Electric guitar oppo

"traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn" (el-peasant) 07/28/2016 at 16:34 • Filed to: None

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Now I’m kinda interested in playing one. I’ve been playing drums for 4 years now but I’d like to try this. I liken it to, “if a hot rod was an instrument.” I’ve always like the sound of it but I know little to nothing. So what are the basic things or questions that I need to know to choose one?

Party-vi > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/28/2016 at 16:39

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I would recommend starting with an acoustic, but other than that pick one you like the looks of.

traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn > Party-vi 07/28/2016 at 16:45

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Isn’t it just basically acoustic until it’s amped?

Jcarr > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/28/2016 at 16:46

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Go to a store if you have one nearby and play some. Even if you don’t know what you’re doing, that’ll give you a feel for what you like and what you don’t like. Also, the internet is a great source of information, obviously. If there’s something that catches your eye, google it or YouTube it. There’s a sea of information out there. In particular, I’d recommend watching some of Rob Chapman’s videos . He’s entertaining and informative.

Just be careful, it’s a rather addictive pastime. I’ve been playing guitar and drums for 20+ years and I’m always looking at buying more equipment. Here’s my stringed collection at present:

Snuze: Needs another Swede > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/28/2016 at 16:47

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I am a drummer of many years, and I tried to pick up bass a while back, and it didn’t go well. Guitars are sweet and all, but they have 6 strings. 6. And lots of frets. I’m a drummer, I just hit stuff, so I figured a bass, with 4 strings, and less frets, would be the way to go. It did not turn out well.

In all seriousness though, guitars, like cars, can span the range of a couple hundred bucks to 10's of thousands of dollars. My advice would be start cheap and see if you like it. Buy something on Craigslist, a local pawn shop, eBay, or if you really want new, I’d suggest http://www.rondomusic.com/electricguitar… I’m a lefty and there is no such thing as an entry level left handed bass, at least until I found these guys.

Go for a something simple, a 6 string, full length neck (unless you’re of extremely small stature), and grab a practice amp and find some other guitar players to jam with, take some lessons, etc.

Party-vi > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/28/2016 at 16:49

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Not even a little bit. You’ll want an amp if you get an electric guitar. Acoustic is a great way to learn, and I think you’ll develop better finger strength and flexibility moving around a thicker guitar neck on some of the cheaper acoustics.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/28/2016 at 16:49

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Acoustics are hollow body, designed to resonate the sound, so they act like their own amplifier. Electric guitars have pickups that sense the vibration of the string and convert that into an electrical signal to be amplified.

Jcarr > Snuze: Needs another Swede 07/28/2016 at 16:50

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*Gives you ‘I know the pain of a lefty guitarist’ look*

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Jcarr 07/28/2016 at 16:54

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I saw your pic down there, those are some sweets guitars!

Jcarr > Snuze: Needs another Swede 07/28/2016 at 16:55

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Thanks, I wish I could get something other than red or black, but you know, left handed.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Jcarr 07/28/2016 at 16:59

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http://www.rondomusic.com/electric_guita…

I don’t know if you’re familiar with Rondo, but I bought an SX bass from them and have been super happy with it, though again, I’m not a bass player, I suck, and also don’t have much of a basis for comparison.

But my friend, who is a huge guitar nerd and has several high end Jacksons, a PRS, etc., bought a guitar from them after he saw my bass and has had very good things to say about it.

Jcarr > Snuze: Needs another Swede 07/28/2016 at 17:01

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I was close to buying one of their 7-strings, until I found the Schecter at 50% off brand new. Couldn’t pass that up. Most of the reviews I read were pretty positive.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Jcarr 07/28/2016 at 17:06

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Yeah, I’d probably go for the Schecter as well.

But the Rondo stuff is pretty good. According to my friend, it punches above it’s weight class. He likens his SX to a good Squire or cheap Strat, but at 1/2 the price or less.

They also relatively recently started a custom guitar shop now where you can build your guitar online, using basically any combination of parts, custom colors, etc. And I think they will do any of them in left handed. Might be something to think about for you next purchase.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/28/2016 at 17:06

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Acoustics will give you the most honest representation of your technique - I started off on acoustic and it clearly tells you when your finger/hand positioning is correct. When I was younger, many just wanted to start off on electric with tons of gain/distortion which masks the sound rather than playing acoustic, or even with a clean electric guitar sound with no effects.

I started off with a cheap Fender acoustic pack that came with a gig bag and all sorts of starter stuff - my recommendation is to look used first since there are plenty of guitars out there from people who fell out of playing or have fallen in love with it and moved on to higher end equipment.

Jcarr > Snuze: Needs another Swede 07/28/2016 at 17:08

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I don’t think I saw that part. I’ll have to play around with that. I’ve fantasized about ordering a custom shop guitar, but they’re so damn expensive from the major brands.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Jcarr 07/28/2016 at 17:12

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That would be quite awesome!

Zip-McBump > Party-vi 07/28/2016 at 17:16

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Speaking as someone who spent years as a tech, it’s really important that any new player starting on an acoustic factor in some money for a good setup.

