I'm really into Jerry Cantrell. Which guitar is for me?!


Question: My favorite bands are Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers, but I tend to be more into playing grunge. My greatest guitar hero would have to be Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains. I love his solo work especially. I usually have my guitar drop-tuned a half step cause I'm always playing his stuff. However, I'm pretty new to the world of music, or at least playing it. I had bought a cheap guitar a few years back and never touched it until about a few weeks ago, when a friend got me into it. My mom recognized my playing and the time I spend on it, and she wants to buy me a new guitar, so I went looking and found something I really liked, but my friend said I'd be better off with humbuckers with the stuff I play, but I don't know if that's true.
Here are the guitars I was looking at:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/G...
and
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/G...
What do ya think?


Answers: My favorite bands are Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers, but I tend to be more into playing grunge. My greatest guitar hero would have to be Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains. I love his solo work especially. I usually have my guitar drop-tuned a half step cause I'm always playing his stuff. However, I'm pretty new to the world of music, or at least playing it. I had bought a cheap guitar a few years back and never touched it until about a few weeks ago, when a friend got me into it. My mom recognized my playing and the time I spend on it, and she wants to buy me a new guitar, so I went looking and found something I really liked, but my friend said I'd be better off with humbuckers with the stuff I play, but I don't know if that's true.
Here are the guitars I was looking at:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/G...
and
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/G...
What do ya think?

Well, Jerry worked with with Dean on the Soltero last year, but it's kind of pricey for a Made-In-Japan model... probably out of your price range (or mine). I guess it's pretty nice when someone can custom-build a guitar to your specs (well, you have to playing long enough to know what to ask for.. Jerry's certainly got that bit nailed).
http://deanguitars.com/summer06/soltero....

He usually (used to) plays a Gibson Les Paul, so the SG's certainly a family member.. it was originally a cost reduced and slightly modified version of the Les Paul model. There are some lower cost Les Pauls, too:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Gibson-Les-P...
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/G...

Cheaper still are the Epiphone Les Pauls, but I don't know enough about those to really recommend them, you'd have to try them out... and if you're just starting out, you won't know what you're missing.

Another option is the Variax, which is my electric:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/L...

Yeah, it looks more like a strat, but it's an electronic guitar; it's got models that sound like a variety of Gibsons.: 1958 Les Paul? Standard, 1952 Les Paul “Goldtop”, 1961 Les Paul Custom, 1956 Les Paul Junior, 1976 Firebird V, 1955 Les Paul Special... though if you're into playing some serious Metal along with the Grunge, you may not want the Variax, you can't quite palm mute right on a guitar with piezo pickups.

As for humbuckers... well, they are typically used on Les Pauls and SGs (well, since the humbucker was introduced in the late 50s), and the dual coil design influences the sound. So I'd claim yeah, you probably do want humbuckers for what you're after. The P-90s are for someone looking for a really early 50's Les Paul sound, I think.

Another thing to understand is that the sound is only in part from the guitar... the feedback, speakers, etc. are a big part of any guitarist's signature sound. Now, of course, most of us can't practice in front of huge Marshall stacks, or even necessarily play at full volume all the time. If you're getting an amplifier with this, look at something with amp and cabinet modeling and FX, like a Roland Cube X or a Line 6 Spider III. Those will get you some of the hard rock sounds available during practice.

Bottom line.. on the guitar, you really need to get to a music store and try some out, decide if this is really what you want. Ask lots of people (well, you're doing that), so you have enough information for YOU to make the decision.

As for playing, keep it up. And that means, practice every day if you can . Doesn't even matter much what you practice, at this stage, just keep your fingers moving... it'll take awhile for your brain to work it all out, for your fighters to get tough and limber (I'm still working on that last part...), etc.

And hey, new Alice in Chains album coming next year... I hope the new singer can do right by them, but at least the guitar work is a guaranteed good time (I think we'll be hearing that new Dean).

that is what is meant by choice you choose the guitar you feel comfortable with hold it play it feel it does it feel part of you if so then that is the guitar you need you know what style of music you want so you must decide if it is lead/bass or acoustic good luck hope it has made a little sense to you Dave



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