Skinnyman

Ooh, I like that.

I’ve been lucky. I’ve never suffered from stage fright or nerves or performance anxiety (or is that one more of a bedroom thing?). Anyway… I’ve been in plays, I delivered speeches at conferences large and small and I’ve played bass at hundreds of gigs - and I’ve never suffered with nerves. A little extra adrenalin pumping round the system perhaps, and maybe the need to pee a bit more than usual beforehand but nothing that would affect my performance or even be noticeable. I’ve now taken on Second Guitar duties in the band and so, for the first time, I’m playing guitar in front of other people. And I’m bricking it. Even just at rehearsal. OK, once I’m a couple of songs in, things get back to normal but at the start I am shaking like the product tester at Ann Summers to the extent that I can’t even finger basic chords. Hopefully, this will pass as I build confidence but it’s a very unusual and unnerving feeling and I don’t care for it one bit!

Charming, I’m sure. But yes, I agree. We need more iniquity around here. Or… what’s the opposite of iniquity? Perhaps there’s scope for an equal and opposite? Less militaristic and more hippy-like? And where’s your NGD post? Or are you keeping it to yourself?

Nice. Welcome to the forum and good luck with the build!

Quite. They’re very lovely as pieces of furniture or as art but I can take or leave them as guitars

Er, okay. Weirdo. I’m not a massive fan of quilted finishes or highly-figured grain anyway but in fairness the combo probably works better in the flesh than pictures. The good thing is, I only have to play it and don’t have to look at it

No worries, it is a bit bilious. From what I can work out, they only did a roasted maple neck in the SE range in this colour so it’s not like I had any other options - but fortunately, I don’t give a stuff about the colour, it’s just a dream to play.

I’ve had mixed experiences with the Dummies books. Some have been good but the ones on music theory and composition I just didn’t get on with at all. The thing I enjoyed about the David Meads book was his writing style. Very accessible and enjoyable.

There are many, many books on music theory but the one I’ve found most useful (and very readable) is “Chords and Scales for Guitarists” by David Meads. Anyone got any others that they’ve found helpful or particularly well written?

Welcome to the forum, Noob. I started learning when I was in my early fifties so you’re a mere slip of a lad still Whether it’s scales or songs doesn’t really matter - what matters is that you enjoy what you’re doing. Having a decent grounding in theory will serve you well in the future and I think you’ve made a wise decision to work with a tutor. Good luck with the practice and have fun!

Oh, all right then…

Update; I used it at rehearsal last week and I’m blown away (as were the rest of the band). I wouldn’t use it for every song but it opens up all sorts of possibilities for arrangements.

That’s why I bought mine - as a travel guitar that I could take as hand luggage. And for that it was great but I still found the absence of a headstock very disconcerting. In other news, I got into my local guitar shop today and had a play with every PRS in the shop. I fully intended to get either a Mira or Starla but the one I left with was an SE Custom 24 (a 2019 limited edition in bilious green with roasted maple neck). The neck is just a joy to play and is what sold me on the guitar (and ignore the colour). The Starla was a real disappointment. Initially looked good owing to the light weight but there’s a boominess to the tone that I couldn’t get rid of and which was there on a couple of different amps and irrespective of pickup selection. The Mira was nice in a sort of SG-on-steroids sort of way and I would probably have got it if I hadnt picked up the Custom 24. So, GAS attack has passed. For now….

I bought one of these used a few years ago on a whim and after an initial play around with it, never really had occasion to use it. We’ve recently had a bit of change round in the band (long story, I was going to leave but now I’m not) and I’ve handed bass duties to someone else. I’ve now taken on rhythm/second guitar and I figure this is the perfect opportunity to start using the GR55 to add the extra textures that we’d get from a keyboardist without the hassle of actually having to have one. So far I’ve only used it for practice at home but it seems to work really well. I don’t want to use it on everything but for quite a few songs it will help add some pad textures or let me do little horn stabs and sax fills. Rehearsal next week so I’ll find out then how practical it is and how well it sits in the mix. I’m wondering if anyone else uses a guitar synth live and whether there are any hints and tips to be shared

Haha! I’m sure I couldn’t afford it! I did have one of the current Spirit models and just couldn’t get on with it. The absence of the headstock just freaked me out somehow and I just couldn’t play it with any sort of fluidity.

Tempting but that’s a little beyond my woodworking abilities Is that Ned Steinberger’s original prototype? Be worth a lot of money, that.

Peach guitars seem to have bought up all the Antique White Starlas (discontinued colour) and are knocking them out for £449 rather than the RRP of £599. Tempting but I just can’t get on with the colour. I’m leaning more towards the Mira in Cherry at the moment. Or would be if I hadn’t just had to buy a new lawnmower. Rock’n’roll, eh?

Now that’s what I mean! Helpful, insightful and just the kind of self-justification I was looking for!

Well, inevitably, I will. But where’s the fun in just giving in without at least the semblance of a struggle? And I think I’ve worked it out and the (visual) attraction seems to be the fact that’s it’s an unbound neck. My local guitar shop has just reopened and they’re a PRS dealer so I’ll go in and see if I can have a noodle on one. The risk being that I’ll end up with the rather lovely but much more expensive satin Vela S2 that they have in stock.

My favourite Python sketch. Utterly stupid and hilarious And I don’t see why I should suffer alone; https://prsguitars.com/electrics/model/se_custom_24_lefty_2021

I like to think of this as the calm refuge. My safe place, as it were.

Hi Steve and welcome! The EXTC project sounds interesting - would you describe it as a “tribute” band or a project in its own right?

That’s not helping

Not in the slightest, lol. Oddly, it’s the fact that they don’t follow the usual PRS aesthetic that appeals in this case. I like the idea of a “plain”, workaday PRS guitar. I think I’d give the “let’s use the left over paint from the Ibanez guitars” metal paint finishes a miss but there’s something about the black Mira. And the Vintage Cherry, come to that.

I have serious GAS for a PRS SE Mira. I don’t know why it’s suddenly come over me but I was idly wandering the ‘net the other night, as you do, a d YouTube decided to show me one of the PRS demo videos for it. That then turned into an obsession with watching every video and reading every review. And there’s no logic to this. I don’t need a PRS Mira. I have a very nice Strat, a lovely Mexican Tele, a gorgeous PRS SE Hollowbody and an absolutely spiffing K-Line. I like them all and don’t want to get rid of any of them. Sonically, I have all the bases covered. Single coil, P90s, ‘buckers; all catered for. So why the lust for the Mira? It’s not especially pretty, it’s PRS’s take on an SG - and I’ve got no particular hankering for an SG. Strange. Please talk me out of this. If you had one or tried one and hated it, tell me. If you’ve had problems with PRS’s build quality, tell me. Explain to me that I’m not a professional guitarist and I can never make guitars sound the way they do in the demo videos. I need to get rid of this obsession. And that Starla looks pretty nice too... Aaaaaaargh!