TSR Guitar Society

Jim Dunlop Jazz IIIs are the place to be, but it's another case of different strokes for different folks. For a while I used 3mm "big stubbies" but they were far too unwieldy. Generally anything around 1mm is alright for general purpose playing. Not so keen on the metal-on-metal sound of coins or metal plectrums (anyone else try those? ugh), also string wear is probably an issue in the long term.

Not so keen on the metal-on-metal sound of coins or metal plectrums (anyone else try those? ugh), also string wear is probably an issue in the long term.

Electric. Am still figuring.

Been told to start with a yamaha pacifica

Not quite sure what thats like

Jim Dunlop Jazz IIIs are the place to be, but it's another case of different strokes for different folks. For a while I used 3mm "big stubbies" but they were far too unwieldy. Generally anything around 1mm is alright for general purpose playing. Not so keen on the metal-on-metal sound of coins or metal plectrums (anyone else try those? ugh), also string wear is probably an issue in the long term.

In the event you don't have a pick to hand, you can usually fingerpick.
It worked for Mark Knopfler and I do it a lot too, you won't be able to play quite as quickly as before but you'll be able to get a wider variety of tones.

To fingerpick properly like Mark Knopfler takes a lot of practice though, it's not like he just replaced his pick with his finger and thumb.

To finger pick exactly like him would be nigh on impossible. I've been playing dire straits songs for about 5-6 years now, so the general idea of playing in that style is almost second nature to me. I can't promise that it sounds exactly the same as when knopfler plays, but I reckon it's a reasonably good immitation at times.

You should post some of those up!

He's a great guitarist, saw him live last year!


I can just about fumble my way through romeo and juliuet lol

I saw an interview with him somewhere where he said his big breakthrough was when learnt to use his thumb independently of the other fingers rather than just as a base note or at the start of a bar. I haven't got that down at all yet! Not sure I ever will either

In time I will, I've been working on the local hero/wild theme for ages.
Also I reckon I've got brothers in arms up to a reasonable standard.
I can't play sultans of swing properly, I know most of it (or at least I can play something vaguely similar for most of it) the really fast twiddly bits at the end I can't do, even with a pick.

I saw him last year at the MEN - it was absolutely brilliant!

Yeah I have a feeling we had this conversation on here then D



Post up brothers in arms, epic tune!

I can play quite a bit of local hero/wild theme but dont really have the effects/single coil guitar to make it sound nice.

Those are tiny!

Didn't like them at all, horses for courses I guess though.

What guitar would you recommend as a step up from a Yamaha Pacifica?

Been playing it for a while and looking to upgrade to something better, yno, eventually.

Any ideas?

What sort of music/budget?

Obvious choice would be a higher end Fender Strat/Tele

Although depending on what equipment you have already, you may get more improvement by investing in a nice valve amp amd using your current guitar.

IMO Cheap Guitar + Quality Amp > Expensive guitar and cheap amp.

Oh I use the XL ones, they are the same size as most plectrums. Tiny plectrums are just weird. Or for tiny hands.

Spanish classical pieces are good practice for fingerpicking, or some fast ragtime.

I had a mess around with my camera before, doing both of these songs.
I'm not sure whether the speaker in my camera is to blame, but I couldn't seem to get it to sound good - I could here the acoustic part of my electric even though I was standing on the other side of the room.
ERventually I turned the volume of my amp up a bit which helped, also sounds considerably better louder with it being a valve amp an all that.
But by that point I thought it'd be a good idea to start playing Wishbone Ash...and then the rents came home and I don't like playing loud when there's other people around to hear it.

I'll try and upload something within the next couple of days, if not later tonight.

Bridge pickup on the strat with tone at around 2-4, raising to about 5-6 towards the end is where it's at for local hero. And plenty of reverb!
Aside from reverb I don't really use any effects any more - my pedal isn't high enough quality (it was only £50) to make it worth using with with £1100 worth of guitar and amp...