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All you need to know about Kenny Wayne Shepherd

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:13:23 PST

Kenny Wayne Shepherd has lived more than half of his life in the spotlight. At the age of at 16, he was signed to a major record label. While a senior in high school, he recorded his first album and while most of his classmates were looking for a part time summer job after graduation, Kenny was embarking on a world tour. Now, at only 32 years old, he has sold millions of albums worldwide, received four Grammy nominations, two Billboard Music Awards, two Orville H. Gibson Awards, the Blues Foundation’s Keeping The Blues Alive Award, and a Blues Music Award among many other accolades. He has had four No. 1 blues albums and a string of No. 1 mainstream rock singles and his last project, 10 Days Out; Blues From The Backroads, has not only received critical acclaim, but was also the # 1 selling Blues Album of the Year in 2007. He is widely considered to be one of the best blues/rock guitarists (James Brown once referred to him as “one of the wonders of the world”) and on September 1, 2008, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation released the guitar that Kenny designed – the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Stratocaster®.

Kenny has been featured on television shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Craig Ferguson to name a few. He has been featured in Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Maxim Magazine, Blender, Spin, USA Today and a host of other publications.

His musical career has been nothing short of phenomenal.

In 1995, a teenage Kenny Wayne Shepherd burst onto the music scene with the release of his debut album Ledbetter Heights. Ledbetter Heights produced radio hits “Deja Voodoo”, “Born With A Broken Heart” and “Aberdeen”. His relentless touring and success on rock radio launched the sales of the album to Platinum status.

His follow up album, 1997’s Trouble Is…was a huge commercial success as well, with radio hits such as “Somehow, Somewhere, Someway”, “Everything Is Broken”, “Slow Ride” and “Blue On Black”, which was a record breaking # 1 song on Rock Radio for 17 consecutive weeks. The Platinum selling Trouble Is… earned him his first Grammy nomination, two Billboard Music Awards (Rock Song of the Year and Blues Album of the Year) and the Orville H. Gibson Award among many other honors.

1999 saw the release of Live On. More touring, more radio hits, “In 2 Deep”, “Was” and “Last Goodbye” and more album sales assured another Gold album. It also saw another nod from The Recording Academy with a second Grammy nomination.

After relentless touring for basically five years, Kenny Wayne Shepherd took a well-deserved break. In 2004, he came back strong with the release of his 4th album The Place You’re In, a blistering rock record. As his fan base grew, so did his touring and his success with appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and another year-long national tour.

In 2007, Kenny released his most ambitious project to date. A full-length feature film documentary with an accompanying live album entitled 10 Days Out: Blues From The Backroads. The film follows Kenny and his friends, Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon (Double Trouble) and Noah Hunt embarking on a ten day trek into the heart of America visiting blues veterans in their homes, backyards and local juke joints. The film and CD features performances with some of the most renowned blues artists of all time, including B.B. King, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins and Honeyboy Edwards along with some of the blues lesser known, but towering talents. The CD/DVD earned him 2 more Grammy nominations, The Blues Foundation’s “Keeping The Blues Alive Award”, a Blues Music Award (formerly The W.C. Handy Award) and was Billboard’s # 1 selling Blues Album of the Year in 2007.

On September 1, 2008 Fender Musical Instruments Corp. released the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature Series Stratocaster, a guitar Kenny spent countless hours designing. The guitar is technically built similar to Kenny’s #1 Stratocaster, a 1961 original, and is available in three different paint designs. The first shipment of guitars sold out nation wide and is currently available at music stores across the country.

Kenny is currently writing and recording his next studio album due out in 2010. Not bad for a guy who’s only 32.

Retrieved from www.kennywayneshepherd.net

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The secrets of the fretted and stringed musical instrument. | guitar trivia [4]

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:47:51 PST

- Of the hundreds of types of chords played in western music, you need only know 4 scales to solo over almost all of them (Major, Melodic Minor, Diminished, Whole Tone).

- Leo Fender sold Fender to CBS in 1965. He continued to work at Fender until 1970, at which point he became a partner of Music Man. Leo's personal cut from the CBS buyout was a whopping $13 million.

- When Fender shipped the Stratocaster in 1954, it created a lot of firsts. The Strat was the first to feature three pickups. It was the first to feature a whammy bar. It was also the first to include a jack in the front of the guitar's body.

- The world's first, commercially available solid body, electric guitar was the Fender Broadcaster. It only shipped in 1950. In 1951, Fender was forced to change its name to the Telecaster due to the claims that Gretsch previously had rights to the Broadcaster name.

- Ovation acoustic guitars were started in the late 1960's with a parabolic, fiberglass body. The shape/material was chosen due to its great sound. Charles Kaman, Ovation's founder, was worried that hardened guitarists wouldn't pick a guitar that was so untraditional. However, we still enjoy Ovation's products even today.

- In the 1930's, Epiphone was the most respected guitar company in America. Ironically, Epiphone was bought by Gibson in 1957, instead of the other way around.

- Scales are not only useful for building speed, but knowledge of scale theory will also help one with writing solos.

- It's very important to maintain and clean your guitars. Human oils and other grime can ruin your favorite possessions!

- No amp, guitar, or effect sounds better than any other. How good something sounds is subjective, and not a fact.

- Heat can damage guitars. Be sure to keep your guitars away from heat as much as possible!

- Use a metronome while practicing scales. It's better to build up your timing than inaccurate speed.

- It's far better to practice for 2 half-hour sessions a day than a solid hour per day. Don't overdo it.

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Significant information revealed related to guitars. | guitar trivia [3]

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:10:45 PST

- Since its birth in 1946, Fender has continued to be one of the world's most popular guitar companies.

- In 1944, Leo Fender invented the world's first solid-body guitar.

- The last of the gut strings were replaced by 1946.

- Kirk Hammett's guitar teacher was Joe Satriani.

- Steve Vai's guitar teacher was Joe Satriani.

- The sides of acoustic guitars are made by soaking a piece of wood. It is then bent over a heated pipe.

- The electro-acoustic guitar was invented by Ovation in the late 1960's. The first production models appeared in 1970. After only 100 guitars were rolled off the line, Ovation announced the concept would never become widely accepted. Today, Ovation is the leader in electro-acoustic guitars.

