I've always liked Izotope Trash, pretty versatile multi band distortion.
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Guitar Gaf |OT| Fingerpickin good
- Thread starter NEO0MJ
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gollumsluvslave
Member
1. Quick, cheap and dirty one-dimensional solutin solution - get an AMT L2 preamp and use the cab sim - I've got the C2 and E2 - they are great preamps and the cab sims are decent straight into the DAW
2. Slightly less cheap and quick - get a Digitech GSP1101 - it's one of the best 'modellers' i've ever had and with the custom firmware you can load (albeit truncated) custom IRs - Ownhammer IRs for example through some GSP1101 models are only a bit below a Kemper or Axe FX for DI
I actually do quite a lot of final takes of recordings from my board (Bogner Burnley, AMT V-1, Strymon - decent board, through the GSP1101 with custom IR) not because it's convenient, but because it actually sounds and sits better in the mix than actual real miced up guitars done in my studio.
3. Get a Kemper or Axe FX
Bear in mind this is based on years of trial and error and getting to a point where I'm ahppy with both my DI and amped/mic sound
Check out Nick Crow vsts get NadIR (IR vst) and find some IR responses. LePou has quite a few amp sims and an IR loader as well. Also check the Catharsis IRs they are very very good. These should get you pretty far for free.
Also - external EQ with your amp sim VST always always always! Watch this video on EQ'ing, specifically how to boost a frequency and move it around to find what doesn't sound good and then cut that frequency. Should be in the range of 1K-3K on guitar. You can also bump up some low mids around 250-500hz. High pass filter around 50-70hz may help out too. You really just have to play with it depending on your set up and what sound you're going for.
I have the Slate Everything bundle which is mostly mixing stuff, but they added Scuffham Amps last year and I was quite pleased with the sound. Has a demo period so you can test it out against free stuff/what you already have.
How exactly are you plugging into your computer? A basic interface will help if you don't have one already, and a DI box will help on top of that. But get a good sound first before going out to buy those...
gollumsluvslave
Member
For totally 'in the box' sounds Scuffham S-Gear is one of the best, but you are spot on that you need a decent way to get the guitar into the DAW in the first place.
Spat_triate
Member
After almost a decade of putting it off, I finally decided to take the plunge to learn.
I bought a Pacifica 012 and Frontman amp, along with some medium picks and a nifty little Snark tuner.
This is only my 2nd week learning, but I'm enjoying the challenge so far.
Any advice on how to practice efficiently or should I find a tutor to start off?
I bought a Pacifica 012 and Frontman amp, along with some medium picks and a nifty little Snark tuner.
This is only my 2nd week learning, but I'm enjoying the challenge so far.
Any advice on how to practice efficiently or should I find a tutor to start off?
One thing that helps me is just to always start very slow, and work your way up to full speed eventually. Basically do it really slow until you can do it X times perfectly, speed up a little and repeat.
I'm far from an expert though.
i started about a year ago so obvious grain of salt but justinguitar can get you from zero to playing songs in a pretty structured way and was really useful for me when i was just starting out. that said, now that i have a good teacher i wish i'd done that earlier. there's a shitload to learning the guitar, and having someone to guide you through the experience is incredibly useful if you can afford it.
Spat_triate
Member
Thanks for the info! I've been using justinguitar so far and it's great for what it is, but I can see why having a tutor would cut out a lot of the frustration. How much do your sessions with the tutor cost?
I pay 50 bucks an hour, but I sought out someone specific to meet my goals and you could very likely find someone better for you for cheaper.
JustinGuitar's really great for learning to perform - you'll get a bunch of chord shapes and strumming patterns down and how to identify them by ear, so you can listen to most songs and mostly go "Aha! That's basically how this works." and play a recognizable version of it. He kinda falls apart when you get past that stage and want to get better at soloing or learning to write music, which is where I am now. After a few lessons I get the basics of music theory way better and it's added a ton to my (awful) improvising.
Finally grabbed that jazz I've been eyeing for over a month. Plays real nice so far, might need to take up the action a little bit.
I've been playing for like 8 or so years, but have been a pretty casual player up until recently. So this will be my excuse to step up and really dig in. I'm self taught, so probably need to get into some theory. Any recs on good lessons for someone who has good technique but lacks know how?
I've been playing for like 8 or so years, but have been a pretty casual player up until recently. So this will be my excuse to step up and really dig in. I'm self taught, so probably need to get into some theory. Any recs on good lessons for someone who has good technique but lacks know how?
teruterubozu
Member
Veryy nice! I'm a fan of the Fender Jazz Bass look. It's very class. I see you have the Guitar Center econo strap 
Gonna have to upgrade that sooner or later if you want your shoulder blades to last (I have 3 of those straps - lol!)
