Takamine might be worth a look. I may have posted before, I found this EN-40C for about $400 a couple of years ago. Cheap as a previous owner had bashed the carp out of it with a pick and almost worn a hole in where a pick guard would normally be (these guitars didn’t have one as the acoustic reproduction was priority). I bought a piece of rosewood for headplates and cut and sanded it into a pickguard. Great guitar for the $$.
There is also the EF341 that apparently Springsteen and Bon Jovi use or have used, among other models
Before I found the (late 90s?) EN-40 on gummy I tried a couple of new Cole Clark’s and Matons in the 800-1k range and didn’t like the feel or tone of any very much (acknowledging ■■■ above)
Funny enough, I’ve been keeping an eye out for a Takamine, but haven’t found a good model out there yet. I actually liked the look of the Clark guitars but as we know, it not about looks.
Finished the last of my Fender re-finish projects. Posted the Strat and Tele earlier. Again this is a poly finish stripped and re-finished in nitro lacquer. A Fender Jazz Bass this time in Sonic Blue.
So I bought one of them spark amps which is perfect for home amp/ someone who is just getting started(been playing for less than a year). It has some really handy features through the app. I had been playing mostly acoustic but now getting more into the electric side of things.
Wondering what you guys think are some good solos to learn that I can then leverage into my own improvisation?
I usually play with my friend and we play 12 bar blues and your basic campfire type songs. So ideally looking to both learn some solos and then be able to incorporate sections into my 12 bar blues jams.
I feel I waste too much time looking for songs and instructional videos so hoping for some input into a few essentials. Thanks
Yeh I play scales, been putting some time into arpeggios as well.
In the past few weeks I’ve been practicing a few Pink Floyd songs, early fleetwood Mac Peter Green and funkadelics maggot brain which has been fun. I guess just looking for a few more tunes to add to the list.
Yep, scales. Starting with pentatonic for blues, rock etc. (this has the root note G, but the pattern is the same whatever the root note):
Don’t be overwhelmed by the number of notes on the diagram. Just run all the notes over the 3rd to 6th fret, will give you the scale twice (over 2 octaves). If you play it the lowest E, obviously what is the 3rd fret in G becomes all open (unfretted) strings in E.
Well, I don’t know why it popped into my head,… but Dire Straits “Once Upon A Time in The West” did, … it’s fun to play, and sounds awesome coming out of your own amp when you can.
Yeh so I’m fine with my scales both major and minor. Theory point of view and fretboard I feel I’m well ahead of my hands lol.
Going up and down a scale sometimes just doesn’t sound too musical, adding arpeggios and targeting notes for the key changes has helped. I feel it’s more now learning some great licks that I can transpose to any key.
OK. So most blues/rock licks are made up of notes from that 5 note pentatonic scale, though there are often additional notes thrown in here and there, The latter has often stumped me when trying to work out a lick. Licks often also have little slides etc that can be hard to pick up. But you can take the same pattern and transpose to any key. I don’t want to give you bad advice - I’m no virtuoso - but I just ran that scale over and over, up and down, countless times until I could do it reasonably quickly with my eyes shut. Then by leaving some notes out of a run, playing 2 or more together, going up and down and bending and sliding some you should be able to find some decent licks through experimentation.
YT tutorials weren’t around when I was learning (basics), but I reckon some of them are great and can definitely give you a head start if there’s particular things you want to play.
Oh, and you HAVE to persist way beyond when you’re sick of the sound of yourself!
As the Models tongue in cheek Album Title says. …Alphabravocharliedeltaechofoxtrotgolf
Chords, - making them, then making them cleanly,
If students know the song “Shivers” I’ll get them to begin with making an E and an A, and then changing back and forth between them and strumming them 4 times each, just downstroke to start, … once they can, they can play Shivers in an albeit simple form, but they can play (& sing?) a song. Usually excites them enough to push through on to the more difficult chords.
Next D & G, … then adding in the A to them, and changing between them in all manners, … by this stage the rhythm hand should be getting more proficient, and by the time all that’s working, you can then pick from a list of 2 to 5 hundred songs or more you already know and have heard 100s of times.
Then C F and B.
Then the minor versions of the lot, 2 or 3 at a time.
No worries, 2 other things, if you use a pick, find one that feels right for you, I like the Grey D’Addario for starters, … and most important with the chord making & changing difficulties, NEVER rest your elbow on your knee, you need the whole wrist and arm to move in ways it never has to make the harder ones, and to make most changes. Things will hurt as some muscles get used for the first time ever, and it is all about developing them, and the muscle memory along with it.
15 mins a day, … 6 Months, you’ll be well on the way.
