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ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,368
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,368
03/21/2020 3:09 pm

Hey & welcome to GT!

Originally Posted by: KLZ39I have a cheap electric guitar for almost a year but just recently join this site (the YT method doesn't work lol)[/quote]

What kind of guitar do you have? Depending on the guitar & pickups you might need to dial in a distorted tone a certain way.

What is your skill level? I'm going to assume you are a beginner for this reply. Please let me know if you're not!

Originally Posted by: KLZ39Mostly when i take leasons here or practice myself i use the guitar "Unplugged" as a kinda quiet acustic one. I feel I've advance a lot just with the fundamental lessons but as soon i connect the MiniAmp every progress seems to vanish into a mess of noises[/quote]

Learning to play with distortion (gain, overdrive, etc.) is a skill that requires practice completely separate from learning the basics.

[br]Answering specific questions.

Originally Posted by: KLZ39¿should i try to used it with distorion everytime?[/quote]

No. When you are a beginner you need to focus on the basics of fretting notes, strumming chords, playing single note lines, etc. And you need a clean, clear tone to hear if you are getting all these skills & ideas right.

After you learn the basics, then it's time to work on the separate skill of playing chords, riffs & lines that work well with distortion. And learning how to palm mute, keep things under control with an overdriven tone. It's a skill all it's own.

[quote=KLZ39]¿its ok to learn the basics unplugged?

To a degree, yes. If you need to be quiet in your house, then it's okay to practice unplugged. But it helps to have some time playing plugged in. After all it's an electric guitar! It's designed to be amplified!

That doesn't mean it has to be loud. :) The ideal practice tone for a beginner is a very clean tone with no effects at just enough volume to hear if you are playing with solid technique.

[quote=KLZ39]¿do i need a better gear?

manXcat gave you some good advice & options for gear. That little VOX isn't exactly the best possible option for getting a good overdriven tone. :) But before you go shopping for new gear get a clear idea of what you are trying to accomplish.

Are you just working through the Guitar Fundamentals courses, learning beginner skills & simply need to turn off the distortion & play with a clean tone?

What kind of music do you want to play? What styles? Is it possible to get the tone you desire with your guitar? What kind of features would you need in a guitar & amp?

[quote=KLZ39]Any advice is really helpful, its really discouraging to see that everything i learn means nothing at the moment i plug it in

I think might be mostly a product of trying to use the absolute worst possible tone (distortion) before you know how to control it & use it, and while you are playing beginner material.


Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

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