World Of Guitar

Epiphone Les Paul Studio Review - How Close to Gibson is It?

2011-10-13T02:01:00.000+01:00

The Epiphone Les Paul Studio is a extremely good beginner-level instrument at a competitive price.

Gibson's best-selling guitar is on a regular basis the Les Paul Studio, which is understandable, since it permits its owner some of the features of the more pricey Gibson Les Paul at a much more inexpensive cost.

Nevertheless, at over $1,000, the Les Paul Studio is still out of the price range for many people, especially younger players. The Epiphone Les Paul Studio is an attempt to bring the feel of the Gibson model to a more inexpensive level.

Features

The Epiphone Studio model features a mahogany body and set mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard. Chrome hardware is standard equipment, as is a tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece. Pickups consist of two open-coil Alnico Classic humbuckers.

Performance

With a list price of less than $400, it's certainly much more inexpensive than the Gibson equivalent. But what about the guitar itself?

We were delighted to see that the instrument has a set neck rather than a bolt-on, which is what you ordinarily see with guitars in this price range. That's not a bad thing, since many good instruments (i.e. Fenders) have bolt-on necks, but having a Gibson with a bolt-on would seem just plain weird. Regarding the wood, it uses mahogany for both the neck and body and has a carved top.

With respect to the guitar's other features, it has a rosewood fretboard, chrome hardware, a tune-o-matic bridge, and stopbar tailpiece. Electronically, the Epiphone has two Alnico Classic open-coil humbuckers.

Given the cost, we found this instrument to be a strong beginner instrument. However, you might have to budget for some modest upgrades.

The action was very nice. Some buzzes were present here and there, though, because of some high frets (not uncommon).

The instrument's selector switch and volume pots were a bit scratchy, but not too bad. The humbucking pickups supplied some truly nice blues and rock tones.

Nonetheless, those are relatively bargain-priced fixes and minor complaints. When you realize that the price of a new Epiphone Les Paul Studio is around $350 and that a used one goes for around $200, it's difficult to complain.

The Bottom Line

All in all, the Epiphone Les Paul Studio is a extremely good beginner-level instrument at a competitive price. It would make a fine first instrument or even practice instrument for a more experienced player.

Name of Gear: Epiphone Les Paul Studio

List Price: $606.00

Manufacturer Info: The Epiphone Company; epiphone.com

Pros: Good value; nice guitar for the price

Cons:Noisy pots and pickup selector; a few high frets

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The Epiphone Riviera - Classic Hollowbody Styling and Tone But Overlooked by the Beatles

2011-10-06T05:38:00.000+01:00

The Epiphone Riviera helped reinvent Epiphone in the 1960s, after the faltering company's founder passed on and was aquired by guitar giant Gibson. This semi-hollowbody guitar with double cutaways and humbucking pickups was introduced in 1962, and was a departure from Epiphones other models to date.

Then President of Gibson, Ted McCarty, saw the opportunity to leverage Epiphone as a second Gibson brand, instead of the lesser idea of using Epiphone to produce acoustic Gibson basses.

The slightly smaller "mini-humbuckers" on the Epiphone Riviera were actually an attempt to keep the guitar on a lesser tier than it's big brother, the Gibson ES-335. Instead of the traditional PAF Humbucker tone, the mini-humbucker produced slightly lower output.

The Riviera has been overshadowed in the vintage market by the Casino model. While you could argue that both models are quite similar in design and tone, the Casino had one irrefutable advantage: The Beatles.

While the Fab Four would have been happy with the Riviera, it just happened that they (especially John Lennon) favored the Casino. Countless chance choices have shaped the fate of many guitars over the years, and such is life.

The Riviera has the standard Gibson pickup configuration: two humbuckers, neck and bridge, each with independent volume and tone knobs. This classic setup can also be found on the Les Paul, Flying V, SG, and plenty of others.

Top players of this guitar include Otis Rush, The Edge, and Nick Valesi of The Strokes, who has his own Signature Riviera, the P-94.

This is an excellent guitar for jangly rock sounds and excels capturing a vintage tone. This is no one trick pony though, as this axe is comfortable playing rock and country music as well.

The original is no longer in production, nor is the Epiphone Elite version of the Rivera, but these days you can find both on auction sites like eBay. Expect to pay a few hundred dollars for a reissue, and $5,000 or more for an original.

For a retro look and sound that you just don't see too often, the Epiphone Riviera is a great choice.

For a closer look at the Epiphone Riviera, including videos and more articles, check out My Guitar Guide

What is Your Opinion on Epiphone Guitars?

2011-10-02T01:36:00.000+01:00

You can gauge the age and knowledge level of a burgeoning axeman by asking their opinion on Epiphone guitars. Some may say that the company makes a decent electric that is more than serviceable onstage. Others may scoff and consider the line simply a bunch of Gibson's generic offerings. A true player, however, knows that Epiphone is at once one of the oldest and most respected guitar companies in history.

Few are aware that Epiphone dates back to the 1870s in Old World Europe. All the same, the company was a mere drop in the bucket compared to what it is now. One thing it had in those days, though, was its own identity. The company become wildly popular in the middle of the 20th century because of its expertly made archtop guitars and banjoes. The archtop market had, up to that point, been dominated by Gibson. Epiphone, however, offered models like the super famous Triumph and Emperor that were less expensive and, in some cases, better than Gibson's similar models. The respective companies were rivals from then on, until 1957 when Gibson bought Epiphone. If you can't beat 'em, pay them to join you.

To be fair, Epiphone never reached the grandeur it still has to this day until Gibson was in the picture. The company's (arguably) most popular guitar is in fact the first model put out after Gibson took over: The Epiphone Casino. Here, again, we can gauge the age of our six-string slinging ilk. Those born too late to fully realize the effect of Beatle Mania need only know that the Casino, based on Gibson's own famous ES-330 became an overnight sensation much like the fab four itself when not one but THREE Beatles (Mccartney, Lennon, and Harrison; the good ones) began using the Casino as their axe of choice and continued to do so for much of the band's lifespan. It wasn't a fashion choice, though the Casino and the ES-330 did have that retro large body that was in vogue at the time. It was more because of the heavy rhythm sound that the Casino had thanks to its hollow body and single coil, non-humbucking P90 pickups. The Casino still sounds amazing today, giving a very thick, deep pluck and amazing reverb.

Epiphone still makes its own classic archtop guitars but it is more widely known now for its Gibson copies that sound nearly as good as the originals but cost far less. There are Ephiphone copies of the Les Paul and Explorer, naturally, and there are even Firebird, Flying-V, Hummingbird, and LP knockoffs. This is a good thing, to most burgeoning guitarists, because a decent Gibson Les Paul can fetch a price of anywhere from three to ten thousand dollars or more and a Epiphone Les Paul can be found brand new for less than five hundred dollars. One of Gibson's most popular models and one of the most famous acoustics ever made, the Hummingbird, can be bought as an Epiphone model for more than fifteen hundred dollars less in even the most generous of circumstances. Epiphone may have lost its original voice in light of Gibson's buyout, but Gibson has arguably done more for the Epiphone name than anything made previously by the company.

Please visit our site for a full catalog of Epiphone guitars.

Top Epiphone Budget Guitars For Starters

2011-09-25T10:51:00.000+01:00

A huge part of selecting a guitar when you are shopping for a brand new guitar will depend on your skill range. Gibson guitars are high end guitars, yet especially costly. More costly than the average beginner musician may wish to spend. One piece of information you might not realize is that Gibson has quite a few completely different brand names underneath their belt, including an incredible beginning electric guitar brand, Epiphone.

Epiphone Guitars look, sound, and feel similar to their costlier Gibson brothers. Why do they cost much less? First, Epiphones are built offshore where labor prices are low, whereas Gibson are built in Nashville, TN. Subsequently, Epiphone Les Pauls are manufactured from common mahogany varieties; Gibson guitars use unusual Honduran mahogany wood. Gibson also uses an intensive finish process; Epiphone employs a cheaper catalyzed finish.

Since Epiphones are built overseas, doesn't essentially mean they're low quality. For example, Les Paul pickups are crafted to Epiphone's exacting specification. They're double- dipped in wax and tested by Epiphone engineers at every step of development. It is this attention-to-detail which sets Epiphone apart. And it's these precise details that provide the incredibly rich, creamy sound which makes this guitar a favourite of rock, jazz, and blues guitarists. Epiphone's loyalty to music is reflected by a limited lifetime warranty on all of its models, no matter price.

Listed below are my personal suggestions for the best Epiphone guitars for beginners:

Epiphone Les Paul Special II -

One of the affordable Gibson guitars, the Epiphone Les Paul Special II is nice for newcomers for many factors. For one, it's inexpensive. You can get the Les Paul Special II for under $200 with no trouble, which is affordable. Not only is this guitar inexpensive, it surely is super versatile as well. Whether you are want to be a metal god or just wish to jam with some friends, this guitar will work for you. With a mahogany wood neck and a rosewood fretboard, this guitar not only sounds good, but is gorgeous too.

Epiphone Les Paul 100 -

The Epiphone Les Paul 100 is the electric guitar you will want, if you're beginning to get serious about your music. The mahogany body with maple top provides traditional solid, heavy sound whereas the bolt-on mahogany neck and rosewood fretboard are easy to perform. Features 700T/650R open-coil humbucker pickups and chrome hardware. The Epiphone Les Paul 100 guitar features classic Les Paul design and tone. This truly is a great axe for all ranges of guitar playing. It might be a bit more expensive than the other electric guitars in this article ($299). However it's worth it as you can use it all through your axe playing profession.

Epiphone G-310 SG -

The G-310 is a bit more costly than the previous 2 guitars, but not by a lot. Between $199 and $250, this axe is still groovy for novices but doesn't sacrifice as much in features. What the G-310 does better over the earlier two electric guitars is that it handles both warm and harsh distortion nicely. Just like the previous electric guitars, the G-310 has a mahogany wood neck and rosewood fretboard, so you're surely getting a high quality Gibson guitar with any of the three choices.

Epiphone SG Special -

Another electric guitar below $200, Gibson's Epiphone SG-Special guitar is a excellent beginner axe. This axe is a replica of the original Gibson legendary SG, so it is a classic guitar. The SG-Special is a standard rock guitar, so there aren't any unusual bells and whistles, but it surely does boast 2 open-coil humbuckers, a rosewood fretboard like the Les Paul Special II, and a beautiful tone for such an inexpensive guitar. A great aspect of the Epiphone SG-Special is that it is available in numerous different colors, so whatever your character there is a guitar for you.

I'd be comfortable with recommend any of these Epiphone guitars to a beginner, though I would recommend spending a few extra bucks and get the G-310 SG or Epiphone Les Paul 100. Starting out you might not notice the difference, but you will quickly grow out of the other two electric guitars and wish you had the flexibility of the G-310 SG or Les paul 100.

The resources that I used to write this article is from the Five Best Selling Guitars. Another resource that I used to help draw my conclusion was a YouTube video titled: Epiphone Vs. Gibson.

Please visit my personal website at Hardon4Guitars.com.

Epiphone Flying VeeWee Bullseye Zakk Pakk Electric Guitar Value Pack

2011-09-18T13:35:00.000+01:00

If you are just learning to play guitar and want to have a professional quality amp and guitar, then you should definitely consider the Epiphone Flying VeeWee Bullseye Zakk Pakk. This set includes an electric guitar, an amplifier, a gig case, the cords needed for connecting the amp and guitar, and three guitar pics from the Zakk Wylde signature line.

The Whole Package The Epiphone Flying VeeWee Bullseye Zakk Pakk is designed by Zakk Wylde, who is one of the best guitar players in the music industry. The guitar is an electric guitar that is half the size of the typical guitar, making this package perfect for kids and beginners just learning to play. The flying V design is extremely popular, and this package also has a flying V electric guitar with a custom bullseye design. No electric guitarist would be able to play without an amp, so the package also contains a Marshall brand micro full stack.

The Epiphone Flying VeeWee Bullseye Zakk Pakk electric guitar value pack is a great bargain. The flying V electric guitar is made from mahogany, with rosewood fingerboard. The hardware is all made from nickel, and the guitar features 21 medium-jumbo frets. There is also a signature Epiphone 700T humbuckler pickup on the guitar. The amplifier is a Marshall MS-4ZW micro stack system that can produce a clear rock sound, but that is also small enough to play during practice at home.

Using The Bullseye Zakk Pakk The Epiphone Flying VeeWee Bullseye Zakk Pakk electric guitar value pack is an awesome starter set for kids, and makes a perfect gift for anyone who is interested in learning to play the electric guitar. The smaller size is just right for kid's hands, since there is the need to wrap your fingers around the neck to hit the right chords. The retail value of this bargain pack is only around three hundred dollars, so it is really an affordable option, as well as being built on some of the most trusted names in the music industry.

The high quality components are sure to be well-received when you buy the Epiphone Flying VeeWee Bullseye Zakk Pakk electric guitar value pack for a child in your family. This set isn't just for kids, though, there are plenty of adults who love the Epiphone and Marshall combo. The sound is amazing, and the quality of this set can't be beat.

Gear-Vault is one of the most respectable guitar review websites on the entire internet. Read their professional and comprehensive guitar and amplifiers reviews before you buy your next guitar or piece of musical equipment. Looking for a guitar amplifier? Check out the Epiphone Les Paul PeeWee.

If you found this article helpful and want to learn more about Zakk Wylde guitars, check out the Zakk Wylde Flying V

The Epiphone Les Paul Guitar - Does it Live Up to the Legend?

2011-09-13T10:41:00.000+01:00

The question of whether to buy an Epiphone Les Paul guitar is hotly debated when guitar players gather round the campfire. Cheap guitars in general have the same reputation as cheap cars but with the Epiphone Les Paul models you might be able to score yourself an excellent instrument.

Way back in the late nineteenth century, Turkish instrument maker, Anastasios Stathopoulos learned his craft making stringed instruments. He brought his expertise with him in the 1903 when he moved his family to The United States Of America. The company prospered in their new homeland and the American fascination with the banjo meant an opportunity to extend their skills to this new instrument. The name Epiphone, derived from the name of Anastasios' son, Epamimondas, came into being in 1928 when the company began making guitars. In 1957 the factory was taken over by the Gibson company.

The Les Paul guitar is a solid body electric guitar made by Gibson in the early nineteen fifties and named after the popular guitarist and inventor of his own solid body guitar, Les Paul. Les Paul's design for a solid body guitar had been originally turned down by Gibson but in the face of the popularity of the electric guitar, Gibson designed their own version incorporating some suggestions by Les Paul and using his endorsement to draw public attention to their new product.

The Epiphone Les Paul guitars are versions of the original Gibson models but they are made from cheaper materials in factories in countries like Korea where labor is not as expensive. They also lack some of the fancy detailing that can be found on the Gibson factory model guitars, the fretboard inlays being markedly lower quality. In all their are around twenty Les Paul model guitars made by the Epiphone company.

Their is quite alot of debate about whether the Epiphone Les Paul guitars are as good as the original Gibson models. Many guitar players think that in general the Epiphone tone is not as good as the Gibson and some feel that the Epiphone necks are less player friendly than the originals.

Of course quality standards vary from factory to factory with many stories emerging from guitar buyers about inferior building and flaws in the headstocks, fretboards and other details. However some guitar players have said they were pleasantly surprised when trying out Epiphone guitars. The Epiphone version of the Les Paul Standard guitar, although much lighter than the original has been reported to have a very responsive action and a sound almost identical to an original Les Paul.

The Epiphone Standard is built entirely to the Gibson factory specifications using more separate bits of mahogany than the Gibson but with no noticeable difference in sound quality. Some guitar players even report that they can find no difference between the pickups used in the Epiphone Standard and the Gibson Standard. The machine heads are a little more jerky to use than the Gibson's but they keep the guitar tuned.

If you like the Gibson Les Paul Custom guitars, you will be pleasantly surprised to know that the Epiphone Custom guitars look almost the same as the Gibsons with very similar inlays. If you like the Bigsby tailpiece, you can even get it in an Epiphone.

Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for: learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.

Epiphone Sale Price - Buy An Electric Guitar But Are You Paying Too Much?

2011-09-07T01:46:00.000+01:00

You want to buy an Epiphone electric guitar? But hang on. It's one thing to chose the model that suits you and your style of guitar playing best but it's also important to get it at the cheapest sale price, in stock and preferably with free shipping. But where do you find the best Epiphone sale price?

There's just too much choice but in the end you have to settle on just one guitar. Whether you have your eyes set on the Epiphone Les Paul Standard, a Limited Edition Epiphone or a Custom model you can be sure you will get a quality build, great looks and that special sound. Just make sure you also get your guitar at a discount price.

The cheap price of the Epiphone Les Paul Special II makes it a popular guitar for beginners but it's also a good choice for more advanced guitarists. This best selling guitar features a mahogany body and a dot inlay 22-fret rosewood fingerboard. A variety of colors are available including black, white, wine red, cheery sunburst heritage and vintage sunburst.

I bought an Epiphone SG Special five years ago when I first started learning to play and although I've since bought another couple of guitars I still find myself coming back to my old Epiphone. It so durable it could last forever.

Epiphone prices can be as much as $3000 for some models. It amazes me the people can afford prices like that. I certainly can't. That's more than my car's worth. It's almost more than my house is worth too!

Luckily there are other Epiphone models selling from little over 100 dollars which are great value for money so it pays to check out the best Epiphone sale deals and special offers before you buy that new guitar. For the best prices on Epiphone Les Paul electric guitars with details of free shipping and in stock information check out Keepers Music.

The Epiphone Casino Guitar Story

2011-08-31T11:39:00.000+01:00

Epiphone is one of the leading companies known for their musical instruments. It was bought by Gibson after the Second World War in 1950 and is still working under the roof of Gibson as a sister company. Epiphone is producing one of the leading electric, bass and acoustic guitars, as well as other accessories. One of the classic productions of Epiphone is Epiphone Casino, which is a semi-acoustic guitar.

Epiphone Casino is based on the Gibson ES-330 and is a masterpiece that was being used by John Lennon as well as Noel Gallagher. The great affection of these legends for Epiphone Casino has caused a lot of musicians to move their attention towards it and this is now a masterpiece that a lot of musicians want to own so they can create the best music ever.

The Epiphone Casino is a semi hollow guitar and it looks a lot like the Epiphone Sheraton. One of the most remarkable aspects of Epiphone Casino is that it has a very light weight and Epiphone Casino is also known for its crisp, more trebly sound. This guitar has two Gibson P90 pickups that give it an ideal rhythm.

The Epiphone Casino has an adjustable bridge, which allows it to be adjusted very low and with the help of the small screws on the bridge, the intonation can be set quite easily. Another very remarkable feature of neck is that it is thinner than other guitars and it helps the musician to get their hand around it very easily and can maneuver their fingers really fast.

The Beatles singer, songwriter, guitarist, bassist Paul McCartney became the proud owner of Casino in the year (1964) and used it to create his songs "Drive My Car" in 1965 and "Taxman" in 1966. Two years later, the two great legends, John Lennon and George Harrison acquired their Epiphone Casinos. George Harrison used Epiphone Casino as his main instrument till the time he was with Beatles.

Epiphone Casino has different versions and the Epiphone Casino Arch top has two P90 pickups and has chrome hardware. The scale is about 27.75 inches and the width of the nut is about 1.68 inch. The Epiphone Casino has a set neck joint and the neck material is of Mahogany. The fingerboard is Rosewood/Parallelogram with a laminated Maple body material and has an entire natural finish.

There have been different versions of Epiphone Casino that have come about with the passage of time. These include the regular Epiphone Casino Arch top series, which is made in Korea. The Epiphone Elitist Casino is made in Japan. The Epiphone John Lennon Casino is made in US. The Epiphone John Lennon Casino has been based on the changes that John Lennon had recommended.

With this long history of Epiphone Casino, it has been played on by a number of legends that include Paul McCartney, Noel Gallagher, John Lennon, George Harrison and a lot of other legends. Along with them, a few bands that use this art piece include the Interpol, Oasis, Asteroid No. 4, as well as The Boo Radleys.

For further information please visit http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com

Epiphone 335 Buying Guide - How to Buy an Epiphone 335 Guitar

2011-08-26T05:50:00.000+01:00

From its invention in 1958 by the Gibson Guitar Corporation, the Epiphone 335 has become the semi-acoustic guitar of choice for blues, jazz, and rock musicians alike.

Listed below are some tips to understanding the specifications of the Epiphone 335--as well as guidelines for finding your personal version of this great-sounding guitar.

The Sound

The Gibson Epiphone 335 guitar produces a warm sound and less feedback as opposed to its competitors, that are made possible by a body that is neither hollow nor solid. In general, the more hollow the shape of a guitar, the more feedback. The solid wood that runs through the center of the 335 is what makes it possible for the magic to take place.

However, because the body is still essentially hollow, it has not lost its characteristic dark tone from a sound point of view. The same goes for the natural non amplified volume of the instrument--giving it a very even and consistent overall sound.

The Look

How these precise specifications were met has been made possible through a long term of experimenting with various guitar shapes and sizes. The Epiphone 335 would evolve from preceding products to hold its ground eventually in the music market. It is relatively easy to notice at the time it is being used.

Apart from the arched top, it bears hollow wings on each side, and additionally, it has two sound holes over the hollow chambers. Certainly, Epiphone 335 is made of wood: in most cases, the body is made of maple, the neck is from mahogany, and the fingerboard rosewood.

How to Buy

When buying the Gibson Epiphone ES-335, it is vital to understand the pricing difference triggered by cosmetic or non-cosmetic editions. (As an example, an ebony fret board will likely add to the cost.)

On top of that, do not imagine the price to be any cheaper than say $30,000 if one's sights are set on a 1960 or earlier generation. Surprisingly, a brand new ES-335 is generally in the under $3,000 range.

Certainly the most budget friendly is the Epiphone 335, which can be acquired for a few hundred dollars. For best results, seek out the advice of a guitar connoisseur, and as a rule of thumb be able to differentiate between cosmetic and sound-changing features.

Learn more about Epiphone 335 guitar. Stop by http://epiphone-acoustic-electric-guitar.com/ to find out how to get the best deals on this famous acoustic guitar.

Epiphone EJ200CE Buyer's Guide - How to Purchase an Epiphone EJ200ce Guitar

2011-08-22T02:35:00.000+01:00

Epiphone takes its famous guitar reputation to another level with the Epiphone EJ200CE cutaway acoustic electric guitar. The guitar is based on Gibson's flagship Hummingbird series and enhances overall flexibility and playability with addition of the cutaway & electronics.

If you are seeking a wonderful sounding acoustic electric guitar and are considering buying an Epiphone EJ200CE, here are some points about this great musical instrument and suggestions for purchasing one without emptying your wallet.

Epiphone Sound Magic

The Epiphone EJ200CE is constructed with the sound which has made the series well-known: a great, clean ambient acoustic sound.

What makes this instrument's sound special is the almost perfect sound on higher registers with deep, resonant tones from the lower registers even if played with no amplification.

The guitar then takes this sound and reproduces it perfectly when amplified. Epiphone have achieved this with their eSonic2 system and 'NanoFlex' pickup, which is equipped with seven sensitive sensors which amplify string vibrations and resonance from guitar body.

So string bends and slides aren't lost in amplification, making it ideal as a lead or rhythm instrument.

Vintage meets Modern

The guitar features exquisite structure and design. The guitar has a jumbo Maple body, that is amazingly light-weight, and a solid Spruce top.

The fretboard is Rosewood with nicely designed crown inlay, Maple neck and features body, neck and headstock binding. Epiphone have retained a significant feature from the Hummingbird: the ornate, floral pick guard design and included the Epiphone mustache bridge.

The class of this guitar is seen in gold hardware, that sets perfectly against the Natural, Black or Vintage Sunburst finishes.

How to get

The Epihone is created as a low priced guitar although sound, building and playability make this the ideal choice for starters or specialists as well.

Before purchasing, make sure to play it with and without amplification to make sure that the quality of sound is excellent. You need to make sure that string intonation is correct.

Check out the guitar finish against a light for blemishes or tiny scratches. When you're satisfied with the sound, intonation, amplification and design, one last check out the balance of the guitar and you might make sure that your musical instrument is a great choice, that will last you for years in the future.

Good luck with your guitar search.

Looking to find the best deal on an Epiphone ej200ce guitar, then visit http://epiphone-acoustic-electric-guitar.com/ to find the best advice on locating a great deal on this awesome-sounding guitar.

The Many Epiphone Les Paul Models

2011-08-15T23:32:00.000+01:00

Want to know all the models available right now in the Epiphone Les Paul line of guitars? Get ready because there are quite a few of them. I'll give you a bit of the low down on the specs, price and review. Let's dive right in, shall we?

Les Paul 100

This is one excellent affordable guitar featuring a bolt-on mahogany neck, and the body is a bit slimmer carved top than usual for more comfort while playing. It also features Alnico V humbucker pickups, chrome hardware, maple top, stopbar tailpiece, available left handed and dot inlays. It comes in ebony, heritage cherry sunburst, and vintage sunburst finishes. These guitars will run you at around $250 to $300 online.

Les Paul 1956 Goldtop

Unfortunately, this one has been discontinued but they surely can still be found either at your local shop (left over stock), or online at places like eBay. These come equipped with the classic p90 soapbar pickups and the gold top finish. You are looking at around $400 to $500 for one of these fine electric guitars.

Les Paul Black Beauty 3

They say, once you go black, you'll never go back. I'm sure they were talking about the Black Beauty 3 by Epiphone. This thing has 3 Alnico Classic humbuckers! 3! Gold hardware too. Just a really classy looking workhorse of a guitar built especially for rock. These sell anywhere from $500 to $700 online.

Les Paul Custom and Custom Plus

Some people have been known to call these the tuxedo LP. You can either choose from an alpine white finish or ebony. it features everything that most other Epiphone Les Pauls are known for - mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard and more. It's also got some excellent styling with the gold hardware and bindings on the body. $500 or so should get you rigged up with one of these.

There's also the discontinued custom plus that gives you everything that the Custom has and adds some sweet finish options like heritage cherry or vintage sunburst.

Les Paul Special II

At around $200, this has to be one of the most affordable Epiphone Les Paul options. These guitars feature an open coil pickup design from Alnico V and a tune-o-matic bridge. There is quite a large number of finish options as well including ebony, white, heritage cherry sunburst, wine red, vintage sunburst. It also comes in left handed models and there is a player pack and performance pack as well giving beginners everything they need.

Les Paul Standard, Standard Plain Top, Standard Plus Top

The Standard line of guitars has three different options for the top. The standard solid body, plain top and plus top. These all have roughly the same features with differences in the finishes available. The plain top features a maple top and the plus top has a flamed maple top. $300 - $400 should bring one of these babies home to you.

Les Paul Studio

Just like a regular Gibson Studio, you've got a solid mahogany body and open coil humbuckers. They are available in alpine white, arctic blue, worn brown or cherry. There are also limited edition Chameleon versions (which are now discontinued) that feature color shifting finishes that actually almost change color depending on the light you are looking at them in. Find them online for around $300.

Les Paul Ultra and Ultra II

The first thing you will notice about the Ultra and Ultra II is the difference in weight from other models of Les Paul. The mahogany body is actually chambered to allow for a bit more of an acoustic vibe with the instrument. They have a sweet quilted maple top as well. The Ultra II combines all of this with the NanoMag low impedance pickup that is actually installed right in the fingerboard for great electric acoustic tones. You'll probably be looking at around $800 for one of these.

If you want to find more great information about the Epiphone line of guitars, click here and everything about Epiphone guitars you need to know is there.

Epiphone Guitars - A Good Alternative to Gibson? Read the Top 4 Differences and Decide For Yourself

2011-08-09T12:53:00.000+01:00

Epiphone Guitars or Gibson Guitars? Musicians will argue this until the end of time, so let's just focus on a few facts so you can decide for yourself.

First, a bit of background:

Epiphone and Gibson are very popular guitar makers. Epiphone was Gibson's biggest competitor until 1957, when Gibson purchased the faltering Epiphone. At that point, Gibson licensed many of its most popular models to be made by Epiphone, and by doing so was able to penetrate a whole new tier in the guitar marketplace.

So, what's all the fuss about? Why is a Gibson Les Paul $2,000 and an Epiphone Les Paul $500?

Let's take a look at the differences:

1. Where They're Made. Epiphone guitars are primarily manufactured in China. This of course makes huge cost cuts possible, but also makes quality control a bit more difficult. Gibson guitars are always made in the USA, and Gibson strives to have actual musicians making these guitars whenever possible. To some this may make no difference, but if you have an eye for workmanship you will notice a difference in craftsmanship.

2. Quality of Components. Epiphones are going to have lesser quality pickups and tuning keys. While the tuners don't have much of an effect on tone, it can be annoying to have to tune often because of inferior tuning keys. The higher quality pickups on Gibson guitars may be a nuance missed by non-musicians or beginners, but you can bet that not too many Platinum records were recorded using an Epiphone. Countless classic records have been recorded using Gibsons.

3. Headstock. To the untrained eye, An Epiphone and a Gibson may look identical. The key aesthetic giveaway is that the "open book" styling of the top of the headstock is cut off on a Epiphone. Of course, it also says "Epiphone" on the headstock, but this subtle difference is enough to signal the difference between "pro" and "entry-level." Having a Gibson is a statement that you've spent a lot of money on a guitar, and in some cases is a musician's status symbol.

4. Finishing Touches. Gibson guitars sport a Nitrocellulose lacquer finish, while Epiphones have a Polyurethane finish. The Nitrocellulose finish allows the wood to age well and allow some air and moisture to pass through the finish. This brings out different sound characteristics as the instrument gets older. It also has to be applied in multiple layers with sanding in between, and is much more labor intensive.

An Epiphone's polyurethane finish needs only to be sprayed on in one or two coats, so it takes less work and time. This finish also restricts the air and moisture transfer to the wood that reduces the (often desireable) effects of aging.

The effect of each type of finish on tone is debatable, but an Epiphone's finish is obviously cheaper and faster to apply.

Is there a happy medium between an Epiphone and a Gibson?

Yes. Here are some suggestions if you can't decide which guitar to invest in:

*Many guitar players opt to buy a used Gibson to bring down the cost. A guitar that's a little beat up has some "soul," which isn't always a bad thing.

*Alternately, some online retailers offer to spread the cost equally over 5 months with no interest or credit card needed. You can buy a really nice, brand new $2,000 guitar for $400 per month without having to open a new line of credit.

*A final idea that works well is to buy an Epiphone and replace the pickups and tuning keys. This way you improve the two biggest shortcomings of the Epiphone while keeping costs down. If this is your first time attempting this, please hire a professional to do the job!

