Guitarists – if you had £500 for something new…

I changed gauge of strings and now the intonation is all over the place. Its floyd Rose (Ibanez version) style bridge and I could probably get it acceptable but I am sure someone skilled could do a much better job than I could.

Always good to get a recommendation, I had a look on the website 🙂

Slight thread hijack but hopefully a simple question.

I am looking for a guitar mini amp or headphone amp that will allow me to still play the guitar when I get kicked out of our spare room (where my main amp is) by somebody else in the family. It would ideally be battery powered so I don’t have to end up near a power socket. I don’t actually mind if I have to use headphones or not.

I was looking at the VOX AC2 for the mini amp or the VOX AC-30 for the headphone amp. I run a spider amp normally not really loyal to a brand, my playing is best described as beginner. I am just after something that is really convenient so that I can grab my guitar and go to another room and practice for 30 mins when I can’t use my normal amp.

I’ve got a Vox Mini 5 rhythm which runs on batteries. It fits in bike bag too. Ideal for playing with a mate in the park.

i have the bass version of this pedal and think it is great (you can use batteries and headphones).

have seen them for sale at £35.00 on amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zoom-G1on-Guitar-Effects-Pedal/dp/B00HS3DHCU?ref=silk_at_search

I am looking for a guitar mini amp or headphone amp that will allow me to still play

I use a Boss GT1. It is a peddle board really, but has in/outputs and you can plug headphones into it, is battery or charger, has 150 presets from mad metal to country cleans and everything in between (and is programmable) and you can plug an iPad/iPhone into it and play along in a plinky-plonk styleee…

I use mine in hotels when travelling and it’s simply the best thing like ever…or at home when trying to figure tracks out…

However it’s £148 from Andertons.

+1 for the GT-1.

I had one for a while and for what you describe it’s ideal if it’s in budget of course.

I did try a Voc Amplug, and it was very convenient but sounded fairly poor – perfectly good enough to practice with, but didn’t inspire me to want to play hence practice.

My Dad has a Yamaha THR and loves it – so much so he’s bought the “blues” version as well it’s small and portable, can run on batteries – has headphone out of course but it’s got stereo full range speakers so can also double up as a pretty decent stereo for non-guitar use.

I’ve been looking round…

I’d stretch the budget by £50 and get a boss katana 100 and a Harley Benton fusion 2 HH

or keep in budget and get a katana 50…

I do a lot of my own setups, having been a guitar shop Saturday boy back in the day, but having a pro setup is a worthwhile treat sometimes. Frets so shiny and a buzz-free action.

I’ve got a Vox amplug the clean version it’s ok for what it is, a practice tool for late night, but the headphone cable always seems to get in the way wherever you put it. There just a bit too expensive, if they were £20ish it’d be great.

I don’t use it so much now as I bought a little 5w Fender Champ clone kit and really like it, perfect bedroom amp. This one

Here’s a demo of the Vox Mini 5. “Balckface” model and it’s characteristically bright like a blackface. Compressor on max which means the picky bits aren’t lost in the strumming, delay with a medium tap to fill out the sound a bit.

Having posted grainy vids from a Lumix for years I thought I’d try the phone. It compresses the sound somewhat (the quieter the guitar the louder my voice) but for recording quiet stuff it seems to work quite well. So this is the Warmoth Tele in which there are just over 700e of parts. You can see it’s plugged into the Fender Mustang amp which is on “British Watts” with the gain low and just a bit of reverb.

I am looking for a guitar mini amp or headphone amp that will allow me to still play the guitar when I get kicked out of our spare room (where my main amp is) by somebody else in the family. It would ideally be battery powered so I don’t have to end up near a power socket. I don’t actually mind if I have to use headphones or not.

I have two answers to the (headphone) question, I’m not sure which is ‘correct’ but both are reasonable! I use headphones unless I can be loud.

Proper amp at good volume > modelling amp via headphones > normal amp at low volume. IMO!

1) An old line 6 Pod 2.0. I’ve had this years – it was the first real amp modelling option and it works brilliantly for practice with headphones. Nice heavy thing, chunky knobs, great selection of tones, ace sound quality. I don’t know how much they are on eBay – probably not much.

