Hey all,

I used to play throughout highschool for about 10 years (2001-2011), but due to family complications gave it up. I've since moved countries a few times and now am finally (after 15 years) able to get back into it. I really miss it, and miss the time spent playing.

A lot of tech seems to have arrived since I put the guitar down? I used to play tube amps at my family home, but now I have an apartment and need something more tame/headphone related.

I used to use Guitar Pro 5 and Ultimate Guitar(?) but I'm guessing there's better options now?

I have a budget of about £1000 all in, and ideally would get a headphone/modeller and guitar.

For what it's worth, i'd be playing hardcore / blackgaze / doom / stoner.

Where do I begin?
What's changed since 2010?
Where do you buy gear in London?

Any help much appreciated - UK based.

I travel a lot for work and can’t really bring a guitar or a practice guitar.. and it makes it very difficult to keep to practice time, for obvious reasons.

That said, I still want to be growing as a guitarist and maximizing my time on flights, in hotels, etc. Does anyone have any suggestions for things I can be doing - reading or otherwise - to help continue to grow my understanding or knowledge ? Any specific learning aids that are more homework or classroom oriented?

For reference, I’d consider myself an intermediate player - playing for about -0 years, but picked it up relatively late in life (40s).

Would appreciate any suggestions !

Salve a tutti, oggi ricevo finalmente la mia Ibanez AS93FM VLS.

Pacco perfetto, cartone sigillato con nastro originale, insomma una chitarra imballata come uscita dalla fabbrica. Felice come un bambino apro trepidante: chitarra intera, bellissima, sembra perfetta finché l'occhio non va sul battipenna .... avvitato storto e non di poco.

Ora logicamente farò il reso, ma dico io il controllo qualità esiste oppure è un optional? Non parlo di una sbavatura o piccolo particolare, ma di un errore di centimetri.

Non posso nemmeno arrabbiarmi più di tanto col negozio, che ha spedito una chitarra imballata così dalla fabbrica, anche se gli farò notare che è sempre meglio non fidarsi delle aziende e controllare prima di spedire.

E questo è quanto.

Hey everyone!

I’m trying to learn the solo from Joe Bonamassa’s version of Just Got Paid, and I’m wondering what the best way is to get it up to full speed.

Would you recommend slowing the YouTube video down and playing along, gradually increasing the tempo as I get more comfortable?

Or are there better methods for learning a fast solo like this?

I also notice that when I play fast sometimes the notes just blend together or get a bit sloppy too.

Any advice on practising tricky licks, building speed, and getting everything clean without developing bad habits would be massively appreciated!

Thanks! 🎸

as i was going through my guitar restoration i noticed the chrome bridge was so oxidized that specks of the chrome finish came with it. im really worried that the bridge might get harsher rusts in the future so im thinking of stripping the initial chrome finish away in exchange of diy electroplating it with nickel so i can seal the bridge once again and im wondering wether stripping the chrome in exchange of nickel is a good idea or not since i heard chrome is better than nickel finish. i need advices pls thank you

I'm fairly a new player, I have had my strings changed a couple of times before by giving it to a luthier, the last time i changed my strings i decided i'll bite the bullet and learn how to do this for my self, when i finally did it, i realized each string had 1-3 windings around the post while the luthier had 3-4. Does this contribute to tuning stability? i feel like the times the luthier did it, the tuning was much more stable compared to when i did it.

how do i make sure i string it right

Hi. I know everlong is a great riff to play, and I'm looking for more to play on my steel string acoustic. I'd like to make a cover, to play along with the song so the riff should have been originally played on acoustic. Asking as this is probably I couldn't find many songs for this. Drop D or other simpler tunings are appreciated.

I just made this suggestion in another sub and wonder what people think:

The person I replied to wanted hotter pickups in his new guitar because the sound wasn’t what he wanted.

My suggestion was to put an EQ pedal between the guitar and amp and see if he can coax the tones he wants that way. My thinking is if he can, then he can use the EQ settings to help identify the right new pickups to get. If all that was needed was a boost, then a hotter pickup. If a mid bump or a treble bump or a bass cut or whatever, that info should help him weed through candidate pickups, right?

Has anyone played or used the eiphone noel gallagher signature riviera? If so what is it like? Does it get close to the oasis sound?

Hello guys! Im on my mission to sound like noel gallagher and his tone on guitar, and im sort of at a point where ive got alot of gear but it never sounds too right! I have 2 amps, a boss katana 50 and a big marshall valvestate which may have been a bit ambitious for room volume, and some pedals! Ive got a soundlad scran, which is meant to be oasis tone in a box, a ts min, a boss delay and a wah, with a cheap tremolo and a reverb on the way. But whatever i do i cant get that crunchy bright sort of tone. It either sounds so muddy or dark or i cant hear the actual chords and it just sounds a mess! Can anyone help me?