My Guitar Guide dives into all things Gibson, with a Special Section on Epiphone Guitars

Epiphone G-400 Review - A Worthy SG Replacement?

2011-08-03T06:06:00.000+01:00

If you want an inexpensive instrument that can cover a lot of sonic ground, you can't go wrong with the G-400.

Although it may not have as much weight (figuratively speaking) as the iconic Fender Stratocaster or the Gibson Les Paul, the Gibson SG is still a noticeable part of rock and roll history, as Angus Young can attest.

Everyone from Eric Clapton to Tony Iommi has adopted the Gibson SG for its piercing sound. Since not everyone can afford the $1,200 street price for a Gibson, however, their sister company Epiphone makes an affordable SG model, the G-400.

Since the Epiphone G-400 is plainly more inexpensive, we have to discover how well it "stacks up" to its big brother, the Gibson SG.

Features

The Epiphone G-400 is built with a mahogany body and set mahogany neck. It features two Alnico V humbuckers, a rosewood fretboard with trapezoid inlays, chrome hardware, and a tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece.

Performance

We have zero niggles with respect to the cherry finish, which is just plain beautiful and looks fantastic on the instrument's mahogany body. The SG shape itself is perfect. If it weren't for the name on the headstock, the instrument would be a dead ringer for a Gibson SG.

The mother-of-pearl inlays are wonderfully done, though we did discover some small traces of glue residue near the edges. Similarly, we noticed some minute traces of glue holding the neck joint in place, but these squabbles aside, we determined the construction quality to be really well done.

The instrument's intonation was easy to set and was very good, though we wish the bridge saddles weren't as cutting as they are. The instrument held its tuning very well, even after some pretty radical bending.

The instrument plays well, suitable for pretty much any style of music. We did notice a a couple of buzzes and rattles here and there, but we did set the action fairly low, and we didn't observe any of these sounds through an amplifier.

I'm of the belief that a good electric guitar has to sound superb unplugged, and the G-400 doesn't let down in this domain either. It's vibrant, resonant, and offers substantial sustain, stunning given the guitar's low weight.

The guitar's acoustic tones were, pardon the pun, "amplified" when we plugged into our test amplifier, a Dr. Z MAZ-18 NR. The pickups of the G-400 offered very balanced tones, useful for numerous distinct styles.

We auditioned the pickups in all three toggle settings and found the tones useful in all settings using both clean and distorted amp/pedal sounds. When we really went for a metal sound (using a Visual Sound Jekyll and Hyde pedal), we thought the instrument was a bit muddy sounding, but's not really a criticism, considering how toppingly warm this guitar is overall.

So, if you wish to play this instrument in a Judas Priest tribute band, you'll probably want to put in some hotter pickups with a bit more treble bite.

The Bottom Line

There's not much more to say. The Epiphone G-400 is a splendid guitar at a superb price. If you want an inexpensive instrument that can cover a lot of sonic ground, you can't go wrong with the G-400.

Name of Gear: Epiphone G-400

List Price: $606.00

Manufacturer Info: The Epiphone Company; epiphone.com

Pros: Solid value; good playability; sweet rock and blues sounds

Cons: Bridge saddles need work; a little glue residue

If you are searching for the lowest available price on a used or new Epiphone G-400, then you need to search no more! Ray's Guitar Shop offers the lowest prices on all used and new guitars (acoustic and electric) available anywhere online. If you're searching for cheap electric guitars, then look no further than Ray's Guitar Shop!

4 Reasons to Buy an Epiphone Guitar

2011-07-30T05:06:00.000+01:00

Buying a guitar is a big decision for anyone. It is possible that you have stumbled upon this article because you are preparing to embark on a lifelong journey with guitar music and you want to pick the right instrument. Maybe you are a collector seeking to build your collection. Maybe you are a parent who is contemplating buying your child his or her first instrument. No matter how you came to this article you should know that it pays to do your research and it is my hope that this article will help you get started.

Please remember that these are only my opinions. I have no affiliation with Epiphone. I am just a fan of their guitars. If you take my advice, be aware that you are doing so at your own risk and do not complain to me if you don't like your new guitar. A thorough research process is the best way to make sure you find the best guitar for you. Because you are reading this article, I think you probably already know that. Without further ado... 4 Reasons to buy an Epiphone guitar.

1. Archtops. If you are a jazz guitarist or if you just like the sound of archtop guitars then look no further than an Epiphone archtop guitar. Before WWII, Epiphone was known as the premier producer of archtop guitars. After the war, Epiphone encountered hard times and was absorbed by one of their fiercest competitors, Gibson. Now a subsidiary of Gibson, Epiphone still produces some of the highest quality archtop guitars under their name.

2. Price. Since it is a subsidiary of Gibson, Epiphone offers many guitars that are very similar to or exact copies of Gibson guitars for a much lower price.

3. Gibson. Being a subsidiary of Gibson means that Epiphone guitars bring the same quality standard that all of Gibson's guitars offer.

4. The Beatles, Ace Frehley of Kiss, The Edgy of U2, Joe Pass, and Keith Richards all use Epiphone guitars. If they are good enough for them, they are probably good enough for you!

I hope that this article successfully explained why I would recommend that you buy an Epiphone guitar. If you want to buy an Epiphone, I encourage you to surf the web for great deals. Epiphone is not notorious for making overpriced guitars and I bet you can find some great deals if you look around. Thanks for reading and best of luck with your guitar playing!

My name is Ryan Gloman and I have a passion for guitar and a passion for sharing information.

Buying guitar gear is exciting! Get the scoop on online dealers at this site [http://www.review-hq.com/guitar/gear]. They've got tons of useful information on prices, shipping fees, special offers and other good stuff to know.

Noel Gallagher Epiphone Supernova Guitar

2011-07-23T21:19:00.000+01:00

There is nothing better than a guitar that covets the guitar players personal name and brand name of one of the greatest bands or artists. Custom unique signature models are a very important part of any guitar designers product range and allows more credibility and influence from the famous musicians of yesteryear and today that play and recommend their instrument. They are also an important part of the overall marketing process of the guitar manufacturer - but it is a perfect way of selling more products. Made in Korea, the Epiphone Supernova electric guitar is the personal signature guitar from Noel Gallagher from the pop band Oasis - one of the biggest, influential, controversial and best rock bands of the past twenty years. Oasis are known for songs such as Wonderwall and Shakermaker and their brand of Brit Pop and guitar rock still stands the ravages of time and is still accessible and relevant to today's upcoming stars. Noel is the songwriting brains that backs Oasis, whist his brother Liam is the controversial lead singer, always in the eye of the paparazzi and definitely famous for his loud personality, being rude and out of this world celebrity credentials. Although Oasis are more mature now and not as quite as popular, they are still releasing great albums under the genius of Noel - who has said he plans to release a solo album in the near future.

The 95 Epiphone Supernova is a custom-made version of the Sheraton, another one of Epiphone's popular guitars. However, the Supernova you can buy today is not the same version as the type used by Gallagher though. The original instrument played by Noel is now displayed in the O2 arena in England as part of the British Music Experience exhibition. For the promotion of the Oasis album, Whats The Story Morning Glory, Oasis were pictured posing with a specially made Epiphone Sheraton painted with the Union Jack. Designed to copy that guitar, the public version of this guitar features a a different shape, style and several minor alterations such as featuring different models of pick ups, Alnico 57s rather than mini humbucker pickups which can be found on the original.

The Epiphone Supernova is not made any longer but was designed in several different colors including the infamous signature union jack model requested by Noel Gallagher. The others were blue to represent the Manchester City Football Club that the band champions, Cherry Red and a rare Ebony Black model. The Supernova features large parallelogram fret markers, a slim, long scale neck, a rose wood fretboard, a vintage tremolo, a laminated and hollow body which makes it light to use and better to play. The pick guard has Noels signature on and features the Epiphone logo. The Epiphone Supernova produces clear sounds that are suitable for blues or rock. Although it sounds a little like a more pricy Gibson guitar, the Epiphone Supernova will deliver the results you need. The build quality is also excellent and should be without any issues. It is overall, an excellent guitar and well worth spending your money on - especially if you also enjoy Noel Gallagher and Oasis!

If you want to learn more about the Epiphone Supernova or any other electric guitar used by the rock gods of today and yesteryear, come over to the Buy A Rock Guitar website. You can find information on the classics such as the Fender Stratocaster to the more obscure such as the Goya Rangemaster used by Jimi Hendrix.

Epiphone Casino Review - Vintage Class

2011-07-18T23:35:00.000+01:00

If you need a particular, versatile instrument for blues, rock, or jazz, the Epiphone Casino is a sure thing.

It's effortless to think that guitar makers like Fender and Gibson have always been the top-selling musical instruments they are now, but that's in reality not the case. Believe it or not, for many years Epiphone really dominated the electric guitar universe, thanks mainly to a group of young musicians from Liverpool (the Beatles, in case you don't know your music history really well).

George and John were not the only guitarists who could be seen playing Epiphone Casinos. The Casino's fresh, dynamic tones could be found in tons of concerts and recordings. Though it's improbable you'll be able to pick up a real 1960's Casino, you can grab a current reissue model that is worth a look. Here are just a few of the details of the current model.

Features

Regarding its construction, the top, sides, and back are all made of a laminated maple. The neck is mahogany and the fingerboard is rosewood and has 22 frets on a 24 3/4" scale. The nut is a comfortable 1.68." The Casino boasts 2 Alnico V P-90 vintage-style pickups with a trademark tune-o-matic bridge and trapeze tailpiece. Parallelogram inlays and body-neck binding with chrome hardware complete the cosmetic adornments.

Performance

As you test a new Epiphone Casino, you'll in all probability observe at least a couple of things. First things first. The Casino is very lightweight, owing to its semi-hollow design. If you're used to playing a Les Paul, the Casino feels like a feather by comparison.

The second thing you'll likely notice is the sound itself. "Crisp" is probably the best adjective I can use to describe it. It doesn't have the usual Gibson or Fender tone, but that's not a bad thing. It's unique, its own animal.

We were really satisfied with the tones we got from the Epiphone Casino. It can get some outstanding clean or classic rock tones, but don't anticipate any "Iron Maiden" licks to sound authentic. The P90 pickups have some great tones, even if they're not hum-cancelling (but they're not really noisy anyway).

When we first played the Casino, we discovered it needed a fast setup. After we adjusted the bridge and neck, the Casino played very well. The neck especially is really comfortable.

If you're blessed enough to buy a new Epiphone Casino, don't be astounded if you start rattling off some of your favored Beatles' tunes. We played our Epiphone through a new Vox AC-15 and were very encouraged with the warm, rich sounds we got.

The Bottom Line

Since the street cost is only around $599 (much less if you can find it used), it's difficult to find grounds not to pick up an Epiphone Casino today. If you need a particular, versatile instrument for blues, rock, or jazz, the Epiphone Casino is a sure thing.

Name of Gear: Epiphone Casino

List Price: $1,042.00

Manufacturer Info: The Epiphone Company; epiphone.com

Pros: Classic blues and rock sound; visually appealing; light; good bargain

Cons: Weak factory setup

If you are searching for the best available price on an Epiphone Casino, then you need to search no further. Ray's Guitar Shop has the best prices on all acoustic and electric guitars, including the Epiphone Casino. You won't find any better prices on the Internet anywhere. If you're searching for cheap electric guitars, then look no further than Ray's Guitar Shop!

Epiphone Electric Guitars - A Rock Star That Still Rocks on Today

2011-07-14T02:44:00.000+01:00

Epiphone electric guitars have a long and noble heritage. In the late 1920's, they introduced their first line of guitars, following in Gibson's footsteps, but featuring unusual body shapes and other design changes. Six years later Epiphone introduced a guitar with a slightly wider body. Actually, it was just wide enough to provide some sense of modesty to the naked woman model that was posing with the guitar.

A few years later, Epiphone was surpassed by Gibson and in the late 1950's was ultimately acquired by Gibson. Overshadowed by Gibson's reputation at this point, Epiphone recreated their classics, developed a line of guitars that were budget versions of the Gibson and began developing their own line of electric guitars.

In 1956 their model, the Emperor, led the way in sales and marketing development. Epiphone was perfectly positioned for the growing interest in folk music, although in the 60s it again fell behind Gibson and was no longer perceived as leading Gibson in development.

Where is Epiphone today? Epiphone has been busy, playing the rebel to Gibson's version of a mature matron. They've become all things to all musicians. Epiphone has continued to introduce diversity in its product lines, manufacture and market faithful reproductions of past models and manufacturing authentic Gibson guitars.

If you're interesting in the Epiphone electric guitars and the company that manufactures them, do some research on the Internet. Find a music store that carries them and try one or two out.

Always remember their unique name - Epiphone. A rock star that still rocks on today.

Want to Learn More about Epiphone Electric Guitars?

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Epiphone Texan Buying Guide - How to Buy an Epiphone Texan Guitar

2011-07-08T09:00:00.000+01:00

The Epiphone Texan is a wonderful sounding guitar made in the advanced Jumbo style. This classic, acoustic flattop instrument is a great option to consider when purchasing a guitar if you are seeking big sound and huge features at a price which will not bust your budget.

Here, we'll take a look at how the guitar sounds, how it appears, and what a person should look for while considering a purchase.

How It Sounds

The Epiphone Texan has an exclusive, enjoyable sound that sets it aside from a lot of guitars. Due to its distinguished sound, numerous musicians like Paul McCartney and Peter Frampton have selected this instrument above other kinds.

Currently, it has been re-popularized by mixing accurate string and body tone with greater percussion. The new Epiphone is claimed to sound like an acoustic guitar with a connected microphone, meaning that it produces excellent natural sound which has a little serious boost to it.

How it Looks

This dreadnought, contrary to most, features a bigger lower bout and a smaller upper bout with a less defined waist than normal. The original, together with a lot of replications which are available nowadays, was made of a solid Spruce top and solid Mahogany back & rims.

The neck, also made from solid Mahogany, is topped with a rosewood fingerboard which displays the original parallelogram inlays. (This guitar's ease and comfort of paying is offered by its SlimTaper neck that's hand-fitted and glued to the body.)

How to Purchase

What should you seek out when it comes to purchasing an Epiphone Texan? As with numerous guitars, it's significant to consider your individual tastes as to style and color.

Although most of the Epiphones are made in very similar way, there's variety among their colors, and it's up to the purchaser to determine which he likes. Secondly, if purchasing second hand, it's very necessary to determine the instrument's quality of tone and sound.

Many used guitars do not offer the same quality of sound that the originals do, therefore it is important to test it before purchasing.

As we've seen, the Epiphone Texan is an original, high quality guitar that displays good sound and quality design. You will not be sorry if you purchase one. Best of luck with your purchases.

Want to find out more about buying an Epiphone Texan, then visit http://epiphone-acoustic-electric-guitar.com/ for more info on how to find a great deal on the best guitar ever.

Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus - A Review

2011-07-02T18:36:00.000+01:00

Not unlike the Fender Stratocaster, the Gibson Les Paul has become a guitar symbol, preferred by guitarists in such different styles as rock, metal, blues, jazz, and country. From Ace Frehley to Zakk Wylde, the fans of the Les Paul are all over the globe. For us ordinary humans, there's usually one serious downside to purchasing a Gibson Les Paul. They don't come cheap! The average typical price of a new model is well over $2,000, which is hardly small change. What's a Les Paul lover to do?

Enter the Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus!

Aside from its signature Epiphone headstock, an Epiphone Les Paul is a Korean-made guitar that plays, feels, and looks like a "real" Gibson LP without the prohibitive price tag. It even bears the signature of the late, great Les Paul on the headstock. So how does it stack up?

We reviewed a transparent Blue Les Paul Standard Plus Top, and I have to note that the instrument has one of the most gorgeous tops I've played in this price range. The figuring is absolutely beautiful, and is gloriously complimented by its creme-colored binding and chrome hardware. Appearance-wise, the Epiphone LP Standard Plus Top is simply a beautiful guitar.

Having used a Gibson LP Standard for some time, I was interested to take note of how the Epiphone LP would stack up, and I have to say that I was tremendously impressed. The slim-tapered neck reminds me of the 1960 Gibson LP Standard neck and in many respects was much faster than my Gibson LP Standard with a 50's style neck. The rosewood fretboard felt great and the frets were smooth and nicely polished all in all, but not quite as pristine as my Gibson LP. Be that as it may, the fretwork is still very good, especially given the instrument's low price.

The alnico classic pickups convey the classic LP bite out of the bridge pickup and a smooth and round tone from the neck pickup. I almost always swap pickups out of my stock guitars and would likely do the same here. I think a Seymour Duncan JB and Jazz would sound perfect in this electric guitar, but the replacement would be more of a preference than a necessity. These pickups sound solid and might just be what you're looking for without the need for new pickups. They did tend to squeal a bit at high volumes, but not annoyingly so.

The give and take in a model such as this guitar aren't easily apparent. Epiphone saves some costs by having a veneer flame top glued to non-flamed maple. Likewise, where Gibson LP Standard bodies are made from a single mahogany slab, the Epiphone mahogany body is laminated, just like the neck. Nevertheless, these cost-cutting decisions allow the guitar to weigh even less than their Gibson siblings. For the cost you pay, the Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top is a beautiful sounding and nicely playable LP for a small fraction of the price of the Gibson model.

Visit Ray's Guitar Shop where you can read more reviews and purchase your own Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus at the best possible price! if you're searching for cheap electric guitars, then look no further than Ray's Guitar Shop!

Why Buy a Gibson Guitar?

2011-06-26T15:48:00.000+01:00

Orville Gibson, the founder of Gibson Guitars, was born 1856 in Chateaugay, New York. His reputation grew from building mandolins into the legendary world famous company of today. Gibson led the way in innovations that are copied by many but surpassed by nobody.

The high standards he set while making his first mandolin are cherished by today's generation of luthiers. While the guitar bodies and necks are cut and shaped by machine in the rough mill, the remaining processes are lovingly carried out by skilled and experienced craftsmen and women by hand.

Along side the quality and attention to detail Gibson has always been at the forefront of innovation, the "humbucker" pickup being amongst their best known. Another innovation from Gibson is the angled headstock. Every Gibson headstock is carved out of the same piece of mahogany as the neck then fitted with Gibson's traditional wing blocks which is far superior to merely being glued on to the neck.

From the raw rosewood, maple or mahogany to the labor-intensive nitrocellulose finish, no part of the process is skimped in the quest for perfection. The world famous hand-crafted mother of pearl Gibson logo is an example of the attention to detail. Each one is inlaid into a pressed fiber-head veneer that is then glued to the face of the mahogany headstock. A thin coat of lacquer finishes the process.

Rosewood is the choice for the fingerboards, the resilience of this dense and durable wood making each chord and note unparalleled clarity and bite. The fret wire on Gibson guitars are a combination of nickel and silver alloy specifically designed for long life and superior wear. The result of all this painstaking professionalism is a guitar that is loved, cherished and respected by the world's top musicians whatever their style and genre.

Gibson Guitars are recognized as the leader in the market. They have stood the test of time due to their innovative and dedicated passion for detail in production. Guitar players who demand and appreciate excellence, subtle tones and playability love Gibson guitars.

The Gibson SG 61: A Classic Electric Guitar and How to Get the Best Price

2011-06-19T18:32:00.000+01:00

All guitar players are musicians and understand the value of a good guitar. This doesn't matter if you play the traditional acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, or both. For those who play the electric guitar, one of the best brands in the industry is Gibson. All of the guitars made by Gibson are extremely well-made and have been given personal attention to every detail. If you are looking for a new electric guitar, you won't go wrong with this brand, but if you're serious about finding the right guitar - get the Gibson SG 61.

Why the Gibson SG 61?

This guitar is made of a beautiful solid mahogany body. The mahogany used for the Gibson SG 61 has been put through extensive testing to ensure that the guitar's tone and sound isn't compromised due to poor wood quality.

In addition to the high-quality and beautifully finished mahogany wood body, the Gibson SG 61 boasts two '57 classic pickups to enhance the quality of the sound produced by this instrument. You will also fall in love with the guitar's highly distinguished trapezoid inlays, as well as, the unique slim tapered neck found on all SG models.

The Gibson SG 61 is a guitar that will blow you away the minute you begin to play it. Not only does it look and feel amazing, but it also produces the high-quality rich sounds that every electric guitar player seeks. You will not be disappointed when you purchase this guitar. In fact, it will probably exceed your expectations.

Tips for Finding the Best Price

As with everything, the phrase "you get what you pay for" applies to electric guitar. However, this doesn't necessarily mean you have to pay "top dollar" for the Gibson SG 61. You just need to take a little time and do your research before you purchase it. Many people make the mistake of buying the first one they see. Don't do this. Go to the guitar shop and play this model first and make a note of the price...then go on-line. Many on-line retailers will sell the guitar for less than local music stores will - and some will even ship it for free. So, while the guitar will tempt you to buy it right away after you play it, wait and buy it on-line. You're sure to save money this way!

There is an on-line retailer out there that offers an amazing deal on the Gibson SG 61. In fact, they offer this instrument for more than one third off the regular retail price. They also offer free shipping and have an excellent reputation. Find out more at the Gibson SG 61 blog.

Gibson Les Paul Guitars - Americas Favorite Electric Guitar

2011-06-14T15:38:00.000+01:00

Gibson Les Paul 2008 Standard: Gibson's newest version of the Les Paul Standard was released August 1st 2008, and it features built-in lock on strap buttons, a larger neck tenon, with an uneven neck contour to make for a comfy neck, frets leveled by Plek machine, and locking Grover tuners with an improved ratio of 18:1. The newest 2008 guitar Gibson has introduced their weight relief chambering, which has included routing chambers in precise areas of the mahogany slab body as specified by Gibson R&D. Before the 2008 release, Les Paul Standards were holy like it had holes routed into the body, but it was not chambered like most of the guitars now are.

Gibson 1961 Les Paul SG Guitars: Gibson experienced a huge fall in electric guitar sales mainly because of their high prices and huge competition from Fender's equivalent but much lighter double-cutaway design in 1960 on The Stratocaster Guitar. Gibson then made changes to the infamous guitar line. The 1961 guitar was thinner and much lighter than the previous guitars, with two sharply pointed cut-aways and vibrato system. Nevertheless, the revamp was done without Les Paul's knowledge...ooops. The musician saw the guitar, he gasped, and he asked Gibson to remove his name from the guitar and he said goodbye to Gibson. Even though this separation happened in 1960, Gibson had a huge stock of Les Paul logos and truss rod covers, and so they continued to use the Les Paul name until about 1963. That is when the SG guitar's name was finally altered to SG, which stands for Solid Guitar. Plus the SG line, Gibson continued to issue the less expensive Les Paul Jr's and Les Paul Specials (and the Melody Makers) with the newer body style. These were the standard Gibson electric models until the reintroduction of the Les Paul Standard Goldtop and the Les Paul Custom guitars to the market in 1968.

Gibson Les Paul Recording Guitar: This guitar is often shunned by guitar purists who consider it to be too full of gadgets and buttons. The Recording features low-impedance pickups, many switches and buttons, and a highly specialized cable for impedance-matching to the amplifier. Less noticeable changes included, but were not limited to, maple fingerboards (1976), pickup cavity shielding, and the crossover of the ABR1 Tune-o-matic bridge into the modern day Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge.

Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Guitars: The Les Paul Deluxe was in the midst of the newest 1968 Les Pauls. This guitar featured "mini-humbuckers", also known as "New York" humbuckers, and did not at first demonstrate to be very popular. The mini-humbucker pickup fit in to the precarved P-90 pickup cavity having an adaptor ring developed by Gibson, actually just a cutout P90 pickup cover, in order to use a supply of Epiphone mini-humbuckers left over from when Gibson moved Epiphone production to Japan. The Deluxe was introduced in 1968 and helped to normalize production among Gibson's USA built Les Paul guitars. The 1st materialization of the Deluxe featured a one-piece body and three-piece neck. The body was a thin layer of maple sandwiched by two layers of Honduran mahogany. Later a small volute was added. 1969 Les Paul Deluxe's mark the Gibson logo devoid of the dot over the "i" in Gibson. In 1970 the dot over the i had returned, with a new Made in USA stamp on the back of the headstock. By 1975, the neck construction was changed from mahogany to maple, until the early 1980s, when the production was returned to mahogany. Vintage, new and used Gibson Les Paul Guitars can be purchased on sale and a great bargain can be had online.

Gibson Les Paul Studio: In 1983 The Les Paul Studio guitar was introduced and is still being made today. The planned market for this guitar was the professional studio musician. Consequently, the design features of the Studio were for optimal sound output. This guitar kept only the elements that added to the tone and playability, together with the carved maple top and standard mechanical and electronic hardware. Nonetheless, the Studio design left out many stock Gibson decorations that did not affect sound quality, including the binding on the body and neck. A notable exemption to this is the Studio Custom, a guitar in the mid 1980s that incorporated body and neck binding, though with dot fingerboard inlays instead of more ornate trapezoids.

Gibson Les Paul Robot Guitar: The Gibson Les Paul Robot Guitar was released in December 2007. The guitar has a computer built into the guitar body with a master control knob next to the volume knobs, which can be pulled out, turned, or pressed to issue different commands to the guitar. One of the more memorable features is the capability to tune the guitar to standard tuning simply by pulling out on the master control knob and strumming the guitar, while the tuning pegs amazingly adjust themselves to standard tuning. Another use of the master control knob is to be able to tune the guitar to alternative tunings, such as drop D, by pressing on the control knob to fit the setting. The Les Paul Robot Guitar has a new custom silverburst blue finish. While the guitar was advertised in the American as a world's first, similar systems, some external, have been in use for decades.

Gibson Les Paul Dark Fire Guitars: Just recently on December 15, 2008 Gibson publicized a new interactive computerized guitar that produces more sounds and it is named the Dark Fire. The guitar has a computer built into the body and controlled by the Master Control Knob or also called the MCK. The MCK gives guitar players the skill to change the pickups and coils, fine-tune each tone and tunings automatically and at once, even while a song is being played. Similar to the Robot Guitar, the Dark Fire Guitar features the capability to tune the guitar, nonetheless, enhanced over the Robot Guitar, the player can tune it up to 500 times per battery charge, letting the tuning pegs adjust themselves to different tuning styles. Using the Chameleon Tone Technology Gibson says this guitar will produce every imaginable guitar sound. In addition to the enhanced and advanced tuning features, the guitar has 3 various types of pickups, which includes: Burstbucker (humbucker), a P-90 single-coil and a bridge-mounted piezo acoustic--all of which add to organic blends of original sounds.

http://music-memorabilia-posters.com/ Vintage, new and used Gibson Les Paul Guitars can be purchased on sale and a great bargain can be had online.

A Potted History of Gibson Guitars

2011-06-08T06:43:00.000+01:00

The founder of Gibson guitars, Orville Gibson was born 1856 in Chateaugay, New York. His reputation grew from building mandolins to the legendary world famous company of today. Gibson led the way in quality and innovations which makes vintage Gibsons so valuable today.

Gibson manufactured instruments to his own design until he hired Lloyd Loar in 1919 to bring in newer models. The Gibson L5 guitar helped build their reputation for archtop guitars while the Gibson F5 mandolin, introduced in 1922, became the choice of bluegrass players.

The electric guitar came along during the 1930's. The ES-150, the "Electric Spanish" model, was Gibson's first offering. Wartime brought manufacturing to a standstill and it was not until 1949 that the ES-175 was introduced which is still in production today. 1951 saw the introduction of the L5CES which is both an acoustic and electric guitar.

Humbucking pickups are probably the most widely recognized innovation of Gibson's career. Humbucker, so called because they "buck the hum" often experienced with single coil pickups, were first fitted to the reworked L5CES. The "Les Paul" series of guitars followed during the 1950's.

The solid body design pioneered by Fender Telecaster, was made into several Les Paul models most notably perhaps the Les Paul Special. The "Byrdland" Thinline series, built for Billy Byrd and Hank Garland, gave rise to the popular ES-350T and ES-225T models then the ES-335 series.

The futuristic Explorer and Flying V came along in 1958 but were a little before their time for many musicians. It was not until the 1960's that the likes of Eric Clapton popularized them. Meanwhile the double-cutaway body solid guitar, the Gibson's SG, was in demand.

Since then many greats of rock have enhanced the reputations of both the Les Paul and the SGs; Slash, Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend to name just three. Many of these models are now sought after by discerning players and collectors alike and many increase in value year on year but if you hunt around you can still find some bargain Gibson guitars for sale.

Be sure to to do your homework when you are looking for used Gibson guitars for sale

Gibson Classic SG Standard

2011-06-01T16:36:00.000+01:00

Buying the right Gibson guitar is not easy and if you are seriously searching for a Gibson guitar, allow me to give you a little pointers about buying a Gibson guitar online. Whatever your interest in Gibson's guitars whether you are a beginner, a player, a collector or even a relative intending to buy a Gibson as a gift, it pays to know exactly what you want.

How on earth can you go about buying the Gibson guitar of your choice? Look online, there are plenty to choose from. There are also hundreds of genuine musicians and companies in your town who are bending over backwards to assist you. They are guitarists who want to help you find precisely what you are searching for and at the a price that suits your budget.

Think about this. If you had your heart set on a Gibson Les Paul Standard Electric Guitar, Gold Top, where would you go? Go to Bing, Yahoo or Google Or if you are looking for a classic SG Standard or an L-200 Emmylou Harris Model; you get the picture I guess. Where can you go? Easy! Search Yahoo, Google or Bing on the internet for the exact one you want.

It can be a little more difficult with used guitars. Say you were looking especially for a Western Classic Prewar 200 you might go to a guitar forum. Typically you will find that someone will tell you that There is a light hairline crack which doesn't appear to adversely affect the guitar. The guitar plays smoothly with nice action and a very sweet tone. Neck angle still looks good after all these years. And this is what they ARE telling you! What are they NOT telling you?

The best thing is this. Go to your guitar store and then check advertisements in the local paper,. Compare! When and only then, double check that this the particular guitar you actually want, be certain of what you are getting, check the price, the quality and what guarantee you can expect.

Once you are satisfied with all that, go check the prices through the internet. You will be happily surprised at what you get. You will deal with trusted professional musicians who will most times throw in some hidden extras. They provide the service and guarantees when you find a Gibson guitar online that is invaluable too.

Once you find what you want, at the the right price and from a trusted music store, buy your guitar and wait for the UPS truck to show up. All you need to do is to get close with your new friend and make music!

Of course and as you know, Gibson guitars are amongst the most valuable guitars in the world. There are Gibson guitars for sale everywhere and at all different prices. I trust that this article helps you on your way to finding your Gibson guitar. Know what you want, do your due diligence and enjoy your music.

