Guitar thread

[stray]

Ah here's a pic. It's not a bad guitar at all for under $300

[stray]

If you put my hands on a Mexican Tele, I could surely make it sound good Nebu. They're not bad guitars (although there can be a few lemons, I'll give you that). [edit] I mean, setting it up wise!


The Hamer is a Hamer Studio, I believe. Still not sure! The left "wing" is higher than the right, which doesn't seem to be the case with Studio pics I've seen. It's more like a PRS (sexy).

Anyhow, it's a helluva lot better guitar than anything else for $300, for sure. The pickups are duncan designed, which, more or less, makes them duncans.

[Oz]

Anyhow, it's a helluva lot better guitar than anything else for $300, for sure

I like my Ibanez ART-100 i got for $300.  Don't know about comparison to the Hamer, but i dig it. 

On a side note what has been your (a collective you for anyone) experience with tremolo bar (Bigsby, Fender, Floyd Rose, Kahler etc).  I've heard they lose tuning like a motherfucker, which has always deterred me from getting a nice archtop or semi-hollow with one on it.

[stray]

I almost bought an Ibanez actually (not an Art, but an archtop). It was my second choice. They are a good deal for the money.

Floyd Roses are sturdy as all fuck. And the coolest sounding/most versatile ones to boot. They're just a bitch when they do break. And kind of daunting to newbs, even if you're just tuning or re-stringing. Bigsby's really don't work any better than Strat/Fender ones. But they're doable. You can't go crazy with them and really divebomb, but they're fairly low-maintenance.

Second after Floyd Rose is Fender's other, less talked about trem system -- the jag/jazzmaster one. They work well. It's the guitar that created the surf sound, after all. You can get pretty deep with them, and stay in tune, but it's nothing like a floyd rose either. Thing is, the problem with these guitars is their bridges in general (doesn't matter if you use the trem or not). The whole thing is basically broken by design. The saddles are the most assbackwards, retarded things ever conceived.



See the little rivets? They're very shallow, and your strings are prone to just pop out or skip when you bend or play hard. A lot of players back in the day used huge strings on these guitars to combat it (like .014's and up). Now there's replacement saddles (TUSQ's, specifically), but it's a little extra cash...and they're hard to find now.

[stray]

Man, this little Hamer is badass. I'm upgrading it from beater to keeper. Very well constructed for a cheapo. I needed a rocker like this. 

[Sky]

Someday I might get a guitar with a bar on it. In the past, I've always removed them because I use them so rarely, but for some more rockabilly/ventures type stuff they are nice. I love the bar on my SG for my main guitar, though. A lot of folks use Bigby's with SGs.

[stray]

One of my favorite guitarists (Greg Sage) uses an SG with a bigsby. He kind of does the warped Neil Young/Jeff Beck thing, but in his rhythms. Love that shit. link

There isn't anyone who sounds like him really.

Kevin Shields and Bilinda Butcher kind of do the same thing, but in a less frenetic way. link

Lots of neat stuff with trem bars really! I like to have them rather than not. If I want to use them they're there.

[edit] fixed links!

[Oz]

Thanks for your input Stray.

your strings are prone to just pop out or skip when you bend or play hard

My resonator/dobro used to do that, but for a totally different reason.  The damned high E would jump out of the bridge so i cut it a little deeper and now i have no problems.

[stray]

Welcome.

Just found out that Hamer is an "ST3" model. Retailed new at $800. No wonder. 

[Oz]

nice fucking deal!

[Raph]

Wandered into a guitar shop in Encinitas today, mostly old stuff on the walls -- an 1898 Gibson, among other things. Signs everywhere saying "don't play anything without us helping you." Spotted a Larrivee, asked how it sounded. I still regret not getting that one I saw in that other store two years ago. Shop guy said "one of my favorites in here, wanna try?" So he got it down and I jammed for a while... in the middle he says "You know Leo Kottke's coming to town? I mention it because you sound like that kind of player." I took that as a compliment. :)

I didn't buy it though -- it sounded too much like my current guitar.

