[JordanR]

(Original post by natty_d)
Thank you so much guys!

I've self taught the guitar so I've always played other people's guitars but I wanted to buy my first guitar really.

The fact of the matter is that I should probably go and play around with some

That's the problem with just buying a guitar online - you may or may not like it. Once you get to know what you REALLY like in a guitar (neck profile, etc.) you can make guesses, but it's still not concrete. I have a few friends who have bought guitars online, destroyed the packaging, hated them and been unable to return them.

Enjoy. Just do what feels best for you. c:

Let us know!

[natty_d]

(Original post by JordanR)
That's the problem with just buying a guitar online - you may or may not like it. Once you get to know what you REALLY like in a guitar (neck profile, etc.) you can make guesses, but it's still not concrete. I have a few friends who have bought guitars online, destroyed the packaging, hated them and been unable to return them.

Enjoy. Just do what feels best for you. c:

Let us know!

I have a week off next week so I will go to a music shop and play around with some.

After I get my guitar, I really want a Rhodes piano

[Manitude]

(Original post by megadeath999)
That depends what you mean by cheap, and what sort of acoustic guitar you want. Nylon string (think classical/flamenco) or steel string (pretty much anything else). The electro bit isn't particularly important if you aren't going to be doing any amplified performing, so that's money you don't need to spend if you don't want to. Really, the most crucial bits of advice for anyone buying a first acoustic guitar are

1) Buy a guitar you are comfortable with. Acoustic guitars come in many shapes and sizes, with different shape necks that will be more suited to people with different size hands and different sized bodies for people of different sizes. You'll struggle if you can't fit your arms around your guitar easily, for example buying a guitar with a very deep body.

2) To spend sensible money on it, so you are buying something that you will want to practise on, not a cheap rubbish guitar that frustrates you. But don't go too crazy in case you find guitar isn't for you, and you've spent a massive amount of money on something you don't want.

With those two tips in mind, go down to a good local music shop, and get a feel for various instruments. Some brands who make good cheap starter acoustic guitars include Yamaha, Tanglewood, Vintage, Washburn, Epiphone and Ibanez. Have a feel for the body shapes and sizes, maybe get some model numbers down. Then shop around for a good deal and buy. Spend as much as is reasonable to you, and if you want to buy second hand (this may turn out to be a good idea to pick up a quality instrument for a sensible price), make sure that you go with somebody who knows a bit about guitars, to help you choose a good instrument.

All of that makes a lot of sense!
Someone should probably collate advice on buying different instruments and put it onto one thread. What you've got there would be a good start for a guide to buying acoustic guitars.

[JordanR]

I'll be happy to help compile a guide for electric guitars, since they're more my thing than acoustic guitars, if anyone's interested.

[Jev]

Oh dear.

I was just reordering some DVDs on my cabinet when both my PS3 and TV fell off. I managed to juggle both but the PS3 has put a huge hole in the top of my girlfriend's acoustic's body!

Luckily she's away at the moment and has another that I bought her but if she notices I'm in for it haha!

Anyone know how much a repair job would cost?

[JordanR]

(Original post by Jev)
Oh dear.

I was just reordering some DVDs on my cabinet when both my PS3 and TV fell off. I managed to juggle both but the PS3 has put a huge hole in the top of my girlfriend's acoustic's body!

Luckily she's away at the moment and has another that I bought her but if she notices I'm in for it haha!

Anyone know how much a repair job would cost?

Pictures?

You're going to have to take it to a luthier (guitar wizard dude) to get that properly fixed, and that's really not going to be cheap I'm afraid.

[Kiss]

I've been playing for nearly 6 years and I'm only Grade 5. I really need to get back into being more serious with Guitar.

[Jev]

(Original post by JordanR)
Pictures?

You're going to have to take it to a luthier (guitar wizard dude) to get that properly fixed, and that's really not going to be cheap I'm afraid.

I tried taking some pictures but I've lost my memory card and I can't transfer from the camera itself, bloody typical!

I was afraid that was going to be the answer though. I'll have to scout around though because the last guy I used was extortionate!

(Original post by Kiss)
I've been playing for nearly 6 years and I'm only Grade 5. I really need to get back into being more serious with Guitar.

If you honestly want to get serious, make yourself up a practice schedule. It doesn't have to be too long but make sure you adhere to it. Also, make sure it isn't just noodling and playing your favourite songs! That's not going to help.

Also, I'd recommend ditching the grading system. I guess they can guide you somewhat with what you should know but unless you're aiming for something that requires them then they're not much use!

[JordanR]

(Original post by Kiss)
I've been playing for nearly 6 years and I'm only Grade 5. I really need to get back into being more serious with Guitar.

Best thing I can advise you to do is start learning stuff that's way beyond what you're able to play. The song that got me to start properly knuckling down with my guitar playing was Technical Difficulties by the band Racer X; until then, I'd been content with playing some Metallica, and that was cool, but I thought I was a boss. Paul Gilbert proved that wasn't so.

