Music lovers that are fans of rock and metals know that the killer guitar riffs are the basics of what makes the rock and metal genres of music so lovely. Any song blended with this rhythm can be a total sold out to its fan. If you want to make your killer riffs, dig in on this article and discover how you can effectively and practically learn rhythm guitar. 

How to Take Care of Your Guitar In Any Weather

Before going straight to the subject of discussion, you need to understand how to properly take care and maintain your guitar so that in any weather, you can also have it in good condition to practice with. Generally, most acoustic guitars are built to withstand temperature changes. Make sure you get an acoustic guitar with winter protection to make it still sound perfect and store it in a cool place that will not alter its humidity.

Focus on playing your notes perfectly

To start with, playing rhythm guitar is a different style than how you used to. So to master this new style quickly, you have to focus on how you play your notes than concentrating on the specific note that you will be using. One interesting fact is that you can add a note to any simple power cord to get you a fantastic sound. You don’t have to be in haste about this process. It is going to be a gradual step for you as a newbie.

You need to already know the basics of guitar playing before opting to practice the rhythm guitar; if not, you will have a bit of struggle in the process. If you are experiencing this, you would need to go back to the fundamentals and learn the rudiments of guitar playing to develop your skills. If you can master this, then you will be able to flow along in the course of your rhythm guitar practice. Here are a few tricks you can use to guide yourself in this exciting adventure. 

Blend your style with your guitar riffs

First and foremost, think of a way to merge the style of guitar you play to blend with the guitar riff. Most guitarists tend to overdo this, but the point is that you can create a fantastic guitar riff with one or two notes. Just keep it in mind that rhythm guitar is mainly about rhythm. You need to examine and cross out any excess notes. By doing this, you will find yourself centered in the main rhythm you want to play. Take a notebook and jot down four measures value of 8th notes. Then randomly remove six notes and replace them with the remaining. Now try using just one cord to play the rhythm you have just developed. After one or two trials, you would have built up yourself into creating different kinds of rhythm ideas for guitar riffs. You can move on to the advanced level (adding more difficult meters and rhythmic inspirations) when you have mastered this trick.

Make your rhythm clear and tight

Secondly, try as much as you can to make your rhythm guitar production clear and tight. If you need to be great in this niche, you have to practice this way. Every good guitarist knows that they have to play consistently to be good at rhythm guitar. But not all guitarists understand how it sounds when someone is playing tight rhythm and with a metronome. To make your rhythm guitar sound excellently well, you have to learn to play on time and do it consistently.

Discover new methods of blending chords

Learn new ways of how to blend your chords. This will help you develop different fresh ideas of how to group chords to produce good sound with your guitar riffs. This trick is much easier for those that are familiar with the concept of keys when utilizing chords. If you are a novice, the best way to grasp this is to blend several minor and major chords with power chords. Keep practicing with this idea to groom your power chord into full minor chords or major chords.

In conclusion, we all know that it will take much time to become a master in the act of rhythm guitar riff playing. But you need to take your lessons step by step to learn everything and make sure you make gradual progress from one level to another. Learn how to write your rhythm guitar riffs and see how great you will become in a short while. 

WATCH: 100 Riffs (A Brief History Of Rock’n’Roll)

Feeling inspired yet? Watch this excellent video by Chicago Music Exchange, showcasing the history of Rock’n’Roll in 100 classic guitar riffs…

Essential Tips To Playing Killer Rhythm Guitar Riffs from MyRareGuitars.com

Musicians should plan to change strings on average every 3 months. They also can change it after around 100 hours of practice. Usually, strings may last twice as long, and you can use them as long as they do not break but, of course, it’s a good thing to change them regularly.

