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Post subject: beginner in need of help
Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:20 pm
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ok yah im a real noob with guitars still, so ive been dying to play songs from bands such as anberlin, linkin park and others so i can get better, but my guitar doesent sound right even if its tuned. its a squire fender strat and it was with the value pack when i bought it about a year ago. i havent changed anything on it so its all stock. some people have told me i need to buy new strings and maybe a distortion pedal.

if you know what i need to do please tell me


thanks,


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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:52 pm
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A new set of a strings could definitely get you better tone.

On the contrary, DO NOT get a distortion pedal, as it will cover up your mistakes and may inhibit you from playing to your full potential.

Along with the bands you have listed, try listening to 'older' music, like the kind that inspired your favorite bands. Also learn music theory first, not songs. It will seem boring, as it did to me a few years ago, but I decided to try it out, because I knew i wasn't going anywhere, and I can safely say I'm anywhere between 10-20 times better the player I was over a year ago. It will also help you learn songs :)

Good luck and don't stop frettin'!


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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:32 pm
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New strings will help, but what it sounds like to me is that in addition to new strings, you need to get the intonation set. Without the intonation being set, open strings/notes when you tune up may indeed be in tune, but when you fret the notes they may be out of tune. So the intonation is set by making adjustments at the bridge to the string saddles in order to make sure that open notes and fretted ones are in tune. If you are sort of new to guitar, if there is a good repair/tech guy in your area, it may be a good idea to let them set up and intonate your guitar...or if you feel confident you can find lots of tutorials on how to intonate your guitar on the internet, or I think even through the set up guides on this site through the Support tab.

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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:52 pm
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Boring old legwork first..learn the theory, learn the building blocks...it'll only save you doing it later and will completely change your understanding and ability

when I first started trying to get into home recording I spent the first two months basically just reading theory and manuals..it paid off immediately..


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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:21 pm
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Ok, here it goes....

1. It is a Squier, it will never sound just like those bands without a little of help. Linkin Park and Amberlin use high-end guitars and equipment for their music. You can up-grade the Squire. I play Metallica with my Classic Vibe, but it has hot pickups.

2. If you do not have a Distortion pedal, you will never sound that way. One of my pedals is a Boss Metal Zone and it does really good for modern metal sounds. Research your bands rigs, see what they use. Try to get a like product.

3. Change the pickups on your guitar. One needs to be a humbucker. Research you bands and see which types of pickups they use. Have it professionally installed, unless you are handy. Also a professional set-up/intonation will go a long way. If you do not have a guitar tuner, invest in one. Recommended brands are but limited to: Dimarzio, Lace, EMG, or Seymore Duncan.

4. New amp. This can be done later down the road. FYI...you do not need a stack or half stack unless you are in a band. I use a Roland 30X. Does very good for single person practice sessions. Research this as well.

5. With playing everyday I change my strings at a minimum of once a month. I recommend this for you. And always wipe your guitar down including the strings after each time you touch it. Most Fender guitars use .009 to .42 guage strings. You do not have to use these, but know that your guitar is probably set-up at the factory with these string guages.

6. Buy a book on basic care and maintence of your guitar. If you can master these skills, it will save you a lot of money over the years.

7. As everyone else pointed out, lessons will go a long way. A little boring at first, then it gets better. Also see if your instructor will teach you something you want to learn in addition to the other stuff. One of my instructors used to show me how to use what I learned and apply it to Metallica and Sabbath songs.

Keep playing, I hope you find this a little useful. Remember this is supposed to be fun. Find some people to jam wih.

RK

See the remark posted later down this thread before bashing what I have stated here.

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Last edited by rkreisher on Sat Jul 18, 2009 8:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:33 pm
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hendrixfan99 wrote:
On the contrary, DO NOT get a distortion pedal, as it will cover up your mistakes and may inhibit you from playing to your full potential.


+1 +1 +1!!!

As a beginner I too had only a Squier Strat and the amp that came with it. And I played Anberlin. I wanted better tone, so I bought several distortion pedals (at the time I knew nothing about them). None of them really improved my tone at all and none of them did what I wanted them too. They were a total waste of money.

One of the best things you can do for your sound is to get a new amp. Yes, it's more expensive than a pedal but it will drastically improve your tone more than just about anything else you can do at this point. Pedals come after amps! A professional quality pedal will still sound like crap through a Strat Pack amp.

I'd highly recommend a Roland Micro Cube. Lots of amp models and effects to play with, and it's loud enough that when you start playing with bands you can keep up in practice. It's a great little amp, and I bet you could find one used for around $100. Line 6 also makes some good starter amps, but don't buy they're cheapest stuff. Make sure you put a little more effort into it and get the nicest amp you can afford. After you've been playing for another couple of years it'll be time to start talking about tube amps... :wink:

A humbucker in your guitar would get you closer to the sound you're after, but it would hardly make a difference with the amp you've got now. And know what different pickups sound like before you go out and buy one. I made several mistakes buying pickups several years ago because I had no clue what the pickups I was looking into sounded like. I have a better ear for it now, it just takes time.

Going from Anberlin to what your parents listened to when they were in school can be a little shocking at first, but after a little while you'll be used to it. Modern rock is great to start out on, but in a few years you'll completely outgrow the riffs you're playing now. That's when it's to listen to the stuff you missed out on that was recorded before you were born.

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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 4:41 am
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rkreisher wrote:

5. With plaing everyday I change my strings at a minimum of once a month. I recommend this for you. And always wipe your guitar down including the strings after each time you touch it. Most Fender guitars use .009 to .48 guage strings. You do not have to use these, but know that your guitar is probably set-up at the factory with these string guages.


RK


Actually most Fenders are set up from the factory with 9-42s...and if its not those, its 10-46.

