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Robert Pattinson Autographs Guitar for eBay Auction Benefiting The Midnight Mission in Los Angeles

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:35:55 +0000

Robert Pattinson Autographs Guitar for eBay Auction Benefiting The Midnight Mission in Los Angeles
Better known for his acting work as Twilight's Edward Cullen, Robert Pattinson also has a passion for music. He's had a two songs on a Twilight soundtrack, but has spent most of his time focusing on his acting career, despite his desire to release his own album. So it's no surprise to find out that at the end of last year he was spotted strumming vintage guitars at Norman's Rare Guitars in Tarzana. Owner Norman Harris couldn't help but recognize just who was playing the vintage Fender Telecaster, and struck up a conversation with Pattinson. Although the actor is known for his shyness and reluctance to sign autographs, he agreed to lend his name to a good cause.

Norman Harris has long been associated with The Midnight Mission charity in Los Angeles, an organization that provides basic necessities to the homeless, including counseling, education, training and job placement across the greater Los Angeles basin. Harris' shop is frequented by celebrities, and he has previously organized benefit concerts with Tom Petty, Richie Sambora, Jackson Browne, Los Lobos and REO Speed Wago.

Pattinson autographed the Fender and posed for a photo with it, proving its authenticity. Norman's shop held onto the guitar until recently, when Harris decided to list it on eBay to correspond with the release date of Pattinson's latest film, Remember Me. Timing the auction just right will result in more money raised for The Midnight Mission. Look for the guitar to pop up on eBay later today.

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Fender Classic Player Telecaster Thinline Deluxe Review

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:07:53 +0000

By Dave Durban, Guitarist Magazine

These Wide range humbuckers are an entirely new, updated design
The Thinline Deluxe combines two of the guitar world's most classic designs – the Telecaster and Gibson's ES-335. In the construction stakes Fender has excelled with all the Classic Player series guitars, but the Thinline is even better.

The overall fit and finish is genuinely superb, especially considering its price. Moreover, a silky black finish is entirely blemish-free, even around the tricky f-hole.

Just like the original, we have a more traditional slab Tele body – unlike the solid Deluxe there's no belly contour. However, thanks to its semi-solid design, it's light and comfortable; even lighter than many originals we've encountered.
"Blues players, this is your Fender/Gibson hybrid sound."

Meanwhile, its distinctive and shapely, off-white pickguard gives this Thinline that desirable vintage vibe, enhanced by its correct, early seventies-style Tele neck and headstock.

We also get Fender's modern, flatter-than-vintage 9.5-inch radius with bigger frets along with the original-style six saddle bridge. In addition, the neck features four, rather than three bolts.

Strummed acoustically, although the Thinline's intrinsic character is very similar to the solid, humbucker-equipped Deluxe, because of its semi-hollow construction it's less dense sounding with an airy, swirly tone.

Clean, the bridge pickup's soft low-end and bumped mids help mellow this sprightly guitar. More gain gives individual notes plenty of cut and thrust, while open chords sound lush, thick and resonate in typical semi-hollow fashion. There really are few limits tonally.
Sticking with the overdrive, the middle position offers sweet and snappy Gibson-type tones, perfect for edgy rhythms – blues players, this is your Fender/Gibson hybrid sound.

The neck offers a creamy mid-range with ES-335-like thickness, which carries a similar single-note, airy resonance. Overall, the Wide Range humbuckers aren't as hot as a modern ES-335 and are brighter and snappier, in true Fender style.
This guitar represents astonishingly good value. It takes two iconic models and brings a real Fender-y take on the ES-335 format that will surely appeal to both traditional Tele and Gibson semi-hollow lovers.

A very affordable blend of ES-335 tones, but with a snappier Tele edge that really opens this guitar up to myriad playing styles.

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Fender Classic Telecaster Deluxe Review

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:04:12 +0000

by Dave Durban, Guitarist Magazine

Why has Fender chosen to revisit the Telecaster Deluxe? "For many years the Stratocaster was more dominant," confirms Fender's marketing director Justin Norvell, "but the Tele has been gaining for several years now - all the more reason to expand our selection of Telecasters!"

The Deluxe Black Dove utilizes the same template as its vibrato-equipped sibling, but this time around the name comes from Fender's DE-9000 P-90-style single-coil pickups.

They certainly evoke a classic rock vibe and the black pickup covers, especially with the black three-ply scratch plate and crimson red finish, give the guitar a classic SG quality. That said we would love to see this one in sunburst.

Sounds
With the bridge position selected, the Black Dove offers typical single-coil bite from the top end; however, this is kept in check with a spank-a-plenty blend of brassy lows and sweet mids. It's a great tonal platform for snappy country runs, indie-rock rhythms and heavier rock clean sections.

