What's a good first amp

[kidsmoke]

I've got a freind who needs an amp. Here's the story.
She's been playing acoustic guitar for several years, plays piano, sings, even does open mic's etc. Has a beautiful solid wood Takamine AE that she uses.

Well, yesterday she took the plunge and went to the darkside, and bought my newest Idol from me. As you know from other threads, this is a great LP style guitar with Duncan SH-1 '59 neck and a TB-11 CustomCustom bridge p'up. (http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=16922)

She has no amp, and asked what she should get. Another guitarist friend told her to pick up a BJr. Certainly, an excellent amp, and she can afford one. But for someone with NO electric guitar experience, but who isn't a beginner guitarist, I wonder if a good quality modeling amp (Vox, Roland) isn't a better place to start. It allows her to explore a broader sonic spectrum without huge investment, then, after finding what direction she may want to go, she can spend the money on a high end amp and pedals for that flavor.

What's your opinion?

[Heywood Jablomie]

I wonder if a good quality modeling amp (Vox, Roland) isn't a better place to start. It allows her to explore a broader sonic spectrum without huge investment, then, after finding what direction she may want to go, she can spend the money on a high end amp and pedals for that flavor.

What's your opinion?
I agree. I have a Cube 30X, and really enjoy experimenting with the models and effects, which is way more fun than my previous non-modeling, no-effects amp.

[tunghaichuan]

I've got a freind who needs an amp. Here's the story.
She's been playing acoustic guitar for several years, plays piano, sings, even does open mic's etc. Has a beautiful solid wood Takamine AE that she uses.

Well, yesterday she took the plunge and went to the darkside, and bought my newest Idol from me. As you know from other threads, this is a great LP style guitar with Duncan SH-1 '59 neck and a TB-11 CustomCustom bridge p'up. (http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=16922)

She has no amp, and asked what she should get. Another guitarist friend told her to pick up a BJr. Certainly, an excellent amp, and she can afford one. But for someone with NO electric guitar experience, but who isn't a beginner guitarist, I wonder if a good quality modeling amp (Vox, Roland) isn't a better place to start. It allows her to explore a broader sonic spectrum without huge investment, then, after finding what direction she may want to go, she can spend the money on a high end amp and pedals for that flavor.

What's your opinion?

I think you're on the right track with modelling amps. They have a wide variety of sounds on tap, and can be useful if a player doesn't know what kind of sound he/she likes yet.

My vote would be for the Roland Cube series. The Cube 30x is a nice starter amp, although my personal preference would be the Cube 80x because it has a 12" speaker.

Keep in mind that solid state amps don't sound better if you crank them up like tube amps do, so with solid state you want more power to give you head room. You don't want the amp to clip at all.

In fact, I would recommend against a tube amp as a first amp just because they require maintenance, i.e., changing tubes, etc.

[wingsdad]

Absolutely the way to go, T.

Heywood's suggested Roland Cube is a good one, particularly for the reason Tung points out to go S/S, and as you're thinking Roland/Vox. I've sampled but not had a Vox or 3, but I had a Cube 30 for a while, but now I have a MicroCube. That and a Boss ME-50 or similar mult-Fx unit can cover a ton of ground with minimal need for a rocket science setup.

Now that she has the option to express herself thru an amp not only with the Tak but with an excellent 'dark side' instro, less limited than the average LP-type with the Idol's VCC allowing her to explore a range of humbucker/singe coil pickup settings... what's her primary use/need?

Home amusement, practice? Maybe jamming with a friend(s) at home or at get-togethers? Home or outside Studio Recording? Songwriting Tool?

Or is playing out more perhaps a bit more than occasional open mics in the cards? Steadier gig? Larger than cafe or sub-100 seat bar venues?

The Micro is fine for just noodling around the house, and shines as a home recording tool, but probably too limited for playing out. The C-30 fits well with all of the above applications. If bigger venues might happen, she might consider going to a C-60. With either of the latter ones, or with any such amp, definitely go with the dual footswitch option for simplicity's sake.

But if the Blues Jr has a potent appeal, then to avoid the hassle and distraction of tube amp maintenance, the SuperChamp SD things has been raved about a bunch here. I've never had a chance to plug into 1, but it seems like a contender to consider.

