Question for Chris about finding the right guitar

[]=J=[]

This question is not restricted to just Chris, I just wanted to direct the question to him so he knows I'm asking for his input, everybody is welcome to jump in with their input, especially if you have a similiar interest. Also, the more guitars you've played, the more valuable your input will be.

I'm planning on hopefully taking some lessons from Chris, I emailed him this question but he didn't respond so hopefully he'll respond here. I'm trying to prepare myself for his lessons, and there's a few things I'd like to have addressed first so that I can make the most of the lessons with as little downtime as possible.

First, I'm trying to narrow down my choices for a new guitar. I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to neck shapes, etc. I'm somewhat surprised by the number of people I offend with this question when I post it on other forums, but I think there's a better chance that you guys will know what I'm getting at. I'm looking for everybody's personal opinion on what guitar they feel has the fastest neck and why, i.e. the best guitar for shred, guitar that is the easiest to play, most comfortable guitar for the fretting hand, etc. I know everybody is built differently but I'll sift through everybody's responses myself to get a consensus. Before anybody thinks about posting a typical response like "Buckethead can shred on a Les Paul," keep in mind that Buckethead is an alien with alien fingers and I am a guy with relatively small hands, and while I can play ok on a Les Paul, I found that I can shred considerably better on the Vigier Supra that I played last year at a music expo (the point at which my interest in shredding resumed and the point at which I decided I will look specifically for the guitar that is geared towards technical lead playing).

In the last year or so I've narrowed down some attributes (ones that I'm sure will be obvious to a lot of you, but like I said, I'm relatively ignorant on the subject) that are standards for shred lead playing, like a flat radius and extremely low action, jumbo frets, thin neck, wide fingerboard, and some other things that help as well like an unfinished neck, ebony fingerboard, etc. I'm pretty clueless when it comes to neck shapes, I can tell you that I don't like Jacksons at all. Right now the gold standard for me is that Vigier Supra (I don't know how the other Vigiers stack up to it), but alot of people say Ibanez is the way to go, but there are so many Ibanez guitars out there that I have no clue where to begin. I'm not in a position (or location) where I can go out and try every guitar out there. I was thinking about just posting a thread asking what the best Ibanez neck is, and ask for help narrowing down the best Ibanez guitars so I can just seek those out and try them. Some people really like the John Petrucci Ibanez models (but which one is best?) and others prefer his Ernie Ball musicman sig guitar. A few people also mentioned Charvel and the Parker Fly.

Anyway, please post your opinions, and try to elaborate on why you think your choice is best.

I have some other concerns as well, like the fact that I'm getting pain in the ring finger of my fretting hand (and a little bit of pain in my pinky as well) when I get to a certain speed. I can play fluidly at fast tempos, it just hurts. Sometimes it forces me to put down the guitar for 2-3 days. Should I break in between sessions, or is it ok to keep going with the pain? Is there a general movement or position that I'm doing incorrectly that is resulting in the pain? I'm wondering if getting a guitar that is easier for me to play (e.g. thinner neck) will help alleviate the pain as well. Maybe I just need a better practice regimine.

 

[Lord Lemons]

One thing Chris has taught me is try to stay completely relaxed while playing, even at fast tempos. I would recommend slowing your playing down and analyze it to find out what exactly is hurting you. If the hurting ensues, I would go see a doctor.

 

[]=J=[]

One thing Chris has taught me is try to stay completely relaxed while playing, even at fast tempos. I would recommend slowing your playing down and analyze it to find out what exactly is hurting you. If the hurting ensues, I would go see a doctor.

What's funny is that I've concentrated so hard on keeping my picking hand relaxed (and I have a technique where I am able to pick extremely fast while keeping my arm completely relaxed) that I've neglected my fretting hand. When I slow down, the pain subsides for the most part, so it's hard to pinpoint exactly what movement is causing the strain. That's why I need lessons from someone who can identify the problem and help me fix it. I'm still improving on a day to day basis, so it hasn't impacted my playing negatively yet. Is pain in your fretting fingers really a bad thing?

I know what a doctor's going to tell me. "Take it easy, don't play so much."

Athletes ice their joints after a workout (e.g. icing your knees after running), anybody heard of applying ice to your fingers after practicing?

 

[flying_whale]

There is no right answer in picking up a guitar. It is YOU who is going to play it, so YOU have to like its sound and feel more than anyone else IMHO. Having fun with your instrument is about liking your instrument. Go to a music store and see what you like and what you don't and buy the guitar you seem to enjoy playing the most (both tonewise and feel wise). It all comes down to personal preference. A guitar that Chris might find amazing is not guarantee that you or I or Jeff Loomis or anyone else will find the same guitar equally amazing if good at all.
my 2 cents

 

[Chris_Broderick]

I agree with both posts all the way. All I can tell is what I prefer, and it is:

Tall narrow frets: for two handed tapping and putting as much left hand effort into the string as opposed to the fret board.

Radius fret boards: I feel it works better with almost every technique and it seems to make sense considering the natural curvature of your fingers.

Rosewood fret boards stained black: It doesn't look all nasty after it's been played for a while like maple, and it doesn't chip like ebony can

Thin and extremely ridged necks: because of ease of playing and they resonate better IMHO.


As for your playing it's too hard for me or anyone to know exactly what is causing the pain without seeing it first hand (and even then I am still trying to get the student to ascertain the problem).

Take care, Chris.

 

[]=J=[]

Thanks for your responses, Chris and everyone.

Wow, I guess the only thing we completely agree on is thin necks.

I'm still going to go with a flat radius because I think that's the main reason that Vigier was so easy to play, as the action was very low.

I think I'm going to try out some Ibanez guitars, but there are so many I don't know where to start. Anybody have suggestions as to what some of the best ones are?

