here's 2 of my guitars :)

ChemicalParasite:

GotBornAgain:

I've narrowed my amp selection down judging by word of mouth and lots of research. either the Mesa Stilleto Deuce & Trident(and i will get the stage 2) or the Bogner Shiva. I'm just gonna get something small for now till i get more $$$.

Those are good choices.  I definitely like Mesa, but the more I think about it, the more I am considering moving to an Engl Powerball or Savage SE.  I think the Mesa is a little too classic for my tastes and I can't pull a modern metal tone out of the Mark IV.  I'd keep the Mark IV if I could, but money seems to be a little tight

I did some reasearch, and i saw the Engl Powerball amp and those r great. I'm gonna try to give them amps a demo. And i got me les paul. didn't find any flying v's cheap. when i get more $$$ i will have one.

---

"why you laugh at my disgrace, i'll never know..."


www.respectforlayne.com

GotBornAgain:

I did some reasearch, and i saw the Engl Powerball amp and those r great. I'm gonna try to give them amps a demo. And i got me les paul. didn't find any flying v's cheap. when i get more $$$ i will have one.

Definitely worth trying.  I hope to get either the Powerball or Savage 120 and a Mesa/Boogie 4x12.  Should be death metal tone galore.

---

Oops...

O.K. so not the same night or the next night... but here is one of them

My very first guitar, and still my favorite...

A Peavey Mantis

---

Sometimes when it is too dark to see the light, you need to close your eyes to truly see

A.K.A. "Nimble"

Hey Chemical, i'm goin with the Shiva amp. As i played it, i noticed I got a little bit of Adam Jones' sound and i played a Tool song and it sounded great. but it has what i was looking for in tone. the mesa was good. but i felt much more comfortable with the Shiva. thanks for the advice.

---

"why you laugh at my disgrace, i'll never know..."


www.respectforlayne.com

Very cool man.  The Shiva is a spectacular amplifier with a superb tone.  Which model did you happen to try?  I was able to A/B both the EL-34 and 6L6 when I tried them out and the EL-34 came out far ahead of the 6L6.  The EL-34 brought about more of that harmonically rich tone with far more breakup.  I swapped the EL-34s in the one I owned for E34Ls for a slightly different tone.  If you happen to swap tubes in it, I highly recommend the following:

SED Winged poweramp tubes.  EL-34s or 6L6s depending on which model you get.

Tung Sol 12AX7 in the V1 preamp spot and phase inverter.

Finish off the preamp with Shuguang 12AX7s or other 9th generation Chinese preamp tubes.

From my experience with amps those are the best tubes on the market for getting a really sweet distortion.  No matter what, you are going to be very happy with your purchase.

Have you considered cabinets yet?  I would suggest something loaded with Greenbacks, Vintage 30s, or G12H30s, or even a combination thereof.  My favorite cabinets for more of a hard rock sound go as follows:

1.  Bogner Uberkab
2.  Bogner 2x12 oversized closedback
3.  Mesa/Boogie Traditional Rectifier 4x12 (tighter than their oversized counterpart)
4.  Mesa/Boogie Rectifier 2x12
5.  VHT Fat Bottom cabinet.
6.  Marshall 1960 Vintage (Vintage 30 loaded) or a standard 1960 with Greenbacks.  I am not opposed to 1960s loaded with G12T-75s, but they have more of a scooped sound and that diminishes the quality of tone coming from a middy amp like the Shiva.

Also, if you are interested in the EL-34 version of the Shiva, I would suggest two things:  A THD hotplate power attenuator so you can crank the Shiva in order to get some sweet poweramp distortion, and a Keeley modified Ibanez TS-9 or TS-808 in order to give you an extra type of boosted sound as well as a different voicing.

---

I just bought my first the other day. Giving myself a shot a self teaching, have Americas horse with no name already down, as well as slither. lol  Am learning with next level guitar.com

oh, and its a cheap Ibanez Gio, but im still a beginner, no I AM a beginner.