- The Dreadnought style of guitar was designed by Frank Henry Martin and Harry Hunt in 1916, but Martin didn't begin selling them in full force until 1935. The name comes from a British battleship which means "fear nothing".

- It's uncertain exactly when the guitar was invented, but many historians conclude that the guitar was, in its first form, invented in the 15th century.

- Up until April 1st, 1918, Martin actually used elephant ivory for bridges, bindings, and various trim on many of their guitars.

- Martin is, by far, the oldest guitar company around today. It was founded in 1833 by Friedrich Martin in New York.

- In late 1980, Grover Jackson met with Rhandy Rhoads (then little known) to design a model for him. At the time, Grover had already built up the Charvel name. When the guitar was finished, Grover created Jackson guitars specifically for Rhoad's guitar. The idea was that if the guitar flopped, it wouldn't tarnish Charvel's name. Of course, the guitar was wildly popular and thus, Jackson was born.

- The Thunderbird, by Guild guitars, featured a built-in stand in the 1960's. The stand was located in the back of the guitar's body. The built-in stand wasn't very popular, and was removed from the model before the 1970's.

- George Harrison's first guitar was purchased for $5.95. In November of 2003, it sold at auction for almost $470,000.

- The Devil's Interval, a tritone, was banned by some through the Baroque period. In some cases, people were burnt at the stake for playing it.

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Interesting guitar facts & figures. | guitar trivia [2]

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:53:50 PST

- Naked women and guitars? You know it! Gibson was commissioned in 2000 by Playboy to produce 2000 limited edition "Playmate" guitars. The Playmates were priced to own at only US$7,000 a piece.

- Most guitar pickups are magnetic. Very, very few pickups actually hear sound. Instead, vibration measurements are turned into sound.

- Although guitar amps didn't become popular until the 1950's, they have actually been around since the 1930's.

- Steve Vai definitely isn't afraid of signature products. His arsenal includes a series of signature guitars, an amp, a wah pedal, and even signature cables.

- Stevie Ray Vaughan, at birth, weighed in at only 3 pounds and 9.25 ounces.

- Beekeeping is one of Steve Vai's many hobbies.

- Before his solo career, Steve Vai toured with Frank Zappa as his guitarist.

- B.B. King's guitar is lovingly named Lucile.

- B.B. King has given up on standing at his concerts. He now prefers to sit.

- B.B. King originally played gospel music, but later switched to blues due to the fact that it's far more lucrative.

- In 1941, Gibson's plants were actually used for production to help with the war.

- Jimi Hendrix took up professional guitar playing thanks to a parachuting related injury in the army.

- The world's smallest, playable guitar measures in at 10-millionths of a meter (about the size of a red blood cell).

- The great Stevie Ray Vaughan was born on October 3rd, 1954.

- Because of Eric Clapton leaving, Jeff Beck joined the Yardbirds in 1965.

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How well do you know about guitars? | guitar trivia [1]

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 11:09:45 PST

- Gibson submitted a design patent for the Flying V on June 27th, 1957.

- Despite the Great Depression, Gibson adjusted and produced the "Kalamazoo", an inexpensive flat-top guitar. Even as people were fighting to afford food, Gibson still lived on.

- In 1978, Fender began putting 5-way selector switches on their guitars for the first time. Fender guitars were previously shipped with a 3-way switch. Due to many customers taking, the liberty to rewire their guitars themselves in order to make the guitars much more versatile, Fender finally decided to just make the 5-way switch stock.

- In 1980, Leo Fender and George Fullerton started G&L Music Sales. Today, it is often said that G&L produces guitars of superior quality to Fender, which Leo founded decades before.

- Leo Fender was an interesting man to work for. No matter how good one did, it rarely met his standards. However, despite him driving his employees as hard as he did, they loved him. It has been said that some employees even worshipped him.

-Fender once pushed an ad campaign called "You won't part with yours either". In one ad for the campaign, a skydiver was featured while in free fall and holding a Fender guitar.

-The world's first store to sell guitars only opened in 1957 in Tarzana, near Los Angeles. The store was opened by the man with the idea, Ernie Ball.

- Danelectro was known quite well for their pickups which resemble lipstick cases. However, the pickups didn't actually resemble anything -- they literally were lipstick cases! They were bought from a cosmetic company and converted into pickups.

- In the 1950's and 1960's, Sears (yes -- the tool store) had their own brand of guitars! Sears guitars were actually Danelectro guitars with the Sears name on them. The Sears guitars were actually quite reliable, and inexpensive as well.

- An ad campaign to promote the Rich Bich (by B.C. Rich) featured a model in a controversial pose and was featured in Playboy. The poster itself sold over 30,000 copies, and generated enormous publicity for this otherwise little known company.

- Bernardo Chavez Rico, the founder of B.C. Rich, started his business (then called Bernardo's Valencian Guitar Shop) making classical and flamenco guitars.

- Clear-body guitars have been around for quite some time. The first was invented by Ampeg in 1969. Ampeg wanted to create a guitar with great sustain, and plastic was the best choice.

- Les Paul loved to experiment with guitars. His first "electric" guitar creation was made by jamming his mother's phonograph needle in to the top of a guitar. Believe it or not, it actually worked!

- No, Les Paul's first guitar wasn't a Les Paul. His first guitar was a Troubador flat-top acoustic from Sears.

- Les Paul, up until the early 1930's, played jazz under the alias "Rhubarb Red".

- Carvin got its name in 1946 when its founder, Lowell Kiesel, combined his two oldest sons' names, Carson and Gavin.