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New Web Site

2011-05-27T11:02:00.001+01:00

Just a wee post to let you know I've got a new site Learn Guitar 365.

Gibson Acoustic Electric Guitar

2011-05-27T10:47:00.000+01:00

From the specially made Gibson acoustic electric guitar played by Emmy Lou Harris to the signature models crafted for several other well-known singers and musicians, these instruments remain a great choice for all musical styles. Over the course of the last century musicians, singers and songwriters have used new Gibson guitars or a vintage Gibson acoustic guitar to perform live, record or just strum a few chords when home alone.

The new Keb' Mo' Bluesmaster model joins a range of traditional acoustic guitars and several quality choices in the Gibson electric guitar category. The options include: the Solid Mahogany Series dreadnought style with single cutaway; the Songwriter Deluxe with both a similar design to the Mahogany Series and a non-cutaway design. The J-185EC Blues King Electro Jumbo resembles the classic jumbo style but has a single cutaway for access to higher frets. The company also offers an acoustic/electric version of its popular J-200 model.

Players might choose the Songwriter Thinline from the Gibson guitar catalogue or select the sunburst appearance of the J-45 series. Other models that resemble a vintage Gibson guitar are the J-165 in a natural finish or sunburst and the J-185 Rosewood Modern Classic Jumbo. Don't pass up the Historic Collection Hummingbird Dreadnought if you are looking for a top-shelf acoustic/electric instrument.

If signature models are your main interest the J160E John Lennon Peace Round Shoulder Dreadnought and the SJ200 Pete Townshend Jumbo are at the high end of the price range for the Gibson acoustic electric guitar.

No matter what specific model of guitar you choose, chances are it will give you and your audiences listening pleasure with or without amplification and tone controls. Both a new guitar from the Kalamazoo company and a vintage Gibson acoustic guitar are constructed with care and the best materials, as the company continues its century-old tradition of excellence.

Dozens of people have purchased and consistently used a Gibson acoustic electric guitar then provided feedback on various features of their instrument. Nearly every report from players gives the Gibson acoustic/electric line very high marks. On the traditional 10-point scale, every model receives 9 or 10 points.

One factor may keep a vintage Gibson acoustic guitar or an acoustic/electric out of the hands of the amateur - price. New models in the Gibson acoustic electric guitar category range in price from $1,299 for the Solid Mahogany Series to $4,600 for the Pete Townshend J-200. But if you look at this as an investment, you won't be disappointed.

Julie-Ann Amos is a professional writer. She regularly writes on the topic of electric acoustic and vintage guitars.

The Gibson Thunderbird Guitar Story

2011-05-23T07:32:00.000+01:00

Gibson Thunderbird is one among the different classic models of bass guitars that were introduced by Gibson. It was launched in the year 1963. One of the biggest challenges that Gibson had was the lead of Fender that was ruling the market with both their electric and bass guitars at the time the Thunderbird was launched.

The Gibson Thunderbird was designed by an engineer who was from Germany, Ray Dietrich, who also designed another masterpiece, the Gibson Firebird, which was just the mirror image of its name. The Gibson Thunderbird is a masterpiece. It had a neck-through design where the neck just followed the entire length of the body. The rest of the body was glued to give it the right curves.

The previous models of Gibson bass guitars had a scale of 30.5 inches, which was short, whereas the Gibson Thunderbird had a scale of about 34 inches, which was similar to the scale that the Fender's bass guitars had. Originally there were two Gibson Thunderbird models, one was Thunderbird II, which had one pickup and the other was Thunderbird IV, which had two pickups.

It was in the year 1966 that Gibson changed the design and structure of the Gibson Thunderbird. The design of the original Gibson Thunderbird had the treble horn extended and the bass horn recessed, which was also known as the reverse body. The change in the outlook was given by flipping it over so that it is more appealing for the clients and this version was known as the non-reverse body.

Another change that was brought in the design was the neck. The tough but costly neck-through construction was taken over by the more traditional Gibson set-neck construction. The non-reverse Gibson Thunderbird was in the assembly line till 1969 and then it was discontinued. Interestingly enough, the non-reverse Gibson Thunderbird is the gem of the eye among collectors and is categorized as rare.

Then a new version of Gibson Thunderbird came out in the market, which was named as Thunderbird IV. This model was introduced in the market in the year 1976 as a bicentennial edition. The Gibson Thunderbird IV had the original body and neck-through construction. This model stayed for about four years until its production stopped again in 1979.

The Gibson Corporation planned to bring the Thunderbird back and it was Gibson Thunderbird IV that was introduced again in the year 1987 and it has been in the production line till now. The current versions of the Gibson Thunderbird that are present in the market these days are the Gibson Thunderbird IV, Gibson Thunderbird Studio (4 string), Gibson Thunderbird Studio (5 string) and Epiphone Thunderbird IV. All of them are the reverse style with two pickups.

Another classic marvel introduced by Gibson was Gibson Blackbird, which was a custom built model of Gibson Thunderbird. This model was being designed on the specifications that were asked for by Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue. This model was in the production line from the year 2000 to 2003. The changes included moving the strap buttons up and an appropriate strap to give it an appropriate balance. A specifically designed pickguard and all the hardware were finished in black chrome.

The Gibson Thunderbird has been used by some of the great bassist that world has ever known including Krist Novoselic of Nirvana, Simon Gallup of The Cure, Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue, Adam Clayton of U2 and a long list to follow.

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All About Gibson Guitars - Trivia For Guitar Players

2011-05-17T04:29:00.000+01:00

Gibson Guitars are an icon of the guitar industry. Gibson is currently a major player in both the electric guitar and acoustic guitar market. The company was originally named after Orville Gibson who made mandolins in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the end of the 19th century. Gibson used the same method to initially make the big body archtop acoustic guitars.

Gibson Guitars were one of the first to come up with the adjustable truss rod inside the neck of the guitar to give it strength. This remains in use today to also allow guitarists to impact on the neck relief.

Even today, just about every guitar has an adjustable truss-rod that runs through the neck of the guitar. This was developed by Gibson Guitars in the early days to give strength to the neck. The floating pick guard is also an innovation of Gibson.

After doing much experimenting with the amplification of the sound from the guitar in the 1930s, Gibson released the ES range of semi-acoustic guitars. The ES initials stands for "Electric Spanish". This is not a reference to the nylon string classical guitars that we know today. The term Spanish is used to separate the guitar from the Hawaiian guitars that were lap style guitars.

With the increasing popularity of electric or amplified guitars, the top end of the finger board could now be heard. Gibson Guitars had the idea to introduce the cut away style in the body shape. This was to be forever used in future electric guitars and many acoustic guitars and led to the world of the lead guitar hero.

Gibson's first majorly successful electric guitar was the es-175. It was also slightly different in that it had a pointed cut away. In 1950, with Fender's new Broadcaster guitar, Gibson was under pressure to produce it's first solid body guitar. This resulted in the issue of the Les Paul Standard electric guitar.

Gibson and Fender were not the only ones developing the solid body electric guitar. At the same time, development work was also being undertaken by Rickenbacker, National and Bigsby were also involved in testing.

Les Paul was one of the foremost guitarists of the time. His real first name was Lester. Paul had himself been tinkering with the idea of solid body guitars. His first concept model was referred to as the log guitar. He approached Gibson Guitars with his ideas in the 1940s but was rejected outright. Once Fender released the Telecaster, Gibson went back to Les Paul and asked him to work with them.

The original attraction of solid body electric guitars to Gibson and other makers was because of a number of issues. Firstly, ease of construction. Secondly, while the shape of the body of the guitar did not alter the sound, the solid body greatly increased the sustain of the natural sound. And lastly, electrifying hollow body guitars had always caused a great problem with feedback. This was virtually eliminated with the production of the solid body electric guitar.

The first Les Paul Standard guitar was released in 1952. Les Paul received an endorsement contract for a 5 year period which was worth 5% of retail sales. The first Gibson Les Paul cost $210 and was referred to as the Gold Top.

1958 was a big year for Gibson Guitars. In this year they gave the Les Paul a new cherry sunburst finish which is extremely popular among collectors today. Gibson changed the shape of the Les Paul Junior and Les Paul Special to now have a double cut away. The new style later became the SG which stands simply for Solid Guitar.

The same year Gibson Guitars also began getting radical with their body shape. They bought out the first double neck guitar. They also introduced the Flying V shape and the Explorer shape. This was a response to guitar players placing more emphasis on the look of their guitars as well as the sound and playability. Gibson Guitars were able to stamp their mark on the guitar industry for many years.

Author: Terry Booth has an interest in Gibson Guitars [http://www.guitarplayersworld.com/Electric/gibson_guitars] since being given his first electric guitar, (a Japanese Les Paul copy) as a young child. Visit his website GuitarPlayersWorld.com [http://www.guitarplayersworld.com]

Gibson Acoustic Guitars - Tradition, Tone, and Timelessness

2011-05-10T17:50:00.000+01:00

Gibson acoustic guitars have a long and storied heritage. From the company's humble origination in 1902 to its journey to worldwide power player status today, the history of music has often been played out on Gibson acoustic guitars.

Although founder Orville Gibson only ever got a single patent (for a mandolin design), Gibson quickly rose to prominence as a premiere producer of acoustic guitars.

The Gibson J-45, known as the American Workhorse, has been a solid, simple performer since 1942. Relatively unchanged to this day, it is widely considered to be the most popular acoustic in the Gibson stable.

The Gibson SJ-200, "King of the Flattops," has seen expert play in the hands of the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, and Pete Townsend, among many others. Available today in a range of flavors, this guitar is carefully crafted in the Bozeman, Montana plant responsible for Gibson's best acoustic guitars.

The Gibson L-5 is arguably the standard in the jazz world, having been played by Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhardt, and Scotty Moore, among others. While this guitar boasts a hefty price tag, its place in jazz history cannot be overestimated.

The Gibson Dove guitar, and its more ornate sibling, the "Doves in Flight," are often called the King of Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitars. Associated with the King of Rock n' Roll, Elvis Presley, these guitars became part of Gibson's "Modern Classics" series in 2002.

These are but a small sample of the acoustic guitars available from this venerable guitar company. Gibson relies on their Epiphone brand to cater to the lower end market, and for the last hundred plus years has crafted some of the finest acoustic guitars the world has ever seen.

My Guitar Guide covers all things Gibson, with a Special Report on Gibson acoustic guitars

Gibson Les Paul Standard Review - Are the Changes Worth It?

2011-05-04T11:03:00.000+01:00

The new Gibson Les Paul Standard is a terrific guitar in many ways, and we sense the spirit of classic Les Pauls here.

Along with the Fender Stratocaster, the Gibson Les Paul is synonymous with rock & roll and blues guitar. Though the shape and thick, chunky sound have stayed constant throughout the years, the particulars, from pickup selection to neck design, have been modified to reflect Gibson's continued desire to innovate.

In 2008, Gibson introduced a Gibson Les Paul Standard that contained more than its fair share of alterations, some welcome and some not. Let's take a look at the guitar's construction details more closely.

Features

The new Les Paul Standard now includes Strap Locks (Dunlop), chambered body, Grover Locking Tuners, TonePros bridge/tailpiece, Neutrick output jack, and a setup via Plek.

The body wood is mahogany with a figured maple top. The scale length is 24-3/4" with a mahogany neck and rosewood fretboard. The pickups are Gibson's own Burstbucker Pros. A quality hardshell case is standard equipment.

Performance

We didn't ascertain any lack in tone due to the chambered body, and played acoustically, the Les Paul Standard had a well-balanced, deep tone. If you've ever gigged with a Les Paul for any extended period of time, you'll prize the lighter weight.

Since I ordinarily substitute tune-o-matic style bridges with TonePros, the upgraded bridge and tailpiece are a welcome addition, as is the Plek setup, which resulted in a solid playing and sounding guitar right out of the box.

We did have to make a small truss rod adjustment, but for an instrument that was sent halfway across the country, that's regular procedure. For the record, though, this guitar was ready to take to a gig straight out of the box. Not bad.

The finish on the revised Standard is as superb as ever. We went over a Heritage Cherry Sunburst finish that had just a gorgeous flame. We found no defects in either finish or fit, and the fret dressing and setup was as good as we've ever seen from a production instrument. Gibson also opted to exclude the pickguard from this model, though you could easily install one if you miss it. The pickguard is included, however.

We were intrigued when we found that Gibson built this series using an asymmetrical neck profile; however, we have to say that we're glad they did. The profile sports a thicker bass side and a thinner treble side.

Think of it as the best of a 50's and 60's profile in one neck design. The fretwork and factory setup were the best we'd ever seen from an out-of-the-box Gibson.

It's hard for us not to think of a LP without thinking of the sound of a Les Paul cranked up through a Marshall, so we ran the Gibson through a reissue Marshall JCM800 half-stack. We liked what we found, though you do need to know that the chambered body gives the guitar something of a ES-335 sound when cranked. Think old Clapton.

The Burstbucker pickups seemed to be a pretty nice fit, since they are aggressive and dark by nature. There are unquestionably some definitive Gibson tones to be found here, though the chambered body/Burstbucker combination has its own unique flavor. To each his own. We liked them.

We have to say, though, that there were a couple of things we just didn't care for. Gibson chose to include Neutrik locking input jacks, for example. Some individuals love them, but we're not fans. Still, the Neutrik jacks are superior quality, so we appreciate that at least.

Same goes for the PCB mounted volume and tone pots. In fact, all pots, the pickups, the selector switch, and the jack are all connected to a main PCB board via pluggable connectors. While it's cool in a way, it could also greatly hinder switching a pot or swapping pickups. We were left rubbing our heads on this one.

The Bottom Line

Still, these concerns are minor. Overall, the new Gibson Les Paul Standard is a terrific guitar in many ways, and we sense the spirit of classic Les Pauls here. Gibson also now makes a "Les Paul Traditional" that might appeal to individuals who want a more conservative Les Paul. Obviously, Gibson has something for everyone in their Les Paul series.

Name of Gear: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus

List Price: $3,899.00

Manufacturer Info: Gibson Musical Instruments; gibson.com

Pros: Excellent setup; good classic LP sounds; nice feel

Cons: PCB mounted pots

If you are searching for the absolute cheapest price on a new or used Gibson Les Paul Standard, then you need to visit Ray's Guitar Shop, which offers the lowest prices on all new and used guitars. It doesn't matter if you're searching for a Fender Stratocaster, an Epiphone G-400, or a PRS McCarty. If you're searching for cheap electric guitars, then look no further than Ray's Guitar Shop!

The Gibson Sunburst Electric Guitar Invented by Les Paul

2011-04-30T10:03:00.000+01:00

The boy was born Lester William Polsfuss June 9th 1915 just outside Milwaukee, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, America. Later he became the man known as Les Paul. This became his stage name after his hillbilly nicknames like 'Rhubarb Red' and 'Red Hot Red". Initially he played the banjo. He later mastered the guitar and invented a neck worn device to hold his harmonica in front of his mouth to enable him to play it, with his hands free to play the guitar at the same time. This device was later popularized by Bob Dylan and Neil Young and is still produced today.

Les Paul was more than a musician, he was a songwriter, inventor and a pioneer. He invented the worlds' most popular and successful solid body Sunburst electric guitar, the Gibson Les Paul. He invented many recording mechanics and methods; 'overdubbing', multi-track recording, phasing effects and tape delay. It was these technical inventions that made the birth of Rock 'n' Roll possible.

At thirteen, he was a semi professional musician playing guitar and harmonica in a country based group. Soon after he would join the Rube Tronson's Texas Cowboys and then Wolverton's Radio Band based in St. Louis, Missouri, on KMOX. In 1934 Les Paul moved to Chicago and performed mainly sessions on the radio. In 1936 he released his first two studio based records. On one he was credited as an blues accompanist for performer Georgia White and the other recording bore his earlier nickname, 'Rhubarb Red'. Soon after, he adopted his famous name and infamous jazz playing guitar style. By 1937 Les Paul formed a trio with percussionist and bass player, Ernie Darius Newton and Chet Atkins older half brother, guitarist and singer Jim Atkins. In 1939 the trio arrived in New York and began a residency gig on Fred Waring's radio show in Pennsylvania.

During the 1940's Les Paul continued his development and experimentation with the electric guitar. One such experiment resulted in near electrocution, the effects of it took over two years for him to recover from. He re-located to Hollywood with a new trio of musicians and continued to produce music for the radio. Disillusioned with acoustic electric guitars, paul began experimenting to produce a new way of making the sound of the guitar electric and amplified. He started with a basic lump of 4 x 4 20lb lumber wood, attached a bridge, a Gibson neck, a Larson fingerboard and two pickups. He called his guitar invention the 'Log'. The Log was one of the very first solid body electric guitars ever to be made. To make the visual appearance off the Log more guitar like, he added the body sides of a semi-acoustic Epiphone and in place of its middle, he fixed the Log down the central column.

This was a ground breaking solution to the main problems Les Paul had been facing; Sustain - the power of the strings was energized through the body of the guitar and Feedback - was now controlled by the semi-acoustic body of the electric guitar. Paul ceaselessly continued to adjust and improve the technical specifications of his Log electric guitar and used the instrument to record with even after the production of his Gibson Les Paul Sunburst.

Throughout the 1940's Les Paul performed and recorded with many well known artists like; Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong and The Andrews Sisters. As well as performing with him, Bing Crosby also financed many of his recording experiments. At the beginning of 1948 Paul had a near fatal car accident that shattered his right arm and elbow. Surgeons insisted that his arm would have to be re-built in a set position, which took a year and a half to complete. The guitarist demanded that his arm should be set at a ninety degree angle. An angle that would still allow him to continue to play the guitar.

Les Paul continued to experiment in the recording studio with a track called Lover (When You're Near Me) in 1948 for Capitol Records. This track marked an amazing break through with his multi-track recording techniques. Les Paul recorded eight separate guitar parts, some at double speed and some at half speed, overlaying each track onto acetate disks. When all eight were played back, the sound was as if eight different guitarists were playing together at the same time. This was the first time that this had ever been done. This invention lead him to work on the worlds' first eight track recording deck with Ross Snyder. This reel to reel tape recorder with special effects like over dubbing and echo was manufactured by Ampex. He made variations of these machines with two track and four track recorder versions called the Sel-Sync (or the Selective Synchronization).

Les Paul married Virginia Webb in 1938, they divorced in 1949 the same year that he married Iris Colleen Summers who was a country and western singer with the Gene Autry. Later she changed her name to Mary Ford. The couple would later divorce in 1962 due to their heavy work load and touring pressures. Throughout the 1950's Les Paul and Mary Ford recorded together and went on to sell millions of records. Their notable hits were; Bye Bye Blues, How High The Moon and The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise. The multi-track recording technique that Les Paul had perfected, enabled Mary Ford to record numerous harmonizing vocal arrangements, for them to be synchronized and played back at the same time as one seamless track.

In the 1930's Adolph Rickenbacker produced a solid body guitar which would later be developed into a semi acoustic hollow body guitar. A short time after, Les Paul approached the Gibson Corporation with his idea for a solid body electric guitar. Gibson refused production of his idea as they thought it would be too expensive to mass produce. In 1946 Leo Fender created his own version of a solid body guitar, the Telecaster Tobacco Sunburst electric guitar.

In the early 1950's Gibson produced their first electric guitar that incorporated the inventions and ideas of Les Paul and presented it to him for him to try out. He loved the Gibson guitar so much that he agreed to endorse the guitar with his name. The first Gibson Les Paul electric guitar was originally only available in a Gold Top finish. The Sunburst electric guitar Cherry and Tobacco finishes were to come later in 1952 when the Gibson Les Paul Custom model was introduced.

The agreement and contract that he had with Gibson Corporation meant that the guitarist would only be photographed and perform with a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar. The Patent and Trademark office in the U.S. gave Les Paul Patent number 3,018,680 for an Electrical Musical Instrument in 1962 for his Gibson endorsed guitar.

Les Paul always performed with his personalized Les Paul electric guitar. It was a Gibson 'Recording' model, the body was a solid single piece of mahogany that he had customized and modified over the years and added a Bigsby vibrato to. He also invented a black box that was fixed to his on stage guitar that he called his 'Les Paulverizer'. This box enabled the guitarist to create many sound effects on stage, it enabled him to play a guitar lick and play it back over and over, creating a loop effect. Another effect was a tape delay that created the illusion of sound as if various other guitarists were playing at the same time, when in fact there was only one playing.

In 1967 Les Paul recorded an album with Chet Atkins, Chester and Lester, called 'Les Paul Now' recorded for London Records. Les Paul was actively performing and playing live throughout the 1980's right up until his death in 2009. He played every Monday night at the Iridium Jazz Club, on Broadway in Times Square, New York City. He played with his trio, guitarist Lou Pallo, pianist John Colianni and bassist Nicki Parrott. An amazing achievement for a man who suffered from permanent hearing loss, arthritis and had heart bypass surgery after having had a heart attack.

Les Paul's contribution to the music industry was regularly recognized by countless award bodies and prestigious institutions. Guitarist Jeff Beck inducted Les Paul into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. The Mix Foundation in 1991 created an award called to honor "individuals or institutions that had set the highest standards of excellence in the creative application of audio technology" called the Les Paul Award. The National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005 inducted him for his contribution to solid body Sunburst electric guitar developments. The following year in 2006 he was named an honorary member by the Audio Engineering Society and inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

In 2005 part of his 90th birthday celebrations included a tribute concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City where Les Paul was given a commemorative guitar from Gibson Guitar Corporation. Steve Miller, Jose Feliciano and Peter Frampton and other contemporary vocalists and guitarists performed at the celebrations. The Rock guitarist Steve Miller was taught how to play guitar by Les Paul. He is Godfather to Miller after his father was best man at his wedding to Mary Ford in 1949.

Still at the age of 90 in 2006 he received two Grammy Awards for his Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played album. He had already received a lifetime achievement award, called the Grammy Trustees Award in 1983. Les Paul made a biographical documentary film called Chasing Sound which was released on DVD in HD in 2007. It documents the life of the guitar superstar legend and tells his rags to riches story. From Waukesha his home town, to Chicago, then Nashville, on to Hollywood and then his induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Les Paul talks about his many great lifetime achievements. His music and his greatest hits provide a sound track to his life story. It also features interviews with Jeff Beck, B. B. King, Tony Bennett, Merle Haggard, Bonnie Raitt and Steve Miller. November 2008 a tribute concert was held in Paul's honor at the State Theater in Cleveland Ohio, where Les Paul received the American Music Masters award from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This fantastic achievement was celebrated with performances by the young and old guitarists that Paul had influenced including; Duane Eddy, Lonnie Mack, Eric Carmen, Jennifer Batten, Dennis Coffey, James Burton, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, Billy Gibbons, Lenny Kaye, Barbara Lynn, Steve Lukather, Katy Moffatt, Richie Sambora, Alannah Myles, The Ventures, and Slash.

In 2009 August 13, at the age of 94, the legend passed away due to pneumonia and added complications, he had been ill for sometime. Known as the 'Wizard of Waukesha', he was buried at Prairie Home Cemetery in his home town of Waukesha, in an open area that visitors can visit and pay tribute to. Many guitarists and performers have paid tribute to the artist that continues to make a lasting impression on their lives; Randy Bachman, Trey Anastasio, The Hard Lessons, Ace Frehley, John 5, Tad Kubler, B.B. King, Joe Satriani, Brian May, Tom Morello, Brian "Head" Welch, Joe Perry and Keith Richards. Slash from Guns N' Roses said Les Paul "vibrant and full of positive energy". The Edge, guitarist with U2 said, "his legacy as a musician and inventor will live on and his influence on Rock & Roll will never be forgotten".

The genius will be remembered for his contribution to music and the art of recording. He also pioneered various ground breaking guitar playing techniques and styles like; chord sequences, fretting, timing, trills and licks. All of which continue to influence contemporary future guitarists. The Les Paul Gibson Sunburst electric guitar carries the name of a genius that is more than a brand name, it is the symbol of one mans life quest for perfection in a Sunburst electric guitar.

The legend and guitar icon will live on and continue to inspire and influence new and established musicians for many years to come. The life goal of Les Paul was simply, 'to make people happy'. It's fare to say, whatever music style you are into, Les Paul achieved his goal.

Karen Strutt is a Sunburst Electric Guitar fanatic! My passions include large collections of Sunburst Electric Guitars. A graduate of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design London. Get in touch for help and advice about all aspects of Sunburst Electric Guitars.

Sunburst Electric Guitar

The Firsts of the Vintage Gibson Guitars

2011-04-24T02:16:00.000+01:00

Orville Gibson, the inventor of the archtop guitar, founded the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Manufacturing Company in 1902. Gibson had good success innovating and selling guitars until the 1960s when the Norlin Corporation bought the Gibson Company. The guitar quality took a huge dip and the company was inches from bankruptcy until 1986. This is when the current owners, Henry Juszkiewicz, Gary Zebrowski, and David Berryman, purchased the company. Gibson now also owns numerous other brands including Epiphone, Steinberger, Baldwin, and Tobias.

The ES-150 was Gibson's first Electric Spanish. Produced from 1936 to 1941 it is usually considered the first commercially successful Spanish electric guitar. These vintage Gibson guitars were hollow-body archtop guitars with a single coil pickup in the neck position, an adjustable bridge, and only available in Sunburst. Two notable players of the ES-150 were Eddie Durham and Charlie Christian. Originally costing $150 in 1936 would be over $2000 in today's dollars.

The Les Paul was Gibson's first solid-body electric guitar. Original produced from 1952 until 1960, they were reintroduced in 1968 and are still produced today. Named after its endorser the Les Paul and went to become the most popular Gibson guitar model. It was available in a number of colors and variations including: the Standard, the Goldtop, the Custom, the Junior, and the Special.

The Goldtop - produced from 1952 until 1957 - had a one-piece, trapeze-style bridge and tailpiece, 2 P-90 single-coil pickups, and had the strings fitted under the steel stop-bar. The top was made of maple.

The Custom - produced from 1954 until 1960 - was nicknamed "Black Beauty" because the entire guitar was black. These vintage Gibson guitars sported a mahogany top and one of the pickups was in the neck potion. This was the first guitar to incorporate a Tune-o-Matic bridge design, which allowed the player to slightly adjust the tone of each string. In 1957 the pickups were updated to humbuckers and later a third pickup was added.

The Junior - produced from 1954 until 1960 - was meant as a beginner's guitar. They were shaped like the other Les Paul guitars however, had only one P-90 pickup and simple tone and volume controls. In 1955 Gibson added the TV that was simply the Junior with a natural/yellow finish. In 1958 both models were changed to a double-cutaway body-style.

The Special - produced from 1955 until 1960 - had the same natural/yellow finish as the TV and was also given the double-cutaway design in 1959. The Special had two soapbar P-90 single-coil pickups, one of which was in the neck position.

The ES-335 was not only Gibson's first but was the world's first semi-hollowbody electric guitar. Released in 1958 these vintage Gibson guitars were electric Spanish guitars with a solid center and hollow sides. The semi-hollowbody was an attempt to reduce the feedback common hollowbody electric guitars and still have a warmer sound than that found in the solidbody guitars. The ES-335 has a maple body, 2 pickups, and side holes. It is still in production today.

Alan Brenner enjoys the historical value of vintage items including Vintage Gibson Guitars For more information please visit Blue Tree Vintage Thank you for your time.

The Gibson Les Paul Guitar - A Star In The Making

2011-04-19T04:32:00.000+01:00

In terms of solid body electric guitars, the Gibson Les Paul is one of the standout instruments of the guitar arena. Les Paul and the Gibson Guitar company first crossed paths in the 1940s. Les (Lester) Paul was a very prominent and well known guitarist entertainer of the time with his own radio show. But Les Paul was also interested in experimenting with the dubbing and amplification of the guitar sound.

The initial ideas around the solid body guitar were beginning to take shape in the 1940s and Les Paul began to experiment and come up with his own solid body test guitars. Les Paul was very interested in the sustaining quality of the sound that would come from a solid piece of wood as well as being able to produce a pure sound of the strings as opposed to that altered by the acoustic design of the existing instruments.

The first solid body model that Les Paul was to produce was named the log guitar. the log was a very simple instrument with nothing special to entice any sort of following in the guitar world at all. In fact it was regarded as no more than a broom and disregarded by many. In spite of this Les Paul persisted with his tinkering. He contacted the Gibson Guitar company in 1946 with his log guitar.

The guitar was initially dismissed completely by Gibson as they did not find anything serious or viable about the instrument. It would soon be a different story after Fender Guitars put out the first version of the Fender Telecaster in 1950 and it started to receive some commercial success.

The urgency of the situation for Gibson Guitars was now apparent as besides Fender there were also other Guitar production companies doing their own solid body concept work. These were National, Richenbacker and Bigsby. So in 1951, Gibson re-contacted Les Paul seeking his assistance in design and promotion of a product for them.

The collaboration between Gibson Guitars and Les Paul was a successful one as history now shows. In 1952, Paul signed an endorsement contract to have input into the design and also play Gibson's first solid body guitar and so the Gibson Les Paul was released. For his part Les Paul was to receive 5% in royalty of sales for a 5 year period.

The price of the first Gibson Les Paul Standard was $210 which placed it slightly more expensive than Fender's rival Telecaster guitar. The Les Paul Standard has a gold finish so was always to be referred to as the Gold Top. The Les Paul combined a mahogany body with a carved maple top. This combined the clean, clear sound of the maple with the warmer resonance of the mahogany.

The original Gibson Les Paul had a combined bridge and tailpiece that connected to the bottom of the guitar. Les Paul had designed this for support on his big hollow bodied guitars but it was no longer necessary on the solid body guitar so it was soon replaced in 1953. The original guitar also started with two single coil pickups, (P 90s). A volume and tone pot for each pickup was controlled by the three way selector switch. The Les Paul Standard had a mahogany neck topped with a rosewood finger board. There were crown shaped pearl inlays to mark the positions on the fret board.

In 1954, Gibson Guitars introduced two more Les Paul models. They were the Les Paul Junior, which was essentially a cheaper version designed for beginners, and the Les Paul Custom, a top end range. This began the era of the rock guitarist and the Lead Soloist. For the last 50 years, guitar players are often divided between being Fender or Gibson. The Gibson Les Paul played a unique and much loved role in the rock and roll revolution.

Author Terry Booth is very much an advocate of the Gibson Les Paul [http://www.guitarplayersworld.com/gibson_guitars/Les-Paul]. Terry has numerous examples of them currently available showing at his Guitar site for Gibson Guitars [http://www.guitarplayersworld.com/Electric/gibson_guitars].

