wtf!?!

why whenever i play my guitar it sounds super bad as to everyone else playing. Is it my guitar or my amp? fender 15g frontman. squire fatstrat.

Maybe its you?

Originally Posted by: dylanator321why whenever i play my guitar it sounds super bad as to everyone else playing. Is it my guitar or my amp? fender 15g frontman. squire fatstrat.

Of course it's all in the hands,but the quality of your gear can also greatly effect the output and caliber of sound depending what level you are at.You get what you pay for.Try running some effects pedals to enhance the sound a bit if you can't afford bigger gear yet.Not saying that it will solve everything,but tone wise you will have a lot more variety of options to work with.

Originally Posted by: hunter1801Maybe its you?

no its not like im bad its just it doesnt sound electricish. do i need effect pedals?a new amp or a better guitar. i would appreciate some suggestions.
also i dont have a huge budget because i recently bought my guitar and amp. one more thing.when i turn my amp up it gets hella feedback. is that supposed to happen or is it messed up. thanks

Sounds like you need a couple of effects pedals. Maybe a good overdrive and a chorus pedal to start. Or get a multi-effects unit and get everything at once.

For the feedback, try pointing your amp away from you or lower the tone a little.

k thanks. ill invest in a better amp with effects and try to turn the amp away from me. thanks

You might not even need a better amp.
If ya have full access I did a few tutorials on what the different effects are capable of doing for your sound. I did em straight line in to the computer using a GT-8 and it should give you a good idea of what you can get with a decent multi-effects unit.
Try checking out this lesson. It gives an example of playing straight through the computer, then adding reverb, delay, chorus and compression

http://guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=10684&s_id=395

Originally Posted by: dylanator321why whenever i play my guitar it sounds super bad as to everyone else playing. Is it my guitar or my amp? fender 15g frontman. squire fatstrat.

I've got a similar setup - my Squire is just standard, got a Jackhammer and the 15g Frontman amp. If you haven't done so yet ,replace the amps speaker with a Jensen C8R and keep the back off to get rid of the 'box' sound. This won't change it into a super amp but you will hear a definite improvement - more clarity, open-air and bottom end. When you get some pedals - especially OD or distortion - don't use them through the clean channel or you'll just get flubber(the clean channel sux when using pedals); use the gain channel instead (gain knob at 1) . Note, after replacing the speaker, the amps own distortion will sound like hornets in a can - the Jensen C8R will reveal all (so getting some OD or distortion pedals is a must) - but totally clean it will sound good. Also dial up the amps own EQs when using an OD or distortion pedal, but this is best done when your pedals have seperate bass, mid and high EQ controls. Rolling back the volume on your guitar a bit should give you a better sound too.

For about $110.00 U.S. you can got a Vox DA5 amp its small but it has tons of affects built in. Its only good as a practice amp but you could probably trade in your other amp and get it cheaper. This amp got top marks in Guitar World Magazine. I own one. I travel a bunch for work and I take it with me on the road. Just a suggestion. Your local music store should be willing to let you try one out. Also I would suggest using your local music store to try out different gear. Just do not let them talk you into anything you don't really want. Remember their job is to sell you stuff. So just keep that in the back of your mind and let year ears and your wallet be the judge of what you want to buy.

At Bonnaroo I saw a guy walking around with a little vox amp and some strat, probably fender and it actually sounded really kickass. it was just one of those tiny things that works on batteries but he was getting some really decent tone out of it. It was the DA5 as mentioned above. I was really blown away by how great it sounded, my friend had a similar Marshall type amp and it blew, but that Vox was impressive. Anyway.

As for feedback, with most amps if you are playing loud with moderate gain or higher you need to keep you hands on the strings to mute them and keep the feedback at bay. If you are still getting feedback then something is probably broken or not adjusted properly. Maybe your pickups, if mine are too close to the strings that tends to happen. Plus my tone sucks if its not just right. You may just need a decent setup done, but adjusting your pickups and bridge really isn't that difficult but if you don't know what your doing you may as well take it to someone. Honestly with what you have you should be able to get a decent tone of something. You may be shooting at something your rig just can't do and thats why it sounds like crap. Like I wouldn't be trying to get metal tones with that setup, but some really nice cleans or bluesy to rock tones should be fine. Obviously I don't really know that but from the fender amps I have played and the strats I have played thats what I would say. The single coil pickups (if thats what you have) are gonna hum and give more feedback at higher gain, because they aren't "hum"-"buckers".

Like Kevin said you may just want to get a overdrive pedal and maybe an effects pedal or two, I own no effects just a distortion pedal and a wah but I also wish I had a bunch of effects... MoogerFoogers anyone? wish they didn't cost an arm and a leg each but whatever. The point is that you should just mess with it till it turns out something you like, there is no reason with that setup you should;t get something, unless like I said, you are shooting for something it can't do or something is broken.

Thats my two cents on the subject, but I may be wrong.

Originally Posted by: dylanator321why whenever i play my guitar it sounds super bad as to everyone else playing. Is it my guitar or my amp? fender 15g frontman. squire fatstrat.

Spend $15 on a Danelectro Fab Distortion pedal, it's uber versatile and you will sound like your playing an electric guitar :)

why whenever i play my guitar it sounds super bad as to everyone else playing. Is it my guitar or my amp? fender 15g frontman. squire fatstrat.

Well I guess if you're asking that question, you are probably a younger player and probably a beginner too, because, no offense intended : we all started out as beginners, a more experienced guitar player usually won't ask those kinds of questions. My advice would be this : take lessons. Your gear is way enough for you to get a good sound. It would even be good enough for the next year or two until you know more about gear and guitar playing. Give me the same gear you have, and I will make it sound good. Not awesome, but I could use it to play everything I know after 25 years of guitar playing. If you need more volume for rehearsals later on, then, and only then, consider buying a more powerful amp.

Learn the instrument and learn it well before spending more money. In the not-so-long run you'll end up buying more stuff, but all you need for now is a good playable guitar and an amp with a clean and distortion sound, and you already have all of that. Take your gear to a good guitar teacher ( or the shop you bought it from if you bought it in a shop ) and ask them to explain to you how to set it up. INVEST your money in lessons, instead of SPENDING it on gear you'll end up replacing quite soon anyway.

Quoting Marty Friedman on this:
"What would you advise as far as gear is concerned ?
-A guitar, an amp, and then go to town"

Hope that helps.

I'd have to say it's your amp dude.


How old is your gear? Amp, and guitar. That could have something to do with it.

If it's all new (within a few years) something isn't right. (New gear! :) )

what sound are u after?