Members NewGuyonGuitar Posted May 17, 2012 Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 and it sure had a sweet sound. Nice guitar, big amp, some foot pedal thingie.... Sounded waaaay better than my Yamaha starter guitar and amp. So, I've only been playing 6 months....and I'm still in the learning to crawl stage, and that's a struggle. But, let's say 6 months or a year down the road I decide to consider upgrading. What's a way to go about that? Do I upgrade the amp first, or the guitar, or both if I can afford? What price range for gear gets me out of the "starter" kit I'm in? $400, $500, $600 for a guitar? More? What about amps? When does one start to fiddle around with "pedals"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mosiddiqi Posted May 17, 2012 Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 Have you heard your instructor play through your setup? I'm asking, because the chances are, that unless your guitar is a dog..which is very rare nowadays, (which starter Yamaha do you have? Pacifica?..they're really good!), then I would bet that 99% of the reason it doesn't sound good is because, with respect, you maybe can't play very well at the moment. Keep the money and keep taking lessons. If after a while you feel that a "better" guitar will inspire you to play more, then by all means spend the money! You can certainly get stage worthy instruments for less money than ever before...a good example being Phil X who played a pretty cheap LTD guitar during his stint with Bon Jovi. I think that guitar costs around $500. Amp/pedals really depends on what music you want to play. At this stage, I would guess, you absolutely do NOT need pedals. If your amp can be set up for a clean tone and a distorted tone, that's all you need. The rest is icing. I see people (typically non-pro's) spend AGES (and lots of money!) messing around with their pedals looking for a sound that they'll never get...unless they practice playing more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Krank'N Posted May 17, 2012 Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 First you might want to get a setup done on your current guitar. Having proper action and intonation is critical to developing technique. Read the other forums and you'll see that some folks swap equipment faster than underwear! I still own the first Gibson I ever bought . When you get better equipment ,it makes you want to improve your playing as well. If you are trying to learn a tune and you cant get a reasonable facsimile of tone from your stuff then its harder to figure it out. So secondly consider a modeling amp (like a line 6) that will let you get many sounds and even record into a daw. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members frankthomson Posted May 17, 2012 Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 and it sure had a sweet sound. Nice guitar, big amp, some foot pedal thingie.... Sounded waaaay better than my Yamaha starter guitar and amp. So, I've only been playing 6 months....and I'm still in the learning to crawl stage, and that's a struggle. But, let's say 6 months or a year down the road I decide to consider upgrading. What's a way to go about that? Do I upgrade the amp first, or the guitar, or both if I can afford? What price range for gear gets me out of the "starter" kit I'm in? $400, $500, $600 for a guitar? More? What about amps? When does one start to fiddle around with "pedals"? first off, u should move somewhere else b/c ur location SUCKS.that being said, , ur question is too broad. guitar: a good guitar starts with a good neck....ur choice. i have sub $100 guitars that can smoke ANY out there.amp: again...big window. maybe start w/ a modelling amp like a line6 75W chumpy. it'll give u some balls and some effects under 1 roof.pedals: ....meh....i guess u can get a full stack marshall, a R9, and a plethora of pedals and have at it, but .....ur coin, bra.im happy w/ my pine tele and my 5W tube amp imo, nothing else is needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NewGuyonGuitar Posted May 17, 2012 Author Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 Have you heard your instructor play through your setup? I'm asking, because the chances are, that unless your guitar is a dog..which is very rare nowadays, (which starter Yamaha do you have? Pacifica?..they're really good!), then I would bet that 99% of the reason it doesn't sound good is because, with respect, you maybe can't play very well at the moment. Keep the money and keep taking lessons. Thanks for the feedback, Mosiddiqi! Yes, I do have a Pacifica and no he hasn't played on it....so I'll take your advice to heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NewGuyonGuitar Posted May 17, 2012 Author Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 First you might want to get a setup done on your current guitar. Having proper action and intonation is critical to developing technique. Read the other forums and you'll see that some folks swap equipment faster than underwear! I still own the first Gibson I ever bought . When you get better equipment ,it makes you want to improve your playing as well. If you are trying to learn a tune and you cant get a reasonable facsimile of tone from your stuff then its harder to figure it out. So secondly consider a modeling amp (like a line 6) that will let you get many sounds and even record into a daw. Good luck! Thanks for the input, Krank. I've never had a "setup" done on my guitar. I've asked the question of a couple of people and they say it's not worth it on a starter guitar. You think I should have it done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NewGuyonGuitar Posted May 17, 2012 Author Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 first off, u should move somewhere else b/c ur location SUCKS. that being said, , ur question is too broad. guitar: a good guitar starts with a good neck....ur choice. i have sub $100 guitars that can smoke ANY out there. amp: again...big window. maybe start w/ a modelling amp like a line6 75W chumpy. it'll give u some balls and some effects under 1 roof. pedals: ....meh....nothing else is needed. I thought my question might be too broad, but I thought I'd start some where! Thanks for the feedback. Yes, 7th level of Hades does suck, but they won't let me into Camelot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jeremy_green Posted May 17, 2012 Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 Thanks for the input, Krank. I've never