Guitar players

[mvanis]

Anyone play the guitar here? I tried to learn a few years ago on an acoustic and it just wasn't my thing.

Recently got a kick to learn an electric and am about to attempt learning again...

Anyone play here that has any recommendations? Would love to hear it!

[Mikey]

I can play Smoke on the Water

[megoapesnut]

I got the bug around 9th grade. Taught myself how to play and read notes. Took some lessons but could never switch my fingers fast enough to play chords, so I gave it up. About 5 years ago I got the bug again and decided to give it another go. Still couldn't switch my fingers fast enough for chords so I gave it up for good. I WAS able to play "Smoke on the Water"!! Good luck to you. I envy you. I really wish I could have picked it up. My dream was to play "Green Grass and High Tides" by The Outlaws. Dreams die hard...

[Capt_Kirk]

I've played since I was 10. My ex-brother in law taught me what he knew and I built up from there. I live in Florida so I play at restaurants when asked. I also sub at our church. I love to play down by the Gulf. I've had people put money in my guitar case before when I was playing on the beach. It's a great hobby and It used to be a sure thing to attract the ladies ; )

[Earth 2 Chris]

I come from a musical family. My Dad is a finger-picker in the Merle Travis/Chet Atkins school. He's quite good, and had the opportunity to become a studio musician while out on the west coast in the Army, but declined.

Having said that, I'm the black sheep of the family. I love music, but never picked up an instrument. I kind of regret it, but I always gravitated toward drawing, which I got from my mother.

Chris

[jds1911a1]

I played on and off since i was about 13. at one point I could play evert CCCR and John foergty song pre 87. Electrics are generally easier to play than an acoustic because you can cheat on the finger pressure a little. As far as what type of guitar, that is like picking a car or a game system I'd hit a few stores and stry them out for feel and weight to find one that fits you well before you buy.
Start out with a lower price point or a decent used one (pawnshops are a good place to find a decent used guitar). just make sure the neck isn't straight and play if before you buy it. Most modern players use a variation on the Fender Stratocaster and there is even a "low end" brand from Fender called SQUIRE that is good for starting out if you want a new one for not too much
I prefer a Gibson es 335 because it has a rich sound for blues, or rockabilly but they are expensive (mine was 500 used in 1985) I think even the lowest price on a modern one is like 2500.

[mvanis]

Ahh ya, I scored a great deal on a Mexico Fender Strat and then found a great amp for cheap off of craigslist. Just picked them up so eager to start my miserable attempts at playing again haha

[sprytel]

I've played for a long time... and I'll give you the same advice I got starting out:

Invest a little money to buy a decent starter guitar, and not some cheap finger bleeder. Take along somebody who you trust and who plays, and have them "test drive" guitars with you. A guitar that can't stay in tune, or has horrible action, can really sabotage your attempts to learn.

[mvanis]

Ahh yes, definitely. I found one, and took it to a shop here that I knew someone at and had him take a look at it. Probably will need a little bit of work in the long run, but got a crazy good deal on the MIM version- which is the guitar I was after. It all worked out pretty perfectly, so I'm hoping that's a sign from the Rock Gods that it's time to learn something other than Guitar Hero (when I was in college)

[Random Axe]

I tried and failed badly learning to play. My cousin, who I've gigged and recorded with, tried to teach me but my fingers wouldn't do what I wanted. I'd have all these cool riffs and runs in my head and I couldn't translate that into the strings. I bought a nice BC Rich strat but the pickups were too hot and picked up everything, especially my failings. I'll stick to being a frontman and leave the harder stuff to others.

[Mongoose1983]

So far the only serious musical training that I got was two years of violin when I was 8 years old...

BUT I first grabbed the guitar and taught myself when I was 20. I got me an acoustic thinking that "playing at least two songs would justify the money spent". Those songs were CSN's Teach your Children, and the Eagles' Lyin' Eyes. Well I played those, and many, many more since then. Then I became a bass player because the acoustic wouldn't allow me some rock n' roll. A couple of years ago I got an electric guitar just to try it but I've never been that much interested in the instrument so it's now on display in my glass case. I would not recommend an electric guitar to start -think you better turn yourself to the very basics and keep a couple of songs in mind to follow them and learn. Once you get to play one song, automatically you'll feel like learning another one, and then another until you master the instrument.

Playing guitar is one of the best things that ever happened to me, and I think it's something that would do good to anybody. You just listen to any song anywhere and you can figure it out yourself, and play it. All that plus that priceless fact that you can use your axe to express your feelings to some broad with a song.

Finally, an old Randy Bachman song comes to mind "I wouldn't Trade my Guitar for a Woman". While that's an obvious exaggeration, a good guitar is a 100% trusty company.

Good luck with your guitar mvanis!

[ctc]

>I can play Smoke on the Water

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9YJYcaKknc

Don C.