[Phildo]

The "Raph Sound"?

[Raph]

Heh, no. I don't claim to have anything like that! But there's certain things I need a guitar to be able to do -- it's got to growl and it's got to be sensitive to harmonics, and I need to be able to get certain tones from it, and this one felt a little "dead" in some ways. Its full tone was, like I said, too similar to my Blueridge, and it wasn't as responsive to harmonics either. The growl was pretty good, but i couldn't get the more bell-like tones, and the string separation when chording was just OK.

I sound like such a geek there.

[stray]

I'm geekin' out right with ya. Understood what you said 

[Phildo]

I think I followed that too, and I'm still mostly a drummer.

[Selby]

I more than understood, and that is why I have such a hard time finding guitars to play.  Most just don't have the right feel or sound I am going for.  Some sure play nice and people tend to soil themselves over the name and whatnot, but I just don't like the way they play or sound.

[Nebu]

Finding a guitar that feels good is easy.  Doing a good setup and finding the right neck width and radius is most of it.  Finding a guitar that sounds good is the hard part.  It takes time and money.  Most of the pros I played with owned several guitars that they could swap for tone.  All that made being a crappy bass player wonderful.  I just found myself a nice chunk of wood (like my old precision) and I was gtg. 

[Engels]

world record speed guitar

[Sky]

That's kind of what I was saying about my SG, once I played it, I knew it was my guitar. Instantly. I'm so glad to have it, it makes playing so much better, it reacts to my grip and really allows me to focus on playing because I never worry about the feel or sound of the guitar. It even sounds nice acoustically.

I've also played a bunch of Gibsons I absolutely hated, actually I've never played one I've even liked except mine. When I was trying out amps, I went through a Guitar Center trying to find something to play, I played ten (!!) SGs and a couple Les Pauls to no avail.

Getting spoiled can suck too. Since I got the Baby T, it's tough to go back to my Alvarez. Just a bit less responsive and the tone is deader and less full, even though it's a jumbo. The Baby is just an amazing guitar, the notes ring out almost unrealistically for a $250 "cheap" guitar. Way more overtones.

Raph, the last time a guitar store owner commented on my playing, I was on a strat (the 50th anniversary iirc) and he said he thought my style was rockabilly 

[stray]

Yep, that's the danger of ordering online and such. There are variations/factors in the wood in even same model instruments. You'd be doing OK going custom shop, but production models can be hit and miss. Amp-wise, it's a different story. If I know what one sounds like (and I've played tons), I'll just find a good deal online. My Jazzmaster is also another exception... It's a Jap model, made from alder (not Ash like the US reissues...or the originals). I knew what I was getting into. It was still a good deal though. I wouldn't even call it exactly a Jazzmaster as I have it now either.. It's been modded. I may just mod it more, and cram a humbucker under the bridge (then it definitely won't sound like a jm).

[Amarr HM]

That's kind of what I was saying about my SG, once I played it, I knew it was my guitar. Instantly. I'm so glad to have it, it makes playing so much better, it reacts to my grip and really allows me to focus on playing because I never worry about the feel or sound of the guitar. It even sounds nice acoustically.

I've also played a bunch of Gibsons I absolutely hated, actually I've never played one I've even liked except mine. When I was trying out amps, I went through a Guitar Center trying to find something to play, I played ten (!!) SGs and a couple Les Pauls to no avail.

Getting spoiled can suck too. Since I got the Baby T, it's tough to go back to my Alvarez. Just a bit less responsive and the tone is deader and less full, even though it's a jumbo. The Baby is just an amazing guitar, the notes ring out almost unrealistically for a $250 "cheap" guitar. Way more overtones.

Raph, the last time a guitar store owner commented on my playing, I was on a strat (the 50th anniversary iirc) and he said he thought my style was rockabilly 

That's the exact same experience I had with my 50th anniversary Strat when I played it in the shop. I always wanted a starburst Fender a la Rory Gallagher but after picking this one up (classic Clapton b&w) I didn't care. Also I had a lot of people were telling me to buy a Les Paul but I never felt that comfortable with the feel (or pricetag) even the originals, though I would like to own one someday.