More vigorous gain opens things up. The sweet and punchy mid-range seems to blend effortlessly with the brittle Fender-y top end, delivering a biting yet Moorish rock tone in a similar fashion to a Les Paul Special – it's bouncy, bubbly and cutting. Even down-tuned with heavy overdrive, it keeps full string definition and gives heavier riffing a real edge.
Middle and neck positions aren't quite as hot as the bridge selection, but the presence of the larger P-90 coil brings a more Strat-like tone. A smooth, brassy low end reminds us of classic vintage Strat tones, sitting firmly in both vintage and modern camps.

Verdict
A real rock 'n' ready Tele with a bit of SG and Strat about it. What's not to like?

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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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A Beginner’s Guide to Electric Guitars

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:53:59 +0000

Shopping for an electric guitar or any guitar for that matter is a tedious and time consuming process, and this is especially true for beginner’s electric guitar. What makes one guitar different from another? Is a guitar that costs $1000 better than one that is $500 or$100?

You only get what you pay for.
It can be a daunting task especially for beginners looking at all the different electric guitar models trying to make a decision as to what to buy. And when you add amps, effects, and everything else involved you end up saying to yourself, “Maybe I don’t need all that stuff.”

Well now, what do I REALLY need.
Let me just say for the record that I’m far from an equipment expert. There are plenty of “gear heads” out there that get something new every month. These guys always have the latest and greatest in guitars, but I find these guys can hardly play a lick because they’re too busy buying all their gear!! I’ve always been a “just let me play” kind of guy. But it’s always nice to have friends like this so you can go over to their place and try out all their cool stuff.
This page has the beginner in mind so if you’ve been playing for a while you’re probably going to think “well, duh!” But my goal here is to discuss what you need and your different options. Please keep in mind that everything below is solely my opinion.

What kind of beginner electric guitar should you buy and how much should you spend?

If you’re a beginner just starting I don’t recommend spending any more that $500, if that much. You can usually find something to learn on for $2-300 or even cheaper at a flea market or online. You don’t need anything more than that, especially if you lose interest. I’ve only gone through 3 guitars in my life, the first being a cheap Dean that I got for Christmas out of a Sears catalog. I then got an Ibanez 560 Frank Gambale model that I ordered from Suncoast music for Christmas when I was 16 or 17. I had that one for a long time up until 4 years ago when I went guitar shopping for the first time and got a custom made Ibanez S-Series that listed for $1500. By this time, I was advanced enough that I justified paying that much for something good.
The point is don’t spend too much money right now unless you are seriously interested in the instrument. I would focus more on playing and getting better than getting all the different gears.

Its tough to make good recommendations but I’ve always been partial to Ibanez. But, there are a lot of good guitars and companies out there. The best thing I can recommend anybody looking for an electric guitar is to go to the store and play different models. This is the ONLY way you can figure out what works best for YOU. Then you can start haggling the sales clerk at the store about the price.

Obviously, buying a beginner electric guitars online will give you significant discounts as well as special deals. You can find lots of great bargains here. Here are some great starter packages. Any one of the above packages would be perfect for a beginner, whether you want to play electric, acoustic, or the electric/acoustic combo! And the best thing about I bought one of my Yamaha acoustics from them and I’m quite happy with the customer support, and I also received it in a couple of days. I’ve since bought a couple other guitars and a Pandora PX4 and I’ve been 100% satisfied with every purchase.

What about buying beginner electric guitars amplifiers?
This is something that you have to go to the store and try for yourself before you make a decision. I have a Crate GT-200 that I played my Ibanez through at the store when I went shopping that day 4 years ago. For amps you most definitely get what you pay for. Mesa Boogie are the best amps I’ve heard, but I never could afford them. Depending on your budget, try to make the best decision based on quality vs. your personal budget. Again you will get significant discounts online, but you will definitely want to hear how your electric guitar sounds with the amp you’re looking at.

What else do you need?
If you have a beginner electric guitar and amplifier you’ll need a few other things. Some of them are optional…and mostly a matter of preference.

The most commonly accepted method of choosing a low cost electric guitar is to find an instrument with good quality wood, and at least reasonable workmanship. Guitar manufacturers tend to cut corners with cheaper guitars, by using cheaper pick-ups, and hardware, but these are all upgradeable parts.

The Fender Telecaster

admin — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 01:41:09 +0000

The Fender Telecaster's simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music.

Introduced for national distribution as the Broadcaster in the autumn of 1950, it was the first guitar of its kind to be produced on a substantial scale.

Its commercial production can be traced as far back as the spring of 1950, when the single- and dual-pickup Esquire models were first sold.

