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Hope everyone had a good Easter break, I did ;?)

My main guitar is a Epi Jumbo acoustic and I love it, it's an amazing guitar, it's set up well and sounds good.  My second guitar was a cheap Squier Bullet Strat which I mainly played unplugged when the family are sitting watching tv in the evenings.  I bought it mail order so I never played it before I bought but as it was cheap I was ok with that.

When it arrived I was surprised how good it was, solid, well made and sounded pretty good too.  Anyway, it became apparent quickly that the Strat shape was not for me, the neck was too narrow and while I could practice my scales ok I couldn't shape chords without touching other strings. As well as that wherever I strummed I hit something, either the tone/volume knobs, pickup switch or the pickups, it just felt cramped.

So I wander into my local shop over the holidays and chatted to the guy, he gave me a Epi SG 400 in a transparent cherry colour covering a solid mahogany body with bonded neck.  Graced with two Humbuckers, chrome Grover pegs and chrome hardware, I liked the look alot!

So the guy plugged it into a £1k amp and went through the sounds, on the dirty channel it was meaty and biting, very much like the Gibson SG guitarists I grew up listening to.  So the guy left me in a room and I played it and it was the exact same set up as my Epi acoustic so it was perfect.

The guy returned 15 minutes later and asked what else I fancied playing and I said "no need!"  SOLD!

I got it home, plugged it into my cheap amp and I was stunned how good it was!

Happy as a pig in s***!

Ok, the situation, a mate and me have both been playing 10 months and even though I say so myself, we’re both reasonable taking into account the short time we’ve been playing.  We can both play quite a few songs, both play F’s and Bm and few other barre chords pretty ok at slower tempo’s and we both blag it on quicker songs.

Anyway we get together a few times a month for a beer and a jam and because we play the same chords and strumming pattern we sound rubbish together, it’s like the timing only has to be a little out and we may as well be playing different songs.

So anyway, we’ve promised ourselves in the new year that we’ll commit to more regular sessions together and try to get 4 or 5 songs nailed for the summer BBQ season but neither of us are too keen on learning lead guitar.  What other options are there for two beginner guitarists to play the same songs together but without playing the exact dame chords or strumming patterns and clashing.

A few ideas I’ve had is for one to use a capo and the other not, one play barre chords and the other open chords, also there are a triads?

Any help greatly appreciated.   

PS I expect we'll be looking at Beatles songs

Things have gone a little quiet on here so I’d like to ask a question and give you my experience:

Question:  When, where and to whom was the first time you ever played to or for someone?  I’m not talking about practicing in front of your partner or jamming with friends but actually picked up the guitar and played to someone?

Mine was on Saturday night and I still have the smile on my face, there I was, sat at my mates kitchen table at about 10pm, I’d been there from noon watching Swansea v Cardiff in the Championship, then England v Australia in rugby union, then Wales v New Zealand and we were killing some time before the boxing (what a fantastic day of sport even if all the results didn’t go my way!).  I’d taken my guitar as my mate has been learning about the same time as me and we often get a drunken jam in at the end of the night.  However my parents had turned up and my mate and me sort of decided not to play as sometimes a drunken jam can end a party quicker than anything. 

Anyway I had never ever played for anyone before, perhaps when I first started playing I’d shown a few people some basics chords and short solos I’d learned but I’d never actually played and sung to anyone other than my mate when jamming or wife and kids when practicing.

Anyway, the men are in the kitchen chatting about blokes things while the women where in the living room doing what women do and my dad  says “go on then, give us a song!†  My heart just slumped to the pits of my stomach!  Now my dad is a straight talking, no nonsense drummer, not in a band but he has always played and he is pretty good so he’d be the last person I’d want to play for, plus I just wasn’t prepared.  On top of all this I had drunk more wine than I care to remember and I was worried that I’d make myself look a right plonker as my left hand fingers clonked desperately over the frets trying to find Em, Am, C..

So having no real excuse, or I should say my father not taking no for an answer, I pick up my guitar and start playing and singing a few songs from my book!  To my amazement my dad was clapping and singing along with a look of shocked surprise on his face.  I must have done about 10 songs and my father said he was shocked how good I was not even taking into account the fact I’d been learning only 10 months.
Even though I was pretty drunk the feeling of exhilaration, pride, satisfaction was incredible and I for sure won’t think twice again if anyone asks me to perform something. 
I guess I am now a “performer† (lol)?

It's something I never really thought about until now, I basically picked a pick on feel when I started learning the guitar and that what that, I did try a few different brands and thicknesses and eventually settled for the Dunlop Tortex, .50mm being the easiest for me to grip, I sometimes use a .80mm Tortex one too.  I ended up buying loads of the internet.

I've had a few different Dunlop picks here so I just started experimenting.  I tried some grey Dunlops, the ones with a bit of a raised grip at the thick end.  Now the .60mm grey one bends a lot easier than the Tortex .50mm which surprised me a little and it gives a dull, smooth sound which I don't particulalry like.  I'd rather the crisp sound I get with the Tortex where you can hear the picks hitting the individual strings as I strum?

Are there generally rules about the type of picks you should use for solo's, strumming, loud, quiet etc..

I often like to use the side of my thumb to play along alone quietly.