Here are some points to consider about your strings:

• If you’re using a guitar two hours a day, then it is needed to change the strings at least once per month. Frequent use of the guitar make its strings weaker than ever, so they need to be replaced. If the musician plays less often – like an hour every day, for instance – then the strings should be changed every six or eight weeks, or every three months or so.
• Sometimes, when you are unable to get your preferred sound in your guitar, then it could be a good idea to change the string, as different gauges (and how new they are) affect the tone.
• If you find your strings rusty and discolored, it means that they can end up breaking, sooner rather than later. You will feel more uncomfortable playing your guitar, and you may even hurt your fingers. In this case, you need to change your strings as soon as possible. Playing rusty strings is never a good idea!
• If you keep your guitar in a humid environment, then it is advisable to change your strings more often, as there is more chance for them to get rusty and discoloured. Even if you don’t play the guitar more often, you’ll have to change your strings if your home environment is humid.

Recommended Strings:

There are several great brands such as D’Addario and Ernie Balls to name but two of the most popular. It’s always advisable to invest on good quality strings rather than cheaper, more generic ones. 

At Eastwood Guitars, we use only GHS Strings, which are great value and top quality. 

Big thanks to Joseph Nicholls from Best10gears.com who contributed to this post.

How Often Should You Change Your Guitar Strings? from MyRareGuitars.com

With the wide range of musical instruments, a guitar is one of the most common instruments that you will find among many musicians.  There are different types of guitars that you can choose, depending on your preference and taste. With the latest technology in the modern world, there have been so many variations when it comes to guitars. However, some people still prefer using vintage guitars as compared to the contemporary guitars, why? Let us find more details about vintage guitars that you should know.

What Exactly Is A Vintage Guitar?

This is probably the question that is running through your mind. Let us first understand what is vintage. In simple terms, vintage refers to something of the past, and it is of high quality. There is no specific definition of what qualifies a product to be called vintage. However, vintage guitars are guitars that have been around for around 30 years or older. Basically, we refer to things that were made before 1980 as vintage.

Why Buy A Vintage Guitar?

Why would someone consider buying a vintage guitar, yet there are so many modern guitars with improved designs and features? What is so unique about vintage guitars? Well, there are so many reasons why people prefer buying or collecting vintage guitars. 

First of all, vintage guitars are beautiful. For instance, if you have a close look at the Martin 0-38 Parlor guitar (1985), you will be impressed with the looks of this guitar. This guitar features a spruce top, rosewood sides and back, ebony fingerboards and bridge and a herringbone inlay. All these make this guitar one of the most beautiful vintage guitars.

Another reason why people prefer to buy vintage guitars is because many people believe that aged wood provides better sound quality. On top of that, anything of the past has a history and so do vintage guitars. 

Either way, now that you have made up your mind you want to buy a vintage guitar, you might be wondering where to begin. You don’t have to worry because I have got you covered. This article covers everything that you need to know about vintage guitar. I will also give you some tips that will help you select the best vintage guitar.

Important Information You Should Know About Vintage Guitars

Vintage Guitars

When shopping for a vintage guitar, there are several things that you need to know so that you can pick the right guitar. The following are the things that you should check.

• Who is selling the guitar?

You definitely want to know who is selling the guitar. Ask a lot of questions prior and evaluate the seller to ensure that you get an authentic guitar. In most cases, buyers prefer buying vintage guitars from a local store because they are sure of professional reputation and in-house repairs.

• Condition of the guitar

Of course, you don’t want to end up with a guitar that will disappoint you may be due to poor quality craftsmanship. Therefore, you should not be afraid to ask any questions that you have in mind before buying. If you are buying from a professional seller, then they should give you details or any issue. While not all the problems can prevent you from buying, some minor problems you find might not affect the tonal quality or the guitar playability.

• Originality

In most cases, you do not expect to find the guitar in the same condition that it was when it was made. And for many players, their priority is finding a vintage guitar that plays well and provides a high-quality sound output. In fact, you will find that many vintage guitars that are not all-original will work well and meet your needs.

• Mode of payment

When you are buying a vintage guitar, you should also consider the mode of payment that the seller accepts. Most sellers will accept PayPal, among other payment methods.

