Dad3353

Hello, and welcome to the Forum. Help will come, and will be all the more pertinent if you could expand a little on your aims and preferences. I'm assuming electric guitar (because 'amp'...), but there's a whole world of styles. Where are you located..? Second-hand is a good way to start, but for the non-initiated it can be a minefield. With your location, there may be someone near you that could advise on a second-hand purchase, checking it out together. A new purchase is good, too, or course, as there's a guarantee, but returns can be troublesome, and a new guitar sometimes need to be set up to be at its best. Your budget is OK, but a bit 'thin' for both guitar and amp; I'd recommend spending most of it on an instrument, and playing into a headphone amp at first, then buy a practice amp later (again, second-hand is good...) with a bit more money. Tell us what you're aiming for, as far as style is concerned, and what music you want to play, and we'll be able to give more targeted options. Over to you..?

There's a lot of mis-conception here, I think. Valve amps, including the ones cited, aren't loud if you turn 'em down, using the volume control. I offer, as proof, our Laney VC50 2x12 combo, which strips paint off the doors if 'opened up' (and has toured around festival stages for a decade or so...), but can be calmed if the volume is kept below '1'. Also my Fender Bassman Export 50, into its 2x15 cab, with which I've played bass at outdoor venues with no PA, no problem, but I use for guitar practice at home, too, keeping the volume down the same way. Our main bass amp is a Hiwatt 200w 4xKT88 PA head, into an HH folded horn 2x15, which has headroom enough to crack open WWII bunkers, but when used sensibly at rehearsal volumes, is perfect. OK, if it's scorching 'o/p valve-bending' distortion that's required, I'd agree that the valves in these amps don't 'bend' until they get to stadium volume, with very, very little in the way of manufacturer's wattage. I started out, decades ago, with a Watkins Westminster valve amp; that was definitely not made for stadiums (and its 'valve-bending' was not its strongest suite...), but could be played at home without breaking glass. These Fender/Vox amps are not made for home use, but for filling a large hall even before going into overdrive. What are the options..? If it's clean sound that's wanted, just turn it down; it won't harm it. If 'drive' is required, as I remarked in a previous post, lay it flat on carpet; that'll take some 'bite' out of it. Better still, use a pedal, such as the ubiquitous 'Tube Screamer' (why do you think it was so named..?), which produces overdriven valve tones at a controllable level, or, more radical, change amp for a (much...) lower wattage. One reference would be the famous 'pignose', vaunted by Mr Page and others for 'hot' solos. There are micro-amps, with a 'less-than-1W' output, using simply an ECC83 pre-amp valve, which can give convincing tones. We've already mentioned power soaks; no, they don't adversely affect the amp driving them, and give a good result, but they can be expensive, it's true. One of my favourite amps of all time is the Fender Twin Reverb, but its weight and horrendous volume make it a poor buy for home use (although I'd enjoy playing through one outside to the fields...). Personally, my 'style' of play doesn't so much involve 'valve-bending' (I play cleaner, 'jazz' tones usually...), but if I want to break out into 'rock' territory, my pedals to the job, and I'm certainly not such a tone snob as to only content myself with the 'real thing'. If anything, I'd prefer biasing my amps to a cooler o/p, so that they break up later, and get several decades of life out of them. Too hot, for early break-up, and it's a constant stream of valve acquisition and re-biasing that starts to add up, financially. Fine for a headline guitarist with an amp tech on hand and a big enough bank balance; that's not me. Soooooo... There's my take on valve amp 'loudness'. If playing clean, turn it down. If screaming solos are in order, use a pedal or change to a lower-power amp. That's all; carry on, folks.

Good evening, @BadSituation, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Take it back to the guitar tech (maybe both guitars and all the p/u's..?) and get him/her to sort it out so that you get the sound you want from the guitar you want. He/she should be able to find the root cause of the issue and fix it, whatever it is. If it's duff electrics, it's simple. It's not rocket surgery.

