any guitar players here?

[HelpIsOntheWay]

would you consider buying a guitar on ebay? what if it's brand new? used? a new yamaha?

please advise...thanks!

 

[OilerBuck]

I'm a guitar player. I would consider buying on eon eBay if I was a beginner, which you must be if you are considering a Yamaha in the first place . You will find that as you get better you will tire of the Yamaha very quickly. Once you develop a personal style and find out what fits the way you play, you will want to abandon the eBay guitar shopping and always play the guitar you are going to buy before you get it.

I'm personally an acoustic or acoustic/electric guy. Ovations, Taylors & Martins. I learned on an electric Yamaha, my first guitar was an Acoustic/Electric Fender, now I have a couple and my favorite is a Gibson Acoustic from the 50's that my Grandma handed down. It has an AWESOME sound.

So, in a nutshell...for your first guitar, a Yamaha electric off of eBayshould be fine. You will need to check them out in person from that point forward. Hope that helps.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

I play, and no, I would not buy a guitar on E-Bay. I like to play the thing before I buy it, but that's just me.

I have a Yahmaha Acoustic which sounds very full and would recommend it to you. It has held up well - was my first guitar - over time.

I have an Eterna 12 String. Same deal. It's about 5 years younger than the Yahmaha.

Squire Strat, Harmony Hollowbody. Both are knockoffs of better guitars, but they play well and I like them. The strat is Japanese made and needed some work. I used this guitart to figure some things out as far as maintence and repair (intunation, and such) The Harmony is an ES 335 copy (Gibson) When I get enough dough, I'll buy a real Gibson - Les Paul and ES335..

Anyway, I'd still play it before I bought it, thus would not recommend E-bay. But, if you're just looking for a cheap piece of shit to bang around on, you would probably do ok on Ebay.

 

[HelpIsOntheWay]

well here's my deal. i just started playing a few months ago. my brother graduated from U of I (mba program, not that you care) and he needed to store some stuff at my place, including one yamaha acoustic and a gibson electric. so he's been teaching me - i don't know why i waited till i was 30 yrs old to do this but oh well - and i've been finding tablature on the net and learning it. but he justmoved to DC, and he took his guitars.

so i need a new one. maybe i'll just go to the guitar center across the street from me and spend like $200.

but it seems like if i can get a yamaha for like $50...why not? as long as the sound is ok, i don't care...

where do you guys get tabs on the net? also, what are some good guitar songs you recommend learning? now that my bro moved, my learning has slowed down. it's frustrating...i need to sign up for lessons..

oh, and i saw a 12 string on ebay for like $50!

 

[OilerBuck]

where do you guys get tabs on the net? also, what are some good guitar songs you recommend learning? now that my bro moved, my learning has slowed down. it's frustrating...i need to sign up for lessons..

The On-Line Guitar Archive is about the best place for tabs. I would recommend learning songs with easy chord changes and minimal finger movement until you get your transitions down. Anything in "G" is a good start. The first song I learned was "Good Riddance" by Green Day (In key of G). This one was EXTREMELY easy.

Really, the best thing to do is to make a list of 10-15 songs you REALLY want to play. Look up the tabs/chords on the net and rank them from easiest to hardest. Start with the easiest and practice it until you are sick of it...even if there are transitions you have trouble with, keep working at it. Then work your way up to the hardest using the same process. Pretty soon you'll notice you have more chords memorized and you'll have noticable improvement in difficult transitions.

Even though its not as fun, it never hurts to get a chordbook and go over the roots and minors and get them down first.

Hopefully this will help. As you can tell, I'm a rhythm guitarist and not a lead. It also helped me that I have a background in music as I've played drums and piano from a young age and have even taken music theory.

 

[HelpIsOntheWay]

i've got a background in hip hop..check me out:

http://oc3.org/videos/crispy.wmv


(ok, that's not me) anyway, i may check out a few pawnshops for guitars today after work. i check out OLGA sometimes, but the tabs are hard to follow sometimes. i also check out ultimate-guitar.com. i also just bought a book of Jane's Addiction tabs for $20.

 

[Helpinghand]

When I'm not busy bashing Tressel.......

Here is a fun site:


www.guitarandbass.com.au


Also, for your new purchase:


The Only Way To Learn

Lets start by saying everyone has their own opinions on what to look for when your buying a guitar or bass guitar, they'll
​

hit you with things like ' it has to be a solid top' or it has to have a low action, there's more but I can't be bothered with
​

them right now, basically the three things anyone should take into account when buying a guitar is :
​

