It’s competition time at BluesRockWorld! We’ve just launched a new subforum Classic Blues Rock Bands and to kick it off we want you to tell us who your favourites are. And you could win a set of Gibson BB King signature strings in the process!

BluesRockWorld is the new forum for guitarists with a penchant for bluesy rock. All you have to do is sign up to the forum and post a thread in the Classic Blues Rock Bands subforum. The thread has to contain a blues-rock youtube clip, and why you like it. That’s it.

There will be a set of Gibson BB King strings as the first prize, and more guitar related items to follow. There will be new prizes and competitions on a regular basis. Why not check out the forum, and share your love of the blues!

Figure  1 – The Fender PT-100 chromatic guitar tuner

I think i’ve found one of the most useful pieces of equipment any guitarist can own! Such statements shouldn’t be made lightly, but in this case I stand by it. If you need a new tuner you really should consider this one. In the PT-100, Fender have a solid, durable and, most importantly, easy to use tuner that works for guitar and bass. It does the job, and it does it well.

So what’s so special? Surely a tuner is a tuner? Well, yes and no. The first thing you notice about the PT-100 is its weight; this is a rugged, heavy-duty stage tuner. Its die-cast metal casing isn’t going to break, and the hinged battery cover is screwed down – this will survive a good gigging for sure. But the weight has another advantage for simple home-tuning. When you plug in to tune it stays where it is. How annoying is it to have a lightweight tuner that can’t bear the weight of the cable that plugs into it, and ends up on the floor, usually in two pieces with the battery hanging out?

Of course the floor is where this tuner is designed to be. The LEDs that tell you whether you are flat, sharp, or just right, are very bright indeed. You’ll be able to tune from standing in any lighting conditions…. and seeing as this is a chromatic tuner there are no switches to flip. Just lights to tell you which way to go!

 The PT-100 has two outputs, the second for muted tuning. Silent adjustments can be made mid-set, purely by stepping on the pedal. And when the input jack is removed no more power is drawn from the battery. Never again will you unpack for rehearsal to find a flat battery from when you left it on last time! And when it is time, the battery can be accessed by loosening the screw on the underside. Here again Fender have thought of everything; this simple large slot-head isn’t going to fall out, yet can be opened with a small coin or stiff plectrum.

 This is a great piece of equipment, and although more expensive than some lighter tuners, it really is worth every cent.

• Buy the
• See also Fender AG-6 guitar tuner

Figure 1 – The John Lennon 1965 Casino

In the 1960s Epiphone Casinos were ‘in’. And John Lennon wasn’t the only Beatles to own one. In fact Paul McCartney and George Harrison both had Casinos, as did Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. But it was Lennon who became most associated with the instrument, most famously playing it on the infamous rooftop appearance of 1969.

Fast forward to November 1997, and a team from Epiphone visit “The Dakota” in New York to examine John’s Casino. They took measurements of the neck and body, studied the components and photographed everything, in order to create a guitar as close to Lennons original as was possible to acheive.

As a result and in cooperation with Yoko Ono, Epiphone proudly introduced the Limited Edition John Lennon “Revolution” and “1965″ Casinos.

The “John Lennon 1965 Casino” is a reproduction of the guitar as John originally purchased it with the sunburst finish and stock hardware.

The “John Lennon Revolution Casino” is a reproduction of the “stripped” guitar featuring one coat of nitro-cellulose lacquer, gold Grover tuners and no pickguard.

Epiphone is, of course, owned by Gibson, and in the sixties guitars by both brands were very similar, and were made side by side in the factory at Kalamazoo, Michigan. Read more about the 1960s Epiphone Casino. Gibson had strict product licensing arrangment that limited the number of dealers stocking Gibsons, and the Epiphone brand was a way to increase sales without breaking these deals.

