My main problem (up until '99) was tremolo bridges. They would always increase the number of times that my strings would break. Once I switched over to fixed bridges, I rarely broke a string. I always kept the strings clean until they were so dead from age that they needed to be replaced.

Quote from: Laura Squirrel on August 23, 2014, 06:28:06 PM
My main problem (up until '99) was tremolo bridges. They would always increase the number of times that my strings would break. Once I switched over to fixed bridges, I rarely broke a string. I always kept the strings clean until they were so dead from age that they needed to be replaced.

Oh yeah, tremolo bridges. That is the main reason I like my SGs. But nut locks will kind of help keep them in tune but not really help with breaking. You gotta get thicker gauge strings and then bends are all messed up. I use 9-46 and Know exactly how much to bend. On my Strat I got 10 to I think 52 just to keep from breaking strings and it takes a little while to get into the habit of bending the right amount. Then I go back to my SGs and over bend way to much and takes about another hour to get back into the habit.

One thing I found is that the Cobalt Slinkys seem to out last just the normal Slinkys. For sound and somehow stay cleaner. They are supposed to have higher output but I really don't hear or see the difference in the sound. But it seems like they do last longer. When they do start going bad they don't really go dead but the high E string has a sort of "warbling" to it at the twelfth fret and above. But very few of them have broken on me when the regular or coated Slinnkys do.

i talked to one of my best friends (who up until recently played guitar in a not entirely unsuccessful metal band) and he told me i should spend my money on some fresh new strings.

I prefer electric guitars because they're heavier.  I started with an electric bass so when I hold an acoustic guitar, it feels too wide and light and I worry that I'll break it I realize that I probably won't, but it's still uncomfortable.  And I despise using picks.  If I never touch another one in my life again that would be awesome.

Quote from: Laura Squirrel on August 23, 2014, 06:28:06 PM
My main problem (up until '99) was tremolo bridges. They would always increase the number of times that my strings would break. Once I switched over to fixed bridges, I rarely broke a string. I always kept the strings clean until they were so dead from age that they needed to be replaced.

I've never had that problem before...

Quote from: OreSama on August 24, 2014, 09:10:56 AM
I've never had that problem before...

Well, I would also play really hard and I was always bouncing back and forth between D, C and B tunings. That may have contributed to all of the strings breaking so frequently. (I was using lighter strings too since that was all our music shops carried.) I switched to 56-13's permanently in 99. Switching to the ESP with the fixed bridge helped a lot since it was actually a nice instrument. That was the only really good guitar that I ever had. The two other guitars I had back in the day were your typical pawnshop special pieces of junk.

it stayed in tune today. must've been the climate.

Quote from: Laura Squirrel on August 24, 2014, 11:49:35 AM
Well, I would also play really hard and I was always bouncing back and forth between D, C and B tunings. That may have contributed to all of the strings breaking so frequently. (I was using lighter strings too since that was all our music shops carried.) I switched to 56-13's permanently in 99. Switching to the ESP with the fixed bridge helped a lot since it was actually a nice instrument. That was the only really good guitar that I ever had. The two other guitars I had back in the day were your typical pawnshop special pieces of junk.

That is the very worst thing for strings because you are constantly tightening and loosening them and really stresses them out more than anything even the whammy bar. But Holly crap, 13s? That makes the joints on my fingers hurt even trying to think of bending them.

i need to get an acoustic guitar. the more i play the more i think that's my type of guitar. sometimes i like to rock out, but with every year i more and more appreciate the beauty of one person with one guitar and one voice.

Quote from: Jess42 on August 25, 2014, 06:48:58 AM
That is the very worst thing for strings because you are constantly tightening and loosening them and really stresses them out more than anything even the whammy bar. But Holly crap, 13s? That makes the joints on my fingers hurt even trying to think of bending them.

Yeah, it was hell on the strings, but it was what had to be done depending on what sort of vibe I was going after. I never played in E tuning, so the 13's were essential. Attempting to play in B or C tunings with a pair of friggin 9's was hell. Nothing ever stayed in tune and it sounded like slop. Nowadays, some bands play in friggin G. Why? I have no idea. It sounds absolutely horrid. I never used the tremolo bar since I never bothered with playing any leads at all. I was always about riffs. I knew a few guitar players that could play rings around me but they couldn't play any riffs since they all wanted to shred. They also couldn't play any material of their own. But they could play any Metallica or Megadeth song that you wanted to hear.