Gonna have to upgrade that sooner or later if you want your shoulder blades to last (I have 3 of those straps - lol!)
gollumsluvslave
Member
Posted board pics a while back, managed to get some decent pics of the geetars today...
Oldest guitar I still own - Squier Pro Series Telecaster Thinline - still plays great. My dad got me this for my 21st birthday - over 21 years ago now!
Squier Silver Series Telecaster - custom scratchplate and Bill Lawrence pups. Another solid guitar for very little cash!
Tokai PRS copy - never really gelled with this guitar - mainly bought it as I had my Aria Pro II stolen that as quite similar.
Tokai LS48 Les Paul copy - been a trusty guitar on many gigs, and may be my favourite guitar to play live - maybe.
Hagstrom Deuce-F - not played this for a while since getting my ESP, but it's still a great guitar, need to get it setup and restrung. Fretboard is blazing fast!
Grestch Electromatic Elliot Easton Duo Jet - amazing for cleans and low gain stuff, but doesn't really cut it for the alt-rock stuff the band does. Great recording guitar though!
ESP Eclipse II Silver Sparkle - best gear deal I've ever got, bought on Ebay mint for 650 bucks, playes better than she looks. Only downside is the cleans are not my cupof tea - but my band don't do much clean! For dirt she's a belter.
Schecter Solo 6 Hellraiser - this is easily the heaviest guitar I own, it's a monster. With the EMGs it is a beast for recording really heavy low parts, and plays really well.
Fender MIM Strat - my most recent guitar, and I'm loving it; not for live (yet) but for recording and ideas it's crazy playable - and like most of my others I've been lucky to get a great MIM guitar, no neck issues, or anything.
Oldest guitar I still own - Squier Pro Series Telecaster Thinline - still plays great. My dad got me this for my 21st birthday - over 21 years ago now!
Squier Silver Series Telecaster - custom scratchplate and Bill Lawrence pups. Another solid guitar for very little cash!
Tokai PRS copy - never really gelled with this guitar - mainly bought it as I had my Aria Pro II stolen that as quite similar.
Tokai LS48 Les Paul copy - been a trusty guitar on many gigs, and may be my favourite guitar to play live - maybe.
Hagstrom Deuce-F - not played this for a while since getting my ESP, but it's still a great guitar, need to get it setup and restrung. Fretboard is blazing fast!
Grestch Electromatic Elliot Easton Duo Jet - amazing for cleans and low gain stuff, but doesn't really cut it for the alt-rock stuff the band does. Great recording guitar though!
ESP Eclipse II Silver Sparkle - best gear deal I've ever got, bought on Ebay mint for 650 bucks, playes better than she looks. Only downside is the cleans are not my cupof tea - but my band don't do much clean! For dirt she's a belter.
Schecter Solo 6 Hellraiser - this is easily the heaviest guitar I own, it's a monster. With the EMGs it is a beast for recording really heavy low parts, and plays really well.
Fender MIM Strat - my most recent guitar, and I'm loving it; not for live (yet) but for recording and ideas it's crazy playable - and like most of my others I've been lucky to get a great MIM guitar, no neck issues, or anything.
teruterubozu
Member
Great pics gollumsluvslave! I love guitar background stories. That white Randy Rhoads style Epiphone is sweet! Also like the blingin' ESP and the MIM Strat (I have a sunburst Strat w/black pickguard as well - the best combo!). I'll have to do a rundown of my guitars for this new guitar OT soon too! I'd love to see more guitarporn in here - post some pics of your sexy axes folks!
nabe_shogun
Member
So I just got back from vacation visiting relatives. I was talking to my uncle about how I'm learning to play guitar and bass. Since he makes most of his living off playing bass/tuba, he let me have a go at his bass.
Its a 5 string Warwick, of which I forget which model, but its really nice. I think I like it better than my
fender jaguar bass that I play. It was pretty easy getting used to the other string. At least more so than when I starting playing a 7 string guitar.
Its a 5 string Warwick, of which I forget which model, but its really nice. I think I like it better than my
dads
triplestation
Member
Hi I'm in the market for a classical guitar. Hope I get some good suggestions!
Guitar Type: classical
Skill level: intermediate
Preferred sound: I'm heavily into Gustavo santaolallas work
Planned use: practice
Budget: $500 max
Guitar Type: classical
Skill level: intermediate
Preferred sound: I'm heavily into Gustavo santaolallas work
Planned use: practice
Budget: $500 max
eddievanclaylen
Member
Took me a while to learn in '01, but Yngwie Malmsteen's Trilogy Suite is my warmup excercise.
I bust it out occasionally just to make sure I still have my chops.
I bust it out occasionally just to make sure I still have my chops.
eddievanclaylen
Member
Its alot easier to learn on a great instrument than some $200 pos from guitar center. Better feel, better sound ... night and day.
eddievanclaylen
Member
Plenty of amazimg classical guitars in the 500 range. Cordoba off the top of my head.
