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Ok, a little background:

I've been learning guitar for not quite 4 years now and practicing semi-regularly as just a hobby, basically. Problem is, I'm almost entirely self-taught (save what tidbits I've gleaned off the internet and some technical information from a couple books, such as how to tune). I've got plenty of musical background however, which has aided tremendously. I sorta-kinda learned piano as a kid and I know my way around one, I played flute for years in school bands of symphonic and marching variety, and a bit of drums here and there in addition to plenty of music history and theory. So while I've got a good grasp of much of the theory and concepts, as well as many techniques and some rudimentary skill with the guitar, there are huge gaps in my knowledge on account of having no formal instruction.

Practicing recently, I really felt like I've hit a ceiling. There's still a few things I could probably learn as is (some more scale work is next on my agenda), but without any experienced reference to go to I'm just not sure what's-what. I suspect (and I emphasize that word; I could very well be completely wrong) that much of my recent problems come from being at the limits of what my guitar and hardware are capable of. I'm using a 4-year-old Ibanez starter kinda model. As near as I can tell, it has bridge and neck humbuckers, no whammy bar, 3 pickup switch positions (bridge, both, neck), one tone knob and one volume knob, and no other bells and/or whistles. Pretty basic stuff, and I'm under no illusion of it being very high quality.

So here's a few problems I was hoping some of you could give me pointers on (or tell me where I'm wrong):

• When tapping, I get a lot of shitty noise. It's very difficult to tap on any string save for the high E string, because I've resorted to muting the other five with my right thumb, although even that causes some undesirable scratching and squeaking. Is this particularly normal? Do I just need to improve myself, or is it the guitar?
• Tapped notes, hammer ons, and pinch harmonics tend to be pretty messy. I'm sure some of this is just sloppy technique on my part, but I've had a lot of difficulty getting solid, clean sounds consistently even when I'm specifically trying very hard to do so. Could this be just a problem with bad pickups or strings?
• It's entirely possibly that I'm performing the technique in an unorthodox way, but when I play pinch harmonics my thumb tends to brush adjacent strings in addition to the one I'm trying to partially mute for the harmonic, which causes a lot of undesirable noise. Is this just me? No matter how I adjust my grip and angle it seems virtually impossible to avoid brushing other strings with my thumb or index finger. It's not as if I have very fat fingers either, they're very slender.
• Finally, a technical question I can't seem to find a straight answer for: I would very much like to replace the current strings I have on the guitar, but I can't remember what gauge they are. Does it matter? I seem to recall reading somewhere that it does, but other sources have said it's just whatever you're comfortable with.

I've been playing a bit myself maybe 10 years ago, entirely self-taught, too, and I never really got as far as tapping so I have to pass on those questions

Brother-Captain Gaius wrote: [*]Finally, a technical question I can't seem to find a straight answer for: I would very much like to replace the current strings I have on the guitar, but I can't remember what gauge they are. Does it matter? I seem to recall reading somewhere that it does, but other sources have said it's just whatever you're comfortable with.[/list]

Since your guitar doesn't have a whammy bar, it shouldn't really matter. If you had a whammy bar, you'd have to adjust it when changing string gauge, because thicker strings would propably pull it upwards if you changed from thinner strings, and vice versa.

Ibanez is a pretty solid brand overall, even their cheaper models are somewhat well crafted. Maybe you should try to find someone who plays guitar and have him check out your axe, there could be just something wrong with string adjustment if you get a lot of unwanted sound, like strings scratching frets.

Brother-Captain Gaius wrote:When tapping, I get a lot of shitty noise. It's very difficult to tap on any string save for the high E string, because I've resorted to muting the other five with my right thumb, although even that causes some undesirable scratching and squeaking. Is this particularly normal? Do I just need to improve myself, or is it the guitar?

Moar background plz. Do you tap with your finger or your pick? Do you get this noise and lack of note definition with or without amping and or/distortion?

Tapped notes, hammer ons, and pinch harmonics tend to be pretty messy. I'm sure some of this is just sloppy technique on my part, but I've had a lot of difficulty getting solid, clean sounds consistently even when I'm specifically trying very hard to do so. Could this be just a problem with bad pickups or strings?

It could very well be, but falling into the old habit of cursing your gear is a good way to allow yourself to hit walls with your practicing. In fact, I used to play on my father's acoustic when I was younger because it was in some ways inferior due to the warped neck made the fretting action hideously harsh. Playing with a handicap like poor gear only ought to make you a better player.

It's entirely possibly that I'm performing the technique in an unorthodox way, but when I play pinch harmonics my thumb tends to brush adjacent strings in addition to the one I'm trying to partially mute for the harmonic, which causes a lot of undesirable noise. Is this just me? No matter how I adjust my grip and angle it seems virtually impossible to avoid brushing other strings with my thumb or index finger. It's not as if I have very fat fingers either, they're very slender.

There's really no reason why you ought to strike other strings when trying to perform artificial harmonics. Bear in mind that the best places to strike your strings to get the most resonant harmonics will be "staggered" in an uneven diagonal from left to right as seen when looking down on the strings over the pickguard, so you will likely end up picking on a diagonal like that, too. I used to strike other strings all the time when I did pinches, until I think I learned to pluck the string up and "away" from the pickguard.

