Guitar Parts Depot Blog

Tips on Rejuvinating Your Band Sonically and Spiritually

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 06:39:00 +0000

Tips on Rejuvinating Your Band Sonically and Spiritually

Brought to you by GPDUSA.com

Tips on Rejuvinating Your Band Sonically and Spiritually By Mark Valentino

It’s no surprise that in order for a band to be successful on any level, all members need to contribute time and effort. I formed my own band and in the 6 years of the band’s existence, I can honestly say that I have done the lion’s share of work. It’s a common thread that exists in many bands; there is the one person who does everything while the bandmates just show up for rehearsal and the gigs and don’t do anything to help the band along. I was that guy for years until I decided I’d had enough.

There are many components involved in making a band successful. Aside from the obvious (practicing your instrument, songwriting, gigs and rehearsing), you also have promoting, websites, e-mail lists, flyers and booking gigs. It’s all this behind-the-scenes work that can make or break a band. Whether it is because of my own tenacity or my bandmate’s lack of participation, I have been performing all of the above-mentioned tasks myself. There is no doubt that I do it because there is a small part of control freak in me. In order to delegate tasks to other band members, you may have to resort to what I did last year. I was updating our website when I had noticed that we had only played 6 gigs the entire year. I also noticed we had only written 1 new song for the year as well. I decided that 20010 was gonna be the year that ALL members of my band would have to contribute in order for us to achieve any sort of success.

Towards the end of December, I called a band meeting after a rehearsal. I pretty much laid all my cards on the table and told the band how unhappy I was with 2009 and that some changes would be in order. I told my bandmates that if changes weren’t made, that I would be replacing band members with some new blood. I made it very clear that I take the band very seriously and that if anyone wasn’t going to roll with the changes they should leave. I then discussed all the work I was doing and that showing up for rehearsals and gigs is simply not enough. I tried motivating them by describing all that we could accomplish if we would only work as a team. I also reminded that none of them were here on a scholarship and that we all need to pull our weight and not slack off.

I then tapped into my bandmate’s strengths. I delegated responsibilities to each band member, taking into consideration their abilities. As a result, all members began to communicate better with each other. Rather than wait to see each other at practice, we send group e-mails to each other, which mostly resemble a message board or forum-type of communication. Everyone knows whats on each others minds and we are all on the same page with each other.

Also, we’re getting a lot more done now that certain members are responsible for making flyers, certain members book gigs, certain members get us newspaper articles and radio interviews. We also split the responsibilites of running the website and e-mail lists.

As a result, 2010 has been a banner year for us. We have 6 new songs in our set, we are booking shows in not only NY, but in PA and CT as well. We have done a few radio interviews and a few newspaper articles. Plus we have performed 17 gigs this year and its only August! We are currently recording our new CD and hope to have it out by Fall.

The band seems rejuvinated not only sonically, but spiritually as well. Everyone pitches in and we all work together to reach a common goal. It took a lot of work, but its a lot better than me pushing a big rock uphill by doing it all by myself.

About the Author

MARK - LEAD GUITARS & BACKGROUND VOCALS LOCATION: Mineola, NY

INFLUENCES: Neal Schon (Journey), Joe Satriani, Al DiMeola, John Petrucci, George Lynch (Dokken), Gary Moore

GEAR: Paul Reed Smith, BC Rich and OLP electric guitars, Guild acoustic guitars, Carlo Robelli 12 string and 6 string acoustic guitars, QSC amps, Line 6 effects and cabinets, Samson wireless systems, SKB road cases, D'Addario strings

QUOTE: "If you mess with the bull, you're gonna get the horns"

Brought to you by GPDUSA.com

Welcome to GPDUSA.COM!Browse our website and check our wide selection

of products for all your guitar, bass and drum needs.

Call us TOLL FREE 866-631-4GPD

Brought to you by GPDUSA.com

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:02:00 +0000

AHB-1s - Seymour Duncan Blackouts – Set. Our engineers figured out how to capture the tone that players want in an active design, but using balanced inputs. The result is 12dB to 14dB less noise, plus more lows, more highs, and more output. Simply put, Blackouts have more tone than other active pickups. The blade magnets make this pickup suitable for both humbucker and Trembucker string spacings.

The BLACKOUT pickups are available in NICKEL, BLACK CHROME and GOLD for 6 string BUY NOW!, 7 string BUY NOW! and 8 string BUY NOW! string, neck, bridge and set versions

Blackout the bad hum, crank up the tone. BUY NOW!

Seymour Duncan Blackouts are 9-volt active neck and bridge humbuckers that provide more extended frequency response with less compression. Seymour Duncan engineers have captured the tone players want in an active design with the benefits of balanced inputs.

Not only do Seymour Duncan Blackouts active humbuckers have less hum than most active humbuckers, they also have more lows, more highs, and more output. Simply put, the Blackouts have more tone than most active pickups. Players will find far fewer problems with hum, especially near computer monitors and fluorescent lighting.

Blackouts come as a two-pickup set of neck and bridge humbuckers. All versions come with all necessary mounting hardware, including pots, jack, and a battery clip.

Give your Tone that Big Boost! BUY NOW!

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Seymour Duncan - Gus G. and Evan Skopp
Gus G sure loves his "BLACKOUTS"!
Seymour Duncan Pickups

While best known for his fretboard pyrotechnics in the Greek metal band Firewind, axe man Gus G. is about to blow up big time on the world stage. He recently accepted lead guitar duties with the Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne. The lineage of Ozzy's guitarists includes the legendary Randy Rhodes, Jake E. Lee, and most recently Zakk Wylde. And the tones emanating from Gus' guitars come courtesy of Seymour Duncan. Gus uses passive pickups in his ESP® signature model (Duncan Distortion and '59), but his Eclipses rely on Original Blackouts for the heavy duty fire power.

Gus G sure loves his "BLACKOUTS"!
Don't forget! Put it in the cart and give your tone a big boost.
BUY NOW!

Gus G Visits The Seymour Duncan Factory

Recently Gus stopped by the Seymour Duncan factory for a tour and to meet the crew. He had a chance to hang out with Seymour, wind a pickup with ...

APH-2B - Slash Signature Series Humbucker

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Tue, 18 May 2010 23:14:00 +0000

APH-2B - Slash Signature Series Humbucker

A warm, moderate-output humbucker pickup set designed to produce Slash's unique recorded guitar tone.