Hmm... A tricky one, this. These are excellent guitars, but have a rather niche place in the 'market', appealing to only a narrow band of players and/or collectors, probably due to their rather 'quirky' aesthetic, which is a sign of their time. Looking around briefly at what I see currently offered or sold recently in Europe, there's quite a wide swing, depending on condition (mostly...) and whether or not it has been sold or not..! I's easy to put a hefty price tag on, but at what price does it actually sell for..? Lowest seems to be around the 280€, top price seen 1800€ (top condition, but not yet sold...). Realistically I'd suggest that, judging solely from the photos, that the lower end of the scale would be more reasonable. With its stickers and (to my eyes...) ugly headstock, 200-300€ would be my guess; it could suite someone up to 500€, but it might take longer to find that 'someone'. A hard case would be a 'plus', as would local delivery or courrier (but that might become expensive...). Disclaimer: No, I'm not an expert in these fields, but I do have similar vintage guitars, with a particular interest in 'jazz boxes'. Subject to completion, correction and/or contradiction from others. Hope this helps, and good luck with the sale. Douglas

The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, 1968. All night sitting, featuring The Doors and Jefferson Airplane, and more. Kicked off at dusk, finished after dawn. Unforgettable, with two sessions for each of the headliners. I walked home to Bedfont, by Heathrow Airport, (about 30 km...) and hardly noticed, floating as I was on a cloud (no, this was pre-substances; that came later...). If I was able to re-live it..? Maybe I should have paid a little more attention to the French girl sharing my lap for much of the show..? I didn't even think to ask her name..! Happy Daze..!

Yes, that would work although WD40 (depending on what it really contains...) seems a bit excessive. A slightly-damp lint-free cloth (old tee-shirt..? Kitchen roll..?) will pick up any tiny traces of powder that might result from scrubbing the pole pieces, and would be a standard 'wipe-down' procedure in any case, at least once in a while. Being a lazy so-and-so, and not suffering from over-fussiness, explains why I don't bother with such niceties, myself, but your procedure won't damage the guitar beyond repair, so why not..? Hope this helps. Douglas

Yes, this is normal for many guitars. The pick-ups have been designed to follow the curve of the fretboard, so as to have the same height between magnet and string. Is it important, or critical..? Not at all; it's just the way that particular manufacturer thought would sound (or sell..!) better. The traces of rust are normal, too, as the pole pieces are made of ferrite (so iron...) material. A brisk rubbing with a Scotch-brite pad, or a brass wire brush will remove it, and applying a little varnish (clear nail varnish..?) over them will help keep them rust-free. It's purely a cosmetic thing, though; personally I just accept it and leave 'em alone.

I'd echo the comments above ^^ ^^ concerning both Tanglewood and Yamaha; they are very good instruments at every price point, and (in my area of France...) readily available second-hand; prices for both range from 40€ to 400€, with most around the 100€ or so mark. If your present Hohner is a good one, though, you'll not see/hear a huge difference until getting to the upper end of the scale (Hohner make some fine guitars, too..!). Be aware, if you are not already, that the sound of an acoustic guitar is different for the player than for an audience; the sound is (designed to be...) projected forward. It's worthwhile to listen to a guitar being played by someone else to appreciate this. The style of guitar, its aesthetics 'feel' and comfort are all personal preferences, so no real advice there, but there is a jump in the price for models with built-in electrification, which can be an advantage. Best to look for a higher-priced model if going down that route, as 'budget' electro-acoustics are usually disappointing when plugged in. Electric guitars are another 'rabbit hole', but, again, there are some 'sure-fire' favourites out there. For a beginner, maybe the first choice would be the 'style' of instrument, where the choice lies between Fender-type guitars (Stratocaster, Telecaster...) and Gibson-style (Les Paul, SG...), or another style, such as the semi-acoustics (335, Hofner...) and 'pointy'-style (Jackson and others...). Your budget will be the limiting factor here, and a combo amplifier would best be included in that budget. Playing an electric is quite different compared to an acoustic (same chords etc, but a very different 'vibe'...), so be prepared to adapt, and learn different techniques to get the best from each. You're asking the right questions, though, even though it's difficult to give the right answers..! In any case, I hope this helps, a little. Douglas

Does this help..? No experience of them, myself, but worth following up..? Best Luthiers, Cardiff, UK ... Douglas

I agree with @randythoades; that's right at the end of the neck, and rarely visited. The 'fix' is easy for any half-decent guitar tech (probably either a fret dress on the last frets, or raise the bridge saddle a tad...), so it would pay handsomely to take it to someone serious and get this little niggle sorted. You'll have peace of mind for decades, and it shouldn't be a costly exercise at all. You don't give your location, so we can't really recommend any known good addresses, though. It's not worth sending it back, as its replacement could well be worse in another area..! Hope this helps. Douglas

Just my opinion (and therefore not always popular..!), one must have supersonic, young, ears to be able to hear any difference at all from the wood choice of an amplified electric guitar; I certainly can't, and never could. I'm discounting stuff like balsa (although I've never heard a balsa guitar, so...). In any particular essence, there is so much variation, even from the same part of the same tree, that attributing any sonic difference to the essence itself seems futile. I would argue that weight, ease of working, ability to take a finish, or having agreeable veins etc are far more factors for choosing. To each his/her own (and some folk maybe have supersonic ears..?), but to me, 'tone wood' is a powerful marketing concept in solid-body electric guitars. OK, let the shooting begin...

