Guitar and Bass Discussion - Sperg about players that inspire you, gear, share your experiences, etc.

[world of shit]

I've recently started trying to learn to play guitar and I'd just like to say a big fuck you to the F chord

It's one of those big milestones for beginners, you'll nail it soon i promise.

This may help some: For barre you need 1) technique and 2) finger strength.
For 1) I tell all my students that the barre chord is all about the thumb and the index finger. Make the barre chord and look at a mirror. Does your thumb and index form a V shape? That V shape wedge is how you get a clean sound. Thumb behind the neck (at least when you're learning) will help you form this natural wedge.
For 2) you just gotta practice it. Fret the chord, then lift your hand to neutral. While watching TV, just sit with the guitar and practice moving from something you know, like C Major open chord to F major.

 

[Xx_Retard Faggot 1488_xX]

Ok. My experience.
I've said it before, I'm an Intermediate player (at best).
Keeping this in mind, here is my learning experiences (from ~5 years ago)

-JustinGuitar:
TL;DR:
As good/better than Zoomed private lessons. Not as good as 1:1 lessons (but close). But you really won't learn songs for a YEAR.
No shortcuts, the 'weird fingerings' and weird theories may retard your progress.
Pros:
One of the BEST guitar learning sites on the internet.
Use his website for a DIRECTED plan. It may work better.
Detailed and ACCURATE info. Very professional videos, from a TRUE professional.
(almost) As good as private lessons.

Cons:
SLOW. AS. FUCK. Literally 2+ weeks for the first FUCKING 3 open chords?! REALLY?!? I guess 99% of his audience are retarded children, but jesus.
His 'songs' are absolute bullshit. Just because you can play an A-min and E-Min at 80 bpm in 4:4 time, all downstrokes, does NOT mean you are playing the pop-hit 'Sing'.
No $$$ = No 'songs'. (his 'songs' are 2-4 chords and a strum pattern.)
You still need printed instructions/books and Justin wants his $$$ for that material
Constant e-begging, no matter how much you pay.
Definite rhythm acoustic focus.
You will literally be incapable of playing ANYTHING remotely like a song after MONTHS of study and practice. But your open chords and basics will be tight as fuck.
Weird alternate fingering methods, completely foreign to the rest of guitar (e.g.: Open A, D-Min, and more).
As slow as private lessons.

-Rando Toobers:
TL;DR:
Worthless unless you are BPD female tween that gets super validated by fiction.
You will learn nothing, and you will sell your gear in 6 months, OR you will go into a manic episode and become a pop star.

Pros:
Inspiring visual stories as you watch (children) hold a pick wrong, to playing Metallica.
You don't have to do shit.
Sometimes you learn fresh licks/riffs.
Sometimes you learn tricks/shortcuts.

Cons:
Mostly bullshit used to get sympathy bux from gullible children. These people are getting private lessons when the camera is off, or they already can play.
You don't have to do shit.
Sometimes you learn bad habits.
Zero theory or understanding.
Bad camera angles and shit recordings.
Constant e-begging.

-Rocksmith 2014
TL;DR:
It's a dead video game with instruction. Made by a corporation that (used to) trickle out DLC for $10 every couple of weeks.
You can learn guitar, songs, licks, AND have fun.
In the end, it's just tabs with a fancy interface and a couple lessons.

Pros:
It's all hacked, cracked, and jacked. 17 ways to sunday. All DLC is cracked and torrentable. Even to the point of customizing the venues, virtual fingerboards, and songs.
Don't like the DLC songs? (all 2000 of them), go to CustomForge, get another 100,000+.
Don't like or want to buy the cable? It's cracked to use any USB interface, or just use a mic.
GREAT instructional videos, with practice material.
Technically, you are playing tabs with backing tracks and finger placement.
Made and supported by (SF) artists and professionals (gross).
Might be still on Twitch, making weekly videos. and a community (cringe)
Might be the fastest way to actually learn some shit in HOURS.
Has ACTUAL songs.
Has a microphone interface now, for mic'ing off your amp and using.
TONS of virtual pedals and pre-set tones to REALLY have some great jams.
The built in 'AI Jam Bands' are incredible, like playing with 4 other real people.