The Seymour Duncan APH-2s Alnico II Pro Slash Humbucker Electric Guitar Pickup Set honors guitar hero Slash with his first signature pickups. The tone of this pickup set will be familiar to anyone who has heard Slash's recorded tone. Though he has dozens of amazing guitars, since 1986 Slash has pretty much used one very special Les Paul for all of his recordings. The Alnico II Pro Slash was designed to give Slash's other Les Paul guitars (what he calls his "live guitars") the exact tone of his legendary guitar.

Slash is, by many accounts, history's all-time greatest guitar hero. With the ubiquitous top hat and shades, a mop of black curls obscuring his face, and a blazing electric guitar tone blasting through a wall of amps, Slash epitomizes the very reasons we first air-strummed a low-slung tennis racquet in the privacy of our bedroom. For over 3 decades Slash has relied on Seymour Duncan pickups for his guitar tone.

Like the standard APH-1 Alnico II Pro, which Slash has used for years, the Slash APH-2 set uses Alnico 2 magnets. However, the Alnico II Pro Slash is wound with just enough boosted output to push a stock Les Paul toward the sweet sustain and rude crunch that characterize Slash's sound. In addition, Seymour Duncan enhances the APH-2 pickups with some of the same appointments found on the Duncan pickups seen in Slash's '86 recording axe: a single-conductor cable, a long-legged bottom plate, and a wooden spacer. For true fans, or for players who want to capture Slash's recorded tone, these Seymour Duncan pickups are a critical part of the tone chain. These are same pickups found in the newest Gibson Slash model Les Paul guitar.

Applications: Warm, moderate-output humbucker. Recommended for jazz, blues, and classic rock.

Complete setup: The Slash aficionado will use a pair of these pickups to capture that unmistakable tone. This pickup matches well with the SFX-11 Twin Tube Blue all-tube overdrive-distortion stompbox (sold separately) for singing leads and authoritative chording.

Guitars: While designed for use in a Les Paul, this pickup works well in any well-balanced humbucker-equipped guitar. Also works great with hollow and semi-hollow body guitars.

The Alnico II Pro Slash is hand built in Seymour Duncan's Santa Barbara, California workshop and includes all mounting hardware.

The APH-2 - Slash Signature Series Pickups are now available in both Black & Zebra. Neck, Bridge or Set. BUY NOW!
GUITARPARTSDEPOT @ GPDUSA.COM

Slash at the Seymour Duncan booth during 2010 NAMM

The EMG X Series Pickups for the BASS Guitar

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Tue, 11 May 2010 23:32:00 +0000

EMG X SERIES BASS PICKUPS

EMG X SERIES

Guitar Parts Depot USA is excited about bringing you The EMG X Series Pickups for the BASS Guitar. These X-Sreies Pickups provides a wide range of tone blends from your bass. The result is pure capability; the capacity to produce everything from tight slap funk to smooth Motown groove, all with a sound that'll set you apart from the rest of the pack. EMG X Series Bass Pickups give you all this and more while still maintaining the clarity and response that EMG’s are renowned for.

Featuring ceramic magnets coupled with short, squat coils and powered by a newly designed preamp, the tone from these X-series pickups is endowed with high-end articulation, warmth, and incredible low end punch, all with less noise and more signal. Countless pros use it because they find it has a natural presence, powerful lows, punchy midrange, and superior definition. These EMGs cover a wide sonic palette of classic and modern bass sounds. Give it a try and experience why the “X” factor is exciting players all around the world.

Guitar Parts Depot USA are now featuring these EMG X-SERIES on their extensive Online Guitar Parts Depot website NOW.

Get your X-SERIES BASS PICKUPS HERE TODAY!

Please Click Here for More Details:
EMG X SERIES BASS PICKUPS

EMG X Series

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Tue, 04 May 2010 22:54:00 +0000

click image to go to product page

EMG X Series

EMG Inc, a leading manufacturer of pickups and accessories, has released a new line of high-output guitar and bass pickups for all styles of playing – The X Series.

These pickups have an exceptional organic nature to their overall sound due to a newly designed internal pre-amp, which allows for more gain to come from your amp and instrument, rather than from the pre-amp.

The effect of this new design is to provide more headroom and overall body while still maintaining the clarity and response that EMG’s are renowned for. Lows will be rock solid, high-mids will cut through like the sharpest knife and the treble will be sweet and never grating on the ears. So if you are going for chunky low-string riffing or want screaming string bends in the high register, the X series covers all techniques while retaining superior dynamics. The EMG X Series is only available at authorized EMG dealers.

EMG X-Series 81X, 85X and SAX Pickup Review
by Kenny Rardin

We see what kind of an upgrade the X-Series offers to EMG's classic lineup

The New X-Series

The samples I received for review were the 81X, the 85X, and the SAX. The first thing I noticed upon opening the packaging was the new pickup wiring buss. For the last few years, EMGs have had a slide-on connector on the pickup end of the pickup lead. This made it very easy to change between EMG models in the guitar. Now they have taken it a step further. This new pickup buss eliminates the need for any soldering. The rest of the wiring harness attaches to convenient screw terminals on the pickup buss. This makes for a clean, neat, simple way to make pickup and power connections in your guitar. Changing pickups takes no time at all with the new EMG models.

So get your NEW X-Series Pickups today!!!

NOW AVAILABLE @ GPDUSA.COM

FCH-4BCHR - Babicz FCH 4 Bass Bridge. Chrome

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:21:00 +0000

CLICK PICTURE TO TAKE YOU TO PRODUCT PAGE

SPECIAL OFFER !!!

FCH-4BCHR - Babicz FCH 4 Bass Bridge. Chrome

FCH-4BCHR - Babicz Full Contact Hardware 4 String Bass Bridge. Chrome. A direct replacement upgrade for Fender Precision or Jazz style bass bridges. Mounts with the Fender 5 hole screw pattern. Installs in minutes and offers a "saddle housing lock" feature for added saddle stability. Includes all necessary screws, instructions and adjustment wrench.

Babicz Full Contact Hardware Bridges

The 'Full Contact Hardware' system now offers "full contact" between the vibrating string and the body of the instrument. Babicz designed FCH with the intent of gaining the maximum amount of direct string coupling to the body of the instrument, with over 50 times more contact surface per saddle compared to conventional saddle designs.

