Guitar Discussion V10 - February 2013 edition - General

I know a guy who puts fake nails on his picking hand, his band mates have a running gag of painting them purple while he is asleep. Can't be that bad though, I have seen Ace Frehley with some purple nails a couple times.

You guys know of any tuts for learning scales or improvisation? I'm tired of being limited to just chords and tabs. :v:

I don't know of any tutorials, but I started learning solos of songs and playing them on similar songs until I just started doing my own thing with them. I just learned little solo parts and started grasping how people play licks continuously.

guitar pro has just about every guitar scale diagram known to man in it

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2wY6IhsjCs[/media] found this today, pretty cool

[QUOTE=Unreliable;40776897]I don't know of any tutorials, but I started learning solos of songs and playing them on similar songs until I just started doing my own thing with them. I just learned little solo parts and started grasping how people play licks continuously.[/QUOTE] That's what I did, I always tell people pick out a few songs with good solos and learn them note for note. It took me about a few weeks to learn a few of my favorite solos in songs which happened to be Shock me by Ace Frehley, Undone by Weezer, Air Hockey Champion of the World by The Drills. After a while you start building a library of riffs in your head which will really help you start your journey in improvising because you don't have to play those riffs in the same key they were originally done in. So if I am improvising I pick out a riff I like and play it where needed on the fretboard. After a while you can start learning scales and for me I just go here. [url]http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/guitar_scales.php[/url] I pick a scale such as Pentatonic Major in the key of E and then I select a pattern in this case I will select 10. If you look below all those options you will see tab showing the scale. In this case... |-----14-12--9-------------------------------------- |----------------12--9------------------------------- |-----------------------11--9------------------------ |------------------------------11--9----------------- |-------------------------------------11--9---------- |--------------------------------------------12------ |--------------------------------------9-12-14------ |-------------------------------9-12----------------- |------------------------9-11------------------------ |-----------------9-11------------------------------- |----------9-11-------------------------------------- |-----12--------------------------------------------- Personally this method works for me, others learn better from youtube videos showing cool scales to learn. but I have learned about 60% of the scales I know from this.

[QUOTE=deggie;40780846][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2wY6IhsjCs[/media] found this today, pretty cool[/QUOTE] I like that 7 string Xplorer

[QUOTE=absinthe;40779628]guitar pro has just about every guitar scale diagram known to man in it[/QUOTE] I've been usin' Guitar Pro since I first started playin' guitars back in 2009.

[QUOTE=Azzator;40769063]You guys know of any tuts for learning scales or improvisation? I'm tired of being limited to just chords and tabs. :v:[/QUOTE] Honestly dude instead of learning scales and memorizing solos and stuff I would work on training your ear to recognize intervals. As a musician, the ability to not only recognize notes and chords as you hear them (which gives you the ability to learn songs "by ear" as opposed to relying on tabs), but also to be able to imagine a string of notes in your head and then play them without thinking about it or consulting a tab is by far the most valuable skill you'll ever learn for improvisation and solo work. Memorization only gets you as far as the thing you're memorizing, you don't want your playing to sound robotic, it should be spontaneous. You should be able to convey a unique, on the spot feeling with your playing that you will never achieve through memorizing any number of scales or modes or even complete solos. This guy gives a basic outline of the idea of ear training in a much better way than I can explain it in one post. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74HbHwuRmHY[/media] Overall though the basic idea of ear training, understanding relative pitch, is that you will be able to take a sound in your head or a sound that you hear and just play it, and at the end of the day that's what everyone who picks up an instrument wants to do, nobody wants to sit there and memorize a tab all day. I mean let's say you want to learn a solo from a song, you already have all the sounds from the solo in your head, you know what it sounds like before it ever comes on, so you shouldn't need a guide to tell you how to play it, you should be learning how to identify those notes and memorizing where they are on the fretboard so you can just get to them without thinking or without trial and error. Unrelated, but does anyone else here own a catch-o-matic guitar stand? I have one of the old 4 leg models and I love it, it's my favorite ground-based stand, I've never had any kind of scares or tip-overs when using it, it grabs all of my guitars snugly. Doesn't harm any of my nitro finish guitars either. But I don't think they make or sell them anymore, anyone know where I could buy some more?

what are scales but a string of intervals tbh all you did was provide a stronger argument for learning scale shapes [editline]26th May 2013[/editline] part of learning a scale is getting your ear familiar with the intervals within the scale

[QUOTE=absinthe;40798442]what are scales but a string of intervals tbh all you did was provide a stronger argument for learning scale shapes [editline]26th May 2013[/editline] part of learning a scale is getting your ear familiar with the intervals within the scale[/QUOTE] Absolutely you should memorize all the shapes on the fretboard that you can, but my point is that the memorization by itself will get you nowhere, you should be doing like you said and getting your ear familiar with the actual sounds that way it's not down to just muscle memory, making the sounds you want to hear becomes a lot more intuitive.

