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I can't help but wonder if maybe you are trying too hard? If you practice slowly and work on doing the changes smoothly until you can get a consistant clean sound of all the strings...the speed will follow. Maybe start with some simple 3 chord progressions and just practice the changes...I bet it will all come togather soon! One of my bad habits (especially with the mandolin) is using way too much force and pressure! When I make myself relax thing really work much better...

A capo is a great tool that everyone should have...It doesn't replace the ability to transpose or to know more chords but often makes things much easier...for example a lot of the gospel music that I play is written in flats and when following the piano player I'll use a capo to find an easier chord pattern to work with than to play in flats. I also use a capo on the higher frets of a guitar for rythym to get a mandolin type sound.

There are so many Les Pauls out there that it'll make your head swim. For clean clear sound with lots of sustain it would be hard to go wrong with a Gibson Les Paul Standard...from there it's mostly cosmetics. The Les Paul Classic (I've got one) has much hotter pickup and can get a clean sound but will also scream when you want it to if you're into a heavier sound. The Studio models are very good quality and sound great but aren't as pretty. I think the best thing is to simply try out several models and see what works best for you...    I also think that he (or she) who is armed with a Gibson Les Paul and also an American Fender Strat is well armed!

I agree with Tennessee and Cytania... A good set up can cure a lot of problems with a cheaper guitar and if you are looking for a heavy sound then something with humbucker pickers might work better. Although a Strat can really chunk up heavy with the right amp and stuff...Hendrix, Trower, etc..   I like the Fender Strats and Tellys but a lower cost guitar that might work for you could be an Epiphone Les Paul...I have an Epi LP Specially that sounds pretty good for heavy stuff. Also one of the best buys on Ebay I think is the Peavey Wolfgangs...for five or six hundred dollars you can get an awesome guitar that will go from clean to dirty and sound great! Fixing up your Squire might cost too much and still not get the sound that you are looking for...a Mexican Strat has all sort of potential but they have quality wood and pretty decent tuners and such.

I usually use a thumbpick and my fingers...when using a flat pick I like the larger and thick "Dawg" picks...one that's very similar is the D'Andres 1/5mm picks...very heavy and thick. They can be held very loosely for strumming but one can really "dig in" when needed!

Go to youtube and search Jerry Donahue, Chet Atkins, and Brent Mason...look at those guys fingerpicking with a thumbpick...it's awesome!

I think you made a great choice! Especially if you really like your guitar. The Les Paul Studio has a wide variety of sounds. Chet Atkins was known for playing the hollow body Gretch and Later the Gibson hollowbodies...both were produced as a signature model for him. If you look around youtube you can also catch Atkins playing a Fender Telecaster, a Gibson solid body, and others.

I think that the difference is mostly cosmetic. The website mentions flame maple on the back as well as the front plus the pearl inlays and binding. I love the Les Pauls but it seems that one gets something that's too pretty to play. My favorite is the Les Paul Classic...the pickups are a bit hot but I can usually get the sound I want.

Good answers! My opinion is that the Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul set the standards for everything else...course that comment can generate tons of opinion and discourse. Each has it's own sound and playability and many others have copied them. Then along comes fine Guitars like the PRS that creates it's own standards and does a bit of each. I would agree that the Fender Strat is a great place to start...there are probably at least 50 or more current variations but the American made Strat with 3 single coil pickups is a very versitile guitar that is reasonably affordable. For less money the Mexican Made Fender Strat is a good value. I have a pretty good collection of guitars and chose the Strat because of my preferences and also it is about half the price of the Gibson Les Paul.

Lots of great stuff out there to choose from. I have a Seiko clip on tuner that I use for my acoustic guitar and mandolins...it can sense the vibrations and tune in a noisy environment or can use a built in microphone. For my electrics I have a Boss TU-2 pedal...as Tibernius mentioned, it can tune anything that you can plug into it...bass, guitar, 12 string, mando, etc... it has several modes but the one I use most often is the mute...I can tune with the amp muted and click everything back on!

Good Post...I'm often amazed at this Vintage craze at the Guitar shows. I would much rather pay 1000 to 1500 for a modern American Fender Strat than 10,000 to 15,000 for a Vintage one...even if I had the money to spend. Personally I would rather play the current Fenders and Gibsons instead of the old ones! But then again, I'm not a collecter. Lousy player but I love to play and collect user guitars...