I did plenty of learning with LPs too, but often made cassette copies of them, so I could listen to stuff in the car on the way to school, and because it was easier to learn with a cassette player.

IIRC, in Yngwie Malmsteen's first tell-interview, he said he developed his speed because the tape machine at his house played so much faster than the one at his rehearsal space. So, when he got home from band practice, which he recorded, to play along with the tape at home, he'd have to tune up and play faster. Rinse and repeat. His right hand technique is insane and it was already unreal 30 yrs. ago when he was a young buck.

I don't think I could notice $5k worth of difference between a guitar like that and a run of the mill MIM Strat. A teenage newbie player certainly would not. What a waste. I went to a prep school with a lot of rich kids and a lot of them played guitar. Only one I recall with an expensive guitar was a goldtop LP, which would be worth a lot today, but was nothing too fancy in 1985, when LPs weren't fashionable. Nice guitar though. He just didn't know how to play it very well.

I love strats, but IMO no strat is worth more than 500 bucks.....

I'm really fond of Rocksmith...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JDQ_U3lukAQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I agree. The vintage ones are just insane and I don't see why.

99% of people who take lessons never get anywhere due to pedantic clueless purist instructors.
You like electric? Then play the mother ****ing electric. It's that simple. GO FOR IT.

This is my favorite Youtube lesson and teacher. He is such a fantastic player and so good at explaining things. This is an exercise even the best players can always go back to and work on. I do this far too seldom. Though I can play fast, trying to copy this always brings me back down a notch.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z5fz7Zr3CgE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

^^ damn...!

Rick, this ones for you... Yngie from 2 weeks ago. 8 rows from the stage.
http://vid291.photobucket.com/albums/ll289/NH-Archer/Generation%20axe/8AD417CC-58D2-472D-B39D-2E71707F79C8.mp4
and my all time fav... Steve Vai.
http://vid291.photobucket.com/albums/ll289/NH-Archer/Generation%20axe/6F3F23B3-CEBD-4569-B9BC-B4D8B8061E88.mp4

For lessons, see Ben Eller!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIOMRFGLPJk

I agree!!

My "strat"....
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1463574559.jpg

Yngwie is ridiculous. I love him, but he is so over the top. And the empty Marshall headshells are a little poseurish.

Here's my hot rodded Strat.
http://www.fototime.com/482045A9F392889/standard.jpg

I'll agree on picking up Rocksmith it is great tool for learning guitar, you get to play songs you know, they have plenty of tutorials and training games and the ability to loop and repeat segments of songs until you get them down.

Start off with songsterr.com. It's free and plays the song while the TAB streams. Pick some simple songs he likes and I guarantee he'll practice. When you can make something recognizable pretty quickly, it's very satisfying and makes you want to learn more. Technique and theory will come later, but to get him practicing, he needs to play stuff he likes.

I got an acoustic when I was about seven and the first Van Halen album came out. My teacher looked like Grace Slick and had me playing Love Me Tender and Mary Had a Little Lamb - the kind of stuff that made me hate that guitar. I quit and didn't pick it up again until my best friend in 8th grade introduced me to his teacher, who was a rocker. I never wanted to stop playing after that.

Noice guitar.

Yngvie. Never makes mistakes. Amazing. And what a wanker.

Old school strat.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1463632526.jpg

Songsterr is very good for beginners learning songs.

But at some point you do have go start learning some basic theory.

For 1) chords and then 2) scales

There's a TON of great videos on youtube. But also a lot that's not so good.

I thought this one was great for basic bar chord theory

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS2Ooajd7e0

Get off my lawn.

Took these myself 24 yrs. apart.

http://www.fototime.com/743B281CDB738C5/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/EBF966F3831724E/standard.jpg

I think a balanced approach is good. Learn some stuff you want to play and make some music, but you also need the technique if you ever want to get past the basic cowboy chord campfire songs.

Acoustic guitar teaches critical right hand picking dynamics that translate well into playing electric in a band situation.

I learned alot from this guy
Justin Guitar | Free Guitar Lessons

Re the comment that no Strat is worth more than $500, you would have a hard time building one yourself for $500 using quality American made parts. That $300 strat in 1965 would be about $2300 in today's money.