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[GenericName]

So Guitar Topic I have invented a way to play guitar that I dont think has ever been tried before. Observe:

1.Take the pedal from a bass drum, set it in front of a guitar which is sitting on a stand or something.
2. Sit so that the strings of the guitar are facing you.
3. Figure out chord structures and fret them.
4. Use pedal as you would for a bass drum, having it hit the strings which are involved in the chord.
5. Profit.


Can anyone think of whether this has happened before? The way I see it, it allows the guitar player to do much more complicated chords with both hands, as well as use the guitar as one would a drum. Thoughts?

[Thrillho]

Would be worth getting a softer, probably wider pedal to do it. And you don't get a lot of variation in how you hit it, either.

But I can't say shit, I've been known to just twat a guitar with a drumstick for the whole song.

[valley_parade]

Well, too thick for me. I like playing with a 1mm pick. Thick enough to get good sound, but still has a touch of bend to it.

I don't play bass, but on guitar I usually stick with .73mm. I used to play .88 though.

[imapiratearg]

Man, anything thicker than .66mm for a pick is too thick to me.

[FireAarro]

Speaking of the whole U.S. vs. Mexico thing, my friend back home in California (the one whose dad owns those gorgeous vintage axes and amps) has himself a MexiStrat. It served him pretty well for a good while, but he changed the strings fairly recently and had a huge problem with his tremolo. They're the same gauge that they've always been, same brand, same everything, but now that damned tremolo bridge is at a good 30 degree angle from the body (and he's not the only one, Darryl told me a while back that he was having the same exact problem). I'd be reluctant to go for a guitar made in the same factory as that sucker, especially when Jags are said to be really temperamental as it is.

Hmm, something I've heard about the Mexican instruments is that the Classic/Deluxe/Whatever else series are a cut above the Standards quality wise. I haven't really played many of the MIM factory instruments though so I can't speak from personal experience on this.

[Thrillho]

Well, too thick for me. I like playing with a 1mm pick. Thick enough to get good sound, but still has a touch of bend to it.

I don't play bass, but on guitar I usually stick with .73mm. I used to play .88 though.

I think I use .71 for guitar and .73 for bass, but not particularly worrying if either gets swapped. You get a nice sharp sound on bass with a thinner pick, which suits my trebly playing.

[Patrick]

(playing guitar with a bass drum pedal)

How about you just buy a damned drum mallet and fret your strings normally.

One sound I like (in certain applications) is taking a chisel-tip Sharpie and whacking the strings with the body of the pen. Gives a cool piano-ish sound.

[imapiratearg]

So guys, I guess Vox is teaming up with Paul McCartney and making guitars now.  Check it out.

[locafoca]

I have a question for the guitar gurus around here.

I am considering selling my amp, which for the purposes of minimizing distraction will remain nameless. I will net myself about $2500 total when this is sold combined with my short savings. What i am looking for is a nice tube head that can produce a crystal clear, shimmering mid-range, among other things. I'm not TOO worried about the dirty channel, as i usually craft my dirty sound to suit the tone coming out of my amp anyhow.

For reference, my guitar is a Gibson Les Paul Studio, still all factory, soon to be coil-tapped. I make ambient music, not so much rock or punk or metal or what have you.

I've heard a nice fender combo would be a nice choice for what i'm looking for, but in the course of forty years, i'd suspect that there are at least some other things worth looking at on the market. That said, I am considering a Fender Dual Showman that i've been eyeing on craigslist for quite a while.

Suggestions?

[ImRonBurgundy?]

One sound I like (in certain applications) is taking a chisel-tip Sharpie and whacking the strings with the body of the pen. Gives a cool piano-ish sound.

This is also fun to do with a pair of tweezers, especially when you let it bounce.

[imapiratearg]

I have a question for the guitar gurus around here.

I am considering selling my amp...

How much are you willing to pay?  I'd say you might want to take a Fender Twin for a spin, unless you're specifically looking for a head.  In which case, you might fancy trying a Vox head a whirl, but not one of the Valvetronix ones.

