# I have no idea what I'm doing, but . . .



## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

I have just started down the long road of learning how to play guitar. Played Drums for about 10 years, been screaming lead vocals for about 20 years, but this is my first kick at a "musical" instrument. I tried learning on "junk" once or twice in the past, and it did absolutely nothing to motivate me whatsoever.

I decided to throw caution to the wind, and bought some serious gear. I am now highly motivated because:
1. This rig sounds, very, VERY good.
2. I sank a small fortune into it already lol

Roccaforte HG100 with effect loop
Bogner Custom OS 212

Using an OCD pedal and DD7
While I kept the budget down on the two guitars, I made sure I bought something that was still of relative quality:

2001 Gibson SG Special - Gloss Ebony
1996 Gibson Studio Les Paul Gem - Amethyst

I was a little concerned about the P-90's in the LP, but it sounds huge through this rig. 
My band will soon be a two Roccaforte band (I guess that depends on your definition of soon . . . lol)

So, I guess my question is this: Is the gear far too "serious" for someone just starting out? I've had a few friends who have said that I should never have spent the kind of money I did until I found out whether I really want to play or not. I know I DO want to play, I know I'm capable of playing (eventually) but they seem pretty adamant that it was far too early to spend this kind of money. Should I have just bought some 112 or 212 solid state combo or something like that to start?


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

welcome to the guitar club fellow edmontonion! that's quite a rig you run there.


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

Thank you for the welcoming message blam, it's greatly appreciated


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Yes, welcome. Indeed, cool rig.

Well, you already have a musical background and the desire to play.
It's not like you're starting from scratch and not sure that you could grasp it at all.
So, why not have some nice gear to play on.
It should inspire you to want to play more on a rig that sounds great and a guitar that is stable.
As long as nobody goes without because of the purchases, I don't see a problem with it at all.

Congrats on the nice gear.


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

Thanks sulphur. I tried explaining that to my friends as well. I thought I would come here and hope to find some people that would possibly see it the way I did


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Are these friends players themselves? I'm assuming that they aren't. 

The problem here is that we're all gearhounds, to some degree or another.
So, I doubt that there'd be much hassle here about having some sweet goodies to play.
Kind of like an AA meeting in a bar. 

Any pics btw?


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

I'll post some up soon. I've got a few pics of everything but the cab (well, a website one, but not of my actual cab) and of course not the pedals lol.
I bought Brown's Rocca that he had for sale for quite awhile. I can't believe so many people passed on that amp for so long. She's a sweetheart.


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

Don't know how to bring them up and post them on here, so here is the link to the album on Photobucket.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

sulphur said:


> Are these friends players themselves? I'm assuming that they aren't.
> 
> The problem here is that we're all gearhounds, to some degree or another.
> So, I doubt that there'd be much hassle here about having some sweet goodies to play.
> ...


so true.... my friends sure don't understand my obsession with gear.


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## Nick Burman (Aug 17, 2011)

I think your friends are jealous. As you've already seen, learning on junk is futile. Who wants to pick up junk to practice?


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

A couple of them are players, but not "serious" players. The kind of guys that think a Line 6 is the end all and be all. Not that I have anything in particular against them, but experience tells me that you sure aren't going to get the great tones you can get from so many other rigs.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

well if you ever want a n00b to jam with drop me a line. I'm pretty new to this guitar thing as well


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

It'll be awhile blam. I'm only up to 4 and a half chords lol


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

sulphur said:


> The problem here is that we're all gearhounds, to some degree or another.
> So, I doubt that there'd be much hassle here about having some sweet goodies to play.
> *Kind of like an AA meeting in a bar.*


Nominated as best post (so far) for 2012.

Cheers

Dave


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

Ubermonkey said:


> It'll be awhile blam. I'm only up to 4 and a half chords lol


haha no worries. I've only been at it for a year and can really only play basic rythym stuff. still working hard on the F barre chord and my open chord progressions.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

blam said:


> haha no worries. I've only been at it for a year and can really only play basic rythym stuff. still working hard on the F barre chord and my open chord progressions.


Both of you might want to consider learning E7, A7 and B7. 
Then learn the 12 bar blues format (or the 11, 13 or 19 bar format...J/K)
Then the pentatonic scale in E (whatever parts come easy to you) so one can do leads while the other does rhythm.

You could both then jam with Blues tunes for several years....and it will be even more "interesting" when you learn how to do the same thing in a variety of keys.

If you dislike/have no interest in the Blues....sorry for wasting you time

Cheers

Dave


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Ubermonkey said:


> It'll be awhile blam. I'm only up to 4 and a half chords lol


Gee that's most of the chords in the Stones setlist. I bet you don't own a set of crappy drums either... tools is tools ..


