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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.

Buck Owens Self Titled CD Sep 1995 Sundazed

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JOE BARDEN Danny Gatton Tele Pickups Set FREE SHIPPING

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2002 Fender Deluxe Telecaster USA Loaded Body

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MIGHTY MITE BRIDGE FITS TELECASTER® GOLD HUMBUCKER

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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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Eric Clapton Announces 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 05:00:57 +0000

During an exclusive interview announcing his third Crossroads Guitar Festival, Eric Clapton says “I do it because I want to hear these players”, The all-day stars-of-guitar show will be held on June 26th at Toyota Park in Chicago; tickets go on sale February 20th. Like his 2004 and 2007 Crossroads concerts and the best-selling DVDs from those festivals, this year’s event benefits the Crossroads Centre, the addiction-treatment facility founded by Clapton on the Caribbean island of Antigua in the early Nineties. “But it’s a selfish thing,” he admits delightedly. “I can go to one place and hear all of my favorite musicians in one day.”

Nearly 30 of those favorites are confirmed for the June 26th show, which will feature Clapton in a headlining set with his own band and, if previous festivals are any indication, jamming with many of his guests as well. Returning veterans of the first two Crossroads shows include Jeff Beck, Robert Cray, B.B. King, the great Rick Nelson and Elvis Presley sideman James Burton, Jimmie Vaughan, Sheryl Crow, Los Lobos, ZZ Top, Steve Winwood, gospel-steel phenomenon Robert Randolph and one of Clapton’s personal heroes, Louisiana slide-guitar ace Sonny Landreth. “He’s a giant to me — his thing is so perfect,” Clapton says of Landreth. “When we send the invites, he’s the first guy that always comes back, the next day: ‘I’m in, what do you want me to do? I’ll open the show.’ Absolutely no bones with that guy.”

Among the artists making their Crossroads debuts this year are the Allman Brothers Band, British folk-guitar master Bert Jansch, singer-guitarist Keb’ Mo’ and Brazilian bossa nova legend Joao Gilberto. “I wanted to open it up a little,” Clapton says of the bill, “so it’s not so much about virtuosity as roots.” Clapton is especially excited by the booking of the reclusive Gilberto, who rarely performs abroad. “The whole thing was an excuse for getting him out of Brazil,” Clapton confesses with a laugh. But, he adds, “a festival about guitar doesn’t have to be all heavy metal or all rock. It would probably surprise a lot of people who don’t play that someone like me or Derek Trucks [of the Allmans] can admire and enjoy someone like Gilberto.”

Clapton notes that the musical success and smooth production of the 2007 festival — a one-day event also held at Toyota Park, a relatively intimate soccer stadium just south of downtown Chicago — encouraged him to do Crossroads at least one more time. The 2004 concert was, in contrast, a two-day marathon, held at the enormous Cotton Bowl in Dallas. “I’ve convinced the business guys this is the last one,” Clapton says, grinning. “Because they’re the ones who have to deal with all of the unraveling — the agencies, managers and record companies. I’ve kind of said, ‘We’ll do three.’ I like three. I’m a ‘three’ guy.”

Asked what the Crossroads festivals have achieved in greater public awareness of his peers and influences and the art of guitar playing, Clapton modestly responds, “I have no idea.” But the guitarist contends that Crossroads is not a typical music festival in that “it comes from the heart of a musician. It’s not a business deal, and there is an enlightenment in that. People realize we really love what we do.

“And hopefully,” Clapton adds, “it gets better every time. That’s the deal.”

Full list of confirmed performers:
Albert Lee
Allman Brothers Band
BB King
Bert Jansch
Buddy Guy
David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos
Doyle Bramhall II
Earl Klugh
Eric Clapton
Gary Clark Jr.
Hubert Sumlin
James Burton
Jeff Beck
Jimmie Vaughan
Joao Gilberto
Joe Bonamassa
John Mayer
Keb Mo
Pino Daniele
Robert Cray
Robert Randolph
Sheryl Crow
Sonny Landreth
Steve Winwood
Vince Gill
ZZ Top

50th Anniversary 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard

admin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:28:49 +0000

50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard

It might seem laughable, even absurd, that the guitar world’s failure to appreciate the original Les Paul would lead to its deletion from the Gibson line up after 1960, but so it often goes with creations that are so far ahead of their time. Just a few years later, scores of groundbreaking artists would discover the incomparable power of this instrument, and its premature scarcity would also make it an extremely valuable guitar while the model was really still just a toddler, thus rendering it the first collectible “vintage” electric guitar.