What do you guys know about Agile guitars? Any kind of experiences with them appreciated, looking for more info on them since apparently you can only buy them online and they seem to be almost too good to be true, since they're pretty cheap yet have tons of great features.

[QUOTE=DSG;40799525]What do you guys know about Agile guitars? Any kind of experiences with them appreciated, looking for more info on them since apparently you can only buy them online and they seem to be almost too good to be true, since they're pretty cheap yet have tons of great features.[/QUOTE] I have setup and played a few, they are fun and in quite a few cases very good value for the money. I would buy one if I was in need of a cheap guitar.

[QUOTE=DSG;40799525]What do you guys know about Agile guitars? Any kind of experiences with them appreciated, looking for more info on them since apparently you can only buy them online and they seem to be almost too good to be true, since they're pretty cheap yet have tons of great features.[/QUOTE] I've got a Brice bass which comes from the same factory and it's pretty great quality for the price.

[QUOTE=Nazereth666;40799595]I have setup and played a few, they are fun and in quite a few cases very good value for the money. I would buy one if I was in need of a cheap guitar.[/QUOTE] How do they compare to something like a Schecte, Ibanez, Carvin, Jackson, etc.? I've asked elsewhere and a lot of people argue that Agile counterparts play better than most models from all of those brands. I just have a hard time believing that for several hundred dollars less and getting the same features, like type of wood, scale, pickups, bridge, etc. that you're also getting the same quality. Is it only with certain Agile models that you're getting a good deal?

[QUOTE=DSG;40799639]How do they compare to something like a Schecte, Ibanez, Carvin, Jackson, etc.? I've asked elsewhere and a lot of people argue that Agile counterparts play better than most models from all of those brands. I just have a hard time believing that for several hundred dollars less and getting the same features, like type of wood, scale, pickups, bridge, etc. that you're also getting the same quality. Is it only with certain Agile models that you're getting a good deal?[/QUOTE] It'll outplay any jackson or ibanez, schecter or carvin would be a toss-up. you're still getting more for your money with an agile.

[QUOTE=DSG;40799639]How do they compare to something like a Schecte, Ibanez, Carvin, Jackson, etc.? I've asked elsewhere and a lot of people argue that Agile counterparts play better than most models from all of those brands. I just have a hard time believing that for several hundred dollars less and getting the same features, like type of wood, scale, pickups, bridge, etc. that you're also getting the same quality. Is it only with certain Agile models that you're getting a good deal?[/QUOTE] I don't really believe that they are better quality than the big brand companies, maybe equal in certain cases. But they are just as playable as your average priced Ibanez, Schecter, etc. It is true though that when it comes to the big brands you are paying a little extra for the name and for some the piece of mind. I know pretty much every one I have seen from the factory needed a setup but this happens with most guitars made overseas. And after that you should end up with a very playable guitar. I have heard that the lower priced agile guitars are a little poor but once you get into the $350 and up price point things get much better. I haven't play any of the sub $300 guitars so I can't really prove this.

I was specifically looking at [url=http://www.rondomusic.com/interceptorpro727ebtredbound.html]this one[/url] or [url=http://www.rondomusic.com/SEPTORpro727ebemgliz.html]this one[/url], which are definitely on the more expensive side of things. When you say setup, what do you mean? Like taking it to a guitar shop and spending like $100 for it to be fixed up?