Yeah..I'm really impressed. 

I used to play hard but as I've developed my technique I stopped that heavy hand style since my hands would get too tense so that would cause sloppy playing plus I'd get super sore. I honestly can't remember the last time I broke a string lately since I have a pretty light touch now, its nice finally being able to control how low and loud I play. Getting a clean tone with overdrive sounds so magical.

Quote from: Zóôt Threepwood on August 25, 2014, 02:26:53 PM
i need to get an acoustic guitar. the more i play the more i think that's my type of guitar. sometimes i like to rock out, but with every year i more and more appreciate the beauty of one person with one guitar and one voice.

Most definitely should always have a decent acoustic about    It's great fun playing electric, but I find it very relaxing to just kick back on a sofa with an acoustic

Besides, some tunes like Yesterday or Blackbird just sound better played acoustically imo 

Quote from: Laura Squirrel on August 25, 2014, 03:46:16 PM
Yeah, it was hell on the strings, but it was what had to be done depending on what sort of vibe I was going after. I never played in E tuning, so the 13's were essential. Attempting to play in B or C tunings with a pair of friggin 9's was hell. Nothing ever stayed in tune and it sounded like slop. Nowadays, some bands play in friggin G. Why? I have no idea. It sounds absolutely horrid. I never used the tremolo bar since I never bothered with playing any leads at all. I was always about riffs. I knew a few guitar players that could play rings around me but they couldn't play any riffs since they all wanted to shred. They also couldn't play any material of their own. But they could play any Metallica or Megadeth song that you wanted to hear.

Yeah..I'm really impressed. 

Mostly my guitars are always in standard tuning. I have one tuned down half a step and one tuned down a whole step. I play a lot of power chords on the E and A strings and have had people tell me if I used Drop D tuning I could play those same chords with 1 finger. Why? Then it would throw every thing else off that I play. Plus playing double stops on those two strings gives a growl that sounds wicked put in the right places.

That Hon is why I always go and buy guitars in the morning hours on weekdays at any guitar center. There are way too many people on the weekends just doing things that really have no idea how to put it all together. They are doing the same stuff that I do when I practice on speed and accuracy and nothing seriously music wise. On the weekends, if I go I can't even hear what the guitar that I am testing out even sounds right with all the background noise.

I use various tunings for various reasons

Quote from: V M on August 25, 2014, 05:13:39 PM
Most definitely should always have a decent acoustic about    It's great fun playing electric, but I find it very relaxing to just kick back on a sofa with an acoustic

Besides, some tunes like Yesterday or Blackbird just sound better played acoustically imo

until then i'll use very clean settings for those kinds of tunes. It's alright for practicing and just playing and singing for a bit.

That's one thing i thought i was unable to do:

sing and play at the same time. and yet i can.

Quote from: Zóôt Threepwood on August 26, 2014, 01:13:02 PM
until then i'll use very clean settings for those kinds of tunes. It's alright for practicing and just playing and singing for a bit.

That's one thing i thought i was unable to do:

sing and play at the same time. and yet i can.

How? TELL ME THE SECRET! Please. I can't even sing backup while playing. The Poison song, Every Rose Has it's Thorn I can play and can sing pretty good but not at the same time. BTW, the singing isn't even that good but the playing is on the acoustic. The electric guitar and solo I can, but the keyboard, forget it.

Quote from: V M on August 26, 2014, 07:48:07 AM
I use various tunings for various reasons

At any given time, I will have 2 in standard tuning, one in Eb (due to a maxed-out truss rod), a drop-D, a C# (for some Sabbath songs), and an open G for slide and Keef Richards.  Sometimes I'll mess with DADGAD, open D and open D minor.  This is one reason I have so many.

I have a tough time playing and singing at the same time as well, but I could sing "Wild Thing" while playing a lefty guitar.  Either I was channeling Jimi or there's a brain hemisphere processing overload involved while doing it right handed (I am actually a natural lefty).

Quote from: Jess42 on August 26, 2014, 01:18:42 PM
How? TELL ME THE SECRET! Please. I can't even sing backup while playing. The Poison song, Every Rose Has it's Thorn I can play and can sing pretty good but not at the same time. BTW, the singing isn't even that good but the playing is on the acoustic. The electric guitar and solo I can, but the keyboard, forget it.

i can't tell you. i'd have to kill you.



alright, i don't know why. i got used to it and it got better and better. I started off with truncated singing, then later full-blown singing. I had to get myself to focus on both equally.I occasionally sing along with my solo too, but my main inspiration was Neil Young with his acoustic sets. One man, one acoustic guitar or grand piano. Amazing. I also like doing some bluesy licks and singing some classic blues phrases in a low (my voice has improved and also lowered a bit) bluesy voice. I also love using the volume knob to make certain notes flicker in and out. It's all a big playground. No pressure, no rules, only fun. And lord knows i need that when i come home every day. It's the first thing i do at home.

