Guitar & Bass Players / Any band members?

Thanks one and all for the great advice and offers for help!

My wife ordered a Zeager which we will both play, it gets here mid January.

Still looking at a Fender Strat, but Ken has me looking at a Gibson electric. :rolleyes:

Now I just need to learn how to play. :lol:
 
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ace@high said:
I want buy a new guitar and i'm in between Gibson and Fender.
Can you help me. I like to play more blues songs.
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Try them both and see what you like better. Both have a heavy blues presence. Gibsons tend to be humbucker centric while Fenders are mostly single coils. Slightly different sound.

When you listen to Clapton, think Fender single coil. BB King is all Gibson. Just depends on the sound you are looking to achieve.

Personally, I think Gibsons are a little better made. I still play Fenders, but they have kind of become the US Airways of guitars. A 'Fender' can be anything from a very nice guitar made in the custom shop to one made in Mexico of much lower quality and a few levels in between. They all bear the Fender label....you have to do the research on the guitar to know the quality....or just buy a vintage one.
 
Geico266 said:
Thanks one and all for the great advice and offers for help!

My wife ordered a Zeager which we will both play. It gets her mid January.

Still looking at a Fender Strat, but Ken now has me looking at a Gibson electric.

Now I just need to learn how to play. :lol:
Click to expand...


Now you need a "States I have played guitar in" map
 
Fearless Tower said:
Try them both and see what you like better. Both have a heavy blues presence. Gibsons tend to be humbucker centric while Fenders are mostly single coils. Slightly different sound.

When you listen to Clapton, think Fender single coil. BB King is all Gibson. Just depends on the sound you are looking to achieve.

Personally, I think Gibsons are a little better made. I still play Fenders, but they have kind of become the US Airways of guitars. A 'Fender' can be anything from a very nice guitar made in the custom shop to one made in Mexico of much lower quality and a few levels in between. They all bear the Fender label....you have to do the research on the guitar to know the quality....or just buy a vintage one.
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I agree with this info. Fenders with their single coil pickups work great for rhythm guitar and fit really nice in a mix with other instruments. With that said, single coil pickups are inherently noisy. Gibson guitars are great for playing lead. Humbuckers have such a fat sound and the way the two coils are wired it cancels out the noise.

To me Paul Reed Smith (PRS) guitars are a great blend of the two. PRS has a scale length of 25" which is between the Fender scale of 25 1/2" and the Gibson scale which 24 3/4". The shorter the scale length the easier the guitar is to play. That is another reason why Gibsons are great for playing lead since you can bend the strings easier to pull between notes. As I stated before, PRS is an awesome compromise between the two guitars. The 25" scale is easy to play, their build quality is far superior to Gibson and Fender, plus they have very interesting wiring configurations of their pickups that provide a wider array of tones over Gibson and Fender.

If you are on the fence trying to decide between Gibson or Fender, check out a PRS too. It is like the best of both and more. They have the highest build quality standards for a factory built guitar. If looks matter to you, they use some of the nicest looking tone woods out there.
 
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In high school I wanted to play the guitar but my short fat fingers made playing chords impossible for most guitars so I took up bass. I bought a Fender Jazz bass but sold it a few years later when I was in college and really needed the money. I remember it was expensive as I believe Fender was making all of them in the U.S. at that time.

Last year I got bored just watching TV for the majority of my free time. It is too cold and dark to do stuff outside during the winter months so I got a (Fender) Squire Jazz bass for a couple hundred bucks. It was surprising how well it plays. I'm having so much fun I bought a Lakland Skyline hollow body and an Ibanez 5 string. I'm looking at an American Fender Jazz and a Rickenbacker but feel I have not earned the right to buy any more nice instruments until my playing improves. I'm a classic example of a guy with more money than time or talent.
 
For you guitar guys, forgive me for giving my buddy Mike a plug. He builds cigar box guitars. They look and sound great. Check him out if you are interested.

www.snowdenguitars.com
 
jordane93 said:
Check out The Gear Page Forum http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?
You'll get a lot of good advice and spend a lot of money. I'm an active member on this forum as well.
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Oh no you didn't! ;)


The enabler page ROCKS! :yes:


Some great advice already given above.......

OP, I definitely agree that you should get the best instrument that you can afford. That said, these days, even relatively inexpensive instruments can be really good.

Amp wise, if you're just starting out, a small combo is probably your best bang for buck. An amp modeler like a Line 6 Pod etc. is also a good investment and can be used for late night practice with headphones and are loaded with more amp, pedal and cab combinations than you'll ever use. Something like a Line 6 Spider or Vox VT series are also decent little setups. I like the Vox better than the L6 in these size amps. My kid has a VT20 and it KILLS though a 2-12 or 4-12 cab..... I briefly considered using it for gigs instead of my expensive tube amps.

Buy used, and you'll get your money back if you don't find you don't like it. I've got 10+ guitars and at least as many amps. I got most of them used over the years. I am mainly a Gibson kinda guy (2 SGs and 2 LPs), but have a Tele, Strat and various other flavors.

Amp wise, I prefer British style amps, mainly Hiwatt and Marshall. I've built a couple of Hiwatt and Marshall clones too.

Here's my wall of doom....... The neighbors love me! :yikes:

IMG_1859_zpse13af2d4.jpg


FWIW, I play in a Jurassic Rock cover band. We play sporadically at various dive bars around SWFL. My gig rig is typically my SG Std or '54 reissue gold top into a Marshall JVM 410H into a 2-12 with Scumback M75s or a JVM 410C by itself, depending on the size of the stage. I keep the board simple and use a tuner, wah, compressor, chorus and delay, although we started doing some songs with a Rocktron talkbox recently.
 
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Mostly have played acoustic. Various six and twelve strings over the years.

No electric but mostly just for a lack of time/dedication/whatever. Not that good a player but enjoy messing around.

Only guitar in the house right now is dad's built-in-Japan orange labeled 70's Yamaha. They're well known for awesome tone and sound for a small guitar.

Played double bass in college. Mistake. Had to lug that bastard across campus from the storage building to the practice rooms for my one semester as a music major. Can't imagine dragging one around for gigs.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Martins are great acoustic guitars. Even the less expensive Martins sound great. If you get a solid wood Martin and live in a dry climate, get a humidifier. Otherwise it will crack.

Fender Strat is a great starter electric guitar. They are all good. Just get one that fits your budget. Get a Fender TUBE guitar amp like a Blues Jr. Or get a Marshall TUBE amp. Get a TUBE amp. There really is a difference.

Get a teacher unless you are really talented. Playing the guitar is hard. If youre going to get to intermediate (the start of sounding good enough for others to listen to you), you have to practice an hour a day or more for a few years. Unless you already play an instrument and/or are gifted.

Good luck!
 
ace@high said:
I want buy a new guitar and i'm in between Gibson and Fender.
Can you help me. I like to play more blues songs.
Click to expand...

Gibson.......Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
Gary Moore ( Thin Lizzy)
Duane Allman ( Allman Brithers )
Fender.......Stevie Ray Vaughan
Eric Clapton
David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
 
mikeinbama said:
Gibson.......Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
Gary Moore ( Thin Lizzy)
Duane Allman ( Allman Brithers )
Fender.......Stevie Ray Vaughan
Eric Clapton
David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
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Steve Howe of Yes can play anything with 6 to 12 strings and make it sound amazing.

Guitars
Fender Stratocaster
Fender Telecaster
Gibson ES175D
Gibson ES175D/SH
Gibson ES345
Gibson Les Paul / VG 88
Gibson Les Paul Junior
Gibson Chet Atkins
Martin 0018 SH
Martin MC 28
Martin Style C
Martin J12-65M
Kohno Model 10
Fender Dual Pro' Steel
Steinberger 12 String
Portuguese 12 string
Line 6 Variax
http://www.yesfans.com/showthread.php?38520-Steve-Howe-gear-(list-and-pictures)
 
Slipkid65 said:
Oh no you didn't! ;)


The enabler page ROCKS! :yes:


Some great advice already given above.......