had a "setup" done on my guitar. I've asked the question of a couple of people and they say it's not worth it on a starter guitar. You think I should have it done? Not worth it on a starter guitar??? What the?? Get your guitar setup bro. Tell the guy you want nice low action... not so low that it is hard to do bends, but low. Make a huge difference i suspect. Mo is bang on, it is in the hands not the gear. Starter gear when i was young was absolute junk. But that is not the case any longer. Your axe is likely fine for a long while. Probably better than my first 'serious' guitar! You need to earn your stripes anyway man! Nothing worse than seeing an absolute beginner guitarist on an expensive guitar : ) Ya gots to earn that thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NewGuyonGuitar Posted May 17, 2012 Author Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 Nothing worse than seeing an absolute beginner guitarist on an expensive guitar : ) Ya gots to earn that thing! Lol Although, I'm going to feel a little noobish walking into a guitar store and asking for a "setup" on my Pacifica. If they start to snicker.... I have limited choices in where I can go to get my guitar "setup". Guitar Center, Sams and or the mom & pop music store where I bought it. Suggestions where to take it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pine Apple Slim Posted May 17, 2012 Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 I'll take a wild guess and say the Yamaha Pacifica came set up pretty darn well and should be fine unless you've screwed it up. I suggest have you instructor play it and help you tweak the set up if needed, school you on how the vibrato system works(strat type right?), how to change the strings, etc. the basic stuff any guitar player should know how to do. What kind of amp are you using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BydoEmpire Posted May 17, 2012 Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 I went to a Steve Vai clinic a couple years ago, and at the end he picked 6-7 people out of the audience to come and jam with him. One of them was a ten-ish year old kid with a mini-scale Ibanez - clearly a kids/starter guitar. After they played a few bars, Vai went up behind him, reached his arms around and started playing the kid's guitar. It sounded exactly like Steve Vai. If you do want new gear I'd probably get a new amp before a new guitar. There are a lots of nice amps for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jeremy_green Posted May 17, 2012 Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 LolAlthough, I'm going to feel a little noobish walking into a guitar store and asking for a "setup" on my Pacifica. If they start to snicker....I have limited choices in where I can go to get my guitar "setup". Guitar Center, Sams and or the mom & pop music store where I bought it. Suggestions where to take it? Brother there is no shame in getting your guitar setup. Just cause it isn't top end doesn't mean it isn't worth maintaining. Anyone who snickers is just some stupid poser anyway. Who cares about these wankers. FWIW - The first paid gig I ever did, I had to borrow a friends Les Paul because I was still playing this absolute piece of {censored}e starter guitar. Believe me it was FAAARRRR worse than yours. The point - you can go a long way before you need pro gear. I'll probably get flame for this but I am a firm believer that gear should be a reward. Reward yourself ONCE you have attained a decent level, not before. Earn it and use that as a carrot. Too many youngins these days have gear that is way over what they "need" or have earned. I am not bitter, just have reverence for the process. A new axe - at the correct time in your development - can help you reach new levels and drive you forward. Getting it ahead of time nullifies this to a large degree. Your axe is fine... the fingers, maybe not... always remember that and keep the focus where it belongs. As Bydo said - Steve Vai sounds the same on any guitar. Because his hands are where the tone resides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Krank'N Posted May 17, 2012 Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 Back when I worked in a music store the only guitars that got "setup" were the cream of the crop. The owner didnt want time spent on the beginner to imtermediate guitars so they were sold as "out of the box". This increased the "illusion" that the more expensive guitars really were easier to play and more than one customer was talked into spending more $$$. You can do a lot of stuff yourself if you dont want to pay someone else. Heres a link-http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Books,_plans/Building_and_repair:_Guitar,_electric/How_To_Make_Your_Electric_Guitar_Play_Great.html?actn=100101&xst=3&xsr=603 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members toober Posted May 17, 2012 Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 I'm sure Robert Johnson didn't have a selection of different guitars. He used what he had and he made it his own. People today still like his playing. Become more knowledgeable on playing what you have before you decide to change to other equipment that you are also unknowledgeable on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonfinn Posted May 17, 2012 Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 I don't think there's a rule that applies anywhere. I'm of the mindset that it's totally ok to splurge on the most expensive gear you can afford regardless of what stage you're at. Most people with common sense understand that it takes time to learn to play well. Although most under-estimate how MUCH time (but that's a different discussion). Listening to everything that's been said so far, I'd advise keeping what you have until it's clear you've outgrown it. You'll know when it's time. At that point, ask yourself what kind of sound you want. Then work backwards from that premise to piece together what your ideal rig should be. In the meantime, maybe you can learn about different guitar types, pickup configurations (and the tone they produce... a good guitarist can often identify what kind of guitar and it's pickup setting just by hearing it). Also, learn about amps and pedals. They too play an important role. Just be cautious of the endless chase for new gear and the "perfect tone". It can be a sinkhole. and it sure had a sweet sound. Nice guitar, big amp, some foot pedal thingie....Sounded waaaay better than my