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“Sound” Advice on Guitars as Christmas Gifts

admin — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:58:55 +0000

Guitars are sold everywhere this holiday season. But be wary: Don't go and buy the cheapest thing you see or pick up the first instrument you find.

Local instrument experts say you should consider these things whether you're buying a guitar.

Whether your son or daughter is trying to shred like Metallica or play Bob Dylan covers, here's what to look for:

In general
For beginners, many guitars come in packages that include everything you need to start learning to play.
Electric guitar packages come with the guitar, an amplifier, a strap, extra strings, picks, a carrying bag and an instructional DVD or book or both.
Acoustic guitar packages come with the guitar, bag, strap, strings, picks and instructional material. Some stores also offer another acoustic package that comes with an amplifier for an additional $30.
Packages come from a multitude of manufacturers and cost at least $200 for an electric guitar and $149 and up for an acoustic.
Individual instruments can be had for less than the price of the packages. An acoustic guitar will cost at least $100. An electric guitar will cost around $110 and up.

Acoustic or electric?
What's better for a beginner: an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar?
It's one of the most commonly asked questions at guitar stores, but the answer isn't clear cut.
One isn't necessarily better to play or easier to learn than the other. It's a stylistic choice.
If the person playing the instrument wants to learn country, folk, worship or other music, an acoustic guitar is generally the better choice. For rock 'n' roll, an electric is generally better, said Dan Sullivan, pro shop manager at Dietze Music.
And for those parents worrying that the noise from an electric guitar will shake the walls, be not afraid. The amps in the starter packages mentioned above are usually only a meager 10 watts.
“They're not that loud. And they all come with headphone jacks,” Sullivan said.

Guitar stand
Those nifty packages come with everything. Everything but somewhere to put your guitar when you're not using it. You can pick up a simple guitar stand anywhere for under $20.

Size
Sometimes kids need small-sized guitars because they're not big enough to comfortably play a full-size guitar.
Children can benefit from playing a smaller guitar, but it depends on the child's height. Someone at a store can help you pick the right size, said Hoyle of Russo's.
At age 11 or 12, it might be a good idea to buy a full-size guitar even if the child isn't quite big enough to play it yet since they'll quickly outgrow a small-size guitar.

Strings and picks
Guitar strings come in all kinds of styles and from many manufacturers.
For a beginner, it's best to use a light to medium gauge string. The lighter strings are easier for a beginner to press down and play notes.
As for picks, they come in countless shapes, sizes and thicknesses. Again, it's better for a beginner to use a thinner, lighter gauge pick. They're easier to use and require less finesse than a thicker pick, Hoyle said.

Amplifiers and pedals
The Foo Fighters might have them, but a beginner doesn't need an enormous amplifier.
If you're not buying as part of a package, a 10- or 15-watt amp is perfect for a beginner. Many by Marshall and Fender have both clean and distorted channels in order to play a variety of different styles.
For a higher price, some amps have multiple effects that can make a guitar sound like practically any guitarist you admire.
“You want to be Eddie Van Halen on the spot? Just push a button,” Hoyle said.

Lessons
It used to be that you had two options: Take lessons or fumble around and try to teach yourself.
“I'm self-taught,” Hoyle said. “When I started, I watched people play or listened to the album and pulled the needle back and listened again to figure out a part.”

A few more options exist today on the Web. Many sites are dedicated to teaching guitar with videos, sheet music and tablature that can help you learn a plethora of songs.

Still, the experts say getting one-on-one time with an instructor and being able to ask questions is important.
“There's a lot of cool stuff on the Internet. There's a treasure trove of information,” Sullivan said. “(But) lessons are the optimum way to do it.”

Teachers can give students direction and guidance and teach them a guitar philosophy that you can't get from a computer, Hoyle said.
Instructors at local stores teach on acoustic and electric guitars in a variety of styles and offer lessons to almost any age. Children can start as young as 6 years old.

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Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:46:16 +0000

A great first guitar! Voted #1 in a poll conducted by MusicRadar on the “Best Acoustic Guitar under $600."