2) If you have an iPhone*, then it’s definitely worth checking out some of the amp modelling options you can get with an adaptor. I have the iRig2 (non HD version, ~£30). Good apps are Bias FX, Amplitube, JamUp etc). Worth it for extreme portability. I have the adaptor attached to a guitar strap, phone in pocket, headphones. Then I can dance around like a moron with zero attachments. That said, I can’t get anything like the same volume out of my phone compared with the Line 6, and sound quality is not quite as good. It’s good with clean tones but there’s a lot of feedback which makes it hard to use heavy distortion (I have to use a very ‘strong’ noise gate in the app which nerfs the tone). Apparently the ‘HD’ version of the iRig (~£80) is much better for this feedback issue and sound quality. I’d love to try one but I’m not going to pay that much on a whim.
* – Apparently Android is rubbish for sound I/O, loads of lag. I have no experience of it, though.

1. Have an old Mexican Strat that doesn’t work all that great
2. Post to STW for opinions on how to fix it, read all opinions with interest
3. Go to guitar shop
4. ?????
5. :

pretty, i do love a maple fret board as long as it isn’t that horrible gloss finish they seem to get these days

Ha, well it is a gloss finish actually. But I like the feel of it. I’ve never owned a maple board guitar but I have always wanted a tele and, well, it’s not really a tele unless it’s maple.

It’s a second hand Baja Telecaster. Thicker neck (50’s style) than a standard tele which I didn’t think I’d like but I really do. ‘Desert Sand’ colour which is pretty uncommon – I might have chosen a butterscotch blond body given the choice but the sand is definitely growing on me. Funky 4-way switch and S1 button which I’m not too fussed about but gives a few more options. It just looks and feels lovely, can’t wait to play it at home.

Nice. I’ve got the squier classic vibe tele with the gloss neck and it’s fine, you soon stop worrying about it when you are concentrating on playing : )

The difference between S1 in position 2 and regular in position 4 is great

Very nice, Superficial ! If you read the tyre kicker thread I apogise if this entered your subconscience:

Edukator

Member

Just don’t stay 5hrs tho….

Unless they have toilets I couldn’t.

I’m not surprised he didn’t take the custom shop. It’s a bit of a misnomer “custom shop”. “Custom” normally means you spec what you want like you do with Warmoth: I want the narrowest c-shape you do, 10-16 radius, 6105 stainless frets, matt nitro on the back gloss on the front, 22frets, don’t round of the fret ends – and that’s what you get. Fender custom shop stuff is mainly based on older Fender models; off-the-shelf custom shop guitars are IMO just idiosycratic reproductions. If you want a fat neck then get a 52 reissue or the corresponding custom shop – or just get a standard Mexican Baja because they have the same neck profile.

Of all the Fenders I’ve played my favourite necks are: Squier Infinity Strat, Mexican Strat and Classic Vibe Tele. Not much point buying a custom shop then untill they decide the Mexican Strat is a classic worthy of a custom shop replica.

Just keeping the thread running with some musing, JP, don’t mind me.
Posted 3 weeks ago

I much prefer gloss maple for bending, when my fingers start to get sticky with stage fright I find rosewood stickier.

The VOX headphone amps are great, but they don’t have any reverb, so the sound doesn’t have the space it would if you were playing through an amp in a room. Still a useful bit of kit though.

I was going to add:

1) Get a 4-way switch

2) Get some Twisted-Tele PU’s..

3) Get some Curt Mangham 10’s…

You’ve already got one, have you the other two?

Reading this thread has proved very costly, I’m now gazing at a Fender Stratocaster in my lounge. I can bust out a three note tune after an hour of practice, Sultans of Swing could be days away 😂🤣😂🤣😂
Any top tips welcome or beginner mistakes to avoid.

@16Stonepig – mine (the AC30) had reverb. Still sounded rubbish though – but now I’m taking learning a bit more seriously I kinda wish I hadn’t as it will be good for practising, if not enjoyment.

@twinw4ll – Fantastic, enjoy! I’d recommend the Justinguitar series of lessons – all you’ll need is free online and also on YouTube.
Oh, and lessons would be a great idea. After a year or so of faffing around just enjoying learning and playing, not taking it seriously I’ve just had my first three lessons and the difference it’s made is outstanding. I’m becoming less rubbish at a much faster rate than before (still in the “Rubbish” camp though!). I wish I’d had some sooner.

The VOX headphone amps are great

Here’s one of the originals plugged into my home stereo. I’ve also plugged it into the car stereo on a campsite to entertain.

Any top tips welcome or beginner mistakes to avoid.

Moar practice 🤪🤷‍♂️
Online lessons are pretty cool, as long as the teacher is any good that is.

