Picked up a Marshall DSL40....What now???

[Bob Womack]

You need to get three or four patches you like and start working on playing. Just like an acoustic, an electric has to be practiced on until it becomes an extension of your body.


Bob

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

Thanks for the responses guys!

I actually did return the DSL and I bought a Line 6 Helix. I can't tell if that was a mistake yet or not haha! On one hand, it allows me to get solid tone with headphones, but on the other hand, I really think I hate patch building!

Again I'm on the fence. Not really with Helix, but more with electric guitar in general. Too much peripheral that takes my mind off of playing and more on gear.

I ended up putting all pedals away and just concentrated on practicing on a well set up Telecaster straight into an amp. A good tube amp like the DSL40 will have sweet spots tonally but even at low volume clean it will show you every minuscule irregularly and provide incentive to improve skill which can be most rewarding. Effects can work to make things sound attractive but it can become distracting, ime.

[paulp1960]

I would suggest something like recording your acoustic guitar and learning to solo over the top.

I mostly think of electric guitar as an ensemble instrument rather than a standalone instrument. Even if I could play Jimi Hendrix or Led Zep riffs and solos perfectly I would take little pleasure from playing those pieces without the band backing sound.

I create my own backing tracks in Logic Pro X and then practice my electric guitar playing over a backing track.

It works for me anyway. Once I have a rhythm and bass laid down it's time to play something "pretty" on the electric. It's a different mind set from solo acoustic guitar.

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by paulp1960

I would suggest something like recording your acoustic guitar and learning to solo over the top.

I mostly think of electric guitar as an ensemble instrument rather than a standalone instrument. Even if I could play Jimi Hendrix or Led Zep riffs and solos perfectly I would take little pleasure from playing those pieces without the band backing sound.

I create my own backing tracks in Logic Pro X and then practice my electric guitar playing over a backing track.

It works for me anyway. Once I have a rhythm and bass laid down it's time to play something "pretty" on the electric. It's a different mind set from solo acoustic guitar.

You know, this concept has never dawned on me. This is pretty much exactly why I am not playing more electric these days. I get about 15 minutes a day to sit and dabble at guitar, and it is just so much easier and better for me to pick up an acoustic.

I'm just in a weird place right now with electric. I'm enjoying acoustic so much, and even if I got the chance to gig again, I don't know that I would play electric.

[Nama Ensou]

Originally Posted by paulp1960

I mostly think of electric guitar as an ensemble instrument rather than a standalone instrument. Even if I could play Jimi Hendrix or Led Zep riffs and solos perfectly I would take little pleasure from playing those pieces without the band backing sound.

That's a matter of thinking that those types of music are the primary reason to play an electric and says more about the music than the instrument itself.

There's no guitar music that can be played on acoustic and yet not on electric. The electric guitar is capable of playing whatever the hands holding it can conceive of playing; solo material or ensemble included.