Learning to play guitar...

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I'd avoid tubes unless you're playing with others or have the space and ability to blow the windows out. I have a 20-watt Marshall tube head and a 15-watt Fender Blues Jr, and both are way too loud to crank at home. You're not getting any of the benefits of playing with tubes if it's just at bedroom levels, unless you're looking at the boutique market of very low wattage tube amps.

It depends on a lot of different factors, but some tube amps still sound really good at lower volume levels, sometimes due to generating the gain at the preamp stage.  My Mesa Mark V and EVH 5150 III are this way, for example.  But if you have something like an old Marshall that generates it at the the power amp stage, or even a Rectifier, yeah, those don't sound so great unless you can crank them to pretty obscene levels. 

[Skeever]

I'd avoid tubes unless you're playing with others or have the space and ability to blow the windows out. I have a 20-watt Marshall tube head and a 15-watt Fender Blues Jr, and both are way too loud to crank at home. You're not getting any of the benefits of playing with tubes if it's just at bedroom levels, unless you're looking at the boutique market of very low wattage tube amps.

It depends on a lot of different factors, but some tube amps still sound really good at lower volume levels, sometimes due to generating the gain at the preamp stage.  My Mesa Mark V and EVH 5150 III are this way, for example.  But if you have something like an old Marshall that generates it at the the power amp stage, or even a Rectifier, yeah, those don't sound so great unless you can crank them to pretty obscene levels.

That's true, yeah. There's also attenuators. While I use my Katana for most "metal" practice, there are times when I still want to use the Marshall 20 watt tube head / cab combo I've got to play at home. Since the 10 watt setting is still too loud, I run a cheap attenuator made my Keeley through the FX loop, which allows me to crank the amp but then turn down the overall volume with those preamp tubes completely saturated.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Yeah, there are tricks like that as well.  People online underestimate the volume scaling of wattage and how loud amps are.  Even my "toy" Marshall MS-4, only 1 watt, is still too loud for someone to use in an apartment with thin walls. 

[Elite]

Use something you can plug headphones into then, or play without an amp.

[MinistroRaven]

Guys can you help with some links to some used amps?

[DoctorAction]

I often play my electrics unplugged when watching tv but bought one of these little fellas just for when I'm sat on the sofa and want a bit more fullness. Cheap and great for what it is.

https://www.roland.com/uk/products/micro_cube_gx/

[Skeever]

Guys can you help with some links to some used amps?

You know reverb.com?

What are you looking for generally?

https://reverb.com/marketplace?product_type=amps&query=Boss%20Katana-50%20MkII%2050-Watt%201x12%22%20Digital%20Modeling%20Guitar%20Combo&condition=used

How about this?

[Lonk]

Yeah, Reverb.com is a good website to look for gear. You can also check Guitar Center, every so often you can find a good deal there.

[Stadler]

I often play my electrics unplugged when watching tv but bought one of these little fellas just for when I'm sat on the sofa and want a bit more fullness. Cheap and great for what it is.

https://www.roland.com/uk/products/micro_cube_gx/

That's what I do; while I'm watching TV I play along unplugged.  Now that I'm moved into my new home, I have a room with my gear and it's nice. 

[MinistroRaven]

Guys can you help with some links to some used amps?

You know reverb.com?

What are you looking for generally?

https://reverb.com/marketplace?product_type=amps&query=Boss%20Katana-50%20MkII%2050-Watt%201x12%22%20Digital%20Modeling%20Guitar%20Combo&condition=used

How about this?

Thank you. I´ll check it

[MinistroRaven]

I checked the reverb site and took that model and searched on Amazon, and it led me to this one:

https://www.amazon.com/-/es/katana-mini-Bater%C3%ADa-Powered-Amplificador-Guitarra/dp/B072XKP8TH/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&keywords=Boss%20Katana-50%20MkII&language=en_US&qid=1636555061&sr=8-9

Apparently it works with 4 AA batteries, but then I saw this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Fender-Mustang-LT-25-Digital-Amplifier/dp/B07N29M92M/ref=psdc_11968291_t3_B072XKP8TH?th=1

What you guys think?

[Skeever]

I checked the reverb site and took that model and searched on Amazon, and it led me to this one:

https://www.amazon.com/-/es/katana-mini-Bater%C3%ADa-Powered-Amplificador-Guitarra/dp/B072XKP8TH/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&keywords=Boss%20Katana-50%20MkII&language=en_US&qid=1636555061&sr=8-9

Apparently it works with 4 AA batteries, but then I saw this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Fender-Mustang-LT-25-Digital-Amplifier/dp/B07N29M92M/ref=psdc_11968291_t3_B072XKP8TH?th=1

What you guys think?