If you want to excel at classical fingerstyle, grow your right hand nails out and sight read every day. Practice practice practice. It will come.
Kanhir
Member
Music Theory for the Bass Player is a good all-in-one. It's very much geared towards people who know how the bass works but not so much about how theory works.
eddievanclaylen
Member
One of the best ways to learn how to play, no joke, is to play with other people. Be it your teacher, a friend ... you'll learn way more than just from a book or a program.
Edit: if you dont have a teacher, take a few lessons from the local music shop. Once a week for a couple months and your playing will improve exponentially.
Edit edit: you dont even have to know how to read music, i know plenty of guys who learned from tab. Learn a bit of music theory ie; time signatures, and learn to read tab like a book.
Thats basically what I did and I can throw down lol
Edit edit edit: learning scales, modes and chord shapes will help immensely. Get a teacher at the local store. Its not that expensive and your playing will vastly improve in a few months.
Edit: if you dont have a teacher, take a few lessons from the local music shop. Once a week for a couple months and your playing will improve exponentially.
Edit edit: you dont even have to know how to read music, i know plenty of guys who learned from tab. Learn a bit of music theory ie; time signatures, and learn to read tab like a book.
Thats basically what I did and I can throw down lol
Edit edit edit: learning scales, modes and chord shapes will help immensely. Get a teacher at the local store. Its not that expensive and your playing will vastly improve in a few months.
triplestation
Member
Hahaha
I was actually eyeballing the Cordoba c7 and even the GK studio which sounds freaking heavenly but it's almost $700.. I see one for $500 but it's got damage on it ;_;
After your reply I'll most likely keep searching Cordoba, any particular models you like yourself?
Wag
Member
Posted this in the Rocksmith thread:
I want to buy an electric for RS- I've been playing acoustic for ~30yrs and planned on using it for RS, but it just doesn't work well with it.
Something decent in the $200 range. Anyone have experience with Les Paul 100 or Studios? They are in the $150-$200 used. My local Guitar Center has a cosmetically damaged 2006 Custom Les Paul SG for $250- is that a good deal?
I want to buy an electric for RS- I've been playing acoustic for ~30yrs and planned on using it for RS, but it just doesn't work well with it.
Something decent in the $200 range. Anyone have experience with Les Paul 100 or Studios? They are in the $150-$200 used. My local Guitar Center has a cosmetically damaged 2006 Custom Les Paul SG for $250- is that a good deal?
eddievanclaylen
Member
I cant stress taking lessons enough. If you are tutored and practice the lessons, its just like daniel laruso learning karate. It might seem cumbersome and non effective at first, but over time you will be crane kicking karate masters left and right, not thay guitar is a competition or anything, but it kinda is.
Get some pro lessons. Practice with a metronome. Sight read music, or tab, and your skills will triple within a few months.
Learn to tune to different recordings and play along. Master a few songs by ear. You will be insane before you know it.
(It will take a lifetime to master)
Get some pro lessons. Practice with a metronome. Sight read music, or tab, and your skills will triple within a few months.
Learn to tune to different recordings and play along. Master a few songs by ear. You will be insane before you know it.
(It will take a lifetime to master)
eddievanclaylen
Member
I used to be an AM at guitar center 20 years ago lol. Im out of the looop. Im an ibanez guy now. My rockstar dreams were squashed when we made gas money (if we were lucky to the next gig) True story I almost majored in misic until I found out what they actually do. I didnt want to make $11/hr teaching kids green day songs.
Ive played a thousand acoustics, fingerstyle and steel and I would say for the amature, cordoba for fingerstyle nylon string, taylor or martin steel string.
My acoustic is an ibanez grand auditorium, but I use it sparingly. My main axe is an '09 japanese custom shop ibanez prestige s5470.
My next acoustic will have a cutaway, but im really an electric guy
.
Wag
Member
I'd love to get lessons in person, but I just can't afford it right now. I've been playing 30years and am pretty good with open chords, I can play barre chords somewhat but I'm working on those.
I think Rocksmith and an electric for me would be a good way to go. From what I've seen it's a pretty good tool, just not good for acoustic.
eddievanclaylen
Member
I think Rocksmith is a great way to get the basics, but nowhere near as good as another human.
I still play rocksmith but the computer cheats and it doesnt track as fast as i play. My gf has zero compassion when it comes to my playing, so rocksmith helps a bit bc of the headphones, but it will NEVER substitute playing at STAGE VOLUME
eddievanclaylen
Member
Ibc gf: she pays half the rent and has sex with me.
I would kill to practice 8hr/day like when I was a kid but its impossible now.
