• Whammo
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2006-07-21
  • Posts: 3

Topic: Going Electric

I've always been an accoustic man, but have always wanted an electric. Never owned one. I have only recently come back to guitar after 25 years and would not call myself anything other than a begginner. I am interested in mostly country and southern rock and have been looking at cheap end Strats and Les Pauls. I am not interested in buying an expensive electric for something I will just play for fun and for myself. Are there others to consider? Ibenez for instance? What about a hollow or semi-hollow body?


I sat down in the guitar shop and we tried out Strats from Highway 1's down to Squires. Same Amp. But the way he described them, you play them pretty rough and they like distortion. I guess this doesn't sound a good match for the music I like to play. First, do you agree with this characterization? And second, how would you describe the characteristics of the Les Paul? 


My accoustic is a Takamine.


Thanks ahead of time for the advice and your opinion.


Whammo

Colorado

  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: Going Electric

Hello Whammo - from one middle-aged guy to another . . . no matter what kind of guitar you buy it will cheaper than a little red sports car, less complicated than a mistress, and more fun than golf.  Get yourself something nice!

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 16

Re: Going Electric

wise words from a wise man!

  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: Going Electric

Whammo, Welcome back to the guitar playing world.  The sales person that you spoke to is incorrect in his description that you play them rough and they like distortion. He was refering to the kind of women he dates. (most of the time their great until they talk).

The low end strats are being made in Indonesia, the m.o.r. (middle of the road) strats are made in Mexico, While the high end & customs are made in Corona, Calif.

The low end are made usually of basswood or in the bullet series laminated wood. The m.o.r.s are made of three piece alder and the high end and customs out of two piece alder and swamp ash.

As far as the sound goes depending on what kind of pickups you have bargain basement or lindy fralins will determine you sound along with amp settings and effects.

There are great botique guitars out there for $350.00 to $750.00 with the right pickups and set up that will knock your socks off. You can also buy a SAGA strat kit for about $150.00(includes tax & shipping) build your own guitar, just change the electronics and play something you put time & sweat into. Thats how i started building guitars. I also am a southern rock Fanatic.


Good luck

Bootleger.

  • Registered: 2006-11-28
  • Posts: 11

Re: Going Electric

I'm not as old as you but I have a pretty good idea of guitar sounds.

Les Paul: Smooth sound still okay for distortion but you may want to keep it low. Great for jazz and blues.

Stratocaster: Great for rock and metal. Goes well with distortion and can still go well without. wider neck also gives for great soloing.

Telecaster: very good rythm(how exactly do you spell that?) Not much else I know.


I think you may want to go for a stratocaster. And that dude you were talking about is just trying to make more money. Listen to your mind and the people here. <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_smile.gif" border=0 alt="Smile">

  • Registered: 2006-11-28
  • Posts: 11

Re: Going Electric

Oh and alos welcome Back  Whammo!   <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_biggrin.gif" border=0 alt="Very Happy">

  • Registered: 2007-01-01
  • Posts: 1

Re: Going Electric

I play Martin dreadnaughts when playing out but wanted something a bit less "finger killing" to practice.  Got a Godin solid body mahogany double humbucker electric and think it's wonderful!  They're a Canadian parts American cooperation, really good looking and super sound.  I highly recommend for your use.

  • Registered: 2007-01-09
  • Posts: 15

Re: Going Electric

Hi,


I just wanted to throw in my .02 cents, but I think that sales guy was way off the marker. I my opinion a Les Paul would be used more for heavy metal and harder rock then a strat. For country twang or southern rock I would use a telecaster or a strat. Strat's are more of an all around guitar and don't have the highs like a tele or the lows like a Les. Now if you want to have your cake and eat it too, go play a fat strat aka HSS.

  • Registered: 2007-01-12
  • Posts: 1

Re: Going Electric

Buy a mexican telecaster, preferably the lightest weight possible. Put a gibson burstbucker either 1 or 2 in the neck position. DO NOT over buy an amp a small amp overdriven sounds much better than a 50-100 watt amp set on 1-3. Another Great guitar in my opinion which few mention is the korean PRS wiith the soapbar pickups. Definitly a pro quality instrument at beginners prices. Lastly buy used a mexican fender with a good setup will save you between 50-200 dollars and is a VERY RESPECTABLE AXE.  At least 40-50% of these guitars are usedn by giging pros who dont want to endanger a vintage guitar on the road.

Strat difficult to play but with the right stomp box can do anything

Tele Easier to play almost as versitle with the right guitar tech

Gibson Much easier to play in my oopinion for the most part overpriced But a used LES PAUL SPECIAL with soapbar pickups would be my stuck on a jungle island  instrument. NO JOKE TAKE IT EASY WITH THE AMP WATTAGE

  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: Going Electric

In reference to Duncan29, most of the classic southern rock was not overdriven, it was over ladened harmony leads played by accomplished guitar players that knew their instruments.  The majority of the two and three guitarist bands were either playing a Les Paul and Strat combo with a Explorer to boot.


The original allman bros. band Dickie Betts & Duane Allman both played les pauls. Your point of lower wattage is correct nowadays because most small amps are ran through the board (p.a. system) so you don't need a wall of marshall's but they look really impressive.


Have the best of both worlds get a set of Rio Grand pickups the texas & the bbq bucker set (www.rio grande pickups for sound bites) the four conductor set and wire them for coil taps. (Allows you to play a single coil on a humbucker pick up).


Bootleger <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_cool.gif" border=0 alt="Cool">

  • From: Ontario
  • Registered: 2006-11-16
  • Posts: 46

Re: Going Electric

Anybody in chordie land no where i can get the tab for

oh pretty lady by trooper.

please help

I need it soon

drantle

  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: Going Electric

Hello drantle - try this link to Trooper's official website. They have a few tunes with full sheet music there in pdf format. The lyrics and chords for 'Pretty Lady' are there along with several other tunes.


<a href="http://www.trooper.ca/default.php?cat=sheet&subcat=none" target="_blank">http://www.trooper.ca/default.php?cat=sheet&subcat=none</a>


In future, post song requests to the 'song request' forum.

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • Whammo
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2006-07-21
  • Posts: 3

Re: Going Electric

Several months ago, when I was looking for my first electric, I asked this forum about preferences between Strat and LP style guitars. I got some great advice.


I eventually purchased a new LP and have enjoyed the hell out of it ever since. Black Flame top custom. After a few months with a micro cube and mulling over larger amps, I took my ax to the guitar center in Denver and played every 212 they had in the building. I narrowed down to the Crate RFX 120 and the Marshall 250. The tube versions were just out of my price range and I liked the sound of these every bit as well. But suprisingly, I liked the Crate because of the clean, bluesy-jazzy sound and onboard effects. I had no intention of buying that day, but they immediately started talking discounts and I came home with it. I couldn't be more pleased.


Now I'm trying to learn a little of everything, jazz, blues, Rock.... But I'm falling into a rut with blues scale and pentatonics and I need to learn to take it up and down into different positions. Fretboard Roadmaps is helping with that.


No, I not any good and I am very self conscious around others. But I have decided that playing guitar is a lot like sex. Even if you're not very good at it, you can still have a lot of fun.


Thanks for the great advice, guys!

Wham

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