So I’ve been playing off and on (mostly off) for about 15 years. I usually play alone and for myself or for my kids so I’ve only ever had a practice amp for my electric guitar and I hardly ever used it.
One of the guys that I talk to on the train during my commute to work is a drummer and would like to play together. My amp only has a clean and overdrive channel. If I were to get some pedals with a limited budget, what should I be focusing on? I’m looking for a set up that will let me play anything from classic rock to metal.
Since I’ve never really needed any effects before, I don’t know the difference between them, i.e. what’s the difference between a chorus pedal and a fuzz box. Ideally I’d like, “Clapton uses such and such to get his sound on Sunshine of Your Love,” or “Pedal A with Pedal B will give you a sound kinda like SoAndSo on the song, Whatchamacallit.”
Also, when I use the overdrive channel on my amp, I get a lot of finger squeaks as I change power chords. Is there a setup that will still produces that crunchy sound yet de-emphasize my finger squeaks?
In case it helps, I have a Peavy strat copy with real Fender single coil pickups (my one attempt at hot rodding). And I also have a First Act guitar that I picked up very cheap that has a bridge humbucker. Nothing fancy, but as I don’t actually perform in front of people, it fits my needs and my budget.
The best thing for you for effects might be what is called a multi-effects device, something like what you see on this page. The Line 6 Pod X3 makes a bunch of cool sounds. If you live anywhere near a big music store like Guitar Center, go in and fool around with some of these.
A lot of what are considered the coolest guitar sounds involve no effects at all. You mentioned Sunshine of Your Love, which I believe was achieved using nothing but a cranked Marshall amp and a Gibson guitar on the neck pickup with the tone rolled off most of the way.
As for your issue with string noises when playing your overdrive channel, part of the problem is probably technique, and part of the problem may be too much treble. Try reducing the treble at the guitar or at the amp and see if that cuts down on the unwanted sounds. And practice changing chords without making the sounds. A big part of playing the electric guitar well is suppressing unwanted sounds. It takes practice.
I’m very curious to see what folks suggest. I’ve just started out with the electric guitar, with the desire to play classic rock, and I’d like to know what sort of equipment would be good to look into.
Sounds like my little amp is pretty similar to yours, Shadowfyre. I’ve got an Epiphone Les Paul Standard II.
Seconded all around - it sounds like you are looking for tools that can get you going and I think you have a good starter set, along with, as Crotalus suggests, some form of multi-effects pedal (yes, that means you would have to noodle with it to figure out which effects you like and how you like them dialed up - but that’s part of the process.).
Make sure your guitar is set up properly by a tech - neck relief, action height and preferred string gauge and intonation based on action and guage. You don’t have to understand those phrases but you need to ensure that each is checked by the tech…
I am inclined to agree with **Crotalus **about your finger squeaks, too - it is most likely a technique issue. As I say to anyone who will listen, with electric guitar, you spend 50% of your time figuring out what sounds to make and 50% of your time keeping the wrong sounds from happening. This is one of the latter. If you are hearing your fingers move a lot on your strings:
Well, try lifting them up when you move them! Seriously, it is often the way to go, even though you may “lose your place” on the fretboard a bit more easily - it is a practice thing…
Keep your picking hand palm lightly rest on the strings by the bridge to mute them - or maybe even pretty heavily; experiment based on your set up and how you play. Especially if you try lifting up your chording hand to avoid string squeaks - having your pick hand muting the strings can keep the chaos of feedback at bay…
Good luck and have fun with the drummer. Be sure and pick out some songs with obvious beats, clear rhythms and no dramatic changes unless you both know them clearly. If you don’t have a bassist, don’t expect to get all Yngwie on him - figure out what songs you can lock in on with a good rhythm…and clear 4 - 5 with him in advance so you have a starting place…
**kenobi **- there’s no right answer, and many, many different guitar/amp/effect combinations are more than adequate for just starting out. Anyone who tells you otherwise is blowing smoke.
Now - if you dig in and want to get serious - and have played long enough to start to train your ear for what you are looking for tone-wise, and your hands to know what your playability preferences are - well, that’s when all hope is lost…;)
I’m still not 100% happy with my guitar. It was from one of those “starter sets” (guitar, amp, tuner, picks in a box), and hadn’t been set up properly at the store (and, to be honest, I didn’t know that it needed to be set up in the first place).
