Time to pick up a real guitar **Updated**

[Bigern1990]

**UPDATE**

Ok, so I went to Guitar Center yesterday. If you read through the other posts of mine on this thread here, you can see that I was sort of set on getting a Les Paul. I went expecting to get the Les Paul II Special Value Pack. That didn't happen. Turns out that that specific value pack has been discontinued, and that finding the guitar by itself was also going ot be hard. They told me they had none in stock, guitar or value pack. So I walked around the quite large store for about an hour trying out different guitar styles. They had plenty Les Paul Jr., and I was pretty comfortable when holding it. After a while my dad came up to me and said, "look what I found". They had 1 Les Paul Special II in the back of the store connected to an amp for people to test out. It was the color I wanted and everything. However, it wasn't in the value pack, which meant it was going to be alot more $$$.

So, I found the guitar I wanted. I wasn't going to have enough money if I bought everything separate though...so I got nothing at all. That's what would have happened if we were in an alternate universe, because I got the guitar and everything. My dad gave me the extra money I needed

In the end, I got:

Epiphone Les Paul Special II
Marshall MG10KK Kerry King Combo 10watt Amp
Bag Case
Stand
And the basics

In the end it came out to $379. My dad was playing on it before we got it, he said it was good. The guy at the Guitar Center who helped us out played on it and sounded awesome.

Now, I have all this and have already tried playing some tablature, but I need some tutorials or soemthing. Are there any good sites someone can point me to? Computer programs? Videos?

Thanx in advace guys, and heres a crappy cell phone image of all the stuff I got.



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**OLD TOPIC**

I think it's time that I start to learn a real guitar. My dad used to play guitar, but he stopped shortly after I was born because he had a kid to take care of :p

My dad was the one that suggested it while we were playing GH3 Customs the other night. He told me to get one of those cheap-o guitars that they have at Wal-mart for like $40, just incase I don't like it.

But are those guitars worth it? We always used to make fun of them because they seriously have to be utter garbage to be $40. Or should I spring for a value pack from guitar center?

I think i'd really take to it and enjoy it. I have the money to get a nicer guitar then a $40 one too. What do you guys think?

EDIT: Im not at all familiar with guitar companies though. Im also willing to spend between $100 - $300.
_________________

"Failure is not an option -- it comes bundled with Windows"

[Bigern1990]

**UPDATE**

Ok, so I went to Guitar Center yesterday. If you read through the other posts of mine on this thread here, you can see that I was sort of set on getting a Les Paul. I went expecting to get the Les Paul II Special Value Pack. That didn't happen. Turns out that that specific value pack has been discontinued, and that finding the guitar by itself was also going ot be hard. They told me they had none in stock, guitar or value pack. So I walked around the quite large store for about an hour trying out different guitar styles. They had plenty Les Paul Jr., and I was pretty comfortable when holding it. After a while my dad came up to me and said, "look what I found". They had 1 Les Paul Special II in the back of the store connected to an amp for people to test out. It was the color I wanted and everything. However, it wasn't in the value pack, which meant it was going to be alot more $$$.

So, I found the guitar I wanted. I wasn't going to have enough money if I bought everything separate though...so I got nothing at all. That's what would have happened if we were in an alternate universe, because I got the guitar and everything. My dad gave me the extra money I needed

In the end, I got:

Epiphone Les Paul Special II
Marshall MG10KK Kerry King Combo 10watt Amp
Bag Case
Stand
And the basics

In the end it came out to $379. My dad was playing on it before we got it, he said it was good. The guy at the Guitar Center who helped us out played on it and sounded awesome.

Now, I have all this and have already tried playing some tablature, but I need some tutorials or soemthing. Are there any good sites someone can point me to? Computer programs? Videos?

Thanx in advace guys, and heres a crappy cell phone image of all the stuff I got.



-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
**OLD TOPIC**

I think it's time that I start to learn a real guitar. My dad used to play guitar, but he stopped shortly after I was born because he had a kid to take care of :p

My dad was the one that suggested it while we were playing GH3 Customs the other night. He told me to get one of those cheap-o guitars that they have at Wal-mart for like $40, just incase I don't like it.

