Where should i go for my sons electric guitar package?

[BigonaBianchi]

A peg winder...sorry...oterwise known as a string winder...just a little plastic gizmo (costs a couple of quid) that makes re stringing a guitar quicker as it speeds up how fast you can wind the tuning pegs. You'll find them on the counter in the music shop next to the box of picks and enamel guitar badges

 

[BigonaBianchi]

One thing to keep in mind about a fender or an Ibanez. they have tremolo blocks, the strats generally have non locking and the Ibanez locking. The idea is that the locking trems keep in tune better when he does the inevitable stuka dive bomber impressions...well ok...but they are also harder to set up right and slower to re string. I use both, but i much prefer the vintage non locking trem blocks ...they stay in tune fine if the guitar is set right ... 'sip to him...the locking one might appeal to metal heads more...Vai and satch both use them...but Malmsteen doesnt...

 

[Mr Pig]

A peg winder...sorry...otherwise known as a string winder.

Never seen those. Looks liker a cool stocking filler.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

...you need red...thats important

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I was a little surprised to hear the warning's of n+1 etc, Bruce has used the same guitar for years and I thought this is how it is, that must be nievity!

I'm up to nine now. I'm lucky in that I like cheap nasty sixties Woolworth's guitars, which you can pick up for under £100.
I can't really add much to BoaB's excellent advice as regards your son's first guitar, but I would agree about Squier guitars. I have a Squier Telecaster which I've fitted with new pickups, but it was a perfectly good guitar to start with and plays just as well as my 1979 Fender. I've also had a Yamaha Pacifica in the past and that was ok too, but not really my thing.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

...you need red...thats important

Pah. You don't need one of those. I've played for nearly 30 years and I've never used one.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

which I've fitted with new pickups

Get ready for this..it's upgrade Numero uno...

I fit all my strats with stacked humbuckers...they arnt like the humbuckers on Gibson style guitars, they still look the same as single coils but they ain't. Best ones are made by Chris Kinman in Australia ...I like the AVN 56 and 60's.....also Di Marzio of course do the HS3's which fitted to my squier...cost more than the guitar but worth it.

Much cheaper upgrade (and one that will make a big difference to the tone) is to rip out the plastic nut and fit a bone nut...or brass like I do.

Also get some shielding tape and shield the wiring cavity and pick up cavity to reduce hum (cheap and effective)

Then get rid of those thin vintage frets and fit some Jim Dunlop 6100 fret wire

...all future fun and games

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Pah. You don't need one of those. I've played for nearly 30 years and I've never used one.

bet you spent 2 of those years winding the bloody machines though right?

 

[tdr1nka]

Get ready for this..it's upgrade Numero uno...

I fit all my strats with stacked humbuckers...they arnt like the humbuckers on Gibson style guitars, they still look the same as single coils but they ain't. Best ones are made by Chris Kinman in Australia ...I like the AVN 56 and 60's.....also Di Marzio of course do the HS3's which fitted to my squier...cost more than the guitar but worth it.

Much cheaper upgrade (and one that will make a big difference to the tone) is to rip out the plastic nut and fit a bone nut...or brass like I do.

Also get some shielding tape and shield the wiring cavity and pick up cavity to reduce hum (cheap and effective)

Then get rid of those thin vintage frets and fit some Jim Dunlop 6100 fret wire

...all future fun and games

Are the humbuckers like the 'hot rails' pickups?
Always wanted to put one at the bridge on my Tele.

I had a friend who mounted the bridge of his Fender precision on a brass plate, it balanced the body and made the tone really smooth and rich.

Could I put a brass nut on my acoustic, d'ya wonder?

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Kind of...but I like these better:

http://www.kinman.com/

Mostly because they keep that single coil crunch and twang and hollow ness but have more punch and less noise.

Yep brass plate makes sense...heavy and dense (like a few bass players I've met!)

Yes you could fit a brass nut on the acoustic but I wouldnt...a good bone/ivory nut is best I reckon....I fit brass nuts on my strats because they have a bright tone and add a metallic edge to the riffs and a smoothness to the lead work...not sure i ever play riffs or lead work on an acoustic...