A solid spruce top and rosewood back and sides produce the perfect sonic mix.

The Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar has the ultimate combo for projection and pure tone. The expertly braced spruce top speaks clearly atop the rosewood body. It has a rosewood fingerboard, rosewood bridge, die-cast tuners, body and neck binding, and a tortoise pickguard.

Yamaha FG730S Solid Top Acoustic Guitar Features:
• Solid Sitka spruce top
• Rosewood back and sides
• Rosewood fingerboard
• Rosewood bridge
• White/black body and neck binding
• Die-cast tuners
• Tortoise pickguard
• Limited lifetime warranty

The level of detail and craftsmanship found in the 730S places this guitar in a class above the rest in this price range. Get yours today.

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A beginner’s guide to the acoustic guitar

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:46:42 +0000

An acoustic guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is played by picking the strings with fingers or a plectrum. The vibration of the strings creates the sound, which is then made louder acoustically inside the guitar's hollow body or sound box. Further amplification is sometimes needed for performances and this is usually achieved by playing the instrument into a microphone, although some acoustic guitars do feature pickups, allowing them to be plugged in to an amp in a similar way to an electric guitar.

There are several different types of acoustic guitar available, catering for different styles of music. Classical guitars - sometimes referred to as concert or Spanish - typically feature six nylon strings and are generally used to play classical music. They are often plucked as opposed to strummed and have a flat fretboard profile. They produce a more mellow sound than acoustics with steel strings, which are both louder and brighter.

Different types of acoustic guitar
The three main types of acoustic guitar shape are dreadnoughts, cutaways and round backs. The dreadnought, which has a bell-like body, was developed by famous manufacturer CF Martin & Company and has gone on to be considered the standard acoustic guitar shape. Cutaways have an indentation in the body next to the bottom of the guitar neck to make it easier for guitarists to play the lower part of the fingerboard. Round back models have a rounded as opposed to flat back, which is considered to create a clearer and brighter sound.
Acoustic guitars available on the market.

A starter instrument, such as the Concert Acoustic Guitar can be bought from £39.99. Designed for those on a budget, the instrument is particularly good for smaller players. It produces a mellow and balanced tone and features a compensated bridge to assist with intonation. It is considered to be ideal for finger-picking and playing acoustic blues music.

The Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar, which is also geared towards beginners, is available for the same price. The larger instrument has a full and balanced tone and boasts high levels of playability and response in addition to the compensated bridge.

Electro-acoustic guitars, which feature pickups, are marginally more expensive, with the Round Back Acoustic Guitar available for £65. The slimline instrument has a cutaway feature and produces warm and clear tones in addition to having a great feel. It is designed with live performance in mind, with the aim of minimising problems with feedback when the instrument is amplified.

Boasting similar features and the same price is the Single Cutaway Electro Acoustic Guitar, which has a well-balanced acoustic sound that is also designed to sound great through an amp.

Further up the price range and for those looking to advance is the Washburn D46S Acoustic Guitar. The dreadnought instrument costs £299 and is thought to be unrivalled in its price range for its richness of feel and the quality of wood used in its build.

At the top of the price range is the Yamaha LJX6C Solid Top Jumbo Acoustic for £675. With a solid spruce top, cutaway rosewood back and sides and a two-way pick-up with pre-amp system, the instrument is built with the modern guitarist in mind, producing a controlled and assertive tone and a strong mid-range.

Other things to consider when buying an acoustic guitar
Those looking to buy an acoustic guitar and start playing straight away may be interested in the Dreadnought Guitar + Accessory Pack, which comes with a spare set of strings and gig bag for £49.99. Other popular accessories include guitar polish, picks and tuners, while those with electro-acoustics will probably find a practice amp to be useful. Full amplifiers will likely be needed for those looking to play live.

Yamaha LLX6A Acoustic Guitar Review

admin — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:34:49 +0000

How good can a non-cutaway electro be at this price?

