The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    I am a begginer for electric guitars. I have a bit of experience with the normal ones but i am very new to electric ones. Any advice or suggestions before i start?

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    There is no normal guitar, and very few normal people play the guitar.

    Electric guitars are a neck with one, two or three pickups. If you don't like the pickups, you can change them. Same goes for the neck. As for the bodies, they are either hollow, semi hollow, or solid - just like guitarists themselves!

  4. #3

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    There have been rumors of drummers spontaneously combusting on stage but electric guitars are generally known to be safe to use.
    It's hard to give a more specific advice without more details as to what you want to know.

  5. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
    very few normal people play the guitar.

    As for the bodies, they are either hollow, semi hollow, or solid - just like guitarists themselves!
    LOL! Pity that there is no adequate smilie for that!

  6. #5

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    I would start going to every music store I could find and just start playing every electric guitar I could get my hands on.

    There are so many different types of electric guitars out there that it would be impossible to make a recommendation.

    In the end it's all up to you and what you decide you like the best - no one can ever tell you that!

  7. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
    There is no normal guitar, and very few normal people play the guitar.

    Indeed.

    To the OP, I jumped back into the electric world after a 45 year journey with acoustics (a.k.a. "normal" guitars). I feel I received great advice when told to "buy a Tele". With the right strings and setup, I think you can play just about any kind of music on a Telecaster.

  8. #7

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    There are also guitars with no body at all!

  9. #8

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    Oh btw. If you haven't bought one yet, very often certain types of guitars tend to have similar/comparable sound. So browse through some hundreds of demo vids and you'll probably end up liking one type just a wee bit more than all the others.. Soundwise I mean.
    If not, being confused and getting a random one is a good place to start also

  10. #9

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    Buy the best one you can afford .

    Don't ever think about it again .

    Obssession over gear is a rabbit hole down which some musicians disappear forever . ( When I say "gear" I mean musical equipment not heroin although I suppose that's true as well )

  11. #10

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    make shure the neck of a electric is seated/Bolted on securely. check out the tuners are they screwed on to the back of the head stock or are they the type that dont screw on that way. the type that screw on are less likely to slip. when pluged in be shure the plug dosent move around in the socket. also when pluged in and amp is on turn it way up and move the tone knob listen for static when doing it. same with volume,Same with any switches. they should not make noise by them selves. you might here some Hum when turning the volume up but it shouldn't be very loud. for a beginer stay away from tremelo. they are not easy to adjust and can make the strings go out of tune easy. the other stuff like neck relief and action hight you probly know so I pointed out the biggest factors between the two types electric or Acoustic Guitars.

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven Herron
    I would start going to every music store I could find and just start playing every electric guitar I could get my hands on.
    Try them all ... then buy a Tele

  13. #12

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    Having no knowledge of any details about the OP or what is needed, I will intrepidly offer the following advice.

    Buy a Yamaha Pacifica. Even the cheapest one is a pretty good guitar. They make a Strat copy (which I gigged with for several years) and a Tele copy, which I've never seen, but, reportedly, exists.

  14. #13

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    Hello Jack!

    There's a huge variety of neck shapes (profiles) in the electric guitar world. Some of us adapt to a variety of shapes (thin if measured from fretboard to back of neck, or medium, or thick, and widths vary, too). Some are compared with the thicker part of a baseball bat in decriptions from users.

    If possible, give yourself a chance to find a comfortable neck fit before buying several that are destined to sit in the corner without much use. My smaller profile ones are Stratocaster (thinish C), and my SG, Tele, and semi-hollow are a larger D profile. Part of the challenge is that a particular model such by Fender, or Gibson may be available in smaller or larger-feeling profiles. Be sure to include some Telecasters during your search.
    Last edited by Namelyguitar; 02-02-2019 at 01:02 PM.

  15. #14

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    The only thing I can add to the chuff is, buy a Squire Tele, or a Tele if you can afford it. Other than that, yup, get a normal electric.

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pycroft
    Buy the best one you can afford .

    Don't ever think about it again .

    Obssession over gear is a rabbit hole down which some musicians disappear forever . ( When I say "gear" I mean musical equipment not heroin although I suppose that's true as well )
    I would add “Buy the best one you can afford THAT FEELS RIGHT WHEN YOU PLAY IT.”

    Which acoustic are you playing? Are you wanting something close to that scale and neck feel? Because that could narrow your choices.

  17. #16

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    My advice to the OP is to buy as many electic guitars as you can. Play them often, and when GAS sets in again simply buy more guitars.

  18. #17

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    I'd recommend focusing on the music, not the instrument. Few will listen to that. Certainly I didn't.

    I took lessons as a kid from a couple of accomplished jazz players. Neither of them even commented on my guitar or strings. They felt that the guitar rarely was what needed attention. Mostly it was my left hand.

    The advice I have is to get a decent sounding and playing guitar, perhaps a used G&L Tribute or a MIM Fender or some other guitar that you won't cry about if it gets dinged. Being from Kalamazoo, a cheap Melody Maker would have been appropriate. Have it set up pretty well with lighter strings, maybe 10s. Practice with a routine, like 5 minutes warm up, old material, then new material. Do this daily if possible.

    When you start gigging, evaluate whether you need a different guitar. There's a good chance you won't.

    Guitar owning and collecting is a completely different sport than playing. It has much more to do with want than need.


    electric guitars-melody-maker-jpg
    Last edited by Marty Grass; 02-08-2019 at 02:28 PM.

  19. #18

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    For a few years my electric guitar was a "regular" acoustic flat top with a soundhole pickup. It was surprisingly effective, and mostly played through a regular guitar amp. This was a very personal learning moment for defining "electric" guitar. I still do this on occasion, it's a usable alternative.


    Gabor Szabo performed and recorded a lot of great stuff with the same style rig.




  20. #19

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    I still have one of those DeArmond soundhole pickups lying around somewhere. I've been meaning to install it in a flattop but I just haven't been able to raise enough ambition. It's a good pickup, but I'm happy enough with my archtops. Maybe someday...