Say I wanted to, um, buy an electric guitar, mainly for production stuff. I'm a very mediocre guitar player (or worse, tbf), no callouses whatsoever. Not interested in playing live anytime.
So, just for recording directly into an audio interface, what kind of guitar would you recommend? #music #musicproduction
reflecting on guitars, ex & sexism
While I'm browsing for e-guitars, I noticed that I consciously avoided guitars that reminded me of my ex. He is a bass player and always nagged me about music. He played in a band, "no girls allowed". When I said I wanted to make music (I have a pretty solid theoretical background and can play multiple instruments), he told me I needed to dress sexy for that.
In hindsight: 2 things seem to be true: He was afraid of my musical knowledge. And he was a sexist arse.
reflecting on guitars, ex & sexism /2
I think I wrote about that before. Now that that relationship has been over for more than 18 years, I think it was pretty toxec. From both sides, I, too, was mean and manipulative and an arse at many times. We were not good for each other.
But man, it's a shame I didn't start making music earlier. I really regret that.
reflecting on guitars, ex & sexism /3
But I certainly won't buy a light blue metallic guitar! Nooope!
reflecting on guitars, ex & sexism /addendum
So while I'm binging all kinds of instructional videos about guitars, like how to set them up, how to fix common issues or how to care for them, I'm constantly reminded of the things that my ex would do but never took the time to explain. Ouch.
It's alright, I'll just push through. I just didn't expect this - then again, there is a reason I wasn't able to pick up an electric guitar for all those (let's say 25) years.
@TQ I have no idea how to play the guitar, but if I wanted to dive into it with minimal hassle I think I'd try this: https://artiphon.com/products/instrument-1
@ice Thanks! I have come across this thing before, it looks fun! But I'd rather go other way around and synthesize guitar sounds if needed... I don't really want to become a better guitar player, I just want to insert all those dirty guitar tracks into my music! 😅
@TQ Since it's mainly a MIDI controller, I believe you can plug it to any kind of guitar VST/synth and get a guitar vibe quite easily. But yeah, I'm absolutely not a guitar expert, so this may not fit your needs at all. The only thing I can vouch for is their newest instrument, the Orba, which is also a MIDI controller, but definitely not a guitar :)
@ice I have a midi controller, an Arturia KeyLab Essential, so I think I'm good on that front. It's just that I wanted to add some more gritty sounds into my songs, they always sound so... clean.
@TQ the diminishing returns on guitars by price is astonishing.
Honestly, this will sound like a non-answer, but the best guitar is the one you pick up, you love the feel and look of it, and it's in your price range.
@paeneultima I really appreciate your opinion here! Thank you!
@TQ we've been recording music at home for a few years now and there are myriad plugins that let you synthesize amps, rooms, pedals, and so in the end the guitar you love is the right guitar.
The rest you can (to an extent) fix in post
Mari 
@paeneultima @TQ yep this.
Also, as someone who is v v small but likes the sound of acoustics, it took me a while to find a guitar I could hold comfortably. If your hands are on the smaller side, look specifically for smaller/narrower necks. If your hands aren't particularly strong, look for low action (tho this is also changeable if you're into DIY).
Both of those are pretty common for electric-only guitars, so yeah "the first one you find that you can afford" is probably the best! ^_^
@bouncinglime @TQ Guitar necks are SO interesting, and the feel can be a surprise. My spouse has smaller hands and always ends up preferring what he calls "baseball bat" necks. (Chonky bois)
I'll stop sounding like a broken record, but putting your hands on a guitar is invaluable to the choosing.
I'm excited for whatever it is you land on!
@bouncinglime @TQ Maybe also worth mentioning that while a neck bend on a Gibson/Epiphone looks cool as hecccc (to me anyway) that they are fragile and far more prone to breaking if tipped/dropped than a straighter neck like you would find on a Fender or Harmony.
@TQ it depends. The pickups make a great deal of the 'electric guitar' sound (apart from the stuff you can do via signal processing, i.e. amps, pedals and the like).
If you're going for dirt, humbucker-style pickups are your friend. If you want a cleaner lead guitar sound, you might want at least one single coil pickup.
If you have an acoustic guitar, plugging a soundhole pickup into your audio interface might be a cheap hacky workaround.
@TQ (I haven't tried that last suggestion, though... but signal processing can do a lot.)
@TQ One that feels good in your hands. And it depends on the sound you want. Do you want the jangle of a strat or the growl of a Les Paul?
Also, buy used!
@filkerdave I try to avoid real life shopping at the moment for obvious reasons, so "feeling good on my hand" is a bit rough to judge. But I'll keep your advice in mind and try to... Guess? Maybe? Is that a thing!?
It is. I've only ever bought one guitar without playing its first but I've found that if you don't like the way guitar feels you won't play it.
@TQ It honestly sounds like you need the guitar I have in my home. It's an inexpensive Squier Stratocaster that I've had for over 30 years - not an absolute piece of crap but only a few steps above that in price at the time. Over the years, I've had the pickups replaced - one DiMarzio humbucker on the bridge, two Seymour Duncan single-coils in the middle and by the neck. All mods done by the same person, who likes to Frankenstein together guitars, but 20+ years apart.
@TQ So along with what others have said, that is my advice - find a playable but inexpensive (maybe used) guitar and replace the pickups if needed.