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Top 10 Guitar Effects

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:35:31 PST

brought to you by American Musical Supply

1.	Line 6 POD X3 Live Modeling Guitar Effects Processor	The Line 6 POD X3 Live represents the true evolution of the classic POD XT Live. The POD X3 Live features an expanded arsenal of 78 guitar amps, from high-wattage heavyweights to boutique beauties along with 24 guitar cabs, 98 stompbox and studio effects, 28 bass amps, 22 bass cabs and 6 vocal preamps. With the sonic firepower of a top-tier studio in a portable pedal board, the POD X3 live is an incredible value.
2.	Boss GT10 Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal	The Boss GT10 is a floorboard powerhouse that offers natural and musical response as well as a marked improvement in sound quality from previous generations. Loaded with tones of effects and an innovative user interface, the GT10 includes EZ Tone that allows guitarists to obtain the exact sound they desire in an extremely intuitive way.
3.	Digidesign Eleven Rack Guitar Effects and Amp Modeling Interface	A must have for any guitarist, the Eleven Rack combines the highest quality guitar effects with a pristine Pro Tools interface. Eleven Rack can be used as a standalone effects processor on stage or a Pro Tools interface with exquisite amp modes for the studio. The built-in amp models deliver the full depth, dimension, and response of a mic’d up rig giving you the experience of playing through the most coveted guitar amps in the world.
4.	Boss ME70 Guitar Multi Effects Pedal	The Boss ME70 is a multi-effects unit that is stompbox easy. The friendly, knob-laden design makes tone creation a snap, but with a powerful COSM amp section derived from the GT10, the ME70 takes the EZ effects concept to new heights.
5.	TC Electronic G System Limited Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal	G System is the first floor-based unit ever to offer both studio-quality guitar effects and advanced loop/routing facilities for external pedals and preamps. With a unique combination of 2 DSP sections, analog loops, amp switching, and 9VDC power outputs for external pedals, G-System is aimed at the experienced guitar player looking to complete his setup with the ultimate in quality, integration and flexibility.
6.	DigiTech RP1000 Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal	The control of your sound is imperative. The RP1000 gives you added control to express yourself the way you want – No longer will the lack of control stand in the way of your expression. The RP1000 features great sounding amp and cabinet models, internal and external effects switching system, built-in phrase looper, USB connection and much more.
7.	Boss RC20XL Loop Station Pedal	The Boss RC20XL allows musicians to create multi-layered performances in real time. Loops and riffs can be stacked repeatedly until the 16 minutes of ample recording space is full. Never before has it been so easy to create a massive one-person band sound in real time.
8.	Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler Pedal and Loop Sampler	The DL4 Delay is a programmable stomp box full of classic guitar effects, with the power and versatility of Line 6’s incredible digital modeling technology. The DL4 Delay Modeler has 3 programmable presets, a Tap Tempo switch and includes a Loop Sampler; Tube, Tape, Sweep, Multi-Head and Analog Echoes; Low Res, Rhythmic, Stereo, Ping Pong, Reverse, and Auto-Volume Delays.
9.	Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive Pedal	It's always been somewhat of a compromise using Overdrive pedals until now. The OCD is designed to replicate the dynamics and harmonic structure of an overdriven tube amp. The OCD pedal uses a unique multi-stage distortion circuit, as opposed to the more common diodes-in-feedback-loop/diodes-to-ground configurations. The designers at Fulltone made this pedal for themselves, but they'll let you use it too. And you'll love it!
10.	Line 6 M9 Stompbox Modeler	The Line 6 M9 Stompbox Modeler is powerful, portable and bursting with immortal stompbox effects. Its wide variety of vintage and modern tones makes it perfect on its own or an unrivalled addition to you pedal board. Featuring over 100 distinctive distortions, tangy choruses, syrupy sweet reverbs, and many other kinds of expressive effects. They combine under your feet to form an instant collection of stunning stompbox tones. More

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The world of guitar effects | Guitar Pedals

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:46:37 PST

DISTORTION

Pretty much self explanatory, distortion pedals make your guitar sound, well, distorted. Jimi Hendrix loved running several pedals in sequence, like a fuzz, a wah and a "Uni-Vibe" (which we'll discuss in a bit).

WAH PEDALS

Vox has reissued its classic wah pedal, while newer models are available from Tech 21 (the "Killer Wail") and Dunlop.

DELAY

Early rock music used tape-based delays to produce everything from fast "slapback" echoes to the wild, multiple delays produced by units such as Roland's Space Echo.

CHORUS

The original effect was produced by the Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, though later effects would add multiple detunings and delays to produce a rich, glossy animation.

FLANGER

Eventually, the effect was duplicated using advanced digital delays set to extremely short delay times and inverting the signal's phase.

PHASER

The groovy swirling effect is all over the first two Van Halen albums. Early Phasers were supposed to recreate the complex sound of a B-3 Leslie cabinet, which had a rotating horn and a spinning drum under a 15-inch woofer.

UNI-VIBE

Jimi Hendrix loved the original Uni-Vibe, which was sort of a rudimentary chorus effect with some detuning effect similar to vibrato.

COMPRESSOR

This is a classic studio effect that found its way into various stomp boxes in an effort to increase sustain. The earliest units were fairly noisy, but modern compressors have added noise gates that cut off the signal once it reaches a particular level.

AUTO-WAH
Best known in its earliest incarnation in the Mu-Tron III Envelope Follower, which was actually part auto-wah and part triggered filter.

MULTI-EFFECTS

The king of effects boxes is the multi-effect pedal, which can include everything above and a bunch of stuff that hasn't even been categorized yet. These are available in all flavors from basic to complex. And by complex, we mean chaining so many effects that it doesn't even sound like a guitar any more.

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How to tune-up guitars in harmonics?

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:18:03 PST

Guitarists often begin to tune-up in the following way: first tune the 4th harmonic of the low E string, the 3rd of the A string and the top E all to the same note. The figure at right shows the harmonic series on the two lowest strings.

Guitar tuning by harmonics.

(These are real pitches: guitar music is usually transposed up an octave.)

Next they tune the B string (B3) to the 3rd harmonic of the first (E2); then tune the 4th harmonic of the A string to the 3rd of the D string. This method cannot be extended succesfully to the G string because it is usually too thick and stiff, so it is better tuned by octaves, using the frets. For several reasons, this method of tuning is only approximate, and one needs to retune the octaves afterwards. The best tuning is usually a compromise that must be made after considering what chords you will be playing and where you are playing on the fingerboard.

(Reference: http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/strings.html)

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Guitar Effect Glossary

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:54:03 PST

Below is an alphabetical list of the most commonly used guitar effects with an explanation of how each one sounds or works.

If you have any suggestions of any effects missing from this glossary/dictionary, submit your words here by using the contact us form!

Automatic Double-Tracking - also known as ADT, a delay-based effect. An effect created using either a digital or analogue unit capable of producing a very fast single repeat of the input signal. This creates an effect often referred to as doubling.

