Bends and String Gauge

I recently got my first decent guitar, and it came stock with some light 10 (I'm pretty sure) strings. I've got some decent callouses now, and I was wondering if moving up to a slightly heavier string would be good.


I've been practicing the Hey Joe Solo on Freelicks, and it seems that my bends just dont seem to replicate the song that greatly. Would increasing the string gauge help?


Also, getting my guitar to actually sound the same in terms of tone seems impossible. I'm almost completely useless when it comes to manipulating the knobs that control the pickups on my guitar (Epiphone les paul quilt top). It probably doesn't help that my amp is just the amp that comes with a squier starter pack. Is there anything that I can read to help me with matching sounds?

New Guitar Student - Chicago - Some Issues...

Hey guys,

I'm stumbled upon this site while browsing other guitar forums and tried out the free trial. I've decided to sign up for 3 months since I especially like the detailed video lessons.

Anyway, I'm excited about playing guitar, but also a little discouraged.


I've pretty much been self taught on and off for about 4 months. Only recently have I really started practicing regularly every day. I have had some problems though...


First of all, I realized yesterday while practicing that I am just not sure about my technique at all. The guitar slightly moved from my normal playing position, and I then realized that the way it had landed was actually a MUCH more comfortable position to play in. I am happy that I finally noticed this, since in a matter of minutes I was able to play considerably faster than I was able to before the switch. However, it is frustrating that such a simple change effected me so greatly.

This leads me into another topic. Practice habits.

I normally will practice scales up and down along with playing some of the few tunes I can manage to play. I don't think it is effective though. I've tried lessons with an instructor, but while he was a great guitarist, he just didn't seem to be able to teach. I had 4 lessons with him and he didn't notice the flaw in my posture or the way I held my guitar; I had to discover this for myself.


Anyway, I did just drop 450 dollars into a new guitar. And I really enjoy being able to play along with music, but it seems like I need a little more guidance when it comes to daily practice in order to improve steadily.

If anyone has any suggestions or input, please let me know.



EDIT: I should mention that I mostly am interested in electric guitar, but I also do have an acoustic guitar. I'm a big fan of Jethro Tull, so I attempt to play their music (with no success) a lot.

The new guitar I got was an Epiphone Les Paul Quilt Top. After trying over 20 guitars for about a week, I felt that the Les Paul fit me the best. I liked the extra weight and I am happy with the action and the sound of the guitar.