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Post subject: Questions from a Beginner
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:12 pm
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Hi all, well I'm finally going to learn how to play the electric guitar. I'm doing a lot of research but there is a lot of differing opinions out there, so was wondering if some you experienced players could help me out with a couple of questions

1. I'm interested in playing rock, mainly Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Nazareth, Bon Jovi etc... and so I've been told that I should probably get a guitar with Humbucker pickups because they have fatter, warmer tones..anyways is this true? How many humbuckers do I need? and would the American Series Stratocaster HSS be a good choice? Or is there something better?

2. What are Tex Mex single coils? Are they just better quality single coils? I noticed they are only on the 'higher' end guitars.

Thanks


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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:30 pm
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My advice is to choose a price range and to buy the best guitar you can afford. That saves on upgrading later.

Second, play a lot of guitars thru an amp thats most like your amp. You'll find there are little differences in tone and the feel of the neck even within model lines.

Try single coil and humbucker models. Since you're not used to playing electric you may find you like one over the other, no matter what your friends say. The Tex Mex pups are sweet, but they may not be your cuppa tea.

The most important thing is to play a lot of guitars. Go to Guitar Center and keep the guy busy pulling guitars off the wall. You may find a $300 Mexi-Strat you love or you may fall in love with a $1000 ash bodied Deluxe.

Owning a guitar is a very personal thing. Take the time to find the one that fits your hands, your style. There's nothing worse then trying to learn how to play an instrument that your not comfortable with. If you don't like holding and playing it you won't practice! Since you can't play yet, try to bring a friend along and have them play those guitars for you so you can hear what you're getting. Then make the decision based on your likes not his!!!

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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:01 pm
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man i cant imagine learning on a amse hss... you would faint if you saw the peice of junk i learned on!!!hahahaa. after ten years i finally got a guitar in the around a $1000 category, an '03 american hss like you are thinking of. its a great guitar, well for me anyway its perfect!! they are all great though so you have to find the one for you!! all the different pickups of the fenders sound alittle different and no to guitars will feel or sound the same. also through the years the construction and tint of the neck will be different too. take that into account.

from wht ive seen the '06 and '07 deluxes have been flying off the shelves as well as AV, classic, players classic, and signatures like the EJ.

you might actually like the deluxe since it seems to sound more smooth and buttery like those guys as compared to the more meaty, and raw of the texmex pups. just play as many as you can because there all different in little ways and do alot of research. the american hss has become a dream come true for me but its all really opinions.

make sure it:
-sounds incredible unplugged
-feels incredible
-you feel drawn to it
- also if it had a big enough hole..... :P


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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:08 pm
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Good advice there.One thing I learned is you can change pickups,you can add pedals but you can,t change the wood.Play the guitar without plugging it in,even when you play the same model they will sound different.Try to choose one that has the nicest [to you] tone with good sustain.Thats how I picked my american deluxe HSS and am I ever happy I did. :D


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Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:28 am
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Thanks for the advice guys. I went to one music store, I wont mention the name, and one they didnt have a lot of guitars in stock, at least that was what I was told, and the rep was more interested in playing with his computer and quoting me prices. So I guess I'm going elsewhere. Another problem is I dont have any guitar playing friends or anyone to accompany me into a store and having never picked up a guitar in my life I dont really know what a good one sounds like to begin with.

My budget is the American Stratocaster HSS, at least the price, thats the highest I'm willing to go I think. I'm serious about playing guitar, it wont be easy, but I do have the perserverance and dedication, which is why I want some versatile and will last as I gain more experience and start becoming more picky about the sound my guitar is producing.

I've also heard that you should avoid tremelos especially the Floyd Rose licensed ones because they are a "useless gimmick" and a "one way ticket to hell"? Any thoughts?


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Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:39 am
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Don't overlook what the stores have in the used area :)
Never know what you find there.

:) most strats seem to come with a tremolo bridge :)
Not expensive to add springs and have it blocked.

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Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:47 am
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If you ask a question like this, you will get almost as many opinions as there are guitars! :shock:
cryingstrat's advice was probably the best- take your time- you really must go somewhere where you can sit and play different guitars - one will just "feel" right to you. Concerning a tremolo bar, I've been playing music for 40+ years and never really was all that hot about them -as a beginner, it may be something to not worry about until you have the basics of playing down; a nice thing about some guitars (like the strats) is that you can unscrew the trem bar when you are not using it.
As for the kind of guitar- if you look at the bands you mention, they use alot of different brands, Gibson, Fender, Ibanez -so again if you ask people on a Fender forum- you'll likely get told Fender;Gibson forum-Gibson; you get the idea...
I have been a staunch Gibson devotee since I started playing in the mid 60's -in all those years I've only owned Gibsons -until the prices started going a bit wacky. I then went to Epiphone - nice guitars, but no Gibson.
Then I wanted to buy a cheap guitar I could just leave at work and not worry about- bought a used Squier Strat and fell in love with it! So I lookd at Fender with a new attitude -and this week got my '03 Fender 70's Reissue.
Sorry for the long winded tale here- but the point is- ya gotta try 'em before you buy 'em -and listen to opinions with a tiny grain of salt.