Personally, I have slightly different needs: I do want to become a better player right now. But those needs are still met by the guitar I've got.
@reinderdijkhuis sounds perfect!
@TQ Monoprice makes a great Les Paul clone that's like $200. Easy enough to play, sounds fine.
@TQ I'd agree with the idea of anything Squier, probably a Telecaster or Stratocaster. They are mid range cost, have a decent sound and feel [usually!] even if not a purist's choice.
They are common enough that buying one online is lower risk that buying a lesser known guitar.
@kommadieb I think I'll mull it over. I have been kindly offered the opportunity to testdrive a guitar this weekend, and I'll see how that influences my opinion.
reflecting on guitars, ex & sexism /2
@TQ I know for a fact that you make great music now.
reflecting on guitars, ex & sexism /2
@pilum That is so nice of you to say, thank you! 😺
reflecting on guitars, ex & sexism /3
@TQ Deep red metallic is better, but that's just me.
Immer Musik machen!
reflecting on guitars (ex) & sexism
i'd say, don't play a guitar at all (and that is not just my pers. preference (and therefor absolutely irrelevant for anyone but me)) but... how do i put this ... it is no coincidence that music is centered around straight cis men and around guitars* in bands.
*it's more complicated and all fuzzy, but still true.
the guitar had it's time in the spotlight, there are other instruments.. we should move on.
reflecting on guitars (ex) & sexism
@rottenmeier but I really like the sound...
reflecting on guitars (ex) & sexism
@TQ which is aboslute valid, and fits perfectly in the fuzzyness (not of the sound (or?... is there a fuzzy sound guitar pedal, i'm sure there is)... but the fuzzyness..) of the topic 🎸
reflecting on guitars (ex) & sexism
@TQ
auch wenn ich es kürzlich erst gepostet habe, aber weil es so super passt und zusammenfasst:
Chicks on Speed - We don't play Guitars
https://youtu.be/gZMwkDTONpM
reflecting on guitars (ex) & sexism
@rottenmeier Very noice! Danke! Liebe die Ästhetik!
reflecting on guitars, pushing through sexism
@TQ
this morning while waking up, i saw your guitar toot, i had a thought like: i wish You to play/explore/know/a.s.o. the guitar from going full "peaches" (as in the chicks on speed video: full rock star goddess guitar hero, reclaiming all the e-guitar poses at 1399% ) to björks- desired constellation live on canal+
but i can't find a fucking video online of this performance. so i have to try to explain, and i have to "björk out" a bit longer: (1/?)
reflecting on guitars, Björk, pushing through sexism
after years in bands #björk did not have any e-guitars in her production and live performances (as i'm aware of) (but 'every' other instrument, even teslar coils, but no e-guitars (e-g.), and i think i got some of my thoughts about e-g. even from interviews i read).
desired constellation is from björks all vocal medulla album. and it's one af the few tracks which is not all vocal, it sounds electronic. (2/?)
reflecting on guitars, Björk, pushing through sexism
@TQ
why: the music is by Olivier Alary from ensemble, who gave it to björk and she wrote the lyrics over it. she tried to make a vocal version, but thought the original is better and kept it. later she found out, that the sound is actually her voice sampled and manipulated (so i remember from interviews). what does that have to do with e-g. you might ask: (3/?)
reflecting on guitars, Björk, pushing through sexism
@TQ
in the rare live performance of desired constallation for canal+ Olivier Alary samples björks voice live, starts to manipulate it via laptop, and then turns to an e-g and somehow (don't ask me how) manipulates the sample further usind the e-g. as 'controller' just by tapping on the body, sometimes touching single strings, using a microphone for resonance/feedback. (4/5)
reflecting on guitars, Björk, pushing through sexism
with very attentive ears I might hear some e-guitar sounds but mostly it's complete different within this production. he is "playing" the e-g. but he is not.
and i wish you that you push through this like this range, and i'm also sure that you're creativity will lead you to a wide range of (e-)guitar playing and it will be wounderful.
my thought this morning were just these 2 videos, but thats what they stand for. (5/5) 🎸
reflecting on guitars, Björk, pushing through sexism
@rottenmeier Thank you for these thoughts! I'm happy I finally took this step, I hadn't realized there was a barrier that I have to address in some way or another. There are more things intertwined with it, like being raised poor and migrant background, but that's just second to the active (and very sneaky) discouragement I encountered from my ex.
I'm curious to explore wherever this brings me!
reflecting on guitars, Björk, pushing through sexism
@TQ yes! please! and explore! from the most typical and clichee to the must unusal "off" way you can't even think of now. and all in the middle ground of course.
i mean... how do we learn to unlearn stuff? i don't know but i so hope and wish you try.
reflecting on guitars, Björk, pushing through sexism
@rottenmeier 💖 Thank you!
reflecting on guitars, ex & sexism /addendum
@TQ I’m proud of you for pushing through and getting a guitar now!
reflecting on guitars, ex & sexism /addendum
@toni thank you, me too! I previously went so far as to getting an acoustic guitar because I thought I had to earn the electric guitar first. It didn't occur to me that those may be quite different to play...
reflecting on guitars, ex & sexism /addendum
@TQ Looking forward to the continuation of this tale. I'm certain you'll get the hang of it in short order.
Okay, I did some research and have thinned it down to a list of 7 guitars with different pros and cons.