Just got a Pacifica 112

Riiya · 6 May 2008 at 14:30

I found a Musical Instrument store in my town - quite big actually, suprised I never noticed it before - and bought a Pacifica 112. I was hoping to get it in a pack but the only pack they had was the Fender Squier and I really didn't like the colour set. The Pacifica I bought has a natural finish which I like.

Anyway. I'm heading back into town in a second to grab an Amp and whatever else I need to get started.

Can anyone recommend what I need to buy? I don't wanna come home finding out I forgot to get something

Regards!

Also, someone recommend a good website for beginners (I have NEVER played a musical instrument but intend to learn over the summer before Uni starts again), whilst your here. Yes, I know there are numerous threads but I would like fresh ideas!

Bri.

Dave · 6 May 2008 at 14:56

How much are you looking to spend? The Roland Cube amps are great little amps, although something like a Line 6 Spider II amp is great too.

I'm afraid I can't make a personal recommendation as I plug my guitar into my Line 6 pod then straight into the PC, the pod models the amp for me!

Riiya · 6 May 2008 at 15:01

Well for now I was thinking maybe upto £60 as I will only be using it with headphones for the time being. Until I go back to University I will not have much time during the day where I can play without them - neighbours and parents will likely moan

helmet · 6 May 2008 at 15:04

Second vote for the Line6 Spider range.

Get a decent lead and picks of widths, 0.50 - 1.0.
Get a tuner too, one with a metronome built in.
A strap also.

Riiya · 6 May 2008 at 15:41

Cheers I'm gonna go head back into town then. Glad you reminded me about the Tuner

Hey. I also need to ask about the guitar itself. I'm a complete newb and there was no real useful manual for the guitar itself. There is this screw on bar thing - whammy i think? - and it doesnt really tell you anything about it lol. Its just in the box atm..... heh I'm an idiot

Yeah so erm... anyone recommend how the hell I 'begin'

?

Info:
I have no musical knowledge
I do not know how to read music (do you have to?)

laters.

Maccy · 6 May 2008 at 16:13

Yeh its a whammy bar - should just screw in as it's a Pacifica.

Should pick up a beginners book and learn tab notation, or go onto a tab website and learn some basic chords.

helmet · 6 May 2008 at 16:32

http://www.fretplay.com/how-to-read-tabs.php

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/lessons/

Riiya · 6 May 2008 at 16:57

Thanks people. You have been really helpful so far

Well, as an update I got a:

Line6 MicroSpider AMP. Cost 70 quid so I've probably been ripped off but it seems to look ok. I think its only 6Wat but it's just for a tiny room for practice anyway.

http://line6.com/microspider/

Bought it from town so I'm gonna mess with it now lol.

Gatsby · 6 May 2008 at 17:02

I've found this site to be really useful for teaching yourself guitar, especially the video tabs: http://www.guitarscholar.co.uk/

Riiya · 6 May 2008 at 17:08

Gatsby said:
I've found this site to be really useful for teaching yourself guitar, especially the video tabs: http://www.guitarscholar.co.uk/

Ah this one looks good. Nice and organised in the beginners section

I guess i'll read the sections concerning the anatomy of the guitar etc first

Gotta start somewhere!

WillSpengler · 6 May 2008 at 17:27

I'd up the budget on the amp just a little and get one of these:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_ga5.htm

Either that or buy one used on ebay.

Riiya · 6 May 2008 at 17:32

WillSpengler said:
I'd up the budget on the amp just a little and get one of these:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_ga5.htm

Either that or buy one used on ebay.

Too late I already have the microSpider sitting in my room lol.

Another question. How tight do I screw on the whammy bar lol? Oh and you know the bridge bit that has pickups (minds a double bridge - begins with H "Edit: Humbucker" or whatever the name is for it)? It has a kind of ribbon but encircling it - looks kind of fragile - whats it for ?

Riiya · 6 May 2008 at 19:08

The E string (the thin one) doesnt seem to go directly over the first and second pickup (closest to the fret), but manages to go over the pickup on the humbucker.... weird.

WillSpengler · 6 May 2008 at 19:46

The ribbon, is it just around the sort of inside of the pickup? That is just to protect the coils. It isnt that fragile, but not something you should be poking at

Tighten it to what feels best. You can tighten it all the way on and have it rigid, or leave it a few turns short so it flops about a bit. Or you could just bin the thing because they are useless

I wouldnt worry too much about the string being misaligned. It happens, especially in cheaper instruments. But the string should still be within the magnetic field of the pickup, so you'll be fine

If the microspider works for you then it works. There are some stunning amps in the cheaper brackets (some nice 5 watt valve jobs!).

And dont worry about the power, it is enough unless you are wanting to play in a band. Even then, you guitarists get off luckily, 15-30 watts is more than enough usually, and 100 watts is for peeling paint (and its fun

).

Riiya · 6 May 2008 at 20:05

Thanks will.
Its just its hard to get the guitar to a volume level where its not TOO loud. It seems that even the lowest setting makes all the strings loud. The E string I was on about seems to only really be noticeable when the volume is loud. So all the other strings end up being OVERLY loud lol. Maybe its just me heh.

I have no idea what to set the Tone Dial on my guitar to, or what the little 5 point switch lever is for haha.

Trimbo · 6 May 2008 at 22:28

http://www.justinguitar.com/

Riiya · 7 May 2008 at 09:16

I'm a little confused.
You see, I don't like just being todl what to do - well, I do, but I also get really frustrated when i don't understand WHY I'm being told what to do.

For instance: I'm being told to play A Chords, and C Chords, and A Major or whatever, but I do not understand what exactly IS A, C chord etc. I guess this is due to me not understanding notes andm for examplem, I wouldn't be able to tell you "Oh thats a "B" if I heard one"?

Should I just ignore the fact I don't and just learn the Chords anyway?

Dave77 · 7 May 2008 at 10:12

Riiya said:
I'm a little confused.
You see, I don't like just being todl what to do - well, I do, but I also get really frustrated when i don't understand WHY I'm being told what to do.

For instance: I'm being told to play A Chords, and C Chords, and A Major or whatever, but I do not understand what exactly IS A, C chord etc. I guess this is due to me not understanding notes andm for examplem, I wouldn't be able to tell you "Oh thats a "B" if I heard one"?

Should I just ignore the fact I don't and just learn the Chords anyway?

I would just have some fun with it for the moment, if you start getting hung up on theory now then you may get bored.

Riiya · 7 May 2008 at 10:20

Okie dokes

Great news is that I found out there is a place called Venombased Studios which is like 40 minutes away from my home, and will be a 2 minute - literally - walk away from my University accommodation in Stoke-on-trent (near the train station). So I intend to go for lessons there every so often as it's only £20/hr.

Laters!
(Anyone else from Stoke?)

WillSpengler · 7 May 2008 at 10:50

Look around, you should be able to get lessons a little cheaper than that.

And if the guitar is too loud turn the volume down