Pick an artist you really like, then go on YouTube and search for some guitar chords of your fave guitarist songs.. you’ll be inundated with the sheer amount of folks who are willing to show you how to play “stairway” 🥰🤦‍♂️
Did I mention some practice?

And yeah, enjoy learning and being frustrated at the same time.

twinw4ll

Member

Reading this thread has proved very costly, I’m now gazing at a Fender Stratocaster in my lounge. I can bust out a three note tune after an hour of practice, Sultans of Swing could be days away 😂🤣😂🤣😂
Any top tips welcome or beginner mistakes to avoid.

I wrote this short article on learning to play an instrument, for our harmonica business earlier this year, but the principles apply equally to any instrument:

How Difficult is it to Learn the Harmonica? – Part 2

JP

Cheers guys, thanks for the tips, I’m retired so have a few hours to spare. I did play saxophone in the 80s (poorly), so the musical notation is familiarish.
Not fussed how fast I progress, practicing has gotta beat watching Tipping Point and The Chase on an afternoon.
Now trying to persuade the wife to get a banjo.😁

Top tips.

Work as much on your right hand as your left if not more (assuming you’re right handed). Most of the feel is in your right hand and nearly all of the timing. Work with a metronone (just in four time initially) and make sure everything you do with your right hand fits.

Here’s the “drums metronome” I used to back basket case above.

New toy alert

Hand made in Scotland – hand wound neck and mid pickups with a Seymour Duncan humbucker in the bridge. I’ve always liked naked wood guitars – not convinced by the wooden scratch plate on this one though – maybe that will be swapped out for a black one ?

I hope it plays as well as it looks !

13254875_998514956898584_7829293098867640566_o by markwsf[/url], on Flickr

s-l1600 (7) by markwsf[/url], on Flickr

s-l1600 (8) by markwsf[/url], on Flickr

I hope it plays as well as it looks

You’ve bought it without playing it? 😳

You’ve bought it without playing it? 😳

Yes – it’s second hand so won’t lose value, so I’ll keep it for a while and if I get on with it, keep it, and if not sell it on.

Satin gold pickguard would look great on that 🤩

Wositsoundlike?

I think either a Yamaha Revstar or PRS SE would be top of my list… although I am Gretsch Streamliner curious too! If you want to stick with the Tele style then a Jim Roots could be kinda interesting, the Squire one comes in about the right price 🙂

I’d centre the neck if that were mine, Mark. If you want to then slacken the screws that hold the neck on get an equal space between the e strings and the edge of the neck and retighten. You might need a bit of packing to keep it in place.

@Edukator – good spot!
I think it might be deliberate – to help vibrato on the e string. Looking at several other GJ guitars a lot are the same (so either deliberate or he’s got a wonky ruler).

Once I’ve got it I’ll take a look and probably ask Graeme (the builder) if that’s true or not.

Slight thread derail… I spent my £500 or rather £440 on a MIM Fender Telecaster. The guitar plays great but I’m unsure of this mark on the neck. Is it just a natural occurance in the wood or has some repair been made in the factory.. queue “is it a sticker?” remarks 🙂

Any thoughts folks?

I think it might be deliberate

Could be. Vintage trem bridges are 52mm E-e which gives scope for leaving a bigger gap one side. The bridge on that silver blacktop in my vid is 54mm and neck centering has to be perfect.

Any thoughts folks?

It looks like just the finish to me. The neck had an elastic band around it before finishing or something like that that sealed the wood a bit and meant the varnish didn’t penetrate as well as eleswhere.

Has it been on a stand and the neck holders left a mark? Got something similar on my squire strat but I’ve never got round to getting a better stand

Any thoughts folks?

Looks like a bit of birds eye maple grain to me… from here sitting at a laptop screen..

Unusual to have just one grain line. One of my Mex necks:

@jb – I think it’s just the way that maple tree grew. Wood is not uniform or perfect, part of its charm.

Luthiers often use this to their advantage, burl, flame and quilt were once not as desirable as they are now.

It’s not a repair – on a guitar at that price level it would be cheaper to buy a new neck (and it doesn’t look like a repair, and is a very unusual place for a neck to need repairing).

If it feels great, sounds great and inspires you, That’s all that really matters.

Does anyone have or has had a Fender Tel FMT HH?

I played on a few years back and liked it (only quickly) and I am looking for a fixed bridge guitar and its high up my list.

Will obviously go and play one again before I decide but wondered if anyone here had any experience.