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

Stopped playing drums 20 years ago, but no, they were not junk. Drums came very, very easy to me for some reason (to a point) as did the singing as I found out. Making the investment in the drums was easy. Since guitar is something that actually requires work and concentration right off the bat, I probably listened to my friends' concern more than I should have.


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## HarpBoy (Jun 10, 2009)

Ubermonkey said:


> I have just started down the long road of learning how to play guitar. Played Drums for about 10 years, been screaming lead vocals for about 20 years, but this is my first kick at a "musical" instrument.


I'm in the same boat as you but about 10 years further along. I was/am a harp player and singer for many years, but decided to learn how to play guitar. I already had a couple of nice vintage amps for my harps, so didn't buy a new amp right away, but it didn't take me long to jump into the guitar buying thing. I think my advice to people in your position, based on my experience, would be to buy good quality right away, because it's likely you'd be selling off the starter stuff fairly quickly at a real loss anyway.

Good for you, man. Go for it.


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## HarpBoy (Jun 10, 2009)

greco said:


> Both of you might want to consider learning E7, A7 and B7.


Also variations of F,C,G and Ab and you'll have 80% of the pop stuff covered. 

Play on.


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

Well, so far I'm going through A, C, D, D4, and G. Also started somewhat on palm muting. Got a couple of scales to get the fingers working a little better together and independantly. Nope, don't know what I'm doing, but it's a start lol


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

greco said:


> Both of you might want to consider learning E7, A7 and B7.
> Then learn the 12 bar blues format (or the 11, 13 or 19 bar format...J/K)
> Then the pentatonic scale in E (whatever parts come easy to you) so one can do leads while the other does rhythm.
> 
> ...


I actually know a lot of the common chords and the pentatonic scale ( not like the back of my hand though) and those 3 chords. I don't know how to play a blues rhythm however.

Thanks for the suggestions though.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

blam said:


> I actually know a lot of the common chords and the pentatonic scale ( not like the back of my hand though) and those 3 chords. *I don't know how to play a blues rhythm however.*
> 
> Thanks for the suggestions though.


You are 99% of the way there !!...Listen to a few Blues tunes on youtube and go for it.
There are many rhythms that will work...and you can invent/try some new ones.

BTW..Do you mean the rhythm ...OR... when to change the chords and/or the sequence of the chords? 

Cheers

Dave


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

greco said:


> Both of you might want to consider learning E7, A7 and B7.
> 
> 
> If you dislike/have no interest in the Blues....sorry for wasting you time
> ...


They are from Edmonton...... those are rockin' country chords too....:food-smiley-004: but ya'll gotta learn G7 too..:2guns:


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

I do the screaming in a classic hard rock band so lots of blues roots in what we do


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

greco said:


> You are 99% of the way there !!...Listen to a few Blues tunes on youtube and go for it.
> There are many rhythms that will work...and you can invent/try some new ones.
> 
> BTW..Do you mean the rhythm ...OR... when to change the chords and/or the sequence of the chords?
> ...


The actual rythym. I'm sure I could I could figure out some progressions sooner or later


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## parkhead (Aug 14, 2009)

You already "play" two instruments, If I were taking up drums I would not buy crap...


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## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

Well Uber, you are amongst enablers here when it comes to spending $ on good gear, so it is a good place to get GAS support, welcome to the forum. Besides, you appear to be an experienced and motivated musician, not a beginner in that sense. 

You can't go wrong with the Roccaforte HG100 for the kind of music you are playing. I have had many high end amps over the years and nothing, NOTHING, kicked, thumped, and screamed as hard as my HG100 - that amp sounds Hugh! 

It will make you a better player because it really shows every nuance of your playing, very sensitive to dynamics. But man does it rock, and you can achieve wonderful cleans just by backing off the guitar volume and picking softer. 

Think of it this way, you would probably go thru a whole bunch of low to mid range rigs and loose 10 times more $ along the way to finally end up where you are now - you have actually saved lots of $ and the inevitable frustration associated with the elusive tone quest. how's that for support?


