I don't have the hard experience of playing all these instruments, but I do have some bits that might help.

Overall that Yamaha will be your most diverse option. Classic rock is a mixture of single and double coil sounds, as well as semi/hollow bodies depending on what band you look at. The best way to cover all this ground is to either have split-able humbuckers (a feature that will put you in a higher price bracket), or have access to both single and double coils, which the Yamaha provides.

A co-worker has that GAX and he's a metal guy through and through. It should be noted dual humbuckers would cover later/hard rock as well as metal, but if you're also looking at earlier stuff from like the 60s you may want to keep that single coil option.

I wanna get a starter guitar? Figure I should start actually learning to play.

Does anyone here play the harp, by chance? Would it be completely unreasonable for me to buy a 19-string pixie harp (with no prior musical experience)? I initially wanted to buy a santoor/hammered dulcimer, but those are a bit over my budget. Would a lap harp or lyre be more realistic to start with?

So... I'm seriously considering learning guitar. I'm much more interested in acoustic than electric, so I'd buy one of those.

Three questions for you guitar aficionados (esp. Plankton and Chula):
1. Although I'm looking for a starter, I'd like to get something of fairly good quality. What brands should I look for?
2. How much should I budget?
3. What features should I look for? i.e. strings, neck, etc.

Strings and a neck would be quite beneficial.

Bloody literal Germans :D

Takamine is a good starter brand but make sure that you don't get a clunker.

What IS your budget? You need to start there. Have you ever played guitar before? How much will you be able to dedicate to it on average the first 3 months?

$300 is the most I'd want to spend. If I could get something quality for $200 or less, that would be great, but I'd rather spend a bit more to get something I'll enjoy playing.

When I was younger, I used to hack around on a guitar we used to have around the house, but I probably stretched the definition of "playing." I am decent on the ukulele, though.

I'd say 30-60 minutes per day would be a reasonable estimate. I should stipulate that I learned piano the "right" way, by playing lots of scales and arpeggios, and I'd take the same fundamental approach to any other instrument.

The thing is that I've reached the point where I'm realistically not going to get any better at piano without an inordinate amount of work, and I miss the fun of getting better at an instrument.

If I were to start all over again, I'd go with something like this:

Fender Classic Design Series CD-140SCE Cutaway Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar Black | Guitar Center

You'll have a great starter guitar that can also be plugged in so you can test future effects and amps, but make sure to get it set-up properly with any truss rod and saddle adjustments if necessary. Also, starting with an acoustic is, imo, the best way to develop muscle memory early on since fretting one takes a little more effort than most non-acoustics, but make sure you're learning proper technique and hand placement first:

https://www.guitarhabits.com/how-to-...-positioning/#

Like anything new, it'll feel awkward starting out but keep at it and you'll find a comfort level that will be the foundation of your musical journey. Start off proper and build that solid foundation, but most importantly... be bold and fearless in your discoveries. Good luck my young friend.

Tuner Alert.

TC Electronics Polytuner - little (and I mean little) sucker works great on both acoustic and electric. Much better than any other clip on I've used. And I'll be damned, I like it better than the tuner on the Kemper Profiler.

Very smooth response (not jittery at all) and the way the display works is really nice.

http://www.effectsbay.com/wp-content...tune-clip2.jpg

Delay pedals where the feedback, level, and/or delay time are controlled using rocking pedal(s) like what's used on a wah instead of knobs. Is that a thing that exists?

Yes. In most multi-effects units you can program the rocker to modulate any of a presets available parameters. I haven't tried it with my HD500 but I know this is possible. Not sure about a OOTB product like that though. There's things like this too:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...BoCsusQAvD_BwE

That's hawt. Multi FX is not.

Kinda interested in learning how to make pedals and developing my own model eventually, but this'll do the trick in the meantime.

Moog has such a device with their miniFooger line of effect pedals, but they're discontinued much to my disappointment. What Mr Disc Golfer posted is the expression pedal that you would plug into a miniFooger to change certain parameters of that particular effect. Moog EP-3 Universal Polarity Expression Pedal are not an effects unit by themselves.