 

---

One can only receive and retain

MANdirtEXCUSES:

I just bought my first the other day. Giving myself a shot a self teaching, have Americas horse with no name already down, as well as slither. lol  Am learning with next level guitar.com

oh, and its a cheap Ibanez Gio, but im still a beginner, no I AM a beginner.

 

I don't care what guitar you have.

I don't care what amp you have.

I don't care what proficiency you have.

I care about YOU having FUN with guitar.  It isn't the gear you have, or the skill you have, it is the heart you have.  All I can say is enjoy the hell out of the learning experience, it is one of the best things out there.  I will suggest that you only play while you are having fun and put the guitar down when you get frustrated.

Here is something that may sound stupid, but I swear, it works.  It works.  If you like Alice in Chains, learn guitar playing from icons such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, etc.  If you learn to play guitar by playing what the artist you want to play like learned from (does that make sense? hahaha) then you will have a much easier time building similar chops and theory.  Just learn a couple songs and then move on to Alice in Chains stuff.  I swear it will be easier, and you will have more in your repotoire.

But remember, first and foremost, have fun.  Have fun man, I wish you the absolute best with playing guitar. 

---

hey man, thanx for the advice and wishin the best.  Im def getting frustrated as you may imagine, and put the guitar down when that happens.  Many people are self taught, and im really into my poetry/lyrics and singing and am determined as any to teach myself for a better ear and understanding in tone, harmony etc to go along with voice. Although lessons will help.  Makes a lot of sense bout learnin the older greats that influenced our influences.  Could you recommend some easy beginner songs that you first learned from the likes of those?   

---

One can only receive and retain

ChemicalParasite:

Very cool man.  The Shiva is a spectacular amplifier with a superb tone.  Which model did you happen to try?  I was able to A/B both the EL-34 and 6L6 when I tried them out and the EL-34 came out far ahead of the 6L6.  The EL-34 brought about more of that harmonically rich tone with far more breakup.  I swapped the EL-34s in the one I owned for E34Ls for a slightly different tone.  If you happen to swap tubes in it, I highly recommend the following:

SED Winged poweramp tubes.  EL-34s or 6L6s depending on which model you get.

Tung Sol 12AX7 in the V1 preamp spot and phase inverter.

Finish off the preamp with Shuguang 12AX7s or other 9th generation Chinese preamp tubes.

From my experience with amps those are the best tubes on the market for getting a really sweet distortion.  No matter what, you are going to be very happy with your purchase.

Have you considered cabinets yet?  I would suggest something loaded with Greenbacks, Vintage 30s, or G12H30s, or even a combination thereof.  My favorite cabinets for more of a hard rock sound go as follows:

1.  Bogner Uberkab
2.  Bogner 2x12 oversized closedback
3.  Mesa/Boogie Traditional Rectifier 4x12 (tighter than their oversized counterpart)
4.  Mesa/Boogie Rectifier 2x12
5.  VHT Fat Bottom cabinet.
6.  Marshall 1960 Vintage (Vintage 30 loaded) or a standard 1960 with Greenbacks.  I am not opposed to 1960s loaded with G12T-75s, but they have more of a scooped sound and that diminishes the quality of tone coming from a middy amp like the Shiva.

Also, if you are interested in the EL-34 version of the Shiva, I would suggest two things:  A THD hotplate power attenuator so you can crank the Shiva in order to get some sweet poweramp distortion, and a Keeley modified Ibanez TS-9 or TS-808 in order to give you an extra type of boosted sound as well as a different voicing.

 Talkin a little over my head there. i tried the 6L6, but i'll give the EL-34 a shot. As far as cabinets go the mesa 2x12 may be the winner. i'm gonna keep those other ones in mind though.

---

"why you laugh at my disgrace, i'll never know..."


www.respectforlayne.com

MANdirtEXCUSES:

hey man, thanx for the advice and wishin the best.  Im def getting frustrated as you may imagine, and put the guitar down when that happens.  Many people are self taught, and im really into my poetry/lyrics and singing and am determined as any to teach myself for a better ear and understanding in tone, harmony etc to go along with voice. Although lessons will help.  Makes a lot of sense bout learnin the older greats that influenced our influences.  Could you recommend some easy beginner songs that you first learned from the likes of those?   

