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Geek Culture / Just got a guitar..

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Mucky Muck Ninja
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Posted: 12th Sep 2006 08:12
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I got my first guitar today, its a cheaper version of a gibson made in china, worth about 600 bucks, and i got it for 375. Needless to say im very excited. Now I just need a good amp. The guy who sold it to me paid about 100 bucks for his amp, which was a very nice one that I liked a lot, so my question is what is the best amp I can get for 100 or less. Preferably i'd like to spend less than 100, but i'd like one with a couple different effects, and good quality distortion. Doesn't need to be too loud since im not doing any shows or anything, just playin for myself. Any advice?

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Agent Dink
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Posted: 12th Sep 2006 09:13
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I have an older Crate amp with a clean channel, and a distortion channel, and DSP effects (reverb, flange, delay, chorus, etc...) it is 30 watts, plenty big enough for bedroom playing. My cousin actually did a small backyard gig with it too, so if you ever want to jam with friends it is loud enough. It has jacks for headphones and pedals, but it has enough variety with the DSP you really don't need pedals for awhile (until you get bored), but a footswitch might be nice to switch between effects on and off, and the clean channel or the distorted channel. I had paid about $120 (USD) for it on Ebay. I think it was the GLX30 model. Like I said its the slightly older Crate amp line, but it is still nice nonetheless. Other than that, I really don't know what to suggest, since I really haven't played on much else in awhile, other than almost anything Marshall

Sometimes the only way over a wall is to pile up enough bodies to climb over - Dave W.
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Fallout
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Posted: 12th Sep 2006 12:32
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Make sure it has Sustain on it. Very important. Perhaps more important than the universe itself.


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Phaelax
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Posted: 12th Sep 2006 15:27
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sustain is more in the guitar than amp. Sounds like he's got an Epiphone. Personally, I think Crate's sound like crap, but you can't beat the price for an entry level amp. For a first amp anything will do really. Marshalls do get a nice tone on their larger amps, but IMO are overpriced. I haven't played with any of their practice amps though, so you might want to try one out.

Don't neglect Crate just because of what I said. I play with a 100w Fender and 4x12" cab, and switching to my sister's 30w muffled crate just isn't pretty to my ears.

I'd say just go to the guitar store and play everything in your price range. (Fender, Kustom, Crate, Peavy) My first amp was a 12-15 watt Kustom with 6" speaker and overdrive, and it did its job fine. Peavy amps sound alright with distortion, but I can't remember how the clean channel sounds.

If you want an effects pedal to play with later, check out the Zoom 505. It's under $100 and does tons of effects, great for starting out.

"Using Unix is the computing equivalent of listening only to music by David Cassidy" - Rob Pike
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CattleRustler
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Posted: 12th Sep 2006 15:33
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Peavy makes good practice amps for their price. I actually play guitar thru a smallish Peavy bass amp (75 watts) but its just for fun, when I am not lined direct thru my studio, when I want to annoy the neighbors

Its 9/11 - but its FAKE 9/11 Ts=SQRT(Df/16)
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IanG
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Posted: 12th Sep 2006 17:56
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Quote: "Marshalls do get a nice tone on their larger amps, but IMO are overpriced"

i have a mate who's got a 30w marshall, its got a nice tone to it, but they are overpriced for what they have in them

I've been playing guitar for about 6 months now, and i use a yamaha g10 practise amp, it hasnt got much punch but the sound is decent; i have used an eastcoast 30w at school before, and it was quite decent, had spring reverb and a couple of other effects built in, and according to one of the music staff it was quite cheap - he didnt mention figures unfortunately

to be honest, for practising you only need a 10w, but the sound is better from a 30w, but you will never turn it past a quater of its volume pot

and for distortion i'd say get an amp with a pedal, or get a stompbox, as it is a lot easier than having to palm your pick or having to take your hand off the fretboard to press a switch in; and stompboxes have the advantage of creating the same sounding distortion all the time no matter what amp you plug into


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Agent Dink
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Posted: 12th Sep 2006 19:21
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Alot of people complain about Crate, and I really don't know why, for the price it is great, sure it's no Marshall, but then the price doesn't say it is either. You get what you pay for. For a beginner not looking to spend alot of money, I personally would rather go with a bigger Crate amp, than a smaller Marshall, and maybe pick up and effects/distortion pedal later.