With FCH, string height or "action" can now be set with more precision. The "eCam” saddle allows for instant "action" adjustments without ever adding space or air gaps between the saddle and the body of the guitar, and conventional string height action adjustment set screws are eliminated. With the Babicz FCH design, the bridge saddle can never "sink" or "shift" while playing. Each FCH eCAM saddle also includes a specially designed “String Height Lock” feature, which keeps your string height setting in place…even during extreme saddle vibrations over time. Precise intonation adjustments are also easily attained and in most cases include a “Saddle Housing Lock” feature.

'Full Contact Hardware' is being distributed by KMC Music in the US (Kaman Music Company), and as such the product will be available to a network of literally thousands of dealers throughout the country. We greatly appreciate your interest in this innovative new technology developed by Jeff Babicz.

Babicz Guitars welcomes our newest FCH retailer, Guitar Parts Depot (GPDUSA.com)

Buy online NOW at: http://www.gpdusa.com

CLICK PICTURE TO TAKE YOU TO PRODUCT PAGE

The HT-5 Ultimate Studio and Practice Amp

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:44:00 +0000

HT-5

The HT-5 is the ultimate studio and practice amp, packing all the great tone and innovative features of the award-winning HT valve pedals into a two channel, footswitchable valve combo. The patent-applied-for ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) circuit gives you infinite adjustment over the characteristics of the tone control network and takes you from the USA to the UK and any where in between. So now you can effectively design your own tone and finally find ‘the sound in your head’.

*ISF (Infinite Shape Feature)

This fully interactive control allows you to infinitely adjust the response of the tone control network between any of the traditional voicings. In this way you can design your own sound and truly find the sound in your head.

ISF works in conjunction with the Bass, Middle and Treble controls to give you access to infinite new sound possibilities.

The Black Star HT-5 COMBO AMP

Get your AMP HERE TODAY
: http://www.gpdusa.com

Blackstar Series One - Part 1 INTRO

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:52:00 +0000

Blackstar Series One

Blackstar Series One Heads and Combo

THE NEW #1

The Series One dual patent design is the result of hundreds of hours of research by one of the most experienced design teams in the business. The built in DPR power reduction system allows reduction to any level down to 10% of the rated power with no loss in tone or valve reliability and the ISF control provides tonal flexibility beyond that of any traditional tone control system.

From the incredible power of the 200W KT88 equipped head to the beautifully crafted 45W combo, each Series One design sets new standards for valve tone and flexibility.

Blackstar Artists

A short film highlighting some of Blackstars latest endorsee's. As seen at Hammerfest 2010.

You don't want to miss this incredible Savings here @ GPDUSA

Get your AMP @ GPDUSA TODAY !!! http://www.gpdusa.com

Switchcraft®...U.S. Manufacturer of Industrial and Pro Audio/Broadcast Products Since 1946.

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:46:00 +0000

Switchcraft®...U.S. Manufacturer of Industrial and Pro Audio/Broadcast Products Since 1946.

Switchcraft® is a U.S. manufacturer of connectors, jacks, plugs, molded cable assemblies, patchbays, and switches. Our products are used in a wide variety of industries including medical, GPS, process control, transportation, homeland security, broadcast and pro audio. In 1999, Switchcraft® acquired Conxall, the leading manufacturer of harsh environment connectors and custom molded cable assemblies. Together, we offer top quality custom and standard products. We can provide you with the right solution to meet your needs.

Company History

Switchcraft, Inc. was established in 1946 to manufacture jacks, plugs, and switches. The original plant was located on West Diversey Street in Chicago. The company moved to a larger facility at 1328 North Halsted Street in 1948 and in 1958, the operation moved to 5555 North Elston Avenue, which is still the headquarters of the corporation.

Switchcraft is a leading supplier of a broad line of components for the audio, video, telecommunication, computer, medical, military, appliance, transportation and instrumentation industries.

In the 185,000 square foot Chicago facility, Switchcraft manufactures electronic and electromechanical components including:

Jacks

Connectors

Jack Panels

Power Cords

Switches

Plugs

Jackfields

Patch Cords

EAC Power Receptacles

Molded Cable Assemblies

With a basic line of over 5,000 standard products and thousands of variations, Switchcraft is proud to offer a limited warranty on all products.

Switchcraft markets products both domestically and internationally through a network of manufacturers' representatives and independent distributors.

Read On: http://www.switchcraft.com/about_us/capabilities.html

So please check out your order TODAY w/ Guitar Part Depots' OnLine Service

The pickup that redefined the Texas blues sound.

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 05:19:00 +0000

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This is the pickup that redefined the Texas blues sound.

Texas Specials boast plenty of midrange chirp, crystal highs and tight vass, along with increased output. Construction of Texas Specials are overwound, calibrated, vintage style Stratocaster pickups which feature Alnico 5 magnets and enamel coated magnet wire. The middle pickup is reverse wound/reverse polarity for hum canceling in positions 2 and 4. Bridge: DC Resistance: 6.7K, Inductance: 3.58 Henries. Middle DC Resistance 6.5K, Inductance: 2.6 Henries. Neck: DC Resistance 6.2K, Inductance: 2.4 Henries. Set of 3.

Check 'em out here:

Guitar Parts Depot

The Boosta Grande delivers up to 20dB of clean gain without changing the original signal's sound.

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:27:00 +0000

Boosts gain without changing the original sound.

The Boosta Grande delivers up to 20dB of clean gain without changing the original signal's sound. Use it to drive your preamp tubes to the max, or as a line buffer/driver if you're experiencing degradation from other effects in the chain.

The Boosta Grande is built to last, and features hardwire bypass, single op-amp design, LED operation indicator, non-slip rubber bottom, and an easy-access 9V battery compartment. Includes AC power supply!

BBE Boosta Grande Clean Boost Effect Pedal Specifications:

Input Impedance: 1 MOhms

Output Impedance: 1 kOhms

Hardwire Bypass: Yes

Power Requirements:

DC inlet: +9VDC min. 200ma

Battery: 9VDC

Battery Life: 300 hours

Dimensions: 3-7/10"W x 1-4/5"H x 4-7/10"D

Shipping Weight: 3 lbs.