Cons:
This was a PRODUCT, made by Ubisoft (eww).
Lag is a factor. Minimum of 50ms of lag.
Sensitivity/detection is poor. Your shitty/buzzy/muted chords will still get you a 100%
Easy to game the game. You can unlock every achievement and still remain a crappy beginner.
You 'hear' what the PC reproduces, leading to a complete disconnection between your instrument and the sound it makes.
Virtual /= Reality. You are worse than what RS says.
The lessons are EXTREMELY few and far-between. Because, they cost huge $$$ and are pro-made.
Uses a proprietary cable that is the SHITTIEST cable ever produced. Has a chip in the cable, making it impossible to easily avoid.
There is absolutely ZERO direction in the software.
You will learn BAD habits, due to your own 'path of least resistance'.
Zero music theory or understanding, even basic positions and chord theory is completely absent.
Your jams will become confused and misdirected, because you have no understanding or theory.
You just fret the strings, because the dots tell you.
Some icons are confusing (e.g.: hammers and pulls)
Sometimes the pro-made tabs are wrong (e.g.: Silverchair and QotSA)
Most of the time, the (sperg-produced) Custom DLC is wrong.
You won't learn licks or riffs.
SOME terrible instruction (e.g.: timing or picking).
You'll start picking all downstrokes and using 1-2 fingers (madness).
Pinkies, although encouraged, are avoided (re: you learned BAD habits).

-Subscription Toobers (Guitar Tricks, Guitareo, etc.)
TL;DR: Worthless. YouTubes you pay for are crap. Literally like paying for Justin Guitar, but inferior quality and direction.
Expensive parasocial interaction with a guitar teacher that doesn't know or care about you. Fund my Patreon.

Pros:
At best- it's Justin Guitar that actually listens to your personal issues and responds. Usually you are limited to a certain amount of 1:1 time/questions per week.
Zoomed group lessons once (or more) a week.
Whales get most attention.
It's like COVID guitar lessons, sometimes ($$$).
Frequent pee-pee touching and mommy-hugs. Because you are an ignorant manlet that (potentially) will send their kid to college.
(para) Social interaction (yuk), when it isn't a paywalled vid.
Sometimes more instruction per $ than lessons.

Cons:
Why aren't you just buying guitar lessons?
The 'cheap plans' are just paywalled premium videos.
Music theory and sheet music still require books/prints. Why didn't you just buy lessons?
Constant e-begging for the next round of 'premium features'. You are NEVER done paying, whales always have more $$$.
If you are stupid enough to purchase a 'lifetime membership', they will just cancel that program and reorganize to sell you another 'lifetime subscription'. (see above).


-Guitar Center Lessons (post-covid states)
TL;DR:
Effective, not very expensive. Good return/$. Better than anything online.

Pros:
The first one is free, like crack.
You're gonna go there anyway.
You can play any (within reason) demo/used guitar in the store for 30 min. No, not the 1956 LP in the locked case.
Techs onsite for your needs.
They have private rooms for instruction, and you can use the group room/studio for unlimited personal practice.
Rando instructors will give free tips/instructions sometimes, when they got a sec.
Sometime REALLY good teachers are hired.
All basic printed material is included.
Group lessons are included with your purchase.
Bulk purchases save $$$.

Cons
The first one is shit, like crack.
The techs suck.
Most of the 'teachers' have been fired or lost their personal practice b/c they are shit. Or insane.
Anything beyond elementary instruction is a crapshoot.
Cost more than anything online.
Most GCs are still doing Zoom calls. A Zoom call can't really see your thumb position or finger placement.
The group instruction sucks.