Gibson - They Know How to Make Guitars

2011-04-14T07:41:00.000+01:00

People who have never touched a guitar know that Gibson makes guitars. The company is as ubiquitous in its field as Mickey Mouse is in cartoons, or Timex is in watches. Gibson is literally a household name and, with the recent passing of axe god and Gibson mascot Les Paul, more people than ever associate Gibson with guitars and rock music. Fender has carved its own slice of apple pie from the Americana vault because of its Stratocaster design that is immediately familiar to people of all ages, but Gibson and its Les Paul easily outranks the strat in the hearts and minds of nearly all guitar players.

Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin plays a Les Paul. Slash from Guns N Roses played a Lessy. Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend, Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Joe Perry, Neil young and many, many, many more extremely famous rockers sport a Les consistently. The dream guitar of the vast majority of rock stardom hopefuls is to own a Les Paul guitar. Serious shredders know, however, that the reason the Les Paul is THE guitar for guitar players is because of its unbelievably fat, bluesy, major sweet tone. A blues player like B.B. King can extract fat wads of vibrato from a Les and its two humbuckers. There are countless Les Paul models available in guitar shops (and more notably pawn shops) across the world but, because of its stellar single body design, Les Pauls are very expensive, with prices that barely dip below the thousands.

The company has in fact been around since 1902 and quickly became a force to be reckoned with in the brand new world of archtop guitars. Fender, Gibson's biggest rival, was rising at the same time and the company has been in a tug of war for guitar dominance ever since. Whether the Les Paul's stunning feedback or the Stratocaster's single humbucker bright pop claim dominance is a question for the ages, but Gibson is widely considered to be the top dog in the acoustic realms. While Fender has a few decent acoustic models, like the Starcaster or the CD 360SCE Auditorium line, Gibson's acoustic guitars rank easily among the finest made. Gibson's Hummingbird line consistently wins best acoustic guitar of the year in Guitar World's annual contests and, with its loud, strong resonance, it is easy to see why. These models are wildly expensive, though, with prices ranging from three to five thousand dollars at the lowest! The Gibson Doves are even more expensive, but can easily be called one of the greatest acoustic guitars ever made. With an even brighter sound than the Hummingbird, the Dove was a favorite of Elvis Presley in his day and, as a result, has gained a place in the hearts of many a country rock fan.

If you haven't noticed a trend in Gibson's lineup, I'll spell it out for you: Gibson guitars are often VERY expensive. You get what you pay for, though, and the quality is always superb. Poor people need guitars too, of course, and Gibson's Epiphone line does just that. Formerly a rival of Gibson's, Epiphone was bought out by the company and now puts out copies of big name Gibson Models like the Flying V, which is a legendary Metal guitar sported by the likes of Zakk Wylde and Kerry King, as well as the Les Paul and acoustics like the Dove and Hummingbird. These guitars are, if not quite up to par with a Gibson, certainly worthy substitutes. The appeal is that they are extremely affordable and are notably popular in their own right with bands and artists like Sheryl Crow and Slash even have signature Epiphone models. No matter what you buy, you'll be likely satisfied if it is under the Gibson name. The company has earned a place in the lexicon of American history and its place is rightly earned. No other guitar company has had as big an influence on every genre of music than Gibson.

Please visit our site for a full catalog of Gibson guitars.

Gibson Les Paul Studio Review - Read Before You Buy!

2011-04-08T13:57:00.000+01:00

With its playability, sound, and low price, it's easy to consider why the Les Paul Studio is one of Gibson's most popular models.

Since 1983, the Gibson Les Paul Studio has been one of the company's best selling guitars. Though originally directed at studio players (hence the name), it has since become a favorite instrument for both recording and live use.

Features
The Les Paul studio has a carved maple top with a chambered mahogany body, contributing to its low weight. The neck is mahogany as well while the fretboard is either rosewood or ebony, depending on the finish. Stop tailpiece and tune-o-matic bridge are standard equipment, as are 490R and 498T Alnico 2 magnet humbucking pickups. Depending on the finish, you'll get either chrome or gold hardware. The familiar two volume knobs, two tone knobs and three-way switch are included, as is a Gibson hardshell case.

Performance
The first deviation from the standard Les Paul you'll detect is the lack of body and neck binding. However, the Studio model still has the essence of the classic Gibson tone.

The neck is sure enough Gibson through and through. It reminded us of a 50's LP, which in all likelihood helps the guitar grab that chunky sound Gibson is so well-known for. The pickups (490T and 490R) also help catch this classic tone.

Despite its name, the Les Paul Studio has earned an outstanding reputation as a live guitar workhorse, due in no small part to its decreased weight. The chambered mahogany body make the Studio model an excellent guitar for gigging because it has the LP sound without the LP weight.

The model we reviewed came with a classy black finish and gold hardware. Fit and finish were superior throughout. The frets were well-polished with hardly any buzzing present.

The rosewood fretboard was pure Gibson down to the instantly distinctive trapezoid inlays. From lead guitar to thick power chords, the instrument felt, played, and sounded like a much more expensive Gibson guitar.

If you're wondering what the distinctions are between a Les Paul Studio and a more traditional model, it's actually pretty easy. The Studio model lacks body and neck binding and has a chambered, lighter body.

The Bottom Line
With its playability, sound, and, of course, low price, it's easy to consider why the Les Paul Studio is one of Gibson's most popular models, and we give it our heartfelt recommendation.

Name of Gear: Gibson Les Paul Studio
List Price: $2,169.00
Manufacturer Info: Gibson Musical Instruments; gibson.com
Pros: Wonderful action; good range of sounds; excellent value
Cons: None

If you need to find the cheapest price on a Gibson Les Paul Studio, then there's only one place you need to shop. Ray's Guitar Shop has the cheapest prices on all new and used instruments. It doesn't matter if you're looking for a B. C. Rich Warlock, a Carvin Bolt, a Fender Stratocaster, or a Gibson SG. If you're searching for cheap electric guitars, then Ray's is the place.

A Quick Guide to Gibson Electric Guitars

2011-04-02T23:33:00.000+01:00

Gibson electric guitars enjoy immense popularity among today's rock guitarists with no other company coming close except for Fender electric guitars. Ironically, when Les Paul first approached Gibson with his ideas for a solid-body electric guitar, the company said no. It had been manufacturing acoustic guitars since the 19th century and executives were no doubt concerned how that reputation would be affected by an electric guitar.

The introduction of Fender's first solid-body electric guitar in 1948, the Broadcaster, may have given Gibson second thoughts about its initial position. Les Paul was brought on board in 1950 to develop his ideas, and in 1952 the first Gibson electric guitar went on sale. Even so, Gibson declined to put its name on the guitar, naming it simply the Les Paul. It wasn't too long afterward before the Gibson name was included.

After the Les Paul, Gibson went on to introduce several electric guitar models, many still being sold today as part of Gibson's regular electric guitar line or as reissues or limited edition models.

Gibson Les Paul: Though Jimmy Page's main electric guitar in the early days was a Fender Telecaster, he is best known for playing a Gibson Les Paul. When it comes to rock machismo, there is the Les Paul and no other.

Several version of the Les Paul are available today with the Les Paul Standard and the Les Paul Studio being the most common. Gibson also offers several reissues and custom models ans well as a signature series such as the Slash and Joe Perry signature Les Paul models.

Gibson SG: This electric guitar was introduced in 1958. Angus Young is the most notable guitarist to play a Gibson SG, and of course Gibson sells an Angus Young signature model. Like the Les Paul, the SG comes in a standard model as well as reissues.

Gibson Flying V: The Gibson Flying V electric guitar found its popularity mainly among heavy metal guitarists. It has been around since 1958.

Gibson Explorer: Another Gibson electric guitar that was popular among early heavy metal guitarists. It isn't very common and is sold as a reissue. The guitar's design was considered too futuristic in 1959, and it was discontinued due to poor sales.

Gibson Firebird: Gibson Firebirds manufactured between 1963 to 1965 are known as reverse bodies, because the body of subsequent models changed to its current design after Fender sued Gibson over the design.

Gibson 300 series: There are several models in the Gibson 300 series of semi-solid electric guitars. The most popular is the ES-335 played by B.B. King and Chuck Berry. The other models are the ES-325, the ES-345, and the ES-355.

Gibson Melody Maker: These days the Gibson Melody Maker electric guitars feature the Les Paul design. The Joan Jett signature model has the SG double-cutaway shape.

Jeff Meiczinger has been playing guitar for 20 years. He has an electric guitar blog, the Electric Guitar Guide

Gibson Guitars: Explorations in Innovation

2011-03-27T20:45:00.001+01:00

The tradition of quality associated with Gibson guitars dates as far back as the late 1800s when Orville Gibson started the company with his skill and interest in the guitar. Probably one of the keys to the success of the company then and now is its tangent for innovation. This innovation continued through economic hardship, which saw the introduction of the L-5, ES-150, electric guitar. While the company originated as a manufacturer of mandolins and guitars, it was the design of the ES-150, the company's first electric guitar that hailed them to the top of the list of guitar manufacturers. The innovation in the company originated with guitarists such as Lloyd Loar and Les Paul, whose ideas were used to create some of the company's most innovative designs.

Reviewing the Original Gibsons

The Les Paul Standard is by far the most popular of all Gibson guitars. It was way back in the early 1950s that it was introduced as the company's premier solid body electric guitar. Today the Les Paul Standard has several variations, including the Les Paul Standard Faded, Les Paul Standard Double Cut, Les Paul Standard Limited Edition, and Les Paul Standard Premium.

While many guitar manufacturers find ways to cut corners to assemble guitars as fast as they can, Gibson continues its tradition of hand making each guitar it produces. The Gibson acoustic is the classic tradition of guitars. Gibson continues to make the classic acoustic guitars in natural wood. It's probably the case that if you learned how to play the guitar in elementary school, that your music teacher had an inventory of Gibson guitars. The value of these guitars has not decreased, although many musicians probably wish the price would decrease! Classic Gibson acoustic guitars such as the SJ200 and the Hummingbird are still as popular as when they were first introduced, although most people purchase them as collector's items.

Electric guitars were made to play rock music, right? This message couldn't get any clearer with Gibson's release of a replica of the guitar associated with Angus Young of AC/DC. Usually when makers of guitars reproduce a classic, they tend to add additional features that actually take away from what was so great about the original. The Angus Young Signature SG is basically a mirror image of the classic guitar.

The list of famous individuals who have counted on the traditional quality and innovation of Gibson guitars is long. This relationship is probably due in part to the Gibson company's solicitation of professional guitarists to assist in designing innovative Gibson guitars. Who else knows more about what "serious" guitarists want than the professionals who push them to their limits? Celebrities that have been longtime fans of Gibson guitars include Paul McCartney and Jimmy Page. Aside from the outstanding pickups, Gibson guitars for electric guitar lovers are generally custom-made to order. It is probably the case that the Gibson electric guitars feature some of the most unique styles and designs. The Gibson Firebird Studio Electric, L4 CES Archtop, and the Gibson Zakk Wylde Les Paul electric guitars prove that there are no limits in the how Gibson is able to allow a guitarist to explore the creative limits of Gibson guitars.

For more more information about Gibson Guitars please visit http://www.guitar-directory.net

Gibson Les Paul Studio Fireburst Gold Vs Faded Maple Top

2010-05-03T13:06:00.000+01:00

By Pedro Rocha

Gibson Les Paul Studio Fireburst Gold Review

Many times in the past I was convinced the reason I owned one of these guitars was because of my inability to afford a Standard model. But after many years playing them I've learned to appreciate them in their own right.

The specs of the Studio are very close to the Les Paul Standard guitar, except for the binding on the neck and the body. But this feature alone has never been proven to affect the sound or the quality of your playing.

One important feature I would recommend to focus on when trying this instrument is the dimensions of the neck as many players find Gibson 50's neck a little too thick for their taste.

The pickups are the same that used to come in the older Standard, the 490R and 498T. These have a more pronounced upper mid range than vintage voiced pickups for a more modern sound.

Gibson Les Paul Studio Faded Maple Top Review

A while ago Gibson introduced a stripped down version of this guitar with no finish. Not having this feature brought the price substantially down, the problem is you had to sacrifice something many consider to be a key ingredient to the sound of this guitar, the maple top.

Enter the Faded Maple Top, the specs are almost identical to the regular Studio, sans the lacquer. The choice of color is limited to Cherry Sunburst. The raw finish brings the price down and makes the guitar feel more organic.

The pickups are different as well, this guitar features the Burstbucker Pro pickups that come in the $2,500+ Gibson Les Paul Standard.

Gibson Les Paul Studio Faded Review

Even though I've owned a couple of the regular ones in the past, when I played the Studio Faded I was converted in an instant. I've always preferred a slightly more opaque tonality in my guitar sound than what regular Les Paul guitars come with.

For many years now most versions of the Studio come with the Gibson 490R and 498T pickups, but pairing the Faded model with the Burstbucker Pro was a gift for me. I was also lucky to get this guitar when it was called the Vintage Mahogany, back then it came with a hard shell case. Now as the Faded it comes in a gig bag.

For more reviews of Les Paul guitars please visit mi Squidoo page --> Gibson Studio Review

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The Rickenbacker 4001 Bass Guitar

2010-05-01T01:37:00.000+01:00

By Mark Flys

Rickenbacker's iconic 4001 bass guitar was launched in 1961. It was an updated version of the 4000 bass, and had two pickups.

It is famous for its well-known offset body and headstock shape which somewhat resembles a cresting wave when turned sideways. It is probably one of the world's best known and most famous basses.

The 4001's construction is unusual for a bass, because it utilises through-neck construction, whereby the neck travels all the way through the body and has the sides that make up the shape glued to the sides of the neck. Rickenbacker basses have a distinctive tone. The sustain at the bottom end is particularly striking, and by routing the two outputs from the stereo "rick-o-sound" output, the lower, brighter pick up through a guitar rig and the bassier upper pick up through a bass setup, the classic Rickenbacker bass sound is produced.

The 3000 series made from the mid-1970s to mid-1980s were cheaper instruments with bolt-on 21 fret necks. Like some other 1950s-60s basses, the 4001 was originally supplied with pickup covers, although only at the bridge pickup on the 4001. The Rickenbacker units were split at the top before the 1970s, when they were changed to a design similar to that of the Fender Precision Bass covers.

Paul McCartney received the very first 4001S (his was left-handed, and later modified to include a zero fret). He played this bass extensively through his years with Wings. Famous users of Rickenbacker basses include Chris Squire (Yes), Bruce Foxton (The Jam), Geddy Lee (Rush) and Lemmy (Motorhead)

Mark Flys is webmaster for the online guitar guide and guitar collecting.co.uk.

The online resource for all guitar and bass information, online lessons, tabs and cheap instruments. http://www.onlineguitarguide.co.uk

http://www.guitarcollecting.co.uk

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Marshall Guitar Amps - The Perfect Variety

2010-04-29T00:24:00.000+01:00

By David Wesenburg

Are you having trouble choosing the perfect guitar amp for yourself? If so then you are not alone. In this article you are about to read, you will see a review of some of the best Marshall guitar amps. These amps range in variety from small amps to big amps. Loud amps to soft amps. By the time you are done reading this you should be able to make a decision of what type of amp you are looking for.

1 - Marshall MS2 Mini Guitar Amplifier

If you have never played with a mini guitar amp before, then you might want to check this one out! There are many benefits to playing with a mini guitar and some of those include being able to bring it with you anywhere, the incredible price, and the surprisingly loud noise these things can make! This amp is 14x11x6 cm and is the smallest amp the Marshall company produces. It feeds off of battery so you will not be needing to plug it in. If you are the kind of guitarist who just likes to play for fun then you should check this out!

2 - Marshall MS4 Not-So-Mini Mini Guitar Amplifier

This is one of the most fun amps you will ever play with. It is a "Not so mini, mini amp" and only costs around 60 dollars. This amplifier has two cabinets and an extra knob and tilt back stand. Although this is a tiny amp, it produces some great sounding music. It has 1 watt behind it and is powered by batteries. You can easily control the bass and treble.

3 - Marshall MC412A Angled Guitar Speaker Cab

Alright, enough about mini amps, let's get on to the real thing! The Marshall MC412A is a unique amplifier with many benefits and features. This amplifier has a very cheap price along with a whopping 200 watts of power! If this is not loud enough for you then I have no idea what is. The only down side to this amp is that it weighs around 75 pounds. This means transferring it around is not an easy task.

4 - Marshall 1960BV Straight Guitar Speaker Cabinet

This amp is a lot like the Marshall MC412A but it does not cost near as much. If you had your heart set on the amp above but realized it is a bit too pricey, you might want to check out the Marshall 1960BV.

In the article above, you learned of the four extremely popular amps made by Marshall. Next time you think shopping for a guitar amp is hard, remind yourself that there is always a perfect amp out there for you.

Find The Perfect Guitar Amp

There are many Marshall Guitar Amps available today. Find The Perfect One For You!

http://electricguitaramps.info/marshall-guitar-amp

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The Gibson Flying V Guitar

2010-04-27T10:22:00.000+01:00

By Tao Schencks

When you think of rock music, heavy guitars and power chords you can almost picture the infamous Flying V guitar in your mind. Slung low over the shoulder of the lead guitarist with his head down, long hair moshing to the beat.

The Gibson Flying V is certainly one of the rock guitars that will go down in history as being one of the most unique designs ever. Originally built and launched by the guitar company back in 1958 and then relaunched in 1967, the mahogany bodied flying V took the world of rock by storm.

The models that were created on and around 1967 are considered to be the 'classic' design and are the most collectible amongst vintage guitar collectors. This older design is known as the 'V Factor" rather than the flying V. Gibson does still make the guitar under the name of 'Tribal V' and they also make a flying V bass guitar too!

The V has been used by so many different rock gods in it's time that it is hard to think of just one performer who stands out from the crowd. The Foo Fighters, ZZ Top, Marc Bolan and T-Rex used the flying V design and Jimi Hendrix loved the model so much he even worked with the Gibson people to make his own signature model, designing and making the paisley image that adorns the guitar himself.

If you were to go out and buy a brand new model today, the Tribal V would be the one to look for. Gibson have only manufactured this as a limited edition run of 350 units, so finding one may be difficult. Not impossible though if you check out good local shops and places like eBay. If you want the real deal, you will be looking for the older models from the late 1960's and early 1970's, when the V was at the height of it's popularity.

The Tribal V is bang up to date with all of the latest technology and components. It features a modern tribal tattoo graphic and is usually sold in plain white with chrome components.

There have been other makers of the V style guitar through the years. Ibanez for one copied the look and design when they released their own version. Rumor has it that Gibson had to step in with their lawyers to prevent these guitars from being made and sold, such was the strength and quality of the copiers design.

The Flying V certainly has made it's mark on the ethos and mythology of rock music and guitar based rock. It's image is immediately recognizable and the Gibson quality, design and perfection make the guitar one of the best rock guitars ever.

Guitar players such as Hendrix and bands like Led Zeppelin took the art of rock guitar to new, amazing heights using top class equipment from makers and manufacturers like Gibson, Ibanez and Fender. Where would music be today without these innovators and designers.

Learn more from this author about the Gibson Flying V and other guitars over at the Buy A Rock Guitar site where you can get information and great deals on other classic guitars such as the Fender Telecaster.

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Epiphone Les Paul Ultra Review

2010-04-26T14:31:00.000+01:00

By Pedro Rocha

Ultra

This electric guitar has a series of modifications to the classic design of this instrument aimed at making it more comfortable to play. It has acoustic chambers in the mahogany body that reduce the weight of the guitar down to 5.5 lbs. The neck has been slightly reduced in thickness and so has the nut in width. The back of the body even has a belly rest in the style of a Stratocaster.

Another feature of this guitar is the satin finish on the back of the neck. This is not my personal favorite but a lot of players do like this kind of feel on the neck.The maple top of the Ultra features a quilted top and all the hardware, including the Grover tuners, is gold plated.

This guitar feels a lot easier to play than the Standard Plus, and the sound has a sort of semi acoustic tone that is very unique. When this electric guitar came out it was promoted by Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson. This lead many players to believe that this was a signature instrument.

After a while Epiphone stopped featuring ads or any form of marketing with Ms. Wilson and the Les Paul Ultra. But at a VH1 tribute show where Alice in Chains and Gretchen Wilson give a monster performance of Barracuda you can see one of the rare occasions where Nancy Wilson is actually playing this guitar live.

Ultra II

Following on the popularity of the first one Epiphone released the Ultra II. This guitar differs from the original by featuring an acoustic pickup in combination with the electric sound. There's a pair of output jacks for stereo or mono operation.

With 2 cables you can access the acoustic signal produced by a pick up located right after the last fret. This acoustic pickup is powered by a D battery installed in a clip in the middle of the controls cavity and has its own preamp to dial gain, bass and treble for the acoustic signal.

For more reviews of the different Epiphone Les Paul electric guitars please visit my Squidoo page --> Epiphone LP Reviews

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Guitar Foot Pedals - Distortion and Overdrive Effects

2010-04-24T08:19:00.000+01:00

By Lynne May

There is often quite a bit of confusion between the terms "overdrive" and "distortion". Let's try to clear that up a bit.

Overdrive

Overdrive inherently involves distorting the sound coming from your amp, but it is different from what we have come to call "Guitar Distortion". Overdrive is simply a boosting of the the signal of your guitar before it enters the amplifier. Basically, you can think of it as a very big signal trying to get through a smaller opening. In the early days--and sometimes still--, overdrive was achieved by turning the volume on the amp DOWN and the volume on the guitar UP. This forces the large signal of the guitar into the smaller output capacity of the amp. (Think of a garden hose where the water is forced into a smaller power nozzle.)

The sound that you get with overdrive is a kind of warm, dirty, "beefed up" sound. It is not meant to add massive amounts of screaming metal distortion. Rather, it is an overall boost to the guitar signal without any added tonal coloration. The sound is similar to that of a tube amp when it is "cranked up". If you are doing blues and rock then maybe an overdrive pedal will give you the sound that you want.

Distortion

Distortion is a more intense overdriven sound with added tonal coloration. There are as many types of distortion as there are players.It all depends upon taste--anything from a fuzz tone to a full-on, notched-out midrange, death metal wall of noise. Digital distortion has a more metallic, raspy sound which works well for heavy metal, grunge, or reliving your 80's hair band days. Analog tube distortion gives a good, all-around rock tone, such as the sound of a Marshall stack cranked to the MAX.

Overdrive and Distortion Pedals

There is a countless variety of overdrive and distortion guitar effects pedals on the market. Most of these pedals are geared toward a specific type of musical sound. There are pedals for Metal, pedals for a Classic Rock Sound and pedals for the "Overdrive Crunch" enthusiast, just to name a few. While some pedals have three simple knobs,--Tone, Level, and Distortion--others have many more controllable parameters.

In addition to the individual overdrive and distortion pedals, these effects are also available in a wide variety of "Multi-Effects" pedals. With all that is available to today's guitarist, there is absolutely nothing to stop you from developing your "signature sound". You just have to look around a bit. For a more detailed discussion of overdrive, distortion and other guitar effects pedals as well as purchasing resources and pedal recommendations, visit:

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A Close Look at Fender Guitar Amplifiers

2010-04-23T00:18:00.000+01:00

By Brian Garvinand Jeff W

When shopping for an amplifier that will give you a quality sound and bears a familiar name you should first look at Fender Guitar Amplifiers. Make sure you visit an authorized dealer so they can answer all your questions up front that way you can plug into one and give it a chance to howl.

The most recognizable Fender Guitar Amplifiers are the ones that were played in the 50s; the black box with a grey mesh grill front is a staple among identifiable amplifiers. The sound that comes out is unmistakable too. Whether you want the tube tone or clean sound, the famous Fender reverb is designed for home, studio or gig use. It might look like an old school amp but a classic never goes out of style, no matter what type of music is being played through it.

The newest look for Fender Guitar Amplifiers is the Hot Rod Series, the colors have changed and the watts crank out at 15, they come with an all tube type and weigh in at 31 pounds. They are easy enough to transport from gig to gig and sturdy enough to take on a footswitch an as option. If you want a different color besides black or tweed, you can check out the Fender Frontman, its red and couples nicely with a red Fender Stratocaster.

One of the most important aspects of Fender Guitar Amplifiers is the wattage, it depends on how much you want to use and what type of music you will be playing. Some of the vintage amps are designed for a guitar with a foot pedal. Some of the newer amps have inputs for drum machines and outputs for sound equipment. Front controls and jack inputs help to make Fender as musician ready as possible.

Because Fender Guitar Amplifiers are the most recognizable on the market they are also the most played. There are many familiar names attached to them and when you research the list you will find at least a few guitar players that you admire who play a Fender amplifier. The clean channel has your standard controls, volume, treble, and bass. The drive channel gives you the freedom to create a signature sound all your own.

Since music keeps changing the demand for more innovation from Fender Guitar Amplifiers becomes evident. Celestion, chorus, vibrato, delay effects and for those who are looking for a more aggressive sound can find what they are searching for with Fender. If you have Fender amp under your boot while on stage the crowd knows you mean dirty business.

Amplifiers should accompany your instrument as well. The stylish tough look of Fender Guitar Amplifiers says that you know what you want from your guitar and you are willing to share that sound with others. Distortion is one of the most popular sounds that guitar players want from their amp. Fender has plenty of useable distortion and if you want to play classic rock or the blues a Fender amplifier is the one two punch you need.

For those who want to add a little more Fender to their day can invest in an amplifier head. This addition sits atop your Fender amplifier and gives you 40 watts of power. It's got the familiar silver grill and black covering and it's got more effects such as delay, mix, repeat, and chorus. You can control the depth and switch between two channels, clean and drive. It's half the weight of standard Fender Guitar Amplifiers so it's easy to transport when you need to do studio work or want to jam with your peers. It's also known as a stomp box.

Another thing to look at is cost, most musicians see buying Fender Guitar Amplifiers as an investment in their musical career. Even if you never head line a show because you prefer to play among friends, the choice of which amplifier you buy says a lot about who you are. Everybody who plays guitar starts at the basic level, when you get better you want to own better equipment, the beginner can find a Fender amplifier that will give them a great head start without breaking the bank. Likewise, the seasoned professional can find Fender amplification that pushes their guitar prowess even further.

For the beginning guitar player, Fender has plenty of guitar and amplifier combos to help you keep playing while getting the best sound available. If you are shopping for a guitar player let the qualified Fender dealer know about your situation. They can offer extras like headphones, strings, instrument cables, everything you would need to help set up a new player and make them feel appreciated.

From loud, proud to small, and sweet, Fender Guitar Amplifiers can't be beat. If you are planning a road trip and listening to the same 500 songs on your MP3 player over and over makes you dread the drive, grab a mini deluxe amplifier from Fender. It has 1 watt of power and with a headphone out jack you can play guitar until the 9-volt battery runs dry. It would make a great gift to yourself or somebody you know that plays guitar all the time, even in the car.

Some Fender Guitar Amplifiers are made for certain types of music. If you play the blues, you might want to consider a Hot Rod Blues Junior. This little amp boasts 15 watts of power and has the coveted "Fat" switch to give you a superb blues tone. Its warm sound comes from two groove tubes, it has a footswitch that allows you to be remote when it's time to showcase your talent.

The Hot Rod series allows you more choices in color as well. Black, white blonde, surf green, or Texas red are a few of the colors available. Plug into one and see if you can't turn some heads. Fender Guitar Amplifiers have so many choices it can be hard to make a decision. Whether you want the deluxe, the mini twin or just a junior amplifier Fender has it all.

Let Brian Garvin & Jeff West teach you more about the Wooden Katana and the Ninja Katana on our Colinzi website today.

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Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster Review - The Most Versatile Guitar Ever?

2010-04-22T11:52:00.000+01:00

By R. S. Rasnick

In the past several years, Fender has released a number of Artist-related instruments, mostly electric guitars, to diversify the tonal palette of their already huge offerings. Surely the most common model to have Artist offerings is their cherished Stratocaster. One of the first such guitars was the Eric Clapton Stratocaster, which has had a few changes since its initial presentation, though it remains one of their best-selling models. It stays a highly versatile and desired instrument.

Since most musicians browsing for a Clapton guitar are already familiar with the primary Stratocaster features, it's likely best to concentrate on what makes the Clapton Stratocaster unique.

For starters, there's the electronics. Throughout his great career, Eric Clapton has used a variety of instruments, including a Gibson Les Paul, a Gibson SG, a Gibson ES-335, and, of course, a Fender Stratocaster. So it goes without saying that Slowhand needs a guitar that can cover a lot of sonic territory.

Fender has obliged with an astounding amount of sonic versatility in a single guitar. For starters, there's an active mid-boost control (powered by a 9-volt battery).

Matched with the Fender Vintage Noiseless pickups and the master TBX tone control, this mid-boost gives this guitar unheard of tonal versatility. In fact, the Eric Clapton model Stratocaster is one of the most multifaceted instruments we've ever played, bar none.

The sounds are only part of the picture, though. The playability is top rate as well, owing in no little part to the V-shaped neck with 9.5" radius. The neck is fabulously smooth and notes fret and bend with ease. It truly is one of the most comfortable necks we've ever seen.

We have to be honest and say that this guitar is also one of the best playing guitars we've ever reviewed. It's really that good.

That's not to say we wouldn't have some suggestions should Mr. Clapton ask our views. While the vintage-style tuners add an air of old-school appeal to the model, we think that locking tuners would be a more proper choice for such a contemporary guitar.

Similarly, it would be nice if the vibrato wasn't blocked by default, but that's the way Clapton likes it, so that's the way it is.

The minor "problems" are not really worth worrying about. The Clapton Strat is really an amazing instrument, and we recommend it highly. It's a keeper!

The Fender Clapton Stratocaster is one of the most multifaceted instruments you can buy today. If you're looking for the best price on a Clapton Strat, then you should visit Ray's Guitar Shop, your number one online Guitar Store. Ray's Guitar Shop has the best prices on both new and used electric guitars available on the Internet. Visit them today!

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Gibson ES-339 Review - How Versatile is It?

2010-04-20T17:15:00.000+01:00

By R. S. Rasnick

At first glance, the Gibson ES-339 looks just like its "big brother," the ES-335. Upon closer inspection, though, you realize it shares its body size with another best-selling Gibson model, the Les Paul. So, what you've got with an ES-339 is the ES-335 look and sound with the feel of a Les Paul. Sounds wonderful in theory, right? Let's look at the particulars a little more carefully.

