Any Guitar Players

Just wondering. I'm thinking about taking up the guitar as yet another new hobby (something to do while the wort boils I suppose) and was wondering if there were any musicians on the board who might point me in the right direction.

I already have a guitar (belongs to my wife) and I plan on taking lessons some time in the future but any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

I started by just getting a little chord handbook and figuring out the basic chords. I also had a room mate at the time that played and gave me pointers from time to time. It's fun learning, and fun playing! Good luck!

 

orfy posted a similar thread and got a slew of recommendations....you might want to search that out.

Enjoy, the road might start out hard and frustrating but it's something that you can take with you for the rest of your life once you get a handle on it.

 

Yea man, I've been playing for about 10 years now. I've slowed down a lot lately, work to much, and don't ahve the motivation to play....Which sucks, but I'm trying to get bakc into the swing of it. But yea, the best thing to do is learn some simple chords then learn to read tab. http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/ The holy grail of music!!!

 

I suggest to start doing exercises to get your finger's independent, it will make you learn a lot faster when you start taking lessons and it wont be as hard to stretch out for certain chords.

your index finger will be 1, middle finger 2, ring finger 3, pinky finger 4

start on the first 4 frets and pick 1,2,3,4 then 4,3,2,1 and when you get that down perfect you can start mixing it up like 3,1,4,2 and so on..... after that move up to the next string and do it, and when you have all the strings down to a science start mixing 2 strings in to it. Independent fingers are the key.

 

I play bass guitar and dabble in guitar.

I love it! It's a lot of fun to jam with buddies and it's nice to just pull out your guitar and play/practice some nice groovy songs and relax with a beer (or four). The only downside is, it is a lot of work. You need to practice everyday for 30 minutes at least for a couple months until you start to be able to recognize what you're playing. I say go for it! The end result is definitly worth it - especially if you can find a cool group of guys to hang out and jam with over a couple homebrews.

My recommendation for beginner tips is this: finger strength, dexterity and coordination is key. The best exercise for this is very simple, though monotonous (i.e., good to do while your wort boils). Start one the low E, and play the first 4 frets, as slow as you need to to get a clear tone (no 'buzzing', referred to as fret buzz). Then, move one string down to A and do the same thing. Repeat this until you have done all six strings, then move back up to the low E, but this time play frets 2345. Go down the strings, and come back and start at 3456 this time. When you get to the end of the fret board, reverse the process, going back up to the top. Do this until your hands cant do it any more. Take a 5 minute break and repeat. This will build up hand strength as well as coordination. This will help remove some of the beginners learning curve as well. So, if you've got 10 minutes, are just sitting watching the tv, waiting on a boil, etc., grab your guitar and just do that. The more you do it the better/faster/cleaner you will sound and get.

 

I have been having a strange craving lately to learn to play the banjo. I have never really played much music before, and I have no idea why it appeals to me lately.

 

I've been playing since 1971.

I have a '76 Fender Telecaster Deluxe, 2 Mexican Strats, a Chinese Strat and an '81 Kamen Electric/Acoustic...Vetta Line 6 amp, Fender Princeton Reverb amp, several smaller travel amps, about 8-9 pedals.

If you guy email me I can send you tons of guitar related info/lessons/tips/tabs, etc: [email protected]

 

...did you recently watch "Deleverance"?

 

I've been playing for 10 years and enjoy it, by no means do I think I am the greatest player ever and I def. need to practice and play more, but you know how that goes...

I collect guitars as a hobby and recently let some of my collection go to ebay to make room for some new "additions", I do enjoy it very much and I feel music is an important thing to have in life and playing an instrument can never be a bad thing!

also, don't be afraid to take lessons no matter what age you are... mess around and have fun!

+1 to ultimate-guitar, they have a nice collection of music!

 

I've got a '72 Fender Tele Thinline, a '70 Ovation, and a '96 Gibson Les Paul Studio with a few mods. I'm playing through a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier right now, but I'm planning on selling it soon...Need the money more then the HUGE amp. How are you liking the Vette?

 

I have a Line 6 Spyder and I'm in love with that thing!

 

It's really more amp than I wanted...funny thing is I walked into the place looking for a Pignose and ended up spending $2000.00. My wife walked in as I was playing on it and said if I wanted it I could get it...then the sales person started giving me all these deals...how could I resist??