[celticgeek]

Hmmmm...

America's Guitar???

[Catacombs]

So guys, I guess Vox is teaming up with Paul McCartney and making guitars now.  Check it out.

Holy shit are those sexy.

[FireAarro]

Hmmmm...

America's Guitar???

Mexico's America too!

[Bearer]

Hey, as far as basses go, what's everyone's opinion on this thing from eastwood?

http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/Bass/eub-1/images/EUB1-big/4227eebfretlessblackFINAL.jpg

I don't play bass, but looking at that thing, I think I want to learn.

[valley_parade]

Anything Eastwood ever does is awesome. Ever.

[Xaris3514]

Hey, as far as basses go, what's everyone's opinion on this thing from eastwood?

http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/Bass/eub-1/images/EUB1-big/4227eebfretlessblackFINAL.jpg

I don't play bass, but looking at that thing, I think I want to learn.

Its a fretless bass. I'd say its a bad idea to learn bass on a fretless.

[Bearer]

They have a fretted version of that model too actually.

[Xaris3514]

Then you're set.

[tomselleck69]

Lookwise it is awesome, but yes don't learn on the fretless model, or any fretless bass unless the fingerboard has some kind of indication of where the frets would be, or you have perfect pitch, or a thorough, practiced understanding of what notes correspond to what noises.

[Bearer]

Oh man, I had no intention of learning on a fretless; there are easier methods of killing oneself i assume.  Just saying that the Eastwood I posted was a damn fine bass.  Too bad it's $700...

[locafoca]

I think i'll go take a trip to the local guitar center and fuck around on a fender twin reverb, super reverb, and some VOX AC30. Then maybe I'll talk some guys on CR into letting me try their Fender Dual Showman and Orange heads.

Also, I am so buying this with my next paycheck:

http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/Other/mandocaster/mandocaster_frm.htm

[FireAarro]

Oh man, I had no intention of learning on a fretless; there are easier methods of killing oneself i assume.  Just saying that the Eastwood I posted was a damn fine bass.  Too bad it's $700...

Yeah, it's a copy of the old Ampeg Scroll design.

[Patrick]

Electric mandolins have never been something I've liked to listen to. There's nothing sweeter than an acoustic mandolin playing a pretty melody. See: "Would You Go With Me" by Josh Turner or "Going to California" by the almighty Zeppelin.

[Thrillho]

Warren Ellis rocks the shit out of his Mandocaster.

[imapiratearg]

Some jerk stole a shitload of Orange Tiny Terrors.  Read.

[Tehz]

I was just browsing Etsy a little while ago, and I stumbled upon this:



This is a bold statement, but I think this might just be the most beautiful guitar I've ever seen. I'm dead serious. Link for those interested: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11740042

[BlahBlah]

I just bought one of these second-hand:



50W of awesomeness.

[imapiratearg]

Guys!  I just picked this up for forty bucks!



Mmm.  Warm, analog delays.  The loss of volume is bugging me, though.

[FireAarro]

I was just browsing Etsy a little while ago, and I stumbled upon this:



This is a bold statement, but I think this might just be the most beautiful guitar I've ever seen. I'm dead serious. Link for those interested: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11740042

And you may be right.

Pic quoted for pretty

[Ballard]

Guys!  I just picked this up for forty bucks!

Mmm.  Warm, analog delays.  The loss of volume is bugging me, though.

http://www.robertkeeley.com/product.php?id=23

I realize this kind of defeats the point of getting awesome vintage effects for cheap but I used to play with one of these at the guitar shop I worked at and it was awesome.

[RadioElectric]

Speaking of the whole U.S. vs. Mexico thing, my friend back home in California (the one whose dad owns those gorgeous vintage axes and amps) has himself a MexiStrat. It served him pretty well for a good while, but he changed the strings fairly recently and had a huge problem with his tremolo. They're the same gauge that they've always been, same brand, same everything, but now that damned tremolo bridge is at a good 30 degree angle from the body (and he's not the only one, Darryl told me a while back that he was having the same exact problem). I'd be reluctant to go for a guitar made in the same factory as that sucker, especially when Jags are said to be really temperamental as it is.

