I recently wrote a post listing the five items to check when you’re buying a guitar. And, while getting a good instrument is the first priority, the second one should be getting the best possible deal on it. Here are five tips to help you bring your new baby home for the lowest possible price: [more…]
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acoustic
Okay, I’m the first to admit it—many of the greatest rock guitarists used long straps that positioned their instruments somewhere just above their knees and played with their arms extended straight downwards in ape-like fashion. Think Slash, Keith Richards, Chuck Berry. And that’s why many of the current generation of rockers follow that example. It’s iconic and it looks cool. But, it creates a lot of technical problems. [more…]
I learned this lesson early in life through the experience of a friend. He left his beautiful Martin acoustic guitar in its hard-shell case on his bed with the case unlatched. Then his mother decided to move the guitar. When she picked up the case by its handle, the top flew open and the guitar fell out and smashed into the case top, destroying the exquisite spruce face of the instrument.
The moral of this story? Make it a habit to close at least one latch each and every time you put your guitar in its case. Even if you’re only leaving it in there for a minute. While you’d think this would be obvious to all guitar players, especially longtime professionals, it’s not always. Recently, I saw a musician pick up his case after finishing an outdoor performance—only to see his Ovation acoustic 12-string come tumbling out of its case and crashing onto the pavement. Ouch!
There’s an easy trick: Turn down the volume. The slightly muddy, distorted sound of electric guitar chords that you get with your amp turned up and your guitar volume at 9 are great for playing chunky rock progressions and creating a powerful wall of sound. But what if you’re playing a song that has an intricate fingerpicking part or one that calls for rapid, strong strumming on a solid body electric? In those situations the strings blending together will be working against you.
To get a guitar sound that resembles an acoustic guitar on your solid body electric, turn down the volume on the guitar itself, and make up the lost amplitude by turning your amp up. [more…]