Try and learn something difficult, and when you're having problems with it, identify what those problems are, and work on them. If you're like most people, your picking hand is going to be much weaker than your fretting hand, so you should try and work on your alternate picking as much as possible.

Learn different techniques as much as you can - string skipping, new bending/vibrato techniques, etc. These all make a huge difference. Also learning 3-note-per-string patterns are very good for building up your speed/accuracy, but also allow you to solo in more places, among other things.

Sorry, that post doesn't really make much sense, but if you're wanting something a bit more coherent, I can message you when I get home on Tuesday.

Oh, and most importantly... make sure it's fun. If you're having fun, thinking that you're sounding good and playing well, you're going to play more, and subsequently will improve.

Good luck!

[vertigo.0012]

My new (well, second hand) Fender precision bass just came. And then I came.

There is literally no point to this post other than to vent some of my excitement.

[JordanR]

(Original post by vertigo.0012)
My new (well, second hand) Fender precision bass just came. And then I came.

There is literally no point to this post other than to vent some of my excitement.

Very nice, sir! Pics?

Here's a couple of covers of mine:

http://soundcloud.com/meticadpa/technical-difficulties
http://soundcloud.com/meticadpa/mount-fuji-christmas

[vertigo.0012]

(Original post by JordanR)
Very nice, sir! Pics?

Here's a couple of covers of mine:

http://m.soundcloud.com/meticadpa/te...l-difficulties
http://m.soundcloud.com/meticadpa/mount-fuji-christmas

Wow, great covers dude! How long've you been playing? I'm assuming you're a guitard but did you do the other instruments in those too?

Here's a pic of my new baby, in shoddy iphone-o-vision...

(Original post by Jev)
Oh dear.

I was just reordering some DVDs on my cabinet when both my PS3 and TV fell off. I managed to juggle both but the PS3 has put a huge hole in the top of my girlfriend's acoustic's body!

Luckily she's away at the moment and has another that I bought her but if she notices I'm in for it haha!

Anyone know how much a repair job would cost?

Can't speak on acoustic guitars, but I ripped a massive hole into one of my basses once and got it fixed at a guitar shop for £30 ish. It's by no means perfect (it wasn't a luthier who did it) but it's pretty hard to notice. I'd say go around a couple of shops and ask if you find luthiers to be too much. Though, as JordanR said, to get it done properly you'll need a luthier.

[JordanR]

(Original post by vertigo.0012)
Wow, great covers dude! How long've you been playing? I'm assuming you're a guitard but did you do the other instruments in those too?

Here's a pic of my new baby, in shoddy iphone-o-vision...

Thanks. c: I've been playing for ~4 years now, but I've gotten really into it in past year and a half. I played the guitars on the recordings, and the other instruments were provided by a backing track.

Very, very nice bass! That's my favourite finish for one of those too. But the real question is how could you put it down for long enough to take a decent picture?!

[vertigo.0012]

(Original post by JordanR)
Thanks. c: I've been playing for ~4 years now, but I've gotten really into it in past year and a half. I played the guitars on the recordings, and the other instruments were provided by a backing track.

Very, very nice bass! That's my favourite finish for one of those too. But the real question is how could you put it down for long enough to take a decent picture?!

Ah sweet, well it's payed off, those are seriously impressive. Good job!

Haha it was difficult...one of the guitarists in my band were pestering me for a pic as I won't see them till September. Other than that it hasn't left my arms all day, it needs wearing in

[JordanR]

(Original post by vertigo.0012)
Ah sweet, well it's payed off, those are seriously impressive. Good job!

Haha it was difficult...one of the guitarists in my band were pestering me for a pic as I won't see them till September. Other than that it hasn't left my arms all day, it needs wearing in

Thank you sir. c: Not many people hear my guitar playing, so it's always nice to hear that I'm doing something right!

I know how it is... you've probably already asked yourself, "is it weird if I take this to the bathroom with me?" xD

Wear her in gently! She's a beaut. c:

[MadCatChiken]

(Original post by JordanR)
http://soundcloud.com/meticadpa/technical-difficulties

Nicely done with the PG cover! Tech Diff is a hard song to play.

[JordanR]

(Original post by MadCatChiken)
Nicely done with the PG cover! Tech Diff is a hard song to play.

Thanks. They're both Gilbert songs, it's just that the other is a little less known.

I'll put up a few more PG songs when I get back to Scotland; I'm itching to play guitar properly again!

[MadCatChiken]

(Original post by JordanR)
Thanks. They're both Gilbert songs, it's just that the other is a little less known.

I'll put up a few more PG songs when I get back to Scotland; I'm itching to play guitar properly again!

Raw Chicken Blues! :P

[JordanR]

(Original post by MadCatChiken)
Raw Chicken Blues! :P

c:

I'll see what I can do! I'd need to buy a microphone for that though. I'm thinking of putting up some of the songs from Get Out Of My Yard and Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar. They're some of my favourite things to play. And Fuzz Universe, of course.

Although I think I'd need someone to make a backing track for me; I'm really not that good at that sort of thing.

[concubine]

I found my slide.


It's so 1910 again.




/paints self black and thinks up retarded name