Any guitar players on here

[NigeG]

Be careful of the GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome). One guitar is never enough. The ideal number is N+1, where N is the number you currently have.

Yamaha Pacifica is a great starter. As are many of the Squier or Epiphones you can pick up. Like most things comes down to budget and what you’re willing to spend.

A good “budget” guitar will not sound or feel massively different to a premium guitar initially. It will eventually when you improve and get to understand it more.

As for Amps. Lots of good solid suggestions already in the thread. Boss, Blackstar, Fender, Vox.

Personally started with a Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster. One I’ll never part with. Now have four Teles. Two Strats, two Les Pauls and a bass. Plus too many amps.

I tend to play my scratch built Telecaster most and mostly through a Blackstar Fly portable battery amp. Great sound for the home and for playing quietly. The Classic Vibe goes with me in the Motorhome with the Fly amp.

A Squier Bullet can be made to play great by a good guitar tech.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/mike...d-squier-strat

And Whiskey In The Jar is not an easy song to play - 6 chords and 128bpm. Learn some three chord 12 bar blues first like Little Red Rooster


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NikGixer750]

Thanks for all your help, I am set on a SG for sure, either a classic worn or standard, both in the cherry - I think the difference is just the pickups between a P90 and humbucker - again does not really mean anything to me! The standard is a little more expensive. I am pretty impatient so want to go get it on the way home from work but with black friday next week could be worth just waiting a week.

In terms of lessons, there is a teacher in my village - which is handy. Are the online lessons any good or is face to face the best way.

[guinea]

In terms of lessons, there is a teacher in my village - which is handy. Are the online lessons any good or is face to face the best way.

In the beginning face to face is best. A teacher can get your hand position right and see what you're doing far easier and faster.

If you actually want to jam together and keep time, then you have to be beside each other.

As you get better you can move online. I took online lessons through lockdown and it was great, but I think that you need to have some basics down before it works really well.

[hogthrob]

Thanks for all your help, I am set on a SG for sure, either a classic worn or standard, both in the cherry - I think the difference is just the pickups between a P90 and humbucker - again does not really mean anything to me! The standard is a little more expensive. I am pretty impatient so want to go get it on the way home from work but with black friday next week could be worth just waiting a week.

In terms of lessons, there is a teacher in my village - which is handy. Are the online lessons any good or is face to face the best way.

You won't notice any difference between P90 or humbucker at this stage of your 'career'. Buy the one that feels nicest to hold.


Even though you can't play, you can still do a couple of simple checks:

* Run your fingers along the sides of the neck, to check for any sharp fret ends
* Play a single note at each fret, on all 6 strings. You want the notes to ring clear, and you don't want any string buzz.

A clip-on tuner, like a Snark (https://www.andertons.co.uk/silver-s...ner-red-silver) , is a great accessory.

[Neil.C]

You won't notice any difference between P90 or humbucker at this stage of your 'career'. Buy the one that feels nicest to hold.


Even though you can't play, you can still do a couple of simple checks:

* Run your fingers along the sides of the neck, to check for any sharp fret ends
* Play a single note at each fret, on all 6 strings. You want the notes to ring clear, and you don't want any string buzz.

A clip-on tuner, like a Snark (https://www.andertons.co.uk/silver-s...ner-red-silver) , is a great accessory.

Great advice there.

I wish they had had electronic tuners when I started out instead of pitch pipes!

[eldrich]

Another vote for Yamaha here, I have a few and can't fault any of them.
Something like a Pacifica 112 would be a good starting point. They do a cheaper one the 012 which is a their 'starter' level but I think the difference in price between the 112 and 012 is worth it.

[bambam]

Thanks for all your help, I am set on a SG for sure, either a classic worn or standard, both in the cherry - I think the difference is just the pickups between a P90 and humbucker - again does not really mean anything to me! The standard is a little more expensive. I am pretty impatient so want to go get it on the way home from work but with black friday next week could be worth just waiting a week.

In terms of lessons, there is a teacher in my village - which is handy. Are the online lessons any good or is face to face the best way.

I was looking for a SG earlier in the year and the one I really liked was the 1961 issue. Think they’re around £6-700 new but you can pick them up used for much less.
If it’s in a shop nearby, why not ask them if they’ll be in the Black Friday sale? Many shops already have sale prices to avoid getting hit with lots of volume in one day. Worth a try.

Re lessons - face to face are great for the reasons mentioned. You can always supplement them with online from the likes of Justin Guitar.

[docd]

Would this pair be of any interest ?



Gibson SG USA faded 2017 and a Fender Mustang 40 modelling amp.

Apparently I have too many guitars and amps .......

[bambam]

Would this pair be of any interest ?



Gibson SG USA faded 2017 and a Fender Mustang 40 modelling amp.

Apparently I have too many guitars and amps .......

That looks a lovely pair!

[Neil.C]

Would this pair be of any interest ?



Gibson SG USA faded 2017 and a Fender Mustang 40 modelling amp.


Apparently I have too many guitars and amps .......

Impossible!

That looks a great rig.

Strat and Tele look lovely too!

I buy by colour.

[NikGixer750]

Be careful of the GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome). One guitar is never enough. The ideal number is N+1, where N is the number you currently have.

Yamaha Pacifica is a great starter. As are many of the Squier or Epiphones you can pick up. Like most things comes down to budget and what you’re willing to spend.

A good “budget” guitar will not sound or feel massively different to a premium guitar initially. It will eventually when you improve and get to understand it more.

As for Amps. Lots of good solid suggestions already in the thread. Boss, Blackstar, Fender, Vox.

Personally started with a Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster. One I’ll never part with. Now have four Teles. Two Strats, two Les Pauls and a bass. Plus too many amps.