All these suggestions are inferior to the Gold Standard: A Good Private 1:1 Meatspace Instructor. You will pay ~$50 for 30 min give/take. You will get what you pay for.
Make sure you try out at LEAST 3 instructors before you decide. You should interview each. The interviews should be free.

Good to know. I've went the Justin Guitar route to start learning a couple of years ago and your take is pretty spot on. I do like the strictly technique approach for his beginner stuff, gave me great foundation, but I had to more or less improv the details of the songs using the chords he gave even in the early stages. It also lead to a lack of knowledge for any electric songs, as, like you said, its def. focused for acoustic (despite him saying you should start on an electric).

I will say his blues lead course is very solid, I took longer then he recommended for a lot of it, but back when I did it I remember it had great structure and great focus of:

learn scale, learn licks, in that order, and don't touch another pattern until you can play great with that one.

Overall better then any other jewtuber, although I have a soft spot for Tomo Fujita.

 

[world of shit]

Ok. My experience.
I've said it before, I'm an Intermediate player (at best).
Keeping this in mind, here is my learning experiences (from ~5 years ago)

**SNIP**

These are all great points. I completely forgot about Rocksmith. Once you get the hacked dlc songs you can find near any song to play (I busted through a bunch of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night songs with it).

One important thing I forgot to mention to new guitarists is START LEARNING SONGS IMMEDIATELY and START WRITING SONGS IMMEDIATELY. Trust me, you can write a song with two chords, here's a start: G-C is a V-I pattern, go write a song with that, change the speed/rhythm between chorus and verse and you're good to go.

Practicing and nailing your chords, playing scales, etc. is all crucial, but unless you're super motivated and see the light at the end of the tunnel, it'll start to feel like work and you'll drop out. Find a band you like, get the tab, and start playing. If it's too hard, then just play on one string. First song I ever learned was Come as you are by Nirvana, and I still remember how to play it.

Rocksmith will help with this because it starts easy and automatically adds more notes as your accuracy improves. I've never used this functionality, as it annoyed me, but I can see it being a great tool to learning a song.

 

[Stasi]

One important thing I forgot to mention to new guitarists is START LEARNING SONGS IMMEDIATELY

I kind of gravitated towards this naturally haha. The Justin Guitar course is great but as others have mentioned its super slow and also learning fundamentals kind of grinds you down. As a newbie its super satisfying even clanking a couple of chords and making them sound like a real song.

Don't know any scales or anything yet but taught myself to play the riff from Sweet Child O' Mine, again just super satisfying being able to play something you know from a real song.

 

[Orange Rhymer]

My final synopsis.
For inspired practice, and KEEPING THAT GUITAR IN YOUR HAND.
Number 1:
I recommend Rocksmith 2014.
There is NO OTHER tool that gives you this much fun and learning for literally $0.00.
You don't even need the cable anymore. There is a USB hack, or just use the officially supported mic feature.
You are here, so I don't have to tell you how to get it, crack it open and eat all it's juicyness for free.
Follow the white rabbit. You'll do it.
It's not supported any more, so it doesn't matter much. I think Ubi fired the staff. Last time I checked, the main music team dabbed out 2 years ago.

Number 2:
Meatspace Professional Instructor Lessons.
DO NOT use Craig's List or ANY social media platform. I highly discourage the use of Community Colleges too. I personally know music majors that exited 2 year and 4 year programs without being able to play ANY instrument.
Go to mom&pop guitar shops and coffeehouses/bars. See the music that inspires you, and listen for instructor shout-outs. Keep ears open, get some cards.
or
just go to Guitar Center. They aren't that bad.

 

[world of shit]

Rocksmith is also on Steam if you're paranoid about security or don't want to go the route of pirated software.

 

[Orange Rhymer]

Rocksmith is also on Steam if you're paranoid about security or don't want to go the route of pirated software.