These Lennon reissues are incredible guitars; manufactured to the standards of the 1960s originals. Just 1,965 instruments have been made, each numbered. A portion of the proceeds from each sale was donated to “The BMI Foundation, Inc. for John Lennon Scholarship fund” which supports music education

Original body shape and materials- Mid 60s Kalamazoo Specifications

• Nitro Cellulose lacquer finish
• One-piece Mahogany neck
• Rosewood fingerboard with pearloid, parallelogram fret markers, binding over fret-ends
• Neck joint at 16th fret
• 24.750″ scale
• Mother-of-pearl headstock logo – 17 degree pitch
• “Gibson USA- factory” electronics and hardware
• Nickel plated, Alnico-V p-90s with original pole spacing
• Switchcraft, 3-way toggle with old style black washer
• Nickel ABR bridge with nylon saddles
• Vintage style case with shroud

Figure 2 – The Beatles perform on the roof of the Apple building, Jan 1969. Note John’s Epiphone Casino is now stripped down to a natural wood finish

Similar guitars

The Casino was very similar to the Gibson ES-330TD. Today Epiphone produce some very nice Casinos, some cheap, and some quite expensive – but all terrific instruments. If you want to play a semi-acoustic guitar, you should certainly try one out!

• Epiphone Casino
• Gibson ES-330TD
• Vintage Epiphone guitars
• Buy an Epiphone Casino

2007 has seen a wide range of guitars leave the Gibson factory doors; from the standard instruments that are the companys bread and butter, to limited-number special-edition instruments: the Guitar of the Week range, numerous historical reissues, and of course the Inspired By range.

This is a series of instruments “inspired by and built to the exact specifications of passionate musicians and artists” – among them are Les Pauls (John Lennon and Warren Haynes), Flying Vs (Jimi Hendrix and Zakk Wylde) and three thinlines; the Roy Orbison ES-335, Keither Sutherland  ES-336 and best of all the Dave Grohl DG-335.

So its a 335? Not quite……

Dave Grohl likes his Gibsons; Firebirds, RDs and of course his cherry red Trini Lopez Standard which he has played for some time.

It is this guitar that the DG-335 is based on, and of course both are basically 1960s ES-335s; a one-piece mahogany neck, maple top, back and rims, and the central maple block that makes this guitar semi-solid. Differences are largely cosmetic: firebird-style headstock (with six-on-a-side tuners), split diamond inlays, and the diamond shaped sound holes.

Figure 2 - Also available in Ebony…

So what did Dave Grohl want from his Inspired By guitar? Well the obvious change is the striking pelham blue colour; a traditional Gibson finish, but scarcely used. The other changes are in the hardware. A stop tailpiece and Gibson burstbucker humbuckers.

Dimensions, materials and construction are all unchanged.

• Body: Laminated maple top, back, rims.  White binding. Diamond soundholes.
• Neck: Mahogany. 50s rounded neck profile.
• Fingerboard: rosewood with split diamond inlay and white binding.
• Frets: 22
• Scale: 24-3/4″
• Width at nut: 1-11/16″
• Hardware: ABR-1 bridge with stop tailpiece. Chrome plated.
• Pickups: Burstbucker 1 (neck); Burstbucker 2 (bridge).
• Controls: 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way selector switch.
• Finishes: Pelham blue, Ebony.

This truly is a special guitar. Dave has been playing his since the summer, and they are at last available to the guitar-buying public.

• Gibson Inspired By Dave Grohl DG-335 Electric Guitar
• Foo Fighters website
• Gibson ‘Inspired By’

A new set of strings can do wonders for a bass. If the old set have been on for a while, the sound they produce will be dull and lifeless. Old strings can be the cause of fret buzz and intonation problems, and in a worse-case scenario could snap during performance.

How long a string takes to become ‘old’ depends on several factors: how much it is played, whether it is wiped down after use, and even how corrosive the perspiration of the player. Top players may change their strings nightly; only fresh strings give them the sound they want, whilst a bass that spends very little time in use - perhaps avoiding gig situations – will be fine for months or years.

So, now you’ve decided to treat your beloved bass to a new set, how do you decide what to buy? There are a lot of choices, but which ones are right for you? Long scale? shortscale? roundwound? flats?

