91874384bd_n.jpg

31162094275_71bd0d4fb5.jpg


Popular models include the Marshall MG10CF and the Marshall JVM215C.

30340897224_7a3f3e0075_n.jpg

30354884023_7aa6ae08c6.jpg


Popular models include the Blackstar ID:Core and the Blackstar HT-60.

30354885923_4933f8da4b_n.jpg

31047987691_2052bbf7ba.jpg


Popular models include the Roland Cube-01 and the Roland JC-120.

31126170406_d1d1eda770_n.jpg

30340901074_f4cf47f5b2.jpg


Popular models include the Peavey VYPYR VIP 1 and the Peavey Classic 50.

31018525332_0134f86a3f_n.jpg

31126164966_8ee9b74c62.jpg


Popular models include the Orange Crush12 and the Orange Crush Pro CR120C.
 

NEO0MJ

Member
I thought we already had a Guitar OT?

That was mostly just a pick up thread, and I think there was a beginner thread that didn't get much use. The folk at that thread have been thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to have a regular OT.
.
..
...
Also, I worked really hard on this, please don't kill it ( ._.)
 

Ridisc

Banned
I took a break for about a year from music and legit thought that id just forget everything, in part thats why after a certain point I thought id just lost the skills id learned, picked the guitar up a week ago and, while my hands were cramping from not using them, it was like riding a bike, incredible feeling.
 

Onemic

Member
That was mostly just a pick up thread, and I think there was a beginner thread that didn't get much use. The folk at that thread have been thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to have a regular OT.
.
..
...
Also, I worked really hard on this, please don't kill it ( ._.)

DIE DIE DIE

Nah, it's cool, more informative than the original so far.

Now if only I actually had the drive and focus to get better at guitar....At this point my guitar is just decoration for my room.
 

Shadybiz

Member
Very nice OP. I have been on hiatus for awhile due to school and work stuff, not to mention being preoccupied with this election. Recently been feeling the itch to pick up my Ibanez and bang around on it.
 
I took a break for about a year from music and legit thought that id just forget everything, in part thats why after a certain point I thought id just lost the skills id learned, picked the guitar up a week ago and, while my hands were cramping from not using them, it was like riding a bike, incredible feeling.

Did the same thing. I stopped playing all of last year and then picked it up and knew what I was doing.

Super weird and unexpected.
 

forrest

formerly nacire
Nice thread! I've really been hitting the guitar hard the past couple months after only really noodling about every now and then for two years.

Just picked up a Boss Katana 112 combo to fit my small apartment needs after moving to Seattle. Great little amp btw for quite jamming or headphones.

Also, how about a little PRS love in the OP? Great company, great guitars!
 

NEO0MJ

Member
Nah, it's cool, more informative than the original so far.

Now if only I actually had the drive and focus to get better at guitar....At this point my guitar is just decoration for my room.

Thanks <3
Writign this OT made me realize just how insane the effort some guys here put into their OTs, especially on gaming side. Though I have been trying my best to paraphrase rather than outright copy. Old school habits I guess.

And I know that feel about the guitar being decoration. One of the things I plan adding to the gear section when I get to it is buying a stand for the guitar. It's the best way to make use of it after you realize you'll never really get good at the thing and might as well turn it into an ornament.

Though seriously, we have to get keep practicing!
 

Leunam

Member
I had to sell my LTD EC-1000 to pay my rent when I was laid off. I still have my EX-260 but it's not the same. I lost a lot of motivation to play after that, I loved that guitar.

Although I have been playing my Ibanez acoustic a little more, so not all hope is lost I guess.
 
Beein playing for 15 years now. Love it. I'm not good, but I love it. I play at church twice a month then dabble at home. I'm currently trying to compose a mashup of Times Like These (Foo Fighters) and Heroes (David Bowie), and it's going ok. They're both in D which helps.

Here are my 2 main guitars:

Schecter C-1 Classic

Favorite guitar (under $3k) in the world. It plays like a high end PRS. Smooth like butter and I love the vine-of-life inlays

schecter-c-1-classic-electric-guitar-see-thru-blue-with-hardshell-case-b331c14b5e730010a5ff3b85e028853a.jpg


Martin DX1RAE

This is my most recent purchase. It has the body of a much higher end Martin, but the neck is HPL (High Pressure Laminate) which cut the price down. I can't really tell the difference and it plays amazing. Has a great basses and trebles.

Martin-DX1RAE-Review.jpg


Also have a generic Spencer blue strat and a Rogue 12-string.
 
