Guitar thread

[gugnheim]

Well, looks like I'm now in the club. I didn't think my wife payed any attention to the noises I have been making about learning, and over Easter she gives me an Epiphone SG Special. I haven't picked up an instrument since grade school, and I'm nearly forty, but looks fun. I'm looking at the lessons on Garage Band, and will try and find some in person help as well.
Ryan

[Hayduke]

Originally Posted by gugnheim

Well, looks like I'm now in the club. I didn't think my wife payed any attention to the noises I have been making about learning, and over Easter she gives me an Epiphone SG Special. I haven't picked up an instrument since grade school, and I'm nearly forty, but looks fun. I'm looking at the lessons on Garage Band, and will try and find some in person help as well.
Ryan

[06ltd]

I used to have a Gibson LP Standard and I love the tone but never warmed up to the action so I sold it and the Marshal that did it justice. Gathering dust in the corner with my Fender Deville is a Strat American Standard, '72 Tele, and Taylor 814CE acoustic. I don't deserve any of these guitars anymore but I can't stand to part with them.

[Klay]

Originally Posted by Number8teen

There's a lot to be said for a good guitar, but ultimately it's the player. I used to tinker with an old Yamaha that I found annoying to play and I thought sounded crappy. I indefinitely leant it to a friend who kicks guitar ass and that thing sounded amazing when he glanced sideways at it.

Sure, I can do that, but it's a pain in the ass. I want a nice guitar.

[Jeffy]

Originally Posted by Klay

Sure, I can do that, but it's a pain in the ass. I want a nice guitar.

I agree. A crappy guitar can be very frustrating for a beginner and detract from the fun factor/learning. Worse case, you give up.

[FPGT72]

Originally Posted by gugnheim

Well, looks like I'm now in the club. I didn't think my wife payed any attention to the noises I have been making about learning, and over Easter she gives me an Epiphone SG Special. I haven't picked up an instrument since grade school, and I'm nearly forty, but looks fun. I'm looking at the lessons on Garage Band, and will try and find some in person help as well.
Ryan

Good deal, there are some good online stuff and some not so good. Personally I think if you get the basics down A,D,E,C,G kind of thing and then go in for your person on person you will be a step ahead. Check out the justin guitar videos on youtube they are very well done IMHO....then when you want to actually play something that sounds like something look at a marty video...he will get you to play something that sounds good and you feel like you are getting somewhere....then go back to the justin videos. That is how I started out...when it got stale I would look up...how to play Day Tripper and it would put the fun back in it for me.

[thunderkat59]

Originally Posted by Jeffy

I agree. A crappy guitar can be very frustrating for a beginner and detract from the fun factor/learning. Worse case, you give up.

I had a Gibson Firebird 76 Reissue. It was an absolutely stunning guitar.
Cream white with gold hardware everywhere . . . I was terrified to -PLAY- it
for fear of dinging it. I have mostly crappy cheapo stuff now that I really like playing,
because I can haamer it and not really care. Stuff just sounds better on the cheapos.


Fender MiM's can take a real beating and look good because that epoxy type paint
is like steel. Dont think it helps the sound any, though.

[Jeffy]

Originally Posted by thunderkat59

I had a Gibson Firebird 76 Reissue. It was an absolutely stunning guitar.
Cream white with gold hardware everywhere . . . I was terrified to -PLAY- it
for fear of dinging it. I have mostly crappy cheapo stuff now that I really like playing,
because I can haamer it and not really care. Stuff just sounds better on the cheapos.


Fender MiM's can take a real beating and look good because that epoxy type paint
is like steel. Dont think it helps the sound any, though.

You can get a decent guitar in the $300-$500 range though. I wouldn't call them crap either.

[Hayduke]

you gotta watch this...

[Jeffy]

Originally Posted by Hayduke

you gotta watch this...

That's how Jeff Healey played.

[Kamala]

Originally Posted by gugnheim

Well, looks like I'm now in the club. I didn't think my wife payed any attention to the noises I have been making about learning, and over Easter she gives me an Epiphone SG Special.

If you do a little searching on the web you can find details of how to upgrade your guitar and with a very little work (and of course a few dollars) you can make it sound and play a lot better (and very close to a real Gibson SG)

[gugnheim]

Thanks for the advice. Never owned a guitar before. It's out of the box with all the stickers and wrap off. I assume the next step is getting it adjusted. I may not know much yet but I'm pretty sure the strings shouldn't touch the first fret and there be a fat 3/8" over the pickups.

As an avid woodworker this has gotten me researching building the next.

Originally Posted by FPGT72

Good deal, there are some good online stuff and some not so good. Personally I think if you get the basics down A,D,E,C,G kind of thing and then go in for your person on person you will be a step ahead. Check out the justin guitar videos on youtube they are very well done IMHO....then when you want to actually play something that sounds like something look at a marty video...he will get you to play something that sounds good and you feel like you are getting somewhere....then go back to the justin videos. That is how I started out...when it got stale I would look up...how to play Day Tripper and it would put the fun back in it for me.

[FPGT72]

Originally Posted by thunderkat59

I had a Gibson Firebird 76 Reissue. It was an absolutely stunning guitar.
Cream white with gold hardware everywhere . . . I was terrified to -PLAY- it
for fear of dinging it. I have mostly crappy cheapo stuff now that I really like playing,
because I can haamer it and not really care. Stuff just sounds better on the cheapos.


Fender MiM's can take a real beating and look good because that epoxy type paint
is like steel. Dont think it helps the sound any, though.

I know where you are coming from, but they are ment to be played. There are very good guitars that are in the $500 range like another poster said, MiM strats, even MiJ strats fall into that price range, and some people say that the MiJ's are better then the american guitars, there is also the Epi LP, dots......gretsch 51xx series....all are great guitars.

And don't worry about a ding....some people (for some strange reason) will pay more for a beat to hell guitar....even if it is fresh out of a box, or has had some guy take sand paper to it.

[jdgretz]

Originally Posted by gugnheim

As an avid woodworker this has gotten me researching building the next.

There are a bunch of folks who make blanks up through full kits I'm sure you'll find. Not a bad way to start.

Paul Reed Smith mentions in an interview how disappointed he was the first time he pulled the pick guard from a solid body guitar and found there wasn't much on the inside. Mechanically, they are pretty simple gadgets. Artistically, well, that's another story.

Keep us up to speed on your search and the results.

jdg

[Jeffy]

Originally Posted by FPGT72

And don't worry about a ding....some people (for some strange reason) will pay more for a beat to hell guitar....even if it is fresh out of a box, or has had some guy take sand paper to it.

Here's Tom Murphy talking about how he learned how to distress guitars while at Gibson. Really interesting series.