[Algonquin]

My vote would be for the Roland Cube series. The Cube 30x is a nice starter amp, although my personal preference would be the Cube 80x because it has a 12" speaker.
I've always been a fan of Roland products, and the Cube X series amps are a great bang for the buck. Tung is right about the 80x being a step above the others with its 12" speaker, but the 30x is no slouch for a first, or practice amp.
zBwq4UXI9VA

[tunghaichuan]

Here's a new one from Roland, looks like an upgraded 40-watt version of the Cube 30:

http://www.roland.com/products/en/CUBE-40XL/

They seem to add to that line and make improvements all the time.

[Eric]

But if the Blues Jr has a potent appeal, then to avoid the hassle and distraction of tube amp maintenance, the SuperChamp SD things has been raved about a bunch here. I've never had a chance to plug into 1, but it seems like a contender to consider.
In reading this thread, I had almost forgotten about the SuperChamp XD. I've never played one, nor have I played a Roland, but from what I know (read: online opinions), the SCXD might have an edge.

I still remember getting into electric guitar, and if I was guiding myself through it again, I'd probably opt for a good modeling amp or comparable like Roland, SCXD, Spider IV (hey, reviews of them are good!), Vox VT series and/or Tech 21.

See which one she gets the hang of first and is easiest to get a good tone out of. In my experience, potential is not as important as usability in the beginning stages. You'd never want to give someone a Boss GT-10 or Mesa Boogie amp if they were just starting out, because they take so long to tweak.

Keep us updated, if you don't mind, and good luck!

[Tig]

If the Fender SCXD is too much to spend, I'd consider the new Fender Mustang 1 (http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=2300010000) for $100 or maybe a Vox VT15.
Add $100 for the Mustang 2 or VT30.

EDIT: Missed the part about expenses not being an issue, so my vote would be the Fender SCXD for a cool first amph.

[kidsmoke]

Thank for the feedback. I myself have a RC30X, and use it all the time, great little amp, and the reason I suggested it to her. I appreciate the broader range of exposure here, I know Vox and Fender, Crate and others make amps in this category, but I've not played many. Can't see a small SS ampo being much better, especially when you consider the JC (clean) channel. It is simply awesome.

But hold the press, that 40XL has a f*#&@ng LOOPER ON BOARD?!?!?!
AND it costs 60 bucks LESS than the 30X?!?!?:thwap

That's amazing. I had told her to consider a looper, as I found it a tremendous help when I transitioned to electric. The Boss loopers are great, and made by Roland. If it uses that same technology, all for 200??? Insane.

Keep it coming. Other suggestions are welcome.

[kidsmoke]

Keep us updated, if you don't mind, and good luck!

I will! And I've sent her the link to this thread, so she may be lurking before long. Except, I think she actually works when she's at her desk, instead of surfing all the links I send her.....poor thing.

[Eric]

I will! And I've sent her the link to this thread, so she may be lurking before long. Except, I think she actually works when she's at her desk, instead of surfing all the links I send her.....poor thing.
She has some sort of mental condition, I take it?? ;) Godspeed, new electric guitaress!

[Algonquin]

But hold the press, that 40XL has a f*#&@ng LOOPER ON BOARD?!?!?!
AND it costs 60 bucks LESS than the 30X?!?!?:thwap
Dang!!! :drool:

[Heywood Jablomie]

Yeah, I just learned about the 40XL a few days ago, and at $199 it's a frickin bargain. I have a feeling that the other brands will have to lower their prices to compete. It looks like SS guitar amps are going the way of other consumer electronics with more features and ever-lower prices.

Edit: The 40 appears to be the replacement for the 30. Kewl!

[markb]

The Cube would be a great beginner choice. Not only a wide range of amps and effects but, more importantly, a transparent interface. No menus, no patches, no red/green voicing variations, no software editing, just knobs and switches. Plug and play.

[ZMAN]

+1 on the Super Champ XD. Light and easy to carry, one cord and probably the best modelling of any amp I have heard. I own most of the amps that it is modelling and did some extensive A/B Testing and it sounds as good as 2500 bucks worth of amps and pedals. 299 and you can get it in Blonde from GC.