I demand a PRS and ESP section in the OP. :D

My S2 Semi-Hollow demands attention! :)

We should also talk about talk about digital amp modelers, we are definitely beyond the days of a PodXT.

Also, www.jamplay.com is a great website for those looking to interact with teachers. I actually did a year trial and they have great course material from Dave Weiner, Tosin Abasi, Emil Werstler and many many more. I actually ended up taking a few lessons with Emil myself, dude is no joke.
 

phanphare

Banned
nice OP

I need to get back in practice, been playing for a good long while but ever since I moved into a town home with people on either side of me I don't feel comfortable plugging in and playing through headphones either A) sucks because I have it at a reasonable volume or B) is going to make me go deaf because I turn up

my main guitar is a black japanese aerodyne strat. love it.
 

Jonnax

Member
Another thing to keep in mind is what kind of string the guitar uses. Most acoustic guitars use steel strings, however some are equipped with nylon string instead. These are classical style acoustic guitars and have a wider neck and a shorter fretboard than their steel stringed counterparts. While this makes them easier on the fingers it has a somewhat limited tone. Please note that these two while both acoustic guitars are still technically different instruments and so their parts, mainly the strings, are not interchangeable and are played a little different.

That's really not the case. Classical guitars have a much wider variety of tone compared to a steel string. The reason why you can't take a steel string into classical exams is because its limited tone.

For example, Ponticello Natural and Tasto sound completely different on classical whilst being more subtle on a steel string.

There's also a whole world of classical guitar playing spanning centuries that you need to mention :p

Some famous examples I recommend you give a listen to, I think you'll see differently on lack of tone ;)

Capricho Arabe - Francisco Tarrega
https://youtu.be/ThruwvV25nc?t=75

Cavatina - Stanley Myers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwvDon1_iKs

Malaguena - Ernesto Lecuona
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B6jOUzBKYc

Recuerdos de la Alhambra - Francisco Tárrega
https://youtu.be/MDlQE9djIxE?t=119

Romance - by Anonymous
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MkqLfKxhUU

Bourrée in E Minor, BWV 996 - J.S. Bach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omKGOk0VTzU
 

NEO0MJ

Member
I'll post my gear, a Squire Strat with Bare Knuckles Trilogy Suite pick-ups and Hipshot locking tuners, an Orange Crush 20 combo amp, a Joyo Heavy Metal pedal, and a Blackstar HT-DistX Pedal.


I'd recommend against buying a Joyo. While cheap they have QC issues. Mine still works but something seems off about it now and my friend's Chorus pedal stopped working all together.

Also, how about a little PRS love in the OP? Great company, great guitars!

Trust, I would have loved to mention some more companies at the OP, but I didn't want to clutter it too much. I even cheated a bit and combined companies when I could in order to save space.
Maybe when I finish this 100% I'll revisit some previous sections and see where I can expand and/or improve them.

That's really not the case. Classical guitars have a much wider variety of tone compared to a steel string. The reason why you can't take a steel string into classical exams is because its limited tone.

For example, Ponticello Natural and Tasto sound completely different on classical whilst being more subtle on a steel string.

There's also a whole world of classical guitar playing spanning centuries that you need to mention :p

Sorry for that. Acoustic isn't really my forte so had to do some reading on it and must have gotten confused. I'll fix it now.
 
That's really not the case. Classical guitars have a much wider variety of tone compared to a steel string. The reason why you can't take a steel string into classical exams is because its limited tone.

I really need to restring my nylon string, I took classical/flamenco guitar in all four years of high school. I remember the last thing I was making notes to sheet music was this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Ha9ptGxDA
 

Lan Dong Mik

And why would I want them?
Dude, amazing fucking OT! Subscribed.

I play every single day. Got into it about 4 years ago. It's my favorite hobby by far. I have a jam night once a week at my house with friends. So much fun, even though we all suck haha.

My Taylor 114e Acoustic is definitely my go to guitar but I own a Dean Performer E/A and an Electric Epiphone ES-339

I hope one day I become good/confident enough to just show up to Bluegrass Festivals and jam out with random people. I don't even really like Bluegrass that much, but going to the festivals is the most amazing time and the people there are just stupid talented and usually really fucking chill.

Ah fuck it, I'll post my gear too lol!

IMG_6296_1.jpg


Left to Right:

Classical Yamaha Acoustic - The guitar I taught myself how to play on. Was a hand me down guitar from my wife's Grandpa who passed away. It hardly gets any love from me anymore but it still sounds really nice when playing it finger style exclusively. I cherish this guitar even though I don't play it much.

