Newbie to electrics really struggling

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  • TTonyTTony Frets: 27342
    Skodadad said:
    Also I have a vintage pair of mighty mite pickups, am wondering if I should swap them into one of present guitars?
    Put them on a meter first - check that they're still working OK (before you solder them into anything).
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  • They are definitely working, they came out of another guitar I purchased in error for far more than it was worth. I swapped them before I sold it on.

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  • SamgbSamgb Frets: 774
    A Vintage V6 Icon strat could be had used on EBay for about £100. Got mine for 80. Bargain.
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  • Fender Squire Strat  loads very cheap on eBay and not much more new.  If you can push your budget to a Classic Vibe Squire you will have a very nice guitar.

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  • GruGru Frets: 339
    I was just about to praise the THR10 or 5 in its various guises.

    On the 'X' I would personally hover around the clean setting first, but that's me.

    To note, the THR10 std model has a basic acoustic channel and a THR5A (predominantly acoustic amp) has an additional Electric guitar clean channel where the blend channel becomes a gain.

    I have the THR5A as I prefer acoustic, but dabble now and again in electric.
    The Fx section contains chorus, compressor, delay and reverb. the only one currently to have a compressor in the range (I think)

    I am still learning how to get the best sound out of my THR5A, but they are wonderful amps for home use.
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  • andy1839andy1839 Frets: 2197
    Just my 2p, when I was starting out I had a Vintage Strat copy and a bolt on neck Epi Les Paul, playing through a Park G10 amp. Then I bought a Fender Princeton and it was such a revelation.

    A different amp will make the world of difference, nowadays the amp I switch on most is a Fender G-DEC 3 30, backing tracks, MP3 input, and you can plug it into a PA for gigs, sounds fine loud, quiet or through headphones.

    Handy having a metronome available too.

    I think the new Fender Mustang range is the latest iteration of the GDEC, and seem to get good reviews from players rather than magazines.

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  • Skodadad said:
    I think I'm OK for this month, I'm already over budget :) maybe some advice on the cheapest strat worth considering though lol. Also I have a vintage pair of mighty mite pickups, am wondering if I should swap them into one of present guitars?
    Squier Classic Vibe Strat.  These are very well priced and great playing/sounding guitars. Forget that it's a Squier, it's every bit as good as the Mexican Standard Fender guitars (better some might say).  You can pick them up for under £200 used or around £350 new.
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  • Would these classic vibes need any electronics / pup upgrades or are they decent from the factory?
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  • TTonyTTony Frets: 27342
    Skodadad said:
    Would these classic vibes need any electronics / pup upgrades
    Some people will be quite happily gigging these guitars in standard spec.

    Others would only play something that they've spend a few thousand on, and then a few hundred more upgrading.

    :D

    From what you've said about your own situation, I'd say you'd be more than fine with it in standard spec.


    Having trouble posting images here?  This might help.
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  • 57Deluxe57Deluxe Frets: 7329
    Yes, get a GOOD tube amp, then all you guitars will sound great!

    The sonic contribution ratio between guitar and amp is probably 35:65 to the amp...
    <Vintage BOSS Upgrades>
    __________________________________
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  • GruGru Frets: 339
    TTony;775402" said:
    Skodadad said:

    Would these classic vibes need any electronics / pup upgrades





    Some people will be quite happily gigging these guitars in standard spec.

    Others would only play something that they've spend a few thousand on, and then a few hundred more upgrading.

    :D

    From what you've said about your own situation, I'd say you'd be more than fine with it in standard spec.
    I've owned both a CV Strat and CV Tele and both were outstanding as standard. There really would be no need to upgrade.
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  • Someone mentioned yamaha, is the pacification strat any good?
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  • Pacifica... Damn phone predictions
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  • I just checked the mighty mite pickups with a meter and they measure 13.39 and 13.41. Should I fit them to either the stagg les paul or the sammick av1 or would they be wasted, outdated or incompatible? Sorry I'm new to all this. image
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71951
    Not wasted, outdated or incompatible, no! They are certainly quite high-output, and not the type of sound that has become fashionable again more recently, but they were the very thing in the 1970s/early 80s and will still give you that sort of hot, middy tone.

    Which guitar do you use for more 'rock' stuff (assuming you do!) as opposed to more 'bluesy'? If neither, which guitar sounds better to you at the moment? Put them in the other one :).

    If you can't choose in any other way, I'd probably try them in the Samick since it has more of a 70s/80s look about it! Sometimes it comes down to no more than that ;). It's not an irreversible mod in any case, you can easily put the original pickups back later if you keep them.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • I do prefer the sammick, it has a thinner neck which I find more comfortable. When I first started I found the Stagg easier as my fingers seemed to catch adjacent strings but somehow my brain seems to have stored finger positions better now.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71951
    Do you prefer the sound of the Samick as well? If not, definitely put them in it.

    The MMs will be an upgrade in quality terms in either guitar, actually - although quality and tone preference are not quite the same thing.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • II have fitted them in the Samick, I like the look of it the most and have decided to get rid of the Les Paul in favour of today's new acquisition. image
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  • scrumhalfscrumhalf Frets: 11262
    Pardon the question, but have you played with anyone?

    Even a half hour with a friend who remembers what it was like starting out can accelerate your learning process exponentially. You might also find that it's either your gear holding you back (settings need tweaking or it's really not up to the job) and not you.

    I had the usual acoustic when I started out and was on the verge of giving up until a friend came round with a Tele copy and I found out that it didn't have to be finger-mutilatingly hard.
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  • I don't really know anyone here, we moved here last year but have been so preoccupied with our new baby and two year old along with a full house renovation we just have not had the chance to make friends. I also struggle with practice, I find myself playing the same thing over and over as I just don't know what to do during practice. I want to get some lessons but don't know where to look. I saw a few guys in the local classified ads but I wouldn't know a good tutor from bad. I am at least now happy with my guitar sound. Yesterday I learned how to adjust the truss rod on a guitar, managing to remove a forward bow from the neck of the Samick. I also learned how to set intonation. Today I am trying to move quickly to a Cm chord, my finger strength has improved a lot but my speed is badly lacking. I watched a lot of you guys on here yesterday and it makes me realise how bad I actually am... Quite depressing Yet inspiring at the same time.
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