Guitar Questions

#1
kiddiedoc

kiddiedoc

Renaissance Man
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#1
For the 6-stringed-enthusiasts of the board:

I've been a little bored lately with my music and would like to take on a little learning for the New Year. After a little introspection (and a lot of listening to the new John Mayer offerring), I've decided to delve into the realm of Blues and Jazz. That would, however, require investing in a new instrument.

My questions:

1) Equipment-wise, I need a new fiddle. I have a nice electric for heavier stuff. And, I have a beautiful Taylor A/E. But, I lack a really sweet clean toned electric for this epiphany. What do you like?

2) Instruction. I am quite capable of playing by ear and have some old blues scales I could dig up from my earlier days. However, I'd like a really good resource for chord progessions and/or ideas for improv. Anyone have a favorite?
 
#2
#2
Concerning a new axe: First tell me your budget.

Concerning playing blues: If you know a few scales, you're good to go. Listen and play along. Blues is very much rooted in freestyle guitar play. Requires good muscle memory and a sharp ear.
 
#3
#3
Budget. . . .negotiable. The winter season is a good time to be a Pediatrician. If I like it a lot, I'll spring. With a Taylor and a Fender HM Strat in stock, I'm not looking for a piece.
 
#4
#4
Then I'll just say about a grand. What you're gonna be looking for is a semi-hollow body... Deep, warm characteristics from the hollow body but enough versatility from that good ol' block down the middle you can switch it up if you'd like.

It's been a while since I've been emersed in guitar merch, but the first one that jumps to mind is an Epiphone Elitist Dot. Thicker, more rock-based coming from the guitar combines well with Fender tubes to produce a great blues sound.
 
#6
#6
It's my thought concerning blues is yes theres scales, progressions but blues man is just blues it's all a feel it cannot be taught.

Its good to see some more music guys around here. I play guitar, bass, drums and have a digital studio in my house. I hold my own but I'm by no means an expert at anything except for maybe drums I'll rip a drum set a new ass anyday of the week.
 
#9
#9
24 on piano (albeit very little in the last 10)
14 on guitar
A little on drums (when the little one is not sleeping)
In the process of delving into the world of recording and digital music (my little bro is a mastermind)
 
#10
#10
OK. . . .after a little research and surfing around, I've come to a few options:

Gibson ES -335 or -137 (multiple types of each)
Epiphone '63 Elitist Dot
Taylor T5

Anyone have experience with any of the above?
 
#11
#11
I wouldn't buy a production Gibson. Anything by Gibson that's not from their Custom Shop is terribly overpriced, you're paying almost entirely for name-brand.

I don't know about that T-5... It's a fully hollow body, and the sound IMO is a little to clean and lacks that crispness to successfully pull off a blues sound. It would be great for clean jazz but just so-so for anything harder.
 
#12
#12
The Epiphone is a good bet. Good value and usually quite playable. I would reccomend the Ibanez Artcore. If you can find one locally. They seem to be either out of production or in limited release. Like Milo Said, the Gibson nameplate is not worth it.

The Orange AD15 is very good amp for this guitar, but way over priced. If you feel handy, I can point you to some sites to help you make you own amp.

I've been making my own amps for 10 years or so.

ClemsonVol
 
#13
#13
Yeah, Orange amps suffer the same thing as Gibson. Custom-made amps are where it's at. I've got a 60W Fender head, but it's mostly redone with parts from Mojo... 2x12 cab also all Mojo.
 
#14
#14
The Epi stuff is probably pretty good value.

They have 2 or 3 semi-hollows (Elitist, Sheraton and ??? one I can't think of right now).

As for playing - if it's blues, I agree with the posts so far. For me, it's mostly out of the minor pentatonic with a few additional notes as needed. I'm an ear guy so i just put on a blues song, figure out the key and then go at it. Some sounds good, some sounds bad but that's the blues. I love the minor pentatonic since any note in the scale fits at any point in a traditional blues progression. Easy licks that sound real good.

BTW, that Fender Strat is a damn good blues guitar. Play that neck pickup through a nice tube Fender amp - warm and slightly overdriven - yummy.
 
#19
#19
may sound like a lame request. But I think it'd be cool if you could make a link for us to check your sound out on guitar...maybe a Johnny b goode effort?
 
#21
#21
dan4vols said:
may sound like a lame request. But I think it'd be cool if you could make a link for us to check your sound out on guitar...maybe a Johnny b goode effort?
Click to expand...

How funny you should request that. JBG was the first song I learned when I took guitar lessons many moons ago. My guitar teacher looked at me kind of funny and said: "you want to play WHAT???" :eek:lol:

I'm still looking. I did find a great deal on a barely used Gretsch Brian Setzer Nashville model (in orange, nontheless), but I know very little about Gretsch.

Milo, on a side note, I finally broke down and got a pedalboard. I also added a Vox wah and an Ibanez Tube Screamer. I will say that my old HM Strat sounds ridiculously good through the tube pedal. After only 24 hours, I have added crazy sounds to my soloing with the wah. I can't believe I waited so long to get one.
 
#22
#22
Very nice pickup on the tube screamer, the best mid-level distortion pedal out there. Nice on the Vox wah, too. I'm a bigger Crybaby fan myself but that's to taste. All my electric stuff is gathering dust in the basement... I only play acoustic anymore. And that's not too often.
 
#23
#23
I have the Tube Screamer and would agree that it is a great addition - works well with the old Strat.

Another one I would recommend is the Boss Blues Driver. I lost my TS for a while and picked up a Blues Driver - sounds great - maybe a little deeper growl to it than the TS. I like them both but find I use the Blues Driver a bit more with my set-up. Using them both creates some serious fuzz!
 
#24
#24
Boss has decent distortion pedals across the board -- Nothing great, unless you're talking about a Japanese-made Boss pedal. Those things are vintage, probably the best range of digital pedals ever made.
 
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