1. You want to like the look and feel of the guitar,
​

2. You want to like the sound
​

3. It should suit your budget
​

Budget is pretty important because when you start out you don't know how long your going to be doing it; you could play
​

for the rest of your life, or the rest of the week! So all you kids don't expect mum and dad to fork out for some
​

expensive guitar because you need to show the commitment first.
​

There's also the opinion that you should play the guitar that suits your playing ability, i.e.; beginners should all be
​

playing $100 acoustics and the Santana's should be playing $5000 Paul Reed Smiths…you can play the same stuff on
​

both guitars if you want a expensive guitar as your first, go for gold!
​

Obviously the more you spend; the better the quality of the instrument. As a general rule, the more expensive the guitar
​

the better the quality of sound, though this is not always true as everyone has a different opinion of sound and in the
​

right hands I've heard $100 guitars sound like a million bucks! So sound is basically the opinion of the buyer.
​

Now the important issue, COMFORT, there's nothing worse than playing an instrument that is uncomfortable to play.
​

It's going to be a little weird feeling at first but if an instrument continues to cause you pain then its not the one for you,
​

remember we're trying to have fun here! LEFT HANDERS, you will find your going to have a little more trouble than
​

most, as there are a lot more R/H guitars and products available and most L/H guitars are more expensive! The look,
​

as with anything if you don't like the look its hard to fall in love…
​

​

​

​

Okay, so you know what you want, whether it's a Bass, Acoustic, Classical or Electric guitar there are a few things to
​

look for. With second hand gear generally if its pretty beaten up it will have had a hard life so it's a good idea to get
​

someone who knows a thing or two to have a look. There are a lot of beaten up old guitars that are great to play and
​

worth a lot of money too!
​

The neck is always something you want to have a close look at, if you sight down the neck of any guitar there should
​

always be a little bow apart from classical guitars nearly all other guitars and basses have a Truss rod built into the
​

neck, this counteracts the tension from the strings. Truss rods are adjustable so most of the time if there is too much
​

concave or convex bow in the neck it can be adjusted; this is one thing that affects the action of a guitar or the height of
​

the strings away from the fret board. A nice low action is preferable in most cases, BUT in the case of a twisted neck or
​

poor fretwork a low action will create a lot of fret buzz. Fret buzz is a rattle caused by the string or strings banging
​

​

​

​

The Only Way To Learn
​

against the frets past where your fingering, sometimes this is also caused by not pressing down on the string hard
​

enough or poor technique. Sight down the neck to check the frets, if they look like there all sitting at different heights
​

then its going to cost a bit to get fixed up
​

​

Bridge height can also affect the action, on electric guitars this can be adjusted fairly easily with the right know-how,
​

acoustics will sometimes be a little more involved.
​

​

​

On electrics and basses make sure your adjustable bridges are freely moving too, not seized up by rust or corrosion.
​

Watch out for sinking soundboards on acoustics, this can be a fairly expensive fix and will affect the bridge/action height
​

quite dramatically!
​

​

​

Machine heads, tuners, string tuners…they're all the same thing make sure they turn reasonably smoothly and actually
​

tune the strings up or down! If you hear a 'pinging' sound when tuning its usually the nut​

​

​

​

Only Way To Learn​

pinching the strings, this is a fairly simple fix. If there is a lot of string rattle when you play the strings open then it will
​

usually mean the strings are sitting to low in the nut, once again a fairly easy fix. With acoustics and classicals take a
​

good look over the necks and body to check for cracks in the wood, most things are fixable unless they have been
​

driven over by a Hammer…cracks in the paintwork should ideally be repaired otherwise be careful not to let moisture or
​

dirt get into the wood.
​

Same with electrics though solid bodies with exposed wood tend not to be bothered so much by dirt and moisture.
​

Electric and bass guitars, you have two types, passive and active electrics, active circuits run on a battery and allow
​

tone/volume boost as well as tone/volume cut. Passive circuits run without power but you can only cut your​

​

volume and
​

tone, obviously these will be a lot simpler and cheaper to repair. Active circuits are usually more complicated and
​

expensive to fix but make sure you always check the battery!!!
​

Test the volume and tone pots to see if they work if they crackle after you have turned them up and down four or five
​

times then chances are they will need replacing, same goes with the jack socket, if it just hums when you put the jack in
​

it will probably need rewiring or replacing. Test the pickup switches, there's a lot of different pickup combinations so find
​

out what they are supposed to be for that particular guitar before you check it out, i.e. Strat five way switch​

​

​

(you can see which pickup is working by tapping the poles with a metal object.)
​

Like anything you buy, its good to get someone's advice on what sort of money the guitar you want is worth though its
​

often only worth what someone is willing pay for it, some guitars maybe worth a fortune to a collector but very little to
​

someone else.
​

When you do buy the Guitar or Bass of your dreams keep them away from humidity, moisture and extreme changes in
​

temperature, i.e. the back seat of the car in the hot sun. If you have a case, leave it in there whenever you are not
​

playing it and wipe down the strings with a clean dry rag after each time you play it. This'll make your strings last a lot
​

longer. Some finishes don't like certain polishes and cleaners so always check with an expert as to what to clean them
​

with. Servicing by a professional is always a good idea at least once or twice a year.
​

 

[AmeriBuck007]

When I'm not busy bashing Tressel.......