A really nice distortion pedal is the Boss Metal Zone. If you aren't satisfied with the Crate's distortion, this is an amazing addition to your sound varieties. You can get anything from deep gutteral sounds, to grainy high treble stuff. It's an awesome pedal that I'd like to pick up eventually. My cousin has it on his Crate amp, and the sounds it puts out are awesome.

Sometimes the only way over a wall is to pile up enough bodies to climb over - Dave W.
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Xarshi
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Posted: 12th Sep 2006 23:27
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I'm getting an epiphone sg model g-400 soon. And I would die for a good amp. I need one cuz my band is getting more and more shows now

Working on DBIrr. Done so far : objets,lights,cameras,billboarding. To come: newton game dynamics support,Animation blending with cal3d.
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French gui
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Posted: 12th Sep 2006 23:36
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Quote: "Peavy"


...
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FPSC Reloaded TGC Backer
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Posted: 12th Sep 2006 23:42
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One of the best ways you can get a good sound is to get yourself a 2x12 and run it through a power amp. it's a cleaner sound and you do not have to worry about noise gates. I have been playing guitar for about 15yrs. My current rig:

1x Les pual (Gibson) 6 string
1x Stony (el cheapo) 7-string
1x ibanez electric acoustic 6-string
1x 4x12 behrigner speaker cab
1x 500 watt 4 ohlm power amp
1x digitech 2112 w/2120 upgrade chip effects processor (rack mount)
1x saben tuner
1x dual channel 31 band equalizer
1x furman power conditioner

I used to have x2 4x12 marshall cabs w/ 100w vsr 100 head (to noisy for my tastes.

RF
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Saikoro
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Posted: 13th Sep 2006 01:26
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Quote: "I used to have x2 4x12 marshall cabs w/ 100w vsr 100 head (to noisy for my tastes."

Oh yeah?! Well I have three! Baha.

Anywho, crate's beginner amps are the way to go for that price range.


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Mucky Muck Ninja
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Posted: 13th Sep 2006 01:34
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Hm sounds like crates are the most reccomended, ill make a trip to the guitar store soon hopefulyl and try out everything and ill tell ya wat i got and how it worked out.

Thanks for the help everyone!

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Agent Dink
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Posted: 13th Sep 2006 02:05
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Quote: "I'm getting an epiphone sg model g-400 soon. And I would die for a good amp. I need one cuz my band is getting more and more shows now"


Thats what I have Renny, only mine is the Goth style (same thing, only different paint job and fret inlays). It's awesome, I recommend it if you can't afford Gibson.

Sometimes the only way over a wall is to pile up enough bodies to climb over - Dave W.
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FPSC Reloaded TGC Backer
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Posted: 13th Sep 2006 02:49
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should play through all types of amps as they all hev different sounds. crate is ok i guess kinda weak though (lacking in the power area) marshalls are good but a bit pricey. peavy sucks. line 6 is ok i guess. you should get a messa boogie but you'll have to dig deep in to your pockets for that one. so just get a power map and a cab then use external effects (stomp box's) it provides the cleanest sound. you will not get note wash out.

RF
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Saikoro
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Posted: 13th Sep 2006 21:59
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For a practice room amp for under $100, there is NO beating the Crate's versatility. It's obviously not powerful and no Mesa Boogie or Marshall, but they're the kings of the low price range for versatility and practicing.


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Agent Dink
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Posted: 13th Sep 2006 23:49
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Crate's aren't that wimpy Saikoro, like I said my 30 watt single speaker amp played a small outdoor gig just fine, and it could have gone louder. Indoors it goes too loud for you to put it's volume past half without hurting your ears.

Sometimes the only way over a wall is to pile up enough bodies to climb over - Dave W.
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Saikoro
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Posted: 14th Sep 2006 01:00
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Quote: "Crate's aren't that wimpy Saikoro"

Thanks for telling me, but when did I imply that? I have a Crate GLX212 as my practice amp in my room (although I have a Marshall Valvestate 100 head and cab for practice in my garage as well, and my real set over at the band practice area ) and even after using different marshall sounds, I still like Crates, which is why I vouched for them, and which is why I am confused as to why you said that


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Matt Rock
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Posted: 14th Sep 2006 01:16
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Tubes baby, tubes. Solid state is blah Unless you're going to spend the rest of your life playing Black Sabbath covers in your basement anyway


"In an interstellar burst, I'm back to save the universe"
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Saikoro
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Posted: 14th Sep 2006 01:17
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Tubes are pricey though, so as a beginner amp, its all about solid state. Of course, for live sound, tubes are god


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Agent Dink
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Posted: 14th Sep 2006 01:48
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Quote: "It's obviously not powerful and no Mesa Boogie or Marshall"


Thats where I got that from, but maybe you meant...