[stray]

Umm, if you can afford an original Les Paul, and still be picky, then I envy you. Just one pickup costs $10,000 now. 

[Amarr HM]

Didn't know that at the time an original cost about $5000.

[stray]

Well, it depends on the year. By original, I assumed you meant 57-63ish. When Gibson's humbucker's were still in the PAF/Patent Applied For stage. Like I said, even the pups are high priced.. The guitars themselves range in the 80k area. There's a lot mythical/mojo mumbo jumbo surrounding just the pickups (literally like the Pick of Destiny... not only was it "mojo" for the Les Paul's... but there are silly ideas surrounding them just because guys like Keith play one almost exclusively in the Tele neck...thus creating the Stones sound, or EVH with his single pickup striped Charvel..thus conquering arena rock with it).

Late 60's and onwards are in the 10k range these days. But anyways, yeah, I see what you're saying.

There is a technical reason for the difference though, not just the voodoo bullshit.

[Amarr HM]

Oh by original I mean not a copy like Epiphone etc.

[stray]

Ah.. 

[Sky]

I just got in a couple books from amazon last week, and this is one I took a chance on, after getting an excellent fretboard book in the same series by the author:

http://www.amazon.com/Chord-Tone-Soloing-Guitarists-Improvising/dp/0634083651

Wow. This book takes a lot of the good bits in other instructional books and puts it together in a very cohesive way. I'm starting slow with the basics as the author suggests, even though a lot of it is already below my level since I solo pretty decently. But the way he's got it laid out, it builds very nicely on the CAGED system for the fretboard to proper chord changes, scale choice, and of course the point of the book, highlighting chord tones across changes (and implying changes). Very understated book, seems pretty simplistic at first but it's my practice schedule for the next...however long.

I've admitted in the past some serious holes in my knowledge, it's so amazing to find a book that does a good job addressing exactly my weak points.

[stray]

Cool, I might just pick it up myself.

[stray]

Cool bluegrassy blues duo from Oregon..

Sidestreet Reny

[Nebu]

Can anyone recommend a good fingerpicking technique series/book?  I've decided to start playing my acoustic more so that my girlfriend and I can sing duets and I really want to improve beyond flatpicking. 

Thanks!

[Sky]

My finger technique is awful, though I play about half the time with my fingers. I learned early and then spent a long time with bad habits, so it sounds good but makes instructors cringe. Raph might be able to point you in the right direction. I have a Travis picking book that's good if your into that style, there's one called Beginning Acoustic Blues that's good for that style, or you could look into a classical style beginner book.

[Raph]

I'd start with picking a style of music you love from the following choices: country, folk, blues.

Then you can get going on alternating bass picking to start with, almost clawhammer style, and work your way up. The thing is that the WAY you work your way up varies a bit by musical style, so the beginner books tend to focus on one or the other. Like country will show Travis style next where a blues book might show walking bass instead, that sort of thing.

Classical is a whole other kettle of fish -- you'll be forced to work with standard notation instead of tab, dunno how you feel about that.

I am in London and all my books are in San Diego, so I can't cite titles at you. :(

[Nebu]

I'm thinking more folk/bluegrass.  I'm heading to Memphis this weekend to hit a few guitar stores to look at guitars and books (Barnes & Noble).  I've been playing my bass a lot lately and I really need to admit to myself that I'm a crappy guitar player and start devoting the practice time.  I'm debating between buying a classical guitar for the larger fingerboard just to get my hand in shape.  I have a Takoma that I enjoy, but I don't play it well without a pick. 

[Raph]

I learned from this one for folk, found it in a used bookstore somewhere.

How to Play Better Guitar, Jerry Silverman

I am sure there are other books around these days! But basically, you want to start with alternating bass, then walking bass and picking patterns, such as Travis.

Bluegrass is often flatpicked btw.

[Nebu]

Thanks Raph.  I'll check it out.