Any chance of a short video of this intriguing instrument..? It certainly looks splendid.

Good afternoon... To judge from the videos I've watched, featuring these p/u's, I'd say it's an excellent move to make, and would be well suited to that guitar and style you're looking for. Check carefully all the dimensions, especially the fixing points to the instrument, and be sure to do the wiring-up carefully (if you have the soldering skills; if not, take it to a reliable guitar tech...). Not cheap, but they will last a lifetime. Keep the original p/u's just the same, for the unlikely case of wanting to sell the guitar in the future. OK, I understand; it's a 'keeper'. Do the upgrade, and post again here with the result, please..? Douglas

Don't panic; help is here; see below... Yes, tell us what you are wanting to do (which chords..? Which song, if any..? Any particular style, such as folk, rock, red-hot jazz, or none of these..?). Maybe spend a short while looking through these introductory videos, made especially for absolute beginners, and FREE..! Come back to us with answers to our questions, and pose others if you wish. Over to you..? Beginner's Guitar Videos ... Douglas

I don't know if you're aware of it, but Guitar Pro 8 is an excellent tool for guitarists, for composing, recording and/or learning. I've just looked up this piece (I'd never heard it before...), and there's a GP version, which I've just run through with Guitar Pro 8. In standard notation and tab, the playback speed can be varied (I just played back the solo at 10%...) without pitch change, repeating any section at will. I've attached the GP3 file I downloaded from t'web; maybe it can help..? Yes, the secret is to do it slowly, in manageable chunks, and, with practise and Patience, it will all come together. That's how Randy Rhoads got to play that way, that's certain. Hope this helps... Douglas osbourne_ozzy-crazy_train.gp3

Basically it's a choice of material, really. For acoustics, the 'norme' would be phosphor-bronze, but for this guitar, steel strings might well suite, too. If you like the 'gypsy jazz' style, Pyramid do a set of 10-45 with ball ends; they would probably be close to the strings already on. A more traditional acoustic set would be the Harley-Benson 10-47 coated phosphor set, from Thomann, or D'Addario EZ900 Bronze, 10-50. Maybe best to go to the Thomann site and have a look through the wide range listed there..? You could buy a set from anywhere, of course, but you could at least look through the options. I would only suggest that it's probably not worth paying premium prices for exotic strings, as the guitar wouldn't sound like a Martin, whatever strings are on it. It's a modest guitar; put on a good set of modest strings like those suggested and enjoy. Douglas

Yes, I'd say that it was made for steel strings; the tuners for nylon strings would have a much wider diameter, and that tailpiece would be typical; nylon would not have ball ends, and would knot around a differently-formed bridge. It reminds me of my very first guitar, a Russian made acoustic with similar features,, and a flat fingerboard. It was difficult to play, especially for a beginner, but I appreciated all the more my upgrade to a Hofner President..! The guitar pictures needs to be re-strung, and the tailpiece drilled a little if the low 'E' string doesn't seat properly. The other end just needs to be correctly wound, with the excess string length clipped off. Yes, it's a modest guitar, but we don't all play Martins or Gibsons, and if it sounds fine, there's no foul. Douglas

That's a bit harsh, I'd say. I doubt that it's a 'concert' model, but, unless it's got structural issues, it's a modest guitar, s'all. If you don't want it, give it to someone who might appreciate it for what it is.

I doubt that that's a luthier, or manufacturer. It looks more like a shop sticker, where the guitar was sold. I found this in a corner of t'web, by a n old photo of Soissons... Il y avait un magasin d'instruments de musique tenu par Raoul Dequevy qui a été mon professeur de musique à l'époque qui m'a appris à jouer de la guitare. No idea who, what, where or when the guitar was made. Douglas