It's obviously not powerful AS no Mesa Boogie or....

Anyhow, sorry for the misunderstanding.

Sometimes the only way over a wall is to pile up enough bodies to climb over - Dave W.
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Phaelax
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Posted: 14th Sep 2006 02:12
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A beginner should not spend the extra dough on a tube amp. (unless you get a real good price) Besides, most practice amps are solid state anyway. My fender is all tube and sounds great, especially with the tex mex, but it also has solid-state distorion for that lighter alternative sound.

"Using Unix is the computing equivalent of listening only to music by David Cassidy" - Rob Pike
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Saikoro
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Posted: 14th Sep 2006 03:33
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Quote: "Thats where I got that from, but maybe you meant...

It's obviously not powerful AS no Mesa Boogie or....

Anyhow, sorry for the misunderstanding."

I meant that, because in comparison to show-standard heads, a Crate under $100 doesn't compare. Play a GLX212 at max vol next to a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier at max vol and you'll see what I mean.


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Steve J
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Posted: 14th Sep 2006 03:35
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Now I know what a newbie to computer must hear when he listens to geeks

http://www.milkpaton.com/
http://phoenixophelia.com
SteveJ, less, and less Controversial!
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Agent Dink
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Posted: 14th Sep 2006 04:45
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I gotcha Saikoro, and yes you are right.

@ SteveJ

lol!

Sometimes the only way over a wall is to pile up enough bodies to climb over - Dave W.
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Hobgoblin Lord
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Posted: 14th Sep 2006 09:47
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Not that I really play anymore, and if I do its my acoustic, but I got out of the whole 4x12 deal (though I still have a Peavy Mark III head and a mesa 4x12 cab collecting dust) I went to a GK MPL100 and a GK 2x10 cabinet (The FAR in this cab is perfect in my opinion) Just found did not need all those goods on stage, thats what your PA and monitors are for. I also like it because it has great emulations of over 100 head/cab combinations.

Crates are not bad and make good practice amps, Not sure who made them but Gorilla's had a nice sound also for a practice amp, have no idea if they are still around.

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Matt Rock
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Posted: 14th Sep 2006 10:16 Edited at: 14th Sep 2006 10:16
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Agreed Saikoro, for a beginner solid state is good in that it's inexpensive. But yeah, if you get good playing guitar, ditch the solid state and go after tubes, they rule. I'd kill to find an Orange tube stack... mmmm yummy (for those who don't know, orange is a company that makes tubes, like Marshall for instance). Outside of Orange, I think Marshall is the best option when going with stacks or half-stacks. Get a Marshall 1960a, toss a header with some nice ampage on top, and presto, you're instantly 250% more sheckshy


"In an interstellar burst, I'm back to save the universe"
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Phaelax
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Posted: 15th Sep 2006 03:05
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Quote: "I'd kill to find an Orange tube stack"


Oh hell yea! Can't remember who was playing, but I went to a concert this summer where some guy had one. I wanted to go "aquire" it!

"Using Unix is the computing equivalent of listening only to music by David Cassidy" - Rob Pike
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jinzai
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Posted: 15th Sep 2006 04:36
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Ampeg used to make excellent tube amps in the sub 50 watt range. Very warm...like melted butter.

Toni Iommi may have somewhat muddy tone, but it is definitely NOT SOLID STATE.

Peavey amps do sound better than Crate to me...when you start tweaking the distortion, and all of that that peeps do when they have no phrasing, or vibrato to help. (This is what I see/hear...not a comment on this forum.) I had a friend who played a Teisco Del-Ray through a Sears Silvertone amp, and he rocked the house.

Finally, Marshall is a brand name...one of the best selling of all time. A little respect. please. Besides, their practice amps still sound the same, and cost is about what the others here cost.

Your pickup has as much to do with it as anything else, except your playing. I would spend my money on a decent humbucker, because in my experience, pickups in Asian guitars are total garbage.
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Phaelax
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Posted: 15th Sep 2006 10:41
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I love the single coils in my fender tex mex. Perfect for a clean sound if you ask me. But with distortion, I prefer the humbuckers on my carvin.

He's already got a guitar, replacing a humbucker with a "good" one cost anywhere from $70-$170 each. Not very cost effective with an epiphone.

silvertone, hehehe. Didn't they have a guitar case with a built-in amp? I found a Harmony in the trash once, still worked. I *think* that's a Sears brand also, but I'm not positive.