This article describes some of the main types, to help the reader identify the best bass strings for them…

Scale

The scale of an instrument is effectively the length between nut and bridge saddles; the length that vibrates when you pluck an open string. Of course intonation adjustments at the bridge will vary this value slightly, so more often the scale is measured as twice the length between nut and twelfth fret.

The vast majority of basses will be short (30 1/2″) scale, or long (34 1/2″) scale; this can be measured with a tape measure in seconds. There are also other scales; medium (32″) and extra long (36″) but these are the exception.

In some instances, longer scale strings may be required. Basses with string through bodies (above), or very long headstocks may need longer strings than the actual scale of the bass suggests.

Tension

Tension can also be described as how taut the string is. There are a number of factors that affect tension – but when choosing a set of strings, only the gauge, material, and type of string are important. Too low tension will result in loss of volume, inferior tone and flappy, difficult to control strings. Too high tension may make the bass uncomfortable to play.

Typical gauges are 0.095″, 0.100″ and 0.105″; light, medium and heavy, or lower, medium and higher tension.

There are even lighter and heavier strings too. If you play fingerstyle, a lighter gauge will be more appropriate than if you prefer a pick. 

The type of string is also relevant to tension - flatwounds have the highest tension – then halfrounds, with roundwounds having the lowest.

Round, Flat or Halfs?

So what are the different string types?

Roundwound

As can be seen, this string is made by winding a round cross-sectioned wire around a central core. It gives a brighter sound than flats (particularly steel roundwounds), but can be prone to finger squeaking when played. Roundwound strings are probably the most often used strings, but can cause significantly more fretwear than flatwounds. most popular roundwound strings

Flatwound

Flatwound strings, as the name implies, are wound with a flat tape, and polished smooth. They are much mellower sounding than roundwounds, and are great for Jazz, RnB, and classic rock (they were all you could buy back in the day). No finger squeaking, and very little fret wear. most popular flatwound strings

Half Round

These strings combine elements of both roundwound and flatwound strings. They are somewhere in between with regard sound, and many players find halfs to be exactly the right balance. most popular halfround strings

So how do you know what to buy? Well what do you play?

If its punky slung-low rock, played with a plectrum you could go for some heavy gauge roundwounds. You’ll get a powerful punchy sound that can compete with overdriven guitars. Works well for slapping too.

If its mellow jazz played fingerstyle, try some light-medium guage flats. Or some heavier ones if you use a pick. Flats sound great for classic rock – giving an authentic boom and rumble that was the signature sound of the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

But playing style isn’t the only thing to consider. Some older guitars are tricky to set up, perhaps a slight neck bow is preventing a low action. A change in neck tension can be used to your advantage. For example a slight upbow, can be reduced with lighter gauge roundwound strings, (or exagerated with heavier flatwound strings)

Makes

Manufacturers to look out for include D’addario, GHS, Rotosound, Elixir, Ernie Ball, Thomastik and Warwick

• General Guitar String Information
• Cleaning Guitar Strings

Some designs just don’t go out of fashion. Its been 46 years since Gibson redesigned the Les Paul, giving it those batwing cutaways and characteristic translucent cherry finish – and they haven’t looked back. Be it guitar or bass, the SG has attitude, and plenty of it.

Although the shape has seen continual use on guitars, Gibson didn’t produce a bass version for over 20 years. That was until 2005 when they launched the SG reissue bass.

But it hasn’t stopped there – as well as Cherry, White, Ebony, Canary Yellow, Coral Pink, Coral Blue, Silverburst, and faded finishes, there is the maple flamed-top SG Supreme, and a Supreme Fireburst.

Its not just looks that make a guitar; the SG reissue bass is proving a big hit for its sounds and playability too.

Manufacturer Gibson
Model SG Reissue Bass
Bass type Passive, 4 string
Neck 1 piece, glued in mahogany, 30 1/2″ scale
Fingerboard Rosewood, 20 frets
Body Mahogany
Pickups Gibson TB Plus Bass Humbucker, Mini Bass Humbucker
Controls 2 Volume, 1 Tone

The SG basses were very popular in the 1960s, with models like the EB0 and EB3 selling in huge numbers; appearing in the hands of everyone from Jack Bruce and Andy Fraser to Jermaine Jackson of the Jackson Five. For more about the vintage Gibson basses, have a look at FlyGuitars.com.

