The Official Guitar Thread

Stosh_sl said:

Jamplay $99 sale is now active through December 31st.

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Thanks...I Was just about to post this. So far by the previews I have seen I think it is worth $99 for the year.

Stosh_sl said:

Jamplay $99 sale is now active through December 31st.

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Thanks for the heads up. I signed up and it looks great.

Like I said I haven't owned a decent guitar in 20 years - last was a '76 US Strat - and my knowledge of hardware is just as outdated. Doesn't help that costs are much higher in the UK, add 30% plus to US prices.

I always wanted a 335. Read up and found that you can get close to a Gibson from an Ibanez (Artcore) or Epiphone (Dot/Sheraton) if you upgrade the pickups. I spent some time looking around and found some used bargains from private sellers. Paid ?250 for an Epiphone Sheraton II with Seymour Duncan '59s fitted and an Ibanez AS83 for ?220 (pickups need upgrading, I wanted an AS103 with Super '58s but I couldn't find one) both with quality hard cases. Also got an Ibanez S520EX on the spare of the moment for ?175.

I love the Epiphone, it really is close to a Gibson. Amazing. Probably going to move on the AS83 and the 520EX which feels weird as I'm a big Ibanez fan - I started playing in the eighties when Ibanez were on the rise and producing some epic guitars.


So my question is what rock/metal solid body guitars are worth looking at (not pure strat or LP shape) with a solid bridge, no trem. Are many/any makes as good/better than the Ibanez Artist in the sub $600 region ?

Pics of new guitars :

This solid body guitar in that price range is perfect for what you described. Kind of bummed I got rid of it.

Schecter Tempest Custom

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it. +1

I'm not eliminating an (exact) strat or LP based on anything other than personal preference. Done the strat thing and was never attached to it and never did get into the chunky necks on LPs. That Shecter loooks lovely, I'll definitely check them out. Any other makes in a similar quality category (no trem, fixed bridge) ?

To clarify, I'm right back at the beginning. Hours of basic finger stretching and callus building exercises. Looking for something that stays in tune well, can take the action low when I'm ready for it, comfortable for extended periods sitting or standing (so V's, Explorer's, extreme BC Rich's etc are out) and will be good for a few years as I get back into the swing. Not fast metal or a pure shredder btw. Progressive rock, through light metal with a blues twinge to it. No trem - I don't use it and I don't want to waste money on a potential purchase having one.

Thanks again.

Cutlery_sl said:

Hrm, yeah, if you don't want strat body, LP body, explorer, warlock or V's, that pretty much leaves you with telecasters, 335's, gibson SG kinda stuff, and customs.

At least you've got your choices narrowed down pretty good.

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When I say not Strat I mean exact copy and shape/weight. With the LP it's the neck shape and 'chunkiness'. I don't mind the Ibanez RG series or PRS Custom, for example.



I used to be a big Kiss/Ace fan. The following just showed up on ebay UK and got my attention :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ace-Frehle...item337ec37588

Reading up on it I found the following :

http://www.acefrehleylespaul.com/ChineseKnock-Offs.html

What do folks think ? Knock off or genuine ? Aces face on the headstock looks low like the one on the knock off web page - tip of head is too low.

a first for me, a post in the music section. i am not musically inclined- well i used to play the trumpet when i was in junior high (now called middle school) (5th thru 8th grade) and i was ok at it but never kept up @ it.

now my kids ALL want a guitar- it started with my 8 yr old fumble fingered son(finger dexterity is not his forte) who wanted one for Xmas, so my wife got him one of those cheap "first act "my first guitar" guitar" guitars that cost 40 bucks (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index...uctId=11928529)

ya i know cheap, but since he opened it the other two have wanted to play it (hit of Xmas-go figure). i sort of tuned it (it was woefully out of tune) enough so that the notes sound "clean" but again i am not an expert, i turned the knobs until the note "sounded" good to me and when strummed there didn't seem to be a jarring separation in the notes of each string.

so i was wondering what sort of decent- beginner- guitar would be good for an 11yr old boy-provided he expresses a healthy interest in learning- once he focus's on something to learn he Will learn it, and is very good @guitar hero so i am sure he could master the chords fairly well (my nephew went from guitar hero to learning to play and was/is in a garage band)

thanks to a comment above about the agile guitars i found rondo music...

perusing the rondo music website, i was thinking

getting one of these 3 for the 11 yr old.

http://www.rondomusic.com/cl160cvtna.html

http://www.rondomusic.com/FG160vtdsr.html

http://www.rondomusic.com/mentorvtbk.html

as for the 2 8yr old's (boy & girl)

either the valencia 3/4 size guitars that are 50 or going full size and one of the above 3 models..

if going the 3/4 size, one is going to be pink (for the girl)


and IF i end up doing this, i WILL be doing the jamplay account for the 3 of them.