I own the Katana, and in the past I've owned the Mustang. Katana is more my thing. It has its own sound with different levels of distortion, plus a primitive EQ and reverb. You tweak the distortion, EQ, reverb, etc with the knobs on the speaker. You just plug in and play.

Mustang - It does not have its own sound but has "Models" of lots of famous amps (Fender, Marshall, Mesa, etc.) that sound more or less like approximations of sounds you would recall from famous records. Lots of different options and effects, but fairly limited in how you can apply them or tweak them. Since I don't care for most of the amp models, a lot of what this amp had to offer felt like clutter.

For my main setup, I have a 20 watt tube Marshall head and 2x12 speaker with a pedal board with tons of pedals. I have no need for a practice amp that emulates those bells and whistles.

[MinistroRaven]

I checked the reverb site and took that model and searched on Amazon, and it led me to this one:

https://www.amazon.com/-/es/katana-mini-Bater%C3%ADa-Powered-Amplificador-Guitarra/dp/B072XKP8TH/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&keywords=Boss%20Katana-50%20MkII&language=en_US&qid=1636555061&sr=8-9

Apparently it works with 4 AA batteries, but then I saw this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Fender-Mustang-LT-25-Digital-Amplifier/dp/B07N29M92M/ref=psdc_11968291_t3_B072XKP8TH?th=1

What you guys think?

I own the Katana, and in the past I've owned the Mustang. Katana is more my thing. It has its own sound with different levels of distortion, plus a primitive EQ and reverb. You tweak the distortion, EQ, reverb, etc with the knobs on the speaker. You just plug in and play.

Mustang - It does not have its own sound but has "Models" of lots of famous amps (Fender, Marshall, Mesa, etc.) that sound more or less like approximations of sounds you would recall from famous records. Lots of different options and effects, but fairly limited in how you can apply them or tweak them. Since I don't care for most of the amp models, a lot of what this amp had to offer felt like clutter.

For my main setup, I have a 20 watt tube Marshall head and 2x12 speaker with a pedal board with tons of pedals. I have no need for a practice amp that emulates those bells and whistles.

Thanks for the feedbacl, I think I´ll research more on the Katana plus it´s more on my price range. I will learn to play guitar for now, I dont think I need something too fancy to get started.

[MinistroRaven]

Has any of you used this one?

https://www.amazon.com/-/es/2311300000-Fender-Mustang-Micro/dp/B08TRQS1TX/

[T-ski]

This thread bump has given me some juice to start learning again. Working on a Christmas tune!

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I have the Katana 100W. It works great for an apt and you can plug it directly into your PC for shaping the tone and recording too, if I am not mistaken. I've always dreamed of owning a tube amp but I just can't do that in an apt-- plus the technology on the digital side has made tremendous strides and can get pretty close. I also have a Fender Champion which is decent, but given the similarity in price, I buy the Katana all day.

[T-ski]

This thread bump has given me some juice to start learning again. Working on a Christmas tune!

After four weeks I’ve managed to learn the song, though it’s pretty rough. I’ll still post a vid of me massacring it next week.

[Lonk]

This thread bump has given me some juice to start learning again. Working on a Christmas tune!

After four weeks I’ve managed to learn the song, though it’s pretty rough. I’ll still post a vid of me massacring it next week.

Hey! Progress is progress, and is those little accomplishments that motivate you to keep on going.

[T-ski]

Well, after about 15 takes I was able to get through it with minimal mistakes. Here is me trying to play “Carol of the Bells”….

https://youtu.be/Xo2JI0hHS18

[Lonk]

Sounds good to me, keep it up

[Elite]

Hey, good job man! That doesn't look like an 'easy' piece to play, considering the time you've been playing guitar, especially with the faster passages and the position shifts.

Excuse me if this is not what you're looking for; I just want to help you out, so if you allow me to give some pointers;

- your right hand is doing well! Make sure you're not pressing too hard on the strings, but it doesn't seem like you're doing that, and always play with the tip of your fingers. In general, I'd suggest you keep your fingers closer to the strings at all times, especially your ring finger and pinky. They sometimes have to come from quite far away. Having them closer to the fretboard increases accuracy and efficiency. For this, you might need to turn your whole hand slightly.

- your left hand looks as if it's very tight. The picking hand is difficult, because you want it to make minimal movements, but the movements should ideally come from the wrist only and should be as relaxed as possible. In the video you posted, it looks as if your forearm is doing part of the job as well. It should be sort-of like flicking your wrist, but then with a guitar pick. I'd also recommend you to learn how to alternate pick, moving the hand up and down, rather than just down. This makes for some more natural movement in the wrist. A good way to practice this is by strumming chords and playing stuff over multiple string sets, rather than single-note lines.

