Another advice: Buy second hand gear. This is easier when you live in a decent size city, because you can try it out at the seller's place and not just get it online and hope for the best, but if you have that option, it's a great way to try out different guitars, amps, pedals and find out what suits you. And if you change direction or even just switch bands and suddenly need a tele instead of a strat to make the sound of the band more structured, it's not an issue, because you can re-sell for almost the same price and you don't lose that much money.

@Jesse615

Жыл бұрын

This is great advice. You can find great gear at great prices used. I'm a seasoned player, and can go either way on the new/used depending -- I really like a guitar that has been worn in a little; like a well-seasoned iron skillet.

@chrisegg7936

Жыл бұрын

I second this wholeheartedly. Just look out for obvious signs of mistreatment and major damage, and most used gear is indistinguishable from anything new. Any little nicks and dings are things you'll have put on the instrument anyway after a year or so. Generally I find that guitarists (and most musicians in general) are pretty good about taking care of their gear, and you can get way more bang for your buck on craigslist, facebook marketplace, and reverb.

@sparkyguitar0058

Жыл бұрын

I bought 90% of my stuff used. Have only run into a few items not really taken care of. Most of my pedals are bought used. In fact when first shopping for pedals I went to "used modded" . Built my 1st board on mostly modded Boss pedals. Were so cheap back then. Now on my 12 pedal board are 5 modded pedals and others that have enough versatility that haven't changed a pedal in 2 yrs. So part of me says board is done, good, can't improve. But the other part says Wait what's this, we should look into this. So far so good beating back that mean old G A S. But that H X stomp. Now that could ruin my board totally. L O L

Agree with all of your arguments, except keeping you guitar in tune. My advice would be to start with always keeping your guitar in good tune. You will develop your ears so much faster. Don't get used to playing out of tune. You are doing yourself a big disservice. You might get away with it playing on your own, but as soon as you play with others you need to be in tune. All of you!!

@ellebhee5045

Жыл бұрын

I concur.

As u grow older/wiser..um older like u can afford gears...u turn to single coils..5 way tone, tele curious, floyd then eventually realize the troubles of string changing, then u go back to humbucker, then HSS..and dont get me started with pedal fx... then before u know it, u have lots. Then u become a dad. And u have a roomful of gears/memories of ur younger years. Then be inspired again bcoz ur baby girl starts being curious about your rig and plays them. Everybody happy. Thank u supportive wife 🥰

Disagree with the idea of “expensive” tuners being unnecessary. First of all, a boss pedal tuner is available used for very cheap. Second, a good tuner is a strong long term investment that pays for itself over time. Finally, clip on tuners are terrible for live use, as they pick up vibrations from nearby sound sources, making them tough to use in the heat of battle.

I think there's something to be said for spending a lot on a guitar. You want to be invested in it, after all. I must have picked up a hundred plywood classicals in my life. It wasn't until leapfrogging from £100 to £200 to £400 that I found my Faith Neptune. Not only is it nice enough to make me want to pick it up, I don't want to put it down! Quickly followed by a Strat and Blues junior - and a looper is a must, and I just got a delay yesterday.. with a mic and an audio interface I can now do anything.. I'm done 🤣 Top tip - get a wall hanger for your guitar, if you don't have one.. easy access is the key to frequent practice. We're only here once, and we work hard for our time off and hobbies. Spend the money! Get stuff you can grow into, not stuff that might hold you back.

@MatthewFinchMusic

Жыл бұрын

I think there's definitely a sweet spot between not spending too much while still spending enough to get a quality bit of kit that will inspire you to play. Yeah I have my guitars on walls and in places easy to grab! If they're in their cases they won't be played 😁

@marshwitch9610

Жыл бұрын

Well said BUT u know yer not done LOL😂

@shanewalton8888

Жыл бұрын

You can get a used Boss pedal TU2 for about 50 bucks, plus it can be used to quickly cut your signal when needed., All in all, it is a good investment for a beginner or beginner gigging musician. Just don’t buy new.

@matthewtyler-jones8317

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, £400 isn't too much. Even so, I looked at a faith Venus but went for a Tanglewood instead.

@johnskerlec9663

Жыл бұрын

Agreed. If it's ready to go when you've got the inspiration, whatever the instrument, you are half way there.

I saw the thumbnail and was like "Hey, that's not true, my first pedal was a slo and I loved it" and then I realized this was for beginner guitars and not just people beginning to get into pedals lol

@chrisgreene7075

Жыл бұрын

My first pedal was a Slo too lol - just about the only pedal I've not sold and gotten something else. Still with me and use it all the time.

You lost me at don't buy pedals. Pedals are such a joy, and in the beginning they can keep you going while you suck! I might suck, but the pedal sounds great! Then comes the minimalist phase where u put them away. Then they come back out, but now you know what you are looking for. To me pedals are part of the instrument that needs to be learned about through experience.

@MatthewFinchMusic

Жыл бұрын

Well, I mean only when you're starting out and trying not to spend too much - I love pedals and have an ever evolving list of more that I want! 😬

@chizorama

Жыл бұрын

Holds up Big Muff Pi, gets dislike...

Great video. One thing I found useful early on in terms of amp modelling was buying a Line 6 Toneport UX1. This gave plenty of amp models to play with but also multitrack recording software included, which inadvertantly sent me down the home recording route, which I never expected. Altogether that system worked out very cost effective for me.

I'd add tattoos to the list

@MatthewFinchMusic

Жыл бұрын

Fair point 😂

The clip on tuners work on vibration so you can kill your guitar volume mid gig, tune and back in the room. They als have the avantage of working on other acoustic instruments that require tuning, that you may encounter further down the line on your musical journey. I recently bought a Cimbala, and although I eventually built an old strat pickup onto a wooden frame to use with it, I found it very useful to be able to tune it up straight out the store.

You are absolutely right. I’m still a beginner to intermediate player and I fall in the trap of believing better gear is going to help me sound better. You spend more time tweaking than practicing. Thanks for bringing me back to earth.

I bought a Fender Blues Jr tube amp for my practice room. LOL

Get a Tele(maybe w/ some noiseless pickups), an LP Style guitar, maybe a Strat, a mid-grade Fender Amp, another amp for high distortion (pick your poison), a few high quality (not necessarily expensive) pedals and you’re pretty much good for home use for decades. Telecasters may look a little derpy to some, but they can do way more than you’d expect. Oh yeah. Get a tuner and a metronome

I don't really agree with the advice concerning the picks. I believe that finding the right pick is extremely important, even for beginners, since different picks make that playing feel different. For example, when I started playing the guitar, I always used the blue Dunlop picks, that you've also got in your video. But after a few months I realized that I don't really like the way they feel, especially the round tip made my picking sloppy. So I decided to experiment with other picks. I tried the big Jazz III picks and they felt better because of the different tip. Then I tried the small Jazz III and realized that I prefer small picks because they give me more control. After some more experimentation, I eventually decided to try the Kirk Hammett signature picks and I've not used anything else since then. I've been using them for years now and to me they are the perfekt pick. However, for you they might feel horrible. Therefore, I would recommend that you experiment with different picks and it doesn't matter if you are a beginner or a seasoned guitar player. At some point you will hold a pick that just feels right for you. Just don't buy theese silly overpriced special material picks. A pick made from things like stone won't make you play better and it also won't make you sound better. It will just cost a lot of money. Experiment with different shapes and strenghts but stick to the simple materials. They will get the job done. It's not about fancy materials but it's all about strenghts and shapes.