OP, I definitely agree that you should get the best instrument that you can afford. That said, these days, even relatively inexpensive instruments can be really good.

Amp wise, if you're just starting out, a small combo is probably your best bang for buck. An amp modeler like a Line 6 Pod etc. is also a good investment and can be used for late night practice with headphones and are loaded with more amp, pedal and cab combinations than you'll ever use. Something like a Line 6 Spider or Vox VT series are also decent little setups. I like the Vox better than the L6 in these size amps. My kid has a VT20 and it KILLS though a 2-12 or 4-12 cab..... I briefly considered using it for gigs instead of my expensive tube amps.

Buy used, and you'll get your money back if you don't find you don't like it. I've got 10+ guitars and at least as many amps. I got most of them used over the years. I am mainly a Gibson kinda guy (2 SGs and 2 LPs), but have a Tele, Strat and various other flavors.

Amp wise, I prefer British style amps, mainly Hiwatt and Marshall. I've built a couple of Hiwatt and Marshall clones too.

Here's my wall of doom....... The neighbors love me! :yikes:

IMG_1859_zpse13af2d4.jpg


FWIW, I play in a Jurassic Rock cover band. We play sporadically at various dive bars around SWFL. My gig rig is typically my SG Std or '54 reissue gold top into a Marshall JVM 410H into a 2-12 with Scumback M75s or a JVM 410C by itself, depending on the size of the stage. I keep the board simple and use a tuner, wah, compressor, chorus and delay, although we started doing some songs with a Rocktron talkbox recently.
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I knew you'd post something here! We have to take him to the dark side.:yes:
 
jordane93 said:
I knew you'd post something here! We have to take him to the dark side.:yes:
Click to expand...

Well, you took the first step. :hairraise:

If he joins TGP, he'll be a hopeless gear junkie within a year! ;)

Here's some more porn......

I no longer have the Gretsch, and I regret getting rid of it.....

axes9-22-07.jpg


L to R:

SG Standard, Townshend Sig SG, Gretsch 6120, '54 RI Les Paul, '59 RI Les Paul.

AVRI "Thinskin" '54 Strat:

P7310079-1.jpg


Way old board pic..... I'll get new one later.......

mikestandadapter10-08-2_zps71138cc0.jpg


I don't have any pics of my other axes in my PB........
 
Boy is this thread bringing back all kinds of great memories..:yes:..:):)
 
Slipkid65 said:
I no longer have the Gretsch, and I regret getting rid of it.....

Gretsch 6120
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Have any feedback on the Gretsch? I've been thinking about picking up a reissue '59 Country Gentleman for a while. Gotta love what Chet and Paul used to do with them.
 
coloradobluesky said:
Martins are great acoustic guitars. Even the less expensive Martins sound great. If you get a solid wood Martin and live in a dry climate, get a humidifier. Otherwise it will crack.

Fender Strat is a great starter electric guitar. They are all good. Just get one that fits your budget. Get a Fender TUBE guitar amp like a Blues Jr. Or get a Marshall TUBE amp. Get a TUBE amp. There really is a difference.

Get a teacher unless you are really talented. Playing the guitar is hard. If youre going to get to intermediate (the start of sounding good enough for others to listen to you), you have to practice an hour a day or more for a few years. Unless you already play an instrument and/or are gifted.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Great advice thanks. I've have plateaued playing rythem, I still suck and will need to practice, but I need fun things to learn to keep my ADD at bay. :lol:

What websites do you recommend? I have been using www.ultimateguitar.com for chords to a lot of songs.
 
Gary F said:
Hell ya. I'm working on Digital Man and a few others. I hope to have it down before I get advanced arthritis in my fingers.
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Nice!! I'm a drummer, got a few songs down. Grabbed a bass when I heard Tom saywer, started teaching myself. Think I'll stick to drums.
 
Corpsmaide said:
Nice!! I'm a drummer, got a few songs down. Grabbed a bass when I heard Tom saywer, started teaching myself. Think I'll stick to drums.
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I think Neil Peart is the best rock drummer of all time. Alex is an amazing guitarist. It's hard to believe that three of the best rock musicians are in a single band.
 
