Guitar Players

[mushishi]

I envy the guys who have a natural inclination for music. Us common folk have to just put in the time to get to a level of proficiency acceptable to us.

 

[Jesse Pinkman]

This is my main ax. I play it in my band. It's an American G&L Legacy. I put a DiMarzio tone zone in it for more bottom end. I play it through a Bad Cat Cougar that I retubed to my preference 50 watt head through a Mesa 4x12. I probably have the simplest guitar rig ever. Don't really use effects just clean and dirty channels

 

[Jesse Pinkman]

I want to be a guitar player so bad, I even bought a cheap guitar ... but I suck and can never learn the thing, or I'm not dedicated enough or have no rythim ... I just wish I could be one of those guys who just picks up random guitars and entertains people. I have no musical skill at all. I can't even fucking whistle.

Music is patterns. You learn the patterns you, then can write and understand and hear the patterns in your favorite songs. There's a relative limit to how many notes fit together to where it's pleasing to people so you learn and recognize those things and put your own spin on it. If anything that's how I've learned to write songs.

Learn "Wonderwall" and leave them wet

 

[Thunderchild]

I'm a Schecter guy too TS. I have a Diamond Series Damien Floyd Rose.

 

[toaa]

I'm mostly into acoustic now, I'll have to post a pic later, but my favorite guitar I've ever had is my Martin 00-28VS. Just an amazing solo fingerstyle instrument.

 

[meshuggah]

Guitars:

1993 Korean Epiphone Les Paul from the Samick factory. I've had this since day zero, and has always been my main guitar. I've played many many guitars but this one always feels like home. It's nice and heavy, has a great deep sound, perfect action and are getting harder and harder to find in market. I've changed a lot on it, new tuning pegs, put a DiMarzio Super Distortion II i n the neck, and i think SD I in the bridge, used to have a Railhammer, refreshed the wiring once as well.

2012 Gibson Les Paul 50's Tribute Humbucker - fun guitar, but hardly play it tbh.

2012 ESP LTD Viper 300 FM - Pretty much my 2nd guitar. usually tuned down a step as the epiphone is down 2 steps. It's the see-through black version which is really nice. Has the 81/85 active pickup combo. Awesome bang for buck.

Takamine D21C Acoustic - pickup etc, plays nice.

Art & Lutherie Cedar Black Acoustic - main acoustic, beautiful action, great sound, awesome guitar. Had the action lowered slightly, made a world of difference.



Amps & Speakers:

Sovtek Mig100 - russian stronk. massive cult following. basically a hotrodded jcm. Sovtek is/was run by the guy that started Electro Harmonix, and there were a number of Sovtek versions of the big muff etc.

Laney AOR Protube 50 - so loud. brilliant amp head.

Peavey Studio Pro 112 - best practice amp ive owned.

Tubeworks 4x12 quad.

Peavey 4x10 bass quad

Peavey 1x15 black widow bass cab


Pedals:

too many.

Currently using:
Maxon Distortion Master
dunlop wah
memory man delay
boss eq
boss tuner
boss noise suppressor
mxr phase 90

 

[bobgeese]

I envy the guys who have a natural inclination for music. Us common folk have to just put in the time to get to a level of proficiency acceptable to us.

Thats mostly a myth. Even worse, talented folks are so used to getting by on talent, they don't put in the work necessary. The 10,000 hour rule applies as well in music as any other endeavor. I've taught music to probably over 1500 people. I've never seen a single one be "born with it". This isn't meant to be mean, but I've definitely met/taught those who are... not intelligent enough... to have success at music.

If you can't concentrate long enough to read a book, you won't have success at music.

To be really good, professional level, almost everyone spent a time period of years practicing 4-6 hours a day.

To be decent, play tunes in a band, take solos, etc, with the help of a really good teacher, you're looking at 5-7 years, a few hours of practice a week. A talented, intelligent person might do it in 3.

To strum chords with a song and enjoy yourself, 1 year, 15 minutes a day.

 

[mushishi]

Thats mostly a myth. Even worse, talented folks are so used to getting by on talent, they don't put in the work necessary. The 10,000 hour rule applies as well in music as any other endeavor. I've taught music to probably over 1500 people. I've never seen a single one be "born with it". This isn't meant to be mean, but I've definitely met/taught those who are... not intelligent enough... to have success at music.

If you can't concentrate long enough to read a book, you won't have success at music.

To be really good, professional level, almost everyone spent a time period of years practicing 4-6 hours a day.

To be decent, play tunes in a band, take solos, etc, with the help of a really good teacher, you're looking at 5-7 years, a few hours of practice a week. A talented, intelligent person might do it in 3.

To strum chords with a song and enjoy yourself, 1 year, 15 minutes a day.

Yeah, any level of success in any field requires practice, but it's insane to think there aren't folks who are naturally talented in music, or any thing else. I've known folk who have perfect pitch and just understand music, some from an artistic lean, others from a mathematical. The math geeks tend to get theory easily.

Not saying talented folk don't practice, just that they're out there, and get from point a to b easier than most, just like no matter how many hours of ball I practice, I won't be on Kobe's level.

Trust me, I'm not a guy who's looking at a pro and wishing I had his talent. i write songs and play four instruments. I know my theory, I record. I'm happy with my skill set, but it's a hobby for me. I look at those guys and am inspired by them and marvel at how they can write such great songs and play such tasteful music.

 

[D3THRONED]

I've been playing about 8 months now. I can play almost every Mars Volta song lol. Still suck though, I've learned the entire minor pentatonic scale. But what im having a hard time With is mixing keys with chords while soloing. Along with mixing scales together.