Taylor 114e Acoustic/Electirc - Easily my favorite guitar I own. I bought it used for about $400.00 and I try to play it every day. It sounds heavenly both using a pick and fingestyle. One small gripe I have about it is that the pick up's on it don't come in that great when playing through an amp. The G string is pretty quiet compared to the rest of the strings. I'm not sure if it's the pick up or just the way the guitar is. I know this is on the lower/mid tier Taylor models so maybe that's why, who knows. It doesn't bother me that much thankfully since I rarely plug it in.

Epiphone ES-339 Hollow Body Electric - My first electric!! I think it sounds great and has a few different pick up options with the single coil and humbucker pick ups, but I really don't know what the hell I'm doing most of the time when trying to figure out tone, distortion, etc. It's still really new to me, I got this guitar along with a Marshall DSL40c amp back in January. I am one sloppy electric player but I'm working at it and trying to get better

Dean Professional Acoustic/Electric - Really nice guitar! cost me about $250.00 new and though I don't play it as much as I play the Taylor these days, when I want to play acoustic through an amp, this is definitely my go to. It sounds incredible through an amp. Very nice acoustic amplified sounds and it's my favorite looking guitar out of my small collection.

Amp:

Marshall DSL40c (and friends lol) - I think it sounds great. First amp and I plan on keeping it for a long time until I upgrade. That's my dobro guitar next to it! sweet instrument, no idea how to really play it. maybe one day

IMG_6297.jpg


Pedals:

IMG_3997.jpg


TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb
TC Electronic Flashback Delay
TC Electronic Ditto x2 Looper
BOSS Distortion
Big Muff Distortion

Pedals sound great and work fantastic. I did have an issue with the Ditto Looper doing this weird crackling sound when trying to layer loops but I fixed the issue thank god. I absolutely love using that looper pedal. So much fun.
 
killer thread breh, love the effort

I thought we already had a Guitar OT?

that was a gear thread started in 2008 where only bout 6 of us posted regularly. given there's a "i wanna play guitar' thread in the ot every couple of months or so we figured a reboot was necessary.
 

Armadilo

Banned
Anybody recommend any ukulele and acoustic guitars that are good and cheap ? Never played an instrument but I want to learn. Cheap and good please
 
Hell yeah OP! You came through! Kudos to you sir!

Just in time for my update! I finally finished rehabbing my '84 Ibanez Artist (AR-305AV). It had a broken toggle switch, rusted jack and jackplate, corroded humbucker rings, broken machine heads, just a mess. Definitely got a hang of this soldering thing now. Tonight was the first time the pickups screamed in 20+ years! I've had it since I was a kid but now I'm debating whether I should sell it and buy a new Ibanez RG!

 

Mr. Hyde

Member
Convenient thread. I just pulled out my Yamaha acoustic which I've never learned to play. I thought about joining guitar tricks but is it really worth it to pay when there is so much material online? Does anyone have a place they recommend for beginners?
 

Hale-XF11

Member
Sweet OT!

I currently own a Les Paul studio electric guitar that I bought new back in 1999. It's been my baby ever since.

More recently, about a year ago, I picked up my first ever ukulele (bought a cheap $50 Kala soprano) and taught myself finger picking for the first time. Been practicing every day and now I do it with ease. It's been so much fun, that the uke became my favorite stringed instrument. I'm currently saving up for a decent concert uke.
 

Darklor01

Might need to stop sniffing glue
Beein playing for 15 years now. Love it. I'm not good, but I love it. I play at church twice a month then dabble at home. I'm currently trying to compose a mashup of Times Like These (Foo Fighters) and Heroes (David Bowie), and it's going ok. They're both in D which helps.

Here are my 2 main guitars:

Schecter C-1 Classic

Favorite guitar (under $3k) in the world. It plays like a high end PRS. Smooth like butter and I love the vine-of-life inlays

schecter-c-1-classic-electric-guitar-see-thru-blue-with-hardshell-case-b331c14b5e730010a5ff3b85e028853a.jpg


Martin DX1RAE

This is my most recent purchase. It has the body of a much higher end Martin, but the neck is HPL (High Pressure Laminate) which cut the price down. I can't really tell the difference and it plays amazing. Has a great basses and trebles.

Martin-DX1RAE-Review.jpg


Also have a generic Spencer blue strat and a Rogue 12-string.

My Schecter C-1 Classic is the Antique Amber. Love it, can't see parting with it.
Schecter.SchecterC1Classic5977.jpg
 

JeTmAn81

Member
I have been playing forever but I only use a (decent) multieffects pedal rather than a big board with a bunch of cool stompboxes. How lame am I and what is the best way to recover from this shame?
 