So does the SG reissue live up to its predecessors reputation? Well yes, in fact it exceeds it! Whilst keeping the looks, construction and general sound of the EB basses, it simplifies the controls – no varitone switch to play up, and no extreme volume changes when you change to another setting.

It balances well, is lightweight whilst substantial and most of all has the classic deep rich sounds you expect from a Gibson.

There are two variations. The all mahogany SG Reissue bass, and the maple-topped SG supreme bass

The SG Reissue bass

Initially offered in Cherry, Ebony and White. A short time after the launch, three new colors were added to the line for export only (although these are stocked at certain online retailers). Coral Pink, Coral Blue and Canary Yellow. Check here for availability. The latest colors are Heritage Cherry Sunburst and Silverburst >more

Gibson have now put out a limited SG Faded bass. Available in Worn Brown (shown) and Worn Cherry. Really reminiscent of the early seventies walnut basses. These have the same hardware as the other basses, yet sell for a few hundred dollars cheaper, simply by having a thinner finish. >more

Gibson SG Supreme Bass

This bass came out in 2007 as Gibsons 1st Guitar of the Week. It really is diferent from the Reissues – the thick maple top gives this bass far more punch than its all mahogany sibling, but it is also more ornate, with an inlaid headstock, and block inlays. As a GOW it is limited to a production run of just 400. >more

The fireburst version is Gibsons Guitar of the Week from week 18, although in other respects is the same as the Natural version. Again just 400 were made. >more

 So there we have it. An absoutely iconic design, with versions to suit traditionalists, those on a budget, and those who prefer the brightness of maple, over the warmth of mahogany

Try one out!

• Read about classic Gibson basses at the FlyGuitars.com

Figure 1 – When it comes to time based effects, don’t be surprised to see Boss pedals take the lead in most categories. (Pictured on the left)

The first type effect we will be looking at is the looping pedals. These types of pedals actually record a section of sound, with the purpose of playing them repeatedly. This is great for guitarists who don’t have a friend present to do rhythm guitar, or wants to use these loops in order to create special effects. It also lets guitarists listen to a song as whole, and not just one specific aspect. The Boss RC-2 and Digitech JamMan are good examples of pedals that will do this.

Figure 2- The Boss RC-2 and Digitech JamMan. 

The Boss RC-2 retails at around $180 (Listen to video sample), while the Digitech JamMan retails at around $300 (Listen to video sample). 

Next, we have the chorus effect. This is just as much fun as the looping effects in a sense, because there are so many sounds. A guitarist can create thick rich walls of sound (so it actually sounds like several guitars are playing at once), crazy tremolo effects, or just a light chorus to fill out a lead line slightly. Look out for the Boss CE-5, Line 6 Space Chorus, and Ibanez CF-7.

Figure 3 – The Boss CE-5, Line 6 Space Chorus, and Ibanez CF-7. 

The Boss CE-5 retails at around $80, the Line 6 Space Chorus goes for around $120, and the Ibanez CF-7 retails at about $60.

One of the more popular time delay effects is the echo. These pedals simply take incoming signal, and delay it to make a echo of the actual signal. The echo effect is amazing when added to other effects, creating amazing soundscapes – try it with a slide if you’ve got one. You can also make some very interesting rhythm effects. The most popular pedals to look out for in this category are the Boss DD-6, and the Line 6 Echo Park.

Figure 4 - The Boss DD-6 and the Line 6 Echo Park.  

The Boss DD-6 retails at around $160 (Listen to demo), while the Line 6 Echo Park is around $150 (Listen to demo).

Lastly, we come to the interesting effect of the flanger. Several types of the flanger pedal can be doubled over as a reverb pedal as well, which is a nice benefit. The flanger essentially takes the incoming signal, slows it down, and then speeds it back up to its original position. The unique sound that results has been popular among older rock, but also sees applications in newer playing styles. Add it to distortion and you’ll sound more like a jet engine at take off. Flangers are pretty good for bass too. The leaders of the flanger industry include the Boss BF-3, and the Line 6 Liqua Flange.