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## Petey D (Sep 8, 2011)

If you've got the means to spend on good gear, then go ahead. Higher quality gear is easier to play, and you'll never have to worry about replacing or upgrading your lower end or mid level gear. Good luck learning, I'm sure you'll do fine. :Thumbsup:


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

Thanks bluesmostly  My lead player has one. Played with him for a lot of years, and he'd always bring up some new rig and say, "You gotta hear this!" I'd just shrug my shoulders and tell him "Yeah yeah, it sounds good. It always sounds good. Look, I'm a singer and former drummer, I'm tone deaf when it comes to guitars buddy."
Then he brought up a Roccaforte HG100 mated with a 1980 cabinet. It was the first time I could REALLY hear a difference in tone. It totally sold me on the Rocca. JR 55 is his handle on here. He pushed me in the direction of getting good gear, and after the words of wisdom I'm receiving here I'm very glad I did


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

Thanks Petey  I'm feeling much more confident about my purchases hearing from experienced players.


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## Moosehead (Jan 6, 2011)

So you got good gear, now what....

As was mentioned earlier blues is great to get into, you can practice leads, rhythm, and the all important turnaround(s) (brings you back to the original note/beg. of the song).
Listen to zz top - jesus jsut left chicago great tune, starts on 2 chords c and g.

Another tip/lesson is learn moveable chords, like the F bar chord you were having trouble with. You can move that baby anywhere! Learn the root notes on the fretboard and you just learned a shitload of new chords using the same chord shape. **you dont have to bar the chord** try just playing the top 3 string, the root, the fifth, and the octave. (some theory to get you by)

When I was teaching guitar i used to teach kids Down on the corner (CCR), easy 1 note lead line and a couple chords. try getting the strumming patterns right THEN try changing chords.
It was my claim that I could get them playing a song after the first lesson, worked too for most of 'em

Justinguitar.com 
This guy has some good lessons, talks a lot but hey its free!! I pop in there once in a while for some beginner jazz lessons.
Lotsa good lessons on youtube.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

tons of cool lessons out there. dolphin st. does them (he is on this forum) maplebaby does them (also here)
another guy from here who's name currently escapes me... plus a ton of others on youtube. then there's songster.com for moving tabs. another cool place to learn is blogs. there are a few i check on occasionally that have really taught me cool stuff. for example, guitarhabits.com is just one. there are lots out there


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

Thanks very much for all the info and for dropping names for possible instruction! I really do appreciate all of the help everyone is giving me


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Ubermonkey said:


> Thanks very much for all the info and for dropping names for possible instruction! I really do appreciate all of the help everyone is giving me


Beware.. they are just priming you with niceness then they will come for the kill and sell ya some more gear hwopv


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

Well you know, I'm sure I could use another OOPS, almost stepped in it, didn't I? :food-smiley-004:


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## Petey D (Sep 8, 2011)

Hahaha, yeah, there's a LOT of great high end gear being peddled on this board! I'm a big + 1 on you tube lessons. I've learned a fair bit from nextlevelguitar.com's channel. It's called "rockongoodpeople" I think. I'm also a big fan of the three finger F bar chord shape, aka the power chord. I think it's a great way to learn some songs and build confidence. Keep at it, and I'm sure your progression will be fast & furious. Cheers!


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## ghynes (Oct 12, 2009)

You are far better off buying good quality used gear. A crappy setup will not be inspiring at all and it will hold you back and slow your progress. The more inspired you are the more you will play and the faster you will progress. 

Also, if you buy good quality used gear and the unthinkable happens, you can always pass it along for a good portion of what you paid out. A bit less is fine (hey, you're using it right - hobbies do cost $$), but you can rest easy knowing that you wont lose your shirt. Good gear is always sellable. Junk you have to pretty much give away.


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

ghynes said:


> You are far better off buying good quality used gear. A crappy setup will not be inspiring at all and it will hold you back and slow your progress. The more inspired you are the more you will play and the faster you will progress.
> 
> Also, if you buy good quality used gear and the unthinkable happens, you can always pass it along for a good portion of what you paid out. A bit less is fine (hey, you're using it right - hobbies do cost $$), but you can rest easy knowing that you wont lose your shirt. Good gear is always sellable. Junk you have to pretty much give away.


That is so true. I had no problem getting rid of my drums when I gave up playing those to start lead screaming, but some of my first pieces of P.A. gear were "good enough," but when it came time to replace them, I even had a hard time getting the garbage truck to take them kqoct


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

Hey Uber! Late to the party (as usual) but welcome to the forum. Fella Edmontonian as well. I started getting serious about music just about 10 years ago and I've gone through all kinds of gear (at significant cost) to find my "keepers". You're lucky. You knew what you wanted out of the gate. No harm in owning good stuff as long as it doesn't cut into the grocery money. You don't need a BMW to get to work but that doesn't stop guys from buyin' 'em. I say congrats on your acquisition and kudos to your determination. Rock on brother.