@SenorDelSol

6 ай бұрын

That's why I stept into a guitar store a while back and just took all the different picks I wanted to try, in the end they are cheap anyway and for 10 euro's you have plenty to try back and forth, I also noticed that at first I liked the big triangle picks, but now I prefer smaller ones, because I learned not to clamp the pick down. As you say, experiment.

Great vid fella, one thing people don’t spend enough on is having their guitar set up properly.

i ordered last week a yamaha pacifica 012, arives this week if its all going right.. i hope this is a good choice..

great point on live music making a bigger impact on playing than gear

My first amp was an Acoustic 135, a Solid state copy of the Fender Twin Reverb. It was LOUD and you really couldn't tell the difference. This was a 1970s tone monster. I still have it but I have since re routed to Marshalls and Hughes and Kettners (solid state as all the tube amps were extremely loud for the venues and the SS were way more budget friendly). Finally I settled on a Bugera V22. A 22 watt tube amp that gives a pretty cool Fender tone and allows me to utilize my pedals in a way that I like. It weighs a bit, so I also bought a Quilter Superblock UK to plug straight into the PA or run through a cab. When I use it for shows, it goes right onto my pedal board. At home in my studio for practice it is on the cab that I plug it into. 25 watts and 3 voicings (a Marshall and two Vox). It's very good. I get very inspired with the different types of pedals and amps that I use. This is a life, as an artist, that I cannot imagine not living.

@MatthewFinchMusic

Жыл бұрын

It sounds awesome and making me want to go out and buy more kit 😬

What palaces are you playing where amps get microphones?

Good advice. Pedals are fun but as you say they don't make you any better. My advice to a beginner is buy a GOOD guitar (doesn't need to be expensive) because a rubbish one might put you off. LEARN how to set it up. And buy a Boss Katana 50 or 100W, these have a bedroom mode, can be gigged and have lots of inbuilt channels/effects/tone shaping that you can play with while you work out what your sound and style are.

Love this. Good solid advice

I agree with everything you said, adding only a personal advice about the first guitar. A common mistake is to spend too much in the wrong guitar, but also to buy the cheapeest guitar avaible "just to try" (a mistake often made when the first guitar is a gift from parents). I think the right first guitar is the one that: 1) you feel confortable playing, especially in the neck (never underestimate the importance of a proper setup and guitar action) 2) it is versatile and let you experiment different genres, so it can grow with you: 3) it inspires you the wish to play (in other words, you like it!) 4) it stays in tune! I would suggest something like a squier tele classic vibe, a solid guitar that can play almost everything and could probably accompany a guitarist for a lifetime (but, obviously, the choice is subjectve and based on personal taste and needs)

I think my advice would be to buy gear you can grow into. If your anything past a beginner player shit gear won’t cut it and you’ll just be constantly wanting to upgrade as you improve. Good vid through

@Mike28625

Жыл бұрын

I was surprised how much i learned about tone and amps in general by biting off a little more than i could chew. I went from a Fender Champion 20 to a Blues Junior and suddenly needing a crash course on pedals. Just assembling the pedal board was a logic challenge and a scavenger hunt. How to get the chain to run the way you want in the small space available with boxes of odd shapes and sizes while maintaining access to specific in's and out's for separating the dry and wet chains for use with amps with and without effect loops and a\b splitting. I ended up upgrading my patch cables three times so far. My power supply twice. I sometimes just look at the board and see it as a visual art project unto itself, lol

@phromic

Жыл бұрын

there is truth in that ,but there is truth in the opposite - granted I do this for my own ego honestly- taking what is considered junk and making a good jam with it is satisfying a beginner can struggle to do this , you have to know some harmony and theory . why not try just start simple be creative ? sorry I get/got tired of playing covers and always playing guitar - a harmonica cost how much ? just go to the dollar store look around lol . if it breaks or something so what .

As a player for 30 years, a luthier for twenty, and custom builder and tech (and to a lesser degree pedals), I have a list of things you should/shouldn't/and is up on the air. - Do: small modeling amps, like Roland Cubes and the like. This will give aa run of a dozen or so amps. Much more and you might get confused. -Don't: multi effects boards. You'll have plenty of time to get lost in the weeds and spend more time on what gear you want to buy than you do actually practicing. Best to put that off for now. Do: a few pedals: distortion/overdrive; reverb(it's makes it all sound cooler); delay (see"reverb"). Much past that, and you're libel to end up with the same issue as the multi effects. *My biggest caution, and one often overlooked.* -Stay far aware from "Compressors," for at least a year. Now I developed a compressor fetish ever since I first ran my Strat into an old Dyna Comp, into a clean amp. The way every note just popped, and the percussive click it creates was glorious. It became and "always on" thing for me whenever I played clean. At low ettings it fattens up the sound and emboldens it. You set a little higher and it's SRV into pushed Bassman without they yelling to "turn it down, that comes with it. But there's a big downside, especially really on: the risk isn't just that it'll keep you from improving your technique, it will actually damage the technique that, through hours of practicing you managed to develop thus far. It happened to me. You might hear people say how compression increases sustain, and it does, but the way in which it does it also results in what how you're playing to sound better than it really is. I'm not talking about tone quality, I mean your actual playing. When you play a note that you hadn't fretted properly, you notice it immediately. You'll play the note, it'll "plink" then immediately die. If you're playing a scale and didn't play it cleanly, you'll hear it. But the way compressors work, instead of dying off, it'll actually sound like you played it just fine. If you don't hear the mistake, it's unlikely that you'll even know that you made one. Compression makes everything sound better by evening out the volume. Ever notice how when you hear your voice in a recording like a voice mail, it never sounds the way you think it does? Or why when you sing in the shower it sounds SO much better than when you're not in the shower? That's the magic of compression. The sound of your voice in your head is extremely compressed compared to what other people hear. This is why you can talk very low and quiet (not so low that you're whispering, you still hear the bass, but much more quietly. Then talk in your b normal conversational volume, and then shout: the volume you're hearing is practically the same; you're hearing it mostly from inside your skull, as opposed to how the people you're talking to hear it. Same goes for the shower: between the small enclosed space, and the water and steam there isn't much space for the sound to travel. I ended up refraining from keeping my compressor on all the time when after several months I started playing with a new band. We were going a lot of blues numbers that required more dynamic response than the compressor allowed. As soon as it started playing with it off, I immediately thought "Jesus, I'm playing like shit! WTF happened? My playing hasn't been this sloppy in years." It was because the compressor. It's almost like auto tune or a crutch I was unaware I was using. I know they sound great, believe me I do, but put them aside for a while before using them. When you do use them, start with low settings and be conscious of what they can do.

Amp volume, I have a 4x12, a Marshall JCM 900 High Gain Dual Reverb 50w and a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100w. I built a $20 "attenuator" pedal which allows me to crank the amps volume to get the tubes wide open but still play a low garage volume and get the full amps sound 👌. I can play my amps at 10pm and not wake the neighbors because of that pedal, All my amps are in my garage but if they were set up in my bedroom it would work the same

Been playin 5 months just went out and brought a JC120 and Ultra Strat HSS last week… Wish i got this recommended to me lowkey bc ur spot on 😅

If you're starting out just buy a Boss Katana for a starter amp. I would have paid twice the value of it to have something like that when i was starting out.