- in general I hear some unwanted string noise here and there; strings ringing out longer, or open strings sounding where you don't want them. Muting strings is an important part of playing guitar, but very difficult to get used to (in my experience). You use both hands for this; your fretting hand can mute all the higher strings by slightly touching them so they don't ring, your picking hand can also mute strings by resting on them close to the bridge. This is more difficult to explain in written text, so I recommend you look up a video that explains this as well.

Keep it up!

[T-ski]

Hey, good job man! That doesn't look like an 'easy' piece to play, considering the time you've been playing guitar, especially with the faster passages and the position shifts.

Excuse me if this is not what you're looking for; I just want to help you out, so if you allow me to give some pointers;

- your right hand is doing well! Make sure you're not pressing too hard on the strings, but it doesn't seem like you're doing that, and always play with the tip of your fingers. In general, I'd suggest you keep your fingers closer to the strings at all times, especially your ring finger and pinky. They sometimes have to come from quite far away. Having them closer to the fretboard increases accuracy and efficiency. For this, you might need to turn your whole hand slightly.

- your left hand looks as if it's very tight. The picking hand is difficult, because you want it to make minimal movements, but the movements should ideally come from the wrist only and should be as relaxed as possible. In the video you posted, it looks as if your forearm is doing part of the job as well. It should be sort-of like flicking your wrist, but then with a guitar pick. I'd also recommend you to learn how to alternate pick, moving the hand up and down, rather than just down. This makes for some more natural movement in the wrist. A good way to practice this is by strumming chords and playing stuff over multiple string sets, rather than single-note lines.

- in general I hear some unwanted string noise here and there; strings ringing out longer, or open strings sounding where you don't want them. Muting strings is an important part of playing guitar, but very difficult to get used to (in my experience). You use both hands for this; your fretting hand can mute all the higher strings by slightly touching them so they don't ring, your picking hand can also mute strings by resting on them close to the bridge. This is more difficult to explain in written text, so I recommend you look up a video that explains this as well.

Keep it up!

Thanks for the tips!

I picked this song because it was supposed to be a good song to learn to alternate pick, but I was struggling with it and wanted to get through the song by Christmas. I’m going to keep working on it to see if I can start to get comfortable with the alternate picking.

I know my picking hand is wrong. It feels tight when I’m doing it. I’m trying to remember to relax more while playing.

I’ll take any forms of critique, good or bad, so don’t be afraid to speak up!

[T-ski]

Piddling around with an underrated 80’s solo. I’m learning my cheap amp has major limitations.

And I’m having a real hard time with string buzz.

ETA: I just remembered I’ve never had the guitar properly set up, what is a standard price I should expect to have this done? Mind you it’s a $100 guitar.

[Elite]

Don’ bother with a 100 dollar guitar, I’d say.. You could try it out yourself, though it’s tricky, but usually the price to get it done in a shop (over here) would be the equivalent of something like 30-50 dollars. I do it with my guitars every few years, especially before recording stuff.

Why do you think it needs to be set up?

[T-ski]

Don’ bother with a 100 dollar guitar, I’d say.. You could try it out yourself, though it’s tricky, but usually the price to get it done in a shop (over here) would be the equivalent of something like 30-50 dollars. I do it with my guitars every few years, especially before recording stuff.

Why do you think it needs to be set up?

Everything sounds better near the headstock and worse towards the bridge. I’m also not sure the strings are all at the right height.

But again, it’s a $100 guitar, so…..

[Lonk]

The price for a standard setup around here is anywhere from $25 to $40, and if you want them to clean the neck/frets, and do any adjustment to the trust rod, you could be paying $80+. Look at your guitar straight down the neck from the headstock, and see if the neck is warped. Something like this:



If it does, the strings are putting to much pressure on the neck and the truss rod needs to be adjusted.

[T-ski]

The price for a standard setup around here is anywhere from $25 to $40, and if you want them to clean the neck/frets, and do any adjustment to the trust rod, you could be paying $80+. Look at your guitar straight down the neck from the headstock, and see if the neck is warped. Something like this:



If it does, the strings are putting to much pressure on the neck and the truss rod needs to be adjusted.

It looks pretty straight to me, not bowing one way or the other.

[Snow Dog]

How is the intonation on the guitar? Meaning if it’s in tune with an open string, is it still in tune at the 12th fret  (same pitch but an octave higher) for each string, or is it sharp or flat there? It’s a pretty easy adjustment to make.