When I started taking lessons, my instructor had the tech at the school do a set-up for me, but I still get a lot of buzz on the low E string, esp. when I hit it hard. The instructor says that he feels like it’s a good, easy-to-play guitar, but he notices the buzz, too. Seems like it needs additional adjustment, at least.
I have been following a lot of the guitar threads here and I’ve seen your 50/50 statement before and it did inspire me try to suppress as much of the finger squeaking as possible by picking my fingers off the strings as much as possible but I still find it happening as I pick my fingers up, too. Probably because I’m already starting to move to the next chord. I’ll keep working on it.
I’ll look into those multi effect pedals, but they still seem rather expensive. That Line 6 POD X3 is $400! :eek: Amazon has a bunch of Danelectro pedals made of plastic that are under $20 each. Exapmples But I have no idea what those effects are. Overdrive, Distortions, Chorus, etc… I’m fairly easy on my equipment and these look tempting for the price.
And don’t worry about me going all Malmsteen on him. Despite 15 years with my guitar, my lead and solo abilities are pathetic. I’m strictly a rhythm guitarist.
Kenobi 65 I had an acoustic that buzzed on the low E string. Took it to a tech at the local guitar store and he adjusted the whole guitar for about $75. Sounds a lot better but he told me that there was a trade off. Either he raised the action and got rid of the buzz all together or he keeps the action nice and low and I don’t slam on the Low E.
**kenobi **- what **Shadowfyre **said. If it bugs you, find out if there is anything you can adjust on the guitar. And try playing it and making it buzz in front of the tech, in case they think the guitar is fine but you need to modify your technique (e.g., “lay off slammin’ the E string” - some guitars just aren’t set up for that…)
**Shadowfyre **- break down your finger squeak. Stop, and like a car that is making funny noises, isolate the exact conditions that bring it on. What is each hand doing? Experiment by doing everything the same but change ONE thing - e.g., lifting up your chording hand more explicitly when changing chords; or, the next time around, do what you normally do with your fretting hand but use your picking hand to more explicitly mute the strings by the bridge. Figure out what you need to change in your technique. If you can’t find it, go to a guitar store, pick up a demo guitar plugged into an amp and ask a clerk there if they have any ideas - seriously.
(I remember when I first got a Strat, I couldn’t get harmonics off the 5th fret to tune the strings by comparing 5th and 7th fret harmonics on adjacent strings - it was driving me crazy! So finally I did what I advise above - I went to a guitar store and asked someone. The guy said “uh, dude, you have the pickup selector on the neck pickup - 5th fret harmonics only work if you are on the bridge pickup.”
I knew that. :smack:
yeah, it was embarrassing - but it solved my problem…;))
If you go the individual pedal route, and if you are like most guitar players, you will spend way more than $400 on individual pedals before you are through. I spent many years in search of the perfect distortion pedal, and I have sold more the $400 worth on ebay.
Anyway, if you want the individual pedals, you’ll need a distortion or overdrive, a chorus and a delay, in my opinion, as the basic starter set. I have not used any of the Danelectro pedals, so I have no opinion to offer on them. I will say that the ProCo Rat and the Ibanez Tube Screamer are good distortion/overdrive pedals. I would be surprised if there is a $20 pedal that is as good. I bet that there is no digital delay pedal at all in that price range. A $20 chorus would probably be as good as any.
Can you get to a music store, or do you live in the sticks? There is no substitute for hearing these things before buying.
And about your finger squeaking. I made the suggestion that cutting your treble would reduce it, and that’s true, but it would be a bad idea for your long-term skill development. The more you hear those unwanted noises, the harder you will probably work to get rid of them. The truth about those sounds is that they are all due to inadequate technique. Learning to play the guitar is learning to make the sounds you want to make, not random sounds. Muting unwanted sounds is a major part of playing electric guitar, and it’s one of the reasons I smile inwardly when I hear a neophyte say that electric guitars are easier to play.
Checking in to see what people have to say on the subject. I’ve had an electric guitar for about five years, and don’t play it nearly as much as I ought to. Like the OP, I have a practice amp with just the clean/overdrive switch, no effects. I’ve often wondered if it was better to go with an array of effects pedals, or just spend about $300 on an amp that has a bunch of built-in effects. I get the Musician’s Friend catalogs in the mail and I remember that they used to have some cheap effects pedals at one time, but lately it seems like the cheapest ones start around the $70-$80 range.