So well explained. I agree with you in almost everything, except for the tuner pedal. It is probably the one that I use the most and It doesn't need batteries 😅. You just earned a sub 😊.

@watersnortmoment3734

Жыл бұрын

That and the looper are the main things I use on my Boss GT-1

@AngusNB

Жыл бұрын

The point is, _for beginners_ , a clip on tuner does the same job. He did explain why tuner pedals are useful.

@JCroozy

Жыл бұрын

@@AngusNB I agree with you. In my case I tend to lose them, that's why I prefer tuner pedals. I bought my first one (a Polytune 2 noir) many years after beginning to play. I would have appreciated having one since that time ☺️

@AngusNB

Жыл бұрын

@@JCroozy I do use a Boss TU-12H for guitar setup. I've had it for years. Clip-on tuners don't last like these old beasts but are handy, if you don't misplace it. 😀

Here's my input, I've been playing for a bit and when it comes to a guitar a good feeling guitar is key because if it feels horrible in your hands you don't want to play it, you can always swap pick ups out but you can't change the feel of the guitar. A solid state amp sounds a lot better than they used to a few years back so current beginners have it easier today when it comes to starter amps.

Back in the 80s, when i started I used a pitch fork to get an A. And if I couldn't find it, I would put on Lay down Sally from the Just One Night album to get an A.

beginners do not get a floyd rose guitar as your first guitar get a hard tail of some sort as amazing as floyds are there is a learning curve to them and until you get use to that they are a pain in the ass to get right focus on playing and practicing and just getting use to the instrument guitar isnt the hardest instrument to learn to play but it isnt the easiest with the strings hurting you fingers at first and just getting your fingers right so it sounds good so the less you have to worry about the better

@MatthewFinchMusic

Жыл бұрын

Good advice. There's something pretty epic about playing a Floyd Rose well, but it's a different art in itself. It's similar to my point on being a low maintenance player - get good at playing on whatever might be handed to you, then start to specialise later 👍🏻

Interesting video. I wholeheartedly agree about paying for lessons, either in person or online. There's lots of good stuff on KZread, of course, but it doesn't provided a progressive structure to learning. And there are lots of distractions. I've paid for quite a few online courses, starting during Covid lockdowns, and haven't regretted any of that expense. A lot of your arguments against purchases are down to not spending money. I would also add that what's more critical is not wasting time. As a beginner, it's easy to fart-arse around with pedals, playing the same few riffs or licks you know through different distortion, overdrive, fuzz and boost pedals, with all of them sounding similar, when you should be working on technique. Speaking from experience, having fewer distractions that get in the way of learning technique, theory, etc., is beneficial. That said, if you are a beginner that wants to play grunge, early Black Keys and Pink Floyd, maybe you should get a Big Muff and just get on with learning the songs you want to play. As a lifelong fan of music, listening to lots of different types (and going to gigs - you are spot on with this advice too), one of my frustrations as a beginner several years ago was a lot of the beginner instructional material is so bland. It's much more fun to find simple songs you want to play, learn those and learn to play in the process. If you can easily get the tone with a representative pedal, then maybe it should be an early purchase. I'd also add to your advice about spending money on guitars - as a beginner it's probably better to take the budget of one "expensive" guitar and spend it on a decent electric and a decent acoustic. You'll learn more having both types of guitar.

i think a delay pedal or looper pedal are kind of their own skill to learn how to play with; the mini carbon copy delay or ditto looper are both pretty cheap and both can introduce different ways to think about what playing guitar is.

@MatthewFinchMusic

Жыл бұрын

Yes a looper is on my wish list! I've plenty of delay experience but must admit I've never actually tried a looper - they do look fun!

@3Torts

Жыл бұрын

mini CC is $170 new now which is wild

@matthewtyler-jones8317

Жыл бұрын

Some people say a looper is a vital practice tool. I have a nice two button one from Donner

@castleanthrax1833

Жыл бұрын

​@Matthew Tyler-Jones If you're referring to the circle looper, that's a good, more affordable alternative to a Boss rc10r, too.

@matthewtyler-jones8317

Жыл бұрын

@@castleanthrax1833 that’s the one.

@Matthew Finch DUDE YOU HAVE AN AWESOME CHANNEL HERE! I'm really enjoying your content, I'm gonna pass this along to my nephew. Anyone who isn't sub'd to your channel is missing out on some really good stuff. Your tips and tricks are some of the best I've seen on YT. Keep up the great work.

@MatthewFinchMusic

Жыл бұрын

Thanks man! That really does mean a lot 👊🏻

I started out playing on 2010 when I was 15 years old. My dad, a composer and (now retired) music teacher, got me a cheap practice amp, the cheapest korg toneworks fx processor, and an epiphone SG special. Mind you this was at the peak of the "analog pedal fetishism" trend so i was a little bit frustrated by the digital distortion my korg did output. Like five years or so later i got a little big muff and I was quite happy with it. Forward to early 2023, it turns out one of my friends borrowed that korg many years ago (both he and I completely forgot about it) and gave it back to me, so I decided to sell it to another friend of mine that just started to play guitar! I did a little test and plugged it in and suddenly...the digital distortion didnt sound quite bad as i thought so back then! Its not a KILLER tone but that day I learned that you and your fingers, at the end of the day, can squeeze all of the juice out of cheap gear.

Amp manufacturers also need to get their shit together. Yes, we need lower-powered tube amps - 5W maximum. But we also need separate gain and master volume controls, a complete tone stack (bass-middle-treble), and an effects loop. I wouldn't mind paying €50 extra to have them.

This look so much every guitar player, beginner AND more advanced. Thanks for remiding me who I was and who i am, still.

The type of guitar has no impact on the volume, it depends on the pickups. I just swapped out a pair of Fralin High outputs for someone and replaced them with PAFs. They were probably less than half the volume of the HOs into a clean amp with decent headroom. They're only slightly louder than a Strat with vintage style single coils. Why you don't need an expensive guitar I certainly don't recommend buying the cheapest guitar. That's what most people started out with when I started a few decades ago. Shitty guitars with mile high action probably killed more budding guitar players in the cradle than anything else. I swear, SRV would have had trouble wrangling some these guitars. Someone who's yet to even develop calluses is an unreasonable expectation. Fortunately, a $300 guitar today is like a $1000 one twenty years ago.

@castleanthrax1833

Жыл бұрын

I agree. I spent $650 on my first back in the 80s because you couldn't get good quality stuff in Australia for much cheaper. I bought a Gibson LP Studio soon after for the same reason, plus I was a Jimmy Page fan and couldn't afford a standard.