(you can actually do both - you can purchase the base game on Steam, and hack/crack/jack it for other features)
All rocksmith songs are in a .psarc format. You can dload official or unofficial DLC and add it to RS, whether you bought RS or pirated it.
If you buy it on Steam, you won't get the cable.
Why do you need the Ubisoft Cable? The game originally avoided/discouraged piracy by requiring the proprietary cable. No USB interfaces or microphones were supported. In the last 2 years of official support, Ubi stopped being dicks and released a 'mic-ready' option. Ubi could never distribute cables fast enough and is one reason why RS isn't as successful as Guitar Hero or Rock Band.
The Ubi cable is the option for lowest lag. Microphone and USB-interface-hack will increase lag from 50ms to ~75ms. This leads to significant probs.

Life Hack: Buy the PlayStation 3 game on Amazon *WITH THE CABLE*. I got one for $5 shipped. The cable alone on Amazon costs @ $20, and was the bottleneck to everything FOR YEARS.
Life Hack: Pro Edition-
Try to find the Epiphone Rocksmith 2014 pack. It comes with the game, cable, an Epiphone LP Special (crap), strap, picks, strings, and a tuner (i think).
I'd love to have one just for the giggles.

The copy protection for RS actually costs Ubi every month, so I think they removed it recently. (rumor)

The 'modding community' for RS is truly incredible. I helped the devs that created the custom fingerboard creator. All I did was correct a few errors, and rewrite the instructional files. I can't code worth shit, and I did it for free.
There are people that modded other instruments into RS (including FLUTES! loool!), customized splash screens, custom gear logos (fuck Gibson and Ernie Ball), custom 'studio' design, automagic tab import/exporters, automatic lyric entries (with funny easter eggs too), There are thousands of mods lost to time, but more pop up constantly. Very healthy modding and custom DLC community.
The original devs that created/supported RS have a Twitch channel with HUNDREDS of instructional vids and guest appearances (including Brendon Small).
So besides being Ubisoft, it's a p great group (*was a p great group*).

*Update I bought some more raw material for a batch of copper slides. I have a few manufacturing issues to work through, and I need to make an LLC to protect against idiot lawsuits (i.e. my toddler ate one and choked to death).*

 

[Xx_Retard Faggot 1488_xX]

This video really says a lot and kinda made me depressed. Ignoring the fact the cunt he mentions in the beginning actually wanted to learn lil nas "fags burn in hell" song, very sobering to be listening to and realizing how bad it is even though I already know this shit. At the end he tries to say it ends on a good note but it really doesn't, its just cope for his grifting.

Music blackpills for everyone!

 

[world of shit]

(you can actually do both - you can purchase the base game on Steam, and hack/crack/jack it for other features)

Yeah that's what I meant. IIRC, when i modded my copy of Rocksmith, it just required a smashing pumpkins dlc which all the custom mods (from customforge) piggybacked off of.

The security woes you'd get from a mod site isn't the same category from a torrent or newsgroup IMO.

Another good thing for practice with Rocksmith is the song creator or whatever it's called: You set a key, and diatonic mode to play in, then select backing instruments and style, and it'll create a backing track to what you're playing and show you if you're playing 'in-key' or not. Great way to learn the fretboard, scales, and develop what I call an "inner musical voice" (i.e. you hear what you want to play and know how intuitively to execute it with your fingers).

 

[Bad Gateway]

I've recently started trying to learn to play guitar and I'd just like to say a big fuck you to the F chord
Been loosely following the Justin Sandercoe videos on youtube, seem pretty good, easy to follow and lots of useful information. Guy has loads of videos so probably a lot of useful stuff there for more advanced players too

Everybody starts at the beginning. Soon you'll be slammin out barre chords no problem.

One thing I'll add about learning, I'm too impatient for Rocksmith, I think the auto difficulty is an idiot, and the concept of assigning % difficulty to a song doesnt make ANY sense to me, it seems random. I also think their distinctions between "lead" and "chord" guitar parts are weird sometimes, even in "official" tabs. Like, maybe the band laid the song down like that in the studio, but there's no way that's how its played.