The ES-339 body and top feature a maple/poplar/maple laminate while the neck is made of mahogany with a rosewood fretboard and 22 frets. The bridge is the tune-o-matic and stop tailpiece variety, and the guitar is also outfitted with Kluson tuners and '57 Classic Humbuckers in both the bridge and neck as well as chrome hardware. Some ES-339 particular features include "Memphis Tone" electronics and a 30/60 neck profile.

The working value of the "Memphis Tone" electronics is plain. For starters, when you turn the volume down, the guitar's highs stay seamless throughout the taper. Normally, you lose high end when you decrease a guitar's volume, so this is a welcome add-on. The volume decreases logarithmically, so the volume lessening is quite smooth and even, comparable with the actual volume knob numbers!

The neck is called a "30/60" because it has a 60's style neck, but with an extra.030" back to front. This neck profile helps keep that basic Gibson semi-hollowbody tone while enhancing playability. Really nice. As we put the ES-339 through its paces, that's really the thing that stood out to us, the playability. Both chording and lead work were exceptional. It was a nice change to get ES-335 tones from a Les Paul sized instrument.

Regarding the sounds, we were delighted with the distinct diversity available. Although it will chiefly appeal to blues and jazz guitarists, this is an instrument that could conceivably appeal to guitarists from a broad range of styles. To be sure, though, there are some great semi-hollowbody tones available here!

Feedback was useful and easy to control when we cranked it up. We plainly couldn't get a bad sound out of the ES-339. From rock and blues to jazz and country, this is one of the most complete and well-playing guitars we've critiqued in a while. We particularly liked the "Memphis Tone" feature. Call it what you will, it's no selling ploy. We really enjoyed getting different settings out of the volume and tone control settings.

It was refreshing not to feel compelled to swap out the pickups right away as well. The Classic Humbuckers unquestionably did the trick, as did the 30/60 neck, which made for some effortless chording and fast runs. We can't conceive of anything to improve on this guitar. The fit and finish were faultless from the factory, and is a testimonial to the quality of the Gibson Custom Shop. We commend this instrument highly.

The Gibson ES-339 is an incredibly versatile instrument. If you need to purchase yours today, then you should head on over to Ray's Guitar Shop, which offers the best prices on all used and new acoustic and electric guitars. It doesn't matter if you need a Gibson Les Paul, a Fender Telecaster, or a PRS Mira, they offer the best deals online.

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All You Wanted to Know About 12 String Guitar!

2010-04-19T14:43:00.000+01:00

By Zach Eapen

The string pairs in the bass courses are usually tuned an OCTAVE apart and the Treble course strings (i.e. GgBbEe) are tuned in unison. However some guitar players prefer to tune the higher G in a very high octave to get that high and ringing tone. This guitar is essentially used for getting that Rich and Ringing Tone that is otherwise impossible with a regular 6 String guitar. The subtle differences in the octaves of the strings in bass courses creates a beautiful choral effect to it's sound. There are some guitarists who prefer to take out the strings from the bass courses to ease out the playing bass riffs much easily where as keeping the treble courses as it is for strumming chords.

Rickenbacker 360/12 is the most popular 12 String Electric Guitar popularized by George Harrison of 'The Beatles'. Because of the immense tension on the body of the 12 String Guitar, it usually bends over and breaks in a matter of 2-3 years, so many guitarists prefer to tune their guitars much lower than the usual open string tuning. But few other guitarists prefer to maintain the open string tuning to retain that rich, ringing and near orchestral sound.

The role of this Guitar is in Rhythm and Accompaniment in an orchestra and is used mostly in folk songs and other pop music. Because plucking and playing individual notes on a string becomes quite difficult on this guitar.This guitar is used mainly by some progressive rock and hard rock guitarists use 12 String Guitar in a double necked form to easily switch between a 12 and 6 String Guitar sounds.

Though 12 String Guitars are being used by some rockers for it's deep ringing tone and choral effect, most of them use a 6 string guitar as the primary guitar, because this Guitar can only be used for the role rhythm guitar and cannot be used to play different techniques like bending, tapping and playing bass riffs.

Popular Songs and Guitarists who popularized 12 String Guitar

12 String Guitars became popular in the early 1920s and 30s when Blind Willie McTell in started using it, and in the early '60s, guitarists like Mike Pender of The Searchers and Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, kept it on the spotlight for more than a decade, In the 80s this instrument was used by alternative rockers such as Robert Smith of The Cure, Slash of Guns N' Roses, Dave Gregory of XTC, Peter Buck of R.E.M., Marty Willson-Piper of The Church, and Johnny Marr of The Smiths. The most popular electric 12 string guitar since the 1960s has been the Rickenbacker 360/12, which was first popularized by George Harrison. In modern rock music 12 string guitars took the form of double necked guitars so that the musicians could switch between tones during live performances, for example, when playing Stairway to Heaven, Hotel California or Xanad

I am Zach Eapen and I have been playing guitar for over 10 years now and plays different genres and styles. Keeping the needs in mind of a budding guitarist struggling to find the best suited course online, I have created a website that has reviewed the best online guitar schools that you can review and choose.

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Gibson Les Paul Standard - Ebony

2010-04-18T00:12:00.000+01:00

By Pedro Rocha

Ebony is one of the most popular finishes for the Gibson Les Paul Standard electric guitar. It normally costs much less than fancier sunburst finishes featured in the Plus models while offering the same quality.

Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Pro Review

The new breed of these electric guitars has something that many players consider to detract from the full sound associated with Les Paul guitars, a chambered mahogany body.

What many players like about Les Paul guitars is the full and thick sound you get from them. The Traditional Pro has a full mahogany body below a solid maple top.

The pickups are the Gibson 57' Classic and Burstbucker 3'. I found the Burstbucker 3' to be very pleasing with an added edge in the high mids compared to the regular Burstbucker Pro. The 57' Classic in the neck is very good as well, not as bass heavy as past neck models.

The Plek'd set up has put the consistency of these necks in a different league. My job requires me to visit several music stores weekly and you go from one end of town to the other, grab a Les Paul and the neck feels almost identically good.

Particular to the Traditional Pro is the 60's profile neck which is thinner than the 50's, also the ability to split the coils for single coil sounds and the locking Grover tuners.

Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Review

This one is almost identical to the Pro, the pickups are both 57' Classic both closer to the original P.A.F. sound. if you try them I think you'll agree that they are not as vintage as they make them out to be.

The neck is the thicker 50s shape and the tuners are vintage Kluson style. An almost insignificant difference is the nut being 0.005 mm wider but you won't even notice that.

Other than that it is exactly the same guitar, so I really don't understand why this Gibson Les Paul Standard is more expensive than the Traditional Pro.

Gibson Les Paul Standard Review

This guitar has always been an incredibly popular instrument. But it has suffered from a specific complaint all along, its weight. This new version has a chambered body for weight relief.

I know it might seem counter active to get less wood and pay more, but it's a lot more work to dig those little chambers in the body. A very nice feature of this guitar is the asymmetrical shape of the neck. It's more comfortable than the 50s design without being as thin as the 60's.

Another feature of this guitar is the Burstbucker Pro pickups. This set of pickups in my opinion sound very good, I've owned them for close to 6 years and I'm still very much into their sound.

The bridge is the popular locking Tonepros, I've had to get used to always leave the first and last when changing strings to my Les Paul guitar, that way the bridge doesn't fall and the intonation is not messed up. With this bridge I wouldn't have to do that.

For more reviews about Les Paul electric guitars please visit my Squidoo page --> Gibson LP Reviews

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How to Find the Right Guitar Amp

2010-04-16T10:30:00.000+01:00

By George Manty

Choosing the right amplifier for your guitar is by no means an easy task. Usually a guitarist will think of style, as well as price first, when considering options. Assuming you have bought a guitar recently, this guide will suggest a few tips, for buying a new or used amplifier. There are dozens on the market - with low to "sky's the limit" prices. Assuming that you are a beginning or aspiring guitarist, this guide should give you some guidance. Perhaps you have just bought a Fender, Epiphone, Gibson, Dean, Ibanez, Kramer or other guitar, of fairly good to good quality, you will need a good amp to compliment your style.

One cannot think of a guitarist performing live, without thinking about their guitar to some extent. Visualizing Jimi Hendrix's "Stratocaster" with a wall of amplifiers behind him, - yes the much emulated and desired Marshall Stacks, which are quite expensive. Eric Clapton, in his early years, preferred Marshalls as well, though he did also prefer to play a Les Paul, or his legendary "The Fool" SG, before he switched over to a Stratocaster as well. Speaking of "The Fool's" current owner, Todd Rundgren, who prefers an old Fender Mustang, is known to like the crispness of Peavey amplifiers. I have owned several Peavey amplifiers, including a P.A. and must admit, they are really hard to beat for clarity of sound. I also owned a Marshall Stack 100 Watts at one time, and attribute much hearing loss from it. Honestly, I think the same classic sound, with less decibels can be achieved, through smaller amps.

Really you must ask yourself, in relation to the guitar you have, what kind of sound are you wishing to project? Will this be acoustic? Straight ahead Rock and Roll? Country? Blues? Heavy Metal?

What kind of budget are you on? If you are like me, I would rather start with a smaller amplifier to get a feel, for how I like the sound and how it sounds with the guitar.

SOLID STATE VS. TUBE AMPLIFIERS

There are many guitar purists who swear by tube amplifiers over solid state. They want that warm crunch or presence of vintage tube analog sound. The cost of a vintage amplifier is expensive. One can also emulate or simulate the sound of a tube amplifier, from effects pedals, such as Ibanez Tube Screamer, which is quite popular, for this purpose. Behringer and Peavey have smaller amps which sound fairly good, with trans-tube technology, in relation to the vintage Fenders, Vox, and Marshalls. But for our purposes, we shall focus on solid state amplifiers due to cost for the beginner, versatility, and the simple fact, that digitally the sound can be reproduced, to an extent, only a professional would notice.

$100 Budget

Let us assume that you have $100 to spend on an amplifier at this time. Note, you can always add effects pedals. In addition, due to digital technology, you can also purchase pedals which will simulate all the classic and vintage amplifiers.

There are inexpensive practice amplifiers out there ranging from $30-80, but it would be safe to say, that the bedroom, backstage or den is the only context you will be able to use them in. Usually they are about 10 Watts of power, although good in tone, you may want to consider something that can be used in other atmospheres, such as jamming along with friends, or even having enough power for small clubs, or coffeehouses. Among those smaller amps for practice:

Rogue, Peavey Audition, Rocktron, Ibanez, Behringer V Tone, Kustom, Fender Frontman 15G, Behringer Ultracoustic, Pignose, even a 10 Watt Marshall.

These amplifiers may be what you are seeking if you are considering to mic them through a P.A. System, or you really just want an amplifier, to jam along with songs in the comfort of your bedroom, but it is best to consider amps starting in the 15 watt range and going up from there.

By the way, don't feel embarrassed by the use of pedals and effects you will find that most guitarists use them.

Lastly, you may want to get a custom handmade amp built for you by someone like Jack at jacksaxe.com. Custom amps have the advantage of being built to your desires and needs.

Whatever you do, make sure that you have done your research before buying an amp. You will be glad you did.

Written for the owner of http://jacksaxe.com/ This article can be reproduced in whole or in part, providing this byline is included along with a followable link to http://jacksaxe.com/

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Fender Precision is the Bass Guitar For Beginners

2010-04-14T03:28:00.000+01:00

By Or Keinan

It is vital to know the type of bass you playing and as much about its background as possible. Getting to know your bass will help you to understand much more about it as well as learn how to better take care of it. For instance, one of the very best bass guitars for beginners might be the Fender Precision.

If you have selected the Fender Precision as the bass guitar for beginner to play on, then you will want to find out all you can about that bass. You will want to know that the Fender Precision was created by The Fender Company and that the Precision was actually the very first bass that they produced and it is still one of the most popular basses on the market today.

The reason for this is simply the bass tone that the Fender bass is able to produce. It is the most recorded bass tone. In fact, as far as a line that basses are judged on the Fender Precision guitar sets that line. All other basses judge their bass tone by the Fender Precision bass guitar, and if you are playing this bass guitar for beginner then you are setting the margin for other bass players.

However, you would not have know that if you would not have studied or researched the bass you are playing. In fact, the Fender bass is responsible for defining the sound of the bass in the rock band arena. So, so far you have found through your research of your bass that it has set the world standard, it is easy to play, and it is the most popular on the market.

One thing about the Fender Precision bass is that if you can not make it sound good, then the only real thing wrong with it other than it needs to be tuned is that this is a bass guitar for beginner who needs to practice. This is a an excellent instrument for a beginner to learn on, plus it will give you a professional quality sound.

With the Fender Precision bass guitar, even the older ones seem to go up in value. This is a bass that you can learn on as well play for life, because it is that high of a quality bass. The Fender Precision is now available in two different styles. The original, which is known as the Standard Precision, and the American Precision. With two different styles you have much more to of a selection to choose from.

As we mention in the article, bass guitar instruction is very important if you want to learn the right way.
And this is why we giving you a FREE mini-course that will help you with the bass guitar instruction.

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Epiphone G-400 Review - A Worthy SG Replacement?

2010-04-13T09:07:00.000+01:00

By R. S. Rasnick

Since the Epiphone G-400 is plainly more inexpensive, we have to discover how well it "stacks up" to its big brother, the Gibson SG.

We have zero niggles with respect to the cherry finish, which is just plain beautiful and looks fantastic on the instrument's mahogany body. The SG shape itself is perfect. If it weren't for the name on the headstock, the instrument would be a dead ringer for a Gibson SG.

So, if you wish to play this instrument in a Judas Priest tribute band, you'll probably want to put in some hotter pickups with a bit more treble bite.

There's not much more to say. The Epiphone G-400 is a splendid guitar at a superb price. If you want an inexpensive instrument that can cover a lot of sonic ground, you can't go wrong with the G-400.

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Fender American Stratocaster Review

2010-04-11T02:17:00.000+01:00

By Pedro Rocha

I've always found interesting the fact that Leo Fender was not a guitar player. Ideas like bolting the neck, the position of the knobs and the tremolo bar were all a combination of listening to his friends and figuring out how to mass produce.

But what this guitar did was unprecedented, opening doors into techniques previously unknown. The Fender Stratocaster, which won an award among the best inventions of the 20th century, is by far the most imitated electric guitar.

Like in the Gibson Les Paul guitar, the Standard model is the closest to the real thing. It has the classic combination of alder body, bolted maple neck and single coil pickups that give this guitar its unique tone.

Fender Standard Stratocaster

This option is made in Mexico, this guitar has proven to be incredibly successful. Since I started working with guitars I can't believe how long this guitar can go with no change, and year after year more and more people request it.

The main differences between this and the American version are: the plastic based lacquer, the quality of the pickups, the 6 screws classic tremolo bridge and the body being made of basswood.

This is one of the most modified guitars by owners, there are hundreds of accessories specially made for this guitar.

Fender American Standard Stratocaster

This version is a way more refined instrument than the last, its finish is organic and just by touching it you can tell the difference. The neck also has a light finish that is smoother that the Mexican version and its edges are nicely rolled making it very comfortable to play.

The tremolo bridge is a more modern 2 point pivot machine with steel saddles that don't have screws scratching your palm. And the pickups sound much nicer than in the regular Standard.

Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster

This one is identical in design to the American Standard but it comes with a few extra goodies: It has locking tuners, the dots in the neck are made of abalone and the pickups have a no hum design which makes them friendlier with distortion.

But the most valuable of them all is the S1 switch, with a simple push button in the top of the volume knob, a guitar that seemed like a dinosaur became a transformer.

For a review of the possible mods for this electric guitars please visit my Squidoo page Fender Stratocaster Review

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Epiphone Casino Review - Vintage Class

2010-04-09T00:04:00.001+01:00

By R. S. Rasnick

One of the most distinguishing features of the Epiphone Casino is its lightness. Regarding its construction, the top, sides, and back are all made of a laminated maple. The neck is mahogany and the fingerboard is rosewood and has 22 frets on a 24 3/4" scale. The nut is a comfortable 1.68."

The Casino boasts 2 Alnico V P-90 vintage-style pickups with a trademark tune-o-matic bridge and trapeze tailpiece. Parallelogram inlays and body-neck binding with chrome hardware complete the cosmetic adornments.

The Epiphone Casino is an apparent example of classy elegance.

As you test a new Epiphone Casino, you'll in all probability observe at least a couple of things. First things first. The Casino is very lightweight, owing to its semi-hollow design. If you're used to playing a Les Paul, the Casino feels like a feather by comparison.

When we first played the Casino, we discovered it needed a fast setup. After we adjusted the bridge and neck, the Casino played very well. The neck especially is really comfortable.

Since the street cost is only around $599 (much less if you can find it used), it's difficult to find grounds not to pick up an Epiphone Casino today. If you need a particular, versatile instrument for blues, rock, or jazz, the Epiphone Casino is a sure thing.

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Guitar Effects, the Chorus Pedal

2010-04-07T09:33:00.000+01:00

By Andy Partridge

Another guitar gadget that you can use is the chorus. This is guitar effects where individual sounds with about the same timbre and almost the same pitch converge are then converged to be played as one. When these different sounds are played, none of them will appear off key or out of tune. Instead, the sound becomes rich more enhanced. This is not what would normally happen if the sound would come from a single source. This effect is evident in sounds that would be sustained for long periods of time.

The chorus effect is something that you would normally find in string instruments. When you actually listen to a string ensemble, the instrument would sound like they are a choir of angels singing, thus the name of the effect. And since the guitar is, of course, a string instrument, the chorus is one of the best effects that could be applied onto the instrument. The chorus effect would then help enhance the sound of the guitar that comes from different moments, timed a little slightly apart from each other, seemingly coming from different locations like in the case of a full band.

Of course, the effect can be simulated with a gadget. Normally, guitar players would have a foot pedal, similar to the overdrive distortion that can be activated by stepping on the pedal. The effect can also be applied during the processing of recorded music in the recording studio.

When the chorus effect is applied, the processor then receives the audio signal from the instrument and allows it to mix with delayed and more pitch-modulated replicas of itself. These replica sounds are then moderated. The effect, in turn, becomes a little similar to flanging. The difference here would be the delays are longer and there will be no feedback present.

Sometimes, the chorus effect would be built in to the guitar. There are models of acoustic and electric guitars that would allow you to use the chorus effect with just a flip of the switch. And as what was mentioned earlier, the effect can also be applied during the post processing of the musical piece. After recording the music, you can put the desired effect when you make some edits in the piece. This will ultimately allow you to add more delays and fully enhance the musical piece. Some chorus foot pedals also allow other effects related to the chorus effect like reverbs and delays to be added in.

Bandjammer is for people who want to have some fun, learning to play great rock songs. Our unique teaching methods support you every step of the way, for both Lead and Rhythm guitar.

Learn easy guitar songs. You can jam with our band, or form you own. Click here for your free guitar song lessons: http://www.bandjammer.com.

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Try Out a Gibson Acoustic Guitar

2010-04-06T13:58:00.001+01:00

By Andrew Fahrenheit

I can only assume that if you were reading this particular piece, you are looking to make a purchase of a new acoustic guitar in the near future. You want to know what makes and models are the best, and for many, no one guitar is quite like a Gibson acoustic guitar. So allow me to introduce you to this company.

While it might be easy to take this person's word or that public opinion, the real story behind a guitar will come through the playing of it. You can build a reputation on a great sounding guitar, and Gibson has done just that. There are so many different makes and models to choose from, even Gibson has a lot of customizable options for their acoustic guitars.

With all of the different options that one could customize with a given acoustic model, the acoustic experience with a Gibson could be different for each and every person that plays one. For instance some prefer the acoustic electric model of Gibson, while others just like the straight unplugged sound of the dreadnought.

You can be assured that there are a slew of different brands, makes and models that you can choose from if you want a good sounding acoustic. One thing you will learn though is that there are very few companies that have built up the report and the reputation that Gibson has. Many people believed that this company only really shined in electrics, models like the Les Paul, but the acoustics have opened up a whole new market.

These guitars are made from quality materials and made from a design that is unique to the company. So with these materials together with the design, you have a sound and playing that is unlike any other acoustic guitar that is on the market. They sound like some of the highest priced guitars that are on the market, without actually being priced in that range.

So there might be more to an Gibson acoustic guitar than meets the eye. The real test, as any guitarist would know, is to try it out for yourself at the music shop. There you will be able to see how the guitar looks, feels, and sounds and you can formulate an opinion based on all of these points of consideration.

Looking to add a Gibson acoustic guitar to your collection? Andrew Fahrenheit is the man with the super inside scoop on Gibson guitars now on http://www.gibsonacoustic.net.

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Fender American Telecaster and Stratocaster Review - Best of Old and New

2010-04-06T01:50:00.000+01:00

By R. S. Rasnick

Fender's American Stratocaster and Telecaster remain the best-selling musical instruments in the company's line, which is saying something, given the rich history this company has had over the past decades. Though Leo Fender is long gone, the newest American-made instruments that bear his name are a substantial testimonial to his guitar-building legacy. The present-day crop of instruments combines the best of the of the new and the old.

Never ones to rest on the past, Fender has actively interviewed a wide variety of players to see how Fender could build even better musical instruments. Leo Fender would indeed be proud, since he was perpetually concerned with the requirements of real working musicians as he built his products.

Fender sagely chose to retain the ingredients of their instruments that plainly didn't need changing. Let's use the Stratocaster as our first example. Still present are the Micro-Tilt neck, two point vibrato (honestly, a vast improvement over vintage designs), the four-bolt neck, 22 fret necks, 9.5" fretboard radius, and DeltaTone circuit. So, if these elements are still present, how is the time-honored Stratocaster new?

One of the best new features is a thinner paint undercoat, which actually results in clearer tone since the wood can breathe a bit more. The neck is better as well, with a satin finish on the back, giving it a much smoother feel. The neck front, by contrast, has a gloss finish, giving the instrument a really professional look.

They also wisely resolved to refine the bridge design, incorporating beloved elements from vintage-style tremolo bridges. It has a higher mass design, which results in much improved sustain.

The recent design also includes vintage-style bent steel saddles, which aid in capturing the classic vintage Strat tone. From Buddy Holly to Jimi Hendrix, it's all here.

While the stock Fender bridge doesn't supply the same level of tuning security that a locking system does, for all but the most outrageous whammying the Fender system is amazingly stable.

Likewise, the Telecaster experienced superb upgrades as well, including a redesigned bridge. The Tele includes a brass plate that, when coupled with the steel saddles, provides obvious Telecaster twang!

Both guitars include a world-class TSA lock-equipped SKB case that makes airport travel a picnic, and the case is very well-designed and could take quite a punch, we bet.

With street prices under $1,200, the Fender American Standard series is a fine choice for those searching for the merger of old and new.

If you are looking for the best prices on a new or used Fender American Telecaster or Fender American Stratocaster, then there's only one guitar shop you need to visit. Ray's Guitar Shop has the best prices on all new and used instruments on the Internet, including all Fender Musical Instruments.

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All About the Gibson Les Paul Custom Guitar

2010-04-05T23:56:00.000+01:00

By Timmy Klein

The Gibson Les Paul guitar is one of the most iconic instruments in popular music. A number of variations of the base model have been introduced over the years, including the Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar. This is one of the pricier and highest quality guitars that Gibson makes. The LesPaul was designed by guitarist LesPaul in collaboration with Gibson in 1952.

The base LesPaul guitar was a response to the Fender Telecaster, which had pioneered the single body electric guitar design that was sweeping the rock, country and blues music scenes. The LesPaul had some differences, such as the strings being attached differently than other guitars. The Les Paul also differentiated itself by coming in many boldly colored designs.

The Les Paul Custom guitar was designed from the start to be a more high quality and stately guitar. It was nicknamed the Black Beauty for its slick black design. LesPaul stated that the design was meant to be reminiscent of a tux. The guitar's surface was made from solid mahogany, instead of maple like the standard model. Starting in 1957, the Custom was outfitted with the humbucker style pickup, giving it its defining bulky and warm sound.

The Custom of today has a sharper tone due to its ebony fretboard. The frets are also somewhat lower than those on your standard guitar, which has led to some calling the Custom the fretless wonder.

Many notable popular musicians have used the Gibson Les Paul custom guitar as their instrument of choice at one point or another. Artists from Carlos Santana to Peter Frampton to Eric Clapton have used Customs.

A brand new Custom today is worth several thousand dollars. They are no longer limited to just being Black Beauties; Customs have since produced with different finished including Antique White and Silverburst.

Did you know the Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar is one of many variations of the standard LesPaul? Timmy Klein takes on the ultimate Gibson journey now on http://www.gibsonlespaulcustom.net.

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All About the Fender Jaguar Guitar

2010-04-05T23:28:00.000+01:00

By Rick D. Jones

Originally, the Fender Jaguar Guitar was introduced in 1962. The design was based off the Jazzmaster. The way that it differed had to do with the offset waist and floating tremolo system. In addition, it was given a shorter 24 inch scale in comparison to the jazzmaster as well.

Overall, only small changes were made in comparison to the old Jazzmaster. Mostly, this had to do with small changes to the body, as well as the scale length. The Jaguar came fitted with a 22 fret neck and became the first to have this feature among the Fender guitars.

In addition, some changes were made for visual appearance. Among these changes were the addition of metal control plates. Although the changes made revolved around appearance it related to the idea of the change on how the guitar was assembled as well.

No longer were the components soldered outside of the body and to installed to the rear of the pickguard, but rather wired into each section. Additionally, the wire only had the drilled holes to pass through. Another difference featured with the Jaguar had to do with the flip mute mechanism, which had to do with other manufactures who offered this at this time.

At the time they were made, it was in the first month of the year of 1962. Many think that they were made on a promotional basis. It was not until March of 1962 that they were made in larger quantities. Many of the guitars of this kind were made in custom colors, featuring matching headstocks.

In April of that year, it was the first time they were stamped with a code that identified the model, month, and year, in addition to the nut width on them. At the start of July in the same year, the veneer rosewood, replaced the slab type. Additionally, the pontentiometers started being consistently stamped with part numbers.

By January of 1965, clay dots were no longer used. These were completely replaced with pearloid dots. Another change that occurred early in the same year had to do with the material used with the pickguard, which was changed over from a nitrate material to a vinyl material. When this happened, this caused the tortoise pickguards to change from blotchy brown and yellow to a purplish red color.

Many other changes occurred along as well. However, the Fender Jaguar Guitar was originally made to become one of the top line guitars, but never made it to that level of popularity as the Stratocaster and Telecaster did. Many additional upgrades were made to the guitar until finally laying it to rest in 1975.

The Fender Jaguar Guitar originally was produced in 1962 and is today more than ever considered a must-have for any guitar lover. Rick D. Jones takes us on the ultimate Fender Jaguar journey on http://www.fenderjaguar.org

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Why Play a Rickenbacker Guitar

2010-04-05T23:25:00.001+01:00

By Adrian Martin

These days there are a ton of electric guitars on the market - from the prestige instruments such as the Fender Stratocaster and the Gibson Les Paul through to their myriad of replicas. With so much similarity in instruments available it takes something a little special to get you noticed or to produce a sound that's different - that's why you should look at Rickenbacker guitars.

Rickenbacker's have a tradition that harks back to the 1930's and they have produced many famous and innovative models since. For example the Rickenbacker 325 Electric guitar, famous for it's association with John Lennon and the Rickenbacker 360 12 string guitar - associated with the 60's band "The Byrds". These guitars remain iconic to this day and their sound is instantly recognizable.

Visually they look kind of like a Stratocaster on speed - with their big flat bodies - often with a traditionally shaped "go faster" sound hole, Ricky "R" bridge and unique headstock. Strap one of these on and you'll stand out from the crowd. They really have that wow factor.

But what really makes the Rickenbacker so special?

The sound! Sonically, Rickenbacker guitars have a unique sound - partly due to their quality construction but mainly due to the unique Rickenbacker pickups. During the 1960's Rickenbacker used their now famous "toaster pickups" which looked like the top of a bread toaster - recently they've used more high-gain pickups - both have emphasised the higher frequencies and have contributed to a magical chiming sound. Another attribute is that Rickenbacker's are often equipped with a "stereo" output socket (known as "rick-o-sound") which allows the guitar to be connected to different effects chains and amps . Finally the most subtle option available on Rickenbacker guitars is the blender control When either pickup is : slected, you can use it to blend the other pick-up in. So if you think the neck pickup is too dull - then mix in some honk from the bridge pickup this is really tremendous and adds some great tones to your instrument.

All these attributes make for an extremely versatile instrument and while you don't often find Rickenbacker guitars in heavy rock - they cover everything in between. Rickenbacker's evoke lovely tones suitable for Pop or alternative rock music right through to Jazz and country and there have been tons of guitarists who use these instruments from U2's the Edge and Peter Buck of REM through to Thom Yorke of Radiohead. Given such a heritage - you'll find the sounds it produces really useful whether you're a rhythm player or virtuoso soloist.

So in summary if you want a unique look together with a unique sound the next time your down a guitar store - be sure to try out a Rickenbacker guitar.

Adrian Martin runs ShanzuGuitars.com. The site offers the latest guitar news, gear resources and reviews, tools and tips for budding guitarists everywhere.

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Guitar - Create Your Sound Using the Right Guitar Pick

2009-10-24T23:40:00.001+01:00

Guitar picks are tiny, silly seemingly, unimportant tools used to play guitar strings however you might be really surprised how a guitar pick can really boost your performance. It determines your playing style, your tone and speed. If you have a particular sound in mind the right pick is like the icing on the cake. It gives just that bit of extra you need to impress.

Picking Sound

Fender, Ibanez and Jim Dunlop have each there own variety of picks in many different types, sizes, colors, and are either made of nylon, celluloid, metal or PVC. They can be soft or as hard as steel and each produce a particular sound.

In the beginning a guitar pick feels very uncomfortable in your hand. You can't really find the right way to hold it. So therefor it's best to choose a pick that will definitely give a good sound. The very soft and thin white Nylon Dunlops add an annoying sound to the tone when using them on an acoustic guitar. Harder picks don't do that and give more volume in the first place than soft picks and that's a good thing.

Control the strings

A soft and a hard pick each give a different sound, have a different effect on the strings and play a part in creating speed. I encourage everybody to start with the hardest pick you can handle. That way you will be able to use any pick softer than the one you've been using while the other way around is much harder. Switching from a soft to hard guitar pick might take some time before you can play comfortably.

If you play mainly chords and rhythm guitar you might want to use a soft pick as these help to produce a rich and fuller sound. Soft picks seem to blend all the notes within the chord that's being played and add more treble to the sound while a hard pick produces a somewhat darker sound.