Bypass - the act of switching the instrument signal to a route whereby it is not processed, most effects units/pedals can bypass a signal.

Chorus - another delay based effect in the region of 15 and 35 milliseconds. It simulates what happens when two guitars play the same part. Another type of doubling. But as with real-life double-tracking, there are always discriminations in the pitch and timing between parts - a chorus recreates this effect electronically. Most chorus effect units have controls to vary both the rate (modulation) and depth of the outputted signal.

Compressor - a signal averaging out effects unit. When using compression, quiet notes are boosted in volume, while louder signals - such as a heavily struck chord - are reduced in volume. This averages out the natural differences in level as you play, making finger-picking sound smoother, and giving a flowing feel to clean lead passages. Wide arrays of effects are achievable with a compressor, by adjusting the threshold and compression controls. For example, heavy compression will reduce the percussive front of a heavily picked note to give it a softer start; as the note fades, he unit increases volume, thus keeping the level constant.

Delay - when sound is reflected from a distant surface, a delayed version of the original signal is heard a short time later. Echo-units electronically recreate this natural effect, by either analogue or digital means. Solid-state units store the signal electronically; analogue devices pass the signal down a long chain until it is needed to produce the echo, while in digital unit?s the signal is stored in an encoded form until it is required, it is then decoded and used. Digital units can produce stereo delays, allowing multi-tapped signals to be played left, right and centre-stage. It is even possible to produce a ?ping-pong? delay, where the sound appears to bounce from side to side.

Digital effects - almost every effect can be produced digitally. When using digital effects, the signal is converted to a binary code - a series of ones and zeros - so that can be processed and then converted and played back as an analogue signal.

Distortion - when extra gain and distortion cannot be achieved by an amplifier, traditionally a distortion pedal (a fuzz-box/overdriver) is used. A clean signal is plugged in, and a distorted, sustaining sound is produced. The amount and type of distortion can be controlled on the effects unit. Some units include value based pre-amps to give good tone and dynamics coupled with genuine value overdrive. Digitally produced distortion, while very common, does not usually have the warmth of analogue valve based distortion and is often thought to be too harsh for the tastes of most guitarists.

Enhancers - this type of device processes an audio signal to improve the sound and definition. Early enhancers where known as ?aural exciters? and boosted a harmonic element in the music to produce a brighter effect. Other systems use phase correction to place signals precisely in phase so that frequencies are not lost as a result of phase cancellation.

Expander - the opposite effect of compression is called expansion. Used to create an increased dynamic range of a signal.

Flanger - a delay-based effect that originated with tape recorders. The tape was slowed down by pressing the fingers against the reel, and the sound produced was mixed together with the normal signal from a second tape. The flanging sound is created electronically by playing back a delayed signal (of up to 20 milliseconds) with a controlled pitch modulation, against the original track. Most modern day effects pedals can produce this effect.

Graphic equalizer - a device which controls the tone of a signal by splitting it into a spectrum of frequency-bands, allowing each band to be boosted or cut separately. The word ?graphic? refers to the fact that it is possible to see at a glance what particular ?shape? is being used. E.g. a V-shape boosts the top end, while the opposite response adds mid-range warmth. Only tonal emphasis can be changed, it is not possible to improve the basic quality of the tone.

Harmonizer - also known as the pitch-shifter. This effect has two main uses. It can enrich the sound of a guitar, using a harmonizer to add overtones which are in harmony with the original signal (sounds similar to chorus). The harmonizer can also generate a harmony note. Until recently, only fixed-interval harmonies were possible; however, modern electronics can intelligently adjust to produce specific user defined harmonies.

Leslie cabinet - the Leslie is a rotary speaker cabinet designed for use with an organ. In the 1960?s, players such as Jimi Hendrix found that by feeding the guitar signal though a Leslie cabinet they sound produce a delicate, ethereal sound. Nowadays the effect is electronically produced.

MIDI - stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. Developed in 1981 by the Sequential Circuits Company as a universal interfacing system for synthesizers and sequencers. MIDI is widely used within effects units as a way of controlling parameters or stored settings from either footswitches or sequencers.

Multi-effects units - a single unit that is capable of producing reverb, flanging, delay, chorus, phasing, harmonising, distortion and many other effects. These devices are usually digital, MIDI-controllable, and capable of chaining effects together and storing settings.

Octave divider - this analogue effect (an early forerunner of the harmonizer) added a single note either an interval of an octave above, or an octave below the original signal.

Panning - the location of a signal within a stereo field. It can also refer to the dynamic behaviour of the signal - for example, where echo repeats are panned from left to right.

Phasing - if two identical versions of a signal are ?out-of-phase?, so that the peaks in one coincide with the troughs in the other, the two signals will cancel each other out, leading - in theory - to silence. If the signals are partially out-of-phase a characteristic colouration to the sound will result. Phasing can be achieved electronically, the results varying from a mild ?whooshing? to sounds reminiscent of a jet plane.

Pre-amplifier - to help overload the input-stages of the amplifier, a ?pre-amp? can be used to generate extra gain. The pre-amp often acts as a tone control when used in conjunction with a main amplifier. It can also be used to boost the signal of an acoustic instrument when used with an amplifier.

Reverberation - a reverb unit mimics the natural effect of overlapping sound reflections caused by sound bouncing around an interior space such as a room. Spring reverb is the traditional effect built into many amplifiers, but digital reverb (offering fine control of all the parameters) is now more common.

Stereo chorus - this term can refer to a chorus effect that is panned over stereo outputs to give the impression of spatial movement. It can also describe the sound created by playing a dry signal through one channel and a chorused signal though the other.

Tape-echo - the traditional method of producing delay. The original signal is recorded on a tape and played back slightly later by one or more replay heads, giving either a single repeat or ?multi-tap? effects. Feeding the delayed signal back to the recording heads gives a heavily textured sound.

Tone pedal - see wah-wah pedal.

Treble booster - in the early 1960?s, many of the cheaper amplifiers and guitars lacked the top-end produced by high-quality equipment. To overcome this, small battery-powered treble boosters were used.

