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Just bought a guitar
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Date: January 1st, 2026 6:54 PM Author: bloomington (🦬) Never played before. Really love shoegaze so my first guitar was always going to be a Jazzmaster.
For a long time I thought about getting the J. Mascis Jazzmaster. But Guitar Center has a deal right now, $680 for a Player II Jazzmaster in British Racing Green. I thought that was a sick color so I ordered one.
Thoughts? |
Date: January 1st, 2026 7:06 PM Author: bloomington (🦬) https://media.guitarcenter.com/is/image/MMGS7/M17354000001000-02-2000x2000.jpg (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5816169&forum_id=2Elisa#49555044) |
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Date: January 1st, 2026 7:10 PM Author: Adolf Hitlers Lieblingsblume It looks nice. Wish it had the goofy rhythm controls though. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5816169&forum_id=2Elisa#49555056) |
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Date: January 1st, 2026 7:21 PM Author: bloomington (🦬) Yeah, I considered that. Thought it might be a reason to get the J. Mascis one. That one used to be $500 not that long ago and now it's $620 so I have hard time with the idea of paying "extra" for it.
Ultimately I decided I didn't really give a shit about the rhythm controls if this is my first guitar, down the road I can get a better JM if I get into playing a lot |
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Date: January 1st, 2026 7:32 PM Author: Adolf Hitlers Lieblingsblume I'm at a point in my guitar collecting career where I feel like the only step I have left is to paint and polish my own body. It feels like the last horizon for me. I have built dozens of guitars out of parts but never painted one. It's like the last thing I need to do before I die. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5816169&forum_id=2Elisa#49555105) |
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Date: January 1st, 2026 7:41 PM Author: bloomington (🦬) Really? Building (or modding) guitars seems like a rabbit hole I can see myself going down
Then again, my guitarist idol is Kevin Shields and he apparently uses a large quantity of stock Jazzmasters in open tunings |
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Date: January 1st, 2026 8:07 PM Author: Adolf Hitlers Lieblingsblume There's nothing wrong with stock guitars they play just as good and sound just as good.
I got into building/modding/customizing because I don't like a lot of the stock options (or the stock prices). You can always go Custom Shop but it's egregious flame that starts around 5k. You can 'build' a Custom Shop spec guitar for like 1000 dollars in parts and a little bit of labor. It's just one way to cheat the system. They think you're too lazy to do a little work. I also do all my own setups. It took me a while to learn but if I don't set up the guitar the way I want I get annoyed. I don't like other people doing it. |
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Date: January 1st, 2026 7:25 PM Author: lettuce Sweet (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5816169&forum_id=2Elisa#49555089) |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 6:51 PM Author: bloomington (🦬) Came in the mail today, so I am officially the owner of a cheap Jazzmaster
However, it seems I must now go through some humiliation ritual of setting it up? I thought this thing would be close enough where all I have to do to get going is to tune it, but no. The spics at the factory didn't set the pickups to anything approximating a correct height. This is my first guitar, no idea what else isn't in spec
And of course the thing doesn't come with a manual, they just tell you to go to their website where all they have are shitty PDFs, none of which are less than a decade old |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 6:55 PM Author: michael doodikoff congrats, its a super cool hobby that I love, and have spent a lot of time on lately.
Jazzmasters would be a great first guitar.
100% get a professional setup on the guitar, you will not know how to do it, and for $60 or so it will play and sound much better (make them work on the "action" to get it nice and low)
Important next question - what are you playing it through? AMp? Modeler? Computer thing? |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 7:04 PM Author: bloomington (🦬) I'm cheap & like figuring out how things work so I think I'll just read the shitty manuals and watch some Youtube videos
The plan for now is to use Rocksmith to figure out how to play, I already copped the cable for it and the 2014 PC version (I don't want to pay for some gay subscription if I don't have to)
If I get okay at playing I'll get an amp but don't really have any idea which one yet. Thoughts?
