[jbeckton]

Hi all,

I bought an acoustic guitar about a month ago and have been practicing playing basic chords and switching while strummig since I got it. I think that I always want to learn to play the acoustic guitar, but I also want to learn to play the electric as well. With Christmas comming up I knew that this was probably the last change to get a elerctric guitar for some time becasue I am still in college and don't have a lot of money. Anyways, long story short, I get a Squier Affinity Strat after reading a lot of reviews for cheap guitars as that is all that I could afford.

I bought an amp on buget for only $20 (Drive CD100) and should probably not be suprised that it doesn't sound very good to me. I read a lot of reviews where people said that if you adjust the settings (vol/gain/treb/mid/bass) right it can sound decent but I have had no luck. Any tips? Also I might be able to afford to get another small practice amp (< $100) if it will sound any better. Or should I stick with this until I am ready to spend more than $100?

Also, noticed that the fret board on my acoustic is about 1.75" near the top nut but my electric is only 1.5", is this going to cause me problems in the long run? I have already noticed that its harder to hit the chords clean on the electric.

Other than that I have been looking over the guitar for beginners thread, any other suggestions? I am determined to learn so I will be around.

Thanks in advance.

[Stratrat]

Check out the amp threads in the "Guitar Gear" sub-forum further down the board. My recommendation in that price range is the Roland Micro Cube ($125). It's a great little practice amp and very versatile - you can play with different amp models and effects without having to spend money buying effects pedals to start out with. No matter what other amps I own, I'll never get rid of the Micro Cube just because of its portability and versatility.

[wjp01908]

Originally Posted by jbeckton

Also, noticed that the fret board on my acoustic is about 1.75" near the top nut but my electric is only 1.5", is this going to cause me problems in the long run? I have already noticed that its harder to hit the chords clean on the electric.

This is quite normal - electrics generally have narrower necks than acoustic guitars and it`s just a case of practicing to get those chords clean

Will

[starsailor]

It might be worth your while investing in the Roland Microcube, if you've got the cash to hand, they have excellent reviews and the Roland will last a long time and always be useful as a portable Amp, the problem with the one you have is that if you're not getting anywhere near a decent sound it's going to get frustrating for you and make your playing less enjoyable, we need to hear our practice paying off and a bad sounding Amp is as big a drawback as a dodgy guitar, getting a decent practice amp will keep the motivation going and make playing enjoyable which is what it should be.

[MCH]

Have a look at Vox DA5 (portable series). They have a lot of great features. Such as 11 modeling amps to play with to get different sounds. Built in effects.

just another option

[jbeckton]

Thanks guys, I think that I will look into getting a micro cube since it seems to be highly recomended.