How to Choose a Vintage Electric Guitar

Vintage Burns guitar

Now that you know some essential things you need to have in mind before buying a vintage guitar let us go straight to a simple buying guide that will help you pick the right vintage guitar. The following tips will help you choose the best electric guitar for newbies.

Tone

The tone is the most important things that you should check. Even if the guitar looks great, it should provide you with a crisp and clear tone.  And if you experience problems setting up the guitar, you can seek help from a guitar professional.

The vintage

What is the vintage of the instrument? Check for details such as finishes, serial numbers, workmanship, hardware, electronics and wood among others to get the clue.

Material

Vintage guitars are scarce, so you need to consider rare woods and other materials. If you find vintage guitars made of Brazilian rosewood, ivory, tortoiseshell and ebony inlays, then this is an indication of a quality instrument.

Guitar condition

You should also check the quality of the guitar before you buy. For instance, you should pay attention to whether there are scratches, worn frets, warped neck, or glue separating the joints. The presence of these might affect the overall value of the instrument.

Age and alteration

How old is the guitar? In most cases, older guitars have a greater value as compared to a new one. Additionally, you should check if the guitar has been altered. Look for a guitar with very minimal alterations and few scratches on the original parts.

Don’t worry about weak neck

With time, the solid body of the guitar begins to lose stability so it can’t stay in tune. So the neck can become unstable because of old age, and this should not worry you.

Final Words 

They say that old is gold and most players understand this in regards to vintage guitars. If you want to enjoy a beautiful design, great sound, and easy playability, among others, an old guitar can be a great purchase. I have provided you everything that you need to know if you are considering to buy a vintage guitar as well as buying tips to help you land on the right model.

Vintage Electric Guitar Buying Guide: What You Need to Know from MyRareGuitars.com

Four guitars, 3 basses and one acoustic were stolen from his home in Blackpool, UK, last week.

“The bass guitars are all unique in their own right and are very dear to me. As well as being personal possessions which I have had customised, I have used them over the years in various bands with fond memories.”

Here’s what he said:

In the early hours of Tuesday 8th Jan, some thieves broke into my den/office/rehearsal room and took off with, amongst other personal belongings,  4 guitars. They were as follows – 

1. A substantially modified 1967 Rickenbacker 4001 bass which is now in pale blonde sunburst with chrome hardware, rosewood purfling and custom shading by Fylde Guitars, is now fretless and with stereo active electronics. 
2. An original Status 4 string bass guitar, headless, double cutaway, carbon graphite through neck with body of exotic tropical woods. This has been updated with new parametric controls and fretboard LEDs
3. A Fender 5 string Jazz bass, 50th Anniversary model with gold hardware in traditional dark sunburst. This also has been upgraded with active controls
4. A Fender 6 string Telecoustic electro-acoustic, similar to the Redondo with cutaway and sound hole and bridge piezo pickup in a dark purple-red.

IF YOU ARE APPROACHED OR YOU HEAR OF ANYONE BEING OFFERED ONE OF THESE GUITARS FOR SALE PLEASE INFORM THE POLICE IMMEDIATELY. 

The Incident number is LC-20190108-0115
THEY ARE PRICELESS TO ME

THANK  YOU, LANCE FOGG (01253 302858)

Important Tips On How To Protect Your Guitars From Theft:

You can’t predict those things, and unfortunately instrument theft is a real danger that none of us is ever 100% protected from. However, there are some steps every guitarist should take to help preventing or at least mitigating the situation, should it ever happen to them:

1. Insure your instrument: this sounds like an obvious thing to do, but many guitarists still don’t. If you can afford it, by all means do it.
2. Take hi-res photographs of your guitars: it’s always a good idea to document exactly how you guitar looks. After a while, your guitar might have particular scratches and marks that make it unique, or maybe stickers and other customisations  you may have added to it. Take pics of the whole body, back and front, close ups etc.
3. Take note of the serial number: every guitar has an unique serial number. This is usually how many dealers or the police will be able to identify your instrument. As soon as you get a new instrument, make sure to note the serial number. 
4. When playing a gig, don’t leave your instrument unattended: always make sure your instrument is kept safe or that someone you trust is keeping an eye on it.