BBE Boosta Grande Clean Boost Effect Pedal

Features:

20dB of clean gain boost

Hardwire bypass

Single op-amp design

LED indicator

Non-slip rubber bottom

Easy-access 9V battery compartment

Includes external AC adapter

Kick your sound up a few notches with some

serious clean gain. Order now!

http://www.guitarpartsdepot.com/BBE_Pedals-BBE_Boosta_Grande.html

I ordered this pedal and a MXR micro amp. I use an A/B box to switch between and electric and an acoustic guitar. I needed to boost the volume on my acoustic to match the electric. After using both pedals I found that the Boosta Grande makes the tone "FATTER" while the MXR is almost transparent until about 3 oclock. BUY THE MXR.

Posted by Kshaw from southeast on Jan 28, 2009

Not much to say about it... It gets the job done! Nice and clean, true bypass, exactly what should be expected from a clean boost. I went to the store looking for an MXR micro amp, but they were out of stock. They recommended this one, at the same price, so I went for it.

A couple of downsides: First of all, there is no reason for a simple clean boost to take up that much space. There are pedals out there that do the same thing at 1/3 the size. Also, the paint job is god awful. On the other hand, anyone that spends $200 + for a boutique gain booster is an idiot. In a blind test, maybe 1 out of 100 people would be able to tell the difference. There are plenty of pedals under 90 bucks that will get the exact same job done.

I'm using this to boost the output of my strat (Tex Mex pickups) to match my Telecaster's hot rail pickup, and Les Paul's Burstbuckers. I have it at the front of my effects line, right before my Turbo Tubescreamer, which runs through my other effects and to a Vox AC15 with and Alnico Blue. I didn't need it to drive the tube so much as to get a little more signal to my tubescreamer. Again, gets the job done perfectly.

Posted by PaintItBlack999 from NC on Aug 16, 2008

Please take a look at the YouTube Videos Provided referencing this blog topic:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=search_playlists&search_query=boosta+grande

The Different Styles of Grover Tuners

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:29:00 +0000

The Different Styles of Grover Tuners

ORIGINAL ROTOMATICS®

These guitar machines are a triumph in engineering and style. The housing provides a maximum bearing for worm gear and string post. Gear Ratio is 14:1. Worm and gear are precision-cut for perfect meshing. This eliminates backlash and slippage. Countersunk tension tension screw permits players to regulate turning tension to any degree. Gear box has a special lubricant for lifetime, trouble-free service. Includes 5/8' washers, bushings and wood screws.

ROTOMATICS® WITH 18:1 GEAR RATIO (102-18 SERIES)

The original Rotomaitc® with an improved higher ratio gearing. The 18:1 ratio provides for finer tuning and greater stability. The finer gears provide smoother tuning and a higher degree of backlash elimination. This new version of the Rotomatic® uses the exact housing as the original. Only the gearing has changed. Includes washers, bushing and wood screws.

SUPER ROTOMATICS® (109 SERIES)

The super Rotomatic® has a 14:1 gear ratio. The 3 step button gives the machine a distinctive look and the seated-in lubrication assures smooth gear-and-worm movement for the life of the machine

MINI ROTOMATICS® (205 SERIES)

Totally Proffesional in design and performance. Small, lightweight, this precision machine fits guitar headpieces that will not take full size machines. The mini buttons provide more space for player’s fingers (even larger fingers) to tune strings. Gear ratio is 14:1. Sealed in lubrication keeps mini perfect for a lifetime! Includes 5/8” washers, bushings and wood

MID-SIZE ROTOMATICS® (305 SERIES)

A mid size Mini Rotomatic, with all the advantages of the original Mini Rotomatic, but with an 18:1 gear ratio for finer, more precise tuning. Includes all necessary mounting hardware and the famous Grover lifetime guarantee.

ORIGINAL LOCKING Rotomatics® (106 SERIES)

The introduction of the new Grover Locking Rotomatics® gives you the ease of use provided by a standard tuner and the positive locking of our internal cam post. Simply insert the string through the string hole, pull to tension by hand and begin tuning. As you start to tune, only the locking cam in the string post turns. Once the string is locked, the string post begins to turn allowing you to bring the string to pitch. In less than one revolution of the string post, you will be in tune, to stay in tune. Gear ratio is 18 to 1.

MINI LOCKING ROTOMATICS® (406 SERIES)

The same innovative engineering and classic design as the original Rotomatics, but with smaller buttons for 6-in-line guitars, or for those who prefer a little more space for their fingers. Gear ratio is 18:1.

Vintage

http://www.grotro.com/Mainvintage.html

US PATENT NUMBER 6,078,001

Grover's patented locking tuners have eliminated the obstacles of other locking devices. Since there are no external mechanisms to initiate the locking action, the machine head's appearance is like any other. The entire locking mechanism is self-contained and self actuated.

http://www.grotro.com/Lockingtunerinstructions.html

Original Fender® 4-way Tele mod

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:23:00 +0000

Used on many Custom Shop instruments, this switch allows you to change your Telecaster's pickup wiring from Series to Parallel wiring for increased output and a fatter tone with the flick of a switch.

If your serious about tone and finding the right upgrade for your Tele this is the one you've been waiting for... It will give a added dimention of tone you will not be able to find in any other guitar. The 4th position puts the pickups in series producing a "humbucker" or "fat" sound. The combination afforded by the 4 way is wonderful.

Check out this forum that talks in-depth about the Original Fender® 4-way Tele mod: http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-tech/107613-thought-about-fender-4-way-mod.html

Getting More "Oomph" from Your EMGs

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:09:00 +0000

The simple $.79 mod that may save you from buying new pickups

I find it interesting that EMG's have seemingly fallen out of favor with most modern bassists. I've been using them for more than 10 years, and with the exception of my killer Hoyt fretless 6 (which has a Lane Poor and piezos) all of my basses have had them. And I'm very happy about that, and have no plans to change them.

Please Read On: http://home.comcast.net/~mgollihur/emgmod.html

Talk about Guitar Legends

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:03:00 +0000

Hey Y'all,

My name is Scott Thomas and I manage this blog for my good friends over at GuitarPartsDepot.com - I must confess, I took this job because I'm all about helping people who love playing the guitar. Well... the owners are really cool too! In addition, we also have those aficionados who just like having a guitar around the house. No matter, it's all for the appreciation of the guitar.