Electrics are pretty easy for anyone with a little mechanical know-how to get playing properly. However, for a beginner, starting on an acoustic with a shitty setup can easily make you give up your dreams of playing. If you’re starting out on a budget-level box, it’s especially vital. I’ve seen some guitars come out of the box with enough relief in the neck that you can fit a small child between the strings and 12th fret.

Acoustic is the traditional way to go for a beginner, but you should be honest with yourself and figure out what you want to do when you start. If you want to chug riffs all day, you’re not going to be happy with an acoustic, and you’ll probably get discouraged and quit.

Edit: I know you may be just posting a pic of a cool-looking guitar in your opening post, but a Jackson Rhoads (and its associated knock-offs) are a downright pain in the ass to play sitting down. That’s another factor to consider.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/28/2016 at 17:16

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If you’re serious about learning, don’t get those V-shaped guitars. They’re good for show but if you want to practice, sometimes you’ll want to sit down and play and what you posted really isn’t good for that.

As Party-vi suggested, acoustic is a great place to start (I also commented below). If you really want to go electric, most electric guitars are decent - I started with an Epiphone Les Paul which was excellent, although the cost-cutting was apparent in the electronics. I’d focus more on getting a decent amplifier - back when I was really into equipement, the Fender Blues Jr. was a great amp for starting off and will still be sufficient to play with when practicing. If you’re playing with others, you may need more power which only a bigger amp can provide, but I figure that would be a while off if you’re still learning to play.

One thing I'll advise: it's easy to lose focus on practice and technique and fall into the black hole of wanting to buy better gear. I did eventually give in and bought a PRS Standard 24 along with a Fender Jazzmaster amplifier - this wasn't cheap, but it gave me the sound I had wanted and I haven't even thought of buying anything else since then. Figure out a budget, go to a music store and play a whole bunch of guitar and amp combinations, and you'll eventually find one that sounds right to you. If you go acoustic, do the same thing (except you can remove the amp from the equation).

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/28/2016 at 17:17

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If you start with an electric, make sure you know the type of tone you want (more in a moment). There is one good thing about starting with an electric, and that is that every mistake is amplified and it will teach you good clean finger discipline. The good thing about starting with an acoustic is that there’s no amp to lug, and it builds finger strength a bit better (assuming steel string).

As to tone: the major breaks in tone “type” are whether you’re working with a humbucker or single coil setup, and whether you’re fixed or set neck. Singles can buzz, but are usually rich in clear high notes without much distortion and are pretty good at certain types of the 80s hair metal sound. If you like fuzzy and crunchy sounds or warm sounds, particularly with distortion in play, you may want a humbucker guitar.

The alignment of pickup type *mostly* falls along the Gibson/Gretsch + humbucker vs. Fender + single coil division, but not 100%. Coincidentally, this is also mostly the set neck vs. bolt-on neck division. The first category is your AC/DC, ZZ Top, Slash, B. B. King, and many others. Your second category is Eric Johnson, Dire Straits, Iron Maiden, and so on. The middle ground is occupied by set necks with heavy single coils (early The Who, Mountain) and light bolt-on necks with humbuckers (Muse) - in other words blending some or other qualities of the two main breeds together.

Here’s a humbucker + semi-hollowbody application:

Moderate distortion, sweetened in the midrange by the guitar construction.

Here’s a solidbody set neck, with humbuckers, and much heavier distortion.

And here’s a bolt-on neck, single coils, very little distortion:

Moar:

Here’s a performance with the Talking Heads making use of both clean and “dirty” tone with a single-coil, including abusing its tendency to pick up feedback:

And here’s a single coil guitar which is much heavier, but mostly just overdriven:

Weirdly enough, the same guitar features in early Black Sabbath (SG with P90s), and it isn’t immediately obvious. Ultimately, it comes down to what qualities you like, and how the artist used their choice of guitar with the right starting qualities to make something special.

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/28/2016 at 17:21

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Do not buy a cheapo new guitar player pack for $200. Spend a little more on a nice used guitar and used amp. You will be frustrated and uninspired by those beginner kits.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > gin-san - shitpost specialist 07/28/2016 at 17:27

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There are people who can make a V work for long stretches, but the holding techniques of a Randy Rhoads or Michael Schenker are out of the mainstream for a reason. Long arms, flexible shoulders, and being comfortable leaning back on the legs and forward on the torso. You can play a V when sitting, but you realistically need to be in sort of a lutist’s pose on a stool.

Party-vi > Zip-McBump 07/28/2016 at 17:28

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who u talkin to? Me or traderQ O_o

gin-san - shitpost specialist > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 07/28/2016 at 17:31

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True, but I figured the beginner doesn’t need that on top of trying to learn the instrument.

I personally don't like playing the V guitar while sitting. The Gibson Flying V was something I really wanted when I was younger but it that dream faded after actually playing one.

Zip-McBump > Party-vi 07/28/2016 at 18:11

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Trader, but it was based off the advice you gave.

I’ve been working a lot lately, and forgot how to Oppo.

Buzzed replying is drunk replying.