HAVE YOU SEEN ANY OF THESE GUITARS? from MyRareGuitars.com

“Home Recording” used to be a term that petrified musicians. Not least because it required huge amounts of equipment to even consider. Before computers, it was virtually impossible, but as technology has changed, dabbling in recording is a realistic option for most guitarists, songwriters and even full bands. Can the results ever stand up to a studio recording?

Most home recording setups are a simplified version of a recording studio setup. Instead of going into a studio and having microphones running into preamps, a mixing desk and then to the computer, a home setup will usually be a microphone running to an audio interface and then to your computer. The audio is picked up in a DAW and then edited or ‘mixed’. Some home recordings are even done on USB microphones. 10 years ago, this would have been virtually unthinkable, but companies like Blue mics have actually done a very good job of making the switch to USB. It takes a huge amount of the hassle out of things, and means recording can take place anywhere.

Examples of Home Recording

Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago.

Perhaps a seminal moment in the world of DIY musicianship. This album was recorded in a cabin, where Justin Vernon worked on the project in solitude, tracking to an old version of ProTools LE software. Though it has a slightly lo-fi feel, no listener in the world would instantly recognise that this was not recorded in a studio, and the environment in which it was recorded shines through in an album with a definite ‘tone’ running throughout. One of the first examples of home recording breaching the mainstream.

Tame Impala – Currents

A more modern example of home recording is Tame Impala’s ‘Currents”. Lead singer Kevin Parkers home studio is described as more of a storage facility for his equipment, but was turned into the perfect recording space for this well-polished album.

Beck – Odelay

Never one to shy away from innovating, Beck was home recording in the mid 90s. He used the home (and equipment) of electronic producers the dust brothers to record and mix much of his seminal, sample-based album “Odelay”. Incredibly, the primitive computing technology available to him meant that many of the ideas for the album are said to have come to him whilst waiting hours for his projects to save on the computer.

Tips for Home Recording

The short answer to the question of “can your guitar (or vocals) sound as good in home recordings?” is surprisingly a resounding yes. That said, recording studios exist for a reason and are still preferable if you have the time and money. To record at home, some decent equipment and attention to detail are needed.

Recording at home…with the right gear, you can get great results.

Home recordings should consider acoustics. Treating your room with acoustic panels, or even buying a vocal isolation shield or shoving it full of duvets will do a decent job! Use the best microphone/s available to you, and investing in a decent home studio setup can pay off in the future. Even something as minimal as a good condenser microphone and audio interface can do wonders. Finally, brush up on your DAW or music software. There’s no use in getting good home recordings if you have no idea how to mix them, multi-track and present them into a finished song.

We live in a liberating age for guitarists and musicians, and the idea that a song recorded in your mom’s basement can reach the charts should give every DIY musician the inspiration to learn how to record and produce.

Can Your Guitar Ever Sound as Good in Home Recordings? from MyRareGuitars.com

Guitar’s strings are usually durable enough to withstand months after they need to be changed, but don’t think that a popped string is the only reason why you should do that. Re-stringing your guitar should be done more often, as you won’t be able to clean the neck, and so on.

Anyhow, “why” you should restring your guitar is another topic, let’s stick with “how”. We’ll discuss several easy steps which will help you learn this crucial guitar maintenance method – you’ll be using it for as long as you play, so you might as well pay attention.

Step 1 – Find a suitable spot where you will re-string your guitar

Plainly put, you could restring your guitar virtually anywhere, but that’s not recommended for beginners. Why is that? Well, every time you take a string off, you’ll also have to put it somewhere where it can (and more often than not “will”) be misplaced, not to mention the hardware. 