I don't play in a band anymore and have too many other hobbies, but I do play guitar daily, but amp up on the weekends mostly.

I never got around to upgrading it to a II or upload tweaks. I've done that on one of my pedals though since I usually travel with it.

 

I got an Ibanez electric, Kramer Focus 1000 (modded), and a Peavey 5150 Tube amp. I'm trading that thing in on a smaller Fender amp. Oh, and a GNX3 guitar workstation board and an accoustic guitar. Oh, and an old Sears Cort Effector guitar, heavily frankensteined.

I haven't really played much in the past number of years. Just too busy with all the other hobbies.

I highly recommend working on playing with individual fingers. Something I never really go around to doing, but can vastly improve your playing ability. Practice, practice, practice. Do one thing, like finger exercises, then take a break and practice a song you like.

Learn to read Tab. Check out videos online. Take lessons. Mostly practice though. Finger exercises are boring and tiring, but they WILL help you. Also, if you can, set up a click track to practice to. It will help your timing.

Are you playing on electric, or accoustic? Play until your fingers are sore. They WILL be sore for a little while until your callouses build up.

 

FWIW if you like the amp, don't sell!!! The only gear I have ever regretted selling were the items sold when cash was tight...never got my money back out and the cash from the sale was gone so quick (not to mention that the cash could have been obtained elsewhere anyway)

 

As long as we're talking collections...this is what I've currently got. I've bought/sold hundreds of guitars and amps over the years, and regret selling many. Others, not so much.

Guitars

Ovation Deluxe Balladeer acoustic
Epiphone DR-100 acoustic
Yamaha 12-string acoustic
Epiphone Sheraton (their version of ES-335)
Gibson Les Paul, "The Paul" 1981
Fender Strat, American Standard w/SRV pickups, 1994
Fender Telecaster Special (humbucker @ neck)
Aria FA71 (archtop jazz guitar)
Fender Jazz Bass Special (both P-bass & Jazz pickups)
Ibanez Roadstar (strat-style)
Fernandez Legend (dual soapbars)
Line 6 Variax (digital modeling guitar)
Traveller (folding travel guitar)
LarsCaster (strat-style, built from kit)
Frankenstrat (Fender body, ESB neck, various strat-type parts.)

Amps

Dean Markley CD-120
Fender Champ 12
Danelectro Twin Twelve
Alamo Titan
Park G10R
Line6 Flextone II XL
Line6 POD
Vox AD15VT
Lab Series L7
Fender 75 head
Fender SuperTwin (the LOUDEST amp I've ever heard!!)

 

Thanks for the advice and encouragement guys, I really appreciate it. I missed Orfy's thread so I will have to check that out. HB, I may send you a note, thanks for offering.

So far I have been doing what several of you suggested and just working on scales to try and work the muscles in my fretting hand. I've just started trying to learn chords and I still have a hard time getting all the notes to ring clear, just need more practice I guess.

Thanks again gang (this is why I love this board so dang much).

 

Here is me, attempting a Dream Theater solo.

[youtube]WYBCt1zxYoM[/youtube]

 

Lessons are nice for maybe a year. After that you should be able to read tabs and music good enough to just start practicing on your own. Good Luck! It's a fun hobby.

 

I play bass and drums. I was in a couple bands in high school: .

• KPPX(the call letters of the radio station in the movie Airheads) on drums,
• Greeting Card Ninjas on bass,
• and a little acoustic project we called "String Beans"( the other two guys were mexican, and I often was mistaken for a Vato in school....hence the name Beans) on acoustic bass

Those were the days. Shotgunning Natural Ice then playing a 2 hour show where we played the same 5 songs over and over again.

 

Keep up the practicing. I found some "Backing Tracks" on the internet. It's like Karaoke for your guitar! If you don't have a band to play with, then try out your favorite songs with one of those. Google backing tracks guitar.

I've been playing a bit more after finding them, but soon hopefully I'll be expanding my repertoire once the carpet is laid and I got some free time again.

 

Reso player here, square and round.

 

I've been playing on and off (mostly off) for the last 10-12 years. I currently have 5 Fenders...


Cheap Fender acoustic 6 string and 12 string (12 string never gets played, it was part of a package deal for another guitar)

American Telecaster with the bridge pickup replaced with a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails. This is my primary guitar, and the one I'm the most comfortable playing.

