*** The guitar thread, amps, accessories etc ***
 

I thought i would do a guitar thread where you can share tips and have general guitar talk etc, it just keeps it neat rather than having a few threads scattered around the forum, you can just bump the thread up when you want to post something.

I picked up my guitar earlier, ive bought a Fender Stratocaster, the amp i bought is a Line 6 Spider IV 30. I`ll post some pics later.

Good idea. This is the latest addition to my collection.

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...2010-01-29.jpg

It's a Peavey Wolfgang Special. It was originally ivory but a previous owner had an EVH style custom paintjob on it. It plays beautifully, the neck is really comfortable (similar to a MusicMan EVH/Axis) and the pickups are very bright but clean up if you back off the volume slightly. It came with a D-tuna as standard, so it's quick to change between standard and dropped D tuning.

Scud, very nice :thumb: Are the graphics ones that you had designed or did they come as standard on the guitar ?

A previous owner had it done. It's a copy of the design Eddie Van Halen used on his first guitar. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4lrAxUuwkk).

My new guitar a Fender Strat.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...uitar-pic1.jpg

The amp i bought to go with it

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...a/amp-pic1.jpg

The sound was amazing when i heard the guitar playing through the amp in the shop, the guitar instructor i`m going to be having lessons with recommended both the above for the style of music i like, he put both of them through their paces which was great to listen too.

The amp has a lot of built in presets for delays and other things plus you can download a lot of bands delay settings direct from the Line 6 website straight to the amp.

DO NOT lean your guitar against a radiator :eek:



PS. Looks terrific. Well done.

David

lol, thats rock n roll :lol1:

It was on the guitar stand, it will either stay in the guitar bag or it will be on the stand. Thanks David, all i need to do now is learn to play it :thumb:

And make sure your skirting board is clean :lol1:

rob


Nice guitar :D

lol, the house is being renovated at the min, we have just had an extension done so things are all over the place at present. Thats just the spare room which is empty at the min, i didn`t think a backdrop of sand, cement and dust would do the guitar justice :D

Whats the general opinion on Line 6 spider amps in the guitar world, the guitar sounded great on the amp, i didn`t need more than the 30 watt version as it will just be used at home and its just a first amp for me with being a beginner.

The other halfs collection. He has amps and effect pedals dotted all over the flaming house :mad:

Oh and we are in the middle of decorating too, so no comments on the wall paper :lol1:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96...HMV2008003.jpg

Is your other half The Edge :lol1:

Thats a great collection of guitars :thumb:

:lol1:
Keeps him quiet. Well, not really. I always have the gals round on a Friday night. We will be having a good old chinwag and all of a sudden a hoooge noise comes from the top lounge. His nibs doing his Slash impersonation :lol1:

A couple more of mine - an Ibanez Iceman (as played by Paul Stanley of Kiss for the oldie's amongst us and Darin Malakian of SOAD for the youngsters) and a Musicman SM-Y2D.

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...Guitars009.jpg
http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...Guitars008.jpg

(Sorry about the carpet - it's coming up soon, honest!)

This made me laugh, i like the guitar intro to this song so i did a quick search for it on youtube and came across this effort. If i turn into something like that you have permission to shoot me :lol1: ... I`m sure their is some decent guitar playing in their somewhere in amongst trying to shake off piles.

YouTube - Whatever You Want- Status Quo cover

And here is my first riff, playing the guitar was a lot easier than i thought it would be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsQC6S4M97g

I love the fact that they have even put together a Guitar Pro tab for the solo in the second clip. Nice guitar though.

Is their a good website that i can learn about the layout of a guitar along with the chords and notes, ive got a 2 hour lesson booked for friday so i wouldn`t mind trying to learn some of the basics before then.

Rob

I can't remember any of the sites I used when I was starting out, but a bit of googling for the right terms should give you plenty of choice. I recommend that you also learn a bit of musical theory as well - particularly stuff like intervals, scales and how chords are built up - as it makes it much easier to learn your way around the fretboard and understand a bit about what you are playing.

If you want to learn some initial chords, then learn the 14 basic open chords (B and F are buggers), power chords on the E string and A string, and the major and minor barre chords on the E string and the A string. Since the power chords and barre chords are moveable this gives you a good range without having to learn and practice too many shapes.

I also recommend getting a copy of Guitar Pro (Guitar Pro - Tablature Editor Software for Guitar, Bass, and Banjo). This is a music/tab notation program, which also has a chord library. Sites like ultimate-guitar have huge libraries of free songs in guitar pro format. You can download songs, see the various tracks in standard notation and tab, and play along at full speed or reduced speed. My guitar teacher is forever sending me home with songs or exercises in Guitar Pro format.