Fast forward 50 years, and the Les Paul of 1958-’60 has become the most prized electric guitar on the planet. But to say “the” Les Paul is actually somewhat misleading: while all of the fewer than 2,000 Les Pauls manufactured in this brief three-year timeframe are exceedingly desirable, they were often quite different guitars, too, varying not only from year to year as the model’s specs evolved, but varying even within the same year of manufacture.

None embodies this “work in progress” so completely as the final issue of the line, the 1960 Les Paul Standard—or, should we say “Standards”—now brought back to life in the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standards. To accurately present the variations in specifications and finish that original examples from 1960 exhibit, Gibson’s Custom Shop is creating this limited Anniversary model in three versions, each of which embodies in period-correct detail the final three steps along the journey before this hallowed electric guitar was pulled from production.
The End of an Era, the Beginning of a Legend

At the start of 1960, the Les Paul retained the same specs as its predecessor from 1959, although it did receive the official “Les Paul Standard” designation in place of the former “Les Paul Model” (a name that its headstock nonetheless still retained). Among these details were the full, rounded neck profile, top-hat control knobs, and Heritage Cherry Sunburst or Heritage Dark Sunburst finish, and these are the very characteristics with which the Custom Shop has imbued Version 1 of the 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard, which might be confused for a 1959 Les Paul Model if not for the 1960 serial number stamped into the back of the guitar’s headstock at the dawn of this new decade, and the R0 serial number of this 50th Anniversary model.

Version 2 represents the neck’s transition from full to slim—a progression that was gradual, rather than sudden—in the form of a Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard with thinner, yet still somewhat rounded and “elliptical” neck profile, based on painstaking research and detailed scans of several transitional ’60s Les Pauls that were studied by the Custom Historic and Engineering team. To represent this alteration visibly, Version 2 will be offered in two classic “faded” ’Burst colors: Light Iced Tea and Sunset Tea Burst. The final version of the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard is represented by a guitar with the slim-taper neck for which late-’60 Les Pauls have become famous, along with the double-band tuners and gold top-hat control knobs with the “new” silver inserts that were fitted to these guitars.

Furthermore, Version 3 accurately represents the changes in the finishing process at Gibson in the latter part of 1960, in its more vibrant, colorfast Cherry Sunburst, a finish that stood the test of time somewhat better than many of the sunbursts that preceded it.

In addition to these pertinent details, the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standards pack all the tonal nuances and unparalleled playability that really helped to make these guitars legendary in the hands of artist like Eric Clapton, who wielded a slim-necked 1960 Les Paul Standard on the most influential blues-rock album of all time, John Mayall Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, often referred to as the “Beano” album. The time-tested tonewood combination of mahogany and maple, the classic duo of Tune-O-Matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece, and a pair of Gibson’s lauded PAF-style BurstBucker humbucking pickups all work toward a tonal splendor that no other guitar can equal.

Add to these the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standards’ long-tenon neck joint, traditionally back-angled headstock, and thin, breathable nitrocellulose finish, and you’ve got a guitar that sings and resonates like no other. A total of only 500 Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standards will be produced in a blend of all three versions. All will include a Custom Shop hardshell case and a 50th Anniversary Certificate of Authenticity.

Body and Finish
Crafted from a book-matched figured maple top and a lightweight one-piece mahogany back, these guitars are finished in low-build nitrocellulose lacquer, and are available in a range of colors to suit each Version, including Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Heritage Dark Sunburst, Light Iced Tea Burst, Sunset Tea Burst and Cherry Sunburst.