I already have some pedals in mind because I know I'll want to play some shoegaze |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 9:46 PM Author: lettuce If you’re doing your own setup buy a good string height tool and get a really accurate tuner. Don’t even fuck with the truss rod until you have that down (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5816169&forum_id=2Elisa#49567993) |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 9:49 PM Author: Madison Avenue Lemming Enslaved to Conformity LOL this is retarded. A beginner can’t do this. Just go to guitar center and pay them $35 to set it up. You’ll probably quit before any of your settings go “bad” and I’ll buy it from you for $400 at that time. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5816169&forum_id=2Elisa#49567998) |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 9:51 PM Author: lettuce I do it with every set of strings it’s not that hard if he’s the DIY type (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5816169&forum_id=2Elisa#49568000) |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 9:55 PM Author: Adolf Hitlers Lieblingsblume As someone who does full set-ups and builds guitars I can honestly say it can be done by the laymen given a serious effort. It's not rocket science. But you are probably going to fall into a bunch of pitfalls because you don't know what you don't know if you don't play a lot you don't know how it's supposed to play like.
So both are possible. If somehow you're really dialed in and motivated you could figure it all out. It isn't the hardest challenge man ever climbed. But I assume bloomington doesn't know anything so he is going to be a fish out of water. I personally had to go through a lot of professional setups and see what they were doing and check and recheck and sank a lot of time into it before I figured it out. Took many years, but I am kind of dumb and not very handy.
A cheap guitar from the store is going to be harder because you're coming from a bad starting point. Definitely take it to a luthier. |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 10:30 PM Author: bloomington (🦬) Ok, you guys have got me convinced I'd be over my head, I'll take it to Guitar Center (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5816169&forum_id=2Elisa#49568040) |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 10:48 PM Author: Adolf Hitlers Lieblingsblume Smart move. You can't go wrong with this especially for a first time set up.
One thing I really recommend that you might not hear too many other places: string gauge should be based on the size of your fingers and your individual finger strength. A lot of guys when they're first starting out go for a string gauge that's too high because there's this bizarre "tough guy" machismo that stems from Stevie Ray Vaughan playing the heaviest strings possible and having a high action on his set up.
Now if you're a bluesman with big hands this is OK at best but even Stevie went down later in his career because his fingertips were sawing off. For most people, this is a bad idea and even some guitarists who are experienced and claim to know what they're doing this is still an atrocious idea and they're just doing it to seem cool.
Anyway I recommend going with a lower string gauge. For a long time "9s" were the standard size in the classic rock era. At some point in the 90s everyone switched to 10s. To my knowledge there's only one benefit of a higher string gauge and that is tuning stability if you have big ass fingers pressing down hard as fuck, or if you are wailing on the strings with your right hand. With lighter strings if you have a heavy touch you will bend them out of tune.
I personally use very light strings with ultra low action. This is because my hands are weak and I am lazy and I like to play fast. I have huge palms but tiny fingers idky. If you have fat as fuck fingers you will want to go higher. Just depends on your touch. Imo the lower you go with the action the easier it is to play. I like to play easy because 'fighting with the guitar' is dumb and gay and people only do it for show. A lot of the really fast technical players from the 70s for example used light strings and low action, but to each their own I guess. Just don't be that douchebag who shows up and says "I play 13s because of Stevie and I'm manlier than you" because no on respects that guy and it's just something kids do to be cool.
Another thing you should do is buy a pick/plectrum that goes with your string set. I'll make it easy for you: 8s-9s red, 9s-10s orange, 11s - yellow, 12s- green, 13s - blue/purple. This is for Tortex. Just get a tortex everyone uses tortex they have the best grip and don't degrade.
Final recommendation - get 9s and an orange tortex. This is a good starting place. If you have huge hands move up. If you play light and fast move down. |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 11:01 PM Author: lettuce Cr advice.
I personally play 10s because i squeeze 9s so hard it sounds bad. Im a deadlifter. I wish I had the touch to play 9s
And for action I like it set to “I can hear the buzz from the guitar in a silent room but not through the amp” |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 11:05 PM Author: Adolf Hitlers Lieblingsblume I used to be like this but I learned how to play with touch over time and now I'm a lot happier. I could never shred with heavier strings. You just have to resist the urge to jam your hand down like you're choking out the frets. If you play light all the time you eventually get it down.