"Using Unix is the computing equivalent of listening only to music by David Cassidy" - Rob Pike
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jinzai
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Posted: 15th Sep 2006 12:43
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Harmony was Gibson! Silvertone made that, yes. My Silvertone had a spring loaded reverb. I had a 58 dot neck 335 with PAFs, so...I am spoiled, I guess.
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Matt Rock
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Posted: 15th Sep 2006 22:05
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Bah, I'm all about big fat humbuckers. I love Les Paul's, Gibsons not Epiphone knock-offs. Hard to find left-handed though I'll take humbuckers over coils anyday, they're meatier and soupier... mmm... Gibson Les Paul Studio, Orange semi-stack... yummy heaven


"In an interstellar burst, I'm back to save the universe"
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Mattman
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Posted: 15th Sep 2006 22:48
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Why the hell do you play lefty? All my left handed friends prefer playing right handed guitar.

Why make sense when you could make brownies?
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Torsten Sorensen
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Posted: 15th Sep 2006 23:25
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I have 4 Humbucker pickups (2 bridge, 2 neck) and the price for all of them was aroung $315. Have them on a Gibson SG Special Faded-Worn Cherry color. I have a small Crate Amp (very basic--reverb, tones, gain, gain level, volume), its an mx20rc, but I use headphones through my PODxt.

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Saikoro
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Posted: 16th Sep 2006 00:30
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Quote: "I have 4 Humbucker pickups (2 bridge, 2 neck)"

O.o You surely mean 2 humbucking pickups?


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Three Score
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Posted: 16th Sep 2006 22:37
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meh I use like a Fender 50R(I think..) which imo has the best distortion of my friends practice amps(without pedals) though I think it might be over 100$ though at about 7 it starts sounding bad though...

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Phaelax
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Posted: 17th Sep 2006 08:48
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I've never seen more than 3 humbuckers on a guitar.

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Matt Rock
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Posted: 17th Sep 2006 10:11 Edited at: 17th Sep 2006 10:13
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When I first got a guitar I was seven years old, and my Uncle David built it for me from scratch (he's a "I'll make my own" person, especially when it comes to instruments and canoes... don't ask, I don't know lol). He knew I was a lefty because he was the person who went to my catholic pre-school and had a fit over their insisting that I never use my left hand to draw or use a fork (probably why I'm agnostic, saying it was "evil" to be left handed ... anyway...), so the guitar he made me was a lefty. Unfortunately, that guitar met a bitter demise when my case buckle snapped and my guitar took a header down a flight of stairs But anyway, that's why I play lefty lol. When he gave it to me he insisted that I learn how to play Helter Skelter, and that's what I had to do to get that guitar... so that was the only song I could play until I was 14 lol

Edit: I've never seen more than 3 humbuckers on a guitar. One of the Danelectros had three, but they sounded horrible lol. 2 is all you need. He probably has two 500's... I could see how that looks like 4.


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Redmotion
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Posted: 17th Sep 2006 21:10
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Native Instruments Guitar Rig - every amp and effect flavour you could ever want!

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jinzai
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Posted: 18th Sep 2006 11:01 Edited at: 18th Sep 2006 11:02
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@Matt Rock...XLNT story. I like your uncle! I have built a couple of acoustics that turned out nicely. Its a great hobby!

Yes, only three. Frampton's Les Paul had three, as well. The Les Paul Custom came with three as an option, I think.

I do not recall a guitar other than the Teisco DelRay that had 4 humbuckers...but, that is probably selective memory working there.

The notion that left-handers is evil comes from the pagan Romans, BTW (sinistra = left....dextra=right)
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Elite Gaming
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Posted: 18th Sep 2006 20:56
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I've just got the Marshall AVT100 amp, its bloody amazing, sounds really good, it should do for the £300+ pricing. Well worth buying for a practice amp if anyones looking, and is probably good enough for doing small gigs with. At the mo, its hooked up to my BOSS metal zone pedal, with a Vintage Metal Axee, and it sounds sweet.
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John H
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Posted: 18th Sep 2006 23:19
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I'm a fan of fender's practice amps


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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 18th Sep 2006 23:54
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My gituar: My keyboard.
My Amp: 1.8Ghz AMD
Does 25 distortion effects and can switch between 4 different amps and cabinets. It's just a little hard to play decently...


Since the other one was scaring you guys so much...
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