First Electric Guitar..What now?
Discussion
Hi Guys..I have acquired a great Freebie..my first and only Electric Guitar..An Ibanez GAX 30 in transparent red.
Seems to be a great guitar for a beginner but as a complete novice i have a few questions as there is no manual or Amp etc to get going.
Firstly the AMP..what do I need to buy to get going for a Home use/Practice AMP..is there an output/size requirement and will it come with a cord to plug into my guitar or is this an extra I need to budget for...what sort of money should I be spending?
Secondly..as no Manuals are included ..what are the 2 dials and a 3 position switch for on the main body of the guitar used for?
Apologies for the basic newbie questions..I'm dying to learn some chords and get playing and any help/decent tutorials or web sites would be appreciated as hoping this a good guitar to show me the ropes.
Cheers all
Seems to be a great guitar for a beginner but as a complete novice i have a few questions as there is no manual or Amp etc to get going.
Firstly the AMP..what do I need to buy to get going for a Home use/Practice AMP..is there an output/size requirement and will it come with a cord to plug into my guitar or is this an extra I need to budget for...what sort of money should I be spending?
Secondly..as no Manuals are included ..what are the 2 dials and a 3 position switch for on the main body of the guitar used for?
Apologies for the basic newbie questions..I'm dying to learn some chords and get playing and any help/decent tutorials or web sites would be appreciated as hoping this a good guitar to show me the ropes.
Cheers all
First off, you don't need an amplifier to play. It'll be a bit quieter without, but that's probably for the best to start with. 
You don't need anything louder than 10w as a first amplifier, especially if you go for a valve amplifier.
The two knobs on the guitar are a volume knob and a tone knob (which will cut the amount of treble as you roll it down to 0).
The three position switch selects the pickups. Switch towards the front is the neck pickup, this is often used for playing chords as the positioning of the pickup tends towards a more bassy tone. Switch towards the back is the bridge pickup, this is normally a higher output pickup as the bridge position (the bit the strings go into is the bridge) has a more trebly tone and is better for solos. The in between position selects both pickups at the same time. None of the above is a hard and fast rule, you may find that you prefer to solo on the neck pickup for example.
In terms of lessons etc. there's lots around, especially on youtube. I've not done many of the lessons but some people will be along to suggest some good channels.
You don't need anything louder than 10w as a first amplifier, especially if you go for a valve amplifier. The two knobs on the guitar are a volume knob and a tone knob (which will cut the amount of treble as you roll it down to 0).
The three position switch selects the pickups. Switch towards the front is the neck pickup, this is often used for playing chords as the positioning of the pickup tends towards a more bassy tone. Switch towards the back is the bridge pickup, this is normally a higher output pickup as the bridge position (the bit the strings go into is the bridge) has a more trebly tone and is better for solos. The in between position selects both pickups at the same time. None of the above is a hard and fast rule, you may find that you prefer to solo on the neck pickup for example.
In terms of lessons etc. there's lots around, especially on youtube. I've not done many of the lessons but some people will be along to suggest some good channels.
Deanno1dad said:
Cheers Dave..well explained regarding the 3 way switch...so many Amps to choose and think to do it justice and to keep me interested playing through an Amp must give a better Rock style sound..think 10 watts is about the price range I've been looking at.
Bear in mind that all amps are not created equal...http://www.dc-developments.com/cornell_romany_comb...
£83.50 per watt, and that's just the first one I found!
You could also get a Line 6 Pod.You'll need headphones and a standard guitar lead. It gives you a few (probably too many!) effects to amuse yourself with and it means noone can hear what you're playing.
Usually though I don't bother plugging my electric into anything and just wander around the lounge playing it clean. Probably not the best habit though.
This is another option if you have a PS3 or Xbox or games PC, but make sure you buy a version with a lead if you do this.
http://www.usgamer.net/articles/does-rocksmith-201...
Rocksmith will teach you how to play while teaching you new songs. Not the best teacher by far, but makes it easy to set challenges and milestones.
Usually though I don't bother plugging my electric into anything and just wander around the lounge playing it clean. Probably not the best habit though.
This is another option if you have a PS3 or Xbox or games PC, but make sure you buy a version with a lead if you do this.
http://www.usgamer.net/articles/does-rocksmith-201...
Rocksmith will teach you how to play while teaching you new songs. Not the best teacher by far, but makes it easy to set challenges and milestones.
Gassing Station | Music | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff