Matt from Arizona


mattpcollins
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Joined: 07/08/20
Posts: 23
mattpcollins
Full Access
Joined: 07/08/20
Posts: 23
09/22/2020 2:53 am

Hey you all

My name is Matt, I joined this site a few weeks ago. I've been at the guitar now for about a year and a half, but I'm still in the beginner phase. I took some lessons locally for about 5 months. He was a good teacher who graduated from the Guitar Institute in Los Angeles. But then he couldn't teach ouf his house anymore, and then along came the big flu anyway.

So this Guitar Tricks is perfect right now. I'm unemployed right now so I have plenty of time to work through the lessons and practice. It's almost as good as private lessons and way more convenient and affordable. I started at the beginning with Lisa McCormick's lessons. But I can't wait to get into the rock lessons, and of course the cover songs.

My equipment:

Lately I've been practicing on my cheap Chinese made Ibanez Gio. But my real gem is this Mexican made Jackson Dinky Superstrat. It has an alder body, Seymore Duncan pickups, and a Floyd Rose locking tremolo system. The color is spectaular, they call it Rocket Red, it's like a neon reddish orange, with a high gloss urethane finish. It's normally a $900 guitar but I scored it on clearance at Sam Ash for $599! Of course I had to get a nice case for it. I know the guitar is a little high end for my level, but I'll grow into it. I plan on utilizing that Floyd Rose, as I love 80s era "glam" metal. Lots of 2 handed tapping too.

I've been practicing through a little Line 6 Pocket Pod and cheap headphones. But I'll get a little practice amp eventually, maybe that Yamaha THR10X.

I live in Phoenix, AZ. Once I get a little better I want to find some friends to jam with. Maybe I'll meet them on this board even. I'm 46 but I don't look it, I don't have any kids or too much responsibility. I just want to to learn to shred on my guitar, that's my main goal in life right now.


# 1
faith83
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Joined: 04/23/20
Posts: 416
faith83
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Joined: 04/23/20
Posts: 416
09/23/2020 12:17 am

Welcome, Matt! This is a good place with lots and lots of support in the forum. You will learn here if you stick with it!


"I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk."

# 2
kensosborne
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Joined: 08/28/20
Posts: 1
kensosborne
Registered User
Joined: 08/28/20
Posts: 1
09/23/2020 2:03 am

Hey Matt. I'm close to Phoenix (Surprise) and new to this site as well. I've been playing acoustic for just over a year and I'm still feel pretty new too. Took some lessons at guitar center, then they changed the format to zoom and it didnt seem like it was worth it. I plan to play eletric at some point but I'm really enjoying acoustic right now.

-Ken


# 3
Carl King
GuitarTricks Video Director
Joined: 10/08/07
Posts: 466
Carl King
GuitarTricks Video Director
Joined: 10/08/07
Posts: 466
09/23/2020 4:16 pm

Welcome to the site Matt!

Glad to hear someone else is into what you call 80s era glam metal. Big fan of Warrant and Winger here. A sucker for old hair metal power ballads.

That guitar looks awesome.

-Carl.


Carl King[br]GuitarTricks Video Director / Producer

# 4
mattpcollins
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Joined: 07/08/20
Posts: 23
mattpcollins
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Joined: 07/08/20
Posts: 23
09/23/2020 10:19 pm
Originally Posted by: faith83

Welcome, Matt! This is a good place with lots and lots of support in the forum. You will learn here if you stick with it!

[/quote]

Thanks Faith. In retrospect I wish I had picked up the guitar say, no later than my early twenties. When I was a kid I'd set up pots and pans as a drum set. Then I'd tape a penny to the soles of my loafers so a could tap the pans with my feet too. Heck I'd even put on my red blazer (I think I saw the band Rush wearing some tacky red jackets in the mid 80's LOL).

My 20's and 30's were mostly spent trying to get a career in computers and programming. I figured I'd make alot of money and could by my happiness. And I was lucky enough to have a few jobs doing that, even without a bachelor's degree.

Then a couple years ago I just lost my interest in eveything in life. Depression? Mid-life crisis maybe? I don't know but the guitar popped into my brain, and I knew I had to learn it. I had a dream one night a couple years ago, where I was going up and down a fretboard, with all these beautiful fluttery sounds coming out, like a harp almost. What I was dreaming about, was me shredding and legato!

Originally Posted by: kensosborne

Hey Matt. I'm close to Phoenix (Surprise) and new to this site as well. I've been playing acoustic for just over a year and I'm still feel pretty new too. Took some lessons at guitar center, then they changed the format to zoom and it didnt seem like it was worth it. I plan to play eletric at some point but I'm really enjoying acoustic right now.

[br]-Ken

Hey Ken, I'm actually not too far from you in Sun City. OK it's my mom's house but I pay her rent. Maybe we can collaborate some time.

[quote=Carl King]

Welcome to the site Matt!

[br]Glad to hear someone else is into what you call 80s era glam metal. Big fan of Warrant and Winger here. A sucker for old hair metal power ballads.

[br]That guitar looks awesome.

[br]-Carl.

Thanks Ken! Oh yeah, I love Winger and Warrant too. I don't like using the term "hair metal", it's kind of a demeaning term. But to me that 80's pop metal was the pinnacle of hard rock achievement. For years though I frowned upon that music as lame bubble gum rock for girls. I listened to Pantera (got beat up in the bathroom at one of their concerts but that's another story). But then I discovered Steel Panther a couple years ago and realized I had it all wrong. These guys are alpha males on stage, but they can still look "pretty" and shine. That Satchel is probably my favorite guitarist. The guy has the complete package, I wish I was him.


# 5
DavesGuitarJourney
Registered User
Joined: 02/23/20
Posts: 323
DavesGuitarJourney
Registered User
Joined: 02/23/20
Posts: 323
09/24/2020 1:31 am

Hi Matt,

Thanks for sharing some of your story with us. You have any family pictures or videos of yourself as a kid banging those pots and pans? That would be pretty neat. Did it drive your folks crazy?[br][br]

It really does seem like a lot of us are taking up guitar to find something creative to fill some kind of hole we start to feel as we get into midlife and in a lot of cases retirement. [br][br]

Good luck learning to play that Jackson. Sure is a cool looking axe![br][br]

Dave...


It takes as long as it takes unless you quit - then it takes forever and you will never get there.

# 6
Sasha-B
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Joined: 08/10/18
Posts: 115
Sasha-B
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Joined: 08/10/18
Posts: 115
09/29/2020 9:29 pm

welcome, Matt! Love your guitar, and it's great that you got one you love! It means you'll play more.


2021 Iris CH

2021 G&L ASAT Classic Tribute

# 7

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