Dad3353

Don't trust me on this as I have cloth ears. I hear no 'whistling', nor harmonics, on that last (third...) recording. You say it's without gain; it sounds distorted to me, not at all like a guitar simply plugged into an amp. Are you using pedals at all with all of this..? Can you record just the guitar, with no Fx at all (downstrokes is fine, or just play a tune...)..?

A quick search for 'luthier tone wood supplier uk' brings up several suppliers. We're in France, so the suppliers in Portugal or Spain are our main source, but that won't interest you in the UK, I suppose. Still, half a dozen came up, to get you started. What use do you have..? Guitar/bass..? Classical, folk, electric, other..? Just askin'; hope this helps.

I'm not sure that there are any guitars that are excluded from playing 'metal', but if I take that to mean roughly Strat-shape, with a pointy headstock, I'd start by looking at the Thomann B-stock offers. 'B-stock' means that someone ordered one, then sent it back, normally, but they are perfectly sound, and carry the same guarantee as others. It's a way of getting a bit off the price. Here's a link to some I'd suggest fall into your criteria (between £200-£300...)... Thomann 'Bargain' ST-type guitars, with no vibrato, UK prices ... Feel free to play around with the filters on the left, to see what else is on offer. There's nothing wrong with Tele-style, Les Paul-style, SG-style etc guitars either for metal (maybe avoid archtop though, as a beginner...). All of these guitars hold their tuning, and can be used in any style, including metal, of course. There are many other suppliers than Thomann, but this is an easy way to see and compare what's on the market, from the comfort of one's own home. Nothing beats trying out various instruments at a music shop, once one has an initial idea of what to try out. My personal choice would be a Squire Affinity Tele Deluxe (I prefer humbuckers...), like this one ... Thomann Squire Affinity Deluxe ... ... or this one ... Thomann Harley Benton Fusion T-HH ... Spoilt for choice, now, eh..?

Good afternoon, Andico... Unless it's going to be a feature of your playing, I don't think I'd advise any guitar in this price range with a vibrato ('whammy bar'...). The good guitars get away with it, once up in the 'pro' league, and with a tame technician to match, but, in my opinion, they're an unnecessary source of trouble, especially when learning, in almost any style. If you really need it, go ahead, but I'd advise looking at other models without this accessory that have the features you want. No guitar in this range will have an inherent 'staying in tune' problem, whatever the make; Ibanez have an excellent reputation, but so have many others. Your call, naturally, but holding its tune should never be an issue, especially for one's first guitar. Disclaimer : I've never had a use for a vibrato of any kind, as 'dive-bombing' is not an effect I affection in my playing. If I had to have that effect, I'd do as our son, Our Eldest, does, and use a detune pedal (think the dying notes of 'Karma Police'...). Hope this helps.

Good afternoon, @suzukisan, and ... ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

'Misty'. Still learning it, over half a century later, and still striving to overcome its difficulties, exacerbated by increasing memory issues.

Mickey Baker, with his 'Complete Course in Jazz Guitar'. First bought back in the mid '60s, I've worn it out and bought it again several times, and still use it today. It costs less than peanuts from a well-known purveyor of books and other sundries, and will serve for a lifetime. What did it teach me..? That there are many ways to skin a cat, and persistence pays dividends when going through the exercises. Eternal thanks to The Master.

If you'll be needing an electro-acoustic, it'll be the Martin, as the Taylor has no built-in mic. Otherwise, they are very similar for their price point, so reputation, aesthetic and personal feeling would be he only factors, really. Can you not try each..? None in stock at your nearest guitar outlet..? The Taylor is currently in stock from Thomann; the Martin needs a couple of weeks at least before delivery. Maybe just as important would be the choice of hard case, or solid gig bag, for toting either around, depending on what transport you'll be using.

Can you take a close-up photo of the tuners, and the method of attaching them..? There are several different ways; a good photo would help to give appropriate advice. Over to you..?

My usual words of encouragement for this 'harder on the fingers' issue... 'It's the first forty years that are the worst, after which things sometimes have a tendency to get slightly better.' ...

What..? Dylan, electric..? Heresy..! ...

I agree ^^.

