Tips for an old guy trying to learn guitar

[Brewmasher]

Jellynote gives you tabs, fretboards and is like playing Guitar Hero with a real guitar.

https://www.jellynote.com/en/

 

[doug293cz]

Jellynote gives you tabs, fretboards and is like playing Guitar Hero with a real guitar.

https://www.jellynote.com/en/

I dunno. Justin Bieber #2 on the popular artists list :smack: Not sure it's my kind of people.

Brew on

 

[Homercidal]

Got through Baby Blue. Even almost learned the solo but it was getting late and I have no callouses for bending strings at this time.

My guitar sound was just ok. I think I need thicker strings. Sounding kind of thin unless the juice is cranked way up. I think my cord needs to be trimmed back and the plugs re-soldered. I think I was getting a little loss when I wiggled it a bit. Didn't want to waste too much time choosing the right amp/cabinet combo. It was close.

Started to look up Jungle Love, then I remembered it's played in Open A. D'oh! Guess I *could* retune my old "Screamer" (Sears Cort Effector that had been gutted and frankensteined with the whammy bar bridge in fixed position after it broke.) Technically that thing plays, and it actually doesn't play too bad.

 

[applescrap]

^^right amp/cabinet combo? You have more than one, im jealous. Sounds like you got a bunch of cool guitars too. I love playing different guitars. I don't normally practice with an amp or with any special guitar. Usually if I get in the mood to play I grabbed the closest one to me. Would like to play my Gibson a little more it doesn't get played enough. But when I went to the studio and hooked it up to a Half Stack, it really was the wrong instrument for that kind of music. To much feedback. Traded a 77 Telecaster for it. Stupid choice but my hands are way too big for a Telecaster neck

 

[Homercidal]

^^right amp/cabinet combo? You have more than one, im jealous. Sounds like you got a bunch of cool guitars too. I love playing different guitars. I don't normally practice with an amp or with any special guitar. Usually if I get in the mood to play I grabbed the closest one to me. Would like to play my Gibson a little more it doesn't get played enough. But when I went to the studio and hooked it up to a Half Stack, it really was the wrong instrument for that kind of music. To much feedback. Traded a 77 Telecaster for it. Stupid choice but my hands are way too big for a Telecaster neck

I have a Peavey Vyper. Modeling amp. Nothing special and fairly inexpensive. Doesn't sound bad for what it is. It doesn't have different cabinets now that I think about it. My old GNX pedal had that. I think it retails for about $140. They have a smaller version with fewer effects for less. Pretty good deal for a practice amp with all of the features. There's newer amp models out now with all kinds of fancy junk. Probably too complicated for me to understand how to use!

I have 3 electric guitars. None of them are valuable or special except for me. I can't see getting rid of any of them. Just guitars I owned all these years.

Ok, maybe if the RIGHT guitar became available, I'd consider trading them...

 

[applescrap]

I had to Google modeling amp. It's funny the two amps mentioned are yours and mine. Mine is the Roland Cube 60. I am a firm believer in Roland amps for practice or small room. I had a Marshall Half Stack sounded like s*** unless it was turned up. Then I realized anywhere big had their own sound equipment and or I can always mic my little guy. Peavey makes for a nice practice amp. I'm more usually concerned with what/how I'm playing then the amp. And like I said I rarely practice with it on. I hadn't played in a long time this thread kind of got me going I appreciate that about it. My mom picked up a couple of cool guitars for me from a guy who bought a new guitar and said he spiritually felt like he had to get rid of the others to make room for the new. Always found that interesting because the rest of us usually hold on to our axes for one reaso or another. Plus they were cool guitars one is an ovation Legend and the other is the sixties or seventies Takamine that was sued by Martin because it looked like one

 

[Homercidal]

Small amps are great for most bar gigs and small venues. Whatever gives the sound you want. There isn't really any reason to have a huge amp unless you don't have an PA system anyway.

But I don't play gigs. It's just for my own personal enjoyment. And my amp is WAY more powerful than I need in my small room. I can barely get it off of ZERO.
I'd downsize, but I like the effects this model has and the smaller one has fewer options.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Small amps are great for most bar gigs and small venues. Whatever gives the sound you want. There isn't really any reason to have a huge amp unless you don't have an PA system anyway.

But I don't play gigs. It's just for my own personal enjoyment. And my amp is WAY more powerful than I need in my small room. I can barely get it off of ZERO.
I'd downsize, but I like the effects this model has and the smaller one has fewer options.

I have the VYPR 1 and it's really fantastic. My favorite amp models are the Twin and the British. I'll play around with the others occasionally, and it does work well as a VERY versatile acoustic amp.

 

[Homercidal]

I usually go with the XXX or one of the hot amps. I'm finding it a little more difficult to tweak the older rock sounds. Not sure if it's the amp of my guitar/cord. I think it's just harder to model a semi-clean tube amp sound. Might be I'm just not good at adjusting the settings.

I really should play with the effects and stuff more and see what I can learn. A little sound tweaking can go a long way.

 

[GrogNerd]

I like my Marshall JCM900. 100 watts, but it's got a switch in the back to cut that to 50w. better for practice and smaller venues

no modeling on it, just 1 mode: British Stack

plus, it goes to 20

 

[applescrap]

I like my Marshall JCM900. 100 watts, but it's got a switch in the back to cut that to 50w. better for practice and smaller venues

no modeling on it, just 1 mode: British Stack

plus, it goes to 20

View attachment 362186

These are what I play at the studio, awesome with a drummer. I've seen guys bringing pedals and boards. Not a bad idea

 

[doug293cz]

Been dabbling on and off with my old Fender F35 since my retirement 2-1/2 years ago. Finally decided to get serious about actually learning how to play. So, I jumped in and bought a new Stratocaster and Peavey Vypyr VIP 1 modeling amp, and signed up for lessons for the first time in my life.