Noodleface - I'll take the savage off your hands when you get GAS for a new amp

Also keep an eye out for an Engl Invader 100, I think that would be a solid choice too. It's slightly cheaper, but is voiced differently than the savage and sounds even more raw. I don't know what they go for on the used market now.

Vittra_sl said:

Noodleface - I'll take the savage off your hands when you get GAS for a new amp

Also keep an eye out for an Engl Invader 100, I think that would be a solid choice too. It's slightly cheaper, but is voiced differently than the savage and sounds even more raw. I don't know what they go for on the used market now.

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I remember the Invader now too. I can't wait for this wedding crap to be over so I can just buy everything

You'll probably get lots of money from gifts and shit, then can just blow it all on gear. (Win!)

I really am trying to sell the Framus cobra, just put it on craigslist. I don't think I've ever sold anything there before, but I want to try and do it locally this time around. Shipping back and forth can be risky

I sold a few amps locally on Craigslist. I just always made sure we met at a public place, usually Burger King on the highway so that I could eat burgers after. Just be careful of the douches that say they will buy it for xxx dollars and then try to lower the price when you finally meet.

So I think I've figured out why I'm convinced I sound terrible on the guitar. My only audience is my girlfriend and here is a list of songs she felt were just "noise" (aka: sounds I try and emulate)

Children of Bodom - Follow the Reaper
Pantara - Cowboys from Hell
Satriani - Surfing with the Alien
Eric Johnson - Cliffs of Dover

Yes she lists a god damn fucking Grammy winning instrumental as "noise." I can kind of understand not liking Bodom. I can get that. Same with Pantera. So I brought it down to what I felt was mainstream but progressive with Satriani. When she decided Cliffs of Dover was bad I had nothing more to say.

I kind of ripped her a new asshole about her terrible taste in music and that we should probably never speak about musical taste ever since all her favorite bands are indie horseshit featuring Zoe Dachenelle and formulistic ass sludge which feature 6 chords the entire song.

I'd upgrade that possible to certainty. But I still feel like I have very finger speed, scales and sweeping. None of the music she likes features any of that ... unless you count taking a measure to switch your hands from C major to E major. I won't even go into how she said the guitarists I like have no clue about musical theory and they just "play."

I hate that, armchair musicians that think the brainless music they listen to has an ounce of musicianship behind it. Try playing one of her favorite songs for her, and show her how much you struggle to learn the simple chord progression

Then explain that music theory is used absolutely everywhere in all those songs. Even that bodom song has key changes and modulations all over it

I'm a guitar pedal noob. Got a BOSS ns2 today (free). It is brand new. Can't get it to power on. I'm sure I'm just an idiot and there is a simple solution

Not to entirely shit on the genre of indie. It is just they don't feature instruments and instead feature vocals. I have yet to have her sit down through an entire Megadeth song without her ripping on Mustaine's voice, intermixed with her complaining about the guitars. She doesn't seem to understand I'm far more interested in whats coming out of his guitar than his mouth. I find the songwriting of both genres about the same (ie: they're both only decent.)

@Above:

Was not expecting a random Ernie puppet

Tenks_sl said:

I won't even go into how she said the guitarists I like have no clue about musical theory and they just "play."

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Fucking hilarious. Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson have no clue about theory. Damn. I'm pretty damn opinionated on music as well. I used to be a lot worse. Anymore I'll deal with whatever people playing because it's their house, car, stereo. However, that kind of statement would make me fly off the handle.

Tenks_sl said:

I won't even go into how she said the guitarists I like have no clue about musical theory and they just "play."

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I had an ex-girlfriend say that to me about Frank Zappa. She decided that because of his lyrics, he was retarded and refused to allow me to listen to his music in her presence. There's really no changing an opinion or winning that type of argument.

Thankfully my wife and I share 90% of musical tastes. Last time she did not like a musician we saw in concert was Bruce Cockburn, and she knew enough to be impressed with his guitar playing, she just didn't care for his music.

Decided on a practice/bedroom amp today. Bought aVox 'Lil' Night Trainhead and aVox 1X12 cabinet.Just going to troll craigslist/ebay/guitarcenter in the future for a used Blues Jr. in good condition should I need/desire anything more. Thanks all for the advice.