But are those guitars worth it? We always used to make fun of them because they seriously have to be utter garbage to be $40. Or should I spring for a value pack from guitar center?

I think i'd really take to it and enjoy it. I have the money to get a nicer guitar then a $40 one too. What do you guys think?

EDIT: Im not at all familiar with guitar companies though. Im also willing to spend between $100 - $300.
_________________

"Failure is not an option -- it comes bundled with Windows"

[krisdaschwab912]

If you're going to get a real guitar, get a REAL real guitar. Like 200 bucks. Don't go to Wal Mart.
_________________

krisdaschwab912's dream six-pack undergoing revision.

PiemanLK, on krisdaschwab912's legendary dating skills wrote:

I'd listen to him, he knows his way around with the ladies.

[krisdaschwab912]

If you're going to get a real guitar, get a REAL real guitar. Like 200 bucks. Don't go to Wal Mart.
_________________

krisdaschwab912's dream six-pack undergoing revision.

PiemanLK, on krisdaschwab912's legendary dating skills wrote:

I'd listen to him, he knows his way around with the ladies.

[Bigern1990]

[Bigern1990]

[Zackque]

Yeah, invest some money into one. Those Wal-Mart models are literally made out of crap. Not even good quality crap either. Try something cheap from Musicians Friend, Sam Ash, or Guitar Center.
_________________

If I ever saw an amputee being hanged,
I would just start yelling out letters.

2/13/08 3:33 PM: I am NEVER playing Through The Fire And Flames again.

Ain’t got no last words to say
Yellow streak right up my spine.
The gun in my mouth was real
And the taste blew my mind.

[Zackque]

Yeah, invest some money into one. Those Wal-Mart models are literally made out of crap. Not even good quality crap either. Try something cheap from Musicians Friend, Sam Ash, or Guitar Center.
_________________

If I ever saw an amputee being hanged,
I would just start yelling out letters.

2/13/08 3:33 PM: I am NEVER playing Through The Fire And Flames again.

Ain’t got no last words to say
Yellow streak right up my spine.
The gun in my mouth was real
And the taste blew my mind.

[HellAshes]

[HellAshes]

[Kerrang]

40 dollars? Don't even think about getting it. It will be horrible. If your serious about guitar, get some decent gear. Epiphone Les Paul's are great for beginners.

[Kerrang]

40 dollars? Don't even think about getting it. It will be horrible. If your serious about guitar, get some decent gear. Epiphone Les Paul's are great for beginners.

[Bigern1990]

[Bigern1990]

[N.T.F.]

If you 300$ is in your price range, get a dean. They are AMAZING guitars, stay in tune, have really comfortable necks, just all-around good.

[N.T.F.]

If you 300$ is in your price range, get a dean. They are AMAZING guitars, stay in tune, have really comfortable necks, just all-around good.

[TJShultz]

I'd check out http://www.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=52534 for some general tips.

Best advice I can give you:

1. Don't buy a wal-mart guitar. Even if you're not positive that you're going to be serious about playing guitar, invest a couple hundred bucks in a decent guitar. Learning on a piece of trash will make the process MUCH harder, and will contribute far more to you being discouraged than enjoying playing.

2. Don't feel the need to spend hundreds of dollars on your first amp. A 10-15W practice amp, like http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Crate-GTD15-Guitar-Amplifier-?sku=480057 will give you a perfectly acceptable amp to learn on. Plus, it has the benefit of having some built-in effects so that you'll be able to play with a few different sounds before you start investing in pedals/effects modules. There's no reason to invest more in a bigger amp until you've learned a bit and you know that you want to keep playing (and what kind of music you want to play). 15W doesn't sound like a lot, but it's plenty to get you started.

3. Don't buy a guitar on advice alone, and DO NOT BUY A GUITAR THAT YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED FIRST. In other words, don't order online. When you decide to buy your guitar or start looking at guitars, take someone with you that plays and knows a bit about what they're doing. Have them help you find a guitar that's inexpensive, but also well-made. Make sure the neck isn't bowed, the frets are even and smooth, make sure the action isn't too high or too low, and make sure that the intonation of the guitar is good!