@Zombiewizard

Жыл бұрын

The best gear for value is always in the mid range. Regardless if it's a guitar, amp, or pedal

@timwhite5562

Жыл бұрын

@@Zombiewizard *Edit: I just reread this for a cursory proofread and realized how long it is. I tend to get long winded* Yes, you can get things that are not only just as good, but in many cases far superior IMO to more expensive Brand name equipment, ESPECIALLY amps. When I hear friends talk about buying some $3000+ Marshall reissue, I usually suggest looking at something from Ceriatone or companies like that. You'd can get a clone of something like a JCM800 for half the price, that's far higher quality in build and components. Point to point, hardwired amps with impeccable build quality (you don't even have to know anything about how amps work, but just looking at the wiring and the difference is clear as day), vs PCB mass production . Plus a lot of the components they use in Reissues are nothing like the originals. The OTs in some reissues are adequate, whereas a lot of clones are overbuilt in comparison. As for guitars, there's no better item so demonstrate the law of diminishing returns. There's definitely a difference between a $500 and $1700 guitar, you notice it right away, they just feel different. The difference between a $1500 and $4000 are noticable, but not nearly as obvious or as impactful. Once you get past that $3000-4000 mark, it's all aesthetic. That said, i's debatable with some aspects of gear, some things you're better off going for the better quality. The irony however is that it's the things people often overlook: cables, power supply, switching and controls for the guitars, etc. I repaired guitars for years, but that's been reduced to maybe 25% of what I do now, which is mostly amps. I started out helping out as tech for my buddy almost twenty years ago when his band were on the Warped Tour. I caught them when they were in town prior to this and went back stage afterwards. He asked me what I thought and I had to give him an honest answer: "the playing was great, your sound was terrible." Initially, it didn't go over well, until I explained that I just think it's how his rig was setup. but one look at his setup and it was clear that in spite of "tone is 90% in the fingers (or whenever ambiguous number that's used)," rule; in this case it WAS the gear. He had an impressive setup, but the pedal order was all over the place, and the patch cables looked like the ones in the plastic bowl at the counter of Guitar Center that they sell for $1.99. I ended up taking his board home. I had 30' of high quality cable Fulltone had sent me at the shop to try out (I don't know if they still produce it, this was when they were first releasing it and sent out samples to some shops) and cut everything to length soldered with good jacks. Then I rearranged the other into something coherent (he had a DD3 somewhere in the beginning, and a it DD20 at the end but couldn't answer why🤨). The next night he sounded great and had a mile wide smile the entire show. I ended up modding a few amps and built him a custom one that took the place of two he had been using that were unreliable at best, as well as later building him a switching system he used on the bigger tour. That resulted in a couple dozen orders for the switching rig, and a dozen amps within a couple months, and I was off and running.

@timwhite5562

Жыл бұрын

@@castleanthrax1833 same for the 90s. However if I had been aware of the really high quality Japanese copies, I would have bought one of those for a song, and would have had a Les Paul that absolutely buried what Gibson themselves were producing. How were we to know though? We didn't have internet.

A decent guitar when you start out is essential. If you go really cheap, it can put you off if its naff! Mid range guitars are what I would suggest. Squier classic Vibes are great price. Epiphones if you want a LP. Yamaha pacifica are great for the price at under £300. And have coil taps, so you can get the humbucker sound of a LP or the bright strat sound. 2 guitars in one. Don't waste your money on expensive strings either, like elixers for £20, I use dadarrio XL £8.99. They do the job and last about 3 months before needing changed, depending on how much you play. Also get a capo. Cheers.

Great vid!

I learned all of these things years ago, some of them the hard way. Great video, I wish someone had told me these things when I was young. I've had a Les Paul custom, way too heavy, and I bought it before realizing that I really prefer single coils. I had a Fender Twin. Way too loud, constantly had to turn down to please the soundman, and damn was it heavy. Sold it and got a 40 watt Blues Deluxe, more than enough amp for my needs. I have a fair collection of pedals, and after 38 years of playing I know what to do with them, and in this day and age, great pedalsnare available without breaking the bank. I buy most if them used, and have found brands for new pedals that give me excellent tone at good prices. One thing I would add to your list is expensive custom leather straps. If you need a decent strap you can find them for $40 bucks, give or take. These $300 leather straps are for lawyers and pro players who want to treat themselves, not for the average strummer.

Hi I have a couple of questions for you guys. I have squier Stratocaster and I have been playing for a year( I was invested so I made good progress). My plan was to buy a guitar in the 500- 600 $ range. Is it a fair price range? Also, I’m torn between a tele and an epiphone…which one is better if I prefer rock but also want flexibility? At last, when should I start buying pedals? I’m not a gear freak nor someone who doesn’t spend so I’m looking for something in the middle..thanks

@MatthewFinchMusic

Жыл бұрын

Hi Benjamin. Ooh, really tough one as so much of what makes a guitar great is subjective and down to whether you like playing it or not! Honestly best bet would be to get to a guitar shop and try a few out as you'll know what works by playing a few. But I'd say $500 - $600 dollars should get you a really decent guitar that'll definitely feel a step up from your Squire. You can obviously spend a lot more and the quality will keep going up, but I don't think you'd go wrong with your budget. As for Tele vs Epiphone (which one - Les Paul, SQ?), the Epiphone will prob suit rock better as you may get frustrated by the tele's pick up's sounding a little thin. But then a tele is arguably one of the best all rounders. Plus you could get a tele with humbucker pick ups which will beef up the sound a fair bit. Get to a shop and try a few out 👍🏻

I thought plectrums wouldn't make that much of a difference... *but:* I recently found - God knows how and why - a Paul Gilbert signature Ibanez pick in my guitar softcase and boy do I love it to bits! It made my playing slightly faster and easier and I'm not even a PG or Ibanez fan by any means 🤷🏻

@castleanthrax1833

Жыл бұрын

You don't really have to be a fan of the endorser. If you respect their talent and integrity, then most stuff that their name is on is probably worth giving a try.

@watersnortmoment3734

Жыл бұрын

I love the Petrucci Jazz IIIs. I’ve tried things like Ernie Ball Prodigies but they slip out of my hands too easily.

A cheap pedal or two is fine for a beginner, especially if it gets them the sound that will make them excited to practice. If you’re trying to play something heavy, you’re not going to be happy playing clean. If you learn surf, you want reverb, etc.

Pedals - Berhinger Vintage Tube Overdrive T0800 is a good inexpensive overdrive to add. I come from the pop and skate punk genre and in the 90's everyone was playing straight through the amp with no pedals so when my son started playing for church and started using pedals I started looking into them and I couldn't understand at first why people were adding a tube screamer to a Marshall or Mesa. I got my first Marshall which was a JCM 2000 TSL and it sounded pretty good but my son had an extra Transparent overdrive pedal (Walrus Voyager) so I tried it through my Marshall and I couldn't believe what it did for that amp, it took a good sounding amp and made it "gooder" 😃. I never understood what they meant when they said "this pedal tightens the sound" until I actually experienced it myself. I am mainly a drummer but I do dabble with guitar and bass 👍

Beginners should be buying 2nd hand Squiers, I own 6 and they are playing and sounds great through my VOX AC15 amp. I have upgraded a few of them with Seymour Duncan pickups as well. I always say a good amp with a 12" speaker ( AC15, Blues Jr., DSL 40 etc) can make a decent guitar sound pretty good, not the other way around

Great video!

Do you have any budget pedalboard recommendations that can fit 6 to 8 pedals? 1 of them is a big crybaby wah

@williampimblott8373

Жыл бұрын

Yes, buy a board. Spray it your fav color, buy Velcro.

10:46 When you play live, a pedal based tuner is definitely a safer bet than a clip on tuner. I remember playing at POP Brixton and the music between acts was so loud I couldn't get a good reading on my clip on tuner. I usually play through a zoom b3 (or g3n on guitar) which has an awesome tuner built-in. I cannot remember what made we want to travel lighter that day.

