The Official Guitar Thread

Kovaks · May 11, 2020

Not sure if this is the place for this,, but sitting at home during quarantine and my older son getting interested in music a bit I feel like learning a new instrument. I haven't played much of anything over the last 15 years but I have always been interested in Mandolin and I have heard it is pretty easy to learn. Do you guys have any suggestions on best place to buy, I know elderly and a few other shops do setup which I am sure I need but wasnt sure if there is a favorite online shop.

jooka · May 11, 2020

Outside of knowing/seeing a bunch of kick ass Mandolin players over the years, I know nothing.

Alex · May 11, 2020

The mandolin confounds me. Frets are so tiny. And you see dudes like Chris Thile who can sweep pick with ease on it.

Alex · May 12, 2020

I can't believe this, but I actually might go digital processor again. I haven't had one since the GNX3 and thought I would never look back after switching to analog. But the tech has gotten exponentially better since and they sound fucking amazing. The Line 6 Helix looks and sounds legit.

Noodleface · May 12, 2020

Yeah the helix is very good. I want a Kemper or, alternatively, an axe fx

yaph · May 13, 2020

I've been running a Headrush pedal board for a while now. Does what I need perfectly. I think the Helix sounds a little better overall. Any of the modelers in that range and above are solid. It's nice showing up to a gig where all you need to do is plug straight into the sound board and not worry about hauling amps/cabs, stage volume or space. If you need to "feel the air pushing out of the speaker" or have some subtle tube characteristics you're chasing, then the digital stuff may not be all the way there yet.

I haven’t touched or seen a profiler like the Kemper in person, but seems like a favorite among pros for all sorts of obvious logistical reasons.

Alex · May 13, 2020

I'm debating a Helix vs Helix LT. Think the LT is better for me since I don't need all of the extra inputs/outputs. I really like the digital displays on the foot switches. But is it worth the extra $500? Hard no.

jooka · May 13, 2020

If you are thinking of a brand new Helix I would be taking a look at the Kemper Stage particularly if you have any interest in getting profiles that people make.

Alex · May 13, 2020

I'm going to want a programmable expression pedal. You can do really cool things with that. Love toe-up being clean and toe-down being distortion. Dope effect.

jooka · May 13, 2020

If you have a volume/wah pedal already you can just grab a Y cable and make it an expression pedal. I've got a ernie ball volume pedal that I use as an expression pedal

Alex · May 15, 2020

After hours of research, I went for the Line 6 Helix LT. Looking forward to this. Amp modeling technology has come a long way since the mid 2000s.

jooka · May 15, 2020

Any of you have experience with chambered guitar bodies? I'm mostly interested in the 25+% weight loss. My lower back isn't what it used to be and when I switch from my hollowbody to the partscaster it's quite noticeable to me nowadays.

pharmakos · May 15, 2020

Ordered the Ditto X4 (and a cheapo Behringer compressor/sustainer) last Saturday. Shipping originally said it would be here Wednesday, but alas, still not here on Friday. First world problems, wanna play it so bad lol.

pharmakos · May 15, 2020

Also, I am right there with Alex in that I haven't looked at modeling tech in a long time, and while this isn't a giant 3000 effect modelling pedal it sounds so fucking good and I want one so bad lol. Probably my next purchase (in two months when this current pedal is paid off heh).

And long term, I think I've decided I'm going to be weird and try to master playing the 8 string baritone... Hopefully with the bottom string straight up tuned down to fucking low E like the lowest string on a standard tuned bass. With a guitar that can cover that much sonic space, the right modelling (I want to set it up for MIDI as well) and enough loopers and delays, who needs bandmates?

(Well a drummer would be cool

)

Borzak · May 15, 2020

I really thought about picking up this ephiphone Dot (ES 335) after I got an offer on it. I really like the look, but the weights 8lbs 8oz wouldn't really help me out in getting something lighter.

Epiphone Dot Deluxe | Reverb Canada

The Epiphone Dot Deluxe manufactured from 2008 - 2019 differs from the previous 1997 - 2007 run in that it has a mahogany neck instead of a maple neck. It can be differentiated from the standard Dot model by its flame maple top and gold hardware.

reverb.com

Julian The Apostate · May 16, 2020

pharmakos said:
And long term, I think I've decided I'm going to be weird and try to master playing the 8 string baritone... Hopefully with the bottom string straight up tuned down to fucking low E like the lowest string on a standard tuned bass. With a guitar that can cover that much sonic space, the right modelling (I want to set it up for MIDI as well) and enough loopers and delays, who needs bandmates?

(Well a drummer would be cool )

Bruh, fuck that noise. You want to go weird and love King Crimson? Chapman stick all the way! Fuck your wrists.

pharmakos · May 16, 2020

Julian The Apostate said:
Bruh, fuck that noise. You want to go weird and love King Crimson? Chapman stick all the way! Fuck your wrists.

8 string baritone can be had for about two grand less

But also... sticks tend to end up.... "Too many notes" if you know what I mean? Plus it's been done before, whereas this idea I've got for the 8 string baritone setup is pretty new afaik. King Crimson is more about innovation than it is about Chapman Sticks

Besides, if Robert is keen on adding more low end like back during the Double Trio when they had two "bassists" (really two Stick players of course), a baritone guitar is actually a way more interesting way to do it I think since it sits in between the two registers instead of doubling up one of the same registers like if it was a regular guitar or a straight bass.

And being able to hit those low registers while doing Fripp style cross picking instead of Stick style tapping sounds fun

. Could even tune the bottom four strings in fifths and the top four in standard tuning and have it be sort of a hybrid of standard and Fripp's "New Standard Tuning"

Noodleface · May 16, 2020

I've only tried 8 strings once. But as a 7 string main I support this

Noodleface · May 17, 2020

Speaking of 7 strings. It's been a few weeks since I've played guitar. Just life in general was too busy. Pulled down the Kiesel and shredded on it a bit, my fingers feel like cement. The season changed to spring and my guitar definitely needs a setup again. Time to spring clean it: clean the guitar, oil the fretboard, dial in the neck and Floyd rose and put on some NYXL strings I bought to see if they're worth double the price of other string sets.

Maybe I'll even plug into the 6505 and annoy some people.

Still think kiesels are the best guitar I've ever played.

Alex · May 17, 2020

Anyone have experience with Eastman guitars? Reviews make them sound like they're what Gibson should be. I've always loved the look of a Les Paul but Gibson guitars just never did it for me. They definitely aren't worth the price. But these Eastmans look pretty and legit and the reviews are very good.

The Official Guitar Thread

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