HH.. theres already enough negativity here..

 

[leek]

Guitars and buying them

I've been playing guitar for about 30 years. I firmly believe you need to play a number of instruments before buying one. I've found that they can vary pretty dramatically. When I've purchased even the "best" quality guitars, I've usually played at least 5 or so of the same make and model to pick one.

Additionally, if you are primarily looking for a guitar that plays well, as opposed to a certain sound, it is not necessary to buy a high end instrument. I have several pretty high end guitars (Taylor, Martin and Fender custom shop Strat), and I've played pretty inexpensive guitars that play as well- they just don't have the same sound quality.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Couldn't agree more, Leek. I've got a 83 Yamaha Acoustic (I think it's 83, may be 85). It sounds great. I took it in to have a bone bridge and nut installed, as well as to fix a dead fret. The guy who works the shop was just beside himself with the "full bodied" sound that guitar produces.

It's not a Guild, Martin, Taylor or some such, and I spent about 1000 less on it, but damn if that guitar dosen't sound (and play) like the best of them. Plus, after some 20 years of banging away on it, it's got that broke in look and feel. I used to be a real heavy picker (ahem), so I've got a signifigant gouge (sp) on the top of the sound hole where my pick used to chip away the finish. Can't resell it, but it makes it look cool - if you ask me. Not as bad as the holes Richie Havens wore in to his guitar, but that's alright.

My electrics are cheap knock offs. More about affordability with me. That and music isn't my career. The Harmony hollow body plays real nice, and I like the look of it. Still, I'd rather have a true Gibson 335. The squire strat was at one point in it's life entirely unplayable. But, messing around with it over the years has actually got it back in to shape enough that I enjoy playing it again. For a while, it just sat in the corner and I played the hollow body all the time. Now, I actually use the start more. Point I was going to make is this, though - if that was a "Real" Strat, there is no way I would have dicked around with it. I would have never learned how to raise or lower the action, work on intunation, truss adjustments and such. Guitar was cheap, had a spare... see what I mean?

 

[leek]

I watched a new Aerosmith DVD today, and Joe Perry was playing an Epiphone 335 copy, in a recording studio! I think those are about 1/5 the price of an ES335.

Must be a pretty good instrument for him to play it, remember he gets any Gibson (including Epiphone) he wants for free, as he is a Gibson endorser.

 

[Saw31]

I've been playing for 16-17 years and there's some very good advice here for you. I own 3 strats, a les paul, an ovation 12 string, and an esp acoustic.

I like to play the thing before I buy because as was said before, even two guitars of the same model will have it's own personality (for lack of a better word). However, as a beginner, I would pay more attention to how much you spend. In my experience, people play for a while, not see the progress they want, and quit. If you believe you are going to keep playing, you might want to spend a little more to get something that will take the long hours of practice. If you're not to that point, I would go to the pawn shop (as you said) and see what they have. Pick it up, see if it's solid and not beat to hell. See if it's set up properly, or if your fingers are going to bleed after 10 minutes. Make sure there's no dead frets. Make sure the electronics work. Make sure the neck isn't warped. Make sure the hardware works properly.

It's tough to give advice because so much of it has to do with how serious you are and how much you want to spend. And since I'm late to this thread, you may have already decided. Anyway, if you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask. You don't want to spend money on something you don't like and there seems to be a few people here that know what there talking about. I hate to see people get talked into instuments they don't like or need by music shops.

 

[DEBuckeye]

Merry Christmas to me!!

I played guitar in high school and a bit into college, and then gave it up. After that I got into keyboards/synths. Anyway, I've been thinking for a while now about picking up the guitar again, so last weekend I bought one.

I got a Schecter 006 Blackjack- it's pretty sweet; very smooth, pretty thin neck, deep cutaway w/24 frets, and a couple of rockin' Seymour Duncan humbuckers. It sounds great.

I'm playing it through my keyboard amp (a big-ass Peavey), via a Line 6 PODXT Live pedalboard. This thing's got tons of pre-set sounds- amp models and specific sounds (like VanHalen's "Eruption" sound, David Gilmore's fat chorus from "The Wall", etc.), tons of effects, editing/programming ablility, wah/volume pedal, the list goes on. It sounds absolutely incredible. You can go from super clean to the most ridiculous distortion you've ever heard. I can't imagine that you'd need anything else to find or create a sound you want.

It's been a good 15 years since I've really played so it isn't quite like "riding a bike", but I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I remember. Now if I can just build up some calluses so my fingers stop hurting....

 

[Saw31]

Practice, practice, practice...

 

[BuckeyeTillIDie]

It's something I wish I knew how to do, and have kind of been practicing with, though I don't own a real guitar.

I did the same thing with the piano, started to teach myself it then just kinda stopped. It'd be great to play both, though.