I also work with bands that have some really awesome guitarist too... Please check out this interview below of The Screamin' Lords. They just had their Hard Rock/Metal CD released on Ant Hill Records. Please go to their Myspace Page and have a listen to their music for yourself.
www.myspace.com/thescreaminlords So... If you like shredders like George Lynch, Chris Poland, and Gus. G. Then this is the band for you.

And please... check out the interview ***above.*** The Red & Jerry's Rockin' Metal Revival interviews The Screamin' Lords.

Once agian, GuitarPartsDepot.com is here for all your guitar's needs. We have a friendly and courtious staff on hand and ready to help you: www.guitarpartsdepot.com

Please, sit back and enjoy the interview

Peace,

Scott

New AHB-1 Blackouts Active Humbuckers

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Wed, 28 May 2008 21:53:00 +0000

Seymour Duncan Goes Active

New AHB-1 Blackouts Active Humbuckers

Guitar Players love the tone these humbuckers produce which is stellar, the output is more then you could ever hope for, and Seymour delivers when they say it runs quieter than any EMG out there.

Santa Barbara, California - After the resounding success of their active Dave Mustaine LiveWires humbucker last year, Seymour Duncan, the Santa Barbara-based pickup giant, follows-up that success with the launch of Blackouts, a new range of 9-volt active pickups for electric guitar. Before Duncan started designing Blackouts, they did a little market research. They found that while lots of guitarists love active pickups, many wanted a tone that was less compressed, with a more extended frequency response. In their efforts to solve those issues they discovered that some of the most popular active pickups have a critical design flaw in their circuit architecture. They use unbalanced inputs in a differential preamp. The problem is, an unbalanced differential preamp is not very effective at cancelling hum. Duncan's engineers figured out how to capture the tone that players want in an active design while using balanced inputs.

The result is that not only are the new Seymour Duncan Blackouts active humbuckers up to 14dB quieter than the competitions', but they also have more lows, more highs, and more output. Simply put, the Blackouts have more tone than other active pickups. Players will notice the benefits of the reduced hum when they record, especially if they're around computer monitors or fluorescent lighting. As for the benefits of having more tone, well those will be apparent everywhere.

Some of the many A-list guitar artists who have switched to Blackouts include Mick Thompson of Slipknot, Dino Cazares of Divine Heresy, Corey Beaulieu of Trivium, Silenoz of Dimmu Borgir, Mike Schleibaum of Darkest Hour, and Rob Trevino of Helstar.

Aesthetically-speaking these pickups look awesome. It looks like a black EMG, but just with the Seymour Duncan logo on it. These things are EMG KILLERS!!!

application

9-volt active humbucker for aggressive playing styles. Recommended for old school metal, garage, punk, thrash, drop tunings, and other heavy rock styles.

description

The "other" USA-made active humbuckers use unbalanced inputs in a differential preamp. The problem is, an unbalanced differential preamp is not very effective at cancelling hum. Our engineers figured out how to capture the tone that players want in an active design, but using balanced inputs. The result is 12dB to 14dB less noise, plus more lows, more highs, and more output. Simply put, Blackouts have more tone than other active pickups.

complete setup

Blackouts are available in individual neck and bridge models, or as a two-pickup set. All versions come with all necessary mounting hardware, including pots, jack, and a battery clip.

guitars

For all humbucker guitars. The blade magnets make this pickup suitable for both humbucker and Trembucker string spacings.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/images/products/electric/humbuckers/gwreview.pdf

The Floyd Rose Tremelo - Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:19:00 +0000

The Floyd Rose Tremelo - Part 3

Black Original Floyd Rose - With Fine Tuners

Black units were first used around the 1983 timeframe on the Pacer Carerra and Pacer Imperial. The black Floyd was also first used on the 1983-1984 early Barettas with the non-angled headstock. Generally, the black trems hold up pretty well under abuse. The gold Floyd's (not shown here) are one of the worst when it comes to pitting and rust. The black Original Floyd Rose also features the hardened steel fulcrum points.Some OFR units have more thin baseplates that other models, and are not very common.

The Floyd Rose II - With Fine Tuners

The II units were used on some of the later model overseas Strikers, Focus, 100, and 1000 series Kramers While these trems are not necessarily "crap", they are not as good as the original since they are cast iron. They rust much easier, and the fulcrum points are metal inserts as opposed to being hardened and part of the actual trem metal itself. If you see a Kramer with one of these, it is NOT an American Series. Additionally, if you try to use one of these on a guitar that originally had an OFR on it, you'll have some bad action because the base plate is thicker than the OFR's. Also worth of noting, a Floyd Rose III exists that is actually a non-locking trem made in Asia that Kramer wanted as an affordable piece. It is slightly different to the Floyd II, with the III featuring a different base plate.

The Floyd Rose Pro

The Pro units were installed on later model Kramers. Most notably, they can be seen on Nightswan II's, Pro-Axe guitars, and some Showsters. They differ from the standard units in that the inntonation allen screws are in front of the fine tuners as opposed to the OFR which has them behind the whale tail. Also, the "whale tail" is at an angle versus its OFR relative making the trem a lower profile for players who rest their hands on the unit while playing. The spring block that extends down into the body is shorter as well, keeping the block at the right depth for recessed routed trems. Generally, they work the same, and stay in tune under the most rigorous "whammy" conditions. They cannot be used on traditional OFR "non recessed" routes.

The Les Paul Floyd Rose

The LP units were created by Floyd and Kramer to be installed on Les Paul guitars with little to no modification. However, the literature didn't state that the neck would have to be modified in order to install the locking nut. These are very rare, and are occasionally seen on ebay for sale.

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The Floyd Rose Tremolo - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Wed, 07 May 2008 23:31:00 +0000

The Floyd Rose Tremolo - Part 2

The use of the Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo was popularised by Richie Sambora, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith (from heavy metal band Iron Maiden) Vinnie Vincent and Eddie Van Halen. Many modern electric guitar players, such as Avenged Sevenfold's Synyster Gates , Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Allan Holdsworth, Shawn Lane, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Children of Bodom's Alexi Laiho, Brad Gillis, Trivium's Corey Beaulieu, Freak Kitchen's Mattias Eklundh, and Dragonforce's Herman Li, make heavy use of the whammy bar.

I don't know about you, but I think I get the picture on what these Floyd Rose Tremolos can do.