From that time to the present, the Telecaster has been in continuous production in one form or another, making it the world's senior solid-body electric guitar.

It was developed by Leo Fender in Fullerton, California in the 1940s.

Prior to its creation, the solid-body electric guitar had been created independently by several craftsman and companies, in the period roughly between 1932–1949, but none of these guitars had made a significant impact on the market. Leo Fender's Telecaster was the design that finally put the solid-body guitar on the map.
Fender had an electronics repair shop called Fender's Radio Service where he first repaired, then designed, amplifiers and electromagnetic pickups for musicians -- chiefly players of electric semi-acoustic guitars, electric Hawaiian (lap steel) guitars, and mandolins.

Players had been 'wiring up' their instruments in search of greater volume and projection since the late 1920s, and electric semi-acoustics (such as the Gibson ES-150) had long been widely available.

Tone had never, until then, been the primary reason for a guitarist to go electric, but in 1943, when Fender and his partner, Doc Kauffman, built a crude wooden guitar as a pickup test rig, local country players started asking to borrow it for gigs.

It sounded shiny and sustaining. Fender got curious, and in 1949, when it was long-understood that solid construction offered great advantages in electric instruments, but before any commercial solidbody Spanish guitars had caught on (the small Audiovox company apparently offered a modern, solidbody electric guitar as early as the mid-1930s), he built a better prototype.
That hand-built prototype, an anomalous white guitar, had most of the features of what would become the Telecaster.

It was designed in the spirit of the solid-body Hawaiian guitars manufactured by Rickenbacker -- small, simple units made of Bakelite and aluminum with the parts bolted together -- but with wooden construction. (Rickenbacker, then spelled 'Rickenbacher,' had also offered a solid Bakelite-bodied electric Spanish guitar in 1935, many details of which seem echoed in Fender's design.)
The initial production model appeared in 1950, and was called the Esquire. Fewer than fifty guitars were originally produced under that name, and most were replaced under warranty because of early manufacturing problems. In particular, the Esquire necks had no truss rod and many were replaced due to bent necks.

Later in 1950, this single-pickup model was discontinued, and a two-pickup model was renamed the Broadcaster. From this point onwards all Fender necks incorporated truss rods. The Gretsch company, itself a manufacturer of hollowbody electric guitars (and now owned by Fender), claimed that "Broadcaster" violated the trademark for its Broadkaster line of drums, and as a newcomer to the industry, Fender decided to bend and changed the name to Telecaster, after the newly popular medium of television. (The guitars manufactured in the interim bore no name, and are now popularly called 'Nocasters.')

The Esquire was reintroduced as a one-pickup Telecaster, at a lower price.

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Fender Dave Murray Stratocaster

admin — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 03:48:18 +0000

A '57-style Strat with rock sounds
Simon Bradley,

As a band, Maiden were honoured with a Fender Strat back in 2001 but the three new axes in this series mark the first occasion that any specific member of the six-string fusillade has been given a signature model.

Although a Dave Murray Strat has been sporadically available via Fender Japan for a while now (the HST-57DM), this new US-built model – based on Murray's original guitar that, in turn, was previously owned by Paul Kossoff – is on sale across the globe.
Like the other two guitars in this series, the Dave Murray Strat harks back to the instruments used by the respective members of Iron Maiden on 1987's Somewhere In Time tour.

While the guitar is not intended as strict replica model, the spec, look and, most importantly, vibe and tone is designed to be close to the real thing.

History
Back in 2003, Dave recounted the story of the guitar that he'd recently removed from service.
"Yeah, that's been retired," he said with a smile. "I got it in 1976 through an ad in Melody Maker. I'd done some research and I thought, 'okay, this is it'.

"I had a Les Paul at the time and I sold that, borrowed some money, and went for that Strat specifically because of the history behind it.

"I mean, I think I used it for something like the first five albums," he continued. "But we were touring a lot and it was a case of, Well, it's done me well, y'know? The newer guitars are good road guitars."

That guitar was an original 1957 Strat once owned by the late Free guitarist Paul Kossoff. Murray recorded many of Maiden's greatest songs with it and the pair of Super Distortions were, of course, retrofitted.

Features
A late fifties Strat is certainly a very attractive article and, aside from the provision of two double cream DiMarzios, this is not as far removed from an original model as you may perceive.

For example, the guitar is loaded with a three-way selector (albeit topped with a black rather than white switch cap), and the maple neck offers a 'V'-shape.

That said, this profile has been softened slightly and the subsequent feel, as we'll discover, does benefit the guitar's likely target audience.

The chrome pickup surrounds add some suitably flashy rock credentials and, although Dave uses Floyd Rose vibratos on his current stage axes, the classic vintage 'Synchronized' vibrato is more in keeping with the original.