Dad3353

From the description of the way you've chosen the Classic 20, I'd say that you'll just have to accept its peccadilles. You can't buck physics, and if it doesn't change its tone enough presently, it's just the way it's been designed. No pedal will change that, so that's a Good Thing. It would count as being a One Trick Pony, so embrace it for what it is or find a modelling amp that can get close to the 'mild overdrive' that you want, but with greater flexibility. No recommendations (I play 'clean'; I've very rarely found any grit, disto or overdrive that adds anything to my admittedly poor playing, and, anyway, I'm a drummer, soooooo...). Not sure that this helps further; time for a visit to a decent amp shop to try stuff out, maybe..? Keep the Classic 20 as nostalgia, or get it to contribute to the cost of an amp better suited to your needs..?

It should be understood that each amp manufacturer, each model, and each technology, have, inherently, very different tonal responses to controls in the (very different...) pre-amps, so there is very little commonality between them. The settings, and range of result, cannot be equated from one to another. The reasons are as varied as the amps themselves : solid-state does not behave as valve stuff, and EL84 valves do not behave like KT88's etc. The effect of 'gain', 'master volume', tone controls differ; some tone circuits are 'flat' with the control at centre, some with the control max anti-clockwise, some (many..!) are never really 'flat', whatever the setting..! All of these factors make every combination of amp-cab useful for its own range, but maybe not so good at another. What sounds good at home may well not have what it takes on stage; even less so on a stadium stage. It works both ways, too; the only way to get a Marshall stack to belt out 'that' sound is to crank it, which makes it a poor candidate for bedroom practice in a town centre high-rise block of flats. In sum, it's 'horses for courses'. One amp for home, another for rehearsals, maybe another for gigs... This is one (of many...) reasons for the advent of Fx pedals in the first place : the ability to 'dial in' the required tone at any volume. It doesn't surprise me at all that the Classic 20 doesn't 'cut it' on stage. Despite having the same power valves (EL84...) as the Vox AC30, the circuits and cab are not at all the same, and the tonal response are chalk and cheese. You can never get a really clean sound from a Classic 20, at pretty much any volume; that's not how the circuit has been designed. They don't do 'loud'; certainly not the 'loud' that an AC 30 does. What are your options..? Find an amp which has the tonal variance that you need, in all the situations, you'll be playing, or have a different amp (and settings...) for each usage, or start building a pedal-board around an amp which ticks most of your boxes. It's not really a case of 'SS' v 'Valve' v 'Modelling'. It's just that all rigs have their upside and downside. Such is Life. Hope this helps.

Good evening, @Gooner, and ... ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. A Good Question, but we will need a little more detail in order to really help. How long have the strings been on the guitar(s), and how long have you been playing..? Do you play with fingers only, or with a plectrum..? Is this always the same string breaking, or is it just any string..? Does it break whilst tuning up or whilst playing..? Do you use a tuner when tuning the guitar(s)..? Is the break always at the same spot along the string length..? What gauge are the strings..? Over to you...

Good evening, @Gcsltmc, and ... ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. I can't help with your request (I'm in France...), but others will be along, so... Watch this space.

Good evening, @cyman1964ukg, and ... ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. Simon... It's actually a lot more simple than you're making it, and you're very nearly 'there' with your current reflections in chord construction. The only issue is that you're looking for a 'mathematical' 'logic' that just is not there (and doesn't need to be...). Your starting point of creating with 'triads' (alternate notes of the scale...) works well for Major and Minor chords, and only needs extending a touch by adding the next 'alternate' note to the triad to get the Major 7th and Minor 7th chords. It's easy to visualise on a piano keyboard, adding the 'B' to the 'C' chord (the one below the octave 'C'...) creates the CMaj7 chord. This is consistant when doing the same to the 'DMin' chord (add the next alternate note, ie: the octave 'C'...) and you're crated the DMin7 chord. Continue for each diatonic note of the 'C Major' scale, using alternate notes from the scale, and you've got most of the chords needed for many, many songs. If we 'break' this chord system, and use a flattened '7th' (ie: 'Bb' instead of 'B'...) we get a chord which, when played, has a sonic tendency to want to 'resolve' to the CMajor, which is why it takes the name 'Dominant'. That Bb is not in the C major scale, but as it's a very powerful sounding chord, it has it's place in so many songs, from cowboy campfire songs to much early Bob Dylan stuff. It's a staple in the chord Pantheon. However, the chord naming of 'C7' tricks us into assuming that it's got a '7th' in it. It has not; it's a flattened 7th..! It's only through historical usage that the chords have these names, not 'logic', so get used to it..! As for extending further these chords, we are simply adding another alternate note from the diatonic scale, so, for the 'C' scale, adding a 'D' above the octave gives us a 9th', adding an 'F' is an 11th, then adding the 'A' is a 13th. No point adding further, as we'd only be repeating the notes we started with, but two octaves up. With these 'extended' chords, many other nots would be left out (usually the 5th and 7th...), as too many notes spoil the broth become muddy. I wouldn't worry about 'modes' for a while; they are not really 'mainstream', so get the basics down 'pat' before following down that rabbit hole. Interesting as it is, there's much more practical stuff to assimilate without delving further into It. Hope this helps. Douglas

Good evening, @XinDi-WaRRior, and ... ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. We, on this Forum, have all, without exception, started from the same 'zero' baseline, so we know where you're coming from. We all learn differently, with differing objectives and time constraints, but it is 'easy' for no-one. There is no secret that the best way to get started is with a one-to-one guitar tutor, even if it's only for a few lessons, as this paves the way to setting realistic, obtainable objectives with the right techniques. One essential, for any beginner, is to obtain a large supply of Patience, and keep it topped up at all times. One learns in stages, and there will be moments when progress seems slow, or even regression. This is normal; there will also be 'light-bulb' moments when things become blindingly clear, and one realises that progress has, indeed, been made. I'll end with my usual 'words of encouragement' ... It's the first forty years that are the most difficult, after which things sometimes tend to get slightly easier.