This ^^. More information needed as to your goal in order to give pertinent advice. Over to you...

They will be amply quick enough if you play at a much slower tempo (about half-speed..?). Preferably with a metronome, and slowly (very slowly...) increase the tempo by a small notch every week or so. That way it'll come up to speed all on its own. The fastest way to play fast is to play slowly, trust me. It sounds as if you're doing well (or, indeed, very well..!). Hope this helps. Douglas

Each fret is a half-tone higher, so, for the 'E' string... E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E octave.

I'd suggest that any reasonably-popular guitar, made by any reasonably-popular maker, from any reasonably-popular supplier will be fine for any beginner. There can always be a flaw in any manufactured item; guitars are no exception, but they are rare. If any guitar purchased could be vetted (played by...) a decently competent guitar-playing buddy, to check that it's all working (and it will be...), there's little chance of anything seriously wrong happening. What some reviewers might describe as 'absolutely terrible' could be really insignificant details, that don't affect playing, and wouldn't be noticed by most folk. Any described as 'absolutely fantastic' could, by the same token, have been written by someone paid to give a glowing review. Ideally, you should try out any instrument yourself, or with a competent chum, in a reputable store, and decide what's good for you and your budget. If you must order through the web, there is ample protection against bitter disappointment, and, of course, the normal legal guarantees for any faults. In short, trust yourself more, and go for whatever you like the look of, that will inspire you to learn and play, and is in your budget, from any reputable source, the closer to you the better. If we all gave a list of what's 'great' and what's 'rubbish', you'll not be more advanced. It's all good, as long as it inspires you to learn and play it. Hope this helps. Douglas

Yes.

Some slight confusion here, methinks..? Learning, and playing, the guitar (other musical instruments are available, I'm told...) has to be, first and foremost, FUN..! No, it's not easy-peasy, and doesn't come instantly, but the FUN is as much, if not more, in the journey, and is never-ending. That being said, I'm not sure that the term 'study' is really appropriate in your case, for what you're doing. One important aspect of learning is to get the fingers working mechanically, and use the exercises to reinforce, at the same time, the 'muscle memory' that comes with repetition of movements. To this end, the playing of solo notes, and naming them aloud, is really just a 'warm-up' exercise, done systematically at the start of one's practice session, and needs no more 'study' than that. You will not be expected, nor will need, to pass an exam on note-naming, but the knowledge that these little exercises instils is insidiously locked away in your brain, and will serve for decades to come, with no further effort on your part. It's like wielding cutlery to eat a meal; there's no (or little...) conscious effort, but the food gets to the mouth without any furrowing of the brow. This, because, as a child, these gestures were repeated for long enough. Relax, James, and take the time to just enjoy what you can do already, in the firm and certain knowledge that, shortly, you will be able to do yet more. It's not a race, and we all do this at different paces; do this at your pace and that's fine. There is no way of swallowing all aspects of guitar playing, music theory, chord structure, picking techniques etc at once, so choose your areas of interest wisely, work on them slowly, and ignore the rest until you're ready for 'em. What can you play, currently, and what would you like to be able to play..? We can give concrete advice on specifics if we know where you are, and where you'd like to head. Any help..? (Don't forget that very important element, to ensure success : always have a very big bucket of Patience to hand...)

I'm rather a fan of hollow-body guitars, but the Gretsch range has never really appealed to me. I can't speak for any modern, current, models, but 'back then' ('70s...), the ones I came across didn't inspire me much at all, with a rather limited tonal range, electrified, and not much tone at all as an acoustic. I found them to be extraordinarily heavy and clumsy, too, compared to other arch-tops or acoustic guitars. I suppose if one just has to have that particular sound, they don't have much competition, I certainly won't be scouring the small ads to find one. What is it that draws you to them, and what models are your present guitars that you're willing to sacrifice..? At the risk (nay, certainty...) of sounding like an old frump, I'm not a fan of tremolos on any guitar, and definitely not the Bigsby version. Heavy, clumsy, detrimental to the tone and robustness of any arch-top guitar sound-board, it's a deal-breaker for me. Do they mess much with tuning..? They certainly don't if they're not fitted..! Again, it's a matter of what one wants to play, and I've never wanted to play in any style that uses such an effect, soooooo... Not for me, thanks.