SomeTexan said:
Have any feedback on the Gretsch?
Click to expand...

Being a hollow body, it would feedback a lot if you had the amp cranked! You just had to stand with it facing the cab, and you feel it start to vibrate and then howl. It was kinda cool, but I could see it being a PITA live.

Mine was made by FMIC in the early 2000s (IIRC, it was an '03), made in Japan and other than the fret ends being sharp enough to cut you, it was perfect in every way. It almost looked like it was made of molded plastic. There were NO flaws of any kind anywhere on the thing! I had a local luthier remedy the fret issue when he did the set up and it was a great playing axe. The neck was kinda thin up at the nut, similar to the current MIM Teles and strats. I prefer a beefier neck, but it played nicely. The body was huge, like an acoustic.

I've been thinking about picking up a reissue '59 Country Gentleman for a while. Gotta love what Chet and Paul used to do with them.
Click to expand...

They really are beautiful instruments. I didn't really appreciate it until after I sold it and listened to some band rehearsal clips where I played it. It sat in the mix nicely and had a noticeably different tone than my Fenders and Gibsons.
 
Slipkid65 said:
Being a hollow body, it would feedback a lot if you had the amp cranked! You just had to stand with it facing the cab, and you feel it start to vibrate and then howl. It was kinda cool, but I could see it being a PITA live.

Mine was made by FMIC in the early 2000s (IIRC, it was an '03), made in Japan and other than the fret ends being sharp enough to cut you, it was perfect in every way. It almost looked like it was made of molded plastic. There were NO flaws of any kind anywhere on the thing! I had a local luthier remedy the fret issue when he did the set up and it was a great playing axe. The neck was kinda thin up at the nut, similar to the current MIM Teles and strats. I prefer a beefier neck, but it played nicely. The body was huge, like an acoustic.



They really are beautiful instruments. I didn't really appreciate it until after I sold it and listened to some band rehearsal clips where I played it. It sat in the mix nicely and had a noticeably different tone than my Fenders and Gibsons.
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Lol, I meant feedback on the quality. I know a little about hollow body guitars, just haven't owned one. A friend of mine swears the quality went to hell in the late 90's, but he is the pickiest, most OCD person I have ever met.

That's good to hear, I can consider a fret clean-up part of an initial set-up. My problem is that I am a lefty, limiting the places I can go to see one before I buy. Southpaw Guitars in Houston is an option, but I haven't been able to swing by when I've been down there. I kinda hate to order something like that sight unseen.

I've always loved the sound myself. It's different, but I think it works well with most of the music I like.

Thanks for the info.
 
Gary F said:
I think Neil Peart is the best rock drummer of all time. Alex is an amazing guitarist. It's hard to believe that three of the best rock musicians are in a single band.
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I have said the same. Absolutely agree. :yes:
 
Looks like several posts only credit Clapton with Fender. Don't forget a lot of his early days were with Gibson, so you'd have to put him on both lists. Just decide which Clapton sound you like better and look at what he was playing at the time, Fender or Gibson.
 
TheTraveler said:
Looks like several posts only credit Clapton with Fender. Don't forget a lot of his early days were with Gibson, so you'd have to put him on both lists. Just decide which Clapton sound you like better and look at what he was playing at the time, Fender or Gibson.
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While true, he has been almost exclusively Fender for several decades.
 
Joe Bonamassa plays both Fender and Gibson guitars (mostly Gibsons I believe). It's more the musician than the instrument.
 
Gary F said:
Joe Bonamassa plays both Fender and Gibson guitars (mostly Gibsons I believe). It's more the musician than the instrument.
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Yes and no. For the pros that use different guitars/brands, it is much like an artist using different brushes to create different textures.

Some artists go for a single signature sound while others like to mix it up.

But the original point of discussing guitarists with specific brands was to help the guy who wanted to play blues stuff decide which brand to start with.
 