Quote from: V M on August 25, 2014, 05:13:39 PM
Most definitely should always have a decent acoustic about    It's great fun playing electric, but I find it very relaxing to just kick back on a sofa with an acoustic.

Acoustics are cool and all, but I can't play "traditional" chord shapes, like what you would learn in one of those "how to" books. It would just be a waste of an instrument for me. I remember talking my dad into buying me an acoustic 12 string for Christmas one year. (I can't remember when exactly) But it turned out to be a massive waste of money on his part. It was a great guitar. But, it was biting off way more than I could chew. But, when a friend would come over and play with it. (One that actually knew how to write their own music by this time), It sounded amazing. But for what I was doing, it was just too much for me to handle and it didn't really work. I eventually traded it in for some effects processor. In hindsight, I should have asked for the keyboard that I saw at Radio Shack that same year. I would still have that since it came in handy for Experimental/Ambient/Noise stuff.

Quote from: Laura Squirrel on August 26, 2014, 03:10:38 PM
Acoustics are cool and all, but I can't play "traditional" chord shapes, like what you would learn in one of those "how to" books. It would just be a waste of an instrument for me. I remember talking my dad into buying me an acoustic 12 string for Christmas one year. (I can't remember when exactly) But it turned out to be a massive waste of money on his part. It was a great guitar. But, it was biting off way more than I could chew. But, when a friend would come over and play with it. (One that actually knew how to write their own music by this time), It sounded amazing. But for what I was doing, it was just too much for me to handle and it didn't really work. I eventually traded it in for some effects processor. In hindsight, I should have asked for the keyboard that I saw at Radio Shack that same year. I would still have that since it came in handy for Experimental/Ambient/Noise stuff.

God a 12 string sound so sweet. A double neck even better. Stairway to Heaven anyone? Unfortunately I'm on the Highway to Hell. Literally I have been on Hwy 666 between Colorado and Arizona. Interesting ride and kind of nerve racking to say the least from all the stories. Open chords are so easy if you know and play any ACDC stuff. Rock is different and the open chord rock like ACDC isn't that precise. Basically D,C, G, AD, D F# and a couple of Hendrix chords is all you need to know. ACDC G's are extremely simple with the A string muted. D with the high E string muted unless it is You Shook Me. and then it is a straight D and Dsus4. A lot of people make the guitar out as some undefeatable beast but it is probably one of the easiest instruments to learn how to play. The only problem with it is that it is mostly a feel and emotional instrument. Most guitarist I know and myself play by emotion more than written music. I can read the tabs or even the music which looks like flies on the lines. Yes I can read music and hate it. Take NIB by Sabbath, I can play it note for note, but if you don't play it from the heart with the darkness, it sounds like crap. Same with any blues song. I can learn the tabs and the actual music really easy and have it down in less than an hour. But if the emotion isn't behind it, forget it. Take You Shook Me by ACDC, If you don't feel it or can identify with it, it will suck. Same way with me and any songs I play on the guitar.

Open Chords don't forget Rhino Bucket, no matter what was said about them and ACDC wannabes, they were good. Beat to Death Like a Dog. I loved them.

My guitar quietly sings or cries? Who sang that? It is true. Piano, one key is one tune maybe a little vibrato or trill. But one string and one fret on the guitar, how may sounds can you make? Bends, trills, pull offs, hammer ons, double stops, half bends, bend and a halfs. That is just eight right off the bat. Even more than that when you talk about pinch harmonics and palm mutes. It is way more of an emotional instrument than just a musical instrument if you really think about it. It really don't matter if you can play traditional chords or what. Hendrix made up a whole different sound, the devil's fifth (outlawed by the church in the middle ages for stringed instruments) and such a part of the song Black Sabbath without knowledge of that by a young guitarist named Tony.

Quote from: Jess42 on August 26, 2014, 04:11:34 PM
My guitar quietly sings or cries? Who sang that? It is true.

Is this what you were thinking of?