Guitar advice

petermoffat · 2010-08-03T12:57:26+00:00

Right, so I've done the introduction, and just spent a few minutes at lunch down Marshall Music in Woodmead. I chatted to the salesman after having a look and feel around, and I'm still a little confused about whether to get steel or nylon strings. The problem is I've never played anything, and have never paid attention to what guitars the artists or bands I enjoy play, so can't connect a song to a guitar to help with me choice.. And to top it all off, my ipod played 'Sweet Child of Mine' on the way there, which is basically guitar porn to my ears.. The more I think about it, the more songs I can think of that I'd love to be able to play on an electric guitar, and it sort of motivates me more to start playing. I think this means I've made my mind up already doesn't it? How much do amps cost then.. And what about a pedal?

singemonkey

Looks like a really nice guitar. Congrats. Learn to make the chord changes smoothly and you've mastered 50% of guitar playing. Unfortunately the other 50% comes a bit harder ?

If you run into good guitar players, or take lessons, make sure you ask them whether they think the guitar plays nicely. Most guitars improve enormously after being set-up properly by a guitar repair person. This being second hand, that may already have happened. But as a beginner you won't know whether it's playing well or not. If not, and you don't notice, you'll have a lot of trouble that you think is you, but is actually the guitar. So make sure you ask the first skilled guitar player with time on their hands.

petermoffat

The guitar was set up by music connection on Monday. I'm cosidering lessons, and will ask the instructor though.

Can I go home and play now?

Bob-Dubery

petermoffat wrote The guitar was set up by music connection on Monday. I'm cosidering lessons, and will ask the instructor though.

Can I go home and play now?

No!

Not until you've told us the model number for that Epiphone ?

singemonkey

petermoffat wrote The guitar was set up by music connection on Monday. I'm cosidering lessons, and will ask the instructor though.

Can I go home and play now?

If it's set up, it's set up and I'm sure it's fine.

petermoffat

X-rated Bob wrote
petermoffat wrote The guitar was set up by music connection on Monday. I'm cosidering lessons, and will ask the instructor though.

Can I go home and play now?
No!

Not until you've told us the model number for that Epiphone ?

I think it's a DR200S? How would I confirm?

petermoffat

Chekced inside the body, DR200 EB

[deleted]

evolucian wrote
SvR65 wrote And some good advice a good friend always gives me: Your gear must inspire you!! ...

?
Um... does that really work?

I think so... For experienced players and newbies alike..
How many guys start playing guitar but get a guitar that is set up like a dog, and its almost unplayable, not exactly going to keep going at it if you struggling as it is...
A decent guitar will always inspire you to do more...

I play different things on different acoustics, I read an article the other day where the fellow mentioned he believes there is different music in each guitar... I was like "YEAH, that is what I think too! Now that you mention it" ?

Cool guitar Peter, Hope you have many happy days with it!!!
may the gas begin ?

evolucian

oh... i know there's different songs in different gits... but i'm of the impression that if u dont have it... no guitar will give it to you either. And i also mean that having a crappy git thats set up and a great git thats set up.... wont necessarily inspire you unless u have something already.

[deleted]

evolucian wrote oh... i know there's different songs in different gits... but i'm of the impression that if u dont have it... no guitar will give it to you either. And i also mean that having a crappy git thats set up and a great git thats set up.... wont necessarily inspire you unless u have something already.

Good points.. I have to agree with you on all counts there

Bob-Dubery

Does anybody REALLY believe that there are guitars with tunes in them?

If so then say you have a magic guitar that's full of tunes, what if something happens to that guitar? Bang! There goes your creativity. Hell! Let's kidnap Steve Vai's magic guitar. What if you have a new bridge fitted? Does the guitar lose or gain tunes? Do the tunes get funkier? If the bridge doesn't change anything then how about the pickups? The nut? The frets?

It may be that certain tones suggest certain tunes in our mind, but it's in our mind. Not in the instrument. We may not understand these connections and what sparks ideas in our mind, but it is in our mind. Blaming or crediting the poor instrument, or some "muse" is just us misunderstanding cause and effect.

Evo is right: If you don't have any ideas, any inspiration within you then an instrument isn't going to make a difference.

PS: Yes... I know. A while back I was convincing myself that my Smoothtalker had tunes in it. I told myself "this is stupid. A guitar is just an inanimate tool. " I vowed to stop using the Smoothtalker for compositions. Guess what? I "found tunes" in the Morgan instead. Except, of course, they weren't in the Morgan or anywhere else but in me.

My Morgan, my Smoothtalker, any guitar you can think of, are tools. They may be very good tools, but tools are what they are. Tunes do not lie inside a guitar any more than the Mona Lisa lay in a brush.

Warren

X-rated Bob wrote If so then say you have a magic guitar that's full of tunes, what if something happens to that guitar? Bang! There goes your creativity. Hell! Let's kidnap Steve Vai's magic guitar. What if you have a new bridge fitted? Does the guitar lose or gain tunes? Do the tunes get funkier? If the bridge doesn't change anything then how about the pickups? The nut? The frets?
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I don't think the guys meant it quite so literally.

I know that when I pick up my guitars, each one's feel suggests a certain style of playing to me, but yes, it's of course in my mind. So perhaps the "magic" is in the relationship between the player and his favourite instrument, rather than either one alone ?

I quite enjoy the idea of a mystique surrounding certain guitars, even though scientifically they're just bits of wood and metal and wires.

singemonkey

Well, for example, you can play death metal on a classical guitar. And if no other guitars exist, I'm sure all kinds of rules would be broken. But it does feel better to play death metal on a solid body electric guitar with humbucking pickups for most people. Likewise it's going to be much harder to play Tarrega with expression on an electric through an amp that's overdriven and compressing.

Some styles of music have taken advantage of a guitar's characteristics which often means that those styles sound instantly appealing on a similar guitar. It's all very vague stuff, but guitars do have sweet spots that can sometimes be accessed by playing them differently to others. Therein lie the creative differences. You play to the guitar's strengths a lot of the time. Obviously you shouldn't be dogmatic about it. But it can inspire you to play differently.

petermoffat

Justinguitar.com is flipping brilliant.. The tips of my left hands fingers feel funny this morning, which I assume is the callouses starting to form..

singemonkey

petermoffat wrote Justinguitar.com is flipping brilliant.. The tips of my left hands fingers feel funny this morning, which I assume is the callouses starting to form..

Or it's early symptoms of leprosy ?

No. Great site that.

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