Apart from that, re-stringing also means “re-tuning”, so, unless you have a tuner handy, you might as well want to find someplace really quiet. 

Step 2 – Prepare the tools needed to re-string your guitar

Let’s put it this way – there’s a fast method which simply involves changing of your guitar’s strings, and there’s a thorough method which involves cleaning, tuning, and wire cutting. Depending on which method you want to go with, you’ll need different gear. If possible, go with the “thorough” method whenever you can, as the health of your guitar should be more important than getting lazy. 

Anyhow, the list of tools you need is as following:

• Strings – if you’re a complete beginner, you might want to get an extra pair, as you might pop a string before getting the job right.
• A piece of clean cloth – you’ll use this to clean the fingerboard and other key points.
• Wire cutters – unless you want your strings to dangle from your guitar’s head, you’ll want to cut the excess parts.
• (Optional) Guitar Cleaning Tool – most beginners don’t have this tool, which is why it’s optional. 
• (Optional) Tuner – There are different ways to tune your guitar, so consider a tuner only if you can’t think of any.

Step 3 – Lay your guitar down on a comfortable surface

Even though it’s pretty self-explanatory, it wouldn’t hurt to mention that hard surfaces are hazardous for your guitar’s neck. Obviously, you’ll want your guitar to be supported by anything soft and cozy – pillows might do the trick (note: most beginners go with the easiest solution – laying the guitar down on the knees. There’s a world of reasons why you shouldn’t do that, but the most important one involves it falling off and getting ruined).

You don’t need to think about anything in particular during this step, as all you have to do is secure the neck without limiting access to other places. For example, if you used a pillow and it’s too bulky, you might need to press it down in order to get to guitar’s head. If you want to avoid this, use smaller objects as support. 

Step 4 – De-tuning and machine heads

The machine heads are also called tuning keys or tuning gears. These hardware pieces are used to tighten or loosen the tension of the strings, which is simply called “tuning”. Now, before you could re-string your guitar, you have to de-tune it. By de-tuning we mean “spin the heads so that the string get loose”. 

You’ll have to repeat the process for each string separately. Keep in mind, you should de-tune your guitar slowly, as quick movements might damage older machine heads.

Step 5 – Removing the pins/unlocking the mechanism from the bridge

Depending on the type of the guitar, you should either remove the pins (acoustic guitar) or unlock the mechanism (electric guitar) from the bridge.

Acoustic guitars have safety pins for each string which serve as “anchors”, keeping the strings “at bay”. On the other hand, electric guitars have a locking mechanism (typically guitars with Floyd rose), or none at all. If the latter is the case, un-screwing the machine heads would be sufficient, so this part could be skipped. 

Step 6 – Placing the strings

The only proper way to place the strings is to start at the bottom of the bridge. Pull the strings out from the package as you place each one, and start with the E1. Consult the list below for detailed explanation:

• Place the string in the pin hole and cover it 
• Lay the string on the metal bridge bar so that it sits neatly in the groove
• Apply slight tension with the hand that holds the pin (hold the string if it’s electric guitar)
• Pull the string slowly across the length of the fingerboard in the direction of your guitar’s head
• Put the end of the string through the machine heads, press it down the fingerboard as you do
• Tighten the machine heads without releasing the pressure on the string
• Keep tightening liberally until you feel the tension between your finger and the string, but do so slowly else it will snap (note: don’t overdo it – you just need your strings to be slightly tense, you’ll deal with tuning later on). 
• Repeat the process with other strings (E1, A, D, G, B, E)

Step 7 – Tune in

Now that you’ve placed the strings in place, it’s time to tune the guitar. Choose the tuning as you see fit (standard tuning is E, A, D, G, B, E, just like the name of the strings). Most musicians can tune their guitars by ear, but if you’re having difficulties, you can use a guitar tuner. 

