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Electric guitar ?

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GILLSKI
Posts: 1250 - Karma: 361
Okay so Ive been playing acoustic for a while now and im looking to get an electric.  Im really thinking about getting a Epiphone Sheraton 2 wich is a semi hollowbody guitar.   Most of the people I see playing it are playing it with like a jazz sound but ik Matthew followill lead guitarist of King of leon uses it. 

Basically my question is with just the guitar and amp can I make the guitar sound really distorted like a alternative rock sound by just messing with distortion on the pickups and amp?  Or is there something else im missing


sorry im a electric guitar noob
Apr 26 2011 10:27PM
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.Max.
Posts: 2930 - Karma: 701
Yes you can. The guitar actually has beautiful tonal qualities, especially for its price range. It won't be as quick as a strat or even a les paul, however it should do the trick. The dual humbucking pickups are really smooth and warm, especially when accompanied with the semi hollow body of that guitar. You will most definitely be able to get a distorted sound like you asked for, in fact, any electric capable guitar can have that distorted alternative rock sound. Little gain, lots of bass, no mid, 3/4 treble and neck pickup should have you on your way to that sound.

Good luck!
Apr 26 2011 10:34PM
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GILLSKI
Posts: 1250 - Karma: 361
Hey thanks a lot for a legit answer

I really want a semi Hollow because I can play unplugged but i was worried.  From what I have gathered it looks like everything points to what you said.  Looks like ill do it.

thanks +k
Apr 26 2011 10:38PM
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AWALLRUS.
Posts: 5762 - Karma: 223

8-string

Apr 26 2011 10:44PM
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GILLSKI
Posts: 1250 - Karma: 361
uhmmm no what?
Apr 26 2011 10:48PM
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Legion
Posts: 1374 - Karma: 29
if it has humbuckers, raise the master, lower the channel volume you can drive your amp hard and take full effect of your pups. dont scoop the mids, because you will sound like a dimebag wanabee and loose all those frequencies which will help you cut though the mix
Apr 26 2011 10:50PM
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AWALLRUS.
Posts: 5762 - Karma: 223
it makes your sound epic. but if you want heavy sound, crank the gain, crank the treble, middle at half way and bass at 8/10ish. also make sure you've got only your bottom pickup on.
Apr 26 2011 10:54PM
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GILLSKI
Posts: 1250 - Karma: 361
sounds good man  thanks
Apr 26 2011 11:32PM
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Inbred_Redneck
Posts: 2776 - Karma: 28
Humbuckers and a good amp will do it fine....

Just dont overdistort it too much, ALOT of players do that and then your tonal qualities go out the window, and you pretty much sound like shit.
Apr 26 2011 11:39PM
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Inbred_Redneck
Posts: 2776 - Karma: 28
In fact if you want to distort it look for a tube amp. Most of the solid states i've played sound like shit if youre dealing with anything with distortion.
Apr 26 2011 11:42PM
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GILLSKI
Posts: 1250 - Karma: 361
IM not going to over distort   I just dont want to sound like im playing jazz
Apr 27 2011 12:12PM
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StevenR
Posts: 1372 - Karma: 33
In my opinion, this is one of the best investments a guitarist can make. In fact, I would say that while the guitar absolutely does have an effect on the sound, it won't have as much of an effect as the amp, and if all you have is a 10 watt solid state that you bought at wal-mart, your not likely to get the sound you really want. That being said, there have been, and are a lot of people who just prefer the tone they get from a solid state. Tube amps are also more fragile (as there are literally glass tubes in it) and generally require more maintenance. But the difference is night and day.
Apr 27 2011 1:13PM
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TheHamburglar
Posts: 3895 - Karma: 3,315
yeah I run two big all-tube combos in stereo, the tone is absolutely GODLY but they weigh a fuck ton and are a pain in the ass to maintain. get a small 10w tube amp with your guitar and crank those tubes, you'll be glad you did
Apr 27 2011 1:18PM
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Inbred_Redneck
Posts: 2776 - Karma: 28
Indeed, I've gone through so many tube amps to find a tone I liked, and never got close. Almost every tube I've played( alot of marshalls) were awesome. With all the money i spent trying to find a good sounding solid state, i couldve gotten myself a nice as JCM800 or 2000 or those new marshall beginner tubes.

Tubes are loud as fuck though, so try and find something around 50w or lower.
Apr 27 2011 1:21PM
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StevenR
Posts: 1372 - Karma: 33
I meant to say this too, cant put too much emphasis on that. If you just plan on playing in your bedroom, if you go too big with it you will shake your walls, piss off your neighbors, and give yourself tinnitus every time you play a song. Not that a single one of those things is bad, but it may not be the most desirable outcome depending on what your looking for. A 15 watt solid state amp will not get loud at all. A 15 watt tube amp (like the Orange Tiny Terror) WILL be pretty loud for bedroom practice. And in all likelihood, if you are playing a gig that a 15 watt tube amp isn't loud enough for, it will probably be mic'd anyway.

That being said, loud is still awesome. I have a Mesa Boogie Mark IV, which is 85 watts (still not THAT high of a wattage compared to whats out there), and I have played unmic'd gigs with some pretty high gain levels with absolutely no problems. Most of the shows I have played with it have been mic'd though and the volume on the amp itself is usually kept pretty low. When I'm just playing in my bedroom, if I put the volume at like 3 it gets to the point of too loud, my dog gets scared. But I love it.
Apr 27 2011 1:51PM
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Legion
Posts: 1374 - Karma: 29
Never go ss, the just don't compare on any level to tube. Find a variable wattage tube combo like a bugera for starters. If you reall think that you need a head/ stack, get an attenuator so you can actually drive your power tubes and not run solely through your preamp tubes.
Apr 27 2011 2:14PM
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GILLSKI
Posts: 1250 - Karma: 361
well its seams as if im going with a tube amp.  Not sure how much it will effect me at first being it will be my first electirc setup but I learned how to play almost anything acoustically in less than a year. So im gunna invest knowing I love guitar and will probably never stop playing  
Apr 27 2011 8:46PM
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BIGben*
Posts: 1942 - Karma: 8
Yes.
Apr 27 2011 8:51PM
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