playing multiple instruments

[Cowboy Dan!?]

the primary instrument i play is bass. a couple months after i picked that up i bought a mandolin because i loved the sound and it was so tiny i could take in anywhere.

i was wondering about playing guitar too. if i play all three i might not have enough time just to my bass to get as good as i want to, but also i thought to myself if i learn guitar then ill understand the chords and everthing better so when i go to play bass on a song my friend(who plays guitar) makes up ill have a better understanding of how to make some killer basslines in key with it.

so the question comes down to playing skills, or better understanding of the music i guess.

or maybe people who play many instruments tend to be better at all of them?

i dunno if i should or not. ill make a poll


also if i do decide to play guitar i was looking at some beginner guitars and i was thikning about getting an Ibanez GSA60. does any1 have any suggestions on a guitar to get(under $250) or maybe can tell me if i made a good choice?

[joelap]

Re: playing multiple instruments

I have an Ibanez GRX for my first guitar, and I still use it. As time went on, I popped a Duncan Distortion in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck. BIG IMPROVEMENT!
I'd recommend an Ibanez for the main fact that I haven't had any problems with my Ibanez first guitar. It has always held tune well, and felt more massive than any squire of the same value I've ever came in contact with. Just my opinion, go with an Ibanez GRX (you can get one cheap used too) and eventually replace the pickups with Duncans, and you're golden.

[Cowboy Dan!?]

Re: playing multiple instruments

ok, that guitar sounds like a good choice, and its only $160 for the GSX20!

i was thinking about getting the GSX40 thats only ten bucks more and instead of 2 humbuckers it has a humbucker and 2 single coil pups. if i were to buy this one what pups would you suggest i put in?

[Rainmaker]

Re: playing multiple instruments

I'd say the Yamaha Pacifica 112, it's been voted the best beginners guitar - three years down I still play it (well it's still my only guitar!) and the construction is excellent for an axe of that price range.

With amplifiers, don't get tricked into thinking it will sound the same in the shop compared to at home. The shops sometimes link huge pedalboards to these amps to make them sound better!

One VERY important point though: make sure you PLAY the guitar before you buy it! Take any specific model, let's say, a Fender Strat - there will likely be bad ones that are terrible to play and there might also be one that you pick up and feel and know "this is it!"

[Xeromus]

Re: playing multiple instruments

My first guitar was an Ibanez GAX 70. I highly recommend that, make sure you get it set up nice though, the factory setup is crap. But it plays well, is easy to maintain. Don't get a guitar with any kind of tremelo or whammy bridge if you're starting out on guitar, the GAX70 has a fixed bridge.

[joelap]

Re: playing multiple instruments

ok, that guitar sounds like a good choice, and its only $160 for the GSX20!

i was thinking about getting the GSX40 thats only ten bucks more and instead of 2 humbuckers it has a humbucker and 2 single coil pups. if i were to buy this one what pups would you suggest i put in?

Ibanez isn't known for their guitars with single coils in them. Most nof their models are Dual-Humbuckers. I'd suggest getting the dual humbucker Ibanez and putting a Jazz in the neck and JB in the bridge, it's absolutely beautiful. As far as those single coils go, don't expect to get a fender-type sound out of them. I really can't name any single coils to put in them because I haven't dabbled with too many of them, but I'm sure most of the recommendations you're going to get from other users are going to be Humbuckers that fit in single-coil spots. (Lil'59, Duckbucker, JB Jr., etc.)

[Davey]

Re: playing multiple instruments

i say get a yamaha pacifica 112, best value for money. avoid cheapo ibanez guitars like the plague

[Norman_T]

Re: playing multiple instruments

I'd also suggest you get the Yamaha Pacific (I don't have one) but one of my students who upgraded a couple of months to get an electric got one and he is very happy with the guitar. It stays in tune, properly intonated and also set up correctly out of the box. All I had to do was change the strings and it has been perfect ever since. It will give you what you want (HSS and) is pretty straightforward/verstaile and has one heck of a neck on it. You should find it pretty easy if you play bass.

If the upgrade path addiction start to kick in it will be easy to upgrade the pups and anything else and not worry too much about the value of the instument. However it all depends on whether you want a guitar with single coils (and a humbucker in the bridge pos) or you want one with humbuckers. If it is the latter then make sure you can get one which can split the coils (I don't about the Ibanez GSX series) so that you can get some more tones out of the guitars. I would go for a guitar that has HSS and that way you can get the best of both worlds. Good luck.

[Rainmaker]

Re: playing multiple instruments

Yea loading Yamaha Pacifica 112 with SD Cool Rails and Duncan Distortion, perfect choice!... mine's a Old Violin Sunburst, lemme see if I can find the pics - hold on.

[Cowboy Dan!?]

Re: playing multiple instruments

that yamaha looks good. i found it on musicians friend for 200 bucks. im thinking about getting it in trans green.

i think ill take rains advice about the pups in it. 2 cool rails and a sd distortion hb. i was wondering, how much do those pups make a difference in it? i know probally a lot, but try to put it into terms of if the sound the guitar came with was worth 200 bucks then how much would the sound be worth after the pups.

thanks a lot guys, hopefully ill get good at guitar as quick as i did my bass.

p.s. do any of you know if people who play multiple instruments tend to be better at each one?

[Rainmaker]

Re: playing multiple instruments

Well it depends on the guitar wood really, if you buy a guitar with Agathis wood (really ****) then even if you put new pickups in it, it's still gonna sound really wimpy.

Not sure about the GRX, but the Pacifica has an Alder body (like Stratocasters) with a veneer Ash top (whatever that means)...
Rosewood fingerboard too, so the pickups would suit it well IMO.

I was first going to go with Hot Rails but they had sold out, so I got the Cool Rails instead (leaving the middle pickup switched off)

[That90'sGuy]

Re: playing multiple instruments

If you're inspired to play guitar, purchase one. However, if you love playing bass and you feel you want to devote all your time and money into it, I'd say to go with that.

The Yamaha Pacifica is a great starter guitar as the others have mentioned.

While it's nice to get a guitar to figure out what your friends are doing, you should buy one because you want to compose on it. It's easy to spend money on stuff you don't need and then when it comes down to something you really want, you don't have enough for it. I see in your sig. that you're saving up for an Ampeg half stack. If you could get that sooner, wouldn't you want to? (instead of shelling out $250 on an instrument you'll rarely play... prolonging a purchase you know you really want).

Its worth is all in your eyes and that's what counts. Just giving you some food for thought

[wasteofo2]

Re: playing multiple instruments

I bought an Ibanez GRX45 as my first guitar, it's a horrible piece of crap in every way imaginable, yet somehow, nothing has blatently broken (as in neck snapping, tuners falling out), however it sounds and plays like crap.

[Hellion]

Re: playing multiple instruments

I play guitar primarily, but I'm also very proficient at bass, mandolin, drums, sax, and keys. Plus I sing. Learning an instrument just puts more musical ideas at your disposal.

[McLaughysSN]

Re: playing multiple instruments

I play guitar primarily, but I'm also very proficient at bass, mandolin, drums, sax, and keys. Plus I sing. Learning an instrument just puts more musical ideas at your disposal.

Exactly. go for it man