Tremolo - a rhythmic pulsing effect obtained by modulating the volume of the signal. It was built into many early combos, being relatively easy to engineer with valve circuitry, and could give anything from a fast rippling sound to a deep throbbing effect. Note: Fender always called their tremolo effect ?vibrato? - this is technically incorrect (see vibrato).

Vibrato - this effect is achieved by modulating the pitch of a signal. The sounds produced can vary from a subtle enhancement to an extreme variation. Early valve combos (such as the Vox AC30) offered vibrato as well as tremolo; however, the feature is more often seen on chorus pedals or digital multi-effects units.

Volume pedal - a passive device that allows the player to vary the volume of their instrument while performing. Its main use (apart from altering overall volume level) is as a ?swell? pedal; a particularly attractive effect may be achieved by eliminating the percussive attack at the beginning of notes and chords letting them ?float in?. Also works well with string-bends and harmonics.

Wah-wah pedal - a foot operated tone control which became popular in the late 1960?s. When the pedal is flat, a high-treble sound is produced; raising the pedal gradually increases the bass sound. It can be used in several different ways: rocking it gently backwards and fords while playing produces a ?talking guitar? effect or a soft wah sound, while a fast, chopping effect is used by many funk players. It can also be set to an in-between, position, to select a certain tone. MIDI-controlled, rack-mounted auto wah devices are also available.

Retrieved from http://www.guitartools.co.uk/lessons/guitarist-tool-kit/guitar-effect-glossary

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Guitar Effects Information Beyond Basics

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:54:41 PST

Guitar Effects Explained

by Mark Starlin

The topic of guitar effects is a huge one. There are many types of guitar effects available for the guitarist, and players always seem to be searching for a better model. In this article I will attempt to explain (in layman's terms) what each type of effect does and how they are typically used. I’ll also list some recommended pedals for each type of effect.

Effects Are Everywhere

Many guitarists say they don’t use effects, but unless you are playing an acoustic guitar unplugged, you are using effects. An amplifier of any type (acoustic or electric) is really a guitar effect — it affects your tone. We usually don’t think of amps as being effects but they really are. Amplifiers can take you from clean to high gain overdriven tones. Many amplifiers also have additional effects built-in, such as reverb or tremolo (some even have digital effects). They may not be pedals, but they are effects. Having said that, the focus on this article will mainly be effects pedals.

Effects Units

There are three main types of effects units: single effects pedals, multi-effects pedals, and rack effects units. Excluding rack units, most effects pedals are also affectionately called “stomp boxes” by guitar players because they sit on the floor and you step on their switches to turn them on and off or change sounds. Rack units are usually high-end gear mainly used in studios, although some pros have been known to tour with huge racks of gear. Most guitar players, however, tend to stick with floor units.

With single effects units you have the advantage of being to able to choose each effect type individually, so you can choose the best effects unit in each category to suit your tastes. The disadvantage is you usually are stuck with only one setting for each effect when playing live. To change settings, you have to squat down and physically turn knobs — not too cool during a gig.

Multi-effects units have the advantage of being programmable (most units) so you can create patches that contain multiple effects chains and settings that can be called up via footswitches. Plus the units are usually fairly compact. You can usually get by with just a single multi-effects on many gigs. The disadvantage is (depending on the multi-effects unit) you don’t get to choose the individual effects unit (or quality) or sometimes the order of effects. You get what’s in the box.

Rack mounted effects units are usually very high quality (and expensive) and offer many patches and significant programmability. The disadvantage is they require a separate rack unit to hold them and then some form of additional foot controller (usually MIDI) to control them when using them live.

Setups

There are probably as many different ways to setup effects as there are guitarists, but let’s look at some common ones. Probably the most common method of using effect is simply using a group of single effects units, in a chain, that run into the input of an amp. Many amps now feature an effects loop that places the effects after the preamp stage so the effects color the amp tone instead of the amp coloring the effects tone. Each has its own advantages. Try both and see which you like best.

If you gig on a regular basis, plugging in and unplugging several effects gets to be a hassle. At this stage many players get a dedicated pedalboard to which effects can be attached using Velcro strips and left plugged in. You then simply need to plug your guitar into the pedalboard and the pedalboard into the amp.

I personally use a combination of one multi-effects unit and two single effects units. The bulk of my effects come from a multi-effects unit which fairly compact. I then add a wah and a volume pedal. I get most of my overdrive (or distortion) effects from my amp and combine that with the effects from my multi-effects unit. This setup is compact and quick to setup and tear down. Plus it all fits in a my gig bag.

Some pros use a rackmount system (usually including rack units and shelves with stompboxes) which are often kept backstage. They then use foot controllers (often custom made) to control the effects. This is very cool, but also very expensive, and a lot of gear to haul around.

Combining Effects

Effects units can, and often are, used individually, but the real magic starts when you begin to combine effects. Possibilities are nearly endless and it is quite fun to try different combinations out. Almost any clean effect sounds good when mixed with some overdrive. A little reverb or delay can make most effects sound even better. Try unexpected combinations and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Effect Types

The column at the right contains links to individual effects types. Each effect will be explained, in layman terms, with audio examples. Some may contain techniques, such as the wah, or suggested settings and combinations with other effects. I will also list some highly rated units for each type.

Using effects will open up a whole new world of tonal colors and can be very inspiring. Let’s start exploring...

Retrieved from http://www.betterguitar.com/equipment/effects/effects_explained/effects_explained.html

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Gibson Standardized Serial Number System

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:42:25 PST

In 1975, Gibson standardized the serial number system that is still in use today. An eight digit (or 9 digit after July 2005) number on the back shows the date on which the instrument was produced, where it was produced and its order of production that day (e.g. first instrument stamped that day, second, third, fourth etc). The serial numbers are deciphered using the following system:

YDDDYRRR

YY is the production year

DDD is the day of the year the guitar was stamped

RRR is the production order/plant designation number

Production order/plant designation numbers numbers are as follows:

001-499 Kalamazoo, Michigan (1975-1984)

500-999 Nashville, Tennessee (1975-1990)

001-299 Bozeman, Montana (after 1989)

300-999 Nashville, Tennessee (after 1990)

For example, the serial number 90992487 means that the instrument was produced on the 99th day of 1992 (Wednesday 8 April) in Nashville, TN and that it was the 487th instrument stamped that day.