In every way, these details represent careful study of several actual 1960 Les Paul Standards that were examined in the course of reproducing the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard.

Neck and Headstock
The guitar’s neck and headstock are made in the classic tradition of the original 1960 Les Paul. Carved from a single piece of quarter-sawn mahogany, and topped with a rosewood fingerboard, the design incorporates Gibson’s lauded 17-degree back-angled headstock, which contributes greatly to the instrument’s resonance and sustain.

Pickups and Electronics
The Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard carries a complement of pickups and hardware that accurately reflect the original equipment on the most desirable Les Pauls ever made.

A pair of BurstBucker pickups captures that highly sought-after “PAF” style tone, while quality CTS potentiometers with “bumblebee” tone caps translate the signal in pure vintage style.

Hardware
As befits a Custom Shop Anniversary Les Paul of this caliber, the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard is equipped with Gibson’s most accurate, period-correct reproduction hardware, including Kluson-style tuners, a Tune-o-matic bridge and stop-bar tailpiece both made from the correct metals and plated in nickel, and Gibson’s original aluminum strap buttons, all of which contribute to the vintage look and tone of the instrument.

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Gibson Dark Fire

admin — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:08:48 +0000

Gibson Guitar announced the limited availability of the Gibson Dark Fire guitar. Embracing the spirit of innovation and technical advancement that inspired the original Gibson Digital guitar in 2006 and Robot guitar in 2007, Gibson's Dark Fire guitar is poised to change the music industry overnight.

The world's most technically advanced guitar will rock the music industry to its core and will soon become the most sought after musical instrument of its time.

An Exceptional Look
Gibson's flowerpot inlay graces the headstock of the Dark Fire as seen on other classic Gibson models such as the Byrdland and the 1911 F4 Mandolin. In addition to traditional touches, Gibson developed an entirely new look that required many changes in the manufacturing process.

The Dark Fire has a nitrocellulose finish created especially for this exclusive 1st run. The mahogany back and neck of the Dark Fire are given a satin finish, while the headstock face is sprayed with a gloss finish. The Dark Fire's chambered mahogany body helps deliver an optimum combination of tone, balance and weight." The result is a comfortable, lightweight guitar that is acoustically louder, with increased sustain and resonance.

Outstanding Playability
Taking much of its inspiration from the 2008 Les Paul, this instrument features a super fast and comfortable ergonomic neck shape with asymmetrical carving and with Perfect SetupTM. This is made possible by a computerized PLEK system, a computer controlled device scans and dresses a guitar under actual playing conditions, strung and tuned to pitch.

The tune-o-matic piezo bridge has been redesigned. It is much sleeker and the bridge now locks to the studs with new technology and works better. The nut is made of a new high tech material which includes Teflon (allowing for the tuning action to be smoother and faster [without breaking strings] and has a higher density than bone.
The bridge lock and the new frictionless faux bone nut insure maximum tone and sustain. The locking tuners insure that tuning and string tension are maintained during lots of hard playing.
The instrument will feel like butter in your hand even after 4 or 5 hours into a gig.

Tone Monster With Chameleon Tone Technology
The Gibson Dark Fire combines two of the most popular pickups, the P90h in the neck position and a Burstbucker 3 in the bridge position. Both are capped with new carbon fiber-like pickup covers, designed to match the Dark Fire's finish. There are 6 low noise relay switches giving you more than 20 separate combination of pickup coils leading to an incredible variety of tonal possibilities.
The resulting pickup combinations are directed through optimized traditional volume and tone controls and then through a studio grade 4 band parametric equalizer/preamplifier. This awesome Chameleon Tone Technology is a pure analog signal path preserving the authenticity of instruments tone while giving unimagined tonal possibilities.

Add A Little Acousticness Please
The Gibson Dark Fire gives you the ability to adjust and blend the acoustic sound from the piezo bridge pickup with the sound from the guitar's traditional pickups using a revolutionary rotary potentiometer which is part of the pickup toggle selector. Twisting the toggle head blends the piezo acoustic sound from 0% acoustic sound [100% traditional pickups] to 100% acoustic sound [no traditional pickups].
The piezo bridge pickup consists of six individual piezo pickups, one for each saddle/string, which can be brought out as individual audio channels.