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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 5:55 pm
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bowlfreshener wrote:
rkreisher wrote:

5. With plaing everyday I change my strings at a minimum of once a month. I recommend this for you. And always wipe your guitar down including the strings after each time you touch it. Most Fender guitars use .009 to .48 guage strings. You do not have to use these, but know that your guitar is probably set-up at the factory with these string guages.


RK


Actually most Fenders are set up from the factory with 9-42s...and if its not those, its 10-46.


Sorry your right I just could not see what I was typing anymore. I hate this IE 8 crap. Ever since my wife installed it, I cannot see what I am typing after it reaches a certain line. And I can only proof so much.

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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:57 am
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okay, sometimes we need to kinda look back into ourselves before blaming or modifying the guitar.

does your palm easily sweats? sometimes, because of our salty sweat, the metal electronics in the guitar can become easily corrode. my suggestion, use a polish/soft cloth to wipe the string, upper and below side, every 10 minutes when you are playing. i know it may sound stupid but i did it myself because it helps my guitar to sound better. frequently clean your guitar especially in the scratch plate area.

use fender bullet strings, and change them in every 2 months. electric guitar strings cannot be used for more than 2 months if you want to keep your guitar in the best condition. this small investment worth.


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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:50 am
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[quote="rkreisher"]Ok, here it goes....

1. It is a Squire, it will never sound just like those bands without a lot of help......


Actually, it's a Squier. Maybe a typo or thinking about an old Fender model, but the real matter is that some, not all, Squiers are first rate instruments, late 90's Affinities for example and other earlier models (Japanese) and compare very favorably with "genuine Strats". But, to put a thought in someone's head that he/she just bought a relatively poor instrument won't be the most encouragement that he/she needs.

No problem with the rest. The electronics are likely culprits in poor sound and not having it set up properly results in poor tone, just as you wrote.


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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:57 pm
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sometimes, Squier are made of nice woods. the only thing that you need to mod are the electronics.

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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:14 pm
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painter33 wrote:
rkreisher wrote:
Ok, here it goes....

1. It is a Squire, it will never sound just like those bands without a lot of help......


Actually, it's a Squier. Maybe a typo or thinking about an old Fender model, but the real matter is that some, not all, Squiers are first rate instruments, late 90's Affinities for example and other earlier models (Japanese) and compare very favorably with "genuine Strats". But, to put a thought in someone's head that he/she just bought a relatively poor instrument won't be the most encouragement that he/she needs.

No problem with the rest. The electronics are likely culprits in poor sound and not having it set up properly results in poor tone, just as you wrote.


You obviously have never heard my rants about Squier being an excellent guitar. Nothing wrong with them, but dude is never going to sound like Linkin Park or Amberlin with a stock Squier Affinity Strat Pack set. The best Squier ever made will never sound like that, not without a modification and new amp.

My Squier will never sound like that unless I throw in a Dimarzio Humbucker and a 500k pot at a minimum. Sorry for misspelling Squier, I had to turn off my auto corrector on my computer to correct it. IMO one should never aspire to sound like another band, but develop their own tone and style.

RK

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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 8:50 pm
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goshjosh1628,

I did not mean to offend your rig in any way. It was not my intentions by any means. Squier gets a bad rap, and even when you have been defending them as long as I have, when you speak the truth about them, some people still take offence. Your guitar is fine; the electronics on the guitar may need an up-grade to sound more like those bands. The amp that comes with the pack is good for just for starting out, but you will need to eventually up-grade that as well. That was all I was trying to say. Lessons and learning to maintain your equipment are just as important as playing well.

I wish I had a Squier Starter pack when I started. All I had was a Stratocaster copy and a Peavey Bandit amp. I wanted sound like Metallica. I got frustrated that I could not sound like that with what I had. It wasn't until I had my 1st Squier (HMIII), Crate 60 watt amp (do not remember the model), and my Boss HM2 (they do not make them any more) before I sounded remotely like Metallica. It was really up grading the amp that helped the most.

Don't get frustrated, keep playing. I would love to see pics of your guitar if you have the means to do it.


RK

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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:25 am
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kcearl wrote:
Boring old legwork first..learn the theory, learn the building blocks...it'll only save you doing it later and will completely change your understanding and ability

when I first started trying to get into home recording I spent the first two months basically just reading theory and manuals..it paid off immediately..


learn theory learn building blocks, reading theory and manuals...

do you have any advice on where to learn these things? is lessons pretty much the only place, or can a motivated person with a lot of free time (and not a lot of money after impulsively buying a guitar when he should have bought a washer and dryer) find the materials on their own? recommendations?

basically i'm musically inclined and played a woodwind instrument for the better part of a decade. i'm just trying to find a good manual for applying that towards the guitar...

in the end i will probably spring for lessons...eventually. after i save up for the washer/dryer. but i'm looking for some sort of text guidance in the meantime.


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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 11:38 am
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Sorry for incorrectly calling you out but your post read like an indictment of Squiers no matter what mods might be done to them. Of course no out-of-the-box pack could sound like a full-blown Fender Strat (even at that probably modded for professional use). I was only saying that with a good, fast neck and a good quality body found on some Squiers (again, not all), one could changes the electronics, tuners, and maybe the bridge, it would still say "Squier" on the headstock and be a very good guitar. I supposed this is ridiculous back and forth because reading back we both add a lot of qualifiers to our posts (and mythic guitars). C'est la vie. I'll try to go back and read some of your other posts to familiarize myself with your opinions and thoughts. Thanks also for the later post to goshjosh1628 with the reassurance that he bought a decent guitar on which to learn. Distortion pedal - he don't need no stinkin' distortion pedal - right about that, for sure.


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