In July 2005 Gibson introduced a 9 digit serial number system. The system is largely the same as the 8 digit system used before, however the 6th digit now represents the batch number. The first 5 and last 3 digits remain the same.

An exception is the year 1994, Gibson's Centennial Year: Many 1994 serial numbers start with "94", followed by a 6-digit production number.

Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_Guitar_Corporation

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The First Gibson Electrics

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:05:01 PST

By the time Gibson began work on its first electric guitar, the company had a 40-year tradition of quality and innovation to uphold. The first Gibson electric had to be nothing less than the best electric guitar the world had ever seen.

In the spring of 1935, Gibson enlisted musician Alvino Rey to help develop a prototype pickup with engineers at the Lyon & Healy company in Chicago. Later that year, research was moved in-house, where Gibson employee Walter Fuller came up with the final design. Gibson introduced the distinctive hexagonal pickup on a lap steel model in late 1935. The pickup was installed on an F-hole archtop guitar, dubbed the ES-150 (ES for Electric Spanish), and the first one shipped from the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on May 20, 1936.

Was the ES-150 the best electric guitar that guitarists in 1936 had ever seen? Jazz musician Charlie Christian, who would establish the electric guitar as an instrument with its own unique voice, thought so. Sixty years later, the Gibson ES-150 is still known as the Charlie Christian model, and some jazz players consider the ES-150's "Charlie Christian" pickup to be the best jazz pickup ever made.

The ES-150's success was a double-edged sword, establishing Gibson as the foremost maker of electric guitars but at the same time challenging Gibson to top this monumental achievement. After a production break for World War II, Gibson did just that.

Retrieved from http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Support/AboutUs/

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Turning New Strings Up to Pitch

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:16:43 PST

Here's a tip from the pros…

After installing a new set, take a few moments to stretch and fully seat the new strings. Here's how:

Start on the low E string by placing your left hand index finger on the string at the first fret. Use your right hand to grasp the string and gently tug on the string back and forth a couple of times. Now move your fretting finger up to the second fret and repeat the tugging part. Continue this routine until your fretting hand gets to the 12th fret. Now retune the string and repeat as necessary. Be sure to do this for all six strings.

Once you've got the strings stretched, fine tune all strings by starting in the middle of the guitar with the D (4th) string. Tune the D string then move up to the G (3rd) string. Once the G is in tune, go back and touch up the D string. Check the G string, then move on to the B string. Get the B in tune, then recheck the others. Now tune the A string, followed by touch ups on the previously tuned strings. Finally, tune both E strings and recheck all six strings and you're ready to play!

Retrieved from Elixir® Strings Tips & Tricks

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Guitar/Buying a Guitar

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:05:16 PST

There are two things that hold true, whether you are buying a guitar or an amplifier:

A guitar that doesn't get played is worthless at any price.
There is no such thing as bad tone; There are only tones that you may not like.

A common six-stringed acoustic guitar.

A guitar is an excellent instrument for almost anyone. A guitar that is difficult to play is not a good choice for a beginner. While it takes dedication to learn, if the guitar is comfortable for the player, it is easier to learn.

Whether you are buying an entry level guitar for yourself or a parent buying a beginner's guitar for a child; it is not worth spending any money on a guitar that the player won't enjoy. How the guitar feels in the player's hands is more important than how it looks hanging up in a store, and the key to learning to play is being excited about playing.

Be careful about buying a guitar for a person that already plays, unless you know exactly what they want. The best course of action is to buy the guitar with the person. Players who have played long enough know what they like and what they don't like. If it is not possible to shop with the guitarist, then the best option is to give them a gift certificate.

Always remember (and this will be obvious after playing a few dozen guitars) every single guitar is different. Even if the guitar is exactly the same make and model and color, it may play completely differently than the next. This is because wood is an organic material and is subject to variation and also the way a shop or manufacturer sets up a guitar may add to the differences. This means in some cases one guitar will be great and another seemingly identical guitar will be a dud.

Retrieved from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Guitar:Buying_a_Guitar

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Vintage Guitar Collecting Trivia

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:24:09 PST

There is something special about musical instruments of a certain age. Guitars built from the mid 1950s until the late 1970s are generally held in high esteem; techniques and materials, particularly pre-1970 were vastly superior to todays 'mass-produced' standards. The musical revolutions occuring during this period created the first well-known guitar heroes, and gave their guitars iconic status.

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Bass Guitar

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:32:50 PST

The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; pronounced /ˈbeɪs/, as in "base") is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb (either by plucking, slapping, popping, tapping, or thumping), or by using a plectrum.

The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and scale length, with a four, some with five, or six strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, which correspond to pitches one octave lower than those of the four lower strings of a guitar (E, A, D, and G). The bass guitar is a transposing instrument, as it is notated in bass clef an octave higher than it sounds (as is the double bass) in order to avoid the excessive use of ledger lines. Like the electric guitar, the electric bass guitar is plugged into an amplifier and speaker for live performances.

Since the 1950s, the electric bass guitar has largely replaced the double bass in popular music as the bass instrument in the rhythm section. While the types of basslines performed by the bass guitarist vary widely from one style of music to another, the bass guitarist fulfills a similar role in most types of music: anchoring the harmonic framework and laying down the beat. The bass guitar is used in many styles of music including rock, metal, pop, country, blues, and jazz. It is used as a soloing instrument in jazz, fusion, Latin, funk, and in some rock and metal (mostly technical death metal and progressive metal) styles.

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Breaking Guitar Strings

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:32:37 PST

Top ten reasons for breaking guitar strings

1. How long have the strings been in use? The longer strings have been on your instrument the greater chance there is of them breaking.

2. The strings are over tightened and there is too much tension on them.

3. If a string has a bend or kink in it then the possibility of breakage is increased.

4. If you have a heavy hand when you strum this can cause the durability of the guitar strings to be lessoned.

5. Using the wrong pick weight may be causing trouble.

6. What string size are you using, light, medium or heavy gauge?

7. If you put too much pressure on the strings when you are stretching them.

8. The brand of guitar strings makes all the difference in the world.

9. If you have a rough spot on your bridge or sharp edges on the tuning pegs this can cause the strings to be weekend.

10. Twelve string style guitars have extra light gauge wires.

It took me a while to realize that sometimes you get what you pay for. When my guitar strings keep breaking, something aint right. Although I was using a very good brand name of strings, that were cheaper than the rest,. this didn't mean that they were a quality product. My logic was that if they were Martins they must be good, wrong. I finally got wise after I realized that no matter what I did they still would break. So I changed to the Dean Markley brand and that put an end to the trials. It wasn't until ten years later I began to try the Elixirs. I have now settled in on the D'Addario brand and am please with the results that I am getting.