That doesn't sound normal at all. My best guess as to a probable cause would be that one of the springs connecting the tremolo block to the claw in the back of the guitar escaped while the strings were off. It'd be very easy to fix in that case, though I imagine it'd be something he would have checked already.

[tomselleck69]

Guitar-wise you're looking at about a $100 to $300 range. Amp-wise it's about the same range, with the bottom end a little lower depending on how small/lousy an amp you are comfortable buying. You'll also need a cable to plug the guitar into the amp and probably a tuner if you're just starting out, you can find both of those together for under 20 bucks.

I've bought every guitar I've owned in person (I'm wary about the truss rod in the neck getting messed up over the course of the delivery), but if you want to take that risk (which I'm probably exaggerating) the prices at http://www.musiciansfriend.com are very good. I'd recommend going to a music shop to get one though, if only because you'll be able to play with it before you buy it.


note: I don't know what guitar stuff costs in Norway! This could aaaaaaall be wrong.

[Nodaisho]

How are eastwood guitars when it comes to quality? I know that some people love them, but I am not sure if that is in a purely looks way, I was looking at a corona (sorry, don't like the odder shapes all that much), and it sounded good in the video I saw, but I am surprised at the <400 price tag, considering the harglblargl response some people have to them.

[Ballard]

The few that are copies of popular guitars (P-90 Special, Eastwood GP, Corona) are actually kind of lame. I mean, the quality control isn't bad for cheaper guitars but it's no better than on an Epiphone of equivalent value. (I have physical experience with most Eastwood models 'cause my shop used to carry 90% of their line)

It's the quirky, and often higher end Eastwoods that are magical. Really anything $600+ is fantastic.

[doombilly]

Someone that looks suspiciously like me might be buying a guitar that looks suspiciously like this tomorrow:

...and if not, maybe an Eastwood will be in my future...

[Zingoleb]

I have nearly ten guitars, two of which are playable.

One is a sweet little Fender Precision Bass, beautiful black with gray/black pickguard and it feels wonderful.

My acoustic is a Fender, too - a Gemini II, actually, and that's my  baby gem. www.youtube.com/zingoleb (shameless plug, yes) has that one on it.

Then I ahve a bunch of random free ones; one was nice until a fucking asshole dropped it and broke it.
 
One is missing a tuning key and the nut. Who busted a nut on my guitar?

Another is missing all tuning keys, pickups, dials, anything to hold the strings down, and as a result it sounds like shit. It's not even salvageable - the body and neck are shot to shit, so I'm just gonna use it someday to smash to tiny pieces in the middle of the road, preferably while the church next door is letting out and I can really let out some aggression.

As for a pick, my hand cramps up when playing with a pick too long; besides that, my playing style is too complicated for that, and I generally play so hard I lose the pick, break it, or both.

If I have to, I like the thin picks - .32 mm has a wonderful feel to it. But I've played with thick picks, thin picks, quarters, half dollars, my teeth, my nose (it hurts), other guitar strings, other guitars (think guitar humping; it didn't work), and beef jerky.

Playing guitar with beef jerky works surprisingly well. We'll call ourselves...the Bloody Moos.

[Nodaisho]

How do I figure out what I am doing wrong when I am getting hand cramps on my fretting hand? I was trying to play the rhythm part of The Wolves of Timberline, which could be capoed at the 5th fret if it weren't for a couple of measures, and my hand keeps cramping up when I bar the fifth fret with my index finger. Maybe I need to be playing it one string up, but still, I should be able to hold for longer than that.

[Zingoleb]

Repetitive Stress Syndrome comes about when practicing the same thing over and over and over. Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer had it from practicing keyboards - you might want to have it looked into.

Try lighter gauge strings that require less pressing, too.

Also, is your neck badly bent at all? That would make it harder to press the strings down (further to press).