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

Thanks Swervin55, and to everyone I might have missed so far. I heard how all of this equipment worked together before, asked some questions, and most importantly listened to how good my lead guitar player sounded through his Rocca with all of the different guitars he played. The only thing I wasn't sure of was the P-90's in the LP through this rig, but they sound great! This amp and cabinet have a lot of bottom end, so the P-90's don't sound too bright at all. I got very lucky on all my stuff. The SG had basically no hours on it and bought it for about half of the going rate, the LP was a steal at $600 (he cut me a good deal on the price. The headstock has been repaired, and was very very well done), I bought BrownID's Roccaforte out of Calgary (I can't believe how long that thing sat there with no buyers), bought the OCD used (I don't think it was ever touched. Box it came in looked new, pedal didn't have a single mark on it, works great. DD-7 also was like brand new, I don't think it actually ever came out of the box. The only thing I bought brand new was the Bogner cab.


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

P90's are the schiznitz. So are OCD's. You've done well Grasshopper.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Photobucket link didn't appear.

To post pics: 
-copy the 'direct link' under your pic in your photobucket account
-in the reply box here on gc, click on the icon above where you type, the one to the left of the filmstrip. It will say 'Image' when you mouse over it. Click that.
-there are 2 tabs; click the one that says 'From URL'
-uncheck the checkbox, and then paste in your photobucket link you copied earlier.
-you can put multiple pictures in one post. 
-to stack them vertically, hit 'Enter' after you put in each picture. Otherwise, they will go side by side until they run out of room.

I have gear way over my station/ability. As noted above, if nobody's going hungry or without etc, who cares? Sweet rig you have, now let's see it!


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

Thanks keto, I hope this works . . .


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

I'll try and get a picture of the actual cabinet tomorrow, it's got some pretty snazzy tolex largetongue


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

That's a sexy head there Uber.

btw, after checking around on that make of amps, I stumbled upon The Black Orchids.
I guess that the builder of these amps is the guitarist in the band?
Great straight ahead R&R. The singer is easy on the eyes too.
I think that "Lies" has made my top ten favs.

Cool stuff.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Haha ya I forgot about that! A few years ago, Doug Roccaforte was very active on Harmony Central, and we got to learn all about the drama(s) that went on in his band(s). Being HC, there was lots of talk, speculation, conjecture, and other assorted comlimentary and non-complimentary discussion about his 2 (at the time) female singers. Yes, he is the guitar player. I don't go to HC any more so dunno if he is still active there. I DO know that his amps had a FANTASTIC reputation, though I've never heard or seen one live.

And, UM, nice rig and good job with the pixures  Who do you play with around here? My kid the drummer is active, plays metal shows about 2-3 times a month around Edm. He and his brother's (my other son, lead player) old band were great but kinda fizzled out as the members got on with their lives.


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

I scream in a band called Tom Hammered. Classic hard rock stuff. We've had a hard time with the rhythm section since inception 4.5 years ago. Too many guys wanting to get right to work on original stuff and "make it big." *Rolls eyes*
Looks like we finally have the right guys. We all agree that we'll get 3 sets deep, THEN we'll get to work on the original stuff. We'd go split gigs with a few bands in town, then I'd have the owners and managers come up and ask us if we would come back and play a whole weekend with JUST our band, and it gets pretty damn frustrating when you have to keep telling them that you can't. 
Brian Butts is my Guitar player, played in quite a few good bands over the years including China White and Battle Cry, Chris Bond on bass (This guy is a monster. I've never seen a better bass player in all of my years of playing. Think the love child of John Entwhistle and Geddy Lee) and our new drummer Mike Rathbone on drums. We all recognize that there is almost nobody playing what we play and we want to exploit that


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

And if you want to see a Roccaforte in action, I'll try and remember to drop you a line the next time we go out live


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## 55 Jr (May 3, 2006)

Hey Uber!!

About your band:

You guys suck!



Best regards,

Brian


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

Holy crap Brian. When is the last time you posted? Nice to hear from you again. 

Marvin (bought your '68 Tele)


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## 55 Jr (May 3, 2006)

Swerve!!! How's things? Alles ok?
FF Checke!!
Great to hear from you! Hope all is well with you and your family!
Great guitar that tele. A 68 with factory Bigsby!
Maple cap.
The Harley Davidson of guitars!
I miss it.
You know the....ahem "gentleman" who damaged the fretboard won't even talk to me now.

No matter. Done is done.
It was difficult to part with that guitar. But at a time in my life when it was important to have some extra cash.
Have you been at any open stages lately?
Hope to see you at a Tom Hammered gig one day soon!
Best regards,
Brian


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