TV On Control Knob
The key to controlling the new functions of the Dark Fire is the Master Control Knob (MCK), which incorporates a sophisticated, full color matrix display (mini TV screen ). The Dark Fire's new MCK also controls the ability to change pickups, coils, EQ settings and tunings allowing the ability to adjust all quickly and simultaneously even several times during the same song.
There are 8 tone guitar settings that cover the most popular guitar, and 18 different guitar tunings. In addition, there are 24 user defined guitar setting. All can be accessed with a quick use of the MCK.

Robot Gets Steriods
The redesigned power head tuners on the Dark Fire are radically faster and significantly smaller, compared to the original Robot Guitar tuners. You can access any preset tuning in less than one second, so you can change tunings in the middle of a song.
The powerhead tuners are lighter than traditional tuners. The tuners can be used either by hand or automatically without the need to engage them. The battery uses new technology that results in exceptionally long life and light weight.

Computer Hardware And Software Included
The Robot II comes with a small box about the size of a pack of playing cards that acts as a high quality studio preamp and a full interface to a computer using a firewire port . We call it a Robot Interface Pack [or RIP for short]. RIP can be used live, in real time.
With a headphone out, you can carry RIP in you guitar case and set up your playing environment anywhere with or without your computer. The RIP's front panel carries a single 1/4-inch stereo input for the Dark Fire, a 1/8-inch headphone out with level control and a pilot light, which changes from dim blue to bright blue when the Dark Fire input is detected.

The rear panel carries two balanced 1/4-inch line outs, a FireWire connector to link to your amplifier or sound system and a hex connector that carries the analog outputs of each string, which can drive Roland or Axon guitar-to-MIDI converters.
To make full use of your laptop or computer, Dark Fire comes with two of the most powerful and popular software packages being sold today; Native Instruments' Guitar Rig 3 (recognized as the industry's most flexible amp and effects simulation software), and Ableton Live 7 Gibson Studio Edition (a multipurpose recording environment for everything from songwriting, to demos, to full-blown productions).

Both companies have collaborated with Gibson to ensure you can install all the software wand be using it in minutes (on any contemporary Microsoft or Apple operating system) and be harnessing the enormous music-making power of these studio tools. By working with the software developers, Gibson has fined tuned the software specifically for Dark Fire and included simple and powerful templates.

The combination of Dark Fire's on board Chameleon Tone Technology and the software tools, dozens of effects and emulations puts a truckload of sound and thousands of dollars of capability in the hands of the player simply and easily.

Dark Fire Gets An Internet Community Site
Gibson is setting up a Dark Fire community site to allow the lucky owners of this exceptional guitar to share tips, get new information, and discuss how to best use this state of the art instrument.

One amazing capability that comes with the guitar is software that allows you to use your computer to change user presets and store them. Users can then publish their personal favorite preset designs.

More Dark Fire Gear Being Designed
Gibson Guitar is already developing a range of audio equipment designed specifically to work with the new Dark Fire, some of which is already scheduled for release in early 2009, including a small transmitter module designed to work with Bluetooth wireless technology, allowing you the ability to connect wirelessly to your computer or laptop.

Limited Quantity 400 Stores World-Wide
The world's 1st run limited edition Gibson Dark Fire guitar will go on sale on December 15, 2008 at 400 dealers throughout the world. Each store will be limited to carrying only 5 of the sought after guitars and no guitar can be sold before 5pm on Monday, December 15, 2008. Once the guitars are sold out they will not be reproduced.

This highly collectible guitar will be available in the Dark Fire finish only. To find the list of exclusive Gibson Dark Fire guitar dealers go to www.gibson.com/darkfire.