Cr amp buzz is totally unacceptable but you want to go as low as possible otherwise. I like to go low until it's too low, then move it up a little. Stop going up when you feel too much tension. |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 11:23 PM Author: lettuce (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5816169&forum_id=2Elisa#49568120) |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 11:05 PM Author: bloomington (🦬) ty, the guitar came with 9s
I already bought a grab bag of Fender picks, I'll put Tortex on my list |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 11:10 PM Author: Adolf Hitlers Lieblingsblume Just remember Nile Rodgers made hundreds of millions of dollars with 9s, red tortex, and a pair of Fender Hot Rod DeVilles. It's all in the hands. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5816169&forum_id=2Elisa#49568102) |
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Date: January 7th, 2026 12:07 AM Author: lettuce Try some really thick ones too. Picks make a huge difference in sound and do certain playing styles better. Even the finish on the pick changes the sound. Try thick textured, thick glossy, nylon, thin plastic for strumming, etc.
My favorite thick picks for fast articulation: https://www.jimdunlop.com/flow-jumbo-grip-420-pick-4-2mm/ https://www.jimdunlop.com/flow-gloss-pick-2-0mm/ |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 10:13 PM Author: lettuce For learning to play the most important thing you can do is memorize the modes of the major scale across the neck. The major scale is the only scale you need. There is no minor scale. A minor is C major.
Then learn the pentatonic scale. It’s the same scale with two notes removed. That will let you “solo” over basically anything.
https://bradleyfish.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/G-Major-all-patterns-scaled.jpg |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 10:39 PM Author: bloomington (🦬) ty (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5816169&forum_id=2Elisa#49568055) |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 11:32 PM Author: lettuce Easy way to do this is pick a key (C is useful because it’s all the white notes on piano). 7 notes that just repeat. You’ve got 5 “blocks” that you have to memorize on guitar that will get you the whole scale. A aeolian (A minor), C ionian (C major), D dorian, E phrygian, G mixolydian. These lock together and it just repeats like that pic I poasted above
https://chord.rocks/guitar/scales/c-major |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 10:28 PM Author: dupa wtf how would a day 1 guitarist have thoughts about the pickup height and setup? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5816169&forum_id=2Elisa#49568038) |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 10:35 PM Author: bloomington (🦬) The pickups are visibly off kilter
Impossible for them to be set to a correct height when they aren't set to any one height at all |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 11:24 PM Author: Wes Scantlin This is bush league retarded. Pickups are often set at different heights, and sometimes they are set at an angle depending on the desired output. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5816169&forum_id=2Elisa#49568124) |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 11:26 PM Author: n-word scissorhands Upload a pic of them (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5816169&forum_id=2Elisa#49568128) |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 11:35 PM Author: dupa brother this isn't a cheap guitar. you got yourself something that is legit nice. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5816169&forum_id=2Elisa#49568143) |
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Date: January 6th, 2026 10:06 PM Author: dupa that's a 180 first guitar. congrats. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5816169&forum_id=2Elisa#49568014) |
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Date: January 7th, 2026 12:19 AM Author: michael doodikoff op - I saw you are not getting an amp but getting rock smith on pc
I recommend getting an amp. A beginner guitar player needs to spend hours fucking around with the guitar, having to turn on a screen and a PC to play all the time sounds hellish. You will stop playing with that shit in the way. An amp is just quicker to get in a quick session and sounds better. Rocksmith should be a supplement
It was mentioned above, and I can highly recommend a fender hot rod deluxe- like this https://reverb.com/item/93768231-fender-hot-rod-deluxe-iv-3-channel-40-watt-1x12-guitar-combo-2018-present-black
Legendary amp. Really great clean tones and reverb. Some people don’t like the distortion channel but I think it’s completely fine. Great pedal platform when you want to do that (I recommend a chorus and delay pedal first)
I have a hod rod deluxe that I got for $325 on Facebook marketplace. It’s stellar. Would be amazing as a first amp. Also beginner amps tend to be trash |
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Date: January 7th, 2026 2:06 AM Author: bloomington (🦬) I want to figure out if I enjoy playing before I buy an amp. Because if I buy an amp then I will start buying pedals. And I don't want to drop another grand on this endeavor if I don't enjoy playing.
I need some time to figure it out. And I don't have a ton of time right now; I only bought the guitar because it seemed like a hot price.
If all goes to plan I absolutely will buy an amp. And a Fender Shields Blender, and a reverb or two, and... |