@theband6137

Жыл бұрын

that must have been frustrating! but i guess here he's talking about beginners, who wont find themselves at festivals yet. Im using a clip on at bar gigs and have never had a problem, I just turn down, tune, turn up. If I ever was lucky enough to play a festival, then yes, a foot pedal would be a good thing to use. And most parents of beginners would like to hear little Johnny at least struggle in tune!! 😄

@nikolaki

Жыл бұрын

@@theband6137 yh very true, a clip on served me well in nearly every other situation! When I started I only used a tuning fork. And my first guitar was a 12 string. I spent as much time trying to get it in tune by ear as playing it. That was in the 80s. Back then if I was jamming with someone we'd tune to each other's instruments. Tuners were expensive. These days I wouldn't dare to tune my instrument off of a single A note! Anyway, anyone starting guitar now is blessed by the incredible quality of inexpensive guitars made today and the fact that clip on tuners allow you to learn on a properly tuned instrument from the get go.

Harley Benton tube 15 is an amazing, inexpensive amp. I bring mine to open mics and everyone wants to use it. The Spark practice amps are really good, too.

Great video. Deserves a sub

In the thumbnail, your holding the first two pedals i ever owned lol

So much truth! I leaned towards the metal end of the guitars when I started, and the thin necks with 24 frets thing doesn't really work for me 20 years later. I have held on to my Schecter Hellraiser because it has a really smooth playing chunky neck, but the Ibanez and Jackson guitars are all gone. I can still do some heavy stuff on a Strat, Les Paul, and even a hollowbody Gretsch, but the shred guitars don't have the same versatility.

Beginner advice from a sort of beginner. The first guitar doesnt really matter... In the sense that, lets say youre not sure what genre you will be sticking with and dont know what to buy. You can buy (probably) better pickups and customize that guitar down the road for a small cost. Also get hunbuckers, because there are humbucker to single coil adaptors, or you can get humbucket sized p90s. Generally from my exp, humbucker slots are the most adaptive. That and make sure there are at least two pickups. My only suggestion other suggestion is to take the guitar to a technician after purchase. I didn't. My mind was blown when I realized how much easier it is to play a guitar when your strings arent two feet over the neck.

Pedals are a sunk cost and there's no way to avoid that once you start buying them. You are absolutely right - you don't become a better guitarist with pedals, but you can become a better sounding one, and a better sound can inspire you to play longer and more often, and thus get better in the process. Most everything else - amps, guitars, etc. - are items I agonize over buying. But pedals - not so much, and the technology has progressed now to where you could buy some really good clones for not a lot. I wouldn't buy a Klon, for example, but the EHX Soul Food and the Wampler Tumnus are really good clones that are a fraction of the price. Furthermore, sometimes you really need to get a particular signature sound for a gig. If you're in a cover band and the leader thinks you could get more gigs playing U2 covers, you'd better have at least one delay. You can usually cover up a dirt setting that is not the most appropriate for a tune, but if you don't have reverb or chorus and you need it, finding a non-pedal solution is going to be a challenge. As a result, I've stopped sweating over pedals a whole lot. Pedals are like Bic stick pens - they come into my life when I need them, then when they go I know that (unless it's super boutique with pots lubricated with Tibetan yak tears) I can always get another one when I need it again. I buy used when I can, don't cry too much when I buy new, stick to clones, and populate my Reverb shop when it's time. That said - if you decide to adopt the attitude toward pedals that I have, do your homework. Look for videos on pedal order, buffered vs. true bypass, etc. Adopt a healthy attitude toward mass manufactured pedals like Boss, DOD, MXR or EHX. Once you get them, spend a lot of time getting to know them and figure out your sound. Don't give up on a pedal too quickly. Speaking of pedals - I really really want that Walrus Audio Slo.

Ha Ha. In the early days, I used Dad's Vadis 15 Something. It was loud. Live, I had sound guys suggest I turn it down. Most recently, I used a Fender Hot Rod Deville 410 60w and at maybe 4 on volume max. I think that was pushing the friendship, but no one made a peep. I did have ringing ears after the gig.

Hmm, ok, lots of comments here! Yes, there are some very subjective generalisations but most of the points here have some validity albeit without further clarification i.e. a LP can be "heavier" but it doesn't have to be: as an owner of both axes demod here the LP is sn easier axe to handle than a Gretsch for several reasons (i will elaborate if asked!) But only one point here irked me a little: plectrum type makes a massive difference, and can greatly improve or hinder picking style! They don't need to be expensive but they nred to be right for different genre styles: one will not get the required attack and accuracy from a nylon .73 that a 2 mm acrylic, delrin or bone will provide. But overall good intro vid for beginners, the amp stuff was spot on!

Definitely agree and buying used gear would be my first choice. Lastly I was a soundman for thirty plus years and one thing I never said was “turn that thing down” that’s blasphemy I tell you what.

I agree with most of this. Pedals/effects will be important for certain types of music but even then the super expensive boutique devices are usually unnecessary. A lot of the cheap Chinese clones are great (and most analogue effects are based on some sort of widely used circuit).

@lukasvandewiel860

8 ай бұрын

But then you sponsor companies that have stolen the circuitry and who mercilessly exploit their employees. If you buy the western originals you have better quality, and fair pay for fair work, and you reward and encourage original R&D.

I highly recommend a multi fix unit at first. The zoom has a looper and drum machine which makes practice so much funner. It also has different amp models you can plug your headphones in and practice.

Great video. I've been playing two years and haven't blown much cash on gear aside from my amp (Orange crush 35). Squier Jazzmaster is my guitar :) Good to hear a point of view that parallels my own gear acquisition. I did buy my first compressor today I must admit.

@atonofspiders

Жыл бұрын

He bought his first pedal, he's done for 😂

@ellebhee5045

Жыл бұрын

@@atonofspiders ahh I've had a delay pedal and a distortion pedal. I meant my first compressor lol. Sorry I was half asleep writing that comment.

@ratatatuff

Жыл бұрын

You just bought the imho most useful pedal. I don't know if I could play without a compressor anymore, I certainly wouldn't want to. It makes everything sound better and tighter.

@watersnortmoment3734

Жыл бұрын

Tbh I’d just buy an entry level multifx pedal, I got the cheap Boss one and it works perfectly for my use case.

@ellebhee5045

Жыл бұрын

@@watersnortmoment3734 I will eventually get a multi fx pedal. I've used a Zoom one years ago (borrowed). I do like the look of my mate's Cerberus. He's been playing thirty five years or so. I will have a look at the Boss one. Thank you for the advice!

Very good advice for beginners Matthew.

I do agree that one need not spend a lot of money on fancy pedals. There are so many great, pro quality pedals available at reasonable prices. Some of my perpetual recommendations are the tc electronic Spark booster ($80), Spark mini booster ($70), and MojoMojo overdrive ($70). All three of these are world-class pedals, used by many of the best players in the world, some of the best on the market at any price, and all three of them go for even less on the secondary market. The tc electronic Magus Pro distortion ($80), Zeus Drive ($80), Skysurfer mini reverb ($50), and Bucket Brigade analog delay ($80) are also all excellent choices and pro quality for reasonable cost. But this guy is totally wrong when he says don't buy a tuner pedal. Get yourself a tc electronic Polytune 3, a Boss TU-3, or a Peterson StroboStomp HD tuner as the very first accessory you buy after a guitar, a strap, a case, and a cable. Nothing is more important than playing in tune. After that, buy a metronome, because the next most important thing is playing in time.

