A Guitarist FAQ

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Here are some of the questions that I recently answered about Guitars on the Usenet. I thought I may as well make them available for anyone else to read. A good place to ask if you ever have any guitar questions is in uk.music.guitar, it is only a small newsgroup but if you ask a question then you have a good chance of getting a reply. Incidentally some / all of this information may be total cobblers.

Is it a good idea? Is it difficult?

It is a very good idea because its fun and very satisfying to be able to play along to all your favourite tunes. It could be a bit difficult if you have not got any previous musical experience, don`t let anyone kid you into thinking that after only a few weeks of playing you will be brilliant, you won`t, it needs practice and time but will be very rewarding once you start getting good. When first starting there are a lot of things to remember but stick at it and you will get good, but only if you actually practice. (soon you won`t want to put your guitar down) .

How much should I pay for a guitar? I'm going to get an acoustic one first to minimise complications and keep the neighbours happy :-)

When you say you want an acoustic guitar do you mean a classical guitar or an acoustic guitar. People often just bunch them together and refer to their classical guitar as an acoustic guitar which is technically is but they are different. The main difference is that classical guitars have nylon strings whereas acoustic guitars have steel strings. A classical guitar may be better to start with because it will be easier on your fingers and cost less (I got a pretty good classical guitar from a charity shop for £25 last year, It`s full size and looks new and sounds pretty good). An acoustic will sound better and let you do things such as bends on them but if you`ve never played guitar before the strings may hurt your fingers a bit at first (They`ll soon become rock hard). Try both types if you can and see which you like best.

Are there any good books/videos/magazines/web sites for beginners to learn techniques?

In this country you may want to look at Total Guitar which is good with transcriptions, articles and interviews in it. It has a novice feature each month but you will need a little experience of playing before you can expect to play them. One of the best places to get chords and TABs on the web is The Harmony Central Tab Page, it has loads and loads of stuff and a Search Engine so just type in the name of your favourite band and you should get a list of their songs that you can choose from.

Which make should I get?

If you`re just starting don`t worry about the make, there is no point getting an expensive flashy guitar if you find that you don`t like it after your first few weeks. Just get one that isn`t cracked or broken and that sounds alright. If you want a good cheap electric guitar then I'd recommend Fender's Squire Strat which costs about £130.. Yamaha's Pacifica's is another good guitar to learn on if you don't like Fender.

Apart from the guitar what other bits of kit do I need?

None, it would help if you had a teacher or someone who can show you a few things. You definitely need to know someone who can tune your guitar for you and who can show you how to tune it. A chord book can be useful for checking up the fingering to chords but just learning all the chords in it off by heart is no fun and will not do you any good. There is a lot of music out there with the words on and the chord names written above, they are good for learning the chords and most of them show the fingering for the chords that you need. You will need to understand TAB guitar music, it`s dead easy, find the FAQ in alt.guitar.tab or rec.music.makers.guitar.tablature and they will say how to read it. Of course if you have an electric guitar then you need an amplifier.

When I hit the strings (especially the low ones) they buzz, what can I do?

If the strings are vibrating on the frets then you will either need to hit the strings more gently or raise the action of the strings. This means raising the height of the strings above the fretboard. You will need an allen key to alter the grub screws on the bridge to make the strings go higher. This may not totally solve the problem though, the bass strings on my Squire Strat still buzz even though they are as high as they can go. You can also use your fretting hand to damp the strings to stop them buzzing for too long.

What is a Floyd Rose Tremelo?

A tremolo is the device the lets you make the pitch of all the strings suddenly go down by pushing the wammy bar down. The problem with using this is that the strings often do not return quite to their original pitch so if it is used a lot you could end up with an out of tune guitar. (very inconvenient during gigs). A Floyd Rose Tremelo (right) helps to overcome this problem and allows the strings to return to their original pitch more easily so you can abuse the tremelo without going out of tune.

I have come across solo's and riffs etc where it recommends using a plectrum, I however find it much easier and quicker to use my fingers but you get a better sound using a pick. Should I use my fingers or a plectrum?

I personally can`t get the hang of those plectrum things. Most people do play with plectrums but I reckon that it doesn't matter how you play it, it just personal choice. Use whichever method you feel most comfortable with or use both if you can. You should be able to play faster with a plectrum but you can play any 4 strings and do dead fancy fingerpicking stuff with your fingers.

I've heard there are different string types. Which is best?

If you are talking about acoustic or electric guitar 0.09 gauge or 0.10 gauge are probably best, the smaller the number the thinner they are so they will be easier to play but they will not sound as good as the thicker strings. Being easy to play is the most important thing if you are just starting, worry about the sound later.

Do all guitars have a rod going thorough the neck inside for more support as I have seen ones with a sort of black "drop" shape on the headstock indicating the end of the rod but my guitar does not have this ( I am talking about electrics)?

Lots of guitars do have a truss rod going through them, all Fenders seem to, I`m not sure about Gibsons though. It gives the neck more strength and stops is from bending and warping.

When playing solo's what pick up should I have it on (I have 2 humbuckers)?

Usually you use the Bridge pickup (the one at the bottom of the guitar)

Also what pickup should I have on for chords?

Usually the neck pickup (unsurprisingly the one next to the neck) although it is really a matter of which one you think sounds best, I have a Fender Squire Strat and I always just use the neck pickup, it has a sound with more bass.

Why when I am not touching the guitar strings (with my fingers) there is a slight hum coming from my amp, but when I touch them (with my fingers) does it quieten down a little.

It`s your body is acting as an earth which stops it from humming somehow

When playing the intro to sweet child of mine how does slash get that particular sound , is it a certain effect (if so tell me) or is that just a the Gibson sound.

It`s just a plain Les Paul through a Marshall stack. The treble is rolled off quite heavily to get that 'Slash' sound.

What is the best guitar in the world?

Gibson Les Paul

How can I improve my speed and dexterity on my right hand?

Practice (sorry but it`s the only way).

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