Any guitar players on TW?

most of mine have disliked it over the years but i had one cat that liked to pick the strings (acoustic) with her teeth. i was ok with it because there was someone i could play better than.

 

I know stitches will be in for 10-14 days; but not sure what the healing timeline is going to look like beyond that yet. Need to get in for a follow up with doc. My concern at the moment is that I can't really move my pointer or thumb. Best I can do is make them twitch (with significant pain); and they're not totally numb, but tingly and feels like a bunch of little shocks when touched. Other three fingers I can bend/wiggle them and otherwise fell normal.

 

Hate to hear it...I'll get a mysterious cut on my hand boiling water for a coffee in a kettle...*shrugs*

You'll be good, and adapt if you have to...fvck Toni Iommi did it without fingertips.

You'll be good.

 

I took my left middle finger tip completely off on my table saw. It took a few months to let the new skin build up, and even longer to get a callous tough enough to play but I got there.

I finally got my 5F1 Champ amp working tonight. Very little noise and some sweet tone. There’s also way more volume than I expected.

 

Absolute worst case scenario, I guess I'll just need to become proficient with a slide, lol.

 

Probably still got a lot healing to do. I'd feel the same though. Hope you heal up quick.

 

That looks pretty sweet. Layout is super clean.

 

thanks! I’m so happy I got it working. I had missed a solder on the 12ax7 preamp tube… the wire that runs to the volume knob

 

Im back with more noob questions.

Getting ready to go buy an electric guitar. I’ve never actually bought a guitar before, only ever been gifted.

I’m still very new (only been playing about 6 months) so i don’t have any preferences yet that im aware of.

Also dont really have any end goal as to genre i want to play i just want to play it all lol

I have about $1500(Canadian so like $12.46 USD) to spend. my current impulse choices are a les paul tribute or a Stratocaster.
Should i look at cheaper stuff since im still a newb?

Since each brand sound different what are the differences between these 2?

Should i be scared to buy used? I feel like i don’t know enough to know if somethings wrong. I’ve also been burned before lol

Anything else i should consider?

Probably wont buy an amp yet since thats a whole other investment (and i have access to borrow an amp if i wanted too). i’d like to just play with headphones for now while I’m learning.

kinda looking for some (non bias/salesman) guidance/ information before going to the store. Its all still so new it feels like drinking from a fire hydrant lol

 

Ya man...you don't NEED to drop 15 hundy on your first electric stick. You CAN if you have something specific in mind but you really don't have to. I'd peel the guitar budget back to 1000 and carve that 500 out for a quality amp, something like a Boss Katana 50 MkII...that way 1000 gets you in the very nice first guitar space.

As for axe...I'd look at the new Epiphone Inspired by Gibson line. They are really decent and sub 1000. I'm also biased but you can get an entry level PRS SE models for sub 1000 as well.

You have plenty of budget, just get out to L&M and strap on a bunch and find something that fits in your space (mind and body).

Good luck, keep us apprised...you have my number if you need advice pronto

 

I wouldn't shy away from used; can get more guitar for your money, and less of a hit if you don't end up bonding with the guitar. Plenty of great used gear out there because some of us guitar players are a finicky bunch and shuffle through gear like a blackjack dealer shuffles through cards. For Les Paul vs Strat; the slightly shorter scale of a LP style might be easier on the fingers for a beginner; but if possible, best bet would be to play at least one of each to get a feel and ear for them. Lots of variables of course; but generally speaking, humbuckers will be a warmer and more aggressive tone, while a strat will be brighter and twangy... but, just a generalization and again with lots of variables. My personal preference is humbuckers or P90's, but I've played plenty of hard rock tunes on my SSS strat too.

For amps; I live amongst the cork sniffing tube crowd... BUT... I would highly recommend one of the Boss Katanas. Very versatile, great for practice level volumes, and has a pretty good sound and feel (for solid state). I find myself playing through my katana more and more as of late, just because it's easier to play with heavy distortion at low volumes. It also works decently well with my acoustic too.

 

I don't think there's any substitute for just playing a few different guitars and seeing what sounds and feels right to you. You will probably find one that jumps out at you as "the one" even if you don't think you have preferences and can't explain why you like one more than another. Price is a factor but not the most important factor. I recently bought a Martin D10 at a smaller (not L&M) shop. I played just about every guitar he had ranging from well below my budget to several times my budget but nothing felt and sounded as good to me as the D10 did. Good luck and don't forget to enjoy the search !

 

I will also suggest you get out and play as many as you can. The right guitar will speak to you! Take a look at Ibanez or Schecter, they make nice guitars for a bit less cash. I’ve played some Squiers that play like Fenders, though many miss the mark. Same with Epiphone. I love my PRS SE, but that was 1100 US.

Once you find that guitar, take it to a professional luthier and have a proper setup done. It can make a world of difference.

As for amps, give me some old school tubes please!

 

While it may not always be possible, in my opinion the best route to go at this point is to get yourself to a decent guitar shop and try out some of the styles of guitars that you are interested in. You'll start finding that certain types may feel better for you, and you can start narrowing your choices from there. For example, I used to love the idea of getting a Les Paul until I finally played one - the neck radius felt odd in my hand, and they are just a lot heavier than I want to have hanging off of me.

I wouldn't concern myself with sound as much - between pickups, amps, and effects, you can always make adjustments after the fact to get sound dialed in where you want it.

Nothing at all wrong with buying used, but even more so than new, I would want to be able to try it out myself before buying, but that's just my opinion - lots of folks buy from online sources and make out just fine.

Since it's your first, there is absolutely no need to drop big bucks on a top of the line instrument. Playing guitar can be a life-long hobby, so take your time with it. Finding an instrument that feels comfortable for you makes it more likely that you'll want to keep picking it up to play, moreso that just because of the name on it. I've been playing since the mid 80s... my first three guitars were used, slowly increasing in quality (1st was a Greco, 2nd was an Ibanez, 3rd was a Fender) before I finally got my first new guitar in the early 90s (a Series 1 Charvel, still in my collection today). All told, I got all four of those for less than your $1,500 budget, so you definitely can find something you like without breaking the bank.

 

Seagull S6. Cedar solid top, cherrywood back and sides. Had a hell of a time finding a good quality leftie guitar on Marketplace. Got lucky I guess

 

Nice...I have a circa 1999 Seagull S6 +CW. Great guitar

 

It has a nice bright sound if you put 80/20 bronze strings on it.. planning to try elixirs eventually. Mines a 2001 if I recall correctly.

 

I got a set of Elixirs on my Guild M20. Really like them. It came with them, I usually run D'addario though.

 

I know everyone is different, but I have settled into playing Elixir Phosphor Bronze (custom lights) on my acoustics. Out of the package they are very bright and treble heavy, however after a few weeks they settle into a real mellow tone that stays around forever. I get about 6 months on each set of strings; I change them because I want to, not because they need it. Any other coated string seems junk up between the windings a lot quicker and they go dull in a month or so of heavy use.

 

So, ya...working on Mary Had A Little Lamb for next project