My guitar doesn't sound like the online samples

Hello
I am totally new to guitar playing. I bought a beginner kit (sam ash)
it's a Ibanez guitar. Now, I like trying to play riffs etc (rather badly) but when i visit a site that has a sample riff (say 'sweet child o mine intro)
The way it sounds for them (really cool sounding) is not how it sounds when i do it. Not knowing much, i can plainly hear that their guitar sounds cleaner and so close to the actual songs as played by their authors.
Now, is it my guitar? my beginner kit amp?
or, just my plucking "technique"?
it's frustrating and makes me wanna switch to something else
thx

could you give us a link to the site? maybe a listen will help us figure out whats up..what model are you using? it could be your playing as you've just started...i know its exciting and all that when u get started but it could be the strumming pattern that you're still not used to yet and it takes time and practise...

It's a ibanez GRX40
and it's no particular site. I just mean say, going to utube , i checked out one dude's clips on playing sweet child o mine
because i liked the intro. well, he breaks it down pretty nicely but even when he plucks one note my guitar does not have the sound he gets

it could be he's using some distortion pedal...or he cud be fiddling with the switches...either that or he might have changed the pickups of his guitar...dont worry about your guitar there's nothing wrong with it! im pretty sure the clip you saw he was using some distortion pedal like a flanger or a chorus or a wah wah pedal it could be anything...dont worry about that as of now and just focus on practising and improving dexterity.... :)

Well, how can you be sure that he's playing the same exact guitar as yours, did the guy state that it was a GRX40, or are you going by plain sight. He could also be using a better amp, or as Josh said, better pickups.

If its not the same guitar, then heres how it basically goes: The more you spend, the better guitar/sound your going to get. Thats not always the scenario, some guitars can be cheaper than others and sound better. But your $100 beginner guitar will sound like crap if you compare it to a $1000 Fender Strat or a $5000 PRS Cusom.

I wouldn't be so concerned on how other people sound, when you get more and more into guitar, you'll get more gear and be better satisfied. Just learn some songs/riffs and jam along to your favorite cd's. Try and see if you can figure out some riffs on your own before you go tab hunting.

Also, check out this: www.guitartricks.com/guide.php Theres some great lessons there and will help you out a bunch.

its your tone.

classic bands like GnR put a stress on a good tone.

they used tube amps, nice guitars, and some effects on top of that to get a sound that they really liked.

...it'll be impossible for you to get that EXACT sound with what you have.
for sweet child of mine, you need effects like reverb, overdrive, chorus, and a slight delay. if you play with your settings on your amp, you could get somewhat close to the distortionish sound, but it wont sound as good as on the album by a long shot.

i wish peeps would specify what type of amp settings etc they are using
thx to all of you for your replies

The amps in those beginner packs usually sound pretty horrid. Don't worry about whether you sound like this guitarist or that, because that's not important right now. What is important is that you learn how to use the gear that you have, and learn to get the best out of it. Also, use this time to concentrate on your playing technique and style. That will have a big impact on how you sound. Slash would still sound like Slash playing through your exact gear, and a beginner would still sound like a beginner playing through Slash's exact gear. Try not to get caught up in the never ending search for the perfect tone. It will never stop, and you will cry when you realize how much money you actually spend on your search. Trust me, I know :( . Focus on your playing now, and your tone later.

Originally Posted by: mannyci wish peeps would specify what type of amp settings etc they are using
thx to all of you for your replies

its very much a personal thing. what sounds good to one wont sound good to another. what sounds good on one amp wont sound good on another.

there is a guide to this thing somewhere.
Dialing in a good clean tone
...if you want to have a tone that sounds good to you.

however, if you really just want someone else's settings theres stuff on google about that.

but since you want settings, i'll give you what i use for a pretty good classic rock sound on my amp.

OKAY. this is kinda a clean, almost southern rockish sound.
bass-5.5
mids-4.5
treble-8

ive got just a bit of distortion, but ive got it so that when i hit the strings hard it will push the amp and give it more distortion. sorta a mix of clean and dirty sound.

for even harder classic sound (ACDC, etc)
bass-a little over 4
mids- a little over 3
treble- a little over 8.

alot of distortion this time, but not all out. enough so that your indiviual notes are still articulate.

One other major thing that beginners don't realise is that a lot of the actual tone from a good player comes from the guitarists technique. A really good guitarist can make a poor set up sound impressive. When you get a great guitarist with a great setup then you get the Vai, Satch, Petrucci or Slash sound. It doesn't matter how cool your set up is once you're a beginner, it won't sound professional untill you develop good technique (not just alternate picking, legatto and sweep picking... more like stylistic techniques such as vibrato, sliding, palm muting on/off during phrasing, pinch harmonics and other 'hands on guitar' tone shaping stuff. It's a lot to expect when you start out to be able to match the sound of one of your favourite players.
What you want to achieve now is a 'basic' core sound that you are happy with, forget trying to get the exact sound you hear on an album (consider the cost of that sound in the first place - say €2000 for the guitar and about €50,000 for the engineer and studio time.... and that's just for starters!).
If you are going to change anything in your setup I would suggest changing the pickups - Ibanez are great guitars even on the low end. Stick in a pair of Dimarzio Evolutions and you will have a great beginners guitar - it's up to you then to experiment with the rest of your gear, ask questions here and use the search function in the forum to look up tone advice. Hope that helps!!

Just a tip. Buy a pod hehe

Seriously, I was kinda in a similar situation. I was just getting back into playing electric guitar after taking a few years off. I talked to a friend whose a professional musician/guitarist and he said to get a pod. I bought the pod xt in April and havn't looked back.

I do want to state that you should practice clean. Least thats my take, as you will make sure you are fretting correctly etc... but the Pod for jamming makes life alot more fun.

Also you can head over to Line6's website and in their forums folks post the sounds they get i.e. the amp/speaker combos and such.

I highly recommend the POD any chance I get.

Cheers!