Retrieved from http://www.riffsguitarsales.com/whyguitarstringsbreak.html

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The 6 strings of a guitar

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:01:36 PST

This information is for 6 string guitars only, not 4,5,6,7,8,12, etc. stringed instruments.

How to find the string numbers:

pick up guitar as you would to play it.
the string closest to the ground is string number 1.
It should be the thinnest, highest pitch string.
the string closest to the ceiling is string number 6.
It should be the thickest, lowest pitch string.
string diameters should gradually go from thick to thin
(ceiling to floor, low to high in pitch, the string numbers from 6 to 1)

This method will work whether you hold your guitar left or right handed. (right handed is the most common)

NOTE: Most guitarists refer to string #1 as the top string, even though physically it is on the bottom.
We say this because, MUSICALLY it is higher in pitch.

For the same reason, the 6th string is the bottom string because its the lowest sounding string.

Parts of Guitar

Front View

Top View

The string names:

NOTE: Don't be fooled by the way I ordered the strings. This is not a mirror image of your guitar. The strings are written in this order for musical reasons and it's the standard TAB way of writing them.

string 1 = high E  (highest pitch, thinnest string, closest to ground)
string 2 = B
string 3 = G
string 4 = D
string 5 = A

How to buy an individual string:

To walk into a music store and order the exact replacement string, you need to know 3 things-

1 If your guitar is electric or acoustic. This should be straight forward. If unsure, bring your guitar in to the music store and they should know. ( I have used electric strings on an acoustic, it wasn't as loud but had a softer touch )
1b Some acoustics (classical) use nylon strings. Know if your acoustic uses nylon or metal strings.

2 What the string number and name is.

3 What the string diameter is.

The string diameter of each string should be listed on an old pack of strings. If you don't have an old pack of strings, I recommend buying a whole new set (all 6 strings) and starting with a fresh new set on your guitar.

There are different gauges to buy, so if your unsure here's my recommendations (remember this is only my opinion - others may disagree)

For electrics try a pack with string #1 (high E) .009mm in diameter.
For Acoustics try .011mm as the high E string.
( the rest of the strings will follow accordingly )

Another name for the above sets of strings are electric 9's or acoustic 11's.

I choose these because they are a light gauge and easy on the fingers, but not too light that they'll bend out of tune easily. You'll get to know what you like in time - different guitars and different people need different strings.


string 6 = low E   (lowest pitch, thickest string, closest to ceiling)

The name of the string also represents what note it sounds. Ex. To play a B note, just play the 2nd string open.

Retrieved from http://www.cuug.ab.ca/~lukivr/String.html

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Nylon Guitar String

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:14:44 PST

Albert Augustine Ltd. is the originator of and currently a manufacturer of nylon classical guitar strings.In addition, the company supports the classical guitar and guitarists by presenting several annual New York guitar series at the Manhattan School of Music, the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute and other important venues, by commissioning hundreds of original solo and chamber music works and concertos from some of the foremost contemporary composers, by donating thousands of dollars for scholarships, special artist's projects and guitar festivals, and by publishing Guitar Review magazine.

Development of the nylon guitar string

In the mid 1940s, Andres Segovia mentioned the shortage of good guitar strings in the United States, particularly his favorite Pirastro catgut strings, to a number of foreign diplomats at a party, including General Lindeman of the British Embassy. A month later, the General presented Segovia with some nylon strings which he had obtained via some members of the DuPont family. Segovia found that although the strings produced a clear sound, they had a faint metallic timbre which he hoped could be eliminated.

Nylon strings were first tried on stage by Olga Coelho in New York in January, 1944.

In 1946, Segovia and Augustine were introduced by their mutual friend Vladimir Bobri, editor of Guitar Review. On the basis of Segovia's interest and Augustine's past experiments, they decided to pursue the development of nylon strings. DuPont, skeptical of the idea, agreed to supply the nylon if Augustine would endeavor to develop and produce the actual strings. After three years of development, Augustine demonstrated a nylon first string whose quality impressed guitarists, including Segovia, in addition to DuPont.

Wound strings, however, were more problematic. Eventually, however, after experimenting with various types of metal and smoothing and polishing techniques, Augustine was also able to produce high quality nylon wound strings.

Retrieved from http://wikipedia.org

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String Fundamentals

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:15:03 PST

There are some basics you just need to know about strings. They can help you keep from damaging your guitar and can also make it easier to play or even sound better.

You may remember from a past physics class that a vibrating body generates sound by creating sound waves. One that vibrates at a constant frequency generates a musical tone (if it is within our hearing range). Guitar strings are made to maximize their potential to vibrate in different ways.

The thickness of a string is called its gauge. In general, the thicker a string, the lower it will sound. That is why the lower sounding strings such as 6 and 5 (see diagram above) are thicker than strings 1 or 2, although they are all the same length.
The tension on a string determines its pitch. You can hear this when you tune your guitar. The looser the string, the lower the pitch. Sets of guitar strings are manufactured so that each string will have approximately the same tension so that they feel consistent to the player.
The length of a string affects the pitch as well. If you have two guitars with different length necks, and you put the same gauge of strings on both, the one with the longer neck will require more tension to reach the same pitch. This may not make it more difficult to play since the tension is distributed over a longer distance.
The material that the string is made of will affect its sound. A heavier material will also require more tension. Some strings are made to keep a bright tone longer, while others are made to interact with an electric guitar pickup more effectively.
A larger, heavier string displaces more air than a thin one, but this is offset somewhat by our tendency to hear higher sounds louder. Also, most of the sound we hear comes from the top of an acoustic guitar or through the pickups of an electric.

So how does this help you shop for strings?