Figure 5 - The Boss BF-3 and Line 6 Liqua-Flange. 

The Boss BF-3 retails at around $120 (Listen to sample), while the Line 6 Liqua-Flange comes in at around at the same price of $120 (Liten to sample). 

The majority of time based distortion pedals will be used in solos or specific rhythm applications, and to provide contrast to a basic sound. You can have real fun with some of these sounds, but take care not to overdo it! Its hard I know. Nevertheless, they provide fantastic sounds that many bands from Rock and Roll’s past have taken advantage of- and they are just as popular today.

•  Choosing Between Basic Distortion Pedals

Figure 1 - They may resemble tennis rackets, but pop filters can mean the difference between a professional sound, and just another home-made recording.

A pop filter serves as the sole purpose to clean up vocals. It will eliminate the “pop” sound that vocalists make while pronounced words that start with a ldquo;p” or “b”. Words that give this undesired popping sound are called aspirated plosives.  Words that make a hissing sound, such as the word “seashell”, are called fricatives. Essentially, pop filters attenuate these undesired sounds before getting to the microphone. Small vocal blemishes must be removed to get a professional recording- but not everyone can afford to buy a professional pop filter.

Basically, a pop filter is just a piece of nylon stretched over a frame that goes between the vocalist and the microphone. The problem with most cheap pop filters is the simplicity- the attachment that aligns the pop filter with the microphone almost always breaks or becomes unreliable. Professional pop filters also seek to mask frequencies in which the microphone is not designed to pickup- which would otherwise lead to clipping.

Figure 2 - Here is another cheap home-made pop filter. They may not look the best, but they’ll often get the job done.

There are two solutions for avoiding the hassle of a cheap pop filter. The first is to fashion one by spare parts. Putting nylon over a tennis racket, for instance, is one of the more popular makeshift pop filters. Coat hangers work well, since they are bendable. Coat hangers also work well for attaching the pop filter to the microphone stand- although a little work might be required to get it perfect. While this is a cheap solution, it isn’t professional- but it depends on what the individual needs the pop filter for.

For professional pop filters, the price can go from $40 to $60. This may not seem like a lot, but keep in mind that a piece of nylon and a frame is being bought here. With this kind f price, the options are much more convenient than the average $15 pop filter. The gooseneck and clamp are one of the main problem areas that are fixed with professional pop filters. Some professional pop filters also accustom to special needs, such as double filters or a wider radius of coverage. The more expensive pop filters will even have metal filters- not nylon.

Figure 3 - This is a metal pop filter- it costs more money, but the results are much more favorable than that of nylon materials.

Not every cheap pop filter will fail- but on average, they don’t last as long as the more expensive ones. The most faulty part is the gooseneck and clamp, so be sure to either test one out at the local music store or get a good review of a pop filter before buying one. If all else fails, and a sense of professionalism isn’t needed, grab some spare parts from the garage or closet and see what you can come up with.

• Recording Options for Guitarists 

The good side to the Fender AG-6 is that it retails for around $20, and manages to put a few appreciated features in for the low price. Most analog gitar tuners of this price range are reminiscent of the bulky, black, and often frustrating guitar tuners that come in cheap Stratocaster packs. Fender has reinvented the cheap analog tuner with the sparkly surface and ultra lightweight design. The backlit display enables tuning to be possible in dark settings, another nice feature.

A speaker is included for tuning acoustic guitars, and support for Bass guitars is also given. The AG-6 is more geared towards electric and acoustic guitars, however, and some complaints have been raised as to the accuracy of the Bass tuning feature. A nice time saving feature for electric and bass guitar players is the automatic string selection that takes place when plucking a string. Most cheap analog guitar tuners require that a button be pressed to select the string that is being tuned- not so with the Fender AG-6. This is instead done automatically, so tuning literally only takes a few seconds to accomplish.