After reading WordMan’s post and thinking some more, I have a little more to offer about the noises. Some issues with guitar technique are purely fretting hand problems, like inaccurate string bending or muted notes due to insufficiently depressed strings, others are purely picking hand problems, like picking the wrong string. But many important techniques can either be solved with either hand, or require both hands. Do what WordMan says. It sounds absurdly simple, but your hands are doing or allowing something that you don’t want to hear. Either stop doing something (stop sliding your hands along the strings) or start doing something (start working on selective and well-timed palm-muting so that the strings are muted when your fingers slide to the next chord).
If I had to choose one pedal, it’d be an Ibanez Tube Screamer. Two pedals, I’d add an MXR Dyna-Comp. After that it’s up to individual taste and style, but ones to consider would be: chorus, delay, wah, flanger, phaser and phase shifter.
Or, as stated, a multieffects unit. Personally, not a fan, but I’m a big proponent of technique over toys and generally only look to crunch things up a bit, and maybe add a touch of depth.
my entire electric setup consists of 2 vintage (years unknown, but old) tube screamers, a 1977 MXR Dyna Comp, and a 1971 Rotovibe. Well, plus guitar and a multitude of amp options…
The effects pedals go between your guitar and your amp. Each one you buy will require an additional 1/4" cable to connect it. The pedal will have two female 1/4" jacks, one marked input and one marked output. Output leads to the amp, input to the guitar. So if your are using one pedal, the cable from your guitar will go to the input jack on the pedal, then the cable from the output jack of the pedal will go to the input jack on your amp.
My amp has a high gain input and a low gain input. Plugging into either doesn’t seem to differ. So I always plug into high because high gain is always louder, right?
B) When would I need a pre-amp? There is a pre-amp input on my amp as well. What is that for?
Minor threadjack, but I figure that this an easy question for some of the assembled gurus to answer.
What Shoeless describes is what my amp looks like: two “volume” knobs (clean and overdrive), and a “clean on/off” push-button. What’s the difference between the two? What do different combos of “clean” and “overdrive” do?
It seems to my untrained ear that, when the “clean” switch is “on”, the guitar sounds less distorted…but I have a feeling it’s more complex than that.
Shadowfyre - you didn’t specify what you were using for an amp, but that may well be your biggest up-front limitation when you go to play with a drummer for the first time. Drums are LOUD! In order to hear yourself over the drummer on a basic practice amp, you may well have to crank it as loud as it goes (and probably keep it on the overdrive channel), and you’re not going to have very much flexibility with the sound you’re getting, regardless of any pedals you use. Furthermore, running pedals into a fully-cranked practice amp is a good recipe for blowing out your speaker.
For my own pedal/effects purposes, I seem to be from the same school of thought as picker… I have but three pedals that make it into my setup:
[ul]
[li]Ibanez Tube Screamer for overdrive (or, more specifically, a Maxon reproduction)[/li][li]Boss Digital Reverb/Delay (my amp doesn’t have built-in reverb)[/li][li]Boss Chromatic Tuner (best thing ever made in pedal form!)[/li][/ul]
Without knowing the make and model of your amp, I’m not certain what the high gain and low gain inputs are.
You already have a preamp. That’s basically the section of your amp that shapes the sound before the power amp makes it louder. As simple way to think of a preamp is that it is an input jack with a couple of tone controls which feeds signal to your power amp. Some amps allow you to intercept the signal from your amp’s preamp and send it to an external power amp. Others intercept it and send it out to external effects, and then the signal comes back in to your power amp. Tell us what amp you have, and someone here can probably tell you what it does.
The clean channel on your amp is just a basic amplifier setup, preamp and power amp behaving normally. The overdrive channel either deliberately overloads the amp’s ability to produce clean sound or it imitates such an overload electronically, giving a hopefully desired distorted effect.
kenobi, here’s how mine works: I have a volume and gain knob to the left of the clean/overdrive button, and another volume knob to the right. Then three more knobs to the right for bass, midrange, treble.
The clean/overdrive button is basically just an on/off switch for the built-in distortion effect. When it’s off, the volume knob on the right is enabled, volume and gain knobs on the left are disabled, and the sound coming out is “clean”, no effects applied. When the button is pushed in, the volume and gain knobs on the left kick in and the volume knob on the right is disabled. (I learned this the hard way by once having one volume knob set low and the other one way up and then hitting the overdrive button.) The gain knob just applies more or less distortion.
but you need to ensure that each is checked by the tech…