When you buy a guitar, ask the salesperson what gauge of strings are on it. If there is any doubt, email the manufacturer and ask what gauge they put on the guitar, as well as which ones they recommend. The wrong gauge could possibly void your warranty.

If you find your guitar too hard to play, consider buying lighter gauge strings. Go just one gauge lighter to try this out. For example, if your top string's gauge is .013, try a set with a .012 on top. This small change may make all the difference. (Because you have not changed the length of the strings, you will need less tension for a thinner string.

There is a tradeoff with using lighter strings though - they may make your guitar sound thinner. If this is not something you hear when you change the strings, it may not be a big problem.

On the flip side, if you are not happy with the sound of your guitar, you may improve the richness and volume of its sound by going to a slightly thicker gauge. Buying a new set of strings is a much cheaper alternative to buying a new guitar.

Knowing string gauges is the most reliable way to buy strings. The use of terms like light, medium, and heavy is not standardized. At least know the gauge of your first (top, highest sounding) string.

Wipe your strings after playing to make them last longer. The oils and acids in your fingers will damage the strings and make them wear out. Also, wash your hands before you play.

Used Guitar Strings

Be sure to change your strings when they wear out. Old strings make a good guitar sound bad.

Retrieved from http://davewalkermusic.com

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How to change your guitar strings using the "tie" method

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:08:04 PST

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Types of Guitar Strings

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:02:48 PST

Guitar strings fall into either the coated or uncoated category. Coated strings are where the wound strings(usually the 6th, 5th, 4th, and 3rd) are coated with some sort of protective material to help them maintain that bright new sound longer. This is because with the coating dirt, skin oils, and other stuff cannot build up in between the string windings, which is what deadens the string. Different companies coat their strings differently, Elixer being the first company to come out with such a product.

Coated strings generally feel slicker out of the box than regular strings, which some folks don’t like. They do tend to minimize string squeaks though. Elixers seem to have a thicker coating than other strings, and to me that seems to give them a more mellow, fat tone when compared to the bright and crispness of regular strings. Its not good or bad, just something different.

Uncoated guitar strings fall into a lot of different categories. Lets check em out.

Phosphor Bronze – Probably the most common type of acoustic guitar string, they were introduced by the Diadarrio Company in 1974. They have a bright, warm, and balanced.

80/20 Bronze – The original steel guitar string. So called because they are made up of 80% copper and 20% tin. Some folks think 80/20’s to be brighter initially.

Silk and Steel – These combine a copper wrap with silk for a mellow tone and easier fretting with the left hand due to the silk. They are not near as loud as all metal strings, and may work well for smaller body guitars that have a more intimate sound.

Nylon – Nylon strings are for classical guitars. They have much less tension at full pitch, and a nice warm round tone. They are only really appropriate on classical guitars, so if you are not sure what kind of guitar you have, take it into a guitar store and ask.

Flatwound Strings – On flatwound strings the outer wire wrapping is square instead of round, so once wrapped the surface of the string is much smoother. This allows less dirt and gunk to build up, which makes the string last longer. I have not played on them much myself, but folks seem to say that flatwound strings have a different tone than regular round wound strings.

So now that you have a different idea of the various types of strings go try some of them out. I would say the majority of acoustic guitars use Phosphoer Bronze, 80/20’s, or one of the many coated strings out there. Different guitars may sound better with different strings. In the past i mostly used coated strings, either Elixers or Diadarrio EXP’s. However, on my present guitar it seems to sound best with regular phosphor bronze strings.

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Pimp your Guitar

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:02:13 PST

Pimp your Guitar

Click here to play this game

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10 reasons why the guitar is the best instrument in the world

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:20:08 PST

10. Guitar is portable. You can take that guitar anywhere in the world. Just sling it on your back and go! The music goes with you everywhere. This is a big strike against the piano, organ and drums.

9. Guitar is Heteroponic. That doesn't mean that boy guitar's are attracted to girl guitars, it means that it plays more than one note at a time. Actually, the guitar is also capable of homophic and polyphonic music as well. Keyboard instruments also have this quality but guitar is still better (see point #1)

8. Guitar is capable of flexible tuning. You can tune a guitar's strings to alternate scales or bend notes to create micro-tones. Unless you have a bend wheel on your piano, good luck with this one.

7. Guitar is the most universal instrument across cultures and genres. Guitar or something like it (plucked strings, a reverberating body, and a neck with or without frets) can be found in almost every culture of the world. Guitar can be heard in heavy metal music, classical, jazz, R&B, bluegrass, you name it.

6. Guitar is a social instrument and yet a solitary instrument. You can play all by yourself or you can play in any size ensemble (especially if you have a big enough amp).

5. Guitar has the most number of toys to upgrade it. There are hundreds of different effects, cables, picks, straps, amps, cases, pedal boards, processors, and other bells and whistles that can be added to your rig.

4. Guitar is the most bang for your buck. It is possible to buy guitars that are more expensive than your house, but they are fundimentally the exact same instrument that you can go out to Wal-ly World and buy for less than $100.

3. Guitar is the instrument with the widest range of timbers. That means it has the most variety of quality's of sound that can be produced. Guitar can be soft and tender or loud and harsh. It can create sensative vibrato like a wind instrument or can be thumped and slapped like a percussion instrument.

2. Guitar is the easiest instrument to learn. You can literally be playing chords on the guitar in a matter of hours.

and the number 1 reason why guitar is the best instrument in the world...

Chicks dig it.

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Choosing a guitar pick

noreply@blogger.com (vF) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:29:59 PST

First, what kind of pick should you use? This is really a matter of personal taste. After you have been playing for a little while, I would start experimenting with different shapes and gauges. But if you are just starting out, I would use a standard size, and a medium thickness. You may want to look for a brand of pick that has a little bit of a texture to it. If a pick is glossy and completely smooth, you may have trouble hanging on to it. Especially if your hand sweats. The pick will just slide around between your fingers. Another option is to take a piece of fine sand paper, and "rough up" your picks a little. This will give you a little more grip on the pick.

Here are some other things that you might look for in a pick. Look for smooth edges. Sometimes poorly made picks have a rough edge. You can see excess plastic or nylon hanging off of it. This will just cause your picking to have a rougher sound. Make sure the pick is flat. You will find that some picks are warped, so give them the once over to make sure that they are flat.

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