Mike

Thats a great looking site, cheers. Ive starting listening to everything from the beginning, the videos are excellent and so far it looks easy to understand, i aint got the the chords and notes bit yet tho :lol1:

Mike thanks for that info, ive noted it.

Hi Rob, some great advice above and, as said, there are umpteen useful sites which are easy to find on Google. Try something like "Basic Guitar Chords" and you will be inundated. But I also think a basic chord book from the guitar shop would be a very useful addition.

Hope you are happy with the Fender. David

Can anyone recommend a good strap lock for a Fender Srat, on the tuition site ive been reading they say its a must have for obvious reasons.

David, the guitar hasn`t really been out of the bag yet, i`m waiting for my first lesson on friday as i wanted to do it the correct way from the start, i wouldn`t have a clue on my own anyway lol

There are two basic types, both of which require that you replace the original strap buttons on the guitar with the ones that are part of the system. Of the two, the push-button release type ( http://www.guitarheads.net/products/.../straplock.jpg) is the easiest to use. The pull-button type by Schaller ( http://schaller-guitarparts.de/hp135...urity-Lock.htm ) is sometimes a bit fiddly to get off. I have one type on my strat and SG, the other type on my tele - both seem to be completely secure.

I wouldn't bother with the type that looks like a big plastic washer. :D

Thats what i decided to go for :lol1:

Their was a reason behind this, i was looking a strat forum and some people were saying that the extra weight of some of the replacement strap locks can affect the balance of the guitar, some of them are a lot bigger and heavier than the standard ones.

I`m obviously new to guitars but what i can`t understand is why don`t strap lock fittings come as standard on guitars given they will only cost peanuts to make and given the price of guitars ?

These are what ive bought, they are only cheap so if they don`t do what i want them to do then i can always look at the alternatives later.

Jim Dunlop StrapLok System, - Online Music Store | Sounds Live

I had my first guitar lesson earlier today, i enjoyed it. We concentrated mainly on tabs, the correct way to strike the strings, arm and hand positioning and setting up my guitar and amp including tuning.

I actually played a small riff from "Sunday bloody sunday" at the end of the lesson, its mainly in D chord where it repeats itself, my tutor walked me through it which was enjoyable.

Tabs seem pretty straight forward, the main difficulty i had was when you use multiple fingers to play a chord, i was occasionally touching another one of the strings by at the same time by accident which obviously gives out a duff sounding note. I enjoyed it though, ive got plenty of things to practice inbetween now and my next lesson.

:thumb: :thumb:

Honestly, a moment's thought should tell you what utter, utter bollocks that is. As the buttons are the same weight front and rear, and are at the attachment points of the strap, the balance of the guitar cannot be affected in the slightest. It's when the neck is heavier than the body where problems occur.

Don't feel bad having bought the worst option of the three - I mean it's not as if you asked for advice or anything. :)

I don`t feel bad lol, they only cost £2.50 so if they do turn out to be tatt i`ll go down the route you suggested which i know is right in the long run, this is just some sort of protection while i`m learning in the house, the guitar won`t be leaving the house and it will rarely be used stood up.

This is where i got the opinion from which you quoted me on above, remember it wasn`t my opinion, i was quoting someone else on the net. Also the rubbish dunlop plastic ones seem to get the thumbs up from quite a few people on that thread, surely they can`t all be wrong ?

Read post 14

Best strap locks?? - Fender Stratocaster Guitar Forum

Ive been trying to practice the chords, i`m having a bit of difficulty at the min where if i`m using multiple fingers one of the fingers will accidentally be touching another string. When you press down on the string with the tip of your finger the back of your finger seems to fatten and enlarge a bit with the pressure and its that which is accidentally touching other strings.

Is this normal thing to happen with beginners, i wouldn`t say i have massive fingers, they are probably normal size. Are their any tips, tricks or techniques to improve this and stop you touching other strings when using multiple fingers that are close together ?

If your finger is angled enough you should be able to fret one string without muting either of the strings next to it. If you can't get enough angle it is either because your hand position is wrong for the chord (usually the thumb wrapped too far round the neck) or your fingers don't yet have the strength for this particular chord. The hand position issue may be down to finger strength as well - beginners often feel they can't get enough leverage on the strings without using the thumb as a lever on the back of the neck.

Keep at the practice and don't get discouraged - don't forget you are exercising small muscles in your fingers and hand that have not had to do much work before, so it will take a bit of time to build up the strength and control.

I`m enjoying it, obviously its difficult at the min as i`m starting right at the beginning. I`m not sure if your familiar with Alison Rayner - Whats Your Game?

Its a Rock School guitar piece, its what i`m learning at the min. Its good as it gets you used to moving your fingers around the fret board, ive set no time limits with anything, i`ll just rock along with it and see how i get on.