[QUOTE=DSG;40799737]I was specifically looking at [url=http://www.rondomusic.com/interceptorpro727ebtredbound.html]this one[/url] or [url=http://www.rondomusic.com/SEPTORpro727ebemgliz.html]this one[/url], which are definitely on the more expensive side of things. When you say setup, what do you mean? Like taking it to a guitar shop and spending like $100 for it to be fixed up?[/QUOTE] Depends, if you end up with a lot of fret buzz on the fretboard even with a proper setup then you start getting into a fret job which can cost a little bit of money but it should never be more than $100. By setup I mean adjusting the action to a level that feels comfortable for you without being so low it causes fret buzz. Checking intonation and adjusting the relief in the neck. All these things you can do yourself with basic tools and a couple youtube videos. I should also add you my above post if you are going with a 7 or 8 string then Agile is the way to go.

[QUOTE=Nazereth666;40799771]Depends, if you end up with a lot of fret buzz on the fretboard even with a proper setup then you start getting into a fret job which can cost a little bit of money but it should never be more than $100. By setup I mean adjusting the action to a level that feels comfortable for you without being so low it causes fret buzz. Checking intonation and adjusting the relief in the neck. All these things you can do yourself with basic tools and a couple youtube videos. I should also add you my above post if you are going with a 7 or 8 string then Agile is the way to go.[/QUOTE] I'm hoping the one I would order wouldn't have too many issues then (especially not fret buzz, yuck), but I would plan on putting in different gauged strings so setting up intonation and action and everything will have to be done anyway. I've only done it for fixed bridge guitars though, and I hear doing it for one with a floyd rose or any kind of tremolo is really difficult. Thanks for the help (and butre)

[QUOTE=DSG;40799861]I'm hoping the one I would order wouldn't have too many issues then (especially not fret buzz, yuck), but I would plan on putting in different gauged strings so setting up intonation and action and everything will have to be done anyway. I've only done it for fixed bridge guitars though, and I hear doing it for one with a floyd rose or any kind of tremolo is really difficult. Thanks for the help (and butre)[/QUOTE] It isn't far off from a fixed bridge as far as adjusting the action goes, intonation on a floyd kind of pisses me off because there are no actual intonation screws that you can just turn to move the saddle. They are held in place by a hex screw and you have to loosen the string and then the saddle, move the saddles to try and correct the intonation and then tighten everything back up. It sucks though because if you didn't get it right you have to do everything over. The only other thing is getting the tremolo to tilt at a proper angle to the body which also doesn't require much. I usually loosen the tremolo springs, after that I just find a wedge to put in the back of the guitar in between the trem block and the cavity that holds the trem parallel to the body. Then I tighten the springs just enough till the wedge falls out and it's set. There are tons of videos explaining how to set up a guitar with a floyd, you can watch a couple of them and do it yourself.

actually there is a tool that allow you to turn a screw to adjust the floyd intonation (named "the key") sells on allparts and it makes intonation piss easy. [url]http://www.allparts.com/LT-0868-000-THE-KEY-Intonating-Tool_p_2079.html[/url]

I was determined on buying the pod HD pro until I saw yet another video of an Axe FX Now I'm torn between the two again

[QUOTE=HoldenC;40805336]actually there is a tool that allow you to turn a screw to adjust the floyd intonation (named "the key") sells on allparts and it makes intonation piss easy. [url]http://www.allparts.com/LT-0868-000-THE-KEY-Intonating-Tool_p_2079.html[/url][/QUOTE] I had one of those, it doesn't work on schaller or other copy floyds and unless you loosen the string it is a pain to use so it kind of defeats the point.

oh didn't knew it only worked on the OFR and the FR special, and loosening the string is pretty much required unless you want the saddle to fly through the room or go too much forward, just put a 9v battery right under the fine tuners keeps it exactly straight for the small amount of time you need to detune it

[QUOTE=HoldenC;40808493]oh didn't knew it only worked on the OFR and the FR special, and loosening the string is pretty much required unless you want the saddle to fly through the room or go too much forward, just put a 9v battery right under the fine tuners keeps it exactly straight for the small amount of time you need to detune it[/QUOTE] That's what I used to do when I first got it but now I just find it more of a burden. It is faster for me to just move the saddles by hand.

Can someone help me translate "C G C F G A E" into a tuning with a low Ab instead of C? Not AbGCFGAE Not sure how to explain. Hoping someone will understand. It's a really weird tuning Josh Travis uses on his 8-string (with a low F added)

Do you mean taking all the strings down four semi-tones? It would be Ab Eb Ab Db Eb F C in that case.

Exactly what I meant, thanks. Been braindead all day today...

Whoever was asking about an Agile, check this out: [url]http://rosettaband.com/post/51577975681/[/url]