[skudmunky]

Very nice - do you play live through guitar rig ever?

 

[CompressionalFlagellation]

Thanks. I have not played my gear live, but as I own Ableton Live 7, it is certainly an option.

 

[Jahn]

I'm currently putting together a partscaster that would be to the prototype/early Bass VI specs. I can't seem to function on a fretboard unless it has 6 strings, so this is the way I'm going to fill in those bass spots. I'm going to look into trading a few things for a low watt bass amp too. I'll report back when it's all put together!

 

[Kayito-san]

I have an Ibanez RG370DX. Everything is stock for the time being, but that presents a question; I'm considering upgrading the pickups. However, I'm not entirely sure what I want to upgrade to... My thoughts are EMG 81 and 60 (active humbuckers) in the bridge and neck respectively. I play mainly heavier forms of metal, with a penchant for Technical Death metal-- That is, a precise and unblemished sound is very high on the scale of requirements. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[D-EJ915]

Those would probably be great, a lot of Ibanez users go with Dimarzios, they seem to be designed to work with the type of guitar Ibanez makes vs Seymour Duncans which are aimed more at gibson style guitars. Evolution set might be pretty slick in there, they have a lot of options though, Di-Activators are neat too and they recently combined them a bit with the X2N to create the Di-Activator X which I haven't tried. The Di-Activator sounded kind of like a tighter super distortion when I tried it but that was once in a Xiphos so might be a bit different in yours.

 

[Kayito-san]

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-EJ915 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Those would probably be great, a lot of Ibanez users go with Dimarzios, they seem to be designed to work with the type of guitar Ibanez makes vs Seymour Duncans which are aimed more at gibson style guitars. Evolution set might be pretty slick in there, they have a lot of options though, Di-Activators are neat too and they recently combined them a bit with the X2N to create the Di-Activator X which I haven't tried. The Di-Activator sounded kind of like a tighter super distortion when I tried it but that was once in a Xiphos so might be a bit different in yours.

Yeah, DiMarzios are fairly popular in the Ibanez fanbase. Joe Satriani, for instance, uses DiMarzios (as does Steve Vai, I think), but many renowned heavy metal guitarists (Slayer's Kerry King, I believe, would be the most recognizable example) use EMGs for their heavier sound and sonic brilliance when coupled with really strong distortion. Maybe I'm over-analyzing, or maybe I haven't heard a good comparison between the two, but it seems to me that EMGs are more appropriate for extreme metal (such a use is even advertised on the EMG site, if it's any further evidence.)

 

[billybob_jcv]

My 12 year-old daughter seems to have gotten the bug to learn to play. We have borrowed a friend's old acoustic - a no-name nylon string classical that she got off ebay several years ago. We also have an old Korg electronic tuner from an aborted attempt by my older son and I to learn to play about 6 years ago.

This guitar seems really bad - it's hard to tune, won't stay in tune and the wide neck is giving my daughter's small hands some trouble. I know just enough to know that this guitar is not making it easy for her. She wants to learn acoustic and I want to get her a new beginner guitar, but I don't want to spend a lot of money on something that I know from personal experience is difficult to learn and easy to become frustrated and quit. I bow with respect to the rest of you in this thread who have musical talent and the dedication it took to learn - I wish I did!

So, my specific question is: Should I buy a China-built acoustic from a local music shop (Silvertone, Harmony, etc) or should I buy a China-built "brand" from Guitar Center or online (Yamaha F325, Ibanex IVJ50. Squier SA100, etc). I know buying something for under $200 isn't going to be a great tone machine, but will it at least be able to play a chord that's recognizable?

 

[guitarman19853]

Yamaha guitars are actually good for the price. Their lower end models are pretty well built.

Also, take it somewhere good (not guitar center, most of their techs are barely qualified) and have it set up with light or extra light string. A good setup and light strings will make it play easier. Heavier strings for tone can come later.

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by billybob_jcv /img/forum/go_quote.gif My 12 year-old daughter seems to have gotten the bug to learn to play. She wants to learn acoustic and I want to get her a new beginner guitar, but I don't want to spend a lot of money on something that I know from personal experience is difficult to learn and easy to become frustrated and quit. I know buying something for under $200 isn't going to be a great tone machine, but will it at least be able to play a chord that's recognizable?

If you want to go electric, this smallbody shortscale guitar is the thing:

Buy Squier by Fender Classic Vibe Duo-Sonic '50s Electric Guitar | Solid Body Electric Guitars | Musician's Friend

If you want to go acoustic (which she is leaning towards) go used Taylor Big Baby, like so:

taylor big baby, Taylor items on eBay.com=

Both of these guitars can be set up to have low beginner-friendly action, and sound sweet indeed - plus, they aren't ugly, which is nice. Plus, made of good materials and construction is a solid build (Big Baby even has a solid spruce top - bonus!)

And keep your eyes on this Martin, it might sneak by as a sleeper snipe, and will blow away anything in the sub-400 range, if it stays that low:

Martin OOO-16SGT,2002,excellent ,12 fret slothead - eBay (item 130290867630 end time Mar-08-09 11:06:54 PDT)

 

[intoflatlines]

Quote:

Originally Posted by skudmunky /img/forum/go_quote.gif And my absolutely sexy Epiphone Valve Junior 5W tube head with my gorgeous new Avatar 112 cab with a Celestion Greenback.

Nice Valve Junior! I bought the half stack a few weeks ago and I love it. It looks like you've modded yours.. What did you do to it?

 

[skudmunky]

I added a gain switch and a second volume control - makes it easier to balance out the volume between too quiet and way too loud.

Google around, there's a plethora of valve junior mod tutorials and kits on the internet.

 

[intoflatlines]

I've checked out sewatt.com for mods but I find the info hard to navigate since I don't know anything about tube amps (or modding them for that matter). Mind telling me which specific mod you did and why you chose it over the others?

 

[skudmunky]

I basically used a switch to bypass one of the resistors (to change the gain) and replaced another resistor with a potentiometer (affects output volume)

I can't find the specific website I used, but the ultimate-guitar threads are really helpful and should get you pointed in the right direction. UG Community @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com - Kerry's Valve Junior Mods


Also, new video up!
YouTube - March of the Swordmaster - Electric Violin

 

[nirvanaxp]

Godin freeway and a hughes & kettner combo amp. I like the guitar, but not the amp which was purchased from a big online music retailer on discount. One day I want to get a really nice fender tweed amp. I love the look of those amps and know they sound good.

 

[intoflatlines]

Can someone help me figure out what specific Epiphone Les Paul model this is?

Picasa Web Albums - Kevin - HF

I am thinking of trading one of my acoustics for this but I want to know what model the Epiphone is before I check it out. If it's a Special II or one of the really low ends I'll tell him don't bother. I can't tell the difference between Les Paul models other than really basics. Thanks in advance!