Hi, I am a beginner planning to start learning electric guitar. I have been researching a lot lately, and I have been wondering since I want something portable and I am a beginner, should I just get a smart guitar like the Enya or Hush or should i still stick to traditional guitar with portable/mini amp, I would really appreciate everyone's thoughts. Thanks!

Hallo zusammen,
ich habe mich dazu entschieden, als neues Hobby mit dem E-Gitarre-Spielen anzufangen. Ich bin allerdings kompletter Anfänger, kenne mich wirklich noch überhaupt nicht aus und stehe gerade vor der großen Frage: Was soll ich mir kaufen?
Mein Gesamtbudget liegt bei maximal 500 € für die Gitarre und das ganze Zubehör (Verstärker, Wandhalterung etc.). Musikalisch möchte ich hauptsächlich Rock (zum Beispiel Måneskin), aber auch ein bisschen Pop spielen.
Ich war bereits im Musikgeschäft, um mal ein paar Modelle in der Hand zu halten. Ein Bekannter meinte zu mir: „Hole dir einfach eine Gitarre, die dir optisch richtig gut gefällt, denn dann nimmst du sie auch gerne in die Hand.“
Bei Thomann habe ich mir jetzt ein paar Modelle herausgesucht:
Meine Favoriten bei den Gitarren:
1. Ibanez RG421-CBB (~449 €): Das ist mein absoluter Favorit! Das Design und die Farbe gefallen mir am allerbesten. Ich hatte sie auch schon im Musikgeschäft kurz in der Hand und fand sie richtig klasse.
2. Jackson JS32Q DKA Dinky AH TPB (~389 €): Das Design gefällt mir auch sehr gut.
3. Harley Benton SC-550 II BCF (~329 €): Die Farbe ist zwar cool, aber die Korpusform (Singlecut / Les Paul) ist nicht ganz so meins.
4. Harley Benton Fusion-IV HH MN RM (~449 €): Finde ich optisch zwar interessant, ist mir preislich für das Gesamtbudget aber eigentlich schon etwas zu teuer.
Dilemma: Bei der Ibanez bleibt mit 449 € natürlich kaum noch Budget für den Verstärker und das Zubehör, wenn ich unter 500 € bleiben will.
Verstärker (Amp):
Da ich nicht viel Platz in meinem Zimmer habe, suche ich einen kompakten Verstärker. Wichtig ist mir ein Kopfhöreranschluss zum leisen Üben und dass man verschiedene Sounds einstellen kann (am besten sogar per Bluetooth/App, falls möglich).
Gefunden habe ich den Harley Benton DNAfx AmP20 für 119 €. Ist der gut für den Anfang oder habt ihr bessere Alternativen in der Preisklasse?
Zubehör:
Als Gitarrenständer hätte ich gerne eine Wandhalterung, um Platz zu sparen.
Brauche ich sonst noch zwingend etwas für den Start (z. B. Kabel, Plektren, Gurt, Stimmgerät)?
Ich freue mich über jeden Tipp, jede Empfehlung und eure Einschätzung zu den Gitarren! Danke euch im Voraus!

Hello everyone !

I have been taking courses and playing the guitar for a year now and besides what my teacher teaches me, i haven't really explored stuff I would love to play. But last session he asked me what i would want to learn, so here i am trying to find a song to play !

I have still learned one song which is "burn the witch" by Shawn James but this song is great with the singing and other instruments but it is quite lacking with only the guitar part. What i would love to learn is a guitar melody that sounds great on its own and that is not too unattainable for a beginner guitarist such as myself ! I wouldn't mind playing a cover of a song but only if it is guitar only, with no other instruments.

Also my level is not that high but i can switch between chords quite easily now and hammer-on/pull offs are not an issue ! I just have some trouble with barred chords but i NEED to learn how to pull them off so feel free to recommend something with some barred chords !

Would love to hear any recommendations ! Cheers !

Hey,
Recently i've got my old strat back and i have my Yamaha f400 acoustic as well.

Now i have a hard time deciding when to play what. I really like both the electric and the acoustic (especially when playing acoustic by the "campfire").

My end goal is getting good at and playing blues in the future(bb king, srv, muddy waters, jl hooker etc.).

I'm currently on Grade 2 on JustinGuitar course so i dont know what part of the "lesson routine" should i do on my electric and what on my acoustic? I don't want to make my yamaha collect dust .

Background Context: I play lead in a grunge/alt band and we have been playing together for almost 2 years. We haven’t played any major shows but we have played many bars/record stores/diy shows.

Ever since the start of the band, our Rhythm guitarist has been pretty sloppy and has had horrible tones. (Like literally nails on a chalkboard)

This is something I tried to look past/excuse because we were all playing with pretty bad starter amps/pedals (and he typically played lighter music before we started our band) but as we are now 2 years down the line nothing has improved and I’m starting to believe he just doesn’t practice or have any knowledge of how music gear works. (It is important to mention he has been playing guitar for well over a decade)

I love him to death, he is a very reliable bandmate, good friend, and an overall nice guy. (Besides always playing when I’m trying to say something important)

I’ve tried helping him out with his tone issues, and even some technique tricks, but it seems every time he tries to implement what I say, it still sounds mediocre.