What is intonation, and why is it important? Think of it as making sure that the notes of the guitar are consistent all the way up the neck - i.e., that the note at each fret is in tune with the notes above and below it. If your guitar's intonation is bad, some chords will sound in tune, and others won't. It will make playing (and listening to you play) a bad experience. The problem arises from the fact that the guitar has frets - different notes are achieved by shortening the length of a string by pressing down behind a particular fret. When you do that, however, you're stretching the string just a little bit, which is going to cause the note to sound sharp. The saddle, the nut, and the placement of the frets should compensate for this by ensuring that every note (and the open strings) sound sharp by the same amount, keeping each note in tune in relation to other notes. Intonation is important. Never buy a guitar that you have not actually heard being played!

Anyway, sorry for the long post, but I really do believe it's important to make sure that you get the best possible guitar when you start playing, even if you aren't going to be spending a lot. Even with an inexpensive guitar, you want to make sure that the craftsmanship is good. Good luck, and rock on!
_________________

nickb611 wrote:

Alright, let's review. 1) You're using numbers in place of words. 2) You're spelling at the second grade level. 3) You're posting in CAPS. 4) This post is in the wrong place, and should have been in Software. Conclusion: Custom songs are not your "cup of tea", and I'd suggest undertaking a much more simpler hobby. Perhaps tree watching.

[TJShultz]

I'd check out http://www.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=52534 for some general tips.

Best advice I can give you:

1. Don't buy a wal-mart guitar. Even if you're not positive that you're going to be serious about playing guitar, invest a couple hundred bucks in a decent guitar. Learning on a piece of trash will make the process MUCH harder, and will contribute far more to you being discouraged than enjoying playing.

2. Don't feel the need to spend hundreds of dollars on your first amp. A 10-15W practice amp, like http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Crate-GTD15-Guitar-Amplifier-?sku=480057 will give you a perfectly acceptable amp to learn on. Plus, it has the benefit of having some built-in effects so that you'll be able to play with a few different sounds before you start investing in pedals/effects modules. There's no reason to invest more in a bigger amp until you've learned a bit and you know that you want to keep playing (and what kind of music you want to play). 15W doesn't sound like a lot, but it's plenty to get you started.

3. Don't buy a guitar on advice alone, and DO NOT BUY A GUITAR THAT YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED FIRST. In other words, don't order online. When you decide to buy your guitar or start looking at guitars, take someone with you that plays and knows a bit about what they're doing. Have them help you find a guitar that's inexpensive, but also well-made. Make sure the neck isn't bowed, the frets are even and smooth, make sure the action isn't too high or too low, and make sure that the intonation of the guitar is good!

What is intonation, and why is it important? Think of it as making sure that the notes of the guitar are consistent all the way up the neck - i.e., that the note at each fret is in tune with the notes above and below it. If your guitar's intonation is bad, some chords will sound in tune, and others won't. It will make playing (and listening to you play) a bad experience. The problem arises from the fact that the guitar has frets - different notes are achieved by shortening the length of a string by pressing down behind a particular fret. When you do that, however, you're stretching the string just a little bit, which is going to cause the note to sound sharp. The saddle, the nut, and the placement of the frets should compensate for this by ensuring that every note (and the open strings) sound sharp by the same amount, keeping each note in tune in relation to other notes. Intonation is important. Never buy a guitar that you have not actually heard being played!

Anyway, sorry for the long post, but I really do believe it's important to make sure that you get the best possible guitar when you start playing, even if you aren't going to be spending a lot. Even with an inexpensive guitar, you want to make sure that the craftsmanship is good. Good luck, and rock on!
_________________

nickb611 wrote:

Alright, let's review. 1) You're using numbers in place of words. 2) You're spelling at the second grade level. 3) You're posting in CAPS. 4) This post is in the wrong place, and should have been in Software. Conclusion: Custom songs are not your "cup of tea", and I'd suggest undertaking a much more simpler hobby. Perhaps tree watching.

[WildcatTennis]

i got a gibson SG (the GH type) real guitar. it seems fine, and i got it at meijers for $100.
_________________

#1 fan for AWG!... I need a life.