Getting it Right

In rock music you will either play lead or rhythm or a combination of both. To play lead means that you're the one with the hot solo's. You want to use a hard pick with a sharp tip to improvise.

Most picks have a rounded tip and only a few have a sharp tip like the Dunlop Nylon Jazz picks and the Stubby's. These are both hard picks. The sharp tip helps to keep a clear tone when playing real fast. The problem with the Nylon Jazz picks is that the tip is as thick as the rest of th00000672e pick. Even though you want a full thick tone you still want it to sound dense and compressed . You can get that sound better using the stubby's as its tip is sharp and thin. The stubby's are not easy to work with in the beginning but once you get over that clumsiness you will have much more control over the tone and the sound you create.

June Moris has been playing the guitar since she was thirteen and has been doing research on the use of effects ful time for six months. When you hear her live it's like there are two guitar players on stage. Some people mistake her guitar for synthesizers. June lives in NYC where she plays her music and teaches guitar. More articles like "how to hold the guitar pick", "The Action of the Guitar" and "Fine Tuning" can be found on her website http://www.music.junemoris.com/category/guitar/

Article Directories

Guitar Training Software

2009-10-09T22:27:00.002+01:00

Guitar training software is of perennial interest to guitar students of all levels. It seems as though the boredom of learning music notation and tabs plus the drudgery of long hours of guitar practice makes you wish that there were some short cuts. Or at least something that lightened the burden a little. Guitar training software can help you to learn various aspects of guitar playing but you still have to supply the time and effort.

The eMedia Guitar Method is touted as the world's best-selling CD-ROM for beginners. This software for guitar training offers more than one-hundred-and-sixty lessons showing you how to strum chords and play melodies, the basics of fingerpicking, power chords, riffs and lots more. You get split screen videos with close ups to allow you to tell what's going on with both hands when you are learning chords and picking.

The software's animated fretboard shows you the fingering for the seventy songs that are included, and you can get a view of the fretboard from different angles. You can decide whether to learn to play the guitar using tabs or sheet music notation, you can learn the songs and exercises at any tempo you want, and of course, you get a metronome and a tuner. If you find yourself stalling in your progress as a guitar player, this guitar training software will probably give you the boost you need.

Guitar 101: The Fender Method is a straightforward, user-friendly CD-ROM that will give you a solid grounding in electric guitar playing. You get thirty lessons with this software covering, theory, the basics of music, how the guitar works and separate lessons focusing on each hand. This guitar training software is aimed at the aspiring plectrum guitar player interested in playing pop and rock music. The software also has special lessons on tuning the guitar and playing against recorded rhythm tracks.

Now, guitar training software for the bass guitar student. As a beginner bass guitarist you will find Bass Fretboard Addict a great help with learning the notes on the guitar fretboard. This program allows you to use fret numbers or music notes when you practice your bass guitar and the authentic bass sound helps your ear to become accustomed to the notes as they are played on the bass. You can also use games to help you learn the notes. If you want to be the kind of bass player with a well developed ear for music, this software is for you.

Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all t00000F6Dhe resources you need for: learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.

Electric Guitar Tricks

2009-10-08T20:52:00.001+01:00

By Tom Grogan
You'll be surprised to discover that when learning to play guitar that there are some electric guitar tricks that can help you progress quickly. If you are looking for ways to decrease the learning curve and join the band as soon as possible you have come to the right place. Learning to play the guitar can be easy or it can be very frustrating. Our goal is to make learning fun and easy.

The first guitar trick is to make sure the guitar is set up properly. If the guitar is not set up correctly or has a high playing action it will take too much effort to fret the notes with the left hand. This will also cause the finger tips to get very sore and it will be unpleasant to practice for any length of time. The strings must be close enough to the fingerboard to be easy to fret (push down) without vibrating against the adjacent frets.

Next you will want to set aside a specific and regular amount of time for practice. Irregular and sporadic practice only prolongs your progress. Althrough there are things you can do to make learning quick and easy there is no substitute for regular practice. As you learn more techniques you may want to increase your practice time.

As you master the basic techniques of just playing the notes and chords there are some other electric guitar tricks you can use to refine your sound. One trick would be using the tremolo arm (wammy bar) correctly. The tremolo arm lowers the tension on the strings to lower the pitch and then returns the strings to their original pitch. When you have long sustained notes you can bend the note by pushing the string upward on the fingerboard. this will have the effect of raising the pitch just slightly and then returning to is original pitch.

Some of the more popular and easier electric guitar tricks involve using some of the many pedals to hook up between the guitar and amp. These could be reverb pedals, octave pedals, chorus pedals, or delay pedals. There are many types of distortion pedals to get sounds from classic rock to heavy metal and everything in between.

I'm sure you would like to begin to learn the electric guitar tricks used by your favorite guitarist playing some of your favorite tunes.

Jamorama is packed full of video lessons that will speed your learning and teach you how to play virtually any song by ear in the comfort of your own home.

You will be blown away by how much fun are are having learning the three basic parts of music while playing your favorite songs. Go to http://www.myguitarjam.info to begin your journey to fun and learning to play guitar with some free sample lessons.

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How To Play Electric Guitar-5 Tips For Instant Success

2009-10-07T21:25:00.001+01:00

There are a million different methods and styles of how to play electric guitar, and to teach them all in one article would be pretty pointless, so Im going to give you some tips that anyone who wants to know how to play electric guitar well should find useful.

How To Play Electric Guitar Tip 1:

Make sure the strings are fitted properly. Playing electric guitar often includes string bends, and if your strings arent fitted properly this can cause some real tuning problems. Hearing that PING sound as your guitar drops out of tune mid solo can be pretty embarrassing, so make sure your strings are perfect!

How To Play Electric Guitar Tip 2:

Get to know the guitar. Electric guitars have a huge range of different sounds and textures, all accessed by simply using the volume and tone controls on the guitar, as well as using different pickup selections. Any great guitarist with great tone understands this and will work their guitar to get the very best sounds.

How To Play Electric Guitar Tip 3:

Learn to mute the strings. When played at high volume the sheer power of the sound from the amplifier will make the strings on the guitar vibrate and ring out. This will ruin ANYTHING you are trying to play unless you can control it by muting the strings you dont want to sound. This is mainly done by laying the palm of your strumming hand across the strings at the bridge.

How To Play Electric Guitar Tip 4:

Learn some simple scales and licks. You can spice up anything by adding a few ad lib notes or licks, providing you have the scale knowledge to back it up. Some tasteful blues licks can really add depth to all kinds of songs, and will give your sound its own personality.

How To Play Electric Guitar Tip 5:

Learn to bend strings and apply vibrato. To a guitar fan one of the best sounds in the world is the sound of someone bending up to a high note 0000112Aand then applying some good vibrato. Both techniques are fairly easy to get to grips with but tough to master, and will add even more personality to your sound. Using these techniques you can make the most mundane melodies sound interesting.

These guitar tips dont even scratch the tip of the iceberg of how to play electric guitar, but hopefully they have given you an idea of what kinds of directions you can go with the instrument. Happy playing!

Click HERE to learn the secrets of the professionals and become a great guitar player in record time-there's never been a better guide to how to play electric guitar!

Steve Laney is the webmaster at http://www.dailyguitarlessons.com

Learn To Play Guitar Sheet Music Part 1

2009-10-06T21:05:00.001+01:00

Why is it so hard for many guitarists to read sheet music on the guitar?

Probably the answer is easy. They haven't done anything about it. An old used tyre can stand leaned against the wall of a car garage for thousands of years. Why? Nobody has thought about moving it. Could it be that easy also with playing guitar sheet music? I think so.
Sometimes we consider ourselves poor sight readers or not able to read guitar sheet music at all and we think this is part of our personality. Every person who wants to learn to read guitar sheet music notation properly has already taken the first step towards changing that condition, just like you have done by reading this article.

Climbing the "Reading Guitar Sheet Music" mountain starts with step one

Surprised? Well, I have been teaching guitar playing for many years and I have found that learning to play guitar is like many other activities. People, not you of course, often want to start from another position than from where they are.
I would like to suggest that we approach the sight reading assignment from two directions. First by learning to find our way around the guitar and learning the notes on the fingerboard.

Make a string safari on your guitar

With the conventional tuning on your guitar you will have the note E on the first open string. I guess you are aware of the fact that you can find the same note on the second string too. If you dont know on what fret you will find it you can listen your way through the frets on the second string until youll find the note that sounds the s00000885ame as the first string.
Now I will be frank and tell you that E on the second string is on the fifth fret. Maybe you have already found that out. E on the third string is on the ninth fret. Practice to play E on these different places and jump back and forth until you can find the frets without effort.

How to proceed learning the guitar fretboard

In a similar way you can invent small exercises on you guitar fretboard like playing all Es on all six strings until you can play them with ease or finding all Cs and play them consecutively like a picking exercise or as an exercise for your right hand fingers.

Knowing the notes on the guitar fingerboard will be a great help for you, not only when playing guitar sheet music but also when you are playing by ear or improvising a guitar solo.

Peter Edvinsson is a guitarist, pianist, composer and educator. He is also the proud owner of the website capotastomusic.com with free sheet music and resources for musicians and music students.

Visit his website and download easy free guitar sheet music and guitar tab sheet music! http://www.capotastomusic.com

Playing Guitar 1 - Choosing the Right Guitar

2009-10-06T01:46:00.001+01:00

Choosing the right guitar for yourself is as important to playing as having the right shoe size - if it's not right for you, you won't want to keep playing. There are three main types of guitars, each with its own advantages and disadvantages: the steel-string acoustic guitar (dreadnought), the nylon-string acoustic guitar (classical) and the electric guitar.

The dreadnought is traditionally the first guitar that someone would get when they start learning how to play. The steel strings provide for a powerful, bright sound and the strings are spaced comfortably. The main advantage to the steel-string acoustic is that you and your friends will easily be able to hear what you play. You will also, over time, develop more precise technique and stronger hands. This also can lead to a disadvantage; the steel-string acoustic can be more difficult to play at first since the strings are under more tension. This can lead to many people not continuing to play long enough to develop any basic ability or even calluses.

Of the two acoustic guitars, I like the nylon-string the best. Personally, I think the tone is warmer. Also, the strings are under very little tension, making it easier to actually fret the instrument. The only drawback to the classical from a beginner's point of view is that the strings are spaced wider than the other two guitar types, and the action (the height of the strings above the fretboard) is also higher. This makes p000020B2laying with precision a little trickier.

Last but not least is my personal favorite for beginners - the electric guitar. While it is heavier than the others (due to having a solid wood body), it is also the easiest to play. This makes it great for beginners since they will play long enough to develop calluses and get over the first hurdles and experience some success. The acoustic guitars over the long run will give you better technique, but the electric will actually have you PLAYING!!

Of course, the final decision comes down to want you want to do with the guitar. I always ask my students (and potential students), "What kind of music do you like? Which musicians do you want to sound like?" and "What guitars do they play?"

If you like old Bob Dylan, a steel-string acoustic will be great, but a hot-rodded super-Strat will make you frustrated. If Eddie Van Halen is your thing, get the hot-rodded super-Strat - anything else will leave you wanting more. Having the same instrument (or at least the same type) as your favorite player will go a long way to keeping you motivated and inspired to keep playing. These heroes and heroines of the guitar become like mentors to us leading the way. Good luck to you and your future guitar adventures!

Bill Franco is a performing & recording guitarist in St. Louis, Missouri and is also available for guitar lessons. Visit his websites at: http://www.billfranco.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/billfrancomusic

Playing Blues Guitar on an Epiphone Les Paul

2009-10-04T17:05:00.002+01:00

By Mike OHara
If you are a blues electric guitarist, or even if you are just learning to play the blues on an electric guitar, you will want to make sure that you have a guitar that suits the style.

Step forward, the Epiphone Les Paul Standard. This guitar is a blues guitarist's dream.

OK, so it's not a $2,500 Gibson, but it's not far off. And at only a fraction of the price it offers great playability, superb tone, and it looks just fantastic!

One of the things that you always want to make sure of when playing electric blues guitar is that you can produce a good amount of sustain. Typically, guitars at the cheaper end of the scale do not sustain anywhere near as well as their more expensive counterparts. But hit a note on this baby, add a bit of string vibrato and it will go on and on and on, making you feel like Carlos Santana!

This is down in large part to the solid mahogany body, the maple top and the quality of the pickups, which are nearly as good as those on the Gibson equivalent.

Make no mistake, the Epiphone Les Paul is a quality guitar, well built and made to last.

It is interesting that some well-known and respected guitarists play and endorse Epiphones, even though they could have their pick of other makes (guitarists like Noel Gallagher, Ace Frehley and Nancy Wilson to name just a few).

When I get rich, I'll buy a Gibson. In the meantime, an Epiphone Les Paul Standard will do just fine, thank you!

Mike OHara is a guitarist and guitar teacher who plays a variety of styles on a variety of guitars. He is a particular fan of the Epiphone Les Paul Standard, a guitar he often uses when giving a Blues Guitar Lesson.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_OHara

The Power Of Consistent Guitar Practice.

2009-10-03T01:47:00.000+01:00

Most of us have heard of the power of being consistent in our guitar
practice. You know what I mean. Practicing something EVERY day until
mastered. But do you do this? I know that in the past, I definitely
didn't...

When I first started playing I was a maniac! I had no real structure to
my practice. I just put in the hours and hoped that I got better. And I
did! But there was a problem. I practiced something different almost
every day. My practice "schedule" changed from o...

Keywords:
guitar practice,alternate picking,legato

Article Body:
Most of us have heard of the power of being consistent in our guitar
practice. You know what I mean. Practicing something EVERY day until
mastered. But do you do this? I know that in the past, I definitely
didn't...

1. Sore hands. For example, I would often go so berserk on alternate
picking exercises that my picking wrist would get incredibly sore. It
would be so sore that I couldn't practice alternate picking the next
day. So what did I do? I then went crazy with legato exercises. So much
so that I wouldn't be able to practice legato the next day. So I went
back to my trusty alternate picking. Mmmm...there's a pattern emerging
here. :-)

2. Slower Progress. Now, don't get me wrong. I progressed faster than
any of my friends. But I definitely don't think I progressed at my
fastest possible rate. If I had practiced less on an exercise, but did
it EVERY day I think my progress would have been much faster.

I guess the moral of the story is to temper your enthusiasm with
intelligence. Let's look at how to start to be more consistent with your
practice...

***Step One***

Decide on something that you would like to master. Make it something
short like a lick, scale or perhaps a few bars of a song.

***Step Two***

Decide on a speed goal for the thing that you have chosen. This will be
your target tempo. Make it challenging. Something that will make you a
significantly better player once you have achieved it. Of course, you
need to keep in mind your current playing level. If you are a beginner
and you set a speed goal of sixteenth notes at 240bpm, you are
definitely setting yourself up for a failure!

***Step Three***

Decide on how much time you'll invest practicing the thing that you have
chosen. I would recommend setting a goal of 10-15 minutes a day. A small
amount done daily will give you better results than hours done irregularly.

***Step Four***

Make a commitment to practice what you have chosen on a daily basis. The
key is to practice it every single day until your speed goal has been
reached. No excuses,no crying, no moaning, no exceptions.

***Step Five***

Get to work! This is the step that requires discipline. It could take
weeks or months to achieve your speed goal! Just keep in mind that
anyone can write down a goal, but unfortunately VERY few people will
follow it though to completion. That's probably why there are so many
more guitar OWNERS than guitar PLAYERS ;-)

I invite you to try this approach to guitar practice. I've found that it
really helps me, and I'm sure you'll benefit from it as well!

The Secrets of Correctly Stringing Your Guitar

2009-10-02T00:01:00.002+01:00

Why do you care about stringing your guitar you may ask. Well the reason is simple. It will make you sound better because if your guitar is properly strung, you will get longer natural sustain.

This is something that no fx pedal can reproduce, clean natural sustain. Of course after you have this sustain you can play with it all you want with your fx pedals.

Many guitarist make the same mistake when stringing a guitar, they don't wind enough of the string onto the tuning peg or they wind too much.

Why is this seemingly simple thing so important? Because the greater the angle between the nut (the top part of the guitar) and the tuning peg, the better the sustaining qualities of the string. Simply put, it makes you sound better. And your strings will not go out of tune as fast. Of course you can always wind too much as well, and then the strings will tend to slip out of tune easier. You want to have just the right amount.

Here is how to string your guitar.

Step 1 - Take all the strings out of the package and lay them out from the thickest to the thinnest. When you go to buy strings, always try and get the same gauge, as changing the gauge could mean problems with intonation, and may require truss rod adjustments.

Step 2 - Turn the tuning peg until the hole is in line with the neck.

Step 3 - Starting with the thickest string - The low "e", thread the string through the bridge (bottom part of the guitar). Each guitar has different ways to do this, but it is usually very easy to see where the strings go.

Step 4 - Next thread the string through the hole in the tuning peg until it is tight. Now back the string up about 3 inches so that it loosens.

Step 5 - Grab the loose part of the string with one hand and with the other start turning the tuning peg. As you turn the peg, hold the string tightly away from the guitar to insure that it wraps tightly, with no slack. This will stop the string from going out of tune as you're playing. When the string is getting tight against the fretboard, You can let go and continue to slowly turn the peg a little bit more and then top.

Step 6 - Make sure as you turn the peg that the string is winding downward, and don't let it flip over itself. Your goal is tog et about 2 1/2 to 3 full winds on each string.

Step 7 - Repeat 0000105Athe process with all other strings, but decrease the amount of slack a little bit each time.

All the best,

Tom Freeland
PlayGuitar.com

This is just one of the hundreds of guitar tips that you will get for free simply by becoming a member of PlayGuitar.com's Guitar Tips. Go to http://www.playguitar.com/guitartips/ and fill out your info. You will be on your way to becoming a better player.

Fender Electric Guitar - The Good and Bad Concerning Fender Brand Guitars,By Kyle Hoffman

2009-09-29T23:42:00.002+01:00

Fender has been a trusted guitar company for decades with hundreds of professional guitarists worldwide supporting their products. There's no doubt that they know the business of electric guitars and guitar accessories.

However, if you're a beginning player looking for a new guitar with a certain tone in mind, is the Fender brand right for you? Here are a few of the positive aspects of Fender-made guitars and what they can provide.

* They are more dominant in the mid-range of tone.

Fender electric guitars have a large market in the country and standard rock genres due to their versatile tone quality. They tend to be more mid-range dominant allowing them to provide a little more attack on stage.

* Fenders are light-weight guitars.

If you're the kind of player that enjoys moving around and performing a few tricks, then maybe a Fender is right for you. These guitars are very light and won't hold you back when you're jumping, running, or even attempting some risky guitar whips.

* You can do a little more with a thinner neck.

If you have smaller hands Fender electric guitars are known for providing thinner necks for easy playing action. You won't be straining your fingers or wrist trying to curve around the neck to reach those frets.

These are just a few of the positive attributes regarding Fender guitars, but it might not be what you're looking for as a guitarist. Here's a short list of detrimental aspects that might sway you in another direction.

* You lose a few frets.

Some lead and metal guitarists prefer instruments with a few more frets than normal. Fender electric guitars tend to have less frets so as not to complicate the build. So those last few notes you reach for, they might not be there.

* The action is a little high before you have it adjusted.

Right out of the box, these guitars have raised strings a bit high from the fret board. This is appropriate for harder strumming, but to play with light and fast fingers, the height of those strings should be adjusted at your local music store.

* There's less "meat" in the guitar's tone.

Since Fender electric guitars are dominant in the mid range of tones, there's actually a little less in the bottom end of the sound spectrum. Of course this can be slightly adjusted by the knobs on your guitar amplifier, but you might be a guitarist that prefers a nice boost in bass straight from the instrument.

The Fender company has and will always will produce guitars in a wide variety of models, but they might not be for every guitarist. Do an appropriate amount of research before you decide what kind of guitar is right for you.

Kyle Hoffman is a computer specialist, recording engineer, hardcore vocalist, guitar-enthusiast, and the writer of the popular guitar blog How To Guitar Tune.

Visit How To Guitar Tune for all the best quick and easy guitar tips.

If you're a beginner, visit How To Guitar Play to get started!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kyle_Hoffman

Paul McCartney's Vintage Gibson Guitars

2009-09-29T23:37:00.002+01:00

Paul McCartney's Vintage Gibson Guitars
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Brenne_Meirowitz]Brenne Meirowitz

Are you a collector of vintage Gibson Guitars, fan of Paul McCartney, or
the Beatles? Well then, you might enjoy reading this bit of vintage
Gibson Guitars trivia. Back on November 20, 2007, Gibson Guitartown
London held an auction for 62 unique hand painted and signed Gibson
guitars, including a 10 foot Gibson Les Paul replica guitar signed by
Paul McCartney. The winning bid came in at 60,000 GBP - about $123,000
and about a quarter of the total auction revenue. The guitar, called
the, "And The Crowd Goes Wild" is decorated with colorful figures of
children waving their arms in the air. The body of the giant fiberglass
guitar is red, with a black arm - also adorned with child figurines,
designed by artist Rosie Brooks. The giant Gibson was on public display
from June - September 2007, at More London on London's South Bank by
City Hall and attracted over 2.5 million visitors.

Gibson released the names of some of the other well-known UK musicians
who signed some of the other auctioned regular sized Gibson SG guitars
for the charity event. The participants included Ronnie Wood, Paul
Weller, Noel Gallagher, Rod Stewart, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Gary
Moore, Mark Knopfler, Slash, Brian May, Ozzy Osbourne, Kaiser Chiefs,
New Order, Kasabian, KT Tunstall, Depeche Mode, James Blunt, and Roger
Waters. However, if you are looking to add this collector's piece to
your own - stop right there - it won't be available on EBay anytime
soon. Once the bidding ended and a winner was determined, he or she was
obligated to donate the giant guitar to the Great Ormond Street
Hospital. Happily, though, the winning bidder, Ari Goldberger, was
awarded a special Gibson Les Paul signed by McCartney at the event. An
engraved plaque bearing Goldberger's name was placed beside the 10 foot
guitar now permanently a figure in Vintage Gibson Guitar history. The
ceremony took place on December 7, 2007 as part of a Christmas
fundraiser.

The event, organized by Gibson Guitartown London, raised money for three
children's charities - Nordoff- Robbins Music Therapy, The Prince's
Trust, and Teenage Cancer Trust.

On a commercial note, coinciding with the London auction event,
Starbucks and Gibson Guitars held a national sweepstakes for a chance to
win a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted Limited Edition Paul McCartney
Epiphone 1964 Texan, which is a replica of the guitar that McCartney
used to record "Yesterday," as well as perform the song on The Ed
Sullivan Show. McCartney consulted with Epiphone in order to ensure the
Vintage Gibson Guitar's historical accuracy. In addition to the grand
prize hand-painted guitar, McCartney also signed three other Epiphone
Texans. The grand-prize winner, Rebecca Voss, of Minneapolis,
Minnesota, exclaimed after being notified of her good fortune, "I
couldn't be more excited to own this guitar with Paul's signature. I am
a lifelong fan and this means so much to me. Thank you so much, and
thanks to Starbucks and Epiphone Guitars!" For the curious, Paul still
owns and plays his vintage Gibson Guitar - Epiphone 1964 Texan.

Written by, Brenne Meirowitz, B.A., M.S., M.A. Paul McCartney's
[http://www.gibsonguitarstop.com/Vintage_Gibson_Guitars.html]Vintage
Gibson Guitars
was written while researching information about
[http://www.gibsonguitarstop.com/]Gibson Guitar Stop.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenne_Meirowitz
http://EzineArticles.com/?Paul-McCartneys-Vintage-Gibson-Guitars&id=2881185

How To Play Acoustic Guitar

2009-09-29T22:24:00.002+01:00

If you want to learn how to play acoustic guitar there are some things that you need to know right from the start. Believe me when I say that they will save you a great deal of frustration.

Here are some great tips that should help:

1# Because you will need to practice often (and sometimes you wont want to)-, playing along to a favorite song can be a great motivator. Even if you are a raw beginner you will be surprised at how many songs you can play along to.

"Google" your favorite song and see if there's a result that offers chord charts for them. Study the charts to find a song you know that has a simple chord progression, these will be chords that you can already play or would like to learn. Download the chord charts and start practicing. You'll be amazed at how good you will feel when you are playing along to your well loved songs.

2# Make sure that your guitar is tuned properly. You may not believe this but I've met people who wanted to know how to play acoustic guitar that didn't know that each string on a guitar had to be tuned to a specific pith!. It's not a case of getting the tuning nearly right either, you need to get it "spot on" why? because you will judge your playing by the way you sound and if just one string is slightly of pitch, your "sound" wont be as good as you would like or indeed would have been had your guitar been in tune.

To make sure your guitar is in tune you can use a set of inexpensive pitch pipes. Learn to tune from string to string. Use an electronic guitar tuner or tune from a piano or another guitar. To save room in this article I wont go into detail but you can find some excellent information here:

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Guitar/Setting_up_the_Guitar

3# Decide on what type of pick (plectrum)you want to use. This is one of the most overlooked pieces of equipment. Picks come in various gauges. A very thin pick will give a much softer sound than a thick one so try experimenting and choose the pick that achieves the sound you want. Some guitarist wear a pick on there thumb and some guitarists just use their fingers. It's all a matter of choice and something you do need to be aware of.

4# Now you'll have to excuse me here as I'm going to use a word that some people find quite upsetting. Are you ready? The word is "practice". I'm sorry but it just had to be said. Of course, we all promise we will prac000034CEtice but there's always a good film on or the big game just about to start and a hundred other excuses. I'm no different, so here my suggestion.

Don't promise yourself that you will practice for an hour every day. Make that a promise of twenty minutes everyday. Little and often is best I find. Have your guitar and chord books or tabs to hand if you're watching TV, that way you can have five minutes practice during the commercial break (and sometimes longer). I find that this works really well as it's sort of unplanned (and far more enjoyable than most of the commercials).

I hope that these tips will help you on your way to becoming a great guitarist.

Practice, Practice, Practice. That's how to play acoustic guitar.

Play On.

If you have enjoyed this article you can find more great information at:

How To Play Acoustic Guitar

and the best part is it's entirely FREE

Guitar Lesson - How To Use The A-Minor Pentatonic Scale In The First Position

2009-09-29T21:18:00.001+01:00

When you learn to improvise you have most likely come across various guitar scales. But, how do you practice guitar scales in order to use them in your playing? In this lesson you will learn how to make music of scales!

What is a pentatonic scale?

A common major scale consists of seven notes. A C-major scale for example have these seven notes:

C D E F G A B

The note after the B is a C and the scale starts over again in another octave. A pentatonic scale consists of five notes. In a pentatonic C-major scale the notes F and B are omitted. This makes for less collisions between scale notes and notes in the chords used. In other words, you can use a pentatonic scale together with more chords.

The A-minor pentatonic scale

This scale consists of the five notes A C D E G

If we play these notes in the first position on the guitar you will have the following sequence of notes:

05 35 04 24 03 23

The first number tells you which fret to press down. The second number indicates which string to play. 05 means that you play the open fifth string, that is, without pressing down a fret. The first string is the bottom string wh000009A9en you play.

We will now play the A-minor pentatonic scale in the first position of your guitar. The whole scale from the sixth to the first string will look like this:

06 36 05 35 04 24 03 23 12 31 01 31

In this scale sequence you will find the note A in two positions. That is, on the fifth open string and on the second fret third string.

What can you do with this scale?

1. First I suggest that you commit this scale to memory and that you practice playing it from the lowest note to the highest and then back again.

2. Use correct left hand fingerings. That means that you play the notes on the first fret with your left hand index finger, the notes on the second fret with your middle finger and the notes on the third fret with your ring finger.

3. Play small sequences using only a few of the notes in the scale. For example:

05 35 04 24 04 35 05 or:

23 12 32 01 31 12 23

4. Work on creating melodies using the scale. This will help you understand where the notes you hear in your head are on the fretboard and also make your pentatonic improvisations more musical and enjoyable for yourself and your prospective audience.

5. Improvise together with chords. As you work with the A-minor pentatonic scale you can use chords to make the guitar solo improvisations more interesting. Here are two chords that you can use together with the notes:

A-minor: 05 24 23 12 01

D-major: 04 23 32 21

As your probably remember, the first number indicates the fret and the second number the string to play. When you play the chords you can strum them from the lowest sounding string to the first string. For example, strum the A-minor chord and improvise a few notes using the pentatonic scale. Then play the D-major chord and continue to improvise. Play the A-minor chord again and continue in this way.

Improvisation is a form of composition and the musical value depends on how well we know where the notes are on the fret, how focused we are in the creative process, how well we have mastered patterns and licks that are building blocks that can be used to create music, our feelings and many more elements in the musical process.

Peter Edvinsson is a guitarist, composer and music teacher. He invites you to download your free guitar tablature sheet music at http://www.capotastomusic.com

Ten Easy Rock Songs For Guitar Beginners

2009-09-27T21:49:00.001+01:00

When I started playing guitar, nobody taught me how to do it. It wasn't easy at first. My fretting hand's fingertips were so painful that I couldn't touch anything for days! But once I got the hang of it, I discovered it was one of the most enjoyable things I've ever done. Over the years I would look back at those times and smile thinking how my life was changed the moment I picked up the guitar. It was actually my big sister's guitar. However it turned out that I was more inclined to it that she was. She eventually turned over all the guitar playing duties to me.

I thought of making a random list of easy guitar songs that beginners might want to try playing, just to get things started. It will cover different genres but the objective is to improve playing, one song at a time. These are the criteria I've used for the selection of the songs:

a) Minimal number of chords -the less chords in a song, the easier it is to remember how to play it.

b) Minimal barre chords - barre chords require us to use our fretting hand's index finger to press all 6 strings in a particular fret. Less barre chords is better for beginners.

c) Familiarity of the song - the songs are some of the most popular during their times.