Beyond the previusly mentioned benefits, there are a few downfalls that the cheap guitar tuner category ultimately experiences. First, there is no option to tune to separate tuning configurations, such as Drop D. This is a nice time-saving feature that is usually included on slightly more expensive tuners. Since the Fender AG-6 is in fact analog, the most accurate results that come with purely digital tuners are out of reach. It’s likely that a difference won’t be noticed in the accuracy, but it is something to consider. A few other features could’ve been added that newer guitar tuners are becoming standard with- such as an included metronome. For many, this is overkill- as it defeats the simple purpose of just owning a guitar tuner that doesn’t try to be something else.

Figure 2 – No, a metronome isn’t included. hat happened to the days when a guitar tuner was just a guitar tuner? Fender seems to like to keep things simple with the AG-6.

Along with the mentioned benefits and downfalls, the Fender AG-6 comes with the standard guitar tuning features. A line-out jack, battery checker, and instructions are included. The instructions may be a little basic, and beginners will most likely have trouble tuning their guitars without a little help, but most guitar players should know how to use a guitar tuner. Given the fact that the Fender AG-6 comes in three sparkly colors- red, blue, and black- expressing one’s self via guitar tuners has never been easier.

The Fender Automatic Guitar Tuner AG-6 is exactly what it claims to be- a guitar tuner. It won’t perform metronome functions, or even offer the ability to easily tune to alternate tuning configurations. It will, however, tune a guitar in standard tuning fairly fast, especially given the fact that the needle is very stable and gives accurate results. The lightweight factor of the AG-6 isn’t a problem when it comes to durability- dropping the Fender AG-6 a few times will hardly do any damage at all. The best part is, the AG-6 makes a great gift idea, since it’s only $20 and comes with an unheard of sense of style. If a cheap, yet functional and durable guitar tuner is needed, the Fender AG-6 will be sure to please electric and acoustic guitar fans.

• Purchase Fender AG-6 Sparkle Tone Tuner from Musicians Friend
  

Alternate picking is an easy concept to grasp- but much harder to put into proper use. The idea behind alternate picking is to alternate picking directions with ech sounded note. This means that after every downs stroke of the pick, there is an up stroke as well. Beginners will find this to be a little hard to do at first, but it will eventually lead to an easier method to learn tremolo picking. It also makes most rhythms much easier to play, and faster. The downside to alternate picking is the arpeggio. An arpeggio incorporates multiple strings, so staying with the alternate picking pattern will also decrease speed.

The main argument between alternative and direct picking is speed. Direct picking pattern supporters claim that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. This is true, but so is the fact that the guitar pick almost always surpasses the guitar string on a down stroke- so it is usually much faster to pluck the string again while returning to the original position. This lets speed be taken to the next level, but as stated before, it doesn’t work so well for multiple string arpeggios.

The majority of self-taught guitar players will of course use directional picking- as it is the natural way to play. Alternate picking does have its benefits for those who require speed, so it is usually learned after directional picking is picked up. Of course, there are guitar legends that stick to both picking styles- so neither group is necessarily right or wrong. In fact, the best way to go is to achieve a hybrid sense of picking. In a hybrid picking between alternate and direct picking, both picking styles are used for what they do best. Direct picking can allow guitar players to play arpeggios, and also play crtain rhythms faster. Alternate picking can allow amazing speeds to be achieved through practice- as long as the rhythm is based around only a few strings at most.

With the fusion of alternate and direct picking, comes the term economy picking. Economy picking is usually the best way to get the best speed from both picking methods. If the next note to be played lies on another string, it obviously shouldn’t incorporate alternative picking. Each change of string brings another direct pick technique. If there are a few notes located on one particular string, then alternte picking should be used if necessary.

Those who are new to the guitar shouldn’t be afraid to learn the alternate picking technique- it is usually what fast types of music such as metal rely on. Learning it can be tough especially without a teacher to act as a guide, but guitar legends such as John Petrucci can attest to the fact that alternate picking is just as important as direct picking, although it will take some time to master.