[WildcatTennis]

i got a gibson SG (the GH type) real guitar. it seems fine, and i got it at meijers for $100.
_________________

#1 fan for AWG!... I need a life.

[Bigern1990]

Yeah, im gonna hit up Guitar Center this weekend. My dad remembers how to play a little, so he will most likely help me pick one out. Anyone know if those value packs are limited time deals?
_________________

"Failure is not an option -- it comes bundled with Windows"

[Bigern1990]

Yeah, im gonna hit up Guitar Center this weekend. My dad remembers how to play a little, so he will most likely help me pick one out. Anyone know if those value packs are limited time deals?
_________________

"Failure is not an option -- it comes bundled with Windows"

[WildcatTennis]

it sounds like a piece of shit, but you might want to consider an SG. it comes with basically everything, and it's sweet for GH fans.
_________________

#1 fan for AWG!... I need a life.

[WildcatTennis]

it sounds like a piece of shit, but you might want to consider an SG. it comes with basically everything, and it's sweet for GH fans.
_________________

#1 fan for AWG!... I need a life.

[lukecantplay]

www.musiciansfriend.com

you will definitely find better deals that guitar center at musician's friend. I started out with a Epiphone dot studio and a crate amp, but I was also thinking of buying the Ibanez pack. My advice: never EVER buy Daisy Rock.
_________________

Back on hiatus. Will only post if something REALLY enrages me...

[lukecantplay]

www.musiciansfriend.com

you will definitely find better deals that guitar center at musician's friend. I started out with a Epiphone dot studio and a crate amp, but I was also thinking of buying the Ibanez pack. My advice: never EVER buy Daisy Rock.
_________________

Back on hiatus. Will only post if something REALLY enrages me...

[Erodyne]

Get a Fender Starcaster bundle. It comes with everything you need to start playing, all you really need extra is another cord and dist. pedal, because the kind of dist. the amp has is really bad.

[Erodyne]

Get a Fender Starcaster bundle. It comes with everything you need to start playing, all you really need extra is another cord and dist. pedal, because the kind of dist. the amp has is really bad.

[Bigern1990]

When my dad came home from work, I talked to him about it some more. He filled in where I was a little confused or had no idea about a certain item. Turns out I may not need to go out and buy pedals, a stand, etc. My uncle still has his guitar and all of his accessories in his basement. Im not going to keep them, but he said I could borrow them until I got the hang of it. He has some really old electric guitar stuff, apparently it was really expensive stuff too.

I just took a look at Musician's Friend, and they do have slightly better prices. The Les Paul Special II was $20 cheaper. Is Musician's Friend an online only store? If so, im still going to go to Guitar Center to hold/get a feel for the guitars. Once I know which one I want ill probably order it online then.

I really like the look of the SG too. I think im going to be in Guitar Center all day saturday :p

EDIT: I just found the value pack I wanted from Guitar Center, it's $30 cheaper on Musician's Friend, but once again I have not held that guitar yet. I just really like the look of it.

EDIT 2: And I also just found out that it's discontinued Oh well, there's other guitars.
_________________

"Failure is not an option -- it comes bundled with Windows"

[Bigern1990]

When my dad came home from work, I talked to him about it some more. He filled in where I was a little confused or had no idea about a certain item. Turns out I may not need to go out and buy pedals, a stand, etc. My uncle still has his guitar and all of his accessories in his basement. Im not going to keep them, but he said I could borrow them until I got the hang of it. He has some really old electric guitar stuff, apparently it was really expensive stuff too.

I just took a look at Musician's Friend, and they do have slightly better prices. The Les Paul Special II was $20 cheaper. Is Musician's Friend an online only store? If so, im still going to go to Guitar Center to hold/get a feel for the guitars. Once I know which one I want ill probably order it online then.

I really like the look of the SG too. I think im going to be in Guitar Center all day saturday :p

EDIT: I just found the value pack I wanted from Guitar Center, it's $30 cheaper on Musician's Friend, but once again I have not held that guitar yet. I just really like the look of it.

EDIT 2: And I also just found out that it's discontinued Oh well, there's other guitars.
_________________

"Failure is not an option -- it comes bundled with Windows"