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Post subject: Beginner..have a few questions
Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 10:38 am
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All of the advice given above has you covered. What I found interesting was the music store sales help when were guitar shopping..buying a guitar is a special event..do not let some idiot spoil it!

There are many online musical instrument sites (Guitarcenter.com, musiciansfriend.com..et al) but try a store with which you feel comfortable that has a wide selection. I believe that every guitar is different and plays differently--the more you love it--the more you'll practice and the more you'll learn--when you find that special one, you'll know. Play many...I realize that you can't play yet, but grip the neck..up & down..attach the strap and stand up. How's does it feel..too heavy (like my opinion on Gibson)? Good balance? What is your hand size, finger length? Can you navigate the neck comfortably? These are good questions to answer for yourself. When you buy one, give it a name!

My Strat is 20 years-old...I call it "Black Bart" or "Bart" for short...I have a tremolo, but I advise new guitarists to learn basics first, then get fancy.

Good luck with your playing..take professional lessons, learn to read music..buy lots of songbooks and dedicate as much time as you can!


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Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 10:47 am
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what that guy said about the Fender forum suggesting Fenders and the Gibson forum suggesting Gibsons or whatever, that is true.

Your just gonna have to try out as many guitars as possible, that's all there is to it. Better yet, I suggest you try Strats up against Les Pauls (epiphones), that will let you determine quickly what family you belong to, it will also give you straight up examples of single coils vs. humbuckers.

And forget what people are telling you about the tremolos, they are USEFUL, maybe not for some people, but yet and still they are a good tool to have when you learn how to use one properly. I don't think your gonna know right off the bat whether your gonna need one or not. I would say that if you get a fender, get one with a tremolo, like somebody else said, you can take the arm off and forget all about it, but you'll still have a tremolo there just in case.

Remember this, without that tremolo, how do you plan on making it through your Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan phases. I gaurantee you'll go through those, no doubt about it, hehe.


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 4:48 pm
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Highway Ones are great sounding blues guitars. You'll end up playing the blues probably because it is so good to play. If you try it out on a Blues Junior amp, let the amp warm up, keep the volume (gain) up a bit like at around 9, and hit the fat switch, now put bass and mid at about 11 and put treble at about 6 (midway), and master volume at only about 2 1/2, and set reverb at like 2 1/2 or as high as 3 for more of a vintage echo effect. Now at a houshold or even apartment level you've got fat blues tone from that Strat, and you can up the volume or lower it on your guitar for loudness control, also sweeten or sharpen the sound with your guitars tone knobs and pickup switch. Neck is more sweet and bridge is more sharp, with the mid reverse polarity which cancels hum.

I've heard some comments that the Highway One's pickups can sound tinny or metallic. You've got to give those p'ups some gain. They love gain and are freakin' beautiful. Also, if you want to play real low gain and sharp sounding highs, up the treble, cut the fat switch and roll back off gain some to maybe 6 or 7, now up the reverb to like 8 and it's a very cool vintagesque dew drop sound.

It's going to be hard to evaluate a guitar yourself without being able to play which is a bummer. Go with a Fender American or Highway One, and you can't go wrong. Personally, I don't go for humbuckers to fatten the tone but I'm not saying that's wrong. The Highway One sss fattens up great and also gives you the hum cancelling. What you lose with a humbucker is the crystal clarity that sss delivers, but hss still gives you two single coils.

Ernie Balls got a great book series to get you started. I mean, it's really good. I personally know a pop guitar player from a band that was very big in the late 1990s who learned from it, and began to gig just by memorizing a blues riff for beginners from book 1 of how to learn. I used it to when I got back into playing nearly a decade ago and that series helped me break through into playing better. You'll be playing quick-change blues in no time.


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 3:39 pm
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The only reason people complain about trems is they don't know how to use one.The best way is to hold the trem bar where your fingers meet your hand,make sure the tip is between the first and second finger pressing into the first.Sound a note,do not press down towards the guitar or away from the guitar but apply pressure straight down the trem arm and then release,repete pressing and releasing straight down the length of the trem bar.This will give you the best control and the best sound.


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