Ernie Ball has a line of line pedals including a delay which are built into a expression pedal. They run about two hundred smackeroonies, but on the used market they are cheaper and they're coming down considerably.

I thought about taking out the potentiometer and installing eighth inch stereo jacks in lieu of each knob (so I can unplug it if I have to) and connect them with cords to individual volume/expression pedals ... or just pigtail wires from the device to a volume pedals. I might circuit bend a Behringer.

I'm looking for a really good 5 string bass, preferably Ibanez but as long as it has decent pickups and not an overly-glossy finish, I'll consider it

I don't know your price range, but have you considered a SUB Ray? If you have the money, what about a Music Man 5 string bass?

Sterling By Music Man SUB Ray


Musicman Stingray 5 Bass

I'll sell you my Peavey Cirrus BXP 5. Make me an offer.

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...3c&oe=5D9C961F

My apologies for the blurry pic.

Any recommendations for electric drumkit under $400 - I'll be using it to practice only so sound and build quality don't have to be great, the 'feel' and responsiveness of the pads is probably the most important thing.

I'm looking for a good guitar for experimental/noise rock what sort of guitar would you recommend? Something along the lines of Thurston Moore's rig but going for a jazzier sound.

Have you tried telecaster? I think that this is the right instrument.

Jazzmaster or Stratocaster - either SSS or HH.

Agree about the Jazzmaster - a very versatile guitar, with the neck pickup and rhythm circuit providing jazzier/woodsy sounds. See tone profile posted below. The Squier (Fender) Classic Vibe Telecaster might also be a good option; I have this guitar and am really pleased with it. See second video.

Fender Jazzmaster tone profile:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OYSg40Cipk

Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h75TyVoHiZ0

Try a hollowbody like a Gibson ES-175D if you want to be different in the genre, but it's more the amp than the guitar. Just choose something with a decent rhythm circuit, get some weird pedals, and a good amp that sounds full. Noise guitar music tends to be more trebly, and jazz guitar music tends to be darker and bassier.

Is this thread only for guitar recommendation? I'll buy a cello for my 10 y.o. daughter in a month or two. Would be great if there's someone who knows anything about them

At that age think about getting a 3/4 size cello.

Hi, I would like to recommend Fender MIJ Hybrid Stratocaster.

My frend just bought it and it sounds awsome. I fall in love with this guitar and I am going to sell my standard strat to get it :)

Synth/piano recommendations.
 

Hi! Can anyone recommend me a weighted key piano/synth?

I used to own a Nord stage 2 which, unfortunately, I had to get rid of. Worst decision ever.

I can't afford a new Nord stage, but I need something that can do similar things (although, probably not as well I suspect)

Basically... Decent piano sounds, strings, synth module etc... Organs aren't particularly important to me. Can anyone recommend something? Thanks heaps.

I'd take a Fender MIJ over a USA everytime. (generally speaking.)

Trad chinese instruments to learn
 

I am in Chinese traditional and mixed music (eg my new swag by VaVa) and I would really fell in love with those instruments (dizi, jinghu, ... pretty much everything) and the music.

So what would you recommend to learn and practice?

Just WoW...............

Are Mushy Keys Normal?
 

I tried playing piano a few years back, but dropped it. Now I'm playing agian (two months so far) and it's really fun.
I currently have an Alesis Recital, and after reading a review that said the keys feel mushy, I noticed that myself. There is more resistance on the top than than the bottom. It feels awkward.
Is this how semi-weighted pianos are supposed to feel, or is this just a problem with this one?

(Accidentally put this in the wrong thread.)

NOTE TO ADMINS - Feel free to move this to a dedicated thread if you think it is warranted.

I'm looking for some input about hardware for creating minimal ambient drone pads and soundscapes in a Linux environment.

I've researched and compiled over 20 pages of notes from forums and resources around the web for electronic music composition in Linux, from ambient VSTs to generative synthesis. I installed Ubuntu Studio and experimented with creating drone loops from classical waveform samples but I have a limited comprehension of compositional terminology, so I'm wondering whether or not a dedicated controller and interface are necessary to start creating ambient pads.