Finally, a technical question I can't seem to find a straight answer for: I would very much like to replace the current strings I have on the guitar, but I can't remember what gauge they are. Does it matter? I seem to recall reading somewhere that it does, but other sources have said it's just whatever you're comfortable with.[/list]

It won't kill your guitar or anything, but some strings are bound to sound like shit and others can put a minor cramp on your playing. I always recommend LTHBs as a general rule.

I prefer to use Ernie Ball regular slinky, which is a 10 to 46 gauge. Ernie Ball Hybrid lightens the gauges for the top three strongs, giving you easier bending at the expense of a tiny bit of sustain and tone.

Brother-Captain Gaius wrote:Practicing recently, I really felt like I've hit a ceiling. There's still a few things I could probably learn as is (some more scale work is next on my agenda), but without any experienced reference to go to I'm just not sure what's-what. I suspect (and I emphasize that word; I could very well be completely wrong) that much of my recent problems come from being at the limits of what my guitar and hardware are capable of. I'm using a 4-year-old Ibanez starter kinda model. As near as I can tell, it has bridge and neck humbuckers, no whammy bar, 3 pickup switch positions (bridge, both, neck), one tone knob and one volume knob, and no other bells and/or whistles. Pretty basic stuff, and I'm under no illusion of it being very high quality.

This really shouldn't make that much of a difference, as long as you've got a decently-set action. Better gear will make you more interested in playing, but will not make you a better player. Ibanez especially makes good quality cheapies, so that shouldn't be a cause for concern. If you're hitting the point where you feel that you may not be able to teach yourself anymore, finding a guitar teacher might be a good step.

• When tapping, I get a lot of shitty noise. It's very difficult to tap on any string save for the high E string, because I've resorted to muting the other five with my right thumb, although even that causes some undesirable scratching and squeaking. Is this particularly normal? Do I just need to improve myself, or is it the guitar?

What kind of noise are you getting, scratches, or maybe brushing against lower strings? Try muting with your right palm, which will give you more control and let you still hold onto the pick. Use whichever finger feels more natural, and practice your hammers, pulls (especially these) and taps as slowly as possible, ensuring good definition. Don't speed up until you can do so without getting sloppy. Also, try to avoid tapping with the pick until you master doing so with the fingers, that usually adds more opportunities for mistakes.

[*]Tapped notes, hammer ons, and pinch harmonics tend to be pretty messy. I'm sure some of this is just sloppy technique on my part, but I've had a lot of difficulty getting solid, clean sounds consistently even when I'm specifically trying very hard to do so. Could this be just a problem with bad pickups or strings?

As I said for the previous point, it's almost certainly your technique, causing you to hit two strings at once. You only have a small space in which to hit just the one string, so your finger positioning needs to be just so. Again, slow down when practicing.

[*]It's entirely possibly that I'm performing the technique in an unorthodox way, but when I play pinch harmonics my thumb tends to brush adjacent strings in addition to the one I'm trying to partially mute for the harmonic, which causes a lot of undesirable noise. Is this just me? No matter how I adjust my grip and angle it seems virtually impossible to avoid brushing other strings with my thumb or index finger. It's not as if I have very fat fingers either, they're very slender.

Exaggerate the outwards picking motion, don't try to keep a 90 degree angle like in sweep picking. Make sure that only the tip of the pick is barely protruding from your fingers, and have your thumb a few millimetres away from the tip, with the same protrusion. If you can't consistently hit the right string, watch your right hand, and be sure you don't hit any other strings. Spend a few minutes a day doing just pinch harmonics, and you should quickly develop the ability to produce them cleanly and reliably.

At any rate, there's no "right" way to do a pinch harmonic, I had so much trouble at first that I would hold the pick between thumb and middle finger, and touch the string an inch away with my index finger. And just like with thumb-barring, once I learned to do the technique the conventional way, I'd still sometimes do it like this, as it produces a different sound. Likewise, I also learned how to pinch on the upstroke, hitting the string either with my fingernail (Billy Gibbons style), or with the last joint of my index finger (David Gilmour style). Alternating downstroke and upstroke pinches adds lots of texture, I figured out that those two do it by listening to the solos in La Grange and Young Lust, respectively.

[*]Finally, a technical question I can't seem to find a straight answer for: I would very much like to replace the current strings I have on the guitar, but I can't remember what gauge they are. Does it matter? I seem to recall reading somewhere that it does, but other sources have said it's just whatever you're comfortable with.[/list]

They're probably 9's or 10's. Changing up or down a single gauge hardly makes any difference, especially on a hardtail bridge like yours. If you go up a few gauges for that sweet Stevie Ray Vaughan tone, you'll probably have to tighten the truss rod, but I doubt you'll go down that road. Just buy a pair of 10's (or 9's, if you want to shred), and put them on. I recommend Ernie Ball, myself, I've never had a string break, and I really thwack them.