I recommend real in person lessons far over everything else. Especially if you're like me, who cannot tell a difference in ability or tone or anything like that while learning a song. I need external input, if I didn't have that I definitely would have quit already.

Also, dont be afraid to learn songs that people think are corny. Like Bad Company's Can't Get Enough. Easy song, until you wanna LEARN it learn it. But once you get that groove down, you realize its in 50 million other songs, same pattern, same movement, same little fretboard squares.

 

[Orange Rhymer]

Changing gears. My progress is depressing me....

Finding Gear Online: Near Homeless Edition.
Internet Sites with deals:

Reverb: Good. FUCKING. Luck. The site is choked with honorary Hebrews (e.g. Trogly). Every piece of verified valuable gear (custom LPs, etc) has been flipped 20x before you click on it. Makes Mom & Pop shops seem reasonable. Enjoy paying an extra $200 for an asshole to wrap a 1960s LP in pizza boxes and gaff.
Any 'Gibson' that is sub $1000 is either: 1) Chibson, 2) Outright fraud (no guitar for u), 3) A husk, or 4) stripped and replaced with epi parts.
The Official Gibson site is a joke. Who the fuck thinks a $2000 scratch-and-dent will appreciate 20%+ ? Also, all Official Gibsons in their Reverb shop are stamped 'Demo', instantly tanking the resale value.

Ebay: Same as above, except the prices are slightly lower. Also, there aren't any Gibsons there. Hope you speak Mandarin.

Craig's List: Enjoy your robbery and/or rape. The pictures are put there to give you something to think about while you are unconscious.

Guitar Center Online: The lazy HS kids that run their site NEVER upload decent photos. You can get free store-to-store delivery to your local. Order 20 guitars to your local, pick them up, return 19 buy 1. Also, buy the 'insurance' only if you are going to use it. Scam the scammers. Worked for me. I got a new $800 guitar, b/c I bought the insurance for $20 extra. I KNEW the guitar was busted, and the clerk fucked up on the invoice (sold it new, not AS-IS). Do it before they go BK for good (2022).

Facebook Marketplace: I saved the best for last (no sarc). I have actually found DECENT (not great) deals here. Fair prices, few frauds. However, you need to meatspace with your Happy Merchant. This gives you the ability to actually touch/strum/feel your hardware before you buy. Bring a cord and a micro-amp, make sure the electronics work, and the pots aren't scratchy. The boomers on FB Marketplace can't be arsed to correctly value their gear. The gear is either 1) Their kids', (which they value at purchase price -50%, or 2) Their own (valued at purchase price). Anything not in those two categories is just stolen gear. You will also find TONS of First Act promo guitars signed by the shittiest bands on the planet (good for lols). These merchants are hungrier and kinda desperate for cash. All sales will be cash, no checks, no BTC, rarely paypal F&F.
Crazy deals and ultra rares ARE spotted in these waters. However, THESE PEOPLE WON'T/CAN'T SHIP. Expect poor/no maintenance, dry fingerboards, water damage, and possible (lack of) humidity cracks.

 

[Billy_Sama]

Changing gears. My progress is depressing me....

Finding Gear Online: Near Homeless Edition.
Internet Sites with deals:

Reverb: Good. FUCKING. Luck. The site is choked with honorary Hebrews (e.g. Trogly). Every piece of verified valuable gear (custom LPs, etc) has been flipped 20x before you click on it. Makes Mom & Pop shops seem reasonable. Enjoy paying an extra $200 for an asshole to wrap a 1960s LP in pizza boxes and gaff.
Any 'Gibson' that is sub $1000 is either: 1) Chibson, 2) Outright fraud (no guitar for u), 3) A husk, or 4) stripped and replaced with epi parts.
The Official Gibson site is a joke. Who the fuck thinks a $2000 scratch-and-dent will appreciate 20%+ ? Also, all Official Gibsons in their Reverb shop are stamped 'Demo', instantly tanking the resale value.

