I have a Rogue RM100 (yeah, I know; but fingers crossed I'll be able to get a better instrument soon). It's not set up properly either, just "as-is" from when I it bought online several years back from some instrument warehouse. I have only picked it up a couple dozen times. The current strings on it are probably at least 2 years old (although they're not the ones it came with). And for a pick, I've been using a "Big Stubby" 3.0mm.
I picked it up recently, and tried to do a simple 2 octave G scale. All the open strings can be tuned just fine. However, when I start pressing down between the frets, all the notes on the D, A, and E strings come out a bit sharp. The really big issue is the G string. Any notes on the G string are very harsh. While the open G is a warm, rich sound (relatively), by the time I get to B it is a very harsh metallic/tinny sound.
What can I do to make the most out of the instrument? I know it's never going to sound great, but it should be able to hold up enough to produce stable, tuned notes for basic practicing. My first thought was to replace the strings because I imagine they wear over time, even if the instrument isn't being played regularly. Any other suggestions? Is it just bad technique?
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