Fearless Tower said:
While true, he has been almost exclusively Fender for several decades.
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But his most groundbreaking (Bluesbreaking?) work was done with Gibsons into Marshalls! :yes:

Heck, he was one of the first guys to plug a Les Paul into a Marshall and crank it, creating one of, if not THE, most iconic guitar amp combinations in modern music. :hairraise:

I think too many years of heroin addiction clouded his judgement, hence his move to Fender! ;)
 
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SomeTexan said:
Lol, I meant feedback on the quality. I know a little about hollow body guitars, just haven't owned one. A friend of mine swears the quality went to hell in the late 90's, but he is the pickiest, most OCD person I have ever met.

That's good to hear, I can consider a fret clean-up part of an initial set-up. My problem is that I am a lefty, limiting the places I can go to see one before I buy. Southpaw Guitars in Houston is an option, but I haven't been able to swing by when I've been down there. I kinda hate to order something like that sight unseen.

I've always loved the sound myself. It's different, but I think it works well with most of the music I like.

Thanks for the info.
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Quality wise, the one I had was perfect, and I mean that literally. Not one blemish on the thing. As I said mine was made in Japan and not one of the cheaper "Electromatic" series, which, BTW, are also killer axes for the money.

The 6120 has a lot of binding and seams and that's typically where you see little imperfections on most guitars. Every seam was perfect. My much more expensive Custom Shop Les Pauls had far more noticeable issues when new than this one.


My understanding is that prior to FMIC buying Gretsch, that there were major QC issues with the Gretsch line. Even the vintage ones were supposedly hit or miss.

The sound was definitely different. When I got it, I expected it to sound like Brian Setzer or Reverend Horton Heat right out of the box and was a little disappointed at first. Once I figured out the EQ, I loved it, especially recorded in the band mix.

It also sounded really great with some OD, (Townshend used a 6120 into a 59 Bandmaster on most of Who's Next and Quadrophenia, and that some of my favorite guitar tone ever) but I had to watch the volume levels or it would start howling, even at gig levels, which is considerably lower than my at home, concert for the neighbors levels.....

All that said, I prefer my solid bodies, preferably Gibson. I can get a convincing "Setzer" type tone out of my '54 Goldtop with both pickups into a clean amp, some slapback delay and reverb.
 
More than 20 years on bass. I average around 40 gigs per year (cover bands). Most of the money goes to flying!

My #1 is a German made Warwick Corvette 5, played through an Ampeg SVT 3 Pro and a classic 4x10.
 
MadseasoN said:
More than 20 years on bass. I average around 40 gigs per year (cover bands). Most of the money goes to flying!

My #1 is a German made Warwick Corvette 5, played through an Ampeg SVT 3 Pro and a classic 4x10.
Click to expand...

Paid to play so you can fly. You are living the dream for many of us.
 
Fearless Tower said:
Try them both and see what you like better. Both have a heavy blues presence. Gibsons tend to be humbucker centric while Fenders are mostly single coils. Slightly different sound.

When you listen to Clapton, think Fender single coil. BB King is all Gibson. Just depends on the sound you are looking to achieve.

Personally, I think Gibsons are a little better made. I still play Fenders, but they have kind of become the US Airways of guitars. A 'Fender' can be anything from a very nice guitar made in the custom shop to one made in Mexico of much lower quality and a few levels in between. They all bear the Fender label....you have to do the research on the guitar to know the quality....or just buy a vintage one.
Click to expand...


Thanks for info Fearless Tower...
The money that i can appropiate i about 2,500 -3,000 dollars.
 
mikeinbama said:
Gibson.......Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
Gary Moore ( Thin Lizzy)
Duane Allman ( Allman Brithers )
Fender.......Stevie Ray Vaughan
Eric Clapton
David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
Click to expand...


Be torn in two guitars:mad2:
 
ace@high said:
Thanks for info Fearless Tower...
The money that i can appropiate i about 2,500 -3,000 dollars.
Click to expand...
You should be able to get a nice setup in that range.

Seriously - while the place makes me want to vomit, I would recommend going to a Guitar Center and trying out a few guitars and amps and see what you like best and once you have settled on a brand/model and amp combo, go search other avenues to buy them.
 
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