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Hello,
I am a huge instrumental surf fan, but lately I am thinking about trying my had
a surf guitar.
Except for s short stinit with a clarinet in middle school and a year pf piano
lessons I know
nothing about playing music(I forgot everything I learned in my younger years).
Now I am 50
and am thinking about trying my had at surf guitar. I know essentially nothing
about the
equipment or instruments. I have a history of not following thought with things
and don't
want to invest a ton on money in equipment, I am really skilled with repair and
electronics.
Should I start out with acoustic guitar and see how it goes? Should I start out
with electric
guitar? Bass, Rythm or lead? If electric what kind of amp for my situation?
Should I just stick
to collecting music by buying CD and LPs?
Thanks
Guy
Guy,
Welcome to the club!
If you're into surf music, then an acoustic doesn't
make much sense. If you go to a beach every night,
then maybe, but with a name like 'midwest_surf_guy',
somehow I don't think that's in your cards. <g>
If you're still on the fence with an electric (you
might decide to get back out of the whole shebang),
then you have two or three courses of possible, and
inexpensive, action:
1. A lower grade Fender, such as a Squier Strat.
Can be had for $100 to $200 at a Guitar Center.
2. Used. Check both craigslist for your area, and eBay.
You'll get a feel for what's popular and what things
are usually worth.
3. Rent. Many smaller mom-and-pop type stores still
rent instruments, including guitars and amps. The
benefit here is, you'll probably also get a line on
a teacher, which you need.
In fact, you should consider enlisting a teacher first,
and get her/his opinion. Make sure they are on-board
with your goals.... you don't want to be learning Jeff
Newman licks if you're going surfing! <lol> (Although
a little Chet Atkins never hurt anybody. <g>)
Reading music is a personal preference, not a requirement.
I'll bet not more than 25% of the members here can sight
read, so you needn't make that a high priority. And if
you do go with a teacher, then you'll get it anyway,
hand-in-hand along with the rest of your lessons.
Being an electronics whiz kid doesn't mean jack on this
list. Ask me how I know! <rotflmao> By the same token,
you can confidently buy things, like amps that might need
repairs, for a lot less than would otherwise be the normal
price. Keep your eyes open, and your checkbook handy. <g>
Do keep us posted.
unlunf
--- In , "midwest_surf_guy" <mooregr@m...> wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> I am a huge instrumental surf fan, but lately I am thinking about
> trying my had a surf guitar. Except for s short stinit with a
> clarinet in middle school and a year pf piano lessons I know
> nothing about playing music(I forgot everything I learned in my
> younger years). Now I am 50 and am thinking about trying my had
> at surf guitar. I know essentially nothing about the equipment or
> instruments. I have a history of not following thought with things
> and don't want to invest a ton on money in equipment, I am really
> skilled with repair and electronics. Should I start out with
> acoustic guitar and see how it goes? Should I start out with
> electric guitar? Bass, Rythm or lead? If electric what kind of
> amp for my situation? Should I just stick to collecting music by
> buying CD and LPs?
>
> Thanks
>
> Guy
>
Guy:
I'd say:
Find a decent cheapo electric guitar with single coil
pickups, like a Danelectro reissue.
And get a little amp with built in reverb effect: like the
Roland Microcube...or else get a little cheapo amp and buy
a Danelectro Reverb Pedal...
Find a friend who plays guitar...
and learn "Pipeline"!
Hey, if you don't dig playing the guitar, you could sell
everything on ebay and get your money back.
but, I bet you'll dig playing guitar with the Ventures.
-dp
ps: welcome to SG101...now, get out there and get reverberated.
__________________________________
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
Aloha, Guy!
Who cares how old you are? There's no time like the present to take up surf
guitar! It'll be a while before you're ready to rock out with a band, but you
can still have a whole lot of fun in the comfort of your own home. For a
starter guitar, consider purchasing a whammy-bar equipped Squier Stratocaster or
Squier Jagmaster-- good enough to learn on now, and good enough to gig with
later. You don't need a huge amp to have fun-- consider a Danelectro HoneyTone,
which is plenty loud for practice and has a nice twang setting. You'll probably
want a reverb box to tickle your ears, and the gig-worthy Boss Reverb stomp box
is a good place to start, but Danelectro has at least one model which is less
expensive. If you shop with care, you can probably get everything you need to
get started for around $200.00--$300.00, possibly less. Check out the 'Net or
your local music store for some of the Hal Leonard beginning rock guitar
instruction books to get a handle on the basics, and then
visit <ventures.pl.ru:8000> and click on "Play Guitar With the Ventures" for
some free online lessons from the master. You'll also find "Slow Gold" or
"Riffster" software (available online) useful in slowing down tunes which you'd
like to learn. Most of all, jump in, have fun, and remember-- it's never too
late to rock!
Mahalo,
Page
midwest_surf_guy <> wrote:
Hello,
I am a huge instrumental surf fan, but lately I am thinking about trying my had
a surf guitar.
Except for s short stinit with a clarinet in middle school and a year pf piano
lessons I know
nothing about playing music(I forgot everything I learned in my younger years).
Now I am 50
and am thinking about trying my had at surf guitar. I know essentially nothing
about the
equipment or instruments. I have a history of not following thought with things
and don't
want to invest a ton on money in equipment, I am really skilled with repair and
electronics.
Should I start out with acoustic guitar and see how it goes? Should I start out
with electric
guitar? Bass, Rythm or lead? If electric what kind of amp for my situation?
Should I just stick
to collecting music by buying CD and LPs?
Thanks
Guy
.
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Larry and Guy,
I can attest to Slow Gold, been a loyal user/fan for years.
The slow-tempo/normal-pitch playback is studio quality, IMO.
There's also a Lite version for less than half of the full
version price. It's limited, but you'll get the idea.
(And what you paid for the Lite is applied to the full
version price when you upgrade.)
I didn't know about Riffster, so I checked out the website.
Looks pretty good, a bit more intense than Slow Gold, but
it's only half the price. They too have a Lite version.
I should think that either of them would fill the bill.
This kind of learning tool can make the difference between
frustration and elation. <g>
unlunf
--- In , Larry Ellis <oldfolkiesc@y...> wrote:
>
> .....
> You'll also find "Slow Gold" or "Riffster" software (available
> online) useful in slowing down tunes which you'd like to learn.
>
