[rlpaul]

All this guitar-fi is making me want to start looking for a bassman head... must.... resist....

 

[Ingo]

I haven't even got out my acoustic in MONTHS. Really disappointing. Maybe I'll transplant it to my GF's house where I spend most of my time these days.

 

[TheRobbStory]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ANGELSS /img/forum/go_quote.gif Bullcrap, eh? haha.

I like to party.

 

[Jahn]

you can peel the paint off the walls with that rig. killer.

 

[intoflatlines]

So, help me decide for my old(er) Mexican Strat:

New tremolo/bridge/saddles (Fender American) + Fender LSR nut

or

Lace Sensor setup (Blue/Silver/Red)?

I have a SD Hot Rails in my bridge right now, so if I were to change to Lace Sensors I would either get rid of the Hot Rails or keep the SD in the bridge and put the Lace Sensors in the neck and bridge. What do you think?

 

[Ingo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by intoflatlines /img/forum/go_quote.gif So, help me decide for my old(er) Mexican Strat: New tremolo/bridge/saddles (Fender American) + Fender LSR nut or Lace Sensor setup (Blue/Silver/Red)? I have a SD Hot Rails in my bridge right now, so if I were to change to Lace Sensors I would either get rid of the Hot Rails or keep the SD in the bridge and put the Lace Sensors in the neck and bridge. What do you think?

What kind of music are you playing?

 

[intoflatlines]

I play a wide range of music, but pretty much an emphasis on Pink Floyd and pre-reunion Smashing Pumpkins. I also play lots of modern alt/pop-punk/ stuff along the lines of Alkaline Trio, the Ataris, Thrice, etc.

Lace Sensors really interest me because Billy Corgan used them a lot with the Smashing Pumpkins and I really enjoy his tone. I'm not sure whether the tone is due more to the pickups/guitar or his effects. The only drawback I see to the Lace Sensors is that I don't know how versatile they would be.

I really like my Hot Rails for its really high gain and aggressive sound but sometimes I feel that it is way too sharp, especially for soloing. Ideally, I would love to find a bridge pickup that has the bite of the Hot Rails for chords but is much smoother and civilized when soloing. Also, the pickups that are still stock on my Strat (neck/middle) are pretty terrible. So pretty much any aftermarket pickup would be a big improvement.

I'm also considering Fender SCN Noiseless pickups. Pretty much any guitar I've played that had these in sounded amazing, but that could also be because they were all higher end ones. If I had the cash I would probably pick up a Clapton Strat.

I am considering the LSR and saddles/bridge to help with my sustain and intonation, and also give me the option to actually use the tremolo instead of blocking it off because any use of it results in a disgusting detuning (with current MIM tremolo).

 

[uzziah]

my first electric setup that i've got here is a very good model for what you might want. i have a yamaha pacifica, i bought i from a guy who is a pro guitar-technician, he set it up, which is nice. my amp is a vox valvetronicx, not the smallest but, not too bid, can't remember which one right now. anyway, i bought both used, paid about 1/3 of retail for each, and they're lovely, great "beginner" gear. the amp has great clean sound, it has a tube, but also some nice effects so you can go poking around seeing what you might like. the pacifica is just a super strat-style guitar. HSS pickups, it's very nice; and a pickup upgrade soon will make it great. i'm lucky. i got a great setup for a couple hundred bucks. don't be afraid to look in craigslist.

 

[Ruel]

Well, again - Hello all:

As a student and aspiring musician I have taken the task upon myself to expand my musical abilities. I currently sing, performing mostly classical music of the choral and lieder varieties, heading to university to study vocal performance and theatre.

Studying music theory has reinforced the importance of instrumental understanding and ability. I have previously played viola for a very short period of time, though I like to think that I still possess some remanent of muscle memory.

In order to perform a wider variety of music, in order to love music more thoroughly I am planning on taking piano once I have the money to invest in a solid keyboard. A good keyboard with all 88 keys present and fully weighted is quite expensive though. Hence, I have designated that purchase to a later date to be fulfilled as a "college expense" by those close to me.

I have asked my friends who play about any guitars they have just laying around that I could borrow while learning, most of them only own the one they play, or two which they play regularly. I do have a pal who has a nice few but he plays on a regular basis and often for paying gigs so he was hesitant to part with any, for which he apologized He did have one though, he even said he would feel bad letting me take it: A beat up 12 string which sounded like a crime to the species of instruments.

I am actively watching craigslist for my area, looking for any deals.

In the meantime I have decided to invest in a guitar, as I do enjoy their sound and versatility quite a bit. However, I know very little on the subject and come to this thread looking for advice. I am looking to spend ~$300 and want an acoustic guitar, 6 string. That's all I know so far.

Anyways:

How should I go about this search?
What should I look for?
Any recommendations?
Anything else?

Thanks a bunch,
Ruel

On a separate note, can anyone recommend a good metronome? I am looking for reliability, versatility, and volume control.

 

[intoflatlines]

Ruel - head over to a Guitar Center/Sam Ash/whatever guitar store is in your area and mess around with all the acoustics. Pick one that has a good tone and good setup (intonation/action). For $300 it would probably be best to go used however. Check craigslist and also look around any used music stores too. If you find some models you're interested in, post them up here and I'm sure you'd get some good help.

In terms of metronomes, I bought a Korg MA-30 when I first started playing and it's great. $20, small, on-board tuner, versatile, simple, reliable.. Pick one up.

 

[Ruel]

Having very little experience with guitars, how do you recommend that I "mess around with the acoustics" I am sure that I can quickly learn how to play a series of chords. Is that all I would need to do, or I should I take one of my more guitar-dept friends with me as a testing "slave"

 

[skudmunky]

My crybaby wah pedal broke, so I had to get a new one.

And my absolutely sexy Epiphone Valve Junior 5W tube head with my gorgeous new Avatar 112 cab with a Celestion Greenback.

 

[ethan961]

skudmunky, how is that digitech death metal pedal? I was thinking of one, but I would like a pedal with varying amounts of distortion, and I'm thinking that it may be too heavy for all-round use.
Ethan

 

[skudmunky]

The death metal is not very good in all honesty. It's pretty shrill, and its only good for really heavy distortion.

The big muff pi and the bad monkey tube overdrive, on the other hand, are awesome.

 

[Baines93]

Is that an electric violin? (noobishness)