From what I've read I'm considering investing in an M-Audio Oxygen Pro Mini – 32 Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller With Beat Pads, MIDI assignable Knobs, Buttons & Faders (https://a.co/d/2cbBadB) and an M-Audio AIR 192x6 USB C MIDI Audio Interface for Recording, Podcasting, Streaming, Studio Quality Sound, 2 XLR in (https://a.co/d/iKoBBSB).

It looks like the official M-Audio website provides Linux drivers for the interface. A clerk at Guitar Center explained that the keyboard is non-returnable as the bundled Windows/Mac software is single-user-licensed and the software doesn't support Linux.

USB MIDI is universal so Linux is not an issue, however from M-Audio's bundled software, described on their info site
(https://support.m-audio.com/en/suppo...d-questions#OS) I see that the M-Audio proprietary software applications, (Pro Tools, MPC Beats, Ableton Live Lite, AIR Virtual Instruments, MPC Sound Packs, Skoove, and Melodics) are strictly for Windows and Mac users.

So I explored the Ubuntu Studio OS as a software solution. According to their official site (https://ubuntustudio.org/tour/audio/) Ubuntu Studio audio tools include Jack, Ardour, Carla, Audacity, Qtractor, Hydrogen, Yoshimi, Rakarrack, Guitarix, and puredata, with additional support for supercollider, csound and chuck.

I'm hoping that the library of available tools from Ubuntu Studio will be sufficient for ambient pads and long-form drone soundscapes.

UPDATE: I spoke with an electronic music producer friend who invested over $10,000 into recording software plugins, and he expressed that while he respects my commitment to Linux, that he is concerned that there are next to no free and OSS software applications in this space. Very, very little. His concern is that I am charting a course that is artificially harder than it has to be.

His other noteworthy remark was that synthesizers are a more expensive way to reach an end that could be reached with heavy investment in soft synths. He said they're a fraction of the cost and often better, at least for while you're learning.

What do you think? Should I hang up this project until I reach a point where I can re-enter the closed-source proprietary software universe?

Thanks.

Certainly! To provide you with some recommendations, it would be helpful to know your level of experience, musical preferences, and any specific requirements or constraints you have.

Acoustic Guitar: The acoustic guitar is a versatile and widely loved instrument. It's great for solo playing, accompaniment, and songwriting. Popular options include Yamaha, Taylor, Martin, and Gibson guitars.

Electric Guitar: Electric guitars are commonly used in various genres like rock, blues, jazz, and pop. Brands like Fender, Gibson, PRS, and Ibanez offer a wide range of electric guitars to suit different playing styles.

Keyboard or Digital Piano: If you're interested in piano or keyboard-based music, a digital piano or keyboard would be a good choice. Yamaha, Roland, Korg, and Casio are reputable brands known for their quality instruments.

Drums: Drum kits are ideal for those who want to explore rhythmic patterns and percussion. Brands like Pearl, Yamaha, DW, and Roland offer drum sets suitable for beginners to professionals.

Violin: The violin is a classical string instrument that can also be used in various other genres. Violins from brands like Yamaha, Stentor, and Cecilio are popular choices for beginners.

Ukulele: The ukulele is a smaller string instrument with a fun and distinct sound. It's relatively easy to learn and is perfect for casual playing and sing-alongs. Kala, Lanikai, and Cordoba offer good quality ukuleles.

Saxophone: Saxophones are popular in jazz, classical, and contemporary music. Yamaha, Selmer, and Jupiter are well-known saxophone brands suitable for beginners and advanced players.

If you're lookin' for something versatile, go for a keyboard or a guitar, 'cause you can rock different genres with 'em. But hey, if you're feelin' the groove of some funky beats, a drum kit might be the way to go! Just trust your gut, follow your passion, and you'll find that perfect instrument to make some sick music with.

I can see this thread is a little old, but I decided to drop in as I’m impressed with your fantastic offer! It's a real boon for musicians like me. If this deal is still on the table, I'd love to take advantage of it.

Tom Delonge Strat
 

I’ve been playing a TD Strat and love it but man is the pickup hot… I hear every screech of my fingers…

Great recommendations here!