In case you don’t have it, try figuring out the E1 string tuning by ear, and proceed with other strings, keeping in mind that the fifth fret of your E1 string should sound exactly like the open A string (and so on, with the exception of the G string, which should be fretted at the 4^th fret instead of 5^th). 

Conclusion

Re-stringing your guitar is a standard maintenance procedure. It might appear hard at the beginning, but you’ll get better and faster with time. Most beginners tend to get confused with a step or two, especially the tuning part, but don’t get dissuaded even if you don’t nail it in your first try. In the worst-case scenario, you’ll just pop a string or two before you get it right.

Author bio

I’m Anh Vu who has worked sound technology industry for 10 years now. Today, I am an affiliate blogger who likes to educate my audience more about sound technology. Visit to headphonesunder100center.com to find all information about music that you need.

How to re-string a guitar from MyRareGuitars.com

1) Go Guerilla in Band Promotion

You’ve found your awesome guitar, grabbed a drummer, a bassist, and a killer vocalist, now you need some hard core exposure! Some of the best exposure has been won through creative, outside-the-box methods. While it’s great, and smart, to jump on social media (Instagram is a must right now) don’t limit yourself! Brainstorm some interesting ways to use the ideas mentioned here, and get your band out there – in the real world.

British band The Libertines, for instance, were notorious for staging last-minute “guerilla gigs” in flats. Other bands have even played gigs in trains, buses…

2) Get a Van and Simply Play

Oh yes, the indescript band van. This is a must to creatively let people know you exist. Pull up to a venue playing your type of music, then give the people waiting a free show. Bring out the comfortable stools for guitars and the portable drum kit. It will jazz up the concert-goers, and get your name out there. If possible, paint your image/band logo on the side of the band. Rock out with a few songs, and make the best possible impact in a short amount of time.

Rock band van

Having any sort of transportation may help you get more gigs – simply because you’re able to more easily play at more locations! If your band can fit in a car, then this could be a cheaper option, of course.

Offer to play for free, or cheap, at events, as well. A public rally or fundraising event is a great place to show off your band, and to let people know you exist. If indoors is more your style, consider talking to the owner of an empty storefront. Discuss renting the space for a short period of time, then using the storefront for advertising. Hold jam sessions, play concerts, and make it about the music.

Hosting open mic nights can also help to attract a new audience for your music.

3) Get Physical with Advertising

If you’re going to do flyers, get as creative as possible. They must be memorable. Consider the type of advertisements you’d put on your refrigerator, then aim for that type of flyer. Print off a few albums, t-shirts, and other types of swag, then take them to a second hand shop or give them away.

“Sounds like a cool gig… we’re coming!”

You’ll get free advertising in all different areas of town. Grab a spot on the local news, talk about your band, and stir up old-fashioned local interest. Talk to local radio stations about playing your songs on the radio in exchange for an hour of your time in a radio slot. Some university stations are very hip to this opportunity.

There are many radio shows dedicated to new talent… and bands such as Mint have benefited from it. 

The most important part of promoting a band is presence. If you practice in the garage, you’ll never get noticed. You must get out into the community, and you must do it creatively. Most cities have a plethora of local bands, which is why making your band memorable is far more important than collecting likes on a social media platform.

By Cassandra Richard

How To Promote Your Band: 3 Simple Ideas To Get You Noticed from MyRareGuitars.com

Imagine planning for a major concert or an upcoming gig and then during your practice session your guitar tuning suddenly malfunctions. This could be either as a result of wearing out your tuners, or them getting getting broken. This can be a setback to your quest as an artist, right?

Whether your guitar uses locking tuners or traditional designs, a guitar tuner makes your play feel spot on and your guitar sound great. Besides, they help identify and adjust to the pitch of your preference by opening or closing the strings. 

Therefore, whenever there is an inevitable need to replace your tuners, you might be confused whether to replace some knobs of tuners or a whole set of tuners. 