Good afternoon, @Fingers n thumbs, and ... ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. A Word to the Wise : The key to beginning on the guitar is Regularity and Patience. Short, Regular practice sessions are far better than long hours. It's better to consecrate 15 minutes, twice a day, every day, than an hour's session sometimes skipped. Don't try to rush things; the fastest way to getting fast on the guitar is to play SLOWLY and take your time. Other than that, follow, diligently, the method of your Tutor (ask him/her about these recommendations..?), and make sure that you always have a Big Bucket of Patience on hand. That's the key. Have fun; we've all been there.

Apparently, there's a 'rule' set in the software somewhere whereby at least five posts are to be made before allowing these luxury 'extras'. It's to avoid 'spam' posts giving full access, I think. Still, you're OK now, soooooo...

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

You're right, no impact on sound nor playing. It will probably remain stable for years, but keep an eye on it now and again. It could be touched up with a furniture touch-up pen, just to hide it a little, but just put it down to 'character' and play on.

Good morning, @Diary Of An Axeman, and ... ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good afternoon, @Runningblueowl, and ... ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Trs is for headphone alone. Trrs is for headphones with a mic. It's the former that's required for getting audio out for the PA.

Good afternoon, @kaigr0hl, and ... ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

I had already pre-empted Christmas in offering to myself my bucket-list guitar : a Hofner President E2 thinline, Florentine cut, having foolishly traded away the first one I had, late '60s. Half a century later, I got this one from a Reverb seller in Sweden. The Christmas gift..? Our Daughter, thinking (rightly...) that it would be difficult to find something I'd want/need that I didn't already have, posted a sum of money into my bank which covered the cost of the hard case and shipping of my dream guitar. Much appreciated, and a Very Nice Surprise. Here's a (bad...) photo of the delivery and unpacking of the guitar...

A USB 'C' does not pass audio signals, so cannot drive a PA at all. There is an adapter/dongle which converts USB digital data to audio, with a 3.5 socket for a headset. That's the way to get audio from the 'phone to the PA. It can be done with a Bluetooth receiver plugged into the PA, too, but it's a bit more messing about. Walmart carry such a dongle... Walmart : Samsung Flip 6 usb 'C' to 3.5 dongle usa ... Hope this helps.

If you're asking the question, I'd suggest that it would serve you best to advise taking it to a competent guitar technicien near you. There are many potential causes, and as many cures, but it would be impossible to 'talk you through it' if you've not any experience of guitar set-ups. A tech can do the job, quickly and cheaply, and give you tips on how to recognise the simple issues, and how to do simple set-ups yourself. There are issues that require knowledge, experience, tools that make a tech a Good Investment. Other jobs you can do yourself, gaining knowledge and experience; the skill is knowing what one may do and what one may not. What you describe is not particularly difficult, for a tech, but it would only lead you astray, and maybe do more harm than good, to try to diagnose the issue. Take it to a tech and learn from him/her, I say. Hope this helps.

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

The ME-80 was launched ten years ago; that's quite a while in these circles. We have the bass version; it's very good, for its generation. The GP200 (and its sister versions...) is very much more modern. In ten years time it will doubtless be less attractive, but as of today, it has a fine reputation, and most functions required by most players. Try it anyway, and, if you're buying through t'web, send it back if you are not convinced of its qualities. Just my tuppence-worth.

I'm not an exponent of the 'tonewood' school of thought. I'm rather 'tone is in the fingers'; two different players will sound different, even given the same guitar to play. If we eliminate the extremes (papier-maché, solid lead...), the stuff they're made of has very little influence on the 'tone'. Still less influence once any kind of disto pedal is involved. Still, some folk enjoy cork-sniffing or developing bat-like hearing rather than playing whatever they have on hand. It's good for commerce, so it's not all bad.

Too many to list, really, but some names that spring to mind (bear in mind that I'm old..!)... Richard Thompson (Fairport Convention and more...) Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna...) Bobby Weir (Grateful Dead...) Paul Kantner (Jefferson Airplane...) Mickey Baker (see his Jazz Guitar Method books...) John Lennon (Some Merseyside group or other...) Bryan Maclean (Love...)

Our Eldest uses Lace p-ups; I'll ask him about screw sizes, and Lace contacts. Are they not replying to emails..? What do you want to ask a human about..?

I'd be wary of over-tightening a neck with too much string tension. If you have doubts, best to desist, I'd say. I know of no way of reinforcing a neck, and if the truss rod is not enough, permanent damage would very likely result from going any further. You could try 11's, but tune to open 'F' and use a capo. Would that not suffice..?

(@Woodinblack : I've moved it to 'Amps'n'Cabs'...) @dewayne : The jack sockets on the front of the amp are for plugging in the instrument. The jack sockets at the rear are for inserting Fx such as reverbs, delays or flangers etc. They are not designed to send nor receive signals straight from an instrument (different impedance and output levels...). Here's a decent page explaining in more detail what's what that you might like to consult... Effects Send and Return and Why You Should Use Them ... Hope this helps.