Brew on & rock on

 

[Homercidal]

Needs more coils...

 

[GrogNerd]

Needs more coils...

mini ones!

thought yours was a Classic 70s (by the headstock), but it says on the sticker: American Special.

nice... 70s headstock + Texas Specials. rock on, brother! :rockin: \m/

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

When you guys play your Strats, do you ever accidentally stroke the pickup selector switch down when strumming?

Every time I play a Strat I do it. Decided I'm going to have to be a Tele kinda guy.

 

[GrogNerd]

When you guys play your Strats, do you ever accidentally stroke the pickup selector switch down when strumming?

Every time I play a Strat I do it. Decided I'm going to have to be a Tele kinda guy.

I may have, but don't recall ever doing it

my right-hand technique is based on economy-of-motion... don't move unless you need to move, so my strumming pretty much stays within the strings

plus I spend 90% of my time on the bridge pickup, so the switch is all the way down

 

[Homercidal]

Yeah, never caught on with the Pete Townshend "Windmill" strum technique.

I don't actually own a Strat, but I can't see catching the selector, personally.

I can totally see catching a knob, but I don't think that's ever happened to me. I think I've stepped on the cord once or twice and unplugged it...

 

[estricklin]

I seem to bump the knobs more than I ever do the switch. I usually do keep the selector more toward the bridge though.

Here is something guitar related I've been working on, building a small amplifier than I can carry around or play in the living room at a lower volume. Since this video I replaced the chip with a real TI one and have changed the circuit so that there are only 4 AAs, also added a volume knob, so may have a board made soon. This was supposed to be a nice and simple project BUT, I keep thinking well I need distortion right? What about overdrive?

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZOqMLcVXW8[/ame]


@Ridire, hope your playing is coming along well, have you warmed up to the new guitar more?

 

[applescrap]

Been dabbling on and off with my old Fender F35 since my retirement 2-1/2 years ago. Finally decided to get serious about actually learning how to play. So, I jumped in and bought a new Stratocaster and Peavey Vypyr VIP 1 modeling amp, and signed up for lessons for the first time in my life.

View attachment 366556

Brew on & rock on

Thats a sweet strat. American strat? Looks it. I started on a mexican strat and did hit pick ups btw. Happy you are going for it. Let us know if we can help. With your talent i suspect your playing will come along well.

Sweet axe nerd. What are those pick ups?

 

[doug293cz]

Thats a sweet strat. American strat? Looks it. I started on a mexican strat and did hit pick ups btw. Happy you are going for it. Let us know if we can help. With your talent i suspect your playing will come along well.

Sweet axe nerd. What are those pick ups?

Yeah, it's an American Strat. I don't know enough about 'lectrics to know if I will be happy with the pickups long term, but I need to start somewhere (same with the amp.) Besides, every guitarist needs to own a Strat at some point in their life. Amp doesn't get delivered until tomorrow (Thurs), but have been practicing what little I do know on it without the amp. So far I am quite happy with how the store set up the action.

Brew on

 

[GrogNerd]

it's an American Special Strat, has Texas Special pickups, which are also in the SRV Strat

 

[applescrap]

Sweet axes boys, jealous. I don't play with an amp much because I'm lazy.

 

[rooky1]

the best advice i can give you is to either find a good video site that has guitar lesson u can find some on you tube but they are kinda randaom about what they teach i bout a video lesson set from hastings about 20 years ago to learn and it worked well for me also hal leonard makes a good general guitar video lesson course and individual group song lesson courses that show u how the songs are broken down the chords that are used and how they are picked out for lead and rythm

 

[GrogNerd]

Thats a sweet strat. American strat? Looks it. I started on a mexican strat and did hit pick ups btw. Happy you are going for it. Let us know if we can help. With your talent i suspect your playing will come along well.

Sweet axe nerd. What are those pick ups?

sorry... didn't realize you were asking ME

I answered for doug293cz... his are Texas Specials

mine is a California Strat. American parts shipped to Mexico to be painted, in order to avoid environmental laws. and maybe child labor laws too

assembled back in the US... only made for two years, I got mine the day MARS Springfield, VA opened.

came with Tex Mex pickups, I replaced the bridge with a Jeff Beck Jr and the neck with a Lil '59, the middle is still the Tex Mex.

I did some custom electronics works on it... shielded it a bit better and installed push-pull pots under the tone knobs to split the coils on the humbuckers.

eventually replaced all the electronics with a ToneShaper

 

[applescrap]

^^damn thats sweet. Double humbuckers awesome. Like that you can split the coils to if you want a more vintage sound.

 

[GrogNerd]

When you guys play your Strats, do you ever accidentally stroke the pickup selector switch down when strumming?

Every time I play a Strat I do it. Decided I'm going to have to be a Tele kinda guy.

stumbled across this today

http://loknob.com/nut-hugga.aspx

(ok, now I remember it was about the pickup selector switch... NOT the volume knobs. still thought you guys may be interested in the product. or the other stuff they have)

 

[applescrap]

Look pretty sweet and I have no problem with something hugging my nuts.

 

[GrogNerd]

Ooh... but not too tightly, right?

 

[Homercidal]

Well, you want to be able to make any necessary adjustments...

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

My wife keeps turning me down.