Whichever is your choice, before you rush to replace your tuner, it is important to understand possible reasons that might lead to your guitar tuner wearing out or getting broken. This will assist you to know exactly how to effectively go about the replacement and get your guitar back in tune. 

Changing the tuners of your guitar is actually easy…

What Might Lead To Replacing Your Guitar?

Firstly, as you keep using your guitar, the tuners are prone to the wear and tear over time. This could be associated to the frequent pressure they are subjected to while playing the guitar.

Consequently, they end up improperly fitting each other or at the worst, not fitting together at all. Attempts to tune your guitar to the right pitch could result to sudden skipping of the gear teeth. 

At the worst, insisting on trying them out, strings might end up getting out of hand calling for a complete replacement. 

Secondly, your guitar can accidentally drop on a hard surface damaging your tuners. Also, there are chances of the buttons cracking due to poor or no oiling of the gears. This is the point you feel the need to apply more pressure on the buttons to get your tune. 

In such case, the tuning quality might get compromised to the extent of the damage, hence possible need to replace them.

Ways of Replacing the Tuner Of A Guitar

Impressively, you don’t have to be worried if your tuner can’t function properly and has to be replaced. 

Have you ever been on the receiving end while playing your guitar at home, and experienced regular guitar tuner breakdowns? 

Well, I recommend you pay attention to the kind of problem necessitating the need to replace your tuners. Check whether it is the entire set of tuners you have to replace or just the tuning buttons. It is also important you take into account the kind of guitar you have.

Step-by step guide:

• If it is your tuning buttons that are broken, consider taking into perspective these tips to get your tuners fixed and get your fun back. The procedure doesn’t have to be complicated;
• Firstly, loosen off the guitar strings to establish the extent of the damage. Be careful at this point as strings can unwind fast and end up injuring you.
• You will have to remove all the strings the same way if you realize that a number of tuners have to be replaced. Notably, if you also don’t want to keep wasting time and experience regular replacement of the tuners, replacing all of them will a great idea too. 
• If you have an electric guitar, I recommend you check as to what extent your tuner is damaged, otherwise, if it is a single or a number of tuning buttons that need replacement, you don’t have to replace the whole set. This will equally save you extra replacement costs, saving your energy. 
• Ensure you buy new exact fitting tuners from your local store. It is imperative you identify the right tuning buttons that will fit in well before screwing them into place.
• At this point sparing some time to check out expert ideas or research on reviews on appropriate tuner replacement options will be invaluable.
• If you happen to have a regular guitar, get an appropriate small-sized screw able to unscrew the screws from the neck of your guitar at the tuning buttons. 
• If you don’t have also much of the ideas on how to unscrew your specific type of guitar, do some research or seek professional guidance before you proceed. 
• After unscrewing is done and the screws slip off, replace them with your correct new tuners.
• If you happen to have forgotten how to replace all parts back into place, reflect on how you started.  Fixing the new tuners should be done carefully to avoid fitting in a wrong tuner or spoiling the finish. 

Other Important Aspects to Consider

What if you can’t find the exact replacement tuner for your guitar and you need to get back into action quickly? 

Therefore, I suggest you be keen to the measurements of your tuner including the right height, size of the hole where the original tuner was fitting, the mounting pattern of your screw and arm length. 

Are you finding it necessary to do some modification on your type of guitar to accommodate the replacement tuners? Such modification might include the need to enlarge the pegheads holes for big-sized shafts. Your peghead holes need to match the spacing of the tuners when mounted on the plate of your guitar.

While enlarging the peg holes, be careful not to chip off the finishing of your instrument or the peghead veneer. Remember; ensure you have the correct specifications if you have to drill new holes. It is also preferable to check the tuner whether once screwed into the hole; the brushing is able to fit perfectly on the peghead. 

Your guitar tuner should be positioned at a distance in such way is it easy to access the string hole. This is to facilitate stable tuner fixing to avoid them becoming loose or coming off. 

