Music / Instruments

[Starrywalsh]

Hey all,

I said I'd start this topic because I need some advice on something and it would be good to know what hidden musical talents mini club members have .... So if anyone plays an instrument let us know here etc etc.

Now me, I used play an acoustic guitar a few years back and have long since forgotten everything, I decided to get back into it recently and I want to go eletric, I was thinking of getting a Gibson Studio are maybe a Godin - any advice on choice will be greatly welcome, any websites that people can point me in the direction of for learning etc. would also be great.
At the moment I own an Epiphone semi acoustic guitar, an ibanaz acoustic bass, and a horner melodica (like a blow in paino) I know basic guitar chords but want to take it to the next level if you know what I mean!! All advice welcome.

Im looking forward to hear what others can do musically too, Im sure there is probably a few Bach's here!! ol:

[irlmin]

Starry ,
You have come to the right place , Owen is the man !! he can knock a tune out of several instruments , Alvin also has studied pianoforte at the famous Bandon musical academy Flor Crowley's bar and snug , here he was joined by such musical luminaries as Roma 'smiley' Kerschbaum and Joey 'Buns' Hegarty and of course the famous son of Bandon Graham Norton .so You are in good company in your quest for musical fulfillment .
G

[irlmin]

Seriously though Mark , Owen is well up to speed on this game and will be able to advise you .
G

[Starrywalsh]

Good stuff, thanks Ger

[J_NeoN]

Yes, Owen is the man for this one.

My first electric guitar was a Fender Squire Strat and I actually found it very good. I bought a starter pack where you get a Squire Strat guitar, 15W amp, instructional video, strap, basically everything you need to begin playing. I think it was around 200 euros at the time so it was well worth the money. I have since made a few changes to the guitar but still love it and play it all the time.

As for websites, I usually check out Music 123 and Harmony Central before I buy anything.

http://www.music123.com
http://www.harmony-central.com

Owen will probably know of better things to start out with nowadays.

[Owen]

Jesus lads, ye'll have me blushing soon. I play Classical Violin Starry, started at 3, and got bored around 16 and bought an Electric Guitar, never looked back since. I originally got into Ynqwie Malmsteen (Classical Music, played on rock guitar), and then into Vai and Satriani, all of whom are serious musicians ... I also play Piano, Bass, some wind instruments (Yes, I know that's leaving me wide open to jokes (Yes, the wide open bit is leaving me more open ...)), mandolin, and banjo (Don't ask!).

If you're looking for a new guitar, it's hard to beat a Peavey Wolfgang when comparing equipment to price, it's Eddie VanHalen's signature guitar (Each guitar is signed behind the headstock), and they're only around 600 Euro. I have one as my backup guitar on stage, and they're great fun to play.

If you're looking for an amp, don't. Get a cheap amp, with a nice clean sound, and then buy a separate pedal board - the board can replicate any other sound you want and effects too! A good board at the moment is the GT8 by Boss, I use the rack mounted GT-Pro when playing life.

Anything else I can do to help, just ask ... and if you're looking for cheap equipment, I buy all my stuff from Thomann.de!

[Starrywalsh]

Wow I am very impressed Owen, I would love to be able to play half that list of insturments, I am actually on the Thamann site alot , I found them by accident and instantly noticed a big price difference towards the local music shop, I got my melodica there!! I will let you know when I narrow my choice down, then maybe ask you to help me on amp selection etc. info on pedels - I dont know much about these.

Respect again Owen for your musical abalities!! wow violin - I'd love to give that a go

[ken79]

Ive got 3 semi acoustics... Seagul, martin, Yamaha. 2acoustics... hohner, yamaha. 2 electrics Marlin, fender squire tele limited edition. G banjo, Mandolin, Bazooki and a digital drumlit!. If i was lookin for an electric guitar id go for the fender squire. Great sound and a good quality guitar! priced around €350.00. Dont know about lessons as i never got any.. Self taught. I would love to study classical guitar. I use the acoustics through a pa and the electrics theough a 100 watt stage amp.

[carey]

wow lads ye seem to really know your stuff! i'm impressed! all that electric stuff goes straight over my head! i'm a bass player so effects and other complicated stuff are just non existent in my world! i play acoustic too and hope to make a career out of making them someday! i love the craftsmanship involved in really high quality instruments!! i know my fair share of stuff about acoustic instruments and all the construction of electric instruments but as soon as you start talking to me about pickups or anything electric and my eyes just glaze over!none of it makes sense!!

[Starrywalsh]

Owen seems to know a lot doesnt he? I was going to buy a Godin last week but I am putting it off for a while - I may need to get my breaks done on my mini - and thats more important then an electric guitar at the moment(i dont wana end up stuck in a wall!!!!), I'll get it soon enough though.

[carey]

yeah i'v heard of godin! don't know much about them! i'll be doing my research though! what model were you thinking of getting? do they make acoustics at all or is it just electrics?(see i'm starting my research already) my instrument tally isn't very impressive! i'm still playing my beginner bass (which all my friends bought me for my 17th birthday!,i'm playing 4 years) really basic but it does the job i really want something tasty! i'm thinking of just going for a custom bass straight off! a ritter bass is my dream!! check them out! you might not play bass but the design and craftmanship is amazing! expensive but worth it! i've got a fairly ok tanglewood too nothing amazing though!and a pretty sweet ukulele, i'm getting a lend of a stage piano for the summer cause my friend is going away(delighted!) so yeah! that's my musical instrument colection in brief! there are more around the house but they're not mine

[Owen]

Godin make mostly acoustics, but they do an acoustic with a resonator plate inside, the same plate you'll find inside a Dobro National Slide Guitar (The one from the Dire Straits album cover). The advantage is that you can have a very slim line acoustic, but the downside is that it sounds terrible as an acoustic.

If you're looking at electric, and budget isn't an issue it's very hard to beat Ibanez. I have a few at home, and they're so easy to play, and sound superb. If you're looking for a good electric, at a reasonable price, the wolfgang I mentioned in a previous post is excellent also.

Acoustic wise, if you're going down that road, you're as well off to stick with Takamine, they're only slightly more expensive than Godin, but miles ahead in terms of the tone-wood used, and the quality of the craftsmanship. Or you could go mad and drop 10k on a Martin

[Starrywalsh]

this is what I had in mind for myself http://www.thomann.de/ie/godin_summit_c ... flamed.htm

[Owen]

The thing about that style of electric guitar, and most electric guitars, is that if you get good at playing riffs/solos, you'll constantly be retuning it between songs. When you bend a string to play a solo, you stretch it, and put it out of tune. Play 2 songs, and you'll have to retune the entire guitar. If you buy something with a Floyd Rose Double Locking Tremolo, you'll never look back, basically, the strings are clamped in place after you tune them, up at the headstock, and down at the bridge, and you will only need to retune when you put a new set of strings on. They also allow you to use the fully floating bridge to do some cool effects with pitch using the whammy bar. It brings a whole new level of versatility to your playing!

[Starrywalsh]

I personally cant ever see myself knocking out "slash style" solo's - unless a miricle happens!! I'll probably just be playing little rythem reggae upstroke/palm mute peices if you know what I mean! Would you recommend any spific guitar from the thomann site Owen, bearing in mind I dont like the heavy rock metal style ones?