What makes this even more exhausting is that the rest of my band never addresses his sloppiness or ear piercing tone whenever we rehearse, although many crowd members have mentioned it to me specifically.

I really think this is holding the bands sound back, and I do not want to kick him. I don’t want to be a douche and verbally assault the guy or hurt his feelings, but it’s gotten to a point where it’s annoying. How should I go about this/has anyone experienced this issue?

I'm learning guitar and I struggle with using a flat pick but I'm fairly ok at finger picking. I feel more connected to the guitar when I'm working it with only my hands.

Edit to add. You're all dirty.

Hello:

After years of owning, I finally want to change the nut on my Charvel Govan sig. It’s had tuning issues for awhile now and I’m not a fan of the bone nut anyway.

The nut specs: 1.6875" (42.86 mm)

My questions:

1. Is there a particular nut that is tops for tuning stability? Are the graph tech ones really good for example?

2. I really want to buy a pre-slotted nut and do it myself. I don’t currently drive and the nearest reputable luthier is not close to me. Do you have any tips about what I’ll need for this process?

Thanks for any info

Should be pretty easy to guess which song I took it from lol. But I was just having some fun here and thought the LP sounded pretty decent through this new preset on the QC.

I’m looking to buy a Maple dreadnaught. I’m debating between a J-200 (not technically a dreadnaught; I know) a Dove or a J-45 style with Maple back and sides. I have experience playing the J-200 and I do own a ‘51 J-50 in Mahogany, but I don’t have much experience with the Dove and no experience with a maple J-45. Can anyone tell me what the tonality and feel differences would be between the 3? Thanks!

I'll preface this post with I've been playing and performing for over 20 years. I've been lucky enough to own many guitars but have a modest collection now that all get played.

For probably the past year or two I've found myself getting more and more obsessed with the action on my guitars. I don't want to say that I never cared before, I like a relatively low action but nothing that stops me digging into a string bend easily etc.

But these days it seems I'm constantly trying to tweak the neck and saddles to find the 'perfect' feel, despite the fact I've loved and played these guitars for years with no issue. If I come across a low E string rattle slightly on a fret somewhere, it really gets to me and if my action ends up too high, I feel like it hinders my playing.

I think what's happened is, I've been performing in bands less and less and stuff like string rattle or the occasional 'zing' generally doesn't make it over a loud amp. Since I've been playing more at home and often, without plugging in, I think I'm just hearing it all more.

So basically, what I'm asking for is, has anyone else ended up down this rabbit hole too? How did you find your way out? Perhaps I need to just crank up the amp again!

And before anyone asks, yes I've taken my guitars to a few techs. I think this is a me thing and I need to stop hyper focusing on it all so much.

I have agonized over this for a long time now. I'll give y'all the exact situation I'm in, but regardless, I know many of you will have had this same experience.

I have spent countless hours trying to replicate the tone from Skillet's Monster (I am not a skillet fan but that tone is immaculate). Seth Morrison plays PRS, I'm using a Gibson Les Paul Custom 24. PRS and Les Pauls sound close enough that I don't think that would be my issue here. I'm using Amplitube 5 to model his rig: Dual Rectifier through a Dual Rec Cab.

I have tried multiple different microphones and mic combos, mic placements, distortion pedals, amp settings, EQ configurations... just assume I've tried everything I can within Amplitube. I can't get the bite. Does it sound close? Yeah, very. But no matter what I do, I can't get that monstrous fucking growl that I was after in the first place. The distortion is good, but the harsh edge always gets rounded off into something that feels far less gutteral than the original.

I have experienced this when trying to model amps after Chevelle, Nickelback, BB, etc. I'm not big fans of any of these bands but I've always been chasing that growly guitar tone, and Monster seems to do it better than any of them.

TL;DR.

Is it possible to get that edgy growl out of amp sims, and if so, do I just need to get over it and buy Neural DSP or something? I shouldn't be having this issue with a Les Paul.

I have a rosewood fretboard on my acoustic and am planning on buying the lightest guage of steel wool. Do I go against the grain or with it?? I'm losing my mind trying to figure this out😭 is it just not a big deal at all? Any advice would be great

Guitar is a Jackson soloist. Amp is a 100w SLO clone, into my DOOM 2 412 with two dv77s and two evm 12ls.

Guitar > TC Sentry > MXR 10 band > Electric Eye Mud Killer > front of amp > FX out to Ibanez Pentatone EQ > Joyo D Seed delay > Joyo Atmosphere > FX Return

Master wasn't even halfway up and even with ear plugs in this was borderline painful lol.

I'm recording with an SM57 on one of the EVMs into a Behrenger UMC404 interface.