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I fitted Seymour Duncan QuarterPounders to my Telecaster (with a humbucker at the neck), but since I discovered my cheap sixties Jap guitars, all my playing is through wierd microphonic pickups, which I think are brilliant because they pick up all the extraneous playing noises, like tapping the guitar body with my fingers or playing the strings between the tailpiece and the bridge.

 

[galaxy1]

How many guitars does everyone have ? including my very first one from16 years ago I have 5. 2 classicals ,1 steel string ibanez electro acoustic , a squire strat thats in bits with most of the paint sanded off it and a prs se custom which is just awesome..mmmmm

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I have a few:

Front:
Fender USA malmsteen kit Strat with 70's head stock. fully scalloped neck, Di Marzio YJM Pick ups (centre one I removed) brass nut, 6100 fret wire, vintage trem.
Middle:
Fender Mexican Classic 70's strat, fully scalloped neck, Kinman AVn pick ups (centre one I removed) brass nut, 6100 fret wire, vintage trem.
Rear:
Fender Squier JV 60's series strat , fully scalloped neck, brass nut, Di Marzio HS3 pick ups (all three this time!) 6100 fret wire, vintage trem


The strat on the left is a classic 50's surf green mexican which I have been threatening to modify for a while!
The Gibson SG to the right is a 1970's custom which was re sprayed black (probably a mistake value wise!)...I dont play this and will probably sell it soon.


Left:
1980's Ibanez RG570 fitted with Di Marzio pickups and a freaky metallic purple scratch plate!
Centre left:
1980's Charvel model 2a fitted with a seymour duncan super distortion pick up
Centre right:
This is my Dads old Lorenzo acoustic from the mid 70's
Right:
Washburn RR10V all origional (no mods)

Then in addition I have a Bass...Aria pro 2 (not great but cheap and does the job sometimes!)
..oh yeah and my Takamine Millenium 2000 Ltd edition electro acoustic as well which i need to take a pic of I guess.
...then there is the midi guitar rig, cabs etc...endless bits and pieces, stomp boxes etc...the guitar synth set up...and of course the recording stuff
...

 

[Andy in Sig]

I've got a Gibson SG Special and a Line 6 30 Watt amp. I'm the world's worse guitarist but it keeps me amused trying to learn to play the blues. What I would like to get is a good beefy tone like Clapton had on the John Mayall album (I believe he used an SG for that). Should I:

a. Get new pickups and if so what?

b. Get a line 6 effects pod or a box of tricks and if so what? I don't want millions of wah wahs and things, just something to give that nice bluesy tone. Perhaps a bit fuzzy?

The only other guitar sound I really like is Rory Gallagher's but that seems like a typical strat sound to me. I believe the only effect he used was a treble booster.

I don't like heavy metal sounds.

Whaddya reckon?

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I'm no expert in those guys and how they got their individual tone. However I believe that 80% of the tone is in the players fingers, so you will never accuratly replicate any other players tone 100% even if you play through their rig.

I suspect that both clapton and Gallagher relied heavily on a valve amp driven pretty hard and a mic in front of it and maybe an ambiant mic (s) in the studio. I think I am right in saying that Rory had several different amps in his live rig, he also used to take off the speaker grills and put a cross of gaffer tape across his grill on the inside in front of the speaker cones...he did this do diffuse the harsher tone coming from the centre of his speaker cones. Like Stevie Ray Vaughen I believe. A lot of the tone will come from the set up on the guitar...higher action and thicker strings equals beefier so try that maybe.



POD do have an on line sound bank you can tap into and download famous players amp tones into your pod...it's pretty cool and for bedroom home use it's fun & cheap...but it'll still never get the exact tone.

One thing people often forget about is that a lot of the tone on a recording can come from the room it was recorded in, delays and reverbs etc.

If I had a good valve combo, I would set the gain to about 50% to just when the tone starts to break up, then crank the master to ten...set the bass around 30% the mids up at around 60-70% and the treble at about 40% and play around with those from there..I would add some reverb if I had some ..which I do..(lot's)...let the amp cook...so leave it on to warm up...smell those valves frying...thats wot you want...then go for it.

If you feel the need to add a stompbox up front then try a simple tube screamer like an Ibanez TS9 maybe or .in fact I think there is a Clapton signature pedal out there somewhere....

...you have a line 6 amp right?...so it'll be a hybrid or all solid state modelling type...which model is it?

..on your SG you may want to play around with the tone controls some...maybe roll off a touch.