Got that same Deville years ago.,..gave it to my son...tooooo loud (got Blues Jr now). Hardly play my LP and other humbucking axes...now, at 60+ prefer single coils...can't believe I now love Tele's (again). Get a decent, very decent first guitar...a subpar guitar will be one of those 'barriers'. Asian makers are killing it...golden age of guitars! Beginners don't need fancy tuners (but I recommend one!) cause they don't know about intonation which leads to selling off perfectly good guitars that simply need a better set up...guilty here. Excellent advice, Mr. Finch....

How "loud" a les Paul is compared to the hollow body, is a mute point when you have volume knobs on everything... now if you are trying to get power section breakup and running everything at 10, then sure but that goes back to getting a lower wattage Amp or digital rig of some sort. But I think that misses the original point, I think what is important here is to pick a guitar that is versatile enough to not be outgrown when you realize you want to change styles... but the lp, the strat, and the tele can really be at home in almost any style of music so long as they are in their traditional configuration, whereas the metal focused super strats, the wild offerings from Jackson and the like are going to not lend themselves as well to country or blues, and the hollow bodies are going to be feedback generators when you go high gain. I would suggest that newer players get a traditional strat, les Paul, or telecaster depending on how the neck feels and their aesthetic, from squire or epiphone, and learn how to set up a guitar, dress frets, rework electronics, comfort contour necks, and most importantly utilize volume and tone knobs. Also consider something in the helix family of digital emulation... the hx stomp is around $600US and has accurate representation of pedals, amps, and cabs that range from dime a dozen to unobtainium vintage boutique costing more than my house.

I recommend the same thing to all a beginners. Get a used American made peavey bandit and one of those old American made peavey predator. For 300 bucks you got a gig rig to learn on.

Another thing you left out I'm quite guilty of: modding. New pickups, old pickups, new pots, switches, and caps. How about locking tuners? Replace the nut, the bridge, the tailpiece, and the strap buttons. None of this should get started without a specific problem to solve. A friend of mine and I have very different approaches to this. I build hot rods. He's more refined and far more detailed. I go for a pickup swap. He does the research and winds them by hand. I get a set of locking tuners while he cuts a new bone nut. We are at loggerheads over a fettish of mine for zeroth frets. All this is to say, why don't I buy guitars I like to begin with? After dumping a lot of money into it, I can see the diminished returns, but the other side of the coin is learning to work on guitars. The newest addition to the stable is a Telecaster, and I really have no issues with it other than the frets are worn to nothing. Refretting is in order, but what does that do to the bridge? The tuners are half worn out. Make no mistake, the bridge replacement alone exceeds what I paid for the guitar. So what makes it worth the work? The neck is unique. The sound is unique. Everything I have in mind hopefully makes the playability improve, and the functionality improve. In the past I bought guitars to hotrod them out. I may have moved past that but it took close to $3k before I figured it out.

Personally I would recommend against modeling amps as a first amp. While a lot of them are pretty inexpensive and reasonably good sounding, they seem to encourage a lot of noodling around to find a sound instead of learning to play.

@horsehead97

Жыл бұрын

I agree. Better to spend time practicing music than tweaking effects. I have a bandit 112 silver stripe. The only effect pedal I have is a zoom multistomp which I never use when practicing.

@AJ-wh1tw

Жыл бұрын

I wholeheartedly agree with this. It’s why for beginners that I coach my favorite beginner amp to recommend (unless their budget is EXTREMELY tight) is either of the Orange Micro series. They can be picked up used very easily for 100-150 or less, they’re great sounding, have a quality headphone out, and they’re easily scalable for when they get better and want to attempt playing out or starting that first band they already have a good amp that they’re used to getting to sound how they want and only have to add a bigger speaker rather than start all over.

I bought a 100W Trace Elliott with a 15" speaker. Luckily I'm in a rural area with no neighbours too close, so one day I plugged in my active Ibanez and cranked it to 10 in the living room. The windows rattled, all the glasses in the cabinets jingled. Bits of the ceiling fell down, and I mean that literally.

@hyperfine262

Жыл бұрын

I see your "bits of ceiling fell down", and I raise you "knocked the wedding photos off the wall." :)

I loooove the gretsch, yeah I know what you mean I blew some hard earned money on a 100 watt stack I've gigged with it but it's way to much amp! Good advice 👍

@MatthewFinchMusic

Жыл бұрын

I mean, it's part of the fun isn't it! Sound advice, but we're still going to end up buying shiny things! 😂

I saw a response to your LP being "loud" and I thought 😕 but that isn't too far from the truth. My son has a 1979 Greco RG 750 LP Standard and with the U2000 original pick ups it is louder off the bat than my Squire Classic Vibe Tele but if I bump the amp volume it will be just as loud but the body of the sound still won't be a "big" as the Greco. I have a Jazz bass with Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder Pick Ups that is a lot quieter than my P-Bass or my other two basses so I see what you mean.

Although i am a firm believer that most any guitar can play most any style, I must echo his sentiments on playing different "types/styles/genres" of music than you typically listen to. I am mostly a hard rock kid from the 90s school but when i play, i typically play a clean country style (or at least that is what i endeavor to do)--- i very rarely listen to country music, i simply find it more enjoyable to play

just get an attenuator for your tube amp. i have a hot rod deville and can have it on 12 in my bedroom

What follows is probably TLDR. I'm oldish. Only got serious about guitar playing in last 5+years. My most expensive guitar is $1000 plus case; because I'd turned 50, played daily and my wife said get a nice guitar. Otherwise I have ten other 'cheap' awesome guitars between me and my son. All are modified and set up by me, 7 are used, 3 of those were literally smashed and cost under $30 initially, and two were built by myself from new and used parts. Most of the parts I get for my guitars are used. All are slow projects. Nearly all of my guitars play really well, even the crippled ones after some TLC...and glue. Some are beautiful, some are road worn...legit road worn not relic'd. My specific luthier tools have cost about $500 and time to learn to use them. Time well enjoyed...'cept for breaking a truss rod on a problematic set neck guitar "that one time". That sucked. Then I turned it into a slide guitar...now it's awesome. I've never had more than a solid state practice amp until a few years back. Now I have a beast and it's perfect. It's a used 2008 Line 6 Flextone III XL. I know, haters gonna hate. They are wrong. My Line 6 is great. I payed $250. Got me 150watts, 2x12 Celestions, way too many amp 'models' but some are very nice, and equivalent to 16 pedals accessed on a very good quality factory stomp box. Effects Loop is nice to have, works well and great for a looper pedal. My Flextone is also a good enough DI into my Mac and Garageband. No, it isn't a Marshall (or whatever amp one covets). Yes tube is better...maybe. Yes, I'd prefer 16 classic or boutique pedals. No, I am not worthy enough of a player to justify thousands worth of signal chain investment that's more needed in my mortgage. I can say my Flextone is the biggest gear thing that has improved my playing. It is as useful as getting a guitar really well set-up for player improvement. It's freaking awesome to hear more fully what my fingers are actually doing and it sounds sublime at any volume except cranked. Because that's the sound of angry people, Noise Control visits and hearing loss. None of those are fun enough for cranking my amp. Even when the amp electronics eventually crap out (not likely a fixer), the cabinet and speakers won't. Only takes a few components, wire, soldering kit and KZread to turn a rooted amp into a cab for another amp head. I own one nice pedal. A Boss RC-1 loop station. Then I got a super cheap Berhinger Super Fuzz...great in-ya-face fuzz for $50. Then more Berhinger pedals on the cheap. (Their EQ is super noisy and just sucks...don't get one!) Those pedals led to my building ergonomic tilted pedalboards from free broken skateboards. I'm really proud of the two boards I have made. Hides the power supply box, routes the cables, holds the pedals firmly (proper pedal tape and "packing" to adjust for skateboard contours). I gave one board to a buddy who has heaps of nice pedals and oddly no board. He made me an electric 3 string spade guitar that I love and it was really cool to repay the kindness. I also built a monster of a tilting amp stand that also stores the stomp box and many of my tools. And finally I have made many unique guitar wall hanger displays that look cool with or without a guitar on them. Guitar has really made getting older heaps better than without it. I never had woodworking, luthier, or wiring skill before I got into guitars. And guitars have led to my making a nice wee workshop from an underused outbuilding on my property. My entire collection, including amps and tools, couldn't buy a nice Martin or Gibson. But in my last half of life I won't likely get good enough at playing to justify that. I'm a decent intermediate player. Usual story of things I can play at high level and lots that offend even my dog. Meanwhile my kid could get very good. He loves guitars and he's got a house full of them plus his drum kit. And he's got a brilliant guitar teacher at school since he was little. All the gear will become his as he needs it. I let him play all of my guitars and he knows good care and clean hands. If he breaks one, he fixes it alongside me.