Ebay: Same as above, except the prices are slightly lower. Also, there aren't any Gibsons there. Hope you speak Mandarin.

Craig's List: Enjoy your robbery and/or rape. The pictures are put there to give you something to think about while you are unconscious.

Guitar Center Online: The lazy HS kids that run their site NEVER upload decent photos. You can get free store-to-store delivery to your local. Order 20 guitars to your local, pick them up, return 19 buy 1. Also, buy the 'insurance' only if you are going to use it. Scam the scammers. Worked for me. I got a new $800 guitar, b/c I bought the insurance for $20 extra. I KNEW the guitar was busted, and the clerk fucked up on the invoice (sold it new, not AS-IS). Do it before they go BK for good (2022).

Facebook Marketplace: I saved the best for last (no sarc). I have actually found DECENT (not great) deals here. Fair prices, few frauds. However, you need to meatspace with your Happy Merchant. This gives you the ability to actually touch/strum/feel your hardware before you buy. Bring a cord and a micro-amp, make sure the electronics work, and the pots aren't scratchy. The boomers on FB Marketplace can't be arsed to correctly value their gear. The gear is either 1) Their kids', (which the value at purchase price -50%, or 2) Their own (valued at purchase price). Anything not in those two categories is just stolen gear. You will also find TONS of First Act promo guitars signed by the shittiest bands on the planet (good for lols). These merchants are hungrier and kinda desperate for cash. All sales will be cash, no checks, no BTC, rarely paypal F&F.
Crazy deals and ultra rares ARE spotted in these waters. However, THESE PEOPLE WON'T/CAN'T SHIP. Expect poor/no maintenance, dry fingerboards, water damage, and possible (lack of) humidity cracks.

I am waiting till next year till guitar prices go down. I did manage to get a good deal on a guitar on reverb a month ago but it was a rare under the radar thing. I am hoping the pawn shops get their supply back as I miss getting effect pedals in bulk

 

[Orange Rhymer]

Rando Question:
What happened to the 'Warrior-Poet' guitarist?
Every halfway decent artist out there now falls CLEARLY into the 'poet' category. I can tell Jack White, Bruce Springsteen, and Neil Fallon (clutch) have worked some shitty jobs and paid some heavy dues. But Joe Trohman (Fallout Boy lead guitar), yeah, NO.
Seems like a dying demographic.
your thoughts?

 

[Stilgar of Troon]

Rando Question:
What happened to the 'Warrior-Poet' guitarist?
Every halfway decent artist out there now falls CLEARLY into the 'poet' category. I can tell Jack White, Bruce Springsteen, and Neil Fallon (clutch) have worked some shitty jobs and paid some heavy dues. But Joe Trohman (Fallout Boy lead guitar), yeah, NO.
Seems like a dying demographic.
your thoughts?

Like almost every niche/trend in music/artists, it's somewhat shifting; currently it seems like the journeyman songwriters are somewhat waning, but it will inevitably wax again in due course. At least part of it is that the world that these artists are living in as they have their formative experiences is different than the one that those who came before them experienced. As the world changes, so will the art produced by the artists influenced by living in it.

 

[Orange Rhymer]

Like almost every niche/trend in music/artists, it's somewhat shifting; currently it seems like the journeyman songwriters are somewhat waning, but it will inevitably wax again in due course. At least part of it is that the world that these artists are living in as they have their formative experiences is different than the one that those who came before them experienced. As the world changes, so will the art produced by the artists influenced by living in it.

Agree. Not very hopeful for the next US generation, tbh.
Diamonds are made from pressure, not hugs. Blues are based b/c of the underlying sadness and horror. Comes through the music.
Russian and slav rock right now is p awesome. I've been getting some great tunes on youtube.
Can't understand a fucking word, and Google Translate is crappy at finding the meaning/context.