Some songs that I learned when I first started playing guitar were these:
Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven (I figured I might as well start there)
Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love
AC/DC - Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution
Van Halen - Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love
Thin Lizzy - Jail Break
Rolling Stones - Satisfaction
Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son

I would also suggest learning the following scales:

Pentatonic Minor
Pentatonic Major
Blues

And the following modes:

Dorian
Mixolydian

Check out http://www.wholenote.com/default.asp?iTarget=http%3A//www.wholenote.com/basics/scales.asp to find them.

I also suggest you look at this video http://youtube.com/watch?v=bVmq2C5kLoM but don't worry about the playing, just look at his form.

Notice how John Petrucci sits with the guitar in the "classical position" sitting on the opposite leg of his picking hand.  This will give you better form and it will be easier on your fretting hand.  Also look at his hand.  He keeps him thumb anchored to the back of the neck, parallel to the strings with the thumb tip pointing toward the headstock.  Do this while playing single note runs.  Then when you see him doing bends, you notice he anchors his thumb over top of the neck to give him more counter pressure.  One more thing to notice is how he uses his fingertips only.  I cannot emphasize this more.  Use only your fingertips.  It will give your more accuracy, agility, and endurance.  The reason I suggest all of these things is because it will make playing much easier, and it will allow for an easier transition to more technical music styles in the future if you decide to do that.  I know when I did the move from hard rock to shred it took me around eight months to get my fret hand into condition.  Just do it while you are learning and you will be set.

---

GotBornAgain:

ChemicalParasite:

Very cool man.  The Shiva is a spectacular amplifier with a superb tone.  Which model did you happen to try?  I was able to A/B both the EL-34 and 6L6 when I tried them out and the EL-34 came out far ahead of the 6L6.  The EL-34 brought about more of that harmonically rich tone with far more breakup.  I swapped the EL-34s in the one I owned for E34Ls for a slightly different tone.  If you happen to swap tubes in it, I highly recommend the following:

SED Winged poweramp tubes.  EL-34s or 6L6s depending on which model you get.

Tung Sol 12AX7 in the V1 preamp spot and phase inverter.

Finish off the preamp with Shuguang 12AX7s or other 9th generation Chinese preamp tubes.

From my experience with amps those are the best tubes on the market for getting a really sweet distortion.  No matter what, you are going to be very happy with your purchase.

Have you considered cabinets yet?  I would suggest something loaded with Greenbacks, Vintage 30s, or G12H30s, or even a combination thereof.  My favorite cabinets for more of a hard rock sound go as follows:

1.  Bogner Uberkab
2.  Bogner 2x12 oversized closedback
3.  Mesa/Boogie Traditional Rectifier 4x12 (tighter than their oversized counterpart)
4.  Mesa/Boogie Rectifier 2x12
5.  VHT Fat Bottom cabinet.
6.  Marshall 1960 Vintage (Vintage 30 loaded) or a standard 1960 with Greenbacks.  I am not opposed to 1960s loaded with G12T-75s, but they have more of a scooped sound and that diminishes the quality of tone coming from a middy amp like the Shiva.

Also, if you are interested in the EL-34 version of the Shiva, I would suggest two things:  A THD hotplate power attenuator so you can crank the Shiva in order to get some sweet poweramp distortion, and a Keeley modified Ibanez TS-9 or TS-808 in order to give you an extra type of boosted sound as well as a different voicing.

 Talkin a little over my head there. i tried the 6L6, but i'll give the EL-34 a shot. As far as cabinets go the mesa 2x12 may be the winner. i'm gonna keep those other ones in mind though.

Definitely try the EL-34 man.  Ask Squeegy, I believe that is the model he owns.  He can attest to the fact that it is much easier to dial in a good hard rock tone via EL-34 power than it is with 6L6s due primarily to the head room of the 6L6 tubes.

