Yep, I was going to go for a Tele. As for strings I believe I'm on .10s of .9s perhaps with lighter bottoms although I can't remember. I certainly don't need such heavy strings since I don't really thrash them but I like them because they're harder to make mistakes on (probably something from my acoustic days).
In my Guitar gigging days (these days, in the band I gig with I play bass) I used to go through a set of strings (11's) a week. Metal guitaring, 3 hours, 3 times a week does that.
6 months? You need to change strings more often that that, man. They start sounding CRAP after a month or two. Some of my friends play my guitar now (with month-old strings that haven't been played a huge lot) and go "Mann... you need to restring this thing... these strings sound shite.
Im of the camp that believes you cant teach yourself everything and a teacher can help you progress faster. (partly because im terrible at playing by ear). When lessons start to turn into chores then its time to change teacher, oh and never stick to one teacher either. Music is so diverse that no one person can know everything, or even be at the same level as another person (unless starting out). Each teacher has something different to teach, maybe a different way of explaining the same thing and this too will help you progress. The best thing tho is join a band. Nothing pushes you further than being part of a band, even if its just for jamming or a genre you don't normally play. good friends will help shape your playing style into something unique.
I agree about the teacher thing, its good to have someone who can tell you "Do it this way..", "You're doing that really well..." etc. And plus, he gave me some tips on the chords and what I should concentrate on more/less. I'm actually strumming along in time and making something that resembles music now, I'm so chuffed! LOL, if I joined a band now, I wouldn't even get past the audition, they'd throw me out while in fits of laughter! But once I get better, I definitely will look up some bands in the local area. I heard just going down to the train station and busking is a great way to practice and get accustomed to nerves and what not, and lots of fun.
lol know the feeling. Even joining in with a praise band in a local church or something helps bring you on leaps and bounds. Even if its just strumming along quietly while they fully go for it lol. The one in our church has 3 regulars it rotates between and 2 newer members that sorta play quietly. In a month they've both progressed to to point theyre happy to play at the same volume as the rest. One more point, get a metronome. a drummer works well too but is harder to get to do what you want xD
I've got a metronome built into my tuner, Its a whole new ball game trying to play to it! Amazing how much pressure that little 'tick tick' puts you under lol.
It wasn't until I recorded myself playing that I realized how terrible I am at keeping time! So I got a metronome and spent a while trying to keep in time with it, took about a month to stop getting confused
Due to my classical guitar training I pretty much got brought up with metronomes. Nowadays I'm good at keeping time by myself, but use ametronome to give the drummer sh*t about not keeping time.
hmmm, I am wanting to buy a new guitar(just got a job... so this is what it's like to have money). I have it down to 2 choices, but I'm sure I will add/remove more later. Anyways, these are my 2 choices. http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/ESP-LTD-FX360-Electric-Guitar?sku=584489 http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-XPT700-Xiphos-Electric-Guitar?sku=512557#used If I went for the Xiphos I would go for the white used one. So yea, I posted this here because I didn't feel like starting a whole new thread for it, but do you folks have any recommendations?
hm...I'd (strange coming from me, I know) recommend NOT using the xiphos. It's horribly unbalanced, even the high end one linked to. It's got a stunning neck, but top-heaviness makes it a PITA to play standing up. I actually have the same problem on the Iceman Bass I have (the iceman axe doesn't have that), to a point where I'm considering selling it and buing something else. Also take note that I don't think they made an XPT700 in white ever. So either the white one is an XPT700 that's been resprayed, or it's a lower model in white. That ESP is bound to be nice. The EMGs shoudl offset the Maple top (that normally tends to give lovely warm tone clean and just booms in distortion), which is a good thing. Should be nice and playable standing and sitting. Plus it's got an ESP Neck... <3
Yea I read in a lot of the reviews that the Xiphos has some balance issues, but a lot of the reviews also said it was really easy to fix by moving the straplock. And I checked the Ibanez site and they do have the XPT700 in white.
Well after a lot of searching around on you tube and the net, I think I might go with the DiMarzio Super Distortion/PAF Pro combo... They seem to have a real nice sound, especially the Super Distortion.
If possible i would try both guitars out in person it may be hard to find a shop with both guitars but if you can do it its so worth it as they are not cheap purchases at all.
I'd still take that ESP. You can mvoe the straplock, but are you brave enouch to drill another hole in your guitar, close to the neck? I'm not. As for the DiMarzio's: I know the PAF's they're NICE... The SD bridge/PAF neck, I assume?
yea... any plans of a new guitar have been put on hold now because of a $175 speeding ticket... i guess those numbers on the road signs aren't just suggestions.
yea, but it really is my own damn fault... but really, who would have thought that going 81mph(~130km/h) in a 60mph(~96km/h) was a bad idea?
LOL. I do that occasionally. But more along the lines of 170/180km/h in 100/120 zones and 110 in 60 zones. thank heavens I've only been caught for speeding once, and got away with it because the machine wasn't calibrated. Rules here are like so: 300,- for speeding (i.e. more than 5km/h ove rthe limit). They take your license and lock you up if you go more than 60km/h over the limit.