As someone who just bought a petal board full of goodies (Ibanez Geo

@MatthewFinchMusic

Жыл бұрын

😂 Your goodie bag does sound good though!

@3Torts

Жыл бұрын

Interesting.... Nice set up. I have Ableton and the Push 2, but like the analog sound/experience. All kemper artists sound the same to me much like all the mainstream music made with similar digital sounds. Also, I like the fact that I don't use any ram for 75-90% of the fx I use. I like the pedals for stringed instruments and let Ableton carry the load for digital instruments and to add layers if wanted. I'm really interested to see what the landscape looks like in 15 years. Maybe musicians will be on the shelf along with all the analog gear 😅

@marshwitch9610

Жыл бұрын

No one knows...if you put an 8 track in your muscle car in the 1970s are u sorry or do you look back with a crooked little smile on yer face?

@ZeginMakesMusic

Жыл бұрын

@@marshwitch9610 I bought 2 more Boss petals. A BC-2 for overdrive and a BF-3 to put in front of the looper. I have no regrets.

@3Torts

Жыл бұрын

@@ZeginMakesMusic Same! No RAGERTS!

hey! Great vid, but a small tip on the camera. I can see that you use autofocus when you are filming, it´s easy if your moving the camera a lot. But when used on a tripod like you do, try and use manual focus instead. Then you won´t have to get in focus all the time, and you won´t risk being out of focus as i can see you where in this video. Just a small tip, but love the video!

@MatthewFinchMusic

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip dude! I’m still new to this filmmaking 😬

Been a player for 30 years worked as a gigging musician and recording musician and since this video popped up on my suggested I am going to offer my subjective opinion on a few things. On buying the first guitar, if you are lucky enough to still have “mom and pop” music stores near you that is where you start. Don’t get me wrong I love Sweetwater and have the credit card bills to prove it but as a very first guitar go to a store (not guitar center) an honest to goodness local music store. These stores build business on service and building client relationships they want you to be happy with the guitar you buy because if you are and have a great experience and great service you will tell your friends and you will come back they can help outfit you with a suitable guitar on various price points. On that note don’t buy the cheapest guitar you find, spend as much as you can reasonably afford without getting into collector, custom or pro line territory. Everyone’s financial situation is different but generally speaking you want a quality instrument that can be intonated, that can be fret leveled and will last you for a few years at least while you are learning and finding your own style and niche. Remember school clothes shopping with mum? She would always buy the clothes a size bigger than you were and you looked silly the first day of school, but at Christmas break you looked tailored and by summer vacation you were ready to hand those clothes down to your younger brother. You don’t want to outgrow your guitar too quickly and you probably want to either keep it as a spare when you upgrade or sell it for some cash or hand it down. A few extra notes on the guitar I would avoid getting a complicated trem system like a Floyd rose or a shredding beast with active pickups and a dead flat fretboard. Buy a good multitasker like a Strat, tele or even an lp style in my opinion. On to amps with todays dsp and modeling technology some might just choose to skip buying an amp all together but here is why I think that’s a mistake. One of the hardest skills to really master on guitar is playing LOUD even cranking a good set of headphones will not provide the type of dynamic response and frequency variation as a loud amp or sound system and unlike a dsp or modeler just clicking a few settings won’t cut it to wrangle it under control that is done through technique and by being able to adjust techniques relative to the variables, you don’t need a 60 watt tube monster but a 20 watt tube combo will get as loud as you ever need it to be or a katana or catalyst will give you the ease of digital with volume for practice and for gigging. As for pedals knock yourself out but I wouldn’t get more than one or two at a time and really take the time listen to what they can do and dial them in before adding more. Beware they can become addictive. Anyway that’s just advice I give to anyone that wants to get into the hobby I say hobby because it should be fun and relieve stress not cause stress.

he is spot on with a lot if not all of this - i have a mesa dual rectifier (blue angel) - it has never been past 3 and it also weighs a ton - and 95 percent of the time I am playing though a small head phone amp which cost 30 bucks and is much more simple to use ext... a thing or two i would add to this are the truths and myths about guitar strings and you do not need 30 dollars strings .... 5 bucks is fine . tone this tone that with a lot of nonsense to make a sale , sorry for a little you will not even know or hear or feel the differences really. i also practice what i preach . i have used the same strings for many years now - martin Darco 10's - love them and they are 5 bucks . i would also say do not worry about a guitar case for a beginner - a gig bag is fine and has pluses like shoulder straps.( I will add a good quality gig bag though) .cases are awkward and really not needed until later on if at all . 95 percent of the time they are just collecting dust with no guitar in them .

I kind of disagree with some of your arguments. If you are a beginner yes you don't have to buy the most top of the line gear but also shouldn't cheap out especially with a guitar because it will go out of tune, have issues and become frustrating and make you want to give up. Also, tone is really important but even cheap pedals can get you there. I make this point because getting the right tone will inspire you to practice. I spend countless hours nerding out over gear and it has inspired me to keep at it. Just my opinion. Otherwise great advice!

I was with you until you claimed the LP was “too loud,” that statement is complete and utter bollocks.

@MatthewFinchMusic

Жыл бұрын

😂 A good point! I guess it’s a subjective statement. It’s loud compared to a tele or my Gretsch, but if that’s your sound then all good. I obviously like it 😁

@gameoftones77

Жыл бұрын

@@MatthewFinchMusic My Tele, SG, Gretch, Hollowbody, and Les Paul are all just as loud as each other. Volume is in the amplifier, tone is in the pickups, wood and fingers. What a ridiculous statement.

@MatthewFinchMusic

Жыл бұрын

@@gameoftones77 Interesting? My LP is a lot louder than my Gretsch - very ridiculous... wait, your statement or mine?

@MrMissingReel

Жыл бұрын

​​@@MatthewFinchMusic It depends on how hot the pickups are....so yes....some pickups are hotter and therefore louder than others. By the way....we have something in common...most of my "lost" guitar picks reappear as service plates at my daugther's barbie house 😂

@pjevans854

Жыл бұрын

@@MatthewFinchMusic depending on the pickups, you can have pickups that are higher or lower output. You can also use pickups that coil split or tap to reduce output. Whether or not you like the guitar for the particular song is a subjective statement. You can roll your volume down on a LP to thin it out and depending on what kind of caps and pot are in there will change a lot as well, with treble bleed or not etc…To suggest a guitar model is too loud for anything is just silly.