Conclusion 

When buying your new tuners, check for those tuners that are too smooth as they might give you challenges while screwing them in. I hope you tuner replacement is an informed procedure that you can adapt to easily for a smooth play of your guitar.

By Joseph Nicholls

How to Replace Your Guitar’s Tuners from MyRareGuitars.com

The Essential Guide for Guitar Recording from MyRareGuitars.com

Tips for Buying Your First Guitar

When buying your first guitar, I know many of you made some bad choices that you may want to relive, but you cannot go back in time. This process may be a daunting and most frustrating task because of the wide range of guitars that are available in the market. Selecting the best guitar on your first purchase may be successful only if you know the type and precise guitar that you want. Therefore, when you out there shopping for a new guitar just follow this review and it will guide you to a successful purchase.

Guitar Type

You cannot brag about getting a guitar when you do not even know the type of guitar that you want. Depending on your skills and playing level it will be easy selecting a guitar type that goes along with what you know. On the other hand, for all those newbies who know nothing about guitars you can choose to go for a simple and most common type of guitar before advancing to other types of guitars. The type of music you like will also influence on the type of guitar that you are getting for yourself.

The three most common types of guitar are:

• Classical Guitar: acoustic, with nylon strings. Often a common choice for first-timers, especially children.
• Steel-strung acoustics: could be of a few different sizes & shapes (dreadnought, jumbo, folk) but pretty much the same idea. Better for learning chords, and sound louder than classical guitars, but the strings might feel a bit harsher on more delicate hands, compared to nylon strings.
• Electric guitar: Unlike the other two, you’ll also need an amp and a lead to plug the guitar to it. Ideal if you want to rock out from the off!

Cost

The amount of money you will spend on your first guitar will surely depend on the type of guitar that you are settling for. This is a never ending debate where to spend more or less amount of cash on your first guitar. For me, I would advise that you go for something that is within your range and you would not feel the pinch of buying it because you already have an established budget. You may buy a cheap guitar, and it will still serve you, or you may end up with an expensive guitar and still be happy. The bottom line here just does not allow yourself to get into financial misery because of improper budgeting.

Research

This is the most important tip for all beginners who want to buy a guitar for the first time. A guitar is not like a packet of milk that you will just walk up to a store and pick it up. You are required to know specifications and other important details about guitars. Therefore, it is important that you do your research before you set out to buy a guitar for yourself. A research will ensure that you get the guitar you want or a more sophisticated version of it.

Accessories that you require

To all those who are willing to purchase their first guitars, you should know that a guitar is not the thing that you require. Some accessories will be of much help to you, and it is important that you also get them when you are buying your first guitar. These accessories are essential and of beneficial help to you as a guitarist and they include gig bag for carrying your guitar around, guitar stand, picks, capos and electric tuner if you are going for that electric guitar. Always enquire about accessories whenever you are going to buy a guitar.

clip-on guitar tuners are now the most popular kind, whether you play acoustic or electric guitar.

Where to buy

Where you buy your first guitar is really important especially when it comes to searching for extra additional services or seeking assistance about the guitar. With the increasing demand for online shopping, you may be tempted to purchase your guitar online. This may be a risky venture especially of you having problems with your guitar, and you need a replacement or something. I advise you to purchase your guitars from any reputable store to avoid unnecessary loss or regrets because of ending up with a stupid and non-performing guitar.

Find a guitar that suits your style

After establishing where you would buy you guitar, it is so that you should locate and find a guitar that suits your style. Here you may be required to test other types and brand of guitars and ensure that you get that unique guitar that features and accommodates the style of sound you want. You will be the one playing the guitar, so it is allowed for you to just think of yourself and your style to get that guitar.

Tip: Get inspired by your idols! Choosing a guitar that looks similar to the one of your favourite guitarist might be a good start! No use buying a classical guitar if you want to be Jimi Hendrix, or an electric if you love Ed Sheeran…

Guitar Setup

Once you buy a guitar, you may be required to