Good evening, Martin... A very nice guitar; it's a shame to not play it, but Life... It's a Gibson, a little more modest than the original full-fat Hummingbird, but a fine Gibson nevertheless. Having looked around at some ads on other sites, I would suggest that one should be able to buy a pretty fine ring with £1500-1800, depending on your patience, waiting for the right Buyer to come along. Have you considered selling it on a commission basis, from any of the outlets offering this service..? They may be able to help with evaluation, too, and would have a wide client base. Just a thought. Hope this helps, and good luck with your projects; meanwhile... Have a splendid day. Douglas

What you're hearing there is a harmonic, which is pretty much inevitable when playing at high gain, and is often even desirable in many styles. Try playing at different spots with the pick; that will probably change the note (the 'squeaking'...); choose the position that sounds best to you. It can be eliminated by playing without such high gain, but then you'd have no need of a pointy guitar..! Hope this helps.

I'm assuming, maybe wrongly, that this ^^ is a typo, and that you meant '2024'..?

There is much more that could be said on the subject, of course. Intervals are just the 'distance' between two notes, but the use of the term goes quite deeply into all music. The bass guitar strings are tuned in Fourths ('E' to 'A' is an interval of a fourth : E-F-G-A, 'A' to 'D' is a fourth : A-B-C-D etc...). One often refers, in bass playing, to playing 'Root/Fifth'. These are the key notes of chords. The fifth is found on the next string up, two frets higher. So playing low 'E', then 'B' on the third string gives the basis of an 'E' chord, and we hear it a lot in many styles of music. A useful tool when composing, or looking for a chord to follow another (a progression...) is to use the 'Circle of Fifths', which illustrates the relation between all the diatonic chords in Western music. In that link, there is an explanation of its utility in chord progressions, worth having a look at and trying out. The Wikipedia page on Intervals also does a Good Job in explaining things, too. Happy reading..!

I've just watched this clip (I must have missed it when originally posted...), and would agree with the comments that follow. I would like to add a detail; I see that you're not using the guitar strap. Practicing this way may be OK, but it will all fall apart when you try to play standing up. It's important, whether sitting or standing, to have the guitar maintained by something other than your arms (ie : the strap...), which should be adjusted so as to have the guitar at the right height and balance, with no 'neck dive'. Try it and see the difference between sitting and standing..? Hope this helps...

Changing from one chord to another comes with practise, the slower the better to get there faster. Take some regular exercise time (5-10 minutes every day without fail...) to finger the chord, then change to the next one, looking only for accuracy, not speed. Slow but sure is the way forward. This applies, whatever chords you're going from/to. Intervals..? Easiest to imagine from a piano keyboard point of view, but it's exactly the same principle for all instruments. Take as a starting point the note 'C' on the piano. An interval describes the distance to the nexrt note played. From 'C', for example, playing the next 'C' on the keyboard gives an interval of an octave (there are eight notes in Western music, so 'octa' for eight...). From the first 'C', if we play the 'B' below the octave 'C', that an interval of seven (written in Romain as 'VII'...). Next interval from the 'C' to the next one down ('A'...), we have an interval of 'VI' (Yes, six...). Keep coming down from our first 'C', we play 'G' (interval 'V', of five...), then 'F' ('IV'...), 'E' ('III', or three...), 'D' ('II'...) and back to 'C'. Any note from 'C' can therefore be designated an interval ('VII' gives us 'B', for example...). This is easy enough to visualise on a keyboard, as it's only the white notes, and from 'C'. The same 'logic', can be applied, however, if we had chosen to start with 'D', except, in order to play the same intervals as with 'C', we have to use some black keys. 'D' octave is easy enough, but a semitone down from 'D' (the same interval is 'B' starting from 'C'...) will be 'Db'. I'll leave you to work out what the other interval are, starting from 'D'; it's a good exercise to hammer home the understanding. Do it again for other starting notes, too, for fun. It works in the same way for guitar, of course; on the open low 'E' string, the 'VII' is the Eb at the eleventh fret. Play an 'E Major' scale on that string and you'll see how it works. Does this help..?