And I just realized you mentioned string buzz as the problem. Sounds like the string action is possibly too low which would contribute to that noise.  The bridge probably needs a check or adjustment which I haven’t had to do myself, but there are probably videos online that would guide you through it.

[T-ski]

How is the intonation on the guitar? Meaning if it’s in tune with an open string, is it still in tune at the 12th fret  (same pitch but an octave higher) for each string, or is it sharp or flat there? It’s a pretty easy adjustment to make.

Ya, nothing is in tune if I’m on the 12th fret.

And I just realized you mentioned string buzz as the problem. Sounds like the string action is possibly too low which would contribute to that noise.  The bridge probably needs a check or adjustment which I haven’t had to do myself, but there are probably videos online that would guide you through it.

I’ll look into this.

[T-ski]

I won $175 in my fantasy football league and I’m debating on upgrading from my $100 guitar.

I keep reading great things about Harley Benton’s as great, affordable guitars. I’ve been looking at this one….

https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_benton_cst_24t_lh_ocean_flame.htm

Any opinions?

[DoctorAction]

Looks real pretty for not too many beer tokens!

I think they have a very solid reputation now, and I would expect Thomann's customer service to be excellent.

I've bought ten guitars online since covid began (and kept 5), and I would say this. Regardless of brand, price and reviews, go into it half expecting to send it back for small quality reasons. And expect to do some minor set-up tasks. This is intimidating but I've not caused any problems yet. Go slow and steady.

We have at least a couple of weeks to send things back here in the UK/Europe regardless of cause, so just treat it really carefully so you can repack it and return it.

And:

(Guitars with fixed bridges are much easier to set-up than ones with whammy bars)

(In this period I've had quality problems from problematic frets, to where the tuners have been screwed on, to vibrating truss rods, to problems with the nut, to issues with the finish/glue/edges. I'll always expect some tiny issue but it's just a case of what you're happy with, does it do what you want it to and ultimately make you happy)

[Elite]

I have no experience with that brand, but I know it's Thomann's own make. They're a very reliable shop over here in Europe, so I'd expect them to be similar in the US. I have only ever bought one guitar without playing it before, and that was a $2500 one, so I was quite sure it be good, but mass-made guitars occasionally will have slip-ups (frets, angled neck, 'ugly' parts), so I would always recommend to try it out before playing. Like DoctorAction says above, expect to send it back.

One thing though; do not get the whammy bar! (Unless you *really* want it, I suppose). In my experience, whammy bars on 'cheap' guitars aren't all too good and cause the guitar to go out of tune easily and often. I also rarely - if ever - use it, but that's personal preference.

[gazinwales]

I'd go for a Squire, I have always found them to be pretty good value for money.

[Stadler]

I'm no professional musician, but I can't imagine paying any real money for a guitar without playing it first.   I have had three Squires (by the way, for the money, a solid guitar; I have a Squire now and it might actually be my favorite playing guitar) and all played different.  I've played a number of Strats and they all played different.  The only one that is relatively constant is the higher end Les Paul's (with the necks with the "border"; I don't know what that's called).  Those are fairly uniform.   Even the Epiphone I have plays a lot like the Les Paul I had.  The quality isn't QUITE the same, but for the money, I'm not sure that's a legit quibble.  I paid barely a quarter of the price for even a moderately priced Les Paul for my Epiphone.  It was still $350 from a pawn shop, though, so likely out of your price range.

I don't know what it's like where you are, but I know for me, pawn shops can be MONEY when it comes to guitars.  I'm not sure you're going to find a holy grail guitar, but you can find a good quality instrument for a fair price.  I bought that Squire I still have from a pawn shop for $50 cash.  I'm going to swap out the pickups (the ones in there are junk) but still. They work, and I paid $50. 

[WilliamMunny]

At the risk of coming off like a fanboy (but hey, if not here, then where?), I've had the privlege of owning/playing just about every A-brand guitar over the years, and for my money, there is NOTHING that can compare to Music Man JP6. I purchased my first JP6 back on 2000, and my 'number one' has more miles on it than just about anything else I own (save for my knees).

Now, I know, I know, you're not looking to spend a couple grand on a guitar, but I will personally attest to the quality of the Sterling imprint. Sterling manufactures an overseas version of the Music Man line, and their JP6 https://sterlingbymusicman.com/products/jp60 is a tremendous value. Highly recommended!

In my humble opinion, $600 is well worth the price of admission. I mean, if you compare to the cost of a phone/xbox/tv, I think it's hardly an expensive instrument. I realize I'm a guitarist, so everything I'm saying is pretty biased, but I would never let a few hundred dollars come between me and 'better' instrument.

In a world full of built-in obsolesence, guitars are one of the very few things that can actually outlive their owners.