[Catacombs]

It's not even salvageable - the body and neck are shot to shit, so I'm just gonna use it someday to smash to tiny pieces in the middle of the road, preferably while the church next door is letting out and I can really let out some aggression.

This is a shit load of fun.  My old acoustic died when it was in the trunk of my old car and someone decided to plow into doing 50 m.p.h. while i was at a stop sign.  Aside from bruises and cuts, i was ok but the neck snapped at the head stock and the body was a little crushed.  The hard shell case it was in was a hell of a lot worse though. 

ANYWAY I took the guitar, ripped the strings off it and smashed it a bunch of times.  I thought it was a fitting send off.  Then i burnt it.

[Thrillho]

How do I figure out what I am doing wrong when I am getting hand cramps on my fretting hand? I was trying to play the rhythm part of The Wolves of Timberline, which could be capoed at the 5th fret if it weren't for a couple of measures, and my hand keeps cramping up when I bar the fifth fret with my index finger. Maybe I need to be playing it one string up, but still, I should be able to hold for longer than that.

I usually find this is linked to the weight of the guitar, how high up I have the guitar, and if I have any shoulder issues (which is usually linked to back issues).

[Spluff]

How do I figure out what I am doing wrong when I am getting hand cramps on my fretting hand? I was trying to play the rhythm part of The Wolves of Timberline, which could be capoed at the 5th fret if it weren't for a couple of measures, and my hand keeps cramping up when I bar the fifth fret with my index finger. Maybe I need to be playing it one string up, but still, I should be able to hold for longer than that.

Try going back to basics and looking at your technique. Check your wrist action, shoulder tension, all of that type of stuff, and if that doesn't work, take a bit of a break and see if gets any better.

[tomselleck69]

So you're barring the 5th fret and using it as an open position and building chords and stuff with your other three fingers? Forcing your hand to play familiar patterns in a different orientation for whole-song-lengths will wear anybody down eventually.

I mean of course try adjusting the position of your arm/shoulder and the guitar on your body, take a look at your action and maybe try some lighter strings, but this sounds like a "keep playing, tough it out" kind of thing to me.

[Nodaisho]

I don't think they make lighter strings than .09s all that much. It could be that these are new strings, so they are higher tension than the same strings after I have been playing them for a couple weeks. I think it is more likely, though, that it is the neck, it is bent. Not hugely, but if you look at the string height even between the first and fifth fret, it is very noticeable. Probably would be a lot easier on my friend's Squier, it has the most beautifully low action I have played. It is also a tough it out thing, though, since it would be even harder to do it on an acoustic like it is supposed to be done on.

[Zingoleb]

Personally, I prefer necks that are a bit bent - not majorly, but I find that playing high frets (15 +) on a good, straight neck tends to mute it...

[Nodaisho]

I think I have about a fifth of an inch clearance over the fret at the 15th fret, less than a 16th at the first fret. I think that falls under too much of a good thing, and I don't play the high frets much anyway, probably because it is about at the high E that it starts sounding really crappy, it is like... Alder and maple, I think, really bright, almost no sustain, crappy clean tone, really want a new guitar.

[Ballard]

Guys, fret your guitar in first position (index finger on first fret). Now, not removing your fretting hand, fret the 12th fret with the thumb of your strumming/picking hand. Now with the index finger of that same hand, reach over and fret the 5th fret. There should be just enough space to slide a high E string through. This is proper action on a neck that doesn't need to be adjusted.

[sean]

Guys, fret your guitar in first position (index finger on first fret).

I mean, maybe I'm wrong/confusing instruments, but isn't that half position? I dunno, I've always thought the second fret was first position, seeing as that is the first whole step.

Also, I apologize for my nitpicking.

[Spluff]

Nope, first position is first fret. Whichever fret the index finger is on is the position you're in.

[sean]

Ah okay. I was mixing up instruments then, because on some string instruments first position is the first whole step, and the half step is "half position" or something like that. Thanks for clarifying!