New Guitar Help PLEASE!?

Question

i got a new guitar, its electric, and i got 2 little things i want to change:

1) it came with a whammy bar seperatly, my guitar has a hole for it to go in, but i screw it in and it does nothing. I thought do i have to wire it in but it has no wires on the bar?

2) it came with very fine strings, i want heavier strings so i can play heavy metal, the strings are built so they go INTO the guitar , so how do i re-wire it? do i have to unscrew the bit where the strings go into?

Thanks

this is the guitar > http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Electric-ST-Guitar-and-Amp-Pack-Wine-Red/4

Answer 1

The whammy bar...



Frankly, on that guitar, the whammy bar is practically useless. You screw it in, and it's not supposed to do anything on its own. It won't pull back, only push down. When you press it down (which may give you a good bit of resistance) it should slacken the strings, like a whammy bar is supposed to do, but I'll bet anything that when it comes back up, it'll be out of tune.



Yep, it's worth it to have a locking nut with a whammy bar, if the bar's gonna get any use. Well, you could put some graphite in the nut to lube the strings so it's not so bad, but I'm telling you, that kind of bar is trouble.



And, unless you've been playing for a while already, the whammy bar is likely to be nothing but a distraction. By the time I actually used a whammy bar in my day to day playing, I'd already been at it for ten years. Now I can barely live without it, but with a locking nut my guitar will stay in tune for months, even after the most vicious dive bombs. A Fender will not. Or a Squier, same thing, right?



The back plate that covers the springs in the back, where you put the strings in, can be a huge pain when you're trying to change the strings on that guitar. When you take a string off, you have to try to poke it through the hole (heh heh, that's what she said) until it pops through and you can take it out. Ugh, and if the string breaks near the bridge, it can be a nightmare trying to get it out. Jimi Hendrix took his back plate off and left it off, because of that and so he could adjust the springs when he needed to. On my guitar, I never put the back plate on in the first place.



You can still play heavy metal with light strings, but if you use a low tuning heavier ones help. Or if you're me, or someone like me, maybe you just like heavy strings better. I'm not trying to talk you out of it, but you're better off choosing strings because 1) you like the way they sound/feel better, or 2) because they have the right tension for the tuning you use.



Changing strings is easy to do. I could try to explain how here, but I won't for two reasons. First, a few people already did, and I'm not trying to beat a dead horse. Second, it's waaaaaaaay easier to explain (and for you to understand clear as day) if it's done in person. Find a guitarist, have 'em show you one, then do the rest yourself. Once you've changed a few, you'll get the hang of it.

Answer 2

After you attach the whammy bar you push down toward the strings and release it to cause the strings to bend. Moving it up and down parallel to the guitar does nothing but unscrew it and tighten it. Pushing down on it will cause the bridge to tilt toward the center of the strings, causing the strings to loosen and thereby lower the pitch. There are springs on the back of the guitar attached to the bridge that move the bridge back to its originally position.

As for changing strings, you first unwinde them at the tuning end. Be sure you're turning the tuner the correct direction because if you tighten them too much they'll break. After you've removed the string from the tuning peg, it should just slide out of the bridge. There's a little metal ring/ball on the end of the string to hold it in the bridge. Remove one string at a time and replace it with the new string by sliding the plain end of the new string through the hole in the bridge where you removed the old one. Slide it all the way in and insert the end of the string through the hole in the tuner far enough so you can lift the string about 3 or 4 inches above the neck of the guitar. That should give you enough slack to get a few winds around the tuning peg when you tighten the string. Now turn the peg so the string wraps around the inside edge of the tuning peg (look at the other strings still on the guitar to make sure you're wrapping it the right way). Don't over tighten the string. Tune it against one of the other strings you've left on or use an electronic tuner.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

1st Q re the whammy. Does it screw in or just plug in. Within the question lies the answer.

If it has a thread, screw it in till it stops. Then back off one turn, The whammy will flop around waiting for you to pick it up. If it plugs in then push it in till it won't go in no more.

With the screw in version, you can get a small spring and put it in the hole then screw the whammy arm in. You'll be able to position the whammy then bacause the spring will give it tension. Use a quite strong spring. Ask at a music shop. Fender strats come with one.



The fine strings are just a standard set that come with the guitar. Probably 9's.

If playing heavey metal you might like 10's but really it's a matter of choice.

The guitar will need to be setup for the gauge you decide on. Then stick to them.

They "thread" in from the back through the trem block. Just turn the gat around the see where they go in. They come out the same way.

I'd suggest you get a guitar shop to change the first set for you and watch how they do it. Or Youtube a clip about changing strat strings. Here one in two parts.

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lIa6S72j28

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9DD4XcW3Vw

Take care how you wind the strings onto the post. Not too many turns but about 3- 5 should be ok.

Answer 4

First, is the guitar in tune. If not, here is an online guitar tuner to help you out :))



http://www.get-tuned.com/online_tuners.php



Now, if you put heavier gauge, you will have to re-adjust the whammy bar somewhat because back of the bridge will have risen too much due to the tension of the heavier gauge.



I suggest putting light gauge so as not to put too much tension on the neck. If the bridge is too high after tuning and re-installing new strings, you may have to remove the back plate. You will see 2 screws. Tighten them one full turn each clockwise. Before doing this, loosen the machine head 1/4 turn on all 6 strings.



What will happen now is that, once you turn the 2 screws 1/4 turn, the tuning will have risen a 1/2 to full tone.

Repeat the procedure. Tune the guitar, than loosen 1/4 turn each key, and turn the 2 screws another full turn clockwise.

Answer 5

It rather will depend on what kind of tone you're watching for. Want a guitar that may sound like Jimmy Hendrix...get a Fender Strat. Want to sound like Slash then cross with the Gibson Les Paul. That being stated, Gibson fine has been sucking in recent years and their guitars are method overpriced for what you're getting. Go with a quality antique used Gibson and you'll be able to be happier. Fenders are well relying on in which they had been made. Pass at the Chinese and Korean Fenders. The Mexican Fenders are truthfully fine fine guitars, the one factor they lack is a little cut down fine electronices. The American Fenders are hit or miss because the fine out in their American manufacturing unit is spotty normally, however they've the satisfactory fine elements. My fave is the Japanese Fenders however those are more difficult to discover, there are web sites that promote best the Japanese Fenders although. These are an identical in elements to an American Fender however the construct fine is larger.