[Blaze]

m5H6hk8yA-s

[Mike S.]

The Super Champ XD hands down. The absolute best tone, versatility, features and bang for buck in that price range.

[pedalbuilder]

New guy here, so ignore me at will, but I am going to humbly disagree with all of the modelling amp sentiment here. Not that there's anything wrong with a modelling amp, but I always recommend that people start out with a solid, basic clean setup and learn to play with that and grow from there.

One thing that a lot of people who are new to electric guitar seem to do is lean on their equipment. If you can get a great sound by pushing a button, you are less likely to learn about picking dynamics and using your guitar and amp volume and tone controls to get the sound you want. For me, I know it was years before I ever touched my guitar's volume knob - I was playing Boss digital modelling rigs and almost any sound I wanted was at my disposal. Plug me into a clean amp, though, and all of my inadequacies as a player shone through. Once you have the skills though, you can make these digital toys sound fantastic!

Anyway - my vote would be a good tube amp - the Blues Junior is a way to go, and there are other options as well (in that price range a used Traynor YCV-40 is a really nice option). She sounds like she's already a musician who likely understands tone and whatnot so once she's settled in she can thing about changing the speaker, adding effects, or whatnot and developing her own tone .

[sunvalleylaw]

I almost went the modeling route for my first amph. In fact, the Vox AD series is what brought me here. But I ended up with a used Peavey Classic 30 (which I still would take over a Blues Jr.) as my first, after listening to a lot of clips (StingX's were key, among others), and have been extremely happy with my choice. I do enjoy plugging into my son's Peavey Vypyr modeler, which has a looper if you buy the pedal too. And it is a very good first amph for him, but I am quite happy with my C-30 as my first.

[Robert]

Pro Junior rocks too!

[sunvalleylaw]

Yep they do. I got to play though one and next to one while I was playing through my c-30 a year or two ago. The Jr. was nice, but I thought I liked mine just as well and it was cheaper. It was more a subtle difference in flavor thing.

[Heywood Jablomie]

The question was, "what's a good first amp", and I think all of the suggestions are viable ones. I think we all can agree that there are many good choices, perhaps too many. Since this person is already a guitar player, she may have some idea which type (modeling vs non-modeling) she may prefer (I won't get into the tube vs SS argument). I do maintain that for a hobbyist who doesn't want the complexity of an amp and multiple pedals, a modeling amp is more fun, lessening the probability of getting bored with it vs.a one-trick amp.

[sunvalleylaw]

Yeah, I sure didn't mean to get into a discussion of what economical tube amph or whatever. My only point in this thread is that I was a newb a couple years back, considered the modelers, and for me, chose the tubes. My son on the other hand really enjoys his modeling amph. Two good ways to go depending on what she wants.

[Perfect Stranger]

If she want a modeler.....the Fender Mustang II or the Fender SCXD

If she wants tube - Fender Blues Jr. or Jet City RC2112 or Blackheart HW5

[djmcconnell]

I would never argue AGAINST a good tube amp, but my 4-yr-old Vox AD30VT has been an awesome first amp for me. I am forever playing around with the amp models, though don't use the onboard affects much since I got the M13.

A buddy of mine who plays out professionally has borrowed it for gigs several times, and he LOVES this amp. Small as it is, it has plenty of power for their application, it he said it plays like a $500 amp (though I did replace the stock speaker with a nice Celestion, so that makes a difference).

[pedalbuilder]

I think we all can agree that there are many good choices, perhaps too many.

Yes - absolutely - say what you will about vintage this and that, this is something of a golden age for general access to outstanding equipment.

[kidsmoke]

Pedalbuilder, I think I missed you when joining, so welcome aboard. Glad to have your input.

I hear what you're saying about learning with clean tones and just focusing on skill, technique and the like. I guess my thought was that for someone who is a musician, playing out regularly, and is now adding electric to their "pallet", maybe being able to explore a wide range of tones without a needing lots of gear would be a benefit.