Maybe some US KF artists?
Put some music to the shitposts!

 

[Xx_Retard Faggot 1488_xX]

Changing gears. My progress is depressing me....

Finding Gear Online: Near Homeless Edition.
Internet Sites with deals:

Reverb: Good. FUCKING. Luck. The site is choked with honorary Hebrews (e.g. Trogly). Every piece of verified valuable gear (custom LPs, etc) has been flipped 20x before you click on it. Makes Mom & Pop shops seem reasonable. Enjoy paying an extra $200 for an asshole to wrap a 1960s LP in pizza boxes and gaff.
Any 'Gibson' that is sub $1000 is either: 1) Chibson, 2) Outright fraud (no guitar for u), 3) A husk, or 4) stripped and replaced with epi parts.
The Official Gibson site is a joke. Who the fuck thinks a $2000 scratch-and-dent will appreciate 20%+ ? Also, all Official Gibsons in their Reverb shop are stamped 'Demo', instantly tanking the resale value.

Ebay: Same as above, except the prices are slightly lower. Also, there aren't any Gibsons there. Hope you speak Mandarin.

Craig's List: Enjoy your robbery and/or rape. The pictures are put there to give you something to think about while you are unconscious.

Guitar Center Online: The lazy HS kids that run their site NEVER upload decent photos. You can get free store-to-store delivery to your local. Order 20 guitars to your local, pick them up, return 19 buy 1. Also, buy the 'insurance' only if you are going to use it. Scam the scammers. Worked for me. I got a new $800 guitar, b/c I bought the insurance for $20 extra. I KNEW the guitar was busted, and the clerk fucked up on the invoice (sold it new, not AS-IS). Do it before they go BK for good (2022).

Facebook Marketplace: I saved the best for last (no sarc). I have actually found DECENT (not great) deals here. Fair prices, few frauds. However, you need to meatspace with your Happy Merchant. This gives you the ability to actually touch/strum/feel your hardware before you buy. Bring a cord and a micro-amp, make sure the electronics work, and the pots aren't scratchy. The boomers on FB Marketplace can't be arsed to correctly value their gear. The gear is either 1) Their kids', (which they value at purchase price -50%, or 2) Their own (valued at purchase price). Anything not in those two categories is just stolen gear. You will also find TONS of First Act promo guitars signed by the shittiest bands on the planet (good for lols). These merchants are hungrier and kinda desperate for cash. All sales will be cash, no checks, no BTC, rarely paypal F&F.
Crazy deals and ultra rares ARE spotted in these waters. However, THESE PEOPLE WON'T/CAN'T SHIP. Expect poor/no maintenance, dry fingerboards, water damage, and possible (lack of) humidity cracks.

I got a nice American made peavey bandit from FB marketplace, the downside being I had to make a facebook account to get it. Just some dude who was petrified of covid enough to stop gigging with it but not scared enough to have me swing by and buy it.

Rando Question:
What happened to the 'Warrior-Poet' guitarist?
Every halfway decent artist out there now falls CLEARLY into the 'poet' category. I can tell Jack White, Bruce Springsteen, and Neil Fallon (clutch) have worked some shitty jobs and paid some heavy dues. But Joe Trohman (Fallout Boy lead guitar), yeah, NO.
Seems like a dying demographic.
your thoughts?

As with all jobs, music is becoming specified. Room for error and job switching is going right out the window along-side blue collar work in general, now the people who you will get are those who went to their fancy college and don't know the difference between a phillips and a flathead. That said, if you want a nice acoustic player who had a glimpse of traction with some grit, Matt Maeson was living out of a car for a while trying to live off playing guitar. He has talked about how he was just getting by and shit, and he's pretty good for a modern acoustic 1-piece.