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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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Epiphone Les Paul Special II Electric Guitar

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:41:38 +0000

Epiphone Les Paul Special II Electric Guitar

Great first guitar.
What's so special about the Epiphone Les Paul Special II Electric Guitar? The super-low price for starters and that's not all. It gives you all the essential elements of a Les Paul. Made with a mahogany body, bolt-on mahogany neck, smooth 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, this baby is every bit as handsome as its uptown cousins. Features 700T/650R open-coil humbucking pickups that deliver long, singing sustain and true Les Paul tones. The LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece add more sustain and make string changing easier. Limited lifetime warranty.

Epiphone Les Paul Special II Electric Guitar Features:
• Mahogany body
• Bolt-on neck mahogany neck
• 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays
• 700T/650R open-coil humbuckers
• 24-3/4" scale
• 1-5/8" nut width
• LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece add more sustain and easier string changing
• Tone, volume, and 3-way pickup switch
• Hardware: chrome (black on wine red finish)

Epiphone Les Paul Special II Electric Guitar

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Epiphone Les Paul Special II electric guitar

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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.

FENDER AMERICAN SPECIAL TELECASTER 3T SUNBURST NEW

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FENDER TELE F HOLE THINLINE ASH BODY 3 COLOR SUNBURST

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Shopping for Bass Guitars and Amplifiers

admin — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:36:36 +0000

Introduction:
So you're tired of having to borrow your buddies' bass and amp (and they're probably sick of having you snag it every chance you get), or maybe you have your own, but they just aren't up to scratch. Then again, you might have a decent bass and amp, yet you want to upgrade or simply add to your arsenal. This article will give you pointers on how to go about shopping around for a new axe and amplifier.

Before you rush to the music store, do some research first. Websites like Musicians Friend and American Musical Supply not only show what's available to buy, but many have product reviews from people who have purchased them. Use discretion when looking at reviews. Even though each review represents one person's opinion, they are formed by their experience (good or bad) with either the product, shipping, or the company itself. For example, if there's a bass who has had constant bad reviews on its tone, then chances are you probably won't like it either.

However, if nothing really catches your eye, do some window-shopping at a local music store. If it's new you want, try online stores like the Best Guitar Shop. Then there are places like Bob’s Vintage Guitars that have some new but mostly used (or vintage, however you want to put it) gear just waiting to be sold. Don't be afraid to ask the salesperson for assistance, tell them you want to try out a particular bass or amp. They should be happy to oblige you. You can even bring your own axe or amp to try out, although you may be asked to check it with the staff or else you might get accused of stealing your own gear. Actually, this is the optimal decision, since basses sound different through different amps, and vice versa. You need to know how YOUR stuff sounds through THEIR stuff.

A Little More About Bass Browsing:
There is also the option of having a custom bass designed for you from a skilled luthier (a guitar maker). The cool thing is that you'll have a unique bass that's set up just for you and exactly the way you want it. The downside is that it usually costs you thousands of dollars to get it done. Custom guitars are usually for pro musicians who know exactly what they want. Besides, if you're just starting out, this might not be the best option, especially if you're not sure what you want or what is practical for you.
So when looking for your new bass, you must be discriminating. It's like shopping for a car, you want to test drive it first and see what you like and don't like about it. A good tip is to play it unplugged, placing your ear directly on the side of the body as you play it. If it sounds full and resonant, chances are it will sound great plugged in. If there is hissing or buzzing, be cautious. It could be a simple problem with the action (or how high/low the strings are in relation to the neck and body) and can be fixed with adjustments to the bridge and tension rod (a bar of metal inside the neck that adjusts the bow of the neck). Most instruments from a music shop will be setup correctly and ready to go as soon as it leaves the store, but then there are some that aren't or are unable to setup properly. Most low-end basses will have at least one thing wrong about them, so tread cautiously when shopping around. You must take into consideration your budget as well as your style, comfort, and practicality. For example, if you plan on playing your bass for long periods of time, then a heavy bass will give you much discomfort whether you play it standing or sitting down. And if your dream bass costs as much as a dream vacation to the Bahamas, reconsider the many cheaper options out there. Who knows, there might be a hidden gem of a bass waiting just for you.