One thing I love about my Roland is the JC120 clean channel, which is just amazing with the 59 neck in my Idol. And as you say, lays bare my imperfections.

Where this isn't a 13 year old who's getting it as a gift to "see if it'll take", the notion of noodling with all the various tones until they're bored isn't a concern. I Imagine that she'll use it to learn electric technique, then to mimic tones for certain covers as needed. After a while, it's time for upgraded gear.

and your comment about "good gear cheap" is spot on.

Yeah, I'm still not 100% which is best. There's a proJr at my school, new, for 250.00. that alone would make my mind up..

[Katastrophe]

If you don't mind me jumping in late and asking a bunch of questions...

Will she be needing effects? Is she tech savvy? What style of music will she be playing on the electric?

Put me in for a ss amph with onboard reverb for a first amp. Simplicity is key here, until the player learns what they like / dislike about amphs.

I would suggest the following:

Peavey Bandit
Peavey Envoy
Vox AC 15 VR
Vox AC 30 VR
Tech 21 Trademark 60 1x12

Easy to maintain, have reputations for good tone, and have good cleans for learning.

Of course all the other recommendations are great, too... I just went with "simple to operate" as the overriding factor.

[Jimi75]

I would always recommend not to go tube with the first amph.
Most starters play a lot at home and it is important to have a good and diverse amp at home. Esepcially here in Europe, we have smaller houses and most people live in flats and you can get in severe trouble with a tube amp.

Full pleasure can be achieved with a Roland Cube, Vox AX 15/30 or a nice Line6 Spider.

A first real tube amph can be a used Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.

[Heywood Jablomie]

Full pleasure can be achieved with a Roland Cube, Vox AX 15/30 or a nice Line6 Spider.
Sounds sexy.......

[Jimi75]

Sounds sexy.......

It's meant to be sounding sexy ;-)

[Tig]

One thing that a lot of people who are new to electric guitar seem to do is lean on their equipment. If you can get a great sound by pushing a button, you are less likely to learn about picking dynamics and using your guitar and amp volume and tone controls to get the sound you want.

Plug me into a clean amp, though, and all of my inadequacies as a player shone through. Once you have the skills though, you can make these digital toys sound fantastic!


Excellent point you brought up. I remember all the unwanted noise my pick and fingers made when switching from a digital modelling amp to a class A tube amp. It taught me to clean up my pick and finger attack in my right hand.

[pedalbuilder]

:offtopic

Being the noob here I have to ask - why are folks here spelling amp with an h, like amph? I've never seen this before, but I'm seeing it a lot here.

[Heywood Jablomie]

:offtopic

Being the noob here I have to ask - why are folks here spelling amp with an h, like amph? I've never seen this before, but I'm seeing it a lot here.
Doesn't everybody spell it that way?

[Tig]

:offtopic

Being the noob here I have to ask - why are folks here spelling amp with an h, like amph? I've never seen this before, but I'm seeing it a lot here.

I direct you to the source. Enjoy! :rotflmao:
http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=403

[pedalbuilder]

I direct you to the source. Enjoy! :rotflmao:
http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=403

:thwap

Nice! Thanks for the heads up - I think I know this guy. Actually, I know about 10 of this guy!

[sunvalleylaw]

It's part of the noob initiation rituals to have to ask. :AOK :spank ;)

[NWBasser]

m5H6hk8yA-s

Dang, that Alex Hutchings is an amazing player!

So far as as amph recommendations go, I'll throw in a suggestion for a Mesa Triple rec and 4x12.:rockya

Nothing better than learning new chords at 150 dB.:R

And you can get screaming soloes..

[Katastrophe]

Dang, that Alex Hutchings is an amazing player!

So far as as amph recommendations go, I'll throw in a suggestion for a Mesa Triple rec and 4x12.:rockya

Nothing better than learning new chords at 150 dB.:R

And you can get screaming soloes..


There's wisdom here, folks!:dude

[gatorbrit]

How about a Vox Valvetronix modelling amph. The 15 Watt is pretty cheap, and has a nice sound.

Another advantage of modelling technology is that it gives a newer player the chance to experiment to find their tone. If they end up gravitating to, say a Fender tone, then their next amph can be a nice Fender tube model.

