electric guitar and amp, poor tone

[QUOTE] I've tried to adjust the tone controls but am still not happy.


Brendan,

Try this "Finding the amps sweet spot"

First set up your amp to get the sound you would normally use at the volume you want to play at. Next turn all the EQ controls (bass, middle, treble and presence if fitted) to 0. Turn the guitar volume up and select the neck pickup. Play an E chord at the bottom of the neck concentrating on low E and A strings. Now sweep the Bass tone control from 0 to 10 and back a few times. You should hear a point somewhere between these two points where there seems to be a thump in the tone where the bass really kicks in. Reduce the sweep to home in on this point and that will be the 'sweet spot' for the bass control. Now select the middle pickup. Play an A chord at the bottom of the neck concentrating on the D and G strings. Sweep the Middle control the same way as you did for the Bass and again home in on the thump. For the Treble control select the bridge pickup, play a D chord concentrating on the B and top E strings, and repeat thye procedure. Now you should have the amp giving you the best overall tonal response across all the strings and in all pickup positions without over cooking the freqencies. If your amp has a presence control now is the time to adjust it.
I'm not familiar with your amp model but I have found this to work well on other makes, Fender etc.

Good luck.

Have you tried standing on a mana sound base?

Bob

ARC,
Unfortunately, like alot of things out there, you have to spend a bit of money to get a good sound. Like hi-fi, I would start with the source first and get yourself a good guitar. There is no subsitute for a good slab of lumber. Start saving and be patient. Think about the guitar players out there whose sound you really like, research what guitars they use/used, and shoot towards that. I started with some Bentley les paul rip off that had a bolt on neck.

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This is hardly a Marshall to be reckoned with. Buy something better and learn to play at real levels.

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Excellent!

Good constructive advice.

That's what the Forum is all about.

You don't have to buy a megabuck guitar and amp to get good sound. Yamahas are perfectly good and practice amps are a helluva lot better than they used to be.

That said, your amp could be faulty. The 'deep hum' you describe could be a problem with the speaker cone (which would be borne out by the fact that it happens at low frequency). Try the Yamaha through a different amp to see.

Tim

"I've tried to adjust the tone controls but am still not happy"

I'm sorry it is a lost cause. No guitarist that has ever existed has ever been happy with his tone for more than a day.

Thnaks for the replies. I will try and find my amps sweet spot. However, if that does not help I may invest in a different guitar. Bearing in mind if I had the capability I would choose to play like Dave Gilmour or Eric Clapton so I guess the Fender route would seem appropriate.

One problem is I find the range of new and used Fenders confusing to say the least. I'm quite happy to purchase new or second hand but with a £600 limit for a guitar where should I start. I understand that it must be try before you buy but I can't help thinking that if I plump for used from ebay I could get more guitar for my money. There's a lovely red 80's fender on there at the moment.

Any advice.

Brendan

Brendan -

You do not need an expensive instrument to be a good or even great musician. Clapton and Gilmour sound like Clapton and Gilmour whatever they play.

I have a mate who is a totally useless guitarist. He tries to make up for this every few months by buying a new and invariably expensive guitar. This does not make him a better guitarist.

Tim

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You do not need an expensive instrument to be a good or even great musician

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Absolutely true. I'm sure some of the old bluesman used what would be considered junky guitars. I have 2 Les Pauls and I sure as hell don't play like Jimmy Page.

ARC,
Here is a good link for guitars.

One thing about a good instrument, is it makes you want to play it more. The more you play, hopefully, the more competent you become.

Try looking for a secondhand American Fender Strat, it is a lot better than the Pacifica.

Even better use your £600 to by a Cornford Harlequin Amp, only 6 watts but better sounding than any Fender or Marshall amp i've heard.

I use a Cornford Hurricane and it outperforms anything i've heard from the bigger names.

Sounds the business with Fender Strats, Teles, Gibson Les Pauls and Patrick Eggle Guitars

after some thought I've decided to stick to the Pacifica for a while. Graham's advice of purchasing a new guitar or amp at certain playing milestones is an excellent idea. On that basis I'm still very much at Pacifica standard.

Does anyone have any tips for re-stringing a guitar and in particular winding the srtings onto the tuning keys. I've just had my first attempt and it looks a right dogs dinner.

Oh and whats the difference between a fat start and standard strat is it the neck profile?

Brendan

ARC,

I have been putting strings on guitars for 20 years and it is still a pain in the butt for me. I can do it right and make it look good, but I sure don't enjoy it even with one of those cheap but nifty string winders. Practice is the key to it I would reckon.

IMHO, a proper strat can't be beat. They only have new variations because they have to put something in the brochure, but they got it right in 1959. For £600 you would have a very good choice, but get a USA made one. I have a brilliant strat that I bought new in 1977, and it just can't be bettered. I also have a 62 reissue and a Les Paul 60 Reissue, but its my black strat that just fits like a fave pair of jeans. Get one now and then that's it - your guitar - sorted.
(Just bought my son a 1992 Gibson '62 SG reissue with PAF's and nickel hardware. He's only 16 months old, but its there ready for him )

Yeah..sure..there are plenty of guitars out there. I just feel that its worth getting a top guitar from the outset, Gibson - Fender - PRS, whatever. There are some bad ones out there that can make it very hard work for a beginner.

I think thatthere is some merit in buying a good guitar early on so as not to be put off learning due to having a poor guitar. I also agree that experience is needed to be able to purchase an instrument that you will enjoy. Perhaps a logical approach would be to purchase a secondhand Squire Strat and an Epiphone Les Paul early on in you playing career and see which sound and style of guitar you gravitate to.

Brendan

Clearly, anyone posting on this forum is somewhat of a connoisseur/lover of good sound quality. Be consistent with the music you make and the music you listen to. If you want that really nice genuine fat and sweet electric guitar/amp combination sound then consider buying a Fender tube amp such as the TWIN or TWIN-REVERB and a U.S. made Strat. You won't be dissapointed and it'll all cost way less than a pair of hi-caps. You'll end up playing with your guitar and amp more than listening to your HiFi. Really.