Crafted In Japan 72 Thinline Reissue from like '98. This one has a thicker neck and I haven't played it in at least 3 years. In fact, I just dropped it off this past weekend to be rewired since it got messed up when I moved (I was repairing it myself and it got damaged in the shuffle of the move).

American Stratocaster. Nothing much to say about this one, other than it's neck is even thinner than the American Tele

Fender Prosonic amp

If you're looking for a fun book/cd to play along with, look for John Gnapes' "Blues You Can Use"...

 

Yep, I've been acoustic guitar playing since early high school and love it. I haven't been playing as much recently (new baby, etc) but I'm trying to get back into it. Gonna start playing in our church soonish, so that should help!

 

911tabs.com is a good website for guitar tab...

 

Do you have something wrong with your brain, perhaps?

YouTube - Eddie Adcock plays banjo during brain surgery.

 

Obviously they decided to do brain surgery the moment he said he liked the banjo!

 

My gear.

Ibanez Universe 7 string
Peavey Ultra plus 3chnl tube amp
Carvin Legacy 2x12 closed back cab
TC Electronics Gmajor effects processor
Rolls Midibuddy board
Ibanez Bad Monkey overdrive
Boss wha
Ernie Ball Volume pedal.

 

I need to get back into playing. My spare time seems to go to other hobbies first. I need less hobbies and then I need money so I can buy an Ibanez ES...

 

You guys are killing me here.
Yes, I do play the banjo, as well as mandolin and guitar.
My son is a much better guitar player than me though. Check him out.
MySpace.com - Mike Grisafi - Ephrata, Pennsylvania - Progressive / Rock / Fusion - www.myspace.com/mikegrisafi

 

Since were talking about guitars. My collection is,

1958 Les Paul Junior
1959 Les Paul Junior
1981 Les Paul Sunburst Heritage elite
1995 Les Paul Sunburst Jimmy Page model ( one of the first 50 made)
1999 Paul Reed Smith McCarty Model
2000 Les Paul 59 Historic
2001 Les Paul 59 Historic
2003 Les Paul 59 Historic
Also a couple of newer fenders and an 80's Kramer( Van Halen Style) for shredding...:rockin::rockin:

 

Gotta thing for Les Pauls, eh? I can't blame you...they were my first love, before I played my first high-quality Stratocaster. (A lot of them aren't high quality!)

 

Your son sounds like a great player..those clips on his myspace are really nice. That Vai cover is pretty dam tight!

 

They are the finest guitars in the world. Especially from the years 1958-1960.
The sunburst model was priced at around $250 back then. Many can now fetch upwards of $500,000.

I like the Fender model. I have a few, but nothing compares to the look and sound of a Les Paul sunburst guitar.

 

I grew up in a musical family. Played trumpet through high school and college and even some gigs after. Dabble with piano.

But just recently bought a Les Paul Special to start learning guitar. Its fun, you can sit there for hours and just enjoy learning.

 

'cept for maybe a goldtop.

 

Goldtops aren't really that close interms of price. A real 58-60 Sunburst Les Paul will get considerable more than A Goldtop Les Paul. There were only about 1700 Sunburst guitars made through those years. Out of that 1700, maybe 1000 left. Very valuable instuments. I've had a couple of vintage goldtops. Also very nice guitars. It's a Les Paul....

 

I play a bit

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c155/CarrereMan/l_dd8510cc428b47aeb2f0e3ee8a0e69ee.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c155/CarrereMan/l_46034e39b0bdc10e5bd11560d06b4f16.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c155/CarrereMan/l_2d9825094f7928da63570e0199dde5fd.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c155/CarrereMan/l_1d83c7ac574b7b195c0d51506ebb6122.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c155/CarrereMan/l_991b6f1e23ac999b95daeaa15036edf9.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c155/CarrereMan/l_f7bda1db93800c4ef9d34f5598c6f67f.jpg

thats a 2003 Peavey Transtube, an Ibanez RG370, a Fender Stratocaster and my painted Epiphone Les Paul. The Acoustic is an Ibanez AE10 and the sunburst strat is a cheap knockoff I got when I was 13.

 

I play a bit. Mostly just acoustic strumming kinda stuff that drunk people think is funny at parties.