[Duffy]

For an experienced player I would suggest either a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or Blues Deluxe; lacquered tweed is a very nice finish; or a Peavey Classic 30 or Delta Blues. These are amps that one could jam with any other group with adequate power to be able to hang with the rest of them.

As a secondary amp there are a lot of inexpensive bedroom amps that are very nice, like the Vox DA5 with the power switch from 0.5 watts up to the full 5 watts and the dual power option of six C cell batteries or the wall current adaptor that is included and the mic input and separate volume control, the Vox Pathfinder 15R, Blackheart Little Giant head or combo, Cube, Vox ADxx+, SCXD most definitely, Peavey Mini Colossal with the power knob.

Also, the Egnater Tweaker sounds real good turned down real low; with all its adjustments you can get really great sounds at real low volumes or crank it for some real fun, but it's not able to compete with a loud drummer like the Hot Rod Deluxe or the other ones mentioned above.

Another real good first amp would be the Fender SuperSonic 60 watt version if money isn't a problem, or any other real good pro type combo.

Your first amp doesn't necessarily have to be inexpensive or low powered. In fact I would say if you are only going to have one amp it would be wise to get one with enough power to play with friends when the opportunity arises.

The sound of cranking up a tube amp with at least thirty watts, like the Classic 30, is VERY rewarding.

But if cranking the amp is out of the question, a low power amp might be a good idea, or a big enough one to jam with that has a power level knob on it like the Vox AD60XL, for instance, that a place near me has NOS for a good price and I always think about buying it. But those old modelers are really really complicated amp designs and a LOT of things can go wrong with them that are really expensive to get diagnosed and fixed, time consuming to fix as well. They are probably essentially disposable unless the problem is only a minor jack problem or something simple.

I'd say get as good and dependable an amp as your buget can afford, within the feature set that you need.

If you don't know much about amps, take someone who does along and play a lot of them until you find one that you connect with and run it by your friend as to the probable dependability, quality, etc. Salesmen will sell you anything and tell you "everything is subjective". You need to do the foot work and do the practical thing. Buying two amps might be a solution.

If playing with others in an electric band situation is probable, a Classic 30 or Hot Rod Deluxe or above would be practically a necessity. You wouldn't want to be playing around with a tiny underpowered practice amp when they have pro stage amps.

[ZMAN]

New guy here, so ignore me at will, but I am going to humbly disagree with all of the modelling amp sentiment here. Not that there's anything wrong with a modelling amp, but I always recommend that people start out with a solid, basic clean setup and learn to play with that and grow from there.

One thing that a lot of people who are new to electric guitar seem to do is lean on their equipment. If you can get a great sound by pushing a button, you are less likely to learn about picking dynamics and using your guitar and amp volume and tone controls to get the sound you want. For me, I know it was years before I ever touched my guitar's volume knob - I was playing Boss digital modelling rigs and almost any sound I wanted was at my disposal. Plug me into a clean amp, though, and all of my inadequacies as a player shone through. Once you have the skills though, you can make these digital toys sound fantastic!
Anyway - my vote would be a good tube amp - the Blues Junior is a way to go, and there are other options as well (in that price range a used Traynor YCV-40 is a really nice option). She sounds like she's already a musician who likely understands tone and whatnot so once she's settled in she can thing about changing the speaker, adding effects, or whatnot and developing her own tone .
What you are saying is true in some apsects, but I think that when a person first picks up an electric guitar, and amplifies it there are two things that can go wrong. One is that you have a cheap "Starter" guitar with a poor action and it is so hard to play that you just can't do it. The other is that you hear things on your favourite recordings and you want to sound like that. Most of us take up the guitar with that purpose in mind. What usually comes out of the speaker is usually both nasal, and lacking in depth. Another turn off. I think that these two factors are the main things that cause people to give up the electric guitar.
The Blues Junior is a great first amp, but you need to be able to set it up.
I think what you are forgetting about the Modellers is the clean channel. I don't have experience with the Cube, but I do with the SCXD. The clean channel is modelling a 65 Deluxe reverb and comes pretty close. (I have a 65 and A/Bd them. ), and nothing sounds as sweet as a 65. Also add into the mix the subject of pedals, which is a whole learning curve unto itself. With the SCXD you get a sampling of most of the effects at varying levels. Much easier to understand than hunting though the thousands of pedals out there. It is compact and light weight and all us need is a guitar, pick and cord.
So if you are thinking of paying 400 for a Blues Junior, why not pay 300 and get it all in one neat package.
Even when I sucked at guitar I always had those moments when I got the tone that one of my idols could get and it kept me coming back.
And about the amp vs amp_, with all respect to the guys here I just can't use that term. LOL.

