[Mark Ward]

I'm wiiling to bet there's some guitar players on here....

Back in "The Day" I used to play quite a bit of guitar, I still have most my guitars but I sold my Roland Effect Rack years ago on eBay.

I had a programmable Rack Mounted Midi-Effects box with 10 or so Pedals for your preset configuration on one big foot pad, but I was never really happy with configuring it and never quite got the sounds I wanted.

My Son is now getting into guitar and I want to provide a little fun & encouragement by adding a few effects. We've done what we can with the Marshall ValveState's options and the Peavey Classic is severely limited.

I want to buy a couple of (hopefully inexpensive) pedals to give him something to experiment with. He's into classic Rush, Dream Theater, Floyd/Waters, Led Zep. He's 13 but picks up stuff better than I ever did and definitely has an aptitude for it, he's able to work out quite complex bits by ear.

So what are the budget priced (they will get wrecked) pedals to go for today? Hopefully with Mains Power adaptor? Any makes stand out? What Pedal effects are good for Rock effects?

Also, where's the best place to look for a good quality cheapish 2nd hand guitar that can be abused by a 13 year old?

He's currently using my Gibson Les Paul, my Hand Built Custom Telecaster, my Ibanez 6 & 12-Strings and his own (very good quality) 6 String Classical.

Thanks,

Mark.

[Philly112]

Hi there

Well I have a Digitech RP150. It's pretty good, but it all depends on what you want. It's around £80, and does most of the effects - delay, chorus, loads of metal options, wah, some spacey effects. Fairly robust, but don't jump on it...

http://www.digitech.com/products/RP_newpgs/rp150.htm

Lisa Burrell - who also posts alot here and is a mean guitarist - has the RP250.

I also have the Digitech Jamman which is ****** brilliant... No, I mean ***@@@*** ing brilliant.

Phil

[Mark Ward]

That looks good, great price too! Mmmmm that 350 looks better, but this isn't supposed to be for Dad!

Even better is the integrated Drum machine, something else I had in mind to buy soon. I know they're only presets but at his stage that's fine.

Anyone got any alternative suggestions?

Thanks,

Mark.

[Philly112]

Originally Posted by Mark Ward

.
Even better is the integrated Drum machine, something else I had in mind to buy soon. I know they're only presets but at his stage that's fine.

Just bear in mind that the drum machine is only in 4/4 time and can't be changed.

Phil

[B Caine]

If you haven`t already got one a "Big Muff" sounds great, Gilmore uses one.

[NackNack]

Boss pedals all tend to be good - for an all-in solution the Pod XT Live can't be touched. Digitech's tend to be okay.

Hi Mark

My names Lisa i play a bit of guitar.. In fact all i ever do is play my guitar.

At home I wont use an amp. I used to use a Pandora px 2 and px 3 a small effect processor the size of a mobile phone. You plug your guitar in and your headphones and your CD player it has a drum machine an in built bass player and a tuner + plus a learning tool Sounds brilliant through a home stereo.
In fact i gave mine to another girl guitar player. I wish i had not now. I bought Digitech Rp250 after reading that's what the bedroom guitar players were using on you tube along with movie maker and filming them selves. what a good job they do to.

The Digitec is ok. you do not want guitar amps in the house. these things do it all. Mine cost me £110.

He must get out the bedroom and play with people or play with as many people as he can. The dangers of playing with the same person is the same scenario as playing the same person pool all the time. your never get any better. Plus most of all he's got to learn to read the dots to appreciate other peoples work i cant stress that enough. Its not an easy instrument no instrument is. Im relearning with a fine tutor i want to play jazz well.
I want to play and sound as good as this guy

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=jazzerman

If you open his FAQ video he will tell you about effects pedal. He will tell you how hes done heavy metal and blues and had to relearn the guitar also to play Jazz guitar.

Try and find his versions of a tune i first heard by Emily remler "Dahoud"

and close your eyes love his sound and his guitars Thats if you like jazz!!

Lis@~~

close your eyes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZpJ0hUPfBM


http://www.digitech.com/products/RP_newpgs/rp250.htm ..... mine


Chers for the mention Phil your pretty cool player yourself.

[Mark Ward]

Thanks everyone for the info...

Originally Posted by B Caine

If you haven`t already got one a "Big Muff" sounds great, Gilmore uses one.