Dave Durban, Guitarist

Unlike cutaways, there's not as large a selection of non-cutaway electros and, attracted to the style, we wondered if we could get a high quality guitar of this type without going into four figures. Yamaha has just such a contender: the LLX6A.

The LLX6A marks the entry-point into Yamaha's prestigious LLX electro range. Models LLX26 and LLX36 represent the top-end of the series, with the LLX36 coming in at a whopping £3,779.

But this is no low-end, entry level guitar – on first impression the LLX6A certainly had us admiring its seemingly flawless Chinese construction and expensive aesthetics. It's easy to see why – Yamaha's Chinese facilities share similar construction methods to the revered Japanese Music Craft facility, but make use of reduced labour costs, less costly materials and faster building techniques.

"Rich tones and a boutique, old-school Gibson-ish vibe all at a very reasonable price."

The curvaceous dreadnought (which Yamaha refers to as a 'jumbo') marries an Engelmann spruce top with laminate rosewood back and sides, edged with a vintage-looking cream binding that also appears along the dark ebony fretboard, headstock and heel.

Yamaha has tweaked the LLX6A's shape; giving a slimmer waist and shorter, rounder shoulders than seen on a traditional dread, ditto the lower bout. As a result the LLX6A, not least in its sunburst finish, offers a very 'in vogue' vintage Gibson vibe.

Indeed the smooth gloss tobacco brown sunburst exudes boutique quality, but if it's not to your taste, the guitar is available in three other finishes. Other visual treats include an immaculately presented abalone soundhole rosette, abalone three-dot 12th fret marker and gold-plated enclosed tuners.

A traditional width neck with a smooth satin finish feels very manageable, with a round 'C' profile. And while the string spacing is relatively narrow, in typical Yamaha style, after a few minutes we settled right into a finger-picking groove.

The guitar is stage-ready too, fitted with Yamaha's ART System 57CB, which equates to a three-way pickup system that comprises two side-by-side contact pickups under the saddle, with two additional circular transducer 'sub' pickups placed under bass and treble ends of the ebony bridge.

The main pickups are controlled via the master volume on the rim-mounted preamp, while the two 'sub' pickups have separate bass and treble volume controls. On top of this we also have a three-band EQ and an on-board chromatic tuner, which although accurate and easy to read, doesn't mute the output signal when engaged.

Sounds
Despite its diminutive dreadnought style, the LLX6A projects much more than we expected. The bottom end is smooth and rich, having a soft appeal when attacked with the fingers. The mids are strident while the tight top end adds just enough sparkle and definition for that sweet yet precise Yamaha tone.

On plugging in, we find our most natural and transparent electro tone with the EQ set flat and the 'sub' pickup controls just a touch over halfway. Here the sound is mellow without being too soft or lacking in projection – a naturally uncluttered and sweet amplified tone.

The mid EQ slider is broad in its range – a slight boost really pronounces the mids while the bass EQ conjures a pleasant soft sweep that doesn't become overly boomy, but will quickly become woolly if overdone. The treble slider is also very active and, with too keen a hand, can verge on becoming rather glassy: less is definitely more.

The 'sub' volumes act almost as light and dark controls. Adjusting the bass clockwise darkens up the sound adding, for example, extra warmth when running direct into a PA. The treble adds a brighter edge to proceedings – or a great deal of presence if desired – which works particularly well when in a band mix where the LLX6A can really cut through.

Non-cutaway electro dreadnoughts are rather thin on the ground at this price point, so the LLX6A not only represents the best of what Yamaha can bring to the market, but is also a testament to what a well-managed and well-equipped Chinese manufacturer can produce.

The only issues we experienced were with the preamp: engaging the tuner doesn't mute the output signal and there are no feedback control facilities, which some might see as essential for live work. Even so, the LLX6A marries rich tones and a boutique, old-school Gibson-ish vibe all at a very reasonable price. Definitely a class act.

Verdict
The LLX6A combines Yamaha's detailed build with rich and expressive tones and a boutique-like old school vibe: a serious contender.