Electric Guitar

I just recently took up the guitar again. I have a hard time keeping up with it because honestly, I suck at it. Not that I would continue to but I just don't know where to begin and I expect too much. I learned to play on an acoustic nylon string guitar 30 years ago. But the music then is not like metal.

I have a Washburn X-10/MC guitar and a Rocktron Rampage R10 amp. I have been told that this amp will never sound good, if I want to play metal. But at the same time I have been told that if I buy this pedal setup, which has a wah and a bunch of different types of distortion that I will be able to get close to the sound I want. Which is it? At this time I hold no illusions that I will ever be great, but I really would like to have some fun.

Oh and another very annoying problem. I have to play through my headphones because my wife says it's too loud. Is this a necessarily a bad thing?

I know bits and pieces of a couple of songs. Like the beginning of Sunshine of Your Love by Cream, a little bit of the riff for Smoke on the Water, Could probably figure out The beginning to The Trooper, or Breakin' The Law and play them fairly proficiently, but no where near a whole song. I can also play the beginning to How Many More Times by Led Zeppelin. So it's not like I suck so bad that I can't have any fun, but I just don't really know any riffs or how to read tab. I can't really afford lessons either.

Any suggestions? How much theory will I have to learn? Web sites? Muscle excersies. Non boring exercise? My fingers are really raw at the moment too, am I pressing on the strings too hard or is this something that will ease up after time?

Any help will be very much appreciated.

Fingers=normal, every guitarist goes through that at some point or another. And I actually really recomend Ultimate Guitar. It's an awesome site for guitarists with tons of lessons, tabs, and a forum. Hope that helps you, and good luck with guitar.

Fingers=normal. Suggestion? Play through it, unless they are bloody? Cjanz, thanks.

Some people say applying a small amount of super glue to each finger tip works as a caslouse(sp?). I don't recomend that however because then the calouse will never develop. Play through it is my advice, and as most say "Play it till they bleed".

Haha, don't follow that if you're not willing to risk it, if they're hurting just way too much play in shorter intervals throughout the day, or just play more to develope the calouse quicker. My fingertips are like shells now, and I feel nothing anymore except for when I don't play as much for some reason. Then the pain comes back for a day or two, but not at it's fullest extent.

Ok, so yes, I'm rambling now, so to the point. Play through it.

"Play it till they bleed".

That's what I figured. They don't really hurt that bad, that I want to not play.

Is there anything that I can do to make that little 10 W amp sound better? Settings etc. There is an overdrive button, Gain, level, treble, bass knobs. Plus that stupid little headphone jack that I have to use.

Well, I myself have a Rocktron Velocity 10 watt. I use it when my mom decides I'm playing too loud, and that brings my sound down a bit. I don't have much of a problem with the settings, and I have all the same knobs as you.

My advice: Play with the settings a bit, try to find your own sound instead of using someone else's.

EDIT:Actually I will advise you use alot of gain with such a small amp, sounds better IMO.