And since we're talking about beginner songs here, the primary goal of this list is to give novice players some songs to STRUM the guitar along with. No point in doing any complicated stuff yet. We have to first establish the rhythm within the player. So here it goes, in no particular order:

1. "Horse With No Name" - America

Chords: Em, F#m7sus

2. "Leaving On A Jet Plane" - John Denver

Chords: G, C, D

3. "No Rain" - Blind Melon

Chords: E, D, A, G

4. "Every Rose Has It's Thorns" - Poison

Chords: G, C, D, Em

5. "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" - Bob Dylan/ Guns N' Roses

Chords: G, C, D, Am

6. "One" - U2

Chords: Am, D7, FM7, G

7. "Four Strong Winds" - Neil Young

Chords: C, Dm, G, F

8. "I Remember You" - Skid Row

Chords: G, C, D, Am, Em

9. "Come As You Are" - Nirvana

Chords: Em, D, G, Am, C

10. "Wonderful Tonight" - Eric Clapton

Chords: G, D, C, Em, Am

Finger placement:

C (x-3-2-0-1-0)

D (x-x-0-2-3-2)

D7 (x-x-0-2-1-2)

E (0-2-2-1-0-0)

Em (0-2-20000064C-0-0-0)

A (x-0-2-2-2-0)

Am (x-0-2-2-1-0)

F (x-x-3-2-1-1)

FM7 (x-x-3-2-1-0)

F#m7sus (2-0-0-2-0-0) G (3-2-0-0-0-3)

Legend:

D (x-x-0-2-3-2)

D - the chord name

x - E string will not be struck

x - A string will not be struck

0 - D string open

2 - Press G string on 2nd fret

3 - Press B string on 3rd fret

2 - Press e string on 2nd fret

There you go! Most of the songs have similar chords. That way, if we can recall chords from another some and incorporate that chord into another song then you get to practice applied knowledge. Ain't that grand!

Happy practicing!

Enrico Monsanto is a freelance writer. He writes mainly about guitars, music and sport-related topics. Most of his work can be seen at his blog, http://monsaint.blogspot.com

Guitar Strings - Are Coated Strings Right For You

2009-09-25T14:42:00.002+01:00

When it's time to change guitar strings you're faced with a dizzying array of makes and types. One modern alternative is the coated string.

I use and recommend Elixir Nanoweb Coated Strings. Are they, or some other brand of coated strings right for you?

Maybe.

In this short article, I'll describe the basics of what coated strings are, their advantages, and disadvantages. After that you should be better prepared to make an informed decision.

What are Coated Strings?

Several years ago, the folks at Elixir recognized that there's nothing like the sound of new strings. Nearly all guitarists agree: the tone, sustain, and stability for remaining in-tune - are optimal with new strings. That's why traveling and professional musicians tend to change strings every single day.

Each of these qualities deteriorate over time. Whether we like it or not, every time we play our guitar we damage the strings.

The amount of damage depends on a number of factors: how clean your hands are; how much you sweat; the oils your hands naturally produce; the contaminants in the air around you; and how well you clean your strings after you play. In short, the more skin, sweat, dirt, and debris you leave on your strings, the faster they wear out.

Elixir decided to help by putting a barrier between your strings and all these contaminants. What they came up with, after lots of testing and customer feedback, is a very thin tube of material around each string. The tube creates a 'skin' to protect the string. It's tough enough to hold up against fingers and picks, without interfering with string vibration and tone.

Advantages of Coated Strings: Tone, Longevity, Reduced Squeek

Most people think the only advantage of coated strings is the extended life they provide. But if they don't sound great, long-life is just a long time you spend with annoying strings. For me, an advantage of Elixir strings is the great tone they provide.

Elixir estimates that their strings should last 3 to 5 times longer than non-coated strings. Do they? Unfortunately, that depends on how you play.

For me they easily provide the promised life expectancy. However, a friend of mine who tried Elixir's and found that the coating became shredded in about the same amount of time that his other strings wore out.

So, they are cost effective for me, but not for him (although he d00001FE7id like the tone).

Finally, the coating significantly reduces the squeaking sound you get as you run your fingers up and down the strings while changing chords or playing a riff. Some people like this sound, others don't. If you want to minimize the sound (which, to me, is like fingernails on a chalk board!) coated guitar strings will restore your sanity! (Well, maybe.)

Disadvantages: Cost

Cost is the primary disadvantage of coated strings. Elixir's cost $12-14 per set (although I've found them on sale for as little as $7). Similar uncoated strings cost $3-5.

Bottom Line

Are they right for you? I encourage you to try them and see for yourself. For me they provide long life with great tone. Fewer string changes means I spend more free time practicing!

Important Tip: Regardless of which strings you use, clean them after every use for the longest possible life.

Steve Brannon started playing musical instruments as a teenager. He played French Horn in his Junior and Senior High Orchestra's, as well as the high school Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band. He earned a slot in the County Youth Orchestra during his Junior year. As an adult Steve learned piano, and, beginning in 2004, fell in love with the guitar. He plays weekly in his church praise band and maintains the Start-Playing-Guitar.com website.

Learning to Play Bass Guitar - 4 Guitar Playing Tips

2009-09-23T21:14:00.002+01:00

Playing the guitar is one popular pastime nowadays. For some people, it is also a way of expressing themselves and elevates the hobby into an art form or sometimes, science.

Playing the guitar, however, is no joke. It requires a lot of patience and practice. For some people, they would rather study playing the bass guitar than the regular guitar. Here are some tips on learning to play the bass guitar.

1. Feel the beat

Playing the bass guitar differs primarily from playing a regular guitar because it entails an emphasis on the beat of the music. One can compare the bass guitar into a drum or percussion set that is made into a guitar. Beats are very important in playing bass guitar because this type of guitar gives depth and timing to any song.

If one grasps the notes of a regular guitar through his ears, a bass player grabs the notes of a bass guitar through his chest. The bass guitar pounds on the heart and gives it feelings through the depth of the music.

2. Learn the notes (single chords) on a regular guitar

The main thing about bass guitars is that they are tuned like ordinary guitars. The difference is that most regular bass guitars only have four strings which are far thicker than ordinary ones. This kind of strings allows the bass guitar to go very deep in terms of tone.

Take a regular guitar (which is tuned from the thickest to the lowest string- E - A - D - G - B - E) and exclude the two thinnest strings at the bottom and what is left is basically a bass guitar with thinner strings.

Bass playing is usually note-oriented and not chord-oriented. This means that single notes are hit more often in bass playing and this scheme is the essential element of bass playing. One should be familiar with the tunings and the notes in a regular guitar to be able to decently play the bass guitar.

3. Finger placing is important

Hitting the bass guitar fret board with the left-hand fingers is very important since it is a major factor that will determine the wholeness of each note. Try to place the fingers such that they are close to the fret on the right00003404. The right hand should also be practiced so as to give bass guitar playing a holistic approach.

4. Strengthen your grip

Another important thing to develop in bass playing is the strength of both hand's fingers. The bass guitar is a sturdy and solid musical instrument, strength is needed to play it.

In playing the bass guitar, one should always take one lesson at a time. Bass playing requires repetition and there's no sense in hurrying the learning process. One should feel the notes through his soul and through his heart and become one with the bass guitar.

To learn how to play guitar using the easiest to follow method, please visit http://www.Guitar-Playing-Tips.info/

Guitar Tuning For Beginners

2009-09-23T02:10:00.002+01:00

Before you begin playing a guitar you should be sure that it is tuned correctly otherwise the sound that comes out of it might not be the one you wanted to.

Strings are usually tuned in the following order E A D G B E which can be remembered as Every Apple Does Go Bad Eventually or the other way around (E B G D A E) as Every Banana Gets Digested After Eating. The first string is the one that should be tuned to the highest frequency 329.63Hz which is E4 or the tone that is major third above the middle C. The second string is B3 just (minor second) bellow the middle C which is tuned at 246.94 Hz, the third is G at 196.00 Hz, the fourth one is D at 146.83 Hz, the fifth one is A at 110Hz (440 divided pay 2 power 2) which means is 2 octaves below the A that serves as a standard for musical pitch and the last one is E2 (82.41Hz).

If you don't have an absolute pitch which is pretty rare you should be able to tune the guitar with the help of piano or even computer that will play you those tone described above. But if you have a lot of problems with it the best way is to get a guitar tuner which is a device that will help you find the right frequency that your string plays. The cheapest way to do it, is to simply google for guitar tuners and you will find many websites where you can hear E A D G B E tones and tune your guitar.

You should tune your guitar almost every single time before you play it, guitars go out of tune pretty quickly specially if the temperature and humidity is not constant. If you are a beginner don't be worried about tuning, once you will do it several times you will quickly hear if your guitar is not tuned correctly and you will be able to tune it in a matter of seconds.

Learn more about tuning and how to play guitar at Learn to play guitar.

Guitar Tuning - 5 Tips To Help You Stay In Tune

2009-09-22T22:57:00.002+01:00

Clean your strings after playing your guitar. Even a short practice session, can leave chemicals and sweat on the strings. If left, over time, this can rust and damage the strings, making tuning impossible. Clean each string individually by wrapping a piece of lint free cloth around the string and running this along the length of the string. Make this a habit after each session and you will help prolong the life of the string and subsequently help keep it's tune longer.

Replace old worn out strings. This is usually indicated by the tuning being correct on the lower part of the fret, but going out of tune as you move up the fret. Alternatively the intonation of the guitar may need correction. If the tuning problem remains after replacing the strings, have the guitar checked by a guitar specialist. If your guitar gets average use, you should try to replace the strings every two to three months.

Apply pre stretching to newly fitted strings. All new strings have a period when initially they stretch easily.
Once fitted and tuned, you will find that they quickly go out of tune as you play. To avoid this, stretch each string individually by lifting the string away from the fret and applying a gentle bouncing action against it. This will gradually remove the inherent give that exists in the new string. After stretching, re tune and try playing again to see if it now stays in tune. If there is still some loss of tune in a short period, repeat the stretching exercise. Eventually you will find that the string stabilizes and stays in tune.

Rub the point of a pencil in the string grooves of the nut. This effectively leaves a deposit of graphite in the groove which acts as a lubricant. This ensures that the string doesn't snag against the groove and upset the tuning. Another problem that can occur with the nut is when the groove is too small for the gauge of the string. The string can then catch in the slot and affect the tune of the guitar. You could either change the strings to a smaller gauge, or have the groove filed out to accommodate the string.

When changing strings, make sure that you wind the new strings properly around the tuning posts. Not paying attention to the winding can lead to string slippage and loss of tension in the string. If your guitar is an acoustic, you sho00001AF0uld also make sure that the ball end of the string is properly positioned against the bridge pin and bridge plate. If it is not properly positioned, it may eventually slip into position while you are playing and cause a sudden loss of tune.

5 Simple steps that should become part of your ongoing maintenance routine for your guitar. Following these will avoid the stress and frustration of your guitar loosing tune and give you a lot more fun playing.

Ken Radwell has produced a free report "Secrets to Success Teaching Yourself Guitar" which can be obtained along with other information and reviews of guitar learning materials via his website http://GuitarSuccessNow.com/freereport.html

Custom Made Guitars

2009-09-21T16:07:00.001+01:00

Every musician is particular about instrument set up. Guitarists like to have their guitars custom-made to reflect their unique identity. Custom-made guitars are a unique combination of order, expertise, dreamy innovations and intuition clubbed together to make a fine piece of art. Studio owners and professional players all swear by custom-made guitars, and they are very popular.

There are radical custom designs that are incorporated from every facet of art to produce a custom made guitar. Creators of custom designs release very few pieces of any particular make, in order to keep it a unique creation. They have artistic designs that run through the entire front of the guitar. The designs are made of different materials and crafted using techniques similar to furniture making. The most common material used to produce custom guitars is Rosewood. It is used for making concert instruments, and is generally aged for 15 to 30 years. It is therefore considerably better than virtually all other commercially available material. Other materials used are ribs and backs that are stored at a controlled humidity to ensure their stability before use.

The designs of a custom-made guitar may be complex and intricate, adding in a particular theme or an outlook. A custom-made guitar is considered a collector?s item and usually created from the most exquisite materials available. Guitarists do not play these guitars ? they flaunt them as a showpiece. Large guitar manufacturers often issue these guitars to celebrate a significant historical milestone.

Custom made guitars have high historical value and fetch large amounts of money when auctioned. Rock bands are usually associated with the use of customized instruments to exhibit their personalities. The famous rock star, Jimmy Hendricks is known to have auctioned his guitar for over $1 million. Just like custom bikes, cars, houses, furniture and clothes, custom guitars have seen an upsurge in popularity especially amongst the modern rock bands of the 21st century.

Electric Guitars provides detailed information on Electric Guitars, Acoustic Electric Guitars, Cheap Electric Guitars, Electric Bass Guitars and more. Electric Guitars is affiliated with Piano Lessons.

Riff Guitar Lessons

2009-09-21T05:09:00.001+01:00

One of the most breathtakingly impressive styles of guitar is the rock of the late sixties and early seventies. The era of the riff-heavy songs where the lyrics seemed to be just an excuse to make up another riff. So, as a result, lots of guys who hear music from this era want to take riff guitar lessons. That's it, nothing else, just the riffs. This is just one step above air guitar, but a step just the same.

A riff is a sequence of notes or chords that is repeated many times throughout a song. The guitar riff is a modern musical phenomenon although riffs have always been used in jazz and blues. In rock guitar a riff may contain very few notes but those notes usually make up a catchy combination of rhythm and tune that sticks in the memory of all who hear it. A riff can also contain a rhythm with no melody as in Ravel's Bolero or in any number of classical pieces that make use of the fandango rhythm.

But getting people's attention is what riff guitar is all about. As soon as you start playing, heads turn, the attention of the room is focused on where the music is coming from. It might be news to some of you guitar players who just want lessons on how to play riffs that the whole song is usually not a whole lot harder to play than just the riff. So when you pick up a guitar at a party, you could actually impress the people with your ability to play and sing a whole song.

Some early songs containing notable riffs are Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones, Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix, Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple Spoonful and Sunshine Of Your Love by Cream, and It's All Right Now by Free. An interesting example of the use of a riff is Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin. The riff is in the song's melody line which is sung by Robert Plant, and the guitar simply accompanies the riff.

If you start off your guitar playing with lessons on how to play riffs, that's fine. Your next step could be power chords, or you could tap into your creative side and begin composing riffs of your own. If you are having trouble remembering riffs that are not from the sixties, try Under The Bridge by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dammit by Blink 182, Come As You Are by Nirvana, and Devil Inside by INXS.

So, there is no shame in wanting to take riff guitar lessons. It's a great way to grow a repertoire of popular songs. You don't even need an electric guitar to learn riffs. Just get some tabs for some of the songs I've mentioned and take a look at how simple it would be to learn the chords to the complete song.

Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for:00000DC6 learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.

How To Pick A Guitar

2009-09-20T23:06:00.001+01:00

When you play a guitar, you will have to know how to pick a guitar and these are some of them.

There is the standard style of picking a guitar. The standard style is holding the pick between the flat of the thumb and the side of the index finger with your fingers either anchored on or draped across the pick guard.

This style does have some disadvantages. You will find that pressing the thumb against the side of the finger to be an uncomfortable position. You will also find that if you dont press hard enough, the pick will become unsteady when you pick the string. You will find that the pick will catch on the strings.

There is a variation of the standard style where the remaining fingers are in a loose or tight fist. There should be no contact between the hand and the guitar except through the pick.
The advantage of this standard style variation is that you should have less baggage to swing around. This is because the mass of the fingers are closer to the axis of the wrist.

The main disadvantage of this variation is that even in the greatest of players, they were inconsistent in the accuracy of their playing. They kept on losing on losing their point of reference of fingers that were touching the pick guard.

Another variation of the standard style is that the palm rests flat on the bridge, either behind or in front, depending whether the strings need muting or not. You can have other fingers open or closed.

This standard style variation is perfect for electric guitar players who usually deal with feedback that they dont want.

The problem with this variation is that you have to play with a side to side motion rather than at the wrist. This will eventually lead to having a locked wrist and you will not be able to play faster.

There is another variation of standard style. When you play using this variation, you have the thumb side of your palm raised with the opposite side of your palm resting on the bridge. The only difference between this variation and the regular standard style is the hand location.

Another variation of the standard style is called circle picking. You hold the pick the same way as the standard style. You move by flexing the first joint of the thumb, with the index finger extending at its second joint. You slide the pick along the string before crossing it, turning counterclockwise on down strokes and clockwise on upstrokes. This essentially means that you are making a circular motion to play the strings and the reason that it is called circle picking.

The main advantage is that you can play several strings with no arm or wrist motion at all. The tones sound nice when using this style. It is a fun way to play if you dont mind looking weird.

The main problem with this picking style is that your feel will suffer. You will constantly have to will yourself to control your timing. It is hard to do large strokes like strumming. You will find eventually that the extra motion of the thumb and index finger are inefficient and limit spe000036D0ed.

George Benson has a unique picking style. When you want to use the pick like George Benson, you put the pick between the tip of the thumb and the flat of the index finger. The middle finger should rest against the index finger. The first joint of the thumb should be locked in a fully open position. You should the first and second joints of the index finger arched and locked. You should find that the pick is 90 degrees counterclockwise from the standard style.

Gen Mason is a guitar player from Florida. Discover free how to improve your guitar skills at Jamorama

Guitar Chords For Country Songs

2009-09-20T20:38:00.002+01:00

If you have just started playing guitar you probably want to
know what are the guitar chords for country songs, how many
chords should I learn, what happens if the chord shapes are
difficult to play.

Acoustic guitars are great to take with you anywhere and are
ideally suited to playing country songs. The guitar chords you
use for country songs will depend on whether it's a two chord or
three chord song.

The best guitar-friendly keys for your country songs are: G, D, A
and E.

Two chord songs.

Guitar chords for country songs in keys G, D, A, and E.

Key of G = G and D7

Key of D = D and A7

Key of A = A and E7

Key of E = E and B7

Here is a short list of some country tunes using two chords.

Jambalaya

Tulsa Time

Achey Breaky Heart

Deep In The Heart Of Texas

Country artists don't sing songs, they tell stories.

Country songs are about real life--memories and reactions to
real things that happen to everyone. It's about the story the
singer is telling it has nothing to do with how many chords a
song has, remember that many successful song have only three
chords.

Country music evolved out of the tradition of working cowboys
singing cowhand ballads such as 'Texas Cowboy' around the
campfire or on the range and was later popularized in Hollywood
by singers such as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. However, the image
of the cowboy was enshrined in country music by Hank Williams.

Three chord songs.

Guitar chords for country songs in keys G, D, A, and E.

Key of G = G, C and D7

Key of D = D, G and A7

Key of A = A, D and E7

Key of E = E, A and B7

Here is a list of some country tunes using three chords.

Am I That Easy To Forget?

Blue Eyes Cryin' In The Rain

Bonapart's Retreat

Cold Cold Heart

Coward Of The County

Crazy Arms

Folsom Prison Blues

Green, Green Grass Of Home

I Fall To Pieces

I Walk The Line

Jealous Heart

King Of The Road

Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys

Okie From Muskogee

Please Release Me

Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms

Six Days On The Road

The Gambler

Truck Drivin' Man

Wabash Cannonball

When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again

You Are My Sunshine

And hundreds more ...

Songs like Your Cheatin' Heart, people still like that, it
doesn't matter what year you sing it in or where you came from.

If you find that a song is in the wrong key or the chord shapes
are difficult to play use a capo to make things easy.

Here's what happens when you put a capo on the first fret.

G chord now becomes G#/Ab

C chord now becomes C#/Db

D7 chord now becomes D#7/Eb7

------------------------

D chord now becomes D#/Eb

G chord now becomes G#/Ab

A7 chord now becomes A#7/Bb7

------------------------

A chord now becomes A#/Bb

D chord now becomes D#/Eb

E7 chord now becomes E#7/F7

------------------------

E chord now becomes F

A chord now becomes A#/Bb

B7 chord now becomes C7

When you practice your guitar chords for country songs listen
carefully and you will notice how so many country songs are
strikingly similar.M00002CD2any great country songs just use G, C, D or
G, D, A or some combination thereof.

Mike Hayes is a teacher, author, speaker and consultant. Get his tips and tested strategies proven to boost your guitar playing his membership site at http://www.guitarcoaching.com today.

The Frankenstein Guitar

2009-09-20T17:16:00.001+01:00

Artists and musicians are renowned for living in a world far removed from the real one. For them, reality is a vague concept that afflicts others while they are allowed to roam freely and express their creativity in any form that they choose. When an artist and a musician get together to collaborate on a project, you can be sure that they will create a unique, off-the-wall and functional piece of art.

Stephen McSwain is a luthier (string instrument maker), musician and artist living in Los Angeles. Blessed with a double dose of creativity, he decided to liven up the image of standard guitars by applying his idea of "functional art". His first attempt was completely experimental. By carving faces in the wood of the guitar by hand, he ended up with a masterpiece that now belongs to Grammy Award winner Steve Vai.

His pieces are now in great demand by so many musicians that there is a waiting list. However famous his clients are, Steve doesn't rush his work to meet any deadlines. He works with great care, creating each guitar by hand and ensuring they all meet his high standards to become prized collector's pieces of art.

Clients can bring in their own designs or merely discuss want they would like with Steve, and he will make their visions come to life. He chooses the kind of wood that will best suit the shape of the guitar without affecting its sound, and sets to work carving out the design with a knife. Depending on the client's needs, metal might need to be polished, etched and riveted to the wood. The wood might need to be scorched, and sundry miscellaneous items salvaged from scrap heaps to be attached to the evolving guitar in various ways.

One of his favourite and most famous guitars is the Frankenstein guitar. Frankenstein has a maple top and mahogany tone chambered body with a three-piece mahogany neck. The fret board is ebony, maple and purple heart, all stitched together with leather cord. The guitar is adorned with red leather dye to get a bloody realism effect.

Slash, of Guns 'n Roses fame, saw the Frankenstein and immediately had to have an original McSwain guitar for his wife. He went with a Wizard of Oz theme, as she is a huge fan, and together with McSwain, came up with a Wicked Witch of the West guitar. She has eyes that glow in the dark, and teeth made from cow bone rubbed with black powder for a nasty rotten effect. Two of her wicked monkeys fly at her side. Their eyes also glow in the dark and they have sinister grins that follow you around the room.

St00000461eve's designs are as varied as the artists he counts as his clients. Among the guitars he's created are an alien, a viper, a KISS guitar with all the members of the band in full regalia, the Star Trek Enterprise because even celebrated musicians can be Trekkies, and an elaborate vision of space.

Musicians are artists with creative needs that are not always fulfilled through the creation of lyrics and notes. Sometimes they need to express themselves in other ways. Hence we got Rod Stewart in Spandex pants and big hair, Freddie Mercury's topless strut and now, unique guitars that reflect the artist's lives, loves and bizarre tastes. Long live creative expression!

Recommended sites:

http://www.mcswainguitars.com/pages/about.php

http://www.neatorama.com/category/music/

Sandra wrote this article for the online marketers Pop Music News site index on pop music culture and trends one of the leading site indexes on upcoming music events, trends and news snippets.

Guitar Tutorials - A Beginner's Journey to Learning Guitar

2009-09-20T16:48:00.001+01:00

Before you begin learning from guitar tutorials, you must first own your own guitar. If you're going to take guitar playing seriously, owning your own as opposed to borrowing someone else's guitar is a must.

Why? Having your own guitar is first of all going to be your pride and joy, and second you become accustomed to it after a while - it becomes an extension of your own body. Thirdly, you're going to be practicing on it every single day so why not buy your own guitar?

Here's a tip for you - When purchasing your first guitar, make sure it's at a decent price and nothing too cheap. There are plenty of cheap $200 guitars that are all made in China and they sound absolutely horrible and are difficult to play.

A well-made guitar just makes your guitar learning much easier and more enjoyable. Without going into too much detail, look for something around the $700 mark. Remember, you get exactly what you pay for!

Right, now that you've got a guitar you can start your journey of guitar learning. This will be a life-long process and it's never-ending. Fret not ( pun intended ) though, it will be an extremely fun process!

You will need to first get your hands on taking some beginner lessons. " Where is the best place to start sourcing for guitar tutorials? " I hear you ask.

The fastest way to get started is by looking for online guitar lessons. These are great as you can get started right away and you probably won't have to read thick, boring manuals.

Most of the online lessons you find will be free, however you should pay for a decent guitar course because there will be much more value for your precious time spent learning.

The paid guitar courses will go into more depth in teaching and will usually get you learning guitar with a systematic approach.

Baby Steps For Beginner Guitar Lessons

Many of the online guitar lessons will start off teaching the most basic aspects of guitar playing. Some of which are:

- Showing you the right way to hold a guitar and the pick
- Knowing the different parts of the guitar, their names and functions
- How to change strings
- Guitar playing posture ( sitting and standing etc )

And the list goes on..

Other things that are taught are how to play chords, starting with the most basic forms to some more complex guitar chord fo00001ABFrms that sound a lot nicer but will require you more time for your fingers to get used to.

Guitar Theory Is Not Required!

Some of the guitar courses will teach you some elementary music theory, some will teach you way too much theory ( boring you to tears ), and others will teach you almost zero theory.

There are different schools of thought with this one, and I found in my own experience that theory although important is not mandatory for a beginner. Too much theory is one of the main reasons why most people who start out learning to play guitar end up quitting!

Guitar theory, I feel is on a " need to know " basis. As you progress in your learning, you will either naturally pick up some music theory in your head, or you will go out in search of answers.

This is the natural way of learning and probably the best. Either way, you will end up at the same destination in the end.

The most important thing is to get out there and start learning today! There is nothing holding you back and all the information you need for learning guitar is out there and easily accessible.

Just remember to find a course that teaches you systematically and don't go pushing yourself too hard beyond your current abilities - it doesn't do anything but make you form bad habits.

Want to speed up your guitar learning? Then you will need a systematic approach that will take you by the hand and lead you step by step without missing any important details out. You will find the best paid tutorials reviewed here at Guitar Tutorials

Eastwood Guitars - Old Styles With Modern Sounds

2009-03-15T22:13:00.001Z

Eastwood Guitars have brought the guitar style of the 60s right back. The hippie era has a romantic memory for many, even if you were too young to be there. The guitars were special sporting some highly original styles that have never quite gone out of fashion. That's why Eastwood Guitars are enjoying such success.

It all started with Michael Robinson who set up his Canadian company of Eastwood Guitars in the year 2001. The vision that Mike had was to capture the styles of the classic guitars of the 1960s. Not only that, but he wanted to produce guitars that not only looked good, but sounded good and felt good to play too.

That's no mean feat, but it's exactly what Eastwood Guitars have achieved. They also have achieved the modern quality and ease of playing that today's guitars enjoy, all in a 60s image. It's no wonder then that Eastwood Guitars have developed something of a cult following, not only with guitar enthusiasts, but with serious professional musicians too.

Eastwood Guitars can be found all over the world now. The company has loyal followers in more countries than it can keep up with almost. The appeal is fairly obvious when you think about it. Classic guitars are becoming rarer every day. Special models that are no longer being produced go for many thousands at auction.

The real shame of it all is that these rare guitars snapped up by collectors are rarely ever played again. They are placed in glass cases and kept under closely controlled environments like museum pieces. Guitars are meant to be played, and this is the main reason why Mike Robinson created his range of Eastwood Guitars to give back the classic 60s guitar to anyone who wants it.

Do you need a Fender Stratocaster or a Gibson Les Paul? Perhaps an acoustic Martin D-28 or a semi-acoustic Gibson E175? Maybe you'd prefer a Gretsch, a guitar loved by the late, great legendary guitar virtuoso, Chet Atkins, or maybe a Rickebacker V64 12-string is your thing. Well, if you can't find or afford an original, Eastwood Guitars may be the very place to look for a close replica.

When David Love of the Burton Cummings Band decided to get Eastwood Guitars for their live performances because he thought the visual impact would be just right, he only expected a really good looking guitar that he could just about play. What he got surprised him though. "I got 110% of both!" he exclaimed in delight. "These guitars have exceeded my expectations on every level."

Eastwood Guitars have at least 20 models that they produce. The guitars have received praise from musicians all over the globe and glowing reviews in many music and trade publications. Their products are not confined only to lead and rhythm guitars however, they also produce classic bass guitars as well.

The vision that is Eastwood Guitars is solely down to the company's founder, Michael Robinson. Guitar player, Matthew Sweet says: Mike is infinitely knowledgeable on cool and neglected guitar treasures." Not only that, but he knows how to make cool copies of them and let those who appreciate the styles have their own models.

David A Robinson

Information on Eastwood guitars

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_A_Robinson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Eastwood-Guitars---Old-Styles-With-Modern-Sounds&id=2017592

How to Best Reduce Guitar Feedback

2008-12-21T15:32:00.001Z

How to Best Reduce Guitar Feedback
By Tony Olegro

Intentional feedback is an effect that's a very expressive and musical part of an electric guitar
, something that can't be recreated in a plugin. However, uncontrollable feedback is bothersome and is undesirable in recordings. Feedback is the high-pitched sound that comes from your speakers, usually when your guitar is right in front of the amp or a microphone is too close to the speakers; it can also be a consistent hum. It severely reduces the quality and professionalism of your recordings, and not many people would want to listen to a song with annoying sounds in it.

Knowing how to best reduce guitar feedback will make your recordings more professional and listenable, not to mention protect your ears during guitar recording if the feedback gets too loud. So, if you are having trouble with this nuisance called feedback and want to know how to effectively minimize it, our guide on how to best reduce guitar feedback will show you how...

What Causes Guitar Feedback

Before knowing how to best reduce guitar feedback, it's a good idea to know what causes feedback; that way, you'll better understand how to prevent it.

Feedback typically occurs when the guitar is right in front of the amp or a microphone is too close to the speakers. What happens is that a loop between an input and output becomes closed, and in this case the microphone or vibrating guitar strings are the input and the speakers are the output (the string vibrations are happening at particular frequencies, usually in the low end around 100-200 Hz or lower). Basically, the sound from the speakers reaches the input and is amplified again, hence causing an endless loop. This results in uncontrollable feedback.

Also, on an electric guitar, coils of the pickup degrade with time, eventually becoming microphonic. One of the reasons that coils degrade is that adjacent turns of the coil are insulated by lacquer, and even without external damage or poor treatment, it wears down over time, cracking and causing very tiny short circuits, thus creating feedback. Also, if the winding isn't uniformly tight, it loosens some turns of the coil that then vibrate and cause a lot of uncontrollable feedback.

Sounds great but how the heck do you stop this feedback? Visit our site to find out!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Olegro
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Best-Reduce-Guitar-Feedback&id=1783741

Evolution of the Guitar

2008-11-23T23:14:00.001Z

Evolution of the Guitar
By Steve Krenz

Throughout the period of evolution of the guitar, a lot of famous musicians like Beatles or Gibson Les Paul have made very valuable contributions to perpetuate this category of stringed instruments and to promote this art form. In order to learn and master guitar, you need not compulsorily learn about these great guitarists and their contributions but familiarizing yourself with the history of guitar does make it a lot more interesting to learn & master guitar.

Stringed instruments came into existence during the ancient Egyptian civilization when people used bowl harps and tanburns for generating music. Similar instruments were also found in the ancient relics of Sumerian, Babylonian, Persian, Mesopotamian and Indian civilizations. Some of the instruments of this period such as Turkish saz, Balkan tamburitsa, Iranian setar, Afghan panchtar and Greek bouzouki have in fact survived all these years and are still used today.

During the same period, ancient guitar-like instruments have originated. As per available archaeological records, Egyptian singer Har-Mose used a guitar like instrument during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut some 3,500 years ago. From then onwards, these guitar-like instruments became widely popular and were introduced to the European community by Egyptians and Mesopotamians. During early days, guitars used to have a four-course arrangement containing 4 unison-tuned pairs of strings. Four-course guitars were widely used all over the Europe during the late medieval and early renaissance period. In the 16th century, the four-course arrangement gave way to a five-course arrangement. These renaissance-era guitars were much similar to a modern day 12-string guitar and had a richer sound. Gradually, a sixth-course was added in the 17th century that was later replaced by six-string instruments.

The credit of inventing modern and classical form of guitar goes through Antonio Torres, a Spanish guitarist who had introduced the revolutionary fan-braced guitars in Spain. Later, steel strings became available in around 1900. These strings offered more sound but had increased tension. Archtop guitars were introduced at the end of 19th century by Orville Gibson. And finally, electric guitars came into existence in the late 1920s.

There are also different theories regarding the origin of the word "guitar". While some consider the word as an adaptation from Spanish "Guittara", others consider it to have been derived from the Greek word "Kithara". However, the fact is that the name "guitar" has been derived from the ancient Sanskrit language where "guit" means music and "tar" means string or chord. In fact, many stringed instruments originating from Central Asia and India have the word "tar" as a suffix.

Stop wasting money on 1-on-1 guitar lessons! Check out Steve Krenz's Learn and Master Guitar, it beats the pants off anything out there. It's the most comprehensive and thorough instructional guitar course available today. Advanced guitarists should check out http://www.madguitarlicks.com for 35 killer licks to add to their arsenal.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Krenz
http://EzineArticles.com/?Evolution-of-the-Guitar&id=1397083

Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitars

2008-09-22T19:20:00.001+01:00

Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitars
By Mike Furlong

History
The Fender Stratocaster guitar was invented in 1954 by Leo Fender and others in California. Leo had already created the successful Telecaster guitar.

Body
The Stratocaster, or Strat as it is sometimes known, is a double cutaway guitar. A cutaway is indentation or scallop in the guitar body, where the neck joins the body. Since the Stratocaster is a double cutaway, it has a cutaway above and below the neck where it meets the body. This cutaway provides room for the guitar player's hand to move in when playing notes "high" on the neck. By having a double cutaway the player's thumb can grip the neck area above while the other fingers play in the lower cutaway. The body of the Stratocaster consists of smooth, rounded, flowing curves. Fender called the body design a "Comfort Contour Body".

Neck
The Stratocaster had a one piece maple neck with twenty-one frets. Later a rosewood fret board was used. Today the Strat is available in maple and rosewood fretboard models.

Bridge
Fender used a spring assembly on the bridge to allow it to float with the pull of the strings. Attaching a tremolo arm to the bridge, you could move it up or down to increase or decrease the pitch of the notes you were playing. Some players do not care for this feature of the Stratocaster and disable it, but nonetheless, it was an innovative design.

Pickups
The Stratocaster has three single coil pickups, as opposed to the double coil "humbucking" pickups found on some other guitars such as those by Gibson. The pickup nearest the bridge is mounted in a slanted position. The Stratocaster had a three position switch to select the pickups. Early players discovered you could position the switch in between positions for an interesting distinctive sound. Later Fender added a five position switch to facilitate this setting. This interesting sound has become a distinctive characteristic of the Stratocaster guitar. Musicians and later Fender also experimented with other pickup combinations on the Strat, including using double coil or "humbucking" pickups.

Finish
The first Strats were finished in a two color sunburst. Since then the Strat has been painted in a variety of colors and finishes. Fender used automotive type paints and colors and the Strat is frequently seen in these colors.

Corporate History
CBS went on a buying binge and bought Fender in 1965. They also bought Steinway, the famous piano maker, Rodgers organs, Rogers drums, the maker of the Leslie speaker (best known for being paired with the Hammond organ), and others. The general consensus is that the quality of Fender instruments suffered greatly during this time due to cost cutting measures. Through the years, Fender exported or licensed the manufacture of Stratocasters in other countries. There was also a line of guitars created called Squier that included the Stratocaster. The Squier line consisted of cheaper models designed for entry-level, or student, guitarists. In 1985, led by Bill Schulz, Fender completed a buyout from CBS. Schulz is generally credited with saving Fender by restoring the quality.

Future
Fender prospered. The future looks bright. And today there are numerous models of American Standard Stratocasters available from Fender in various price ranges.

Mike Furlong

I like to play guitar, talk about guitars, and collect them. So many guitars, so little money!

Take a look at the many types of Fender Stratocaster electric guitars that are available!

Electric Guitar Advisor

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Electric Guitar Recording Techniques

2008-09-19T16:48:00.001+01:00

Electric Guitar Recording Techniques
By Victor Epand

A guitar is a type of musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It usually has six strings, but four, seven, eight, ten and twelve string guitars also exist. An electric guitar is the kind of guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel cored string into electrical current, which is then amplified.

There are various ways to record an electric guitar. The traditional method is to connect to a really good amplifier. The latest option is to plug the guitar directly into the computer and use a software plug-in to handle the amp and the speaker modeling.

When recording an electric guitar, the amp is the important factor as far as the mic is concerned, and thus its position is important. The dynamic mic produces a solid sound with a smooth high end. However its position has just as much bearing on the tone as the mic itself.

One way to capture the sound of a large stack is to set up the stack in a large room, play it loud and put the microphone several feet away so that the combination of all the speakers can be recorded. Using this method, the mic captures the guitar sound as much as the audience would.

One of the microphones can be inverted though that does not produce the best result. Here using a capacitor microphone as the distant one often produces a sense of space, but the ultimate bottom line is that anything that sounds good goes with the guitar.

The biggest problem that many amateur guitarists face is poor tone. In order to solve this problem the recorder should check the amp and guitar combination on microphone level and then should decide where they would be placed. Tone should be adjusted but one thing should be kept in mind. The low end will increase if the microphone is placed close to the source. This is known as proximity effect.

The mic that is used for electric guitar recording is preferably a dynamic microphone because of its capability to endure high volumes. These are the technical things that one should keep in mind. But there are some simple points that will help while recording.

As a first and very basic rule, one should make sure that the guitar is in very good condition, that is, its strings are properly fitted. Tuning must be checked before every take as it is inclined to flow in warm studio.

Equipments containing transformers will tend to cause hum interference on electric guitar especially those of single coil pickups. Computer monitors in particular also cause serious interference problems with guitar pickups, so it is advisable to keep them as far away as possible.

While using different electric guitar types or sounds for recording, two or more overdrive guitar parts should be kept to keep the sounds separate in the mix. For example, using a single coil setting for one part and a humbucker for another.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for music gear, speakers, and microphones. You can find the best marketplace for music gear, speakers, and microphones at these 3 sites: music gear, amplifier, speakers.

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The Electric Guitar - From Big Band to Rock and Roll

2008-09-07T21:12:00.000+01:00

The Electric Guitar - From Big Band to Rock and Roll
By Victor Epand

Compared to its acoustic cousin, the electric guitar has a very short history. In modern times, electric guitars are most often associated with genres such as rock and roll, blues rock, and jazz. However, this instrument has its origins in the big band music of the 1930s and 1940s. As the jazz orchestras of those days grew and their brass sections increased proportionally, the need for an amplified guitar became more and more pronounced. Adolph Rickenbacher, George Beauchamp, and Paul Barth, all of who eventually founded the Electro String Company, are usually credited with the production of the first electric guitars around 1931. Whoever did it first, the eventual result was a guitar that used pickups to convert the vibrations of its steel strings into an electrical current, which was made louder with an instrument amplifier and speaker.

As mentioned, an electric guitar's strings are always steel. This is, however, one of the few features shared by all the various types. Electric guitars come in a variety of models, including solid body, hollow body, wood, metal, one- six-, seven-, eight-, nine-, and twelve-string, and even double neck models.

The first of these, the solid body type, is the most common. They are generally made of some kind of lacquered wood, which can be anything from maple, to koa, to ebony. The average solid body electric guitar has six strings, and the vibrations of this type of guitar are produced by the strings alone. This is notable in comparison to the hollow body electric guitar. Although the two types work similarly, the body of the hollow body guitar vibrates along with the strings, which means that the pickups convert both string and body vibrations into an electrical signal. A semi-hollow body guitar is a combination of the solid and the hollow types, and it is generally held to strike a balance between the attributes of the two. Then there are the metal body electric guitars. The bodies of these models are chambered (due to weight considerations), but they are designed to be played as though made of solid wood. Finally, the electric guitar can sport anywhere from one to twelve strings, which makes for, as one might imagine, a plethora of sounds and potential musical applications.

While there are any number of electric guitar manufacturers in the world, some are certainly more famous than others. Fender and Gibson, for example, established their reputations in the 1950s as makers of high-quality mass-produced guitars, and they remain some of the most well-known products available. Other reputable companies include BC Rich, ESP, and Peavey.

The electric guitar has gained a certain notoriety over the years, thanks to its association with a number of high-profile artists, among them Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, and the irrepressible Keith Richards. Interestingly, there has been a movement over the past few decades towards the use of the electrical guitar in contemporary classical music. However, such compositions are by no means common, and the genres of rock and jazz remain the primary territory of the electric guitar.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for guitars, sheet music, guitar tab.

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Guitars - Ovation

2008-06-08T18:59:00.003+01:00

Guitars - Ovation
By Michael Russell

The year was 1966. Guitars had already been around for some time. People expected them to be more or less of a certain type and design. There weren't any real radical innovations in the manufacture of the guitar. And then came along a company by the name of Ovation. They weren't going to just make another guitar. They were going to come out with something completely different. So in 1966, when they broke out into the scene, they came out with their very unique round back guitar, thanks to a guy by the name of Charlie Kaman. The pro musicians of the time absolutely loved the guitar. The guitar purists were not quite as enthused. They just didn't get it.

The odd part of how this guitar actually came to be had nothing to do with guitar manufacture at all. Kaman's knowledge of helicopters and more specifically, helicopter blades, game him a really good understanding of vibration and applied this principal to the making of his new guitar model.

Kaman said that he didn't want to just make another guitar. He said that we had the technology to make something truly different and not only different, but better. So Kaman chose a team of engineers and technicians from the aerospace industry to work on his new project. It didn't hurt that many of these guys had taken up woodworking as a hobby.

What these scientists had come up with was that the common flat body of the guitar was actually not a help but a hindrance to the sound of the guitar. So the first thing they did was break the first rule of making a guitar. They chucked the idea of the flat body completely and made the round body. This design actually gave the guitar a more consistent sound from the bass end to the treble end. They also made the guitar stronger and more sturdy.

Today, Ovation makes a large number of guitar models including the LX Series Standard Balladeer. This guitar is a 6 string acoustic/electric. Its body is a mid depth bowl type. It has a bound rosewood fretboard, rosewood bridge and original patented pickups. The Standard Balladeer is one of Ovations most popular guitar models.

Then of course you have the Custom Legend guitar series. The 1779 USA model has a painted American Flag on the body that is just breathtaking. It also has a mid depth body, bound ebony fretboard and ebony bridge. Even if you don't play the guitar, this is one show piece that just having around the house is going to bring up lots of discussions.

The Elite series has a mid depth cutaway body type. The fretboard is bound ebony with an ebony bridge. It comes with an Ovation Hi-Output pickup which is really loud. This is one guitar that you won't have any trouble hearing even in a large hall.

These models only scratch the surface of the Ovation guitar line, all featuring their round body.

Whatever the critics might think, these guitars sound like none other on the planet.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Guitars

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Guitars - One For Each Style

2008-05-18T21:30:00.002+01:00

Guitars - One For Each Style
By Michael Russell

Guitar players cover a number of styles of music, from blues to jazz to rock to pop to speed metal and on and on. And since every style of music is different and every guitar is different, it would then seem a natural conclusion that each style of music is going to have a guitar that is more suited for that style. So, the question, for those who are considering taking up the guitar and getting their first one is, what guitar do you get? If you're interested in jazz do you get the same kind of guitar as somebody who wants to play speed metal? Well, it might be an interesting experiment, but most likely the answer would be, no. So, what guitar should each person get, depending on what kind of music they want to play? Hopefully this article will try to answer that question.

Music is very diverse to say the least. Even within each style there are variations. For example, in rock there is hard rock, soft rock, metal, acid and a host of other sub categories. The sounds and more specifically, the dynamics of each are quite different. While The Eagles and the Allman Brothers might both be considered country or southern rock, depending on which side of the fence you're on, their sounds are quite different. So without nitpicking we're going to take the broad approach over the specific.

If you're going to play music that is relatively soft such as folk music, you probably don't want to get yourself a Rickenbacker electric guitar. Most likely you'll want an acoustic guitar with a nice mellow and round tone. Why acoustic? Well, by the nature of the guitar itself it's a lot softer. Sure, you can turn down an electric guitar's volume but it's more than just that. Acoustic guitars are much easier to control dynamics on. The reason is because the sound is not artificially amplified. If you pluck the string softly you're going to get a soft tone. If you pluck it harder, you'll get a louder tone. Of course an acoustic guitar is never going to get up to the volume of an electric unless you mic it.

On the other side of the spectrum, if you're going to be playing in a heavy metal band, your acoustic guitar, with all the other instruments playing, such as keyboards, bass and drums, won't even be heard. Plus the tone quality of the guitar itself just won't fit into that kind of music. By their nature, electric guitars have a sharper and harder sound. Add distortion effects to them, which are hard to do with acoustics and you've got a sound that is quite unique. That's why there are so many different electric guitar sounds.

Obviously, this is a very general overview of style to guitar choice. You can get a lot more specific, such as what type of acoustic do you get if you're a country guitar player as opposed to somebody who plays jazz? John Denver based on lot of his patented sound on 12 string guitars while Harry Chapin stayed more with the traditional 6 strong acoustic.

Maybe for a future article we'll dive more deeply into the finer points of picking a guitar based on the style of music you play.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Guitars

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Guitars - Gibson

2008-05-11T01:03:00.001+01:00

Guitars - Gibson
By Michael Russell

If you play the guitar, then most likely you've heard of Gibson. If not, then you've been living under a rock and having your food delivered to you through a bubble. Gibson is arguably the most popular guitar manufacturer in the world today and have been for quite some time. We're going to take just a surface look at this guitar giant. For more info, just visit their web site. Yeah, they've got one of those too now.

Gibson makes a lot of guitars, but probably none are as popular as the Gibson Les Paul. The Les Paul is probably one of the most widely used guitars in rock music. The guitar first made its presence in 1952 and is still going strong over 50 years later. The Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar that comes in many models including the Les Paul Classic, Les Paul Supreme, Les Paul Standard, Les Paul Studio Baritone, Les Paul Studio, Les Paul Goddess, Les Paul Gt, Les Paul Menace, Les Paul New Century, Les Paul Vixen, Les Paul Special (with Humbucker pickups), Les Paul Doublecuts and Les Paul Melody Maker. Each one of these guitars has its own distinct sound.

But Gibson is more than just Les Paul guitars, even though they are the most popular models and used by more musicians than any other model. Gibson also makes the Americana, which is a fairly new guitar series. This includes the Pioneer Cutaway and the Ranger. These are 6 string acoustic guitars that have a very beautiful tone.

Getting back to electric guitars and to another old favorite, Gibson also makes the Firebird series which includes the Firebird Studio, Firebird V and Firebird VII. This series started way back in 1963 and took electric guitars in a whole new direction with its look and sound. This guitar is still very popular today with people who are looking for something a little different from the classic Les Paul sound.

Even two years before the Firebird was the SG series by Angus Young. This was actually a modification of the Les Paul with a thinner body and pointed horns. Originally part of the Les Paul series, it eventually got its own name. The SG series includes the SG 61 reissue, which is actually an exact replica of the original guitar, the SG Goddess, SG GT, SG Menace, SG Standard, SG Supreme and SG Special.

Gibson also makes other models of electric guitars but in addition to guitars, Gibson also makes electric bases which include the Continental V Bass, Les Paul Double Cut Bass, Les Paul Standard Base and Les Paul Thunderbird Bass which includes the four and five string models.

Sadly, there are some models of guitars that Gibson decided to discontinue for 2006. These include the Blues Hawk, Chet Atkins SST and Chet Atkins CE and CEC. These will be missed as they were excellent guitars, even if they didn't sell as well as expected.

Gibson guitars have been a staple of the guitar industry for over 50 years. They are certain to remain at the top of the guitar world for at least another 50 years.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Guitars

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Why Play a Rickenbacker Guitar

2008-05-11T01:01:00.002+01:00

Why Play a Rickenbacker Guitar
By Adrian Martin

These days there are a ton of electric guitars on the market – from the prestige instruments such as the Fender Stratocaster and the Gibson Les Paul through to their myriad of replicas. With so much similarity in instruments available it takes something a little special to get you noticed or to produce a sound that’s different – that’s why you should look at Rickenbacker guitars.

Rickenbacker’s have a tradition that harks back to the 1930’s and they have produced many famous and innovative models since. For example the Rickenbacker 325 Electric guitar, famous for it’s association with John Lennon and the Rickenbacker 360 12 string guitar – associated with the 60’s band “The Byrds”. These guitars remain iconic to this day and their sound is instantly recognizable.

Visually they look kind of like a Stratocaster on speed – with their big flat bodies – often with a traditionally shaped “go faster” sound hole, Ricky “R” bridge and unique headstock. Strap one of these on and you’ll stand out from the crowd. They really have that wow factor.

But what really makes the Rickenbacker so special?

The sound! Sonically, Rickenbacker guitars have a unique sound – partly due to their quality construction but mainly due to the unique Rickenbacker pickups. During the 1960’s Rickenbacker used their now famous “toaster pickups” which looked like the top of a bread toaster – recently they’ve used more high-gain pickups – both have emphasised the higher frequencies and have contributed to a magical chiming sound. Another attribute is that Rickenbacker’s are often equipped with a "stereo" output socket (known as “rick-o-sound”) which allows the guitar to be connected to different effects chains and amps . Finally the most subtle option available on Rickenbacker guitars is the blender control When either pickup is : slected, you can use it to blend the other pick-up in. So if you think the neck pickup is too dull – then mix in some honk from the bridge pickup this is really tremendous and adds some great tones to your instrument.

All these attributes make for an extremely versatile instrument and while you don’t often find Rickenbacker guitars in heavy rock – they cover everything in between. Rickenbacker’s evoke lovely tones suitable for Pop or alternative rock music right through to Jazz and country and there have been tons of guitarists who use these instruments from U2’s the Edge and Peter Buck of REM through to Thom Yorke of Radiohead. Given such a heritage – you’ll find the sounds it produces really useful whether you’re a rhythm player or virtuoso soloist.

So in summary if you want a unique look together with a unique sound the next time your down a guitar store – be sure to try out a Rickenbacker guitar.

Adrian Martin runs ShanzuGuitars.com. The site offers the latest guitar news, gear resources and reviews, tools and tips for budding guitarists everywhere.

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New Bass Guitar Site

2008-05-08T02:31:00.004+01:00

Just quick plug for my new bass guitar blog Bass Space.

The Fender Telecaster Guitar Story

2008-05-05T22:14:00.002+01:00

The Fender Telecaster Guitar Story
By Gareth Owen

Popularly known as Tele, this variety of electric guitar is known worldwide for its efficient design and ground breaking sound, which has made it a very popular choice among musicians. The sale of Fender Telecaster can be traced back to the era of 1950 when the single and dual pickup Esquire models were being commercially produced. This is what makes Fender Telecaster one of the world’s highest ranking solid body electric guitar.

The first form of Fender Telecaster was known as the Esquire and there were about fifty guitars that were produced originally. In about 1950, Esquire, which was a one-pickup model was replaced with a two-pickup model and was named Broadcaster. There was a legal threat from a company known as Gretsch, which was already producing guitars and drums and said that Broadcaster was violating its trademark Broadkaster, which was the trademark of its drums. Therefore, Fender changed the name from Broadcaster to Telecaster.

The design of Fender Telecaster was very simple and it was made in such a way that servicing the guitar or repairing the broken ones was made very easy. The guitars were produced on a large scale in an assembly line and were not made as an individual piece. The bodies of the guitars were band-sawed and the necks of the guitars were bolt-on because of making the repair and service really easy. There was a removable control plate, which could be removed easily and the electronics could be accessed with great ease. This feature gave it a hook and gained attention of a lot of musicians because in the standard make of guitars one had to take the strings off and then remove the pickguard to get to electronics.

The classic form of Fender Telecaster was a very simple framework, which had a neck and fingerboard including a single piece of maple, which was bolted to an ash or alder body with both sides flat, the front and back. The hardware included the two single coil pickups, which were controlled by a three-way selector switch with volume and tone controls. Earlier, the pickguard was made of bakelite, which was later made with plastic and was fixed on the body with five screws at first but later on with eight screws. The bridge had three saddles, which were adjustable with the strings doubled up on each. This became a thrilling addition in the world if guitars and soon different companies followed its lead.

The modern Telecaster is a lot different from the standard. They have 22 frets rather than 21 and at the headstock is present the truss rod adjustment rather than the body end. It has a six saddle bridge that allows the adjustment for length and height for individual string. It has a plain flat plate and the bridge cover has been discontinued for most models. The wiring of the modern Fender Telecaster is also different from the classic one, which is a 3-way toggle switch, which selects neck pickup in the first position, neck and bridge pickups together in the second position and in the third position is the bridge pickup. The volume control for all pickups is in the first knob and the second knob controls the tone for all pickups. The Fender Telecaster is made up of a solid body, which allows it to give a clean and crisp sound quality, which resulted in other leading companies to follow the trend.

With this magnificent equipment a lot of new genres have evolved such as country, electric blues, rock and roll and it is because of its solid construction that lets the guitar to be played as a lead instrument with a long sustain as an awesome effect. One of the musicians that have made Telecaster their signature include Elvis Presley, Merle Haggard, Danny Gatton, Roy Buchanan, Albert Collins who played the blues with the Telecaster, Muddy Waters as well as a long list of musicians who when played the guitar just touched the hearts of millions.

For further information please visit http:http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com

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Guitars - Guitar Players And Their Axes

2008-05-05T15:16:00.002+01:00

Guitars - Guitar Players And Their Axes
By Michael Russell

Everybody has their idea of what the coolest and best guitar to play is. Some people go with the Gibson Les Paul while others follow in the footsteps of the Beatles and go for the Rickenbacker. But what about the guitar players themselves and the guitars they used? What guitars DID the great guitar players use? Because there have been so many guitar players, we're only going to cover a few of them and their guitar of choice.

Let's start with somebody who really doesn't stick with any one type of guitar. A perfect example of this type of person would be Eric Clapton, who just happens to be one of the greatest guitar players of all time. Today, Clapton plays mostly a Fender Stratacaster. But throughout his career he has played a Gibson L-5, Martin 000-28EC, Gibson Les Paul (during his early years) and several Guild acoustic guitars.

Everybody knows the hard rock group Aerosmith, featuring lead guitarist Joe Perry. So what is Joe's guitar of choice? Joe is another one who has played several guitars including the Gibson Les Paul and Fender Stratacaster. Joe definitely doesn't buy off the rack as one of his guitars goes for a whopping $3,999.

If you're familiar with the rock group Kiss, then you no doubt know Paul Stanley. If you're wondering what kind of guitar Paul Stanley plays, he made this quite clear in an interview when he was asked this question and responded by saying (in pure Paul Stanley style) "I can play any damn guitar I want. I choose Silverstone. The Guitars Are Great Playing, Great Sounding and Great Looking Guitars. These Are Today's Style. We Need More Kids Playing Music and Very Few Could Afford Signature Guitars Priced Over $1000. Silvertone Offers The Quality Any Guitar Player Would Be Proud To Own. I Guarantee It".

You heard it straight from Paul's mouth.

Not all musicians are so outspoken. However John Lennon was not one of those. Having once proclaimed that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus Christ, which didn't go over too well with anybody, thus leading to the burning of their albums, John Lennon was pretty much responsible for putting Rickenbacker on the map by playing only Rickenbacker guitars. Lennon had as many as five of these guitars in his brief life.

Jimi Hendrix, who is arguably the greatest guitar player who ever lived, played a number of guitars. The truth is, it didn't matter what Hendrix played. Nobody else sounded like him. But one thing that Jimi is not remembered for is probably one of the nicest things he ever did for anyone. Just before he died, he reunited with an old girlfriend who he married and gave a black Fender Stratacaster to. Now that is love.

For all the guitar players that have come and gone, there have been the guitars that they either made famous or made them famous, depending on who you ask (the guitar company or the artist himself). But one thing is for certain. For almost all of these great musicians it probably wouldn't have mattered what they played. It would have still sounded great.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Guitars

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Buying the Best Deal in Used Guitars

2008-04-04T20:50:00.004+01:00

Buying the Best Deal in Used Guitars
By Victor Epand

Probably the most popular type of instrument for starting out musicians is the guitar. How can it not be? Children these days are raised on the music of the guitar, from Buddy Holly, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page to Kurt Cobain, Kirk Hammett and Jack White.

The guitar is something that so many people play, that there is a surplus of guitars all over the world for kids to try their hands out on.While not the easiest instrument to use, it is certainly not the hardest. For this reason, millions of kids in North America and around the world take up the guitar, about the time many take up the piano, because it has proven to be so popular.

This then creates a problem for parents because often the price of guitars is not low, and that means many families have to choose between paying for the guitars and encouraging the growth of their musical child, or not buying the instrument that may result in a lost opportunity for the child, and the family. So what can a family do?

Well, the best thing they can do is to buy a used guitar. A used guitar is not something that is going to be dinged and barely playable, but will in fact be an excellent training tool for your child to try out their musical gift on.Buying a used guitar has many benefits to it that parents need to look at.

First of all, there is the cost. Used guitars cost much, much less than other new types of guitars. Often, you can expect to pay hundreds of dollars for a new guitar, but only $100 or less for used guitars. These savings mean that you will have a much easier chance getting a guitar for your son or daughter to begin training on.

Second, there is a risk your child may bore of the guitar and stop playing it. If this happens, you are on the hook for a lot of money with a new guitar and if you sell it, you are looking at a huge loss. However, with a used guitar from a pawn shop, you pay little for it and you will not worry about breaking the bank when it only cost you $75. Then, if your child stops playing, you sell it at another pawn shop for $50 to $100, and you are no worse for wear. If the child does not bore of the guitar and begins to love it, then you can think about trading that guitar in for a newer and better one.

Used guitars are very popular among parents because they allow them to encourage their children to try musical hobbies that may benefit them later in life. They cost less, they don't force you to hope your child does not bore of them, and they can be traded in for the same cost when you do get rid of it. For any parent, used guitars are the best option.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments. You can find the best marketplace for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments at these sites for used guitar CDs, autographed guitar CDs, and used guitars.

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Playing Guitar 10 - Different Guitars for Different Purposes

2008-04-01T21:38:00.001+01:00

Playing Guitar 10 - Different Guitars for Different Purposes
By Guglielmo Bill F. Franco

Have you ever noticed how famous/professional guitarists have lots of different guitars? There's a good reason for this - different guitars have different sounds and thus are used for different purposes. There are two main classes of guitar, acoustic and electric, and within these are various types of guitars that fill a specific purpose:

Acoustic

• Steel-string (eg: Dreadnaught)

The steel strings produce a brighter tone, and according to many players, a louder sound. The acoustic guitar is used in many kinds of music including folk, country, bluegrass, pop, jazz and blues.

• Classical (nylon-string)

These guitars have nylon strings and produce a warm, round sound. They're typically associated with Classical music, though they are used in everything from Jazz, Country, and some rock.

• 12-string

These produce a big, full sound by having octave strings for the low E, A, D and G strings and unison strings for the B and high E. It is fretted in the same manner as a standard 6-string guitar. It is used in just about every style of music except Jazz and Classical. There is a spin off of the 12-string, wherein a guitar is strung with only the complimentary (octave and unison) strings and then used to double another guitar part. It's known as "Nashville" tuning.

Electric

• Solid-body

The classic rock guitar. The solid body of this guitar allows one to play at the louder volumes preferred by rock musicians and their audiences without the uncontrolled feedback that can result in hollow and even semi-hollow body guitars. Because their structure and shape has little effect on sound quality as compared to acoustic or other hollow guitars, the shapes can be as radical as the owner or designer wants. Also, this structural stability allows for the extreme use of vibrato bars such as the Floyd Rose, without the damage that could otherwise occur with the changes in tension.

• Hollow-body

Most of these guitars are also known as archtop guitars because of the arched character or both the soundboard (or face) and back of the guitar. Typically they are strung with flat-would strings and used in more traditional Jazz music. The sound is very warm and smooth, as if the high-end has been rolled off.

• Semi-hollow body

This is a favorite of bluesier guitarists because it has the characteristics of both the fully hollow and the solid body guitar types. One can get the high-end scream of the solid body with the almost acoustic warmth and ring of the hollow body.

Remember, it's impossible to say that one kind of guitar can only be used for a certain kind of music. Also, within each of these general categories, there are a vast number of variations on the themes.

For example, Ted Nugent was famous for using a Gibson Birdland - an archtop usually used for Jazz - for incredibly high-volume rock. He made the resulting feedback (which he learned to control) a trademark of his sound. Also, Earl Klugh, a renowned Jazz Guitarist, used a classical guitar for his Jazz sound - which became instantly recognizable.

I hope this helps to give you a basic understanding of the guitars the players use, when they use them, and why.

Good luck to you and your future guitar adventures!

Touring and session guitarist Bill Franco is based in Clayton, MO and gives lessons throughout the St. Louis region. You may contact him at http://www.billfranco.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/billfrancomusic

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All About Gibson Guitars - Trivia For Guitar Players

2008-03-17T21:47:00.003Z

All About Gibson Guitars - Trivia For Guitar Players
By Terry Booth

Author: Terry Booth has an interest in Gibson Guitars since being given his first electric guitar, (a Japanese Les Paul copy) as a young child. Visit his website GuitarPlayersWorld.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_Booth
http://EzineArticles.com/?All-About-Gibson-Guitars---Trivia-For-Guitar-Players&id=1026381

Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child

2008-03-16T02:19:00.005Z

The Jimi Hendrix Experience on The Lulu Show in the sixties, doing Voodoo Child (and not Voodoo Chile, different song all together.) Class.