Yamaha starter guitar and amp.So, I've only been playing 6 months....and I'm still in the learning to crawl stage, and that's a struggle. But, let's say 6 months or a year down the road I decide to consider upgrading. What's a way to go about that?Do I upgrade the amp first, or the guitar, or both if I can afford? What price range for gear gets me out of the "starter" kit I'm in? $400, $500, $600 for a guitar? More?What about amps? When does one start to fiddle around with "pedals"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members polishpaul Posted May 17, 2012 Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 Back when I worked in a music store the only guitars that got "setup" were the cream of the crop. The owner didnt want time spent on the beginner to imtermediate guitars so they were sold as "out of the box". This increased the "illusion" that the more expensive guitars really were easier to play and more than one customer was talked into spending more $$$. You can do a lot of stuff yourself if you dont want to pay someone else. Heres a link- http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Books,_plans/Building_and_repair:_Guitar,_electric/How_To_Make_Your_Electric_Guitar_Play_Great.html?actn=100101&xst=3&xsr=603 I was about to post along the same lines. I have a Squier Vintage Custom Tele (which looks more like a Strat than the typical Tele) that I bought on impulse when back in England. The price was good enough to allow some investment, if needed. Well, the investment needed was time and not money. The guitar looked cool but it was horrendous to play. The pots were crackly, it hummed, the intonation was way off and it wouldn't stay in tune. So me being me, I took it to bits. A careful pair of hands, patience, a couple of screwdrivers and an Allen (hex) key did the job. I prized open the pots and cleaned them up and re-set the feeler tensions. I put thin pieces of metal under the saddle adjusting screws, since they were digging into the plate in gouges they had made over time. I added a zero fret up against the nut to improve the intonation - yesterday I did a check with a tuner and got extremely good readings all over the neck. The guitar was weird after lots of work, but it has settled down now. Before the work I surfed around - it's all there, and you can figure out what's going on in one sitting. Here's the link to the thread I did in the Loft, about the intonation issues, mainly: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?2666475-Turning-an-electric-into-a-musical-instrument....&highlight=turning+guitar+into+musical+instrument The important thing is to realize that setting up a guitar involves the art of compromise. It takes a while, and I needed to repeat the same operations several times to get to the point where I was sure I had the optimal set-up. The guitar is now a pleasure to play. I'll be putting on the new strings very soon - since the work I've since been playing with strings that had been off and on and stretched so many times it's a wonder none had broken earlier. I'd decided to wait for a breakage (two days ago) before changing them, and will be changing them one at a time. A point to consider....tune a string with the guitar in the vertical playing position, then re-check the tuning with the guitar laying horizontally on your lap - gravity! So make sure you check any adjustments with the guitar in playing position (slide players excluded, I suppose ). This kind of work is not for everyone, but if one is handy with simple tools and has the confidence, there's a lot of improvement to be had on any guitar. Just don't let a tool slip and scratch that lovely gloss finish, if you're a love-a-lovely-gloss-finish kind of person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GreenAsJade Posted May 17, 2012 Members Share Posted May 17, 2012 Most has been said here. One thing I will say is don't buy a modelling amp untill you really really know it's what you want. It's very seductive: the idea that you can buy and amp and effects all in one - and that's why they sell a lot. But then you are stuck with both the amp, which is a compromise amp, and the effects, which are compromise effects. What if you start to learn what distortion is supposed to sound like, and don't like the distortion in your modelling amp? There are good uses for modelling amps, situations where they work well for folk, and folk who'll tell you the sound is fantastic... surely is is for them... but resist the idea that it's a good place to start, because you sink a lot of money into a solution that _is_ a compromise and locks you in. GaJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NewGuyonGuitar Posted May 18, 2012 Author Members Share Posted May 18, 2012 I'll take a wild guess and say the Yamaha Pacifica came set up pretty darn well and should be fine unless you've screwed it up.I suggest have you instructor play it and help you tweak the set up if needed, school you on how the vibrato system works(strat type right?), how to change the strings, etc. the basic stuff any guitar player should know how to do.What kind of amp are you using? Amp is a Yamaha GA-15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members polishpaul Posted May 18, 2012 Members Share Posted May 18, 2012 Here's a couple of pages listing free amp sim stuff: http://rekkerd.org/fretted-synth http://freemusicsoftware.org/category/free-vst-effects-2/amp-simulators Free Amp 3 Full looks cool....will be trying it tomorrow. This site is amazing - free studio plugins to help you with your sound: http://www.terrywest.nl/index.html All good fun for those rainy days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonPhillips Posted May 18, 2012 Members Share Posted May 18, 2012 John Suhr said something along the lines of 'Most tone issues can be cured by practicing', which pretty much paraphrases the advice given by Mo and Jeremy. A Pacifica is an excellent guitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pine Apple Slim Posted May 18, 2012 Members Share Posted May 18, 2012 Amp is a Yamaha GA-15 That amp should be perfectly fine for practice. When you get to the point where yo want to jam with a full band with a drummer, you'll need a bigger amp.I'd be saving my money for that. No need to decide what kind yet, keep playing and learning. By the time you need it you may have a better idea of what you might prefer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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