 

[Stasi]

So I ended up getting Rocksmith after a few people in the thread talked about it. I really like it. Was only going to set it up but ended up playing the stupid zombie power chord game for almost 2 hours.

Any recommended sites/resources for adding custom tracks/DLC? I got a legit CD copy with the cable so not sure how to go about adding more stuff. I'll do some researching later tinight but if anyone has suggestions that would be much appreciated.

 

[Orange Rhymer]

So I ended up getting Rocksmith after a few people in the thread talked about it. I really like it. Was only going to set it up but ended up playing the stupid zombie power chord game for almost 2 hours.

Any recommended sites/resources for adding custom tracks/DLC? I got a legit CD copy with the cable so not sure how to go about adding more stuff. I'll do some researching later tinight but if anyone has suggestions that would be much appreciated.

You need to follow the white rabbit.
Like I said before, you are here. So, already you have more than the skill set required to get it all.
You will HAVE to purchase Smashing Pumpkins "Cherub Rock" to unlock custom DLC. Not kidding.
Why? Because that was the first DLC to expand the RS library - Custom DLC creators started with it as well.
Go to CustomForge first.
Custom DLC is fine and legal with Rocksmith. Ubisoft killed 2 prior Custom DLC platforms for 'piracy'.
This time, Ubi said that they won't fuck with it as long as they don't link their DLC.
(their DLC is still out there. Everywhere.)
Understand that custom DLC creators usually don't do Dynamic - most CDLC songs will be at 100% right out of the gate.

The best way to use Rocksmith for song learning:
-Don't use the dynamic system (unless you are REALLY fresh, then maybe). It will give you a false sense of accomplishment. Then, when the song ratchets up, you will feel like shit.
-Try to set the song at 100% (in Riff Repeater), but SLOW it down until you can play. THEN, start ramping up the speed.
-Use Session Mode. It is SOOOO under-rated.

Recap: Everything listed here is 100% LEGAL.
1) Purchase Smashing Pumpkins "Cherub Rock" and install.
2) Go to Customforge, make an account. Follow instructions for CDLC.
3) Try to learn at 100%, but slow speed to eventual full bpm.
4) Use session mode. Everything from an AI band to simple drum tracks/metronome are there.
5) The virtual pedal board is p dope too.

(P.S. be EXTREMELY CAREFUL of learning BAD HABITS. e.g. - no pinky usage, keeping poor time with strumming hand, faking chords, etc...)

 

[Billy_Sama]

Anyone had that piece of gear that you were always interested in but you tried it and didn't feel like it was for you? A place I went to had a Rickenbacker 330 that I never had the chance to play one before. Since they had high demand and limited production, I was always tempted in seeing how they feel and sounded. It had a good sound but I felt like I rather play a strat or a es 335 or casino. I still loved the construction and history but I felt the guitar wasn't for me.

 

[Orange Rhymer]

Anyone had that piece of gear that you were always interested in but you tried it and didn't feel like it was for you? A place I went to had a Rickenbacker 330 that I never had the chance to play one before. Since they had high demand and limited production, I was always tempted in seeing how they feel and sounded. It had a good sound but I felt like I rather play a strat or a es 335 or casino. I still loved the construction and history but I felt the guitar wasn't for me.

Agreed. I never got into Rickenbackers. However, a 360-12 would be my choice, if I ever got horny for 12-strings.

Anyways - A couple retailers (specifically Casino Guitars) are alerting customers to _Record Numbers of New-Guitar Quality Issues_.
Mismanagement of Covid edicts, combined with the least mechanically-capable generations ever spawned, has resulted in chaos. Both Fender and Gibson are reporting 9+ month delays for warranty repairs/replacements. Un-godly delays for custom shop orders.
This explains the market-inverse in recent history.
When you look at gear - bring tools. Any issues you have are going to stay with you, unless you want to wait a year.
USA guitars are back to 1970s level of quality, baby!

Feel Good Video tax. Self explanatory.