A Little about Amps:
Most electric basses can't produce much sound unplugged unless you put your ear to the body and pluck a string. A bass amplifier does exactly what it says, amplifies the sound of a vibrating string over a pickup. Although there are many brands and types of amps, they all should have four parts to them:

Preamplifier - where you plug your cable into the unit. The preamp readies the signal coming from your guitar's pickups and vibrating stings by boosting its voltage (amplitude).

Signal processor - dials, knobs or silders most preamps should have to further modify the signal. It can be as simple as a volume, bass (low), and treble (high) controls, or as complicated as a 12-band EQ (equalizer) with all the bells and whistles thrown in.

Power amp - further increases the voltage level of your signal to where it can power speakers. Because low notes need more voltage to drive them, a bass amp must have tons of output power to cut through. For example, if you jam with a guitar player and you both have 50 watt amps, the guitar amp is always going to overpower you because high notes don't need as much power to let them ring.

Speakers - also called drivers, the speakers turn the powered electrical signal into physical energy. The signal passes through a voice coil that is connected to a resilient cone of either paper or aluminum. As the cone moves in and out, sound waves are produced. There are many combinations of speaker arrangements, the common ones being a single 12-inch speaker (1x12), single 15-inch (1x15), two 10-inch (2x10), and four 10-inch speakers (4x10).

Mostly all guitarists started out playing on a combo amp, with all four sections combined into one convenient unit. For the beginner, in terms of price and portability, it's a good place to start. Picking out wattage is up to you. If you plan on playing only in your room or to show off to a few buddies, never intending on playing with a band, then a combo amp from 10 to 50 watts should be perfect. If you do want to play in a band, then consider a combo amp from 60 to 300 watts. 60 watts is a good practice amp in a small room, however won't be able to cut it on a stage. 300 watts or higher should be able to compete with even the loudest of drums and guitar stacks.

Then there are bass stacks. Most still have the preamp, power amp, and signal processing in one unit (usually called a "head" or "brain"), yet the speakers are contained in their own enclosures (called "cabinets") and can be switched around or added to. Stack systems start from around $500 to $1000 to put together. Please be sensible - don't get a system that won't even fit in your vehicle or onstage or even in your own house.

Of course there are rack systems, where all four components can be switched around and customized, but they usually start at $1000 without even considering the price of the speakers. Rack systems are best left for seasoned pros and semi-pros who know exactly what kind of sound they want to dial in, not for the beginner trying to make up their minds on what they want. Not to say a beginner shouldn't buy a stack or rack system, but when you're starting out, it's best to keep things simple.

What to consider when buying a new amp? Almost some of the same things to consider when buying a new bass. Things like cost, comfort, and practicality. Cost an issue? Most music stores do have layaway plans if you can't afford your gear all at once. Just make sure to keep up with the payment - the moment you miss even one, you risk losing all the money you've already put into it. Since most bass amps are heavy, you must consider all possibilities. For instance, if you just bought a brand new 8x10 cabinet to marry to your brutal 450-watt head but it weighs more than you do and is hard to move around, you can either try to trade it for a smaller one or just go to your local hardware store and buy some casters for it.

There is also the debate between tube amps and solid state amps. Tube amps have a tube(s) to drive them - like dim light bulbs that give off a warmer sound than solid state amps, which rely solely on circuit boards that try to emulate the tube sound. Then there are so-called "hybrid" amps that use tubes and circuits harmoniously. Again, it's all in the preferrence of the musician.

Summing up:
When you've picked out your dream rig, you'll be satisfied knowing you made an informed decision and not bought something on impulse. If you're still debating on what gear you should buy, consult with your local music shops and ask them their opinions on certain models. A good place to ask is also a music repair shop. Ask what brands usually come in to get repaired so you know which brands are reliable and which brands are likely to meltdown. Finding your own unique sound is a musician's Holy Grail, some of them are still looking for the right combination. But when you've found it, or come a step closer to it, it will be utopian bliss. So save up some extra cash, do a little research, test drive some gear, and soon you'll be living the dream.

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