[Eric]

What you are saying is true in some apsects, but I think that when a person first picks up an electric guitar, and amplifies it there are two things that can go wrong. One is that you have a cheap "Starter" guitar with a poor action and it is so hard to play that you just can't do it. The other is that you hear things on your favourite recordings and you want to sound like that. Most of us take up the guitar with that purpose in mind. What usually comes out of the speaker is usually both nasal, and lacking in depth. Another turn off. I think that these two factors are the main things that cause people to give up the electric guitar.
The Blues Junior is a great first amp, but you need to be able to set it up.
I think what you are forgetting about the Modellers is the clean channel. I don't have experience with the Cube, but I do with the SCXD. The clean channel is modelling a 65 Deluxe reverb and comes pretty close. (I have a 65 and A/Bd them. ), and nothing sounds as sweet as a 65. Also add into the mix the subject of pedals, which is a whole learning curve unto itself. With the SCXD you get a sampling of most of the effects at varying levels. Much easier to understand than hunting though the thousands of pedals out there. It is compact and light weight and all us need is a guitar, pick and cord.
So if you are thinking of paying 400 for a Blues Junior, why not pay 300 and get it all in one neat package.
Even when I sucked at guitar I always had those moments when I got the tone that one of my idols could get and it kept me coming back.
And about the amp vs amp_, with all respect to the guys here I just can't use that term. LOL.
A lot of good points in here -- I agree with a lot of what you said.

You have a very good point about recreating the tones in songs; that was a big reason why it took me two tries to go electric. My first time was with a crappy amp and cheap Squier strat, and the tone was so weak and I couldn't get close to the songs I liked. Clean amps are good to showcase your sloppiness, but you need a reason to keep playing the guitar.

[GoodCathy]

As I'm the topic of discussion, I wanted to say thanks for the great suggestions, y'all were very helpful. With a little bit of researching and some slightly uninformed testing, Santa finally made the decision and provided the winner....Roland 40XL. Now, off to figure out what the hell I'm doing.

I'll be lurking.
Cheers.

p.s. So, what to buy next?

[pedalbuilder]

p.s. So, what to buy next?

Duh. Another amp, a bunch of pedals, some new guitars, an extension cabinet, guitar manufacturer t-shirts, and another amp . . . addiction can be your friend!

Congrats on the new amp! :thumbsup

[tunghaichuan]

As I'm the topic of discussion, I wanted to say thanks for the great suggestions, y'all were very helpful. With a little bit of researching and some slightly uninformed testing, Santa finally made the decision and provided the winner....Roland 40XL. Now, off to figure out what the hell I'm doing.

I'll be lurking.
Cheers.

p.s. So, what to buy next?

Cool, sounds like you got a good one. :dance My first amp was a total piece of crap. :thwap

For your next purchase, I would suggest lessons. Since you have an electric guitar and a decent amp, I would put money into learning how to play. Speaking from personal experience, it is too easy to get into the trap of buying gear to enhance your playing. I learned the hard way that your tone improves when you practice, not when you swap out gear. I'll step down from my soapbox now.

[NWBasser]

As I'm the topic of discussion, I wanted to say thanks for the great suggestions, y'all were very helpful. With a little bit of researching and some slightly uninformed testing, Santa finally made the decision and provided the winner....Roland 40XL. Now, off to figure out what the hell I'm doing.

I'll be lurking.
Cheers.

p.s. So, what to buy next?

Welcome the Thefret Cathy!

Congrats on the new amp. I really like the Roland Cube sounds.