I would kill to practice 8hr/day like when I was a kid but its impossible now.
eddievanclaylen
Member
Wtb guitar friendly gf
eddievanclaylen
Member
Sorry to get off thread, lets talk gear tomorrow!
eddievanclaylen
Member
Wag
Member
I understand this. I'm am just using Rocksmith as a tool. As I said, I already can play the basics. Once I get good enough I will start doing blues jams. Basically I am just doing this to supplement my vocals. I'd like to be able to accompany myself on some standard Blues/R&B tunes.
If I could learn Freddie King's Hide Away with Rocksmith then I'd get my money's worth out of it and then some.
Now I just have to pick out a decent electric for <$200.
eddievanclaylen
Member
For that, unplug. Learn the chords and sing at ghe same time. Keep playing along and singing until it finallity clicks .... and it will.
My advice to everyone is find out what you like and addon in your own way
My advice to everyone is find out what you like and addon in your own way
This is what I did. I just played whatever the hell I wanted without really studying anything, and picking something up when I needed it instead of following a curriculum.
As a result there's a lot of rudimentary shit that I really should be able to play, with the amount of time I spent playing guitar - but I was able to develop of fairly idiocentric playing style and voicing that baffles other guitarists I met. The reason that I started playing guitar was to write music rather than get good skills at playing, so it suits me well enough.
I'm starting to think that I should really go through an overhaul of my skills though, I have some pretty terrible techniques that can't be spun as 'styles'. I'd never have stuck with guitar as long as I have if I approached it in a more conventional manner though. It's why I dropped both the piano and sax
gollumsluvslave
Member
Second that advice - jamming / rehearsing with other musicians is a great way to learn, seeing what other people do (both the bad & the good) is invaluable!
teruterubozu
Member
I third it! In fact, pro musicians will tell you that the best way to get better is to play with musicians who are better than you. It pushes you.
You went with the Rogue RA-090? How do you like it? Did you get it setup?
It's not ideal but it works. You might want to try it first before dropping $200 on an electric. Is yours an electric acoustic or pure acoustic? Mine is just an acoustic so I got this magnetic pickup and you just need a coupler to connect that to the rocksmith cable. It ends up being really long but it works perfectly. The only problems I have are since there is no cutout in my guitar hitting frets 16+ can be tricky, and bends are hard and some songs demand them. I hear some songs require a 21st or 22nd fret which my guitar doesn't have but I haven't run across them yet. If you want to try it with your acoustic and have any questions let me know.
Wag
Member
That's exactly my setup now. I have an Alvarez Yari DY45 with an add-on pickup. Part of the problem is that barre chords are incredibly difficult to play on it. I had the action adjusted, and it's still very difficult. As you say, it's difficult to hit notes on the higher frets- mine only has 20.
I don't think I'll be able to learn a standard blues instrumental like Hide Away on an acoustic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uAeOG-_76g
This guy is pretty good. I need to learn proper technique anyways. I've learned to play around my vocal style. I'd like to be able to play some more difficult songs to accompany myself with.
Thanks so much for both of these responses, gunna look in to this information and report back.
CrudeDiatribe
Member
Arrange for electric? No, but other arrangements exist.
Should probably pick up an electric, though. The Epiphone Les Paul Studio should be better than the 100, but try them out.
For what it's worth, rocksmith can't tell what fret you are playing, just the note. You could play songs in a different manner as long as long as it's the right note.
Also, get it on PC if you can. Customs make it much better and you can import the first game's tracks, plus you can use the tones in your DAW if you're on a budget . I wouldn't bother with the original if you can get the 2014 edition.
Also, get it on PC if you can. Customs make it much better and you can import the first game's tracks, plus you can use the tones in your DAW if you're on a budget
. I wouldn't bother with the original if you can get the 2014 edition.Puck Beaverton
Banned
Alright homies I'm a complete noob so you will help me out
I'm looking at a Yamaha FG800 (if there are better choices for a noob let me know) and I was wondering if I should go with a Dreadnought or a Concert? Are there huge differences? I only plan to play to impress friends/girls and for my own personal amusement.
I'm looking at a Yamaha FG800 (if there are better choices for a noob let me know) and I was wondering if I should go with a Dreadnought or a Concert? Are there huge differences? I only plan to play to impress friends/girls and for my own personal amusement.
teruterubozu
Member
Alright homies I'm a complete noob so you will help me out
I'm looking at a Yamaha FG800 (if there are better choices for a noob let me know) and I was wondering if I should go with a Dreadnought or a Concert? Are there huge differences? I only plan to play to impress friends/girls and for my own personal amusement.
Dreadnaught if you wanna impress the girls. Concert looks like you're gonna play at the Renaissance Fair.
Puck Beaverton
Banned
teruterubozu
Member
Not small, just the shape. Anyway the traditional singer/songwriter image is the dreadnaught.
CrudeDiatribe
Member
Why would girls be impressed by an overly boomy guitar played by everyone else? Go for the concert or even a parlour.
teruterubozu
Member
Hell, go for a lute.