So I'm learning the guitar, and I consider myself to be an "advanced" beginner; as in I know how to strum, keep a basic rhythm and I have no problem playing and switching between all the basic chords.

I regularly mess around on the ultimate guitar site and look for tabs and chords of songs I'd like to play.

However, being that most of the songs are pretty much the same 4 chords/progressions, i'm starting to plateau a little bit (and getting a little bored too from just playing stupid chords. EAB anyone?)

I've come to the conclusion that I need to start expanding a little more and learning how to do more lead guitar/solo stuff. 

However, the divide between knowing chords and learning scales/solos is pretty vast and I'm having trouble keeping at the memorization of all the stupid scales stuff. 

Any guitar people out there? And any pointers?

Do chromatic scales...do them over and over and over again. This will help you learn the fretboard, and will help strengthen and "loosten" up your fingers.

First of all, most guitar solos are ejaculations which someone managed to transcribe, so that others can wonder how the fuck they happened. There's no need to rush to that level unless you are also a narcissist. Stick with the TAB sites, and that will get you more familiar with the fretboard while learning something you can actually play.

Try and play along with your favourite riffs - that is, something catchy but slightly technical (for example, the opening to Bowie's Rebel Rebel). Many riffs rely on picking through chord shapes (arpeggiating) and occasionally putting a finger somewhere interesting. The interesting fingerthing should eventually lead to the stuff you may see in guitar TABs, namely bends, hammer-ons, and pull-offs. These are some of the building blocks of lead guitar.

The only other thing I can suggest is DO NOT GET FED UP WITH IT OR YOU WILL NOT LEARN.

I actually stopped playing a few years ago though I'm thinking of picking up an accoustic guitar again to mess around with.
Are you learning how to play on your own? I went to a teacher for the first year or so and I remember us starting with score and scales, then progressing to chords, not the other way around. IMO, it makes sense since with some music theory you can find whatever chord you need when you know the notes are on the fretboard.

I agree! Most leads are comprised of the chromatic chords, and a lot of the "faster" sounding ones are actually a lot of hammer ons and pull offs. Also, when you hit a platou ( and believe me, you will), go see somebody play live, and pay attention to their playing style. That usually helps motivate you, and get's your creative juices flowing.

As has already been said learn some chromtic movements, then learn some pentatonic scales and sequences. Once you'v got the pentatonic scale down you can pretty much improvise to your heart's content, then move on to more challenging sequences such as the harmonic minor scale.

yes, I'm pretty much learning on my own and a product of random ass tabs on the internet.

The result being that I know pretty much 0 music theory.

i know the minor pentatonic and the blues, and some of the regular scales. I guess I could stick with doing scales over and over and OVER and OVER again, though.

I came across this on Twitter this morning:

"Tuna Pitch" is an iPhone/Touch app that is FREE, today only. The price goes up to $2.99 tomorrow. http://tinyurl.com/oyts4w

If you have an iPhone iTouch, mine as well pick it up. It's free :) (hell, even if you don't yet but think you might, you can always download it to your iTunes now, and put it on a device when you get it.)

Good luck with the Guitar! I might pull mine out and start learning again. I never really learned how to play.

That is a great advice to all new guitarists! i did that my first year, and it changed everything!

yeah I have a tuner, which set me back about 15 bucks. Not as cool as iPhone, but eh