[gprro]

Thanks everyone! Good info all around. Maybe there should be an instuments sub forum? I've been reading what I can find on Japanese fenders. There are a couple good sites. I think this one, by the date, was made in the Fuji Gen factory. The Tokai built are newer and Japan domestic market, non export, from what I've read.

Plugging in tonight ! Mini Marshall stack. Any pedal effects recomended? Probably something for future thought. I think I want a nice heavy crunchy sound occasionly. I love the sound of teles through a good reverb amp, Princeton reverb in particular. And, one of my favorite set ups I've heard in person from about 10 feet away at ear height was Amy Rays, half of indigo girls fame, set up. Mid 60s Gibson 335 with bigsby through a vintage Princeton
reverb and vintage Hi Watt. She was opening with her "rock show" for another act I went to see. Blew me away, cought me comepletely off guard. The sound through the reverb was perfect. A little weight, crunch, distiortion. The Hi watt was screaming on solos. I'll find an example. Watch through to the solo parts also...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyFhLlWwqrs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

This performance isn't quite as good as the couple I've seen, but you get a close up of the guitar and equipment, and a sense of the sound I'm talking about. It's still pretty good, and an eye opener if you've only heard Indigo Girls. It doesn't realy come through on video through my iPod. In person it had weight and this crazy spitting overdrive on solos. Also, she was much more animated in the shows I've seen during the solos. It as Amy Ray/ Angus Young for one show in Durham. Anyway I want to find some effects for
similar sounds. Pics of the amp later..

[drphoto]

Uhm, I'm no expert, but I don't think you're going to get the sound you want from that Marshall Mini. However at this time, just concentrate on learning to play. The amp will be fine for that.

You're gonna have your hands full for awhile, just trying to produce a good clean tone. As you learn your chord shapes and start stringing them together concentrate on playing in time and w/ a good 'feel'. I know from experience, beginners tend to just 'plod' along.

Good luck....and hang in there. The learning curve is not linear. It seems you can go along for a time sort of stuck, then all of the sudden, you're playing something you couldn't do before, and wonder why it seemed so hard. In other words, the curve....jumps, for lack of a better explanation.

[Wayner]

Just for shits and giggles, here is my 50th Anniversary Fender Telecaster. It's black with granite tone trim on the edges and pick guard and the hardware is gold colored. Very heavy and the neck is very straight.

The guy I bought it from let me have it for $450. He didn't tell me it busted E strings like a bastard, as I soon found out. Unfortunately for him, I had one of the machinist at work look at the bridge and found a burr and removed it. That was the end of the string busting.

I later told the guy I bought the guitar how wonderful it was, especially after I had the E string burr removed. He got really pissed and walked away. Serves him right in my mind. Looser.

  

Wayner

[drphoto]

Sweet. Does it come w/ a blood pressure monitor....or is that extra? 

[gprro]

That Tele's awesome looking! Kind of wish I would have found a good deal on a tele, but I'll take what I got . The amp is pretty decent, gains cranked and volume up it distorts nicely, and the clean tone is ok, no fender reverb though.

Definitly have a bit of a learning curve  , I can't imagine playing Hendrix or flamenco style, or classical. I can hear it it my head, but the fingers don't know where they're going. Played around for an hour the last couple days, have little sore spots on the fingers. I remember a few chords and a bastardized version of house of the rising sun intro I messed around with 10 years ago. My musician friend is getting a bass next week, so we'll learn some stuff. Definitly have to get over the "Im so aweful" phase.

Here's a shot of the amp. Two celetion 10's and a lead 12 head. I've heard the head, as far a solid state, is suposed to be good. I actually recorded a little on my iPhone. Don't know how to post it up here, don't think I should either