The Black Keys Fan Lounge Forum

Yeah tube amps are the only way to go if you play live shows or record albums (I've owned at least a dozen tube amps over the years). Me, I just play with myself in my bedroom (haha), so I sold my $600 1965 Ampeg Gemini tube amp and bought a $60 (used) solid state VOX Pathfinder 15R. I wish I had someplace to turn my amp up loud, then I'd still have a tube amp. Since I can't play loud at all, a tube amp is worthless and pointless for me. Sad but true fact of living in an apartment in Chicago with bitchy neighbors.

One thing I've learned over the years - the gear don't make the player, the player makes the gear. All the most badass gear in the world doesn't mean you can play worth a damn. Spend more time worrying about ability than gear, IMO. Not that you need to be up to any certain level of expertise, but you should always be learning and progressing. I've spent thousands and thousands of dollars on gear over the years - bought and sold countless pedals, amps, guitars, and even BUILT a couple dozen pedals myself, and most of it was really just a waste of money in my case. The gear did not make me better. Good gear does inspire you to play better, but the right player can make almost any rig sound awesome. Now go play your guitar! =)

VOX Pathfinder 15R is a GREAT starter amp. Has headphones jack, reverb, tremolo, etc.

Squier and Epiphone both make great guitars. Some folks turn their nose up at them and will only play guitars with fancy names on the headstock like Gibson or Fender, but the fact is that you can get a very good guitar from Squier/Epi for a great price.

I'd suggest going to a music shop and holding/playing a few to see which feel best in your lap/hands. Supposedly one of the main reasons Squier/Epi prices are lower than Gibson and Fender is quality control. What this means is that you may have to try a dozen different Squiers before you find one that is properly made. That's the theory anyways. I think you'll do fine since this is your first guitar and you may not notice any shortcomings until you build up your skills a bit.

I should also mention that I've always been told that beginners should start on acoustic and THEN move to electric, but that's entirely up to you. I think the reason people say that is because it is a bit tougher to play an acoustic, and so once you learn there you can move to electric and really start shredding. And by tougher to play and acoustic, I just mean that it's generally tougher to fret notes/chords on an acoustic (in my experiences). You can pick up a nice cheap Yamaha acoustic for $200-$300 if you're interested in going that route.

I'm self taught, but a book or some lessons is not a bad idea. Once you learn some basic scales and chords you can start to just improvise and play what you feel, but it takes a bit to get to the point where you can take what's in your head and play it on the guitar effortlessly.

PS, buying gear USED will save you some cash.

Agreed, DO NOT GIVE UP. It's going to be discouraging at first. It took me a couple years of bedroom playing before I was even remotely satisfied with what I could play.

Also, don't focus primarily on playing other peoples songs. I got caught up trying to learn songs for the first couple years I played and then I realized that those songs have already been written - sure it's fun to be able to play stuff like that, but improvising and playing your own stuff is much more rewarding.

And always remember, guitars can do more than just notes/chords. They make noises and sounds too. Experiment.

Just picked up the Epi dot studio and an amp from guitar center. They didn't have the Vox Pathfinder 15r in stock and since I'm childish I couldn't wait. Ended up getting a Line 6 amp.

Also going to pick up the book Fretboard Logic which seems to have gotten good reviews on Amazon

Resophonic, I do agree with you about learning theory , techniques , etc but I def would not dissuade people from playing other people's tunes. I come from a trained background of learning music in school and theory classes and it also has its limits. I think if you take another artists' song and analyze it you will be able to learn alot. I've learned alot of things in music that arent in any book you could find out there by just sitting down and playing with other musicians. The thing I think people waste to much time on is playing alone in their bedrooms..get out and play with people , no matter the skill level

Kepnerb, I think maybe my point didn't come across as well as I had hoped. I wasn't dissuading people from playing other's songs, but when someone's just starting out I think it's better to learn technique and theory. I agree with you that a lot can be learned from other people's songs. Just my opinion though..

And I agree with you that playing out with other people is key.

Yes, this is the one I got: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Line-6-Spider-IV-15-15W-1x8-Guitar-Combo-Amp-105482871-i1470458.gc

Up to this point I've really only played acoustically just to get used to bending the strings and playing a few chords through electric is really not any more exciting acoustically.

I may end up going to return it, haven't made up my mind yet since I'll get hit with the open box restocking fee

Okay, so far all I've basically been practicing is chromatic scales and a few chords.

One problem I've been running into is keeping my pinky finger close to the fret board. When I use my ringfinger on the fretboard, my pinky just reflexes away. Is this going to a problem in the future, and if so any tips on correcting it?