Many guitarists use these system to create new sounds that were not practical to achieve with traditional tremolo systems:

Joe Satriani uses his whammy bar to raise the pitch of a pinch harmonic, usually on the open G string, in order to do his signature "Satch Scream".[3] He also lowers the whammy bar while sliding up on a string in order to do his "Lizard Down the Throat" technique.

Dimebag Darrell, formerly of Pantera, and Damageplan, made use of the bar for his signature "Dime squeals". This requires a flick on the open G,B, or E string while the bar is being pulled towards the body, then a natural harmonic over the 1-12 frets and a rapid pull away from the body for a high-piched squeal.

Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave uses the whammy bar in conjunction with his pickup toggle switch and Digitech Whammy pedal to create sounds reminiscent of hip hop.

Karl Logan of Manowar is known for simulating sounds of bike engine burn-in — this "guitar versus bike" duelling effect is particularly used on Return of the Warlord track of 1995, although the effect is probably better known from Todd Rundgren's playing on the 1977 Meatloaf song "Bat out of Hell" Herman Li and Sam Totman of DragonForce use the system to create video game-esque noises.

Chrome Original Floyd Rose - With Fine Tuners

Chrome Original Floyd Rose - With Fine Tuners
This original unit was featured on overseas Focus guitars around 984-1987 and was used on American Kramer's as an option on all guitars after 1983. This is probably the most famous of all the Floyds in that it was used on Edward Van Halen's 5150 and Frankenstrat. Chrome tend to be the most durable of these Floyds when it comes to rust and pitting. Note: Most Kramers utilize the screw in trem arm on their Floyds, not the "collared" trem bar seen on the newer Floyds. The Original Floyd Rose features the hardened steel fulcrum points.

STAY TUNED FOR PART 3 - Please check out GuitarPartsDepot.com’s selection of Floyd Rose Tremolo Systems.

If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call so we can show you our excellent service first-hand. Toll Free: 866-631-4473

The Floyd Rose Tremolo - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:38:00 +0000

The Floyd Rose Tremolo - Part 1

Floyd Rose is the organization that licenses, distributes and manufactures the Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo invented by Floyd D. Rose. Made by Schaller in Germany, the Floyd Rose tremolos are some of the best, if not the best tremolo offered on guitars back in the 80's. Even today, most "metal" guitarists will agree there is no better locking tremolo on the market than these trems. Floyd and Kramer (a young guitarist/machinist), worked together to develop and distribute this unit. In fact, Kramer was the sole distributor of Floyd Rose trems in the 80's, even ones that were sold individually (not on guitars).

The Floyd Rose Tremolo is a full (floating¦ tremolo, pivoting on two large screws in the face of the guitar body, that allow upward movement as well as downward. It was best well known for its ability to stay in tune even after the most demanding of abuse. The Floyd Rose tremolo, contrary to popular belief, does not require the cutting of the ball¦ at the end of the string. However, it is held into place by six, vice-like clamping assemblies, one within each of the saddles. You can string the Floyd by placing the ball ends into the Tuner on the headstock as a "stop" and place the other end of the string in the base unit, then wind. Its fine tuners also have much better access since they are on the top of the unit, just past where the hand would rest on the tremolo for the muted effect.

The History of the Floyd Rose

Picture a freezing Reno, NV, practice room in the dead of winter, and a Hendrix-loving, whammy bar-crazed guitarist whose '57 strat just won't stay in tune. "This has got to stop," he says to himself disgustedly, and shlumps home determined to solve his problem once and for all. "I started at the E string" recalls Floyd Rose, inventor of the locking tremolo system, "and noticed that friction at the nut prevented the string from returning to pitch. My thought was that the string shouldn't move at all. So I glued it! This worked, but of course it wouldn't be practical for very long. But since I was making jewelry at the time and had lapidary tools, I got some brass and whitled a nut with clamps that held two strings each. With that, the instrument almost returned to tune, so I figured the bridge end was causing the rest of the problem."

Although tougher to solve, the hitch was the same-how to reduce the friction caused by metal-to-metal contact? Suspending the bridge in midair was impossible, so Floyd tried drilling two inverted cones into the underside of the bridge block and balancing it on two sharpened pivot points. This was an improvement but adjusting the height of the strings now became too difficult. The third and most workable choice was to use a fulcrum system, where the whole bridge assembly balanced on a single knife-edge and rocked back and forth with an action similar to a Jazz master’s "floating" bridge.

Rose drew up a patent design using a Les Paul, modifying its Bigsby tremolo with parts cast at the foundry where he worked. For his third prototype, though, he wanted machined parts and was shocked when a shop wanted $600 for the job. "I was so broke my parents had to pay," he admits sheepishly. "It worked really well for about 15 minutes, until the knife-edge went dull. I realized then that I needed to experiment with tougher materials, so I started studying metallurgy; and, after watching Mr. $600 work I decided to improve my shop skills too."

STAY TUNED FOR PART 2

Please check out GuitarPartsDepot.com’s selection of Floyd Rose Tremolo Systems.

If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call so we can show you our excellent service first-hand. Toll Free: 866-631-4473

EMG Pickups

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:41:00 +0000

EMG Pickups

"Our mission is to be the undisputed technological leader in the pickup industry, creating exceptional products that empower musicians around the globe to explore and express their passion for performance."

History

In 1974, I started EMG in the back of my parents' garage by building various electronic gadgets and repairing amplifiers. I had played around with pickups as early as 1969 but didn't get around to "business" until a few years later.
We got our first business license under the name of Dirtywork Studios in April 1976. In 1978, we changed the name to Overlend, because we were overextended on credit and it sounded nice.
In 1983 we became EMG, Inc. (the big time) and haven't looked back. Through all the company name changes the pickups were always known as EMG Pickups. Not many people know why we called them "EMG", but we'll let you in on the secret now - EMG stands for Electro-Magnetic Generator!

WHY EMG PICK-UPS?

Easy Installation - EMG's are easy to install. Each pickup features EMG's own Quik-Connect header and mating cable for quick installation. Included with each pickup are pre-wired volume and tone controls, battery clip, output jack, and diagrams. All models are designed for direct replacement into most standard instruments. There are instances where "direct" replacement isn't possible, but a minimum of work should be required.

Construction - There is no other pickup built as well as an EMG. The coils are precision wound, matched both resistively and inductively, and finally, vacuum sealed. All internal preamplifiers are Surface Mount Technology (SMT) for quality and reliability. Each pickup is tested for audio quality and reliability before encapsulation and again before shipment.