We don't have ANY pedals right now, the only effects we currently have are created by Amp settings.

Originally Posted by NickNack

Boss pedals all tend to be good - for an all-in solution the Pod XT Live can't be touched. Digitech's tend to be okay.

I'll check that one out.

Originally Posted by lisa burrell

I play a bit of guitar.. In fact all i ever do is play my guitar.

At home I wont use an amp. I used to use a Pandora px 2 and px 3 a small effect processor the size of a mobile phone. You plug your guitar in and your headphones and your CD player it has a drum machine an in built bass player and a tuner + plus a learning tool Sounds brilliant through a home stereo.
In fact i gave mine to another girl guitar player. I wish i had not now. I bought Digitech Rp250 after reading that's what the bedroom guitar players were using on you tube along with movie maker and filming them selves. what a good job they do to.

The Digitec is ok. you do not want guitar amps in the house. these things do it all. Mine cost me £110.

That Pandora box will be an interesting solution, when I was about 16 I had a "Headphone" Guitar amp, all the controls on a set of "Ear Muff" type headphones that certainly saved everyone else in the house from going mad. We are very lucky to have a big house and my huge HT room (12,500 cubic ft) is able to double as a practice room/studio. In fact my HTPC uses an RME Hammerfall soundcard, ADAT I/O boxes & BlueSky Studio Monitors. I've thought about looking into software/hardware to use the room as a demo studio. We currently have a Vintage Peavey Classic (4x10) Valve Amp, a Marshall Valvestate (2x12), Some good guitars, a Yamaha Clavinova Electric Piano and a couple of cheap Mics. No one in the rest of the house can hear you even when you crank it up.

He must get out the bedroom and play with people or play with as many people as he can. The dangers of playing with the same person is the same scenario as playing the same person pool all the time. your never get any better. Plus most of all he's got to learn to read the dots to appreciate other peoples work i cant stress that enough. Its not an easy instrument no instrument is.

I know we have to get him out there, playing with mates etc., currently he only plays on his own or with me, and I'm only moderately ok, I should be better seeing as I've been playing on & off for 32 years. Remember he's only been playing for a short while, he used to get me to show him a few things around a year ago but only got obsessive since last Christmas. He's currently playing bits of Rush, Neil Young, Tesla, Sabbath, LedZep, Beatles and has some bits off to a level that mean he shouldn't be embarrassed trying out a guitar in a shop. It's the speed he picks things up that impresses me and the fact he complains if we're out & he doesn't get to play very much.

I'm relearning with a fine tutor i want to play jazz well.
I want to play and sound as good as this guy

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=jazzerman

If you open his FAQ video he will tell you about effects pedal. He will tell you how hes done heavy metal and blues and had to relearn the guitar also to play Jazz guitar....

I'll check out that guy, there's another place we found on YouTube called NextLevelGuitar That has been useful to him, though not very challenging.

Thanks for the info, there's something quite "pure" about the fact all the effects he currently uses are based around amp settings, I'm not 100% sure the time is right to introduce pedals but he has the early stages of a talent I never had, I would say I was always an "all the gear & no idea" guitarist, I got "ok" by lots of practice, lessons, jamming with mates and just loving playing, but I was never as good as I should have been considering how much time I spent playing. My son hasn't been playing for long, he already plays keyboards very well and seems to have adopted my love for the guitar.

He's 13, can play classical guitar very well and can pick up classic rock very easily. He can read Music as well as Guitar Tab, we have 100's of tab books and there seems to be plenty on specific songs on the net if he needs more info.

We were out til late yesterday so he didn't get much time to play and moaned about it all the way home. This morning he got up early and for the last 3 hours has been playing....."Guild Wars" an online game on the PC!

Mark.

[DanH]

Originally Posted by NackNack

for an all-in solution the Pod XT Live can't be touched. Digitech's tend to be okay.

I use the Pod XT. Its pretty good once you have have messed around with it. The pre-sets you get with it aren't up to much, but you can download loads off the Line 6 site.

You can also use it like the "Guitar Port" Line 6 sell as well. Hook it up to your computer to mess around with all your tones etc, and use the software for interactive lessons. You need a subscription but it doesn't cost a lot and there is some decent stuff on there.