Great video 🤝 👍

Small tube amps, 5 watts or less, are rather plentiful these days, though not as affordable after the prices skyrocketed a couple years ago. I’d almost recommend a simple tube amp over a cheaper modeling amp, for the ease of finding a good tone and getting on with playing, instead of getting bogged down in amp and effect selection Beginners probably want toys with options though

I'm just gonna say. My current guitar is a subzero rogue vibrato and it's amazing. Amazing fretwork, bootleg bigsby but it's pretty damn good, I have a smoll vox amp that I borrow. I have a pedalboard with a chorus, octaver, distortion, overdrive and a reverb pedal. All just generally ok or garbage quality but it works amazingly. All of it cost me next to nothing.

Life is all about experiences. Even the ownership of something is an experience in itself. As long as what your are doing and buying is getting used and experienced it is fulfilling that core aspect of life. Even if you learned that “yeah,…i didn’t need/like that thing” it served its purpose. The only true crime and waste is the people who buy gear just to keep it in a case under their bed. Other than the “investment” its just a waste.

My first practice amp was a fender champ. My first real amp was jcm 800. lol. I used that thing live maybe 3 times on the pro level. Playing for money. I found out very quickly that is way to big and way to loud for the clubs I was playing in. I was also a young tech so I had audio and lighting knowledge. Some guys drug them thru the doors anyway and yes their bands sounded like shit because the mix was so loud you couldn't understand a word the singer said and you had a head ache when you left the club, Thus I went shopping and came home with a brand new Fender Deluxe 70's era silver face and it was still to loud but extremely manageble and I played everything thru that amp from rollin in my sweet baby's arms, to traditional country, classic rock and clear to the other end of the spectrum with some White Wedding stuff. I have enough guitars to cover those bases and that will be reduced to one guitar soon with a Sire T-7 FM. This guitar WILL cover all the bases aside of maybe a slide guitar. I use very little FX / pedals. An original rat pedal is my TS, I use a boss CE-2 chorus, reverb for slap back / delay in analog. A compressor and that is it. I started playing in the early 70's. Born in 58 and I have changed very little in my live rig since then

@MatthewFinchMusic

Жыл бұрын

That sounds amazing! Not sure I'd be happy about scaling down to just one guitar, but a simple life is a good life 😁

Oh this is a fun one. As a beginner, who starting in my 50s is even more shit that I would be if I had started as a teen, I have made some of this mistakes. I have two, TWO valve amps and I don't even gig! Both are great though. They first is very similar to the Harley Benton tube 15, and I would recommend it as a cheap amp that helps you start to understand what valve tone is all about. The second was a one-in-a-lifetime bargain a Marshall DSL402. It is heavy yes but it definitely does make me sound better. At first I bought a cheap second hand multieffects/amp sim pedal, the Boss Me25, but I just could not get on with it. I agree about guitars. Better to find your sound on cheap guitars rather than splash out on a Gibson. in my learning journey I have bough three over two years. they have all been cheap. The most expensive was my first a humbucker equipped Squier contemporary tele. Which is lovely but now down tuned for GnR, and Thin Lizzy covers. My favourite is a single p90 Epiphone Coronet I got b-stock. And I habe a cheap Tanglewood acoustic too. I looked at a (single coil) Tele recently, and I want one, but not yet found one at the low price I want to pay. After 2 years I might extend to £550, but not yet found the one at that price. (And when I do, my wife might kill me) Pedals - I think it’s worth buying cheap ones to experiment with.

N=N+1, the mathematically accurate equation regarding acquiring new gear where N=any bright shiny new toy.

Well my dad got me a les paul as a graduation gift and my mum got me a big muff and it not loud tbh

The Law of Deminshing returns is super real. Honestly anything past the $1500 (minus one off customs) seem to be a waste. Also DO NOT overlook used gear and some "budget gear." Gear snobs will turn up their nose to import guitars or budget brands like epiphone. Ibanez Hollowbodies are some of the best bang for you buck guitars out there. And for stuff that has no alternative like rickenbacker, don't be afriad to look into the used non vintage market.

Oh my god. My first real amp was a Fender Hot Red Deville 212!!!! So amazing.... so loud and heavy 🤣🤣🤣

nobody needs a bigass tube combo these days. a small tube amp though can make you want to play and feel your playing so much more. i recommend to all beginners. and if you want to gig with it, get a 20-watt head. venue will have a cab. or you can bring your 212 separately. at least not one unit.

My Vox ac15 is heavier than my deville 410. Lol. Who knew. Forget about my ac30. I typically hire a moving crew. On the thought of the deville going way loud after 2 I had a different potentiometer on it to get a gradual increase. You can also plug into input 2 which has better control.

@MatthewFinchMusic

Жыл бұрын

Who knew indeed!?? 😳 I've never actually weighted one so assumed it'd be much lighter? Oops 😬 Although on the volume subject, I actually now have a Torpedo Captor X which works as an attenuator - it's really great and means I can crank the amp while keeping the cab volume low. But thought best not to mention this in a video about not buying too much equipment! 😂

@Souldoubtrocks

Жыл бұрын

@@MatthewFinchMusic in all truthfulness I’ve never weighed the ac15 but it feels heavier to me. Both are beasts and I love running my ac30 and deville 410 in stereo. Cheers

Been using Dava picks for the past few months. Regular picks feel weird now

hmm...humbuckers don't necessarily mean loud....gretsch isn't always cheaper than Gibson

You’re a small amp makes sense untill your playing with a drummer, unless you also have a PA rehearsing will be pain in the ass with a 15w amp or a multiFX unit.

I think to go onto a guitar course online instead of buying lots of gear.A.S is good advice i will follow to be a better guitarist and not buy pedals or guitars i may not need. Besides my flat is overloaded with guitars and amps and pedals and i spend too much money on gear so i will stop doing that. Thanks for the advice sir.

@jimmyx4599

Ай бұрын

I hope every one is OK on their guitar journey and that you will progress to be awesome guitarists which is what we aspire to want to be best of luck to everyone always

@jimmyx4599

Ай бұрын

We all need education on the guitar let's get educated and improve in a year I am 61 and still need to learn on line and maybe get a teacher.

Well, to me the point on not buying a LP for a beginer has more to do with the playability and the comfort rather than sound. The type of music I play is usually played with fenders but man, the sound of a clean les paul can be GLORIOUS! They were designed for jazz originally, so ofc they can and so sound good clean :) Great vid nonetheless

The slo walrus reverb would sound good if a badger was playing it

Great video 😊 really enjoyed it, but I'm going to ignore all that great advice 😂

@MatthewFinchMusic

Жыл бұрын

😂 I clearly did! Let's be honest, most of us get into guitar because we like shiny things! 😂

Great video and great advice all round. But you don't need to spend that much money on guitar pedals these days, most classic pedals have been cloned by inexpensive Chinese companies such as Joyo, Nu-X and Mooer. I've got a bunch of them on my live pedal board. They cost very little and no one in the audience would know that they're not a genuine Klon Centaur, Pro Co Rat, Boss Bluesdriver or whatever. If you're starting out, there's never been a better time to get into cheap gear that does the job. The same goes for guitars. It's insane how good some inexpensive guitars are nowadays.