Not cool to wear a high guitar

I play guitar abit im into Greenday, the chillis, metallica and the beatles amonst others but when i play standing up i have to play the guitar quite high. I am not obsessed with coolness i just want to know how many guitarists play there guitar high on a strap. Should i go up now and start re-learning or the chords but lower

[Edited on 4-10-2004 by shorty]

You can be cool no matter how high you play...

I love the Beatles music but come on there hardly the most inspiring sight when it comes to playing the guitar.

I tend to keep mine centered over my stomach area, so its kind of a middle-of-the-road approach. I find that too high keeps the elbow of your picking hand bent at an uncomfortable position, and too low give the strap alot of play and I find my guitar sliding around rather than staying in place. I think its more about comfort than anything else, especially if you spend long durations or sets at the axe.

I play mine stomach area but Billie joe my fav musician play his really low call it childish but plain and simple i want to play like him.

Well give it a try, may take some getting used to though if your not used to it. I guess I'm fortunate that my guitar idol (David Gilmour of Pink Floyd) doesn't do anything crazy other than his playing. At least your not trying to emulate Peter Steele's style of playing a fullsize upright bass like its an electric; theres something scary about seeing him do it too!

i play with it as low as i can stand. usuall around my waist, but im a tall guy (6'6'') and its hard to find a strap long enough for that.

If i go down to far i end up holding the fret board so the machine head is about the sam height as my rib cage.

When standing I like to have my guitar as high as possible really, I don't care how it looks. It's all about the music man, f@#k image! Anyway, what most people consider "un-cool" I consider cool anyway, who cares what others think...

Image is important although it shouldn't be if Greenaday just stood about singing and playing i probably wouldn't like them as much as i do.

I play the bassguitar and wear it quite high. This simply is because I do alot of soloing and tapping, that otherwise would be impossible if I had the bass as far down as i.e Rob Trujillo in Metallica.

What matters is how you play

What matters most it how you play but looking good with a guitar is important too.

Tom Morrello gets lots of respect and plays way up high and I personally think he still looks pretty awesome. I think if you're making people mutter "wow" with your talent, it doesn't matter how you hold it, even if it's up at yer neck heh...

I remember when I first started playing I wanted hold my guitar about as low as I could cause Billy Joe looked pretty awesome doing it. But, I found as I progessed, it's hard to use the neck to your advantage if it's way down low, so I've moved my stap up to where the top of the body hits just underneath the chest, and hold my neck at an upward tilt. Nobody seems to complain about how it looks (especially the ladies hehe, that's a good bonus )

Sure Billy Joe plays low, but no offense, he's not the trickiest guitarist around, even back in the day when greenday were actually good.

I play bass and i started pretty low (around my thighs...) but now play it around waist height.... but i'm not really a tricky bassist so i can afford to lose a bit of control...

Bascially you do lose alot of control the further down you play, but just do whatever is comfortable for you... sure image is important, but look more at what you wear, and your performance on stage... where your guitar is shouldnt count

Greenday were good back in the day......... They'r even better now though. Bille Joe he isn't a great player and he certainly isn't tricky. I admit he isn't too good on the guitar. Anyway thanks for all your replies i guess ill play up high how i like.

Respect Billie Joe

When i play i have my guitar at my stomach or a bit lower it all depends on what you are comfortable with,for me i dont care how cool i look as long as i am playing well.

My tip -
When you're sitting down practising, adjust your strap so as it's just about to take the weight of the guitar. Then, when you stand up to play, it stays in the same position! That way, you don't have to alter your technique to compensate for the difference in position.
Admittedly, this doesn't really work with Flying Vees, so I have to wear my Vee way down low!

Originally posted by shorty
Greenday were good back in the day......... They'r even better now though. Bille Joe he isn't a great player and he certainly isn't tricky. I admit he isn't too good on the guitar. Anyway thanks for all your replies i guess ill play up high how i like.

Respect

Billie Joe

Theres nothing wrong with playing guitar high. Personally, I play bass and i wear it low. It looks pretty funny on me because I'm a vvery short little girl so its ironic, you could say.

But dude, green day was good back in the day.....but how could you possibly say they are better now?!?!?!?!?!This new album is horrible, I'm pretty sure I slapped someone when I saw them buying it. Or maybe they were buying a Simple Plan or Good Charlotte cd. Oh well, it all sounds the same anyways!

Greenday, oh greenday, it seems as if the good days have ended, and the partying good life of Dookie has resulted in a hangover-crunch called American Idiot.

Greenday = zZzz.. They were a little "new" and energic before, but the last record seems to be a total waste of effort, if they ever put any into it...

Sometimes I dont use a strap at all.......
Sometimes i imagine Im on stage with Ronnie Montrose, Johnny Winter, Alvin Lee, and naked women hold the guitars, and we just reach around them to play.........Oh wait, that was real. Am I gettin to old to R&R?
Nah, I dont think so. I just dont like any of the "new school" brand of music that tries to call itself Rock&Roll. It's not, and never will be. Pick your own name for the noise you make. R&R's already taken!
I did have a naked girl act as a guitar stand in a studio I used to have, but that was a while ago, and it just made everyone jealous because THEIR girlfriends would'nt do it. I never used a store-bought strap, I would use a long piece of leather, and decorate it a bit. I've had this Harly Eagle pin for a long time, and it's great for holding extra picks. Damn, Im at work right now, and it was payday, so I cant really take off, but I gots to git some
git-tar playin in, so solong, and thanks for all the notes.