Guitar Talk and BS

I just got (back) into this. I had a crappy guitar in high school, never really learned how to play though. I just picked up a Fender Squire. Nothing special. Entry level, but at my level, is more than good enough. Two huge advantages we have now that make it 100 times easier for someone like me (I still don't plan on learning chords), is the internet, and tabs. Tabs fucking rule. Free tuning apps, and I'm still poking around websites, but I really like Songsterr.

 

The internet has legitimately ruined everything or in this case given us access to everything that used to cost good money to learn.

 

Tab has ruled for quite a while

My mid - late 80's and early 90's guitar mag collection says so

 

That'll tell you how long it's been for me. They must have come out soon after I put my fist guitar down. From my perspective, it's a brand new concept.

 

Only pic I have on my phone. MIM Strat w/active PUs (Lace Sensors?) '72 Tele I picked up in a pawn shop for $300. I have probably a dozen guitars in all. Been playing since I was 16. Currently mostly playing a Johnson Les Paul Goldtop through a 50W Jet City head to the Marshall cab in my mancave. At the 'puter in the living room I play a Schecter, I think it's a Diamondback, through a Roland Blues Cube Battery amp. I play blues, rock and metal. Played rhythm guitar in a metal band (local) for about 5 years in the 90s.

I still have the first "decent" guitar that my mom bought me when I was 16. A Memphis copy of a Gibson L7, (think early Santana). An 86 or 87 Gibson Les Paul Studio that I believe is the very first Studio made according to a serial number lookup I did years ago. A Memphis ES335 with flame top and gold hardware, (4sale), A Takamine Acoustic.

My mancave has a Tama drum set , a Peavey PA, a Peavey BW bass amp with a Venture or Ventura Bass.


Chili

 

I hope this thread revives.

 

I just bought this Washburn Comfort Series Acoustic ans would put it up against many Taylor's or Martin's. Sound is beautiful, fit and finish is amazing.

 

Beautiful guitar! Congratulations. I like that way of providing comfort over the Ovations. I had a really beautiful blue Adamas that sounded awesome, but I never enjoyed playing it cuz it always slid down.

 

I don't keep fiddles usually to long, but I think this one is a keeper. I have had a DM Taylor which was awesome but no matter what I or a Luthier did, we could not get rid of a fret buzz so it got returned. But this thing is so comfortable, and really sounds bright which I like. I just switched out the Bridge Pins for Brass one's and it brightened it up some more but also helped bring out the lows as well.

 

Although it looks like there's not much activity here on TW, I'll ask anyway...

I've always had a problem with hearing beats, or at least playing with them. Whenever I hear someone say, "ONE and two and AH", etc., my mind blanks.

The best way I can describe it is comparing it to phonetics: I understand what it is, but if you were to say,
"play potato like, po-ta-to"
I'd do something weird like, "pota-to", "poooooo-tato", or "po............ta.............to" because it feels like there's a disconnection/coordination issue between what I'm hearing you say and what my hand is strumming.

Does anyone have any hints or things they have found helpful for learning?

 

Are you able to tap your foot to music in time? I think it could be a practice/training thing where you get the rhythm going naturally and then start counting along. If you are learning guitar, I would say pick an easy chord, like an 'A' or an 'E', and strum it slowly while counting 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4. I am more or less self taught and learn songs by ear, so I don't know if that will help.

Chili

 

Tapping the foot works, no problem there. If I'm getting the word right, I'm having problems with missed-beat syncopation and that sort of variety

 

I have reservations on spending $1099 on a Mexican Strat but I'm infatuated with this thing. That sustain pickup capability could make things pretty fun to screw around with, plus I've always been a big Radiohead fan anyway.

https://shop.fender.com/en-US/elect...er-eob-sustainer-stratocaster/0140192305.html

 

I will attest to the modern Mexican Fender's quality but that price is absurd. I've used an alpine white & mint pickguard Mexican Classic Player Telecaster as my #1 for 11 years. Over time I modded it for my needs: Electrosocket jack, brass saddles, 4-way pickup selector, Nocaster pickups. I paid around $650 for it new back in '07 and I thought that was too much for a Mexican tele at the time. The only think I don't like about is the poly finish. If you're paying over $1k for a guitar it better be nitro finish.

 

Agreed, the catch would be paying extra for the Fernandez sustainer neck pickup. The damn thing looks fun to play since it opens up some weird new possibilities.

https://youtu.be/3u8EEPDvCsU

 

I remember when they came out with that system. It was used for a lot of industrial metal music at the time. Neat to see it has a new life. I heard that a couple years back when musicians from other genres got hip to them, they started buying up all the pawnshop Fernandes guitars for cheap and ripping the electronics out of them

 

At what point have some of you said screw it and just bought a new guitar? I've been looking for a used Mexican Strat to throw some DG EMG pickups in and there's not a whole lot of good value for the money on a used one. Sure I'll save some money buying off reverb or eBay, but I could end up with a pile of firewood.

 

Anyone remember the very first song(s) you learned on your geetar??

I do- #1. Johnny Cash- "Ring of Fire"

I was going through my tabs file; tabs I had downloaded over the years were mostly date stamped, so I could review the first few songs I learned on my Martin:

Little Feat- "Willin"
Flaming Lips- "She don't use jelly"
John Gorka- "Land of the bottom line"
Howlin' Wolf- "Spoonful"

 

Those are some good ones!
My first:

Simple Man- Lynyrd Skynyrd
Enter Sandman- Metallica

 

This is the more active guitar thread:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/any-guitar-players-on-tw.427668/