Guitar help please!

iNOS_dragRacer · 27th April 2006, 11:26 AM

Well, I've been playing guitar for almost 6 years now and in the past year I've gotten pretty damn good. Unfourtunatly, the main thing I've mastered is difficult riffs and moderately difficult solos.

I've got an Ibanez GRX20 guitar playing on a Behringer amp. The amp sounds great but the guitar just seems to be lacking the feel of soloing... all solos I play just sound different then what I think it should sound like.
I'm looking into buying a new guitar (Possibly a Gibson SG) and I was mostly wondering if possibly the strings I'm using could be effecting the sound quality of my soloing attempts. Whats a good gauge string for difficult solos?

If this is a foolish question then I gotta apologize. I know alot about guitar considering my dad has played for close to 35 years now and I learn everything from him, but there's still ALOT I need to learn. Help me out guys.
Thanks alot!

Nigel Goodwin · 27th April 2006, 11:49 AM

Obviously the type of guitar will affect the sound, as will the strings and the amplifier - but if your dad has been playing for 35 years he should be able to advise you?.

From what I've seen, chasing a particular 'sound' is very illusive, mostly it's down to the original artist been a damn good guitarist!. Give a good guitarist any kind of guitar and it will sound brilliant, give a poor guitarist the best guitar in the world and it will sound poor.

Guitar choice depends greatly on your style and type of music, Gibson SG's are very much a rock and heavy metal guitar.

poobah · 27th April 2006, 03:56 PM

I have played with guys that make guitars scream.

1) super stretchy strings...

2) Strings are not older than 8 hours or so...

3) High volume in close proximity the guitar.

Nigel Goodwin · 27th April 2006, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by poobah
I have played with guys that make guitars scream.

1) super stretchy strings...

2) Strings are not older than 8 hours or so...

That's only because the strings don't LAST 8 hours!

Quote:

3) High volume in close proximity the guitar.

tschrama · 27th April 2006, 05:21 PM

I am a really horrible guitrist but I do know that:

Quote:

3) High volume in close proximity the guitar.

is really true ... you really need that aucoustic energy feeding back your guitar body to get that sustain and tone ...

besides that .. once I made a simple smaal pracise amp with a famous " dual rectifier " preamp and a SE EL84 output .. nothing really compared to it, no effects or other solid state amp could compare.. try a tube amp.. even a Fender new generation champ sound nice..

poobah · 27th April 2006, 06:15 PM

Hey Nigel,

Even round-wound bass strings have the same problem... After about 8 hours in use they really lose that "sound"... they go form bright and snappy to dull and thumpy.

BobEllis · 27th April 2006, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by poobah
Hey Nigel,

Even round-wound bass strings have the same problem... After about 8 hours in use they really lose that "sound"... they go form bright and snappy to dull and thumpy.

But it takes 4-5 years before they start sounding really good.

iNOS_dragRacer · 27th April 2006, 10:52 PM

I don't know why I forgot to mention the kind of music I play.. sorry about that! I do play mostly anything between rock and heavy metal.

My dad could advise me, but he's mostly into acoustic. He's never played much electric.

I'll go out and grab some new strings, play some stuff, and post back progress.

Thanks alot for the help

Peter M. · 27th April 2006, 11:27 PM

Maybe it isnt the guitar? I have heard lots of solid state guitar amps, some of them sound very good but none that i have tried had the lively responsiveness of a good tube amp.

Enzo · 28th April 2006, 09:16 AM

There ar excellent solid state amps, but I agree that the dynamics of the tube amp are better to most ears.

Strings might make soime difference, but certainly the pickups wil make a world of difference more than strings. There are single coils, there are humbuckers, there are active pickups. And within those groups there are many choices, not all sounding alike at all.

You might try some boost pedals - a little overdrive for extra edge, or just an EQ pedal set for a bit of extra level straight across, or maybe adding a touch of upper mids. OD or boost pedal in front of hte amp, EQ pedal either in front or in the effects loop. These things make the guitar stand out a bit more for solos.

27th April 2006, 11:26 AM	#1
iNOS_dragRacer diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Michigan	Guitar help please! Well, I've been playing guitar for almost 6 years now and in the past year I've gotten pretty damn good. Unfourtunatly, the main thing I've mastered is difficult riffs and moderately difficult solos. I've got an Ibanez GRX20 guitar playing on a Behringer amp. The amp sounds great but the guitar just seems to be lacking the feel of soloing... all solos I play just sound different then what I think it should sound like. I'm looking into buying a new guitar (Possibly a Gibson SG) and I was mostly wondering if possibly the strings I'm using could be effecting the sound quality of my soloing attempts. Whats a good gauge string for difficult solos? If this is a foolish question then I gotta apologize. I know alot about guitar considering my dad has played for close to 35 years now and I learn everything from him, but there's still ALOT I need to learn. Help me out guys. Thanks alot!

27th April 2006, 11:49 AM	#2
Nigel Goodwin diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: North Derbyshire	Obviously the type of guitar will affect the sound, as will the strings and the amplifier - but if your dad has been playing for 35 years he should be able to advise you?. From what I've seen, chasing a particular 'sound' is very illusive, mostly it's down to the original artist been a damn good guitarist!. Give a good guitarist any kind of guitar and it will sound brilliant, give a poor guitarist the best guitar in the world and it will sound poor. Guitar choice depends greatly on your style and type of music, Gibson SG's are very much a rock and heavy metal guitar. __________________ Nigel Goodwin

27th April 2006, 11:27 PM	#9
Peter M. diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Østfold	Maybe it isnt the guitar? I have heard lots of solid state guitar amps, some of them sound very good but none that i have tried had the lively responsiveness of a good tube amp. __________________ Note to myself: Never again use fingers to check if there still is voltage left in a capacitor...

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27th April 2006, 03:56 PM	#3
poobah diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2005	I have played with guys that make guitars scream. 1) super stretchy strings... 2) Strings are not older than 8 hours or so... 3) High volume in close proximity the guitar.

27th April 2006, 06:15 PM	#6
poobah diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2005	Hey Nigel, Even round-wound bass strings have the same problem... After about 8 hours in use they really lose that "sound"... they go form bright and snappy to dull and thumpy.

27th April 2006, 10:52 PM	#8
iNOS_dragRacer diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Michigan	I don't know why I forgot to mention the kind of music I play.. sorry about that! I do play mostly anything between rock and heavy metal. My dad could advise me, but he's mostly into acoustic. He's never played much electric. I'll go out and grab some new strings, play some stuff, and post back progress. Thanks alot for the help

28th April 2006, 09:16 AM	#10
Enzo diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Lansing, Michigan	There ar excellent solid state amps, but I agree that the dynamics of the tube amp are better to most ears. Strings might make soime difference, but certainly the pickups wil make a world of difference more than strings. There are single coils, there are humbuckers, there are active pickups. And within those groups there are many choices, not all sounding alike at all. You might try some boost pedals - a little overdrive for extra edge, or just an EQ pedal set for a bit of extra level straight across, or maybe adding a touch of upper mids. OD or boost pedal in front of hte amp, EQ pedal either in front or in the effects loop. These things make the guitar stand out a bit more for solos.

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