Darklor01

Might need to stop sniffing glue
I have been playing forever but I only use a (decent) multieffects pedal rather than a big board with a bunch of cool stompboxes. How lame am I and what is the best way to recover from this shame?

There isn't anything 'wrong' with what you're doing. I and some friends, including those with gigging bands in several states use multi-effects pedals, some use a combination of stomp boxes and multi-effects pedals, and some love using modeling and other software based tools. Just enjoy playing. Anyone who judges you for what you play with isn't worth your time.
 

Shadybiz

Member
Convenient thread. I just pulled out my Yamaha acoustic which I've never learned to play. I thought about joining guitar tricks but is it really worth it to pay when there is so much material online? Does anyone have a place they recommend for beginners?

Yeah, check out justinguitar; lots of resources for beginners: http://www.justinguitar.com/

Marty Schwartz is good too; here's a playlist with a bunch of beginner type songs. He won't always show you the full song (i.e., solos, etc), but he'll get you going: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4TtPMkMCyc&list=PLD6F649C3E33E6C59

Edit: pasted wrong think first time; durr.
 

Kalamari

Member
I have been learning guitar on my Yamaha fg800 acoustic for about 6 months now and I love it. Justinguitar.com and The Modern Guitar Method by Berklee Press are what I have been using. Justin is far easier than Modern Guitar Method since the latter requires some knowledge of reading musical notes rather than tabs, it's like the dark souls of learning guitar.

I am always in the mood for more PRS talk, I am currently thirsting for an SE, maybe once I get good enough to sound like I know what I am doing in the guitar shop.
 
I am always in the mood for more PRS talk, I am currently thirsting for an SE, maybe once I get good enough to sound like I know what I am doing in the guitar shop.

Pfft, don't even wait. Go when you can afford to get one and get one.

You'll need an amp or something (e.g. modelling software and interface) to make it sound good though, so budget for that.
 

kogasu

Member
Cool OT!! Been playing for like a million years now... Ok it's closer to like 9 years but it feels like forever and I love it!

I don't have anything fancy really. I have a couple of Epiphone electric guitars. My main mostly being a Dot and then I got a cheaper SG style model that I forget the exact name of. It plays really nice but the pick ups aren't doing it for me and I've been meaning to switch them out. On the acoustic side, I just have a cheap Ibanez Peformance which was a gift but I use it frequently anyway heh. Planning on getting a 12 string as well since I've just always wanted one of my own.
 

Formless

Member
Songsterr and Chordify deserve spots in the OT


Thanks for making this topic. Got myself a pedalboard recently so I may want to compare pedal setups with people here soon.
 

NEO0MJ

Member
Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I'll add what I can after coming back from work.

Also, any sites I should keep an eye on during black Friday? Been itching for a new pedal but I don't want to pay full price.

Is rocksmith good for learning guitar? I have a cheap electric guitar in my closet.

It's very useful, especially for leaning songs, but you shouldn't make it your sole learning tool.
 

Sch1sm

Member
Awesome. Subbed. These are what I have at the minute, can't take a photo 'cause I'm away from home, but:


Lefty here~

Is rocksmith good for learning guitar? I have a cheap electric guitar in my closet.

Rocksmith's not a terrible resource, but like NEO said, it shouldn't be the only thing you use. Nice for learning songs on the fly, even getting used to just playing, I'd say. Never played it myself, but from what I've seen, I'd say it has its uses. Build that hand strength, but technique wise... game doesn't look at that.
 
Subbed! :D Just picked up guitar (ok, I've been playing for give or take 2-3 months) and Its a hobby that I've been incorporating to my daily life. So far have been using Justin's Guitar and am open to searching through other resources to learn how to play guitar.

Also question, what are some guitars that you guys recommend for someone that is just getting into playing Acoustic Guitar.
 

bosseye

Member
Nice OT.

I've been playing for about 15 years now. I'm OK, I can play some nice enough things but I'm hardly a rare talent. Recently I've been trying to learn speed mechanics (as I wanted to get into shredding a bit, ha) but I just don't have the patience to unlearn the bad habits I've picked up along my essentially untutored 15 years and just do various finger scales over and over again.

I love playing guitar though, I find it so relaxing. I like to play random finger picked blues on my cheapo classical. Love that guitar, it didn't cost much at all but it sounds really nice to me.

I only have two guitars, my cheapy classical and my cheapy electric Spear Gladius (the one without the Floyd rise trem though). I really want some new guitars but space and cost have prevented it for a while now. Hopefully in the next year. I've always wanted a proper American Gibson, although the last time I went looking the guy in the shop told me the Asian versions were now better quality than the American ones.
 
Top Bottom