 

[bobgeese]

Yeah, any level of success in any field requires practice, but it's insane to think there aren't folks who are naturally talented in music, or any thing else. I've known folk who have perfect pitch and just understand music, some from an artistic lean, others from a mathematical. The math geeks tend to get theory easily.

Not saying talented folk don't practice, just that they're out there, and get from point a to b easier than most, just like no matter how many hours of ball I practice, I won't be on Kobe's level.

Trust me, I'm not a guy who's looking at a pro and wishing I had his talent. i write songs and play four instruments. I know my theory, I record. I'm happy with my skill set, but it's a hobby for me. I look at those guys and am inspired by them and marvel at how they can write such great songs and play such tasteful music.

Of course there are talented people. They still have to work incredibly hard. I went to music school with a guy with real perfect pitch. He always remarked he would trade his ears for my fingers, I would have taken him up on that offer btw. The truth is, perfect pitch, talent, being born with it (which I consider myself to be as a 3rd or 4th generation musician), whatever you call it. You won't make it to the professional level without that 10,000 hours.

FWIW, I've been teaching professionally as my only source of income (outside of playing/recording/production), hundreds of private students, easily over 1000 classroom music students.

I've had 1 great student out of all of those. He started in 4th grade with me and just got into berkley. You know what his "secret" was, what separated him from the rest of the pack. He's an intelligent kid who played his guitar 3x more than anybody else. Thats it.

 

[mushishi]

I agree with you, dude. lol

 

[Thunderchild]

Schecter and shitty practice amp.

 

[Kowboy Karl]

Its really difficult you must either do it for a living with good pay or just really love classical music to even want to be decent at it.

I mean tremolo like this.

my instructor does these competitions. it is really fun getting his point of view when it comes to details as he says the judges of the competitions look at everything from posture how you're holding the guitar how much you strain to hit notes list could go on forever

Of course there are talented people. They still have to work incredibly hard. I went to music school with a guy with real perfect pitch. He always remarked he would trade his ears for my fingers, I would have taken him up on that offer btw. The truth is, perfect pitch, talent, being born with it (which I consider myself to be as a 3rd or 4th generation musician), whatever you call it. You won't make it to the professional level without that 10,000 hours.

FWIW, I've been teaching professionally as my only source of income (outside of playing/recording/production), hundreds of private students, easily over 1000 classroom music students.

I've had 1 great student out of all of those. He started in 4th grade with me and just got into berkley. You know what his "secret" was, what separated him from the rest of the pack. He's an intelligent kid who played his guitar 3x more than anybody else. Thats it.

and he stresses this. practice guitar while you watch tv 10 minutes here 30 there more more more more more, and boom one day you're a black belt

 

[Seano]

Pedals:

too many.

Currently using:
Maxon Distortion Master
dunlop wah
memory man delay
boss eq
boss tuner
boss noise suppressor
mxr phase 90

Too many? You need more.

I've got an MXR dynacomp, a fuzz face clone, a tubescreamer clone, a boss OD1 clone, a red llama, a Ross phase distortion, a ross flanger, a boss chorus clone, and a bucket brigade delay. I'm always looking for something new to buy or build.

 

[Flemmy Stardust]

My pedal board is a mxr micro amp, big muff, and a Vox wah. I have others, but never use them.

I have some line 6 one with a lot of wacky effects. It's purple.
Boss overdrive - sucks
Boss distortion - first pedal, got my money's worth, moved on.
Boss digital delay - fun playing with the loop
I had a zoom multi effects pedal, but someone stole it.

I want the digitech whammy. I'm also thinking of getting this weird fucker:

 

[red]

I grew up playing Metallica on a Japanese Les Paul clone. Moved onto thinner necks and active pickups from Jackson and Ibanez when hard rock was original and fun to play. Fell in love with ESP necks/ sound and bought a Mesa Dual Rec, which was short lived when I found classic rock.

After meditating on Gilmour the last few years, I'm on my way to getting a Strat. Not because the guitar was chosen by greats, but because it feels like magic every time I play one. It's like Strat was made for me, like a guitar can't be designed any better. And what's funny is I thought this in my early days but I rejected because they looked cheap and had single coils... Interesting what getting older does to playing style and desired sound.

 

[Flemmy Stardust]

Is the phase 90 a must have? I feel like everyone famous has that on their board

 

[Daverisimo]

Anyone here who plays classical? Recuerdos del Alhambra?

Can you give tips to tremolo playing I fucking suck at it.

I dabble a bit. I dunno that there really is any tip other than learn the patterns and practice. As with anything else, practicing with a metronome as you build up speed is a must.

On a related note, I wish I could find a steel string guitar with a classical style neck. I have fairly good sized hand (an old friend of mine said that I had "penis fingers"), so the wider neck of a classical guitar is just so much more comfortable for me.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

I have an Ibanez RG 570 and a Gibson Les Paul Standard. I have a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier, a Mesa Boogie 4x12 and a Marshall 4x12. I found that the Mesa Boogie speaker cabinet (a election speakers) does a great job with highs and lows, but sounds a bit cold. Having the Marshall cabinet with it warms up the sound a bit by bringing out the kids a little.

My Ibanez is seriously a great guitar. I think I am eventually going to put active pickups in it though. But the Floyd Rose bridge on it is a fucking work of art.

I haven't played either for years and I left the strings on them. I'm hoping the necks are not warped. Not so worried about the Ibanez though because the neck has a steel rod running the length of it.

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

I've been playing about 8 months now. I can play almost every Mars Volta song lol. Still suck though, I've learned the entire minor pentatonic scale. But what im having a hard time With is mixing keys with chords while soloing. Along with mixing scales together.

I know scales but have no idea how to use them. All I really do is look up the tabs of cool riffs to play, I don't really play much anymore unfortunately.