String Interface - The first choice in design is the string interface. The selection of a bar magnet or individual pole pieces is also an important one. All initial EMG designs use a bar magnet for two reasons - Pole pieces place too much magnetism under the strings and cause the lower ones (primarily low E, A, and D) to go "out of pitch" with a Doppler effect. This is especially true of the Fender Stratocaster* where 3 poles under each of the strings push and pull them through a variety of unnatural movements. Poles can also make intonation and tuning difficult. On the other hand, pole pieces have the benefit of a percussive attack giving the pickup much more of a "plucky" sound. Designs featuring a bar magnet have a much more linear (balanced) output from string to string. Its attack is less pronounced than the pole piece design resulting in smoother distortion, and much better sustain. String bending is smoother because the output doesn't fade when you bend strings. By relying on the internal preamp for gain the bar magnet can also be smaller, further limiting the magnetic "pull" on the strings. And, the continuous magnetic field of the bar allows for any string spacing. Perfect for any multi stringed instrument, and the less conventional instrument. Most EMG Pickups use a magnetic bar. Single coil pickups are available in both bar and pole-piece designs. There are fewer negative attributes to the bar and it's preferable, but if you like pole-pieces for your playing style then there is an EMG model for you.

Magnets - It's not really necessary for a pickup to have a magnet at all, but it helps. The magnet acts as the juice for the signal flow. The shape and type of magnet used in each EMG Pickup is different. Ceramic magnets don't affect the inductance of the coil but have a much stronger magnetic field. Alnico material exhibits less magnetism yet greatly increases the inductance of the EMG design. Each has an affect on the resultant output and frequency response of the pickup. The addition of steel poles (either bar or screw/stud) increase the inductance of the pickup design and further change the results.

Coils - Tall and skinny, short and squat, long and wide, every EMG Pickup has two and they are the basis of each EMG. There are different types and sizes of magnet wire that can be used, combining their attributes with the shape of the coil has a tremendous affect on the tone. A long, skinny coil will have more resistance yielding less low frequency response, while a short, squat coil will have less resistance, and more inductance. It's a balancing act to achieve the style of tone you want. In all cases, EMG Pickups have two coils. This is necessary for noise reduction, while providing the vehicle for the distinctive EMG tone. Coils are sometimes placed side by side, or stacked, but in both cases each coil is treated independently by the preamp. Instead of having the coils in series or parallel with a single output, they are electronically summed so their attributes can be controlled individually.

Internal Preamp - The preamplifier used inside each EMG Pickup is no ordinary preamp. Built directly into each pickup, the preamp is an integral part of the pickup design assuring quality of sound performance, incredible noise reduction, and simplicity in installation. It provides a variety of benefits for us as the designer and for you as the player. A natural by-product of the preamp is gain. It allows us to design a pickup for its particular tone without concern for the pickup's output. After the coils have been modeled, any amount of output needed is available from the preamp.

And many more Features:

Noise Reduction
Low Impedence Output
Power
Tone Modeling

There truly is no comparison between active EMG's and conventional pickups. EMG's frequency response is shaped much differently. Conventional pickups typically exhibit a dry "peaky" frequency response, while EMG's have a much broader bandwidth that's better for harmonic pull-offs and chord definition. Individual notes have better presence and are dynamic. Playing styles are more pronounced and different techniques can be easily accommodated.
The pickup designs used by the guitar companies are simply old technology. They are easy to design and inexpensive to produce, so there isn't any incentive to improve them. The problem for the player is that those pickups are as outmoded as black and white TV. Until you've experienced playing an EMG equipped instrument, you'll never know how great your playing can be. By using an integrated preamp it's possible to achieve better results than when designing with magnets and wire alone. The internal preamp in each EMG Pickup assures quality of performance, full noise reduction, simplicity of installation, and much greater output.
Professionals all over the world rely on EMG for their performance in the studio and on stage. EMG's are being used for every kind of music, from Rock & Roll to Jazz. Even the best Country artists choose EMG because they need a great performance each and every time.

Each EMG-HZ guitar pickup is created for its unique sound quality and includes features from over 25 years of EMG's design experience. Players all over the world agree that EMG is the leading authority in pickup technology. EMG-HZ: advancing the art of the passive pickup.

Please check out our line of EMG Pickups. GuitarPartsDepot.com is here for all your Guitar's needs!

Schaller Megaswitch

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:48:00 +0000

Schaller Guitar and Bass Hardware

Schaller has been serving the classical and modern music world for more than 50 years. Whether it is craftsmanship or mechanical high-tech - Schaller stands for high quality to smallest detail.

Schaller Megaswitchs

The Schaller Megaswitch has been developed to get the best possible sounds out of a guitar equipped with a strat-type 3-way or 5-way switch. The best materials, such as solid metal switch housing and gear along with gold plated soldering terminals to guarantee optimum function and long life.

A company with tradition

Schaller’s colorful history now stretches back well over 60 years. Helmut Schaller, who founded the company in 1945 as a radio repair shop, has built the company into one of the world’s leading manufacturers in the music industry.

Thanks to his inventive talent, Helmut Schaller has had a significant influence upon developments in guitar making. Numerous patents are proof of his untiring search for the perfect instrument, for an inimitable sound.

For many years we have been striving to provide the world’s discerning musicians with performing pleasure through our precision products.

Tradition and requirements demand that each individual component - whether cast, turned or punched - be manufactured in our own factory.

This is the only way we can ensure the highest quality for the innumerable product variants and modifications demanded by our customers.

"I ordered a couple of the Schaller "E" megaswitches from GuitarPartsDepot.com and Sounds like it'll do the trick for the Ibanez RG1220, and I may even put one in the PGM500 I'm in the process of rewiring. "

--B Duersch, Cincinnati

Every Schaller employee is a specialist in the manufacturing of his component and, therefore, produces a perfectly coordinated part, which ultimately ensures the excellence of our products. It has been my privilege and duty for the last 30 years as Plant Manager, to utilize my mold-designing knowledge for the development and manufacture of Schaller’s unique products, and to support our customers in the realization of their ideas and patents. For more than 60 years, Schaller has had regular discussions and exchanges of ideas with guitar producers, dealers, and of course with musicians from all over the world. This resulted in numerous good ideas that have meanwhile become a standard on every guitar. We are in touch with numerous professional artists from all over the world - this way we're able to keep track of the developments, helping us to continue to further improve our products.