I tend to play my scratch built Telecaster most and mostly through a Blackstar Fly portable battery amp. Great sound for the home and for playing quietly. The Classic Vibe goes with me in the Motorhome with the Fly amp.

A Squier Bullet can be made to play great by a good guitar tech.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/mike...d-squier-strat

And Whiskey In The Jar is not an easy song to play - 6 chords and 128bpm. Learn some three chord 12 bar blues first like Little Red Rooster


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You were right! Currently looking for another guitar! The Epiphone SG is great but is a little rough around the edges, a lot of buzz on the low E string (might be my playing), looking at an Ibanez as the next one and a RG, the RG J Customs look great! but almost £3k is alot of money. There is one on Reverb at £1900, but will probably end up with a second hand Prestige for around £600-£800.

Also started to delve into sound boards and pedals, what a rabbit hole that is! My amp can play tones which has been great so far but is very limiting, but I would like more options, as you cant change tone when playing on the amp without stopping and turning the dial. Picking up a Wah pedal tomorrow off marketplace and then getting a looper for Christmas, I quite like the idea of trying to build songs and then do some soloing and messing about. This then lead to all kind of pedals research, and hours watching videos and trying to decide what to build towards! Saw an amazing looking setup the guy was showing but it is about £2k to put it all together! Plan is a SD1 overdrive, DS1 distortion, a chorus and maybe a delay to start with (and the looper), in no rush so will keep checking ebay and marketplace for some decent deals. I think my amp can add some reverb into it all, maybe.

Still enjoying it all, trying to play more the last few weeks and be more structured, doing finger exercises and patterns on the fret to improve speed and accuracy, its sooooo frustrating at times, I do one exercise where you hold one finger on the B or G string then play a pentatonic shape with the other 3 fingers but try keep that 1 finger anchored, really struggle with the middle and ring finger, they just move!

Song wise, got a few good ones down, currently working on Killing in the name, which apart from the solo is pretty straight forward, but sounds funky and great. And also learning many riffs from songs just to have more little things to play.

It has almost been a year so far, so much to learn and to get better. Youtube is still great for tips and songs, some guys on there are just unreal, Bernth player can do some crazy shreds and also has some good content for learning and practice exercises. Wont ever get near that level, but should help to improve.

[Onelasttime]

You were right! Currently looking for another guitar! The Epiphone SG is great but is a little rough around the edges, a lot of buzz on the low E string (might be my playing),

Get a proper set up and it'll be like night and day. Guitars from the factory are almost never set up properly and then hang around in heated shops which does nothing for them.

Find a local luthier and for about £70 they'll make the guitar sound and play like it should do.

Keep up the good work and good call on the SG. My son has a left-handed standard:

[bambam]

Maybe worth looking at a multiple effects unit - like a Boss ME-80. They have loads of simulations of pedals on them, often with a looper and a wah pedal.
You can use something like that to experiment with different sounds without having the expense of each pedal.
If you find some you like and use a lot then you can always get the actual pedal.

[Neil.C]

You were right! Currently looking for another guitar! The Epiphone SG is great but is a little rough around the edges, a lot of buzz on the low E string (might be my playing), looking at an Ibanez as the next one and a RG, the RG J Customs look great! but almost £3k is alot of money. There is one on Reverb at £1900, but will probably end up with a second hand Prestige for around £600-£800.

You can get a great new Strat or Tele for that sort of money, especially in the Player series - and don't forget a really good amp.

Also started to delve into sound boards and pedals, what a rabbit hole that is! My amp can play tones which has been great so far but is very limiting, but I would like more options, as you cant change tone when playing on the amp without stopping and turning the dial. Picking up a Wah pedal tomorrow off marketplace and then getting a looper for Christmas, I quite like the idea of trying to build songs and then do some soloing and messing about. This then lead to all kind of pedals research, and hours watching videos and trying to decide what to build towards! Saw an amazing looking setup the guy was showing but it is about £2k to put it all together! Plan is a SD1 overdrive, DS1 distortion, a chorus and maybe a delay to start with (and the looper), in no rush so will keep checking ebay and marketplace for some decent deals. I think my amp can add some reverb into it all, maybe.

The Boss pedals are very reasonably priced and personally I would rather go new with electrical stuff like that.

I don't know if you have a modelling amp as you said it can play tones but pedals don't normally work well with them.

SD-1 would be the first pedal I'd buy, I leave mine on most of the time.

Sounds like it is really coming together for you - well done!

BTW re Pedals , best to find the right stuff for the sort of music you like playing - less is often more!

Here's my lot, it does for all I need.

[Groundrush]

looking at an Ibanez as the next one and a RG, the RG J Customs look great! but almost £3k is alot of money. There is one on Reverb at £1900, but will probably end up with a second hand Prestige for around £600-£800.

I had an RG 1570 Prestige for a while. Some people love their impossibly skinny neck, Floyd Rose trems and locking nuts etc. I was not one of those people. I thought it was uncomfortable to play, sounded thin and felt dead even after throwing a set of Bare Knuckle pick ups in there. My mate on the other hand has three and loves them. Marmite guitars. I wouldn’t spend 3k on one unless you’re sure which side of the toast you’re on.

[NikGixer750]

Thanks for the suggestions, I am 99% set of getting a boss katana mk2 and the airstep kat control bar, with a separate looper pedal. This will be good for my level for a long time, and works out considerably cheaper than loads of separate pedals.

I wont spend £3k on a new guitar, the wife would kill me and don't have the money. Looking at something 2nd hand around the £600-£800 mark. I will wait till after Christmas and hopefully people get new shiny guitars and sell off the old ones!