I still think you should have bought a Mesa Triple Rectifier and 4x12 cab though....

You see, that way your neighbors at the end of the block (or next town?) can come over and offer "critiques" of your playing.;)

[kidsmoke]

As I'm the topic of discussion, I wanted to say thanks for the great suggestions, y'all were very helpful. With a little bit of researching and some slightly uninformed testing, Santa finally made the decision and provided the winner....Roland 40XL. Now, off to figure out what the hell I'm doing.

I'll be lurking.
Cheers.

p.s. So, what to buy next?


Hey stalker...glad you took the plunge. Can't wait to hear you on that thing. Feel free to bring it over for a tutorial....


@tung: keep in mind, chic can already play guitar, just new to the dark side. She had the privilege of playing to thousands in an old crow medicine show group as well as in an 70's rock group this past summer. Wallflower, she ain't.

Having said that, taking lessons for the 'lectric wouldn't be bad at all, just choose your teachers VERY WISELY.

[sunvalleylaw]

Do you mean this Old Crow Medicine Show?

YH0CnjXqCLE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH0CnjXqCLE

I like these guys and enjoy playing this song. Fairly easy as a strummer, and I can sing it.

GoodCathy, welcome! and Congrats on the new amph! :thumbsup

[Eric]

Having said that, taking lessons for the 'lectric wouldn't be bad at all, just choose your teachers VERY WISELY.
Curious...why do you say that?

[kidsmoke]

@ SVL, exactly

@ Eric..GC is a good friend of mine and we have an electric guitar teacher who is a good friend....it was in reference to that...

having said that, it still holds true.

[GoodCathy]

@ Eric..GC is a good friend of mine and we have an electric guitar teacher who is a good friend....it was in reference to that...

having said that, it still holds true.

*smirk* I choose you over Senor Crankypants. Besides, you are cheaper to bribe.

Actually, I'm more in need of instruction on utilizing the amp(h) in conjunction with the electrified version of the guitar. More of a capabilities discussion as well as slight differences in fretting/strumming - wide-body vs. solid, etc. Always easier to talk with someone that can explain the ins & outs.

[Duffy]

Welcometo the Fret.

One thing I do that greatly helps me familiarize myself with my new guitars and develop muscle memory so that I don't have to stare blankly and constantly at the fretboard is to play my guitars at night in bed and play myself and my fiance to sleep - with the lights OUT.

This is really awesome. You develop your ear, which I assume yours is quite developed already, and also master finger positioning, chord changes, etc. without looking at the fretboard; because looking at the fretboard in the dark would be futile anyway. This has helped me develop great muscle memory and to develop my ear greatly. This also necessarily breaks the eye/fretboard fixation problem so prevalent in guitar playing. Of course sometimes you have to look at the fretboard and I usually have my bedside computer monitor on, providing minimal light if I need to verify or correct finger placement or I get just plain lost on the fretboard.

This is a cool way to learn to work on fretboard mastery in a regular schedule. It also allows you to immerse yourself deeper into the heart and soul of your music because of the absence of other sensory input when you play in the dark. This lets you focus on listening largely unimpeded and also connect with your heart and soul, getting deep into the rythym and groove.

You also have a cool type amp that lets you get a lot of tone, including overdrive at very low volume, because of the power scaling and ability to turn down the amp to very low wattages.

I just had my Vox DA five battery/wall power little "Chromie" type modeling amp, without a tube, on a short vacation trip. My Michael Kelly Patriot Custom with Rockfield full sized humbuckers sounded super great at very low volumes during my night time playing at our host's home, without disturbing them and without having to use headphones.

I mainly play my electrics in this manner of quiet playing and they are actually quieter than my acoustics and are more compact and ergonomically designed for comfortable reclined playing. All the time I find myself waking up with my guitar across my chest, having played myself to sleep and I have even found myself playing in my sleep, ha ha ha ha. Is that cool or what?

Anyway, the night time playing in the dark works for me, even if it sounds funny. Playing on a dark stage is also a challenge and hand/eye fixation is a difficult habit to break. This is just one fun method to help accomplish several goals.

I really love playing electric guitars thru good amps since I switched over several years ago from acoustic.