Good evening. I'm sorry, but the best I can do is what is sometimes called a 's*** sandwich', so... Well done on the video front; it's not easy to get all the elements synced up, with multiple views. Good work , there. What's 'less good'..? The mix. I listened through monitors, then with my headset, and had to compare to the original (I don't know the band or the track...), and your mix doesn't fare too well in comparison. There's a wall of low-end mush clouding it all, taking all the 'snap' out of the drums and solo spots (I couldn't distinguish cymbal hits at all...). It's been multi-tracked, and the result is far too dense, with complete loss of detail. A great pity, as the playing is very good (to judge from the video shots, not from the sonic result...). The ultra-low tuning is not doing you any favours, without some delicate filtering and EQ to be able to 'place' everything in its sonic space. The energy is there, the vocals that do come across are convincing; you can all play, no question, so 'Well done' on choosing and realising such a song. Take the stem tracks back for a re-mix, breath some clarity into it all, thin out the mush and retrieve the 'snap', I'd say. Disclaimer : I'm a drummer, and old, so my hearing is no longer top notch. In this light, get other opinions for a balanced view. Thanks for sharing; hope this doesn't come across as being cruel; you're doing well.

I wouldn't recommend doing this; valve amps are a bit different to solid state, notably in their output construction. The valves drive their load (the speaker...) through a transformer, to convert volts to amps, and rely on the correct impedance to work properly (this means to not go up in smoke...). Most high-power valve amps have a multi-tapped transformer, to allow for different speaker/cab loads; it's important to respect this when connecting cabs. Your Fender doesn't have this type of transformer, and would only be comfortable (that's to say : safe...) with an 8 Ohm load. It's possible to unplug the built-in speaker and connect another cab, but it must be an 8 Ohm cab. You may change the speaker, but only for an 8 Ohm one. You should not use the amp with no speaker connected; valve amps do not like to run unloaded; the output transformer would probably 'fry'. What solutions, then..? I've a 'budget' solution and a slightly less 'budget' one. In the old days, we used 50 or 100 W amp heads, often with 4x12 cabs. These tended to be excruciatingly loud if cranked to get 'that' tone; far too loud for the safety of our ears. We would lay the cab flat on a carpeted floor; this absorbed the worst of the row. Try that, then, with your combo and see if the resulting sound is what you're after. The more technical solution is to use a 'power soak'. This is a dummy load which respects the needs of the amp, but absorbs some of the power, leaving less for the speaker. Some are fixed, others variable, and so act a bit like a volume control, whilst respecting the 'cooking' of the output valves. Here's the Thomann range; that's the 'correct' way to tame a valve amp with no risk of generating 'magic smoke'. It is important, nevertheless, to respect the impedance requirements of the amp, and only use an 8 Ohm soak. Hope this helps. Douglas Thomann Power Soaks ...

@Chiliwailer: T's all your fault, for posting such a convincing ad, coupled with an equally convincing video. Long story short: I was convinced. Apologies for not taking up this offer, though; I'm in France, and the extra faff (a technical term...) and import costs put me off, just enough to have a scout around LeBonCoin (our equivalent of Gumtree..?), where I found an identical pedal, which I bought..! Received it this morning, and it fulfils its promise. Ideally suited to my, admittedly excruciating, guitar playing (I'm a drummer, so...), and fits in very well on my modest pedal board (Boss Compressor, Boss Fender Deluxe, Twin Big Muff, Akai Headrush and now Fender Santa Ana...), all into my Fender Bassman 50w valve amp. Soft, creamy, nice switching options and very useful tone controls; I'm very pleased. All this to end up with 'BUMP'..! This is a fine pedal, which I'd have been happy to buy if I was in the UK. The Seller is a very reputable member on the sister Basschat forum, so no need to hesitate. This is an Overdrive pedal; much more subtle sonic options than a mere fuzz or disto, but marries well with other pedals. 'BUMP', I say, 'BUMP'..! Douglas

Good afternoon, Alan (@The Pinky...) and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

There is little in the guitar world for these issues; they are physiological and mental. There is help, however, in breathing exercises, for relaxation, yoga, for same, and wellness stuff such as thinking hard about coffee, smoking and/or alcohol consumption. Short sessions, with a complete break between (pop out for a stroll or a run between sessions..?), Use a warm-up routine, every time. Vary the exercises, so as not to concentrate on any one thing for too long. For longer pieces, break it down into shorter sections, and learn/practice them starting from the end. Once the end section is perfect (and not before...) learn/practice the preceding section, and continue through to the end, which is now familiar territory. Once these two sections are perfect (and not before...) work on the preceding section, play through to the end (already familiar...) etc. Every time, you're playing into sections that are already well rehearsed, and so relaxation, comfort and confidence are assured. The sections can be as short as you wish (Four bars..? A whole phrase..? Half a page, or a whole one..?); it depends on the piece, but small is OK. Hope some of this helps. Douglas