Also, I played again today and my ring and pinky hurt while I was playing again, even when I wasn't using them, it seems to come from stretching the whole hand rather than pressing down with those fingers.

 

[NevermoreMan90]

I like the whole bay area thrash metal scene, so high output pickups, and a mahogony body are an absolute must for me. I prefer V shaped guitars, not only for the aestistics, but because I play better with the neck going up at a diagonal angle. I also like beefier necks, which I know is why im the odd one out, because almost everyone prefers thin necks, but I like how it fills the empty space in between. I also don't like treolos, because I almost never use them, and I like string thru bridges. Everyone knows that they resonate fantastically, and add to the sustain. You also get more tone out of the wood as well. I like medium tension, so I like a 25.5" scale guitar, and I string it with lighter strings (10-46 down half a step from E standard). I know im a little differnent when it comes to what I look for in a guitar, But I hopes this helps

 

[NevermoreMan90]

I like the whole bay area thrash metal scene, so high output pickups, and a mahogony body are an absolute must for me. I prefer V shaped guitars, not only for the aestistics, but because I play better with the neck going up at a diagonal angle. I also like beefier necks, which I know is why im the odd one out, because almost everyone prefers thin necks, but I like how it fills the empty space in between. I also don't like treolos, because I almost never use them, and I like string thru bridges. Everyone knows that they resonate fantastically, and add to the sustain. You also get more tone out of the wood as well. I like medium tension, so I like a 25.5" scale guitar, and I string it with lighter strings (10-46 down half a step from E standard). I know im a little differnent when it comes to what I look for in a guitar, But I hopes this helps

Sorry, I left something out. As far as the right Ibanez guitar, you just have to do what the other guys were saying, and try them out for yourself. They're all different, and one could best suit your needs over the other

 

[]=J=[]

As far as the right Ibanez guitar, you just have to do what the other guys were saying, and try them out for yourself. They're all different, and one could best suit your needs over the other

But there's too damned many! I need to narrow it down significantly. I know some models use the same neck type, so I'll probably have to start there.

As for your first post, you're talking more about tone whereas I was talking more about the playability and feel of the neck vs. other guitars. Mahogany neck-thru/ebony board rules for me in terms of tone, but I may just have to try another wood as the playability becomes a major factor.




That said, my technique has improved quite noticably in the last few days (with only 45 minutes to 2 hours max practicing per day, taking a day off in between), while the pain in my fretting hand is starting to decrease in intensity, so I must be doing something right. There's still pain (even when I'm not playing), but it seems to be getting better. I didn't even pick up the guitar today, I seem to improve faster by taking time off and cutting some sessions short, so that makes me think I was overdoing it before.

 

[NevermoreMan90]

I see. Thats obviously good that the pain is dulling down. As for Ibanez, may I suggest an Ibanez S series guitar? As most know, they're extremely thin, and VERY comfortable. I'm speaking as a shorter guy, with a stocky build, So I love them; they'd be perfect for you, from your description. Even if they have thin bodies, they sustain greatly, and play awesome, and with the thin wizard necks, it can be a great shreading machine, thats sounds very fluid and solid. They play perfectly. If your willing to spend $1300, then the S Prestige would be an awesome choice for you.

 

[]=J=[]

Your input is appreciated, NevermoreMan90. I'm going to try to track down that model to try out. I've done a bit of research on the different Ibanez necks in the last few days and have narrowed it down considerably. I still have to decide between a Vigier and an Ibanez, they're both different and I'll have to play a few of each before I can decide. I may even have to try out the Ernie Ball MM John Petrucci model.

Does anybody know if there are/were any neck-thru Ibanez models that used the Wizard I necks (and preferably used some mahogany)?

 

[Bozz]

When it comes to Ibanez, basically you just gotta track down the guitar that is most aesthetically pleasing because their current lineup has little variation in features. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I HIGHLY suggest you try out a Prestige model as opposed to their lower end run of guitars. As a matter of fact, I tried an RG-1570 (the lowest end Prestige RG on the current lineup) just to see if it was even remotely decent... it blew me away. In fact, I bought it right there, and I'm not loaded. Bottom line is that their Prestiges really really are nice. Now, of course, if you want a Mahogany body, then that narrows it down considering that most Ibanez guitars are made with Basswood these days, unless you get a higher end Prestige or a J-Custom (if you have the money, get a J-Custom. Very few guitars even come close to the level of craftsmanship.)

Besides, Chris can agree with me on this one - Ibanez's just look fucking sweet! Easily the sexiest guitar for the money...

...oh, and one more note: If you do play a few models and decide that there's just something missing from the tone, it's not the guitar, it's the horrible pickups they put in them. I believe that they do this because most people end up putting new pickups in them. For some reason, Ibanez + Dimarzio works like a charm, and I don't usually dig Dimarzios.

Alright, enough rambling... like everyone said, you gotta see what you like and the only way to do that is to try things out, but I suggest you go try out this RG-1570, you won't be disappointed with the playability or the 700 dollar tag








oooooooooor, I just thought of something. Go check out the RG550 20th reissue. You actually might like that a lot.

 

[]=J=[]

Thanks!

Actually, the RGT320Q caught my eye, but it's quite pricey.

http://www.ibanez.com/eg/guitar.aspx?m=RGT320Q

Does anybody know of any earlier Ibanez models that had similar features (i.e. neck thru, mahogany wings)?

 

[Bozz]

Actually, yeah, if you can get ahold of an RGT3120, it's neckthrough, mahogany body, flamed maple top, side dot linlays (looks cooler). Similar to the RGT320Q, but probably nicer... plus, you can get it in Violet, which is sweet.