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<font color="royalblue">I can't help but wonder if maybe your strap is too long causing too much of a reach...<font color="royalblue"></font></font>Might have to shift around and try different lengths to see what works best for you and your style of playing and then just practice practice and practice. I've found that I do better if I use a strap all of the time...even when sitting and especially with the Mandolin. I really hope you can find what works best for you...

<font color="crimson"></font><b></b>I've recently been to some bluegrass workshops and we discussed picks and how to use them. Most agree that using a pretty stiff pick very loosely between the thumb and 1st finger...some will turn slightly sideways. For strumming it gives them the flexability and then can really dig in by gripping tighter for those single notes. Notice that a good flatpicker can pick with amazing speed and absolute clarity! Using thumbpicks is also a good idea if you like fingerstyle playing...I've never been able to do well with the classical fingerstyle of using just fingers and thumb, but I often use a thumb pick and three fingers...that works well for Jerry Reed, Brent Mason, and Chet Atkins...now if only I could learn to play like those guys!

<b></b><i></i><font color="crimson"></font><font size="4"></font>  What has worked best for me is to start slowly and practice making clean chords and notes...just work at a comfortable pace and get your finger memory down...the speed will come later. Also be sure to warm up before doing chords or runs that really stretch or stress your hands and fingers...that will help prevent soreness and even injuries. You can also do strengh exercises for your hands by squeezing a tennis ball. A full bar chord is very useful but if you are playing long sets they can wear you out. Once you learn a few basic bar shapes you will discover how useful they are as movable chords up and down the neck. But again start slowly and get a clean sound...the strengh and speed will follow with practice...

<font color="crimson"></font><b></b><i></i>Epiphone makes some very good guitars and some that are not so good...you pretty much get what you pay for. The Epiphone Les Paul Standard and Customs are excellent guitar for the money...most that I've seen had a great sound and excellent fit and finish. I would stay away from the Epiphone LP specials and kits unless you are looking for a really cheap starter guitar package. I agree with a previous suggestion about trying out several and seeing which one does what you need. Many players will start with the Epiphone and then invest money in "hotrodding" or upgrading with different pickups, etc... tons of aftermarket and name brand pickups and accessories are available for any of the Les Paul design guitars. I have a Gibson Les Paul Classic...expensive, but well worth it for me.

Yes, a tuner is a great investment...especially for 12 strings guitars and for mandolins...

<font color="crimson"></font><b></b><i></i>That's a question that will get you loads of opinions...different things work for different people and apparently there is no absolute on right or wrong... for most of my stuff I use a heavy thumb pick and three fingers. I thought that if it worked for Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed then it's good for me. I also use a heavy flat pick. Hold the pick very loosely for strumming...the looser the better...yes, you will drop it a lot but with lots of practice it'll become part of you...then when you need to dig in for lead work or power chords, just grip tighter and go for it.  A lot of really outstanding Bluegrass Mandolin and Guitar players use a piece of tortise shell (now illegal to possess) about the size of a half dollar and almost as stiff!

Dreadnought refers to a body size and shape in acoustic guitars...for a comparison, go to  www.martinguitar.com   for info...   they are a bigger body size and have lots of volume and projection...

<b></b><font color="crimson"></font>Hmmmm...several things come to mind. Keep playing everyday if you can...just a few minutes a day will keep your callouses built up. Also you can cheat a bit and tune the guitar to Eb and put a capo on to reduce the string pressure. Make sure that you wipe down the strings after playing...some of us have a high salt content and the strings will tarnish and get rough! Really eats up the fingers...also make sure your hands are dry and clean... playing while the callouses are soft will eat them up. Also check the set-up of your guitar...there is a tremendous diffence in the playability of a guitar that is properly set-up and one that's not! Hope this helps...

<font color="sienna"></font><b></b>I can't understand why you feel that way...each type of guitar has range of sounds and having both acoustic and electric increases your versatily. I know a few hardcore Classical players that will occasionally pick up an electric just to explores some different sounds and techniques!

<font color="blue"></font><font face="Century"></font><b></b>No, it's not too late to start playing the guitar...or other instruments. I agree with Southpaw. Pick it up and enjoy...actually a guitar is one of the easiest instruments to play, and one of the most difficult to master! If you are a singer then you're really in luck...look at the body of work by people like Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash...most done with 3 or 4 simple chords. If you want to play like Chet Atkins or Eddie Van Halen then that might take a while for a mere mortal...  You'll find too that sitting around strumming a guitar is a great way to melt stress and relax...Just go for it!

<font face="Century"></font><font color="blue"></font>I really like Fender Stratocaster guitars but the Strat in the Strat pac is in name only...Fender makes some of the very best instruments and also some of the worst...If you really want a Fender Strat then look at the MIM (made in Mexico) Stratocasters...they are well made, sound good and are reasonbly priced...especially used. Like any Strat, they can be upgraded and hotrodded if you later decide to experiment with different sounds. Strats are also one of the most copied instruments and there are lots of really good imports and custom built Strats...  Most of the cheaper package units are laminated (plywood) bodies with cheap electronics, poor finishing, poor set-up, and are usually built in China or Indonesia (Although some excellent imports are made in both!)

<font color="blue"><font face="Century">A really fun pedal that I like is the Zoom 505 II. It costs under $100. and has tons of effects from a swirling chorus to screamer metal! Also can plug a set of headphones and play without bothering anyone...especially good for those living in apartments, etc...</font></font>