---

ChemicalParasite:

MANdirtEXCUSES:

hey man, thanx for the advice and wishin the best.  Im def getting frustrated as you may imagine, and put the guitar down when that happens.  Many people are self taught, and im really into my poetry/lyrics and singing and am determined as any to teach myself for a better ear and understanding in tone, harmony etc to go along with voice. Although lessons will help.  Makes a lot of sense bout learnin the older greats that influenced our influences.  Could you recommend some easy beginner songs that you first learned from the likes of those?   

Some songs that I learned when I first started playing guitar were these:
Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven (I figured I might as well start there)
Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love
AC/DC - Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution
Van Halen - Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love
Thin Lizzy - Jail Break
Rolling Stones - Satisfaction
Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son

I would also suggest learning the following scales:

Pentatonic Minor
Pentatonic Major
Blues

And the following modes:

Dorian
Mixolydian

Check out http://www.wholenote.com/default.asp?iTarget=http%3A//www.wholenote.com/basics/scales.asp to find them.

I also suggest you look at this video http://youtube.com/watch?v=bVmq2C5kLoM but don't worry about the playing, just look at his form.

Notice how John Petrucci sits with the guitar in the "classical position" sitting on the opposite leg of his picking hand.  This will give you better form and it will be easier on your fretting hand.  Also look at his hand.  He keeps him thumb anchored to the back of the neck, parallel to the strings with the thumb tip pointing toward the headstock.  Do this while playing single note runs.  Then when you see him doing bends, you notice he anchors his thumb over top of the neck to give him more counter pressure.  One more thing to notice is how he uses his fingertips only.  I cannot emphasize this more.  Use only your fingertips.  It will give your more accuracy, agility, and endurance.  The reason I suggest all of these things is because it will make playing much easier, and it will allow for an easier transition to more technical music styles in the future if you decide to do that.  I know when I did the move from hard rock to shred it took me around eight months to get my fret hand into condition.  Just do it while you are learning and you will be set.

Another great resource for when you are ready to fine tune and hone your playing skills is the lesson re-printed in this months (Oct 2007) Guitar World magazine (originally printed in 1990)...

It is Steve Vai's 10 hour guitar workout if (don't let the title scare you... don't spend the 10 hours at first because it will just discourage you if you're not ready for it. It is a great resource for exercises to help with dexterity and coordination. Just start with some of the basics and use some of the exercises to help you along at first, and incorporate more as you feel you want to improve)

The key thing to remember with this is the exact same thing chemicparasite said...

HAVE FUN!

It is truly the best advice...

---

Sometimes when it is too dark to see the light, you need to close your eyes to truly see

A.K.A. "Nimble"

I've got the crappiest one you'll ever find- a Johnson. It doesn't even have a name- the closest I found was one website calling it "Novice Electric Guitar". I've gone through 4 of these crappy things already. My amp is also made by Johnson, it takes up under a square foot of my room. Obviously I'm saving up for replacements on both, I'm not a beginner anymore, I'm ok, but I'm teaching myself and have no clue what half (more like 75%) of the stuff you're talking about on here is. Can someone explain a little?

Oh yeah and I've got a question for anyone who knows- how do the G&L Rampage and Invader compare? I'd like the guitar even if Cantrell didn't use it, so don't label me there... But I heard they stopped making the Rampage and that the Invader is the exact same thing. True? And how is it, factory setup, on music as varied as Nirvana, Three Days Grace, Foo Fighters, Metallica, AiC, and the Scorpions? What all would I need to change, on both, if I got either?

---

HiP QWNS

My first post on the site and I went right to the musician's section - of course.  Hey y'all !!  :-)

Ok, so here's a pic of our band playing a local bar and me with my favorite ax - a Jackson dinky.  Anybody else like these guitars? I think they're really great. I played strats for years but my '62 is gathering dust now.

 PS - Disappointed AIC isn't doing a gig in the DC area

Mike