"Well, I finally got around to installing the 5-way switch on the Ibanez RG1220. Two words:
Kick a$$! "

-Brent, Virginia

Manufactured by SCHALLER and designed for guitarists, the Megaswitch features heavy-duty die-cast construction, noise-free contacts, and the best "feel" of all our lever-action switches.

The original E-Model is for 3-pickup combinations of single coils or humbuckers, or for 2-humbucker guitars. It allows wiring arrangements not obtainable with a standard 5-way guitar switch, including automatic coil-tapping and special hum-cancelling connections.

Chrome screws, black plastic knob and wiring diagram included. 1-3/8" body cavity depth, 1-5/8" screw spacing, and 1/16" x 1-1/16" lever slot are required.

The P-Model Megaswitch is for two humbucking pickups. This 5-way lever-action switch duplicates the combinations of Paul Reed Smith's rotary control.
Positions:1 Bridge pickup2 Inner pickup coils, parallel3 Outer coils, series4 Outer coils, parallel5 Neck pickup

Chrome screws, black plastic knob and wiring diagram included. 1-3/8" body cavity depth, 1-5/8" screw spacing, and 1/16" x 1-1/16" lever slot are required.

Please check out GuitarPartsDepot’s line of Schaller Megaswitches.

Check out this cool site for answers to your guitar related questions: http://music-electronics-forum.com/archive/index.php/f-9.html

KTS - Titanium Guitar and Bass Parts

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:20:00 +0000

KTS - Titanium Guitar and Bass Parts

KTS has a long history of crafting Titanium parts for other products such as watch bands, eyeglass frames, medical equipment and other precision machineries. We took all of our knowledge regarding titanium and our master builder has put in so much effort and time, which would probably equal the effort of creating an entire guitar, into these just small parts.

The results were amazing: Titanium produced an overwhelming longer sustain, clearer tone, more tonal response to picking, and other excellent sound qualities which far exceeded our predictions. KTS's ultimate goal is that, with help of the Titanium Products, every guitar player will be able to bring out the truest and least distorted sound, which their guitars inherently have. As a result, it will greatly enhance their joys and musical experiences, which will then take them to the higher state of creativity.

Here's what you can achieve with KTS Titanium Saddles and Bridges: - Increased sensitivity and stability are very apparent - Vibration and sustain have been taken to the limit - The notes are more focused and the intonation is purer - The harshness was taken away and became clear - String-to-string definition and clarity improved dramatically.

"I am SO sick of digging out cracked block with a screwdriver! It sounds like your Ti-Block is something that is going to make me happy for years! Thank you so much!" - Reb Beach

FACT:

Q: Can you please tell me which Ti saddles will fit my American Gibson Les Paul Standard. It is a normal 2003 model with the Tune-O-Matic bridge?

A: There are two kinds of Gibson bridges. One is the Vintage ABR-1, and the other is the Nashville. Please refer to the photos and check your bridge. If your bridge is ABR-1, our PR-02 will fit it. If your bridge is Nashville, our PR-06 will fit it.

Jennifer Batten and Chris Juergensen at the KTS booth - KTS parts users Jennifer Batten and Chris Juergensen make an appearance at KTS' booth at the 2008 NAMM show. There was a lot of interest in KTS this year at the NAMM show as titanium has been gaining popularity. Thanks to everyone who came by and we hope to see you again very soon.

"These Titanium bridge pieces are the BOMB!! Try them for yourself" - Jennifer Batten

FACT:

Q: Can you tell me which type of your Strat saddles I would need to replace the ones on my Eric Clapton Strat? (American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo)

A: Our "PR-11" will fit your Clapton Strat.

Recap:

By installing KTS Titanium Saddles:

You will enjoy unparalleled durability, an exotic appearance, and best of all, a dramatically improved sound due to titanium's acoustically superior characteristics.

Here are some of the key benefits:

Increased sensitivity and stability
Maximized vibration and sustain
Much more focused notes and purer intonation
Less harshness and improved tonality
Dramatically improved string-to-string definition and clarity

Click Here and let our wonderful staff assist you in your need for reliable Guitar Parts.

How To Buy A Pawn Shop Guitar The Safe Way

noreply@blogger.com (GuitarPartsDepot.com) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:44:00 +0000

How To Buy A Pawn Shop Guitar The Safe Way

So here are some rules for pawn shop guitaring.

1. Never impulse buy

You see something you like, don't just grab it and run (unless you think you can get away without getting caught). Play the guitar for a while. Put it down and come back in the next few days. See if it still feels the same and has the same appeal as that initial reaction. The last thing that you want to do is to buy a guitar that you loved at the time only to take back to the same pawn shop a few weeks later.

2. Have a goal

This follows on from tip number one. Have a goal as to what type of guitar you are after. By that I mean you should a clear definition of what you want to buy. This will help you avoid the impulse buy, and focus your attention so you don't get distracted by all the shiny things in the shop. Going back to my PRS example, I've been looking for a nice guitar with soap bar style pickups now to round out my collection. Don't by a guitar that you don't need, unless of course it is something exceptional.

3. Play with the knobs and know how a guitar works

The ones on the guitar you dirty fiends. Turn all the knobs, waggle the lead, and flick all the switches. Make sure they all work, and if not, have a rough idea if you can fix it yourself or how much it may cost you. You don't want to spend $100 on a guitar and then have to do $300 worth of work on it.

4. Try some different amps

This is very important. The person running the pawn shop will always plug you into a small Fender combo and crank the reverb. I honestly think that those small combos were designed by Fender exclusively for the pawn shop industry because they make every guitar sound great. So try the guitar with that crappy 15W no name amp as well. It will give you a much better idea on the true sound quality.

5. Don't pay for the case

From my experience, the person who pawns off any decent guitar will have had it in a case, and the case will likely be out the back of the shop. Ask about the case, ask if it is included in the price, and if not ask why not. 75% you'll get the case for free, 20% heavily discounted, and the remaining 5% involves you walking out of the store. They want the sale just a bad as you want to buy the guitar so let them chase you.

GuitarPartsDepot.com Blog is here to keep you informed so that when buying guitar accessories, you have a better understanding of the equipment at hand.