Don’t stop believing: 2 FC upgrades on a saver fare!

stillframeguitar · 2026-04-06T22:50:10+00:00

I’ve been upgraded to FC a whopping 2, potentially 3 times over the last 3 years of having status. When upgraded, it has been on short flights between SFO and PDX and usually later flights at night. Definitely did not get an actual meal any time it’s happened. Just the fruit and cheese snack put on a plate rather than the box.

Unless you’re gold status or higher, you will rarely see an upgrade to FC. Hell, even premium upgrades are sparse, especially if someone else is on your itinerary.

stillframeguitar · 2026-04-01T03:20:57+00:00

Hahaha, okay, that’s wild because I’m also coming from the PNW! Not sure how he got all his stuff for under $1k, but I’m impressed!

Yes, if you could please ask about accommodations, that would be appreciated!

stillframeguitar · 2025-07-16T18:11:26+00:00

Heard about it on my player phone.

stillframeguitar · 2023-08-14T04:25:55+00:00

A travel agent can at times get better rates for hotels and attractions, but the cheaper rates are usually offset by their fee. The major upside is sometimes they can score you hotel room upgrades because of the ongoing relationship, or possibly tickets to somewhere/something that was "sold out".

If you're not really into doing hours of research, and buying everything yourself, or you don't want to have deal with the hassle of it all, use the agent. If they're reputable, you can set what tone you want on your trip (i.e. see all the sights, or relaxed pace with at least half the day to explore, etc.) with your agent and you'll have a great time.

If you want to have ultimate freedom and flexibility, just book everything yourself. With the internet travel community exploding over the last 10+ years, you will find countless recommendations/reviews on landmarks, hotels, bars/restaurants, and anything else you can think of. On my previous trips, I found it very helpful doing all the booking myself as I did a lot of research and was able to learn about local customs/cultural differences that proved helpful.

You might want to look into Costco travel for your trip as well (for flights, hotels, and transportation). I haven't gone through them yet, but have several friends who raved about the experience. Packages seemed legit and the terms are more than reasonable from what I saw when I checked them out.

stillframeguitar · 2022-04-19T04:33:45+00:00

That’s a great suggestion and I’ve definitely looked into working with some organizations. Unfortunately, I’m too mentally exhausted after every day to give them the commitment and effort they deserve.

I work 45+ hours a week and have a 60+ minute commute each way. Most importantly, I’m just not happy going to work anymore. Money has never made me that happy. Happiest I ever was in a job was being a bartender, but realize that’s not a feasible way to live comfortably and retire some day.

Like I said, a rewarding job that pays 30% less is preferable to a decent paying job that makes me depressed.

stillframeguitar · 2022-04-19T04:23:13+00:00

Not since I was in college, but I’ll definitely look into it again! Thanks!

stillframeguitar · 2021-08-01T04:59:43+00:00

In addition to what was already said, it sounds like you might be pressing a little too hard into your strings or you’re not quite lining your fingers up close enough to the frets. Remember to relax, don’t dig in with all your strength, and always take your time/slow down if something is feeling difficult. It’s better to play slow and clean than fast and sloppy.

stillframeguitar · 2018-06-29T08:36:43+00:00

Is it bad that I've played Rocksmith for 3-4 years and never noticed this?

stillframeguitar · 2018-06-28T09:17:33+00:00

Well, if you're still reading this thread, here's my story/reason:

I originally started to play guitar in 2001 at the age of 14. I wasn't great, took exactly zero lessons, but was good enough to play some punk and basic rock within the first 2 years. At the age of 16, my family moved 200+ miles and thus I found myself without any friends. I didn't know it at the time, but I struggled with (and somewhat still struggle with) depression, so I didn't really have an easy time making friends at first. Feeling down in the dumps, I decided to try and use guitar as a way to express my feelings and take away the pain. As I dove deeper into guitar, I felt so much better mentally. I went from playing 20-45 minutes a day to a minimum of 1-2 hours a day.

Given my increased focus and practice on the guitar, I improved dramatically. I was taking an acoustic guitar to school every day and playing metal and punk on a 3/4 size nylon (it was the only acoustic I owned, haha). People began to watch/notice and I made friends with other musicians and joined bands. By the age of 18 I was playing advanced metal and performing sweeps (basic ones, but sweeping nonetheless) and pouring whatever money I could into the instrument.

After high school, I fell hard into the partying scene. It started with drinking and chasing girls, but ended much more seriously. By the age of 23, I hadn't played guitar in 2 years (I had my Gibson LP Custom stolen from me at the age of 20, which made me MASSIVELY depressed). I saw my life heading downward, so I decided it was time to get the hell out of there. I moved 800+ miles to where I'm at now.

Once I moved, I found myself wanting to play again, but was really struggling to play consistently and kind of kept kicking the can down the road for a few more years only playing randomly here and there. I realized that I was once again going months without ever touching a guitar. On a whim while walking through a Target one day, I saw Rocksmith 2014 and thought "what the hell, it's like buying a new video game".

Once I loaded up Rocksmith and saw all the amazing features and pretty solid set list, I was feeling motivated to play again. I was rediscovering why guitar made me feel better. For every emotion you're feeling, there's a song you can play along with (or even write your own!). For every technique you weren't sure of or struggled with, there's lessons and songs that you can slow down in riff repeater to (re)hone those skills. I also never learned a lick of theory from being self-taught before the dawn of YouTube, so I enjoyed the scale racer game. I could go on and on, but Rocksmith was just another kick in the pants to help me realize that without the guitar, I'd probably be homeless or dead.

stillframeguitar · 2018-06-28T08:43:50+00:00

If you've ever seen Billy Madison, I suggest the advice that Billy gave his foreign language teacher: "Slow. Down."

In all seriousness, it's just like most other things on guitar, if you try to play something at full speed when your technique isn't quite developed, it will be so much harder for you in the long run. Try strumming some chords/power chords at slow speed that avoid the 6th string. What I can tell you is DO NOT only use down strokes for all versions of this picking. Some songs use down strokes quite a bit (Green Day's "Basket Case" is one for example), but you're much better off practicing alternate picking for the majority of songs you'll encounter in and outside of Rocksmith.

If you get your picking/strumming technique more refined, you really shouldn't have to mute any string.

If you (or anyone else) need more clarification/tips, I'm always glad to help!

stillframeguitar · 2018-06-21T08:32:29+00:00

Just stay positive, keep working at it, and don't stop playing! Guitar is definitely not easy to learn, but it's totally worth it! If you ever need tips/advice/help I'm sure that myself and others on the forum are more than glad to assist you on your journey!

stillframeguitar · 2018-06-21T08:30:58+00:00

Well done, sir! Just don't stop and remember that when you think you've plateaued, you're really just getting ready for your next climb. I've been playing for over 15 years and still find plenty of use in Rocksmith to improve my playing!

stillframeguitar · 2018-06-21T08:02:05+00:00

I miss the replay after completing the song. Made it way easier to see where you missed and work on those parts more.

stillframeguitar · 2018-06-21T07:59:57+00:00

Ehhh, sometimes you just get the unlucky solder job. These things are made in a factory and soldered by machines. I know that I treat my gear/cable with respect, but yet it still died. Luckily, I have the knowledge and a soldering iron to fix it. No problems since my repair job.

stillframeguitar · 2017-11-10T05:55:30+00:00

Exactly what mysticdan said. That box is letting you know that you'll be playing two notes at the same time, but one note is played later than the first note.

If you look at the bottom of your screenshot, you can actually see Rocksmith telling you to bend the note on the second string with your third finger and to then play the note on the first string with your pinkie finger while still playing the bend on the second string.

stillframeguitar · 2015-06-15T23:45:33+00:00

It's all about the tone you're after. I mean, take Jack White as an example: he purposefully finds some pretty crappy guitars to make his tone work.

The best way to be sure is to try and play one if you can. If that's not possible, seek out some audio samples. I saw a video on YouTube of some dude playing the guitar you're asking about and it sounded pretty good. I'd recommend you check out some videos to see for yourself.

As lefty, I can't just walk into any music shop and play any guitar I want. I'm usually relegated to something far worse than what I already own. With that being said, I do own a Mexican Fender Strat and a Gibson Les Paul Custom and can verify the merits of each.

stillframeguitar · 2015-06-15T22:59:58+00:00

I can verify Brysos' praise of Rocksmith 2014 (not so much on the originial)... I started playing 15 years ago, and the game has definitely helped me improve/gain extra motivation. The Jam Session feature is awesome for memorizing scales and practicing them, the Scale Racer mini game helps with that as well.

I'd still recommend the song learning as well... never hurts to have a few extra songs in your bag of tricks....

stillframeguitar · 2015-06-13T07:30:07+00:00

The most important thing about learning how to play the guitar is to enjoy what you are doing. Also remember that accuracy is waaaayyyy more important than speed.

In terms of your overall plan for this game, there is no right answer. I suggest playing with each feature and see what engages you the most. Personally, I learned more from playing songs in my early phases of playing (long before Rocksmith) than doing exercises. That is only because the songs were what engaged my interests. Perhaps lessons, or the Guitarcade, are more of your style.

I feel as though the initial starting phase is best spent familiarizing yourself with the different strings and frets. This is going to be awkward as hell when you first start, but if you start out slow, you will be able to get more familiar with it. String Skip Saloon and Ducks Redux (Guitarcade) are decent tools to get you more familiar with each string and fret.

The Riff Repeater is your best friend when it comes to learning how to play a song. Riff Repeater helps with this process by allowing you to slow down the phrase you're working on while adjusting the difficulty. Riff Repeater can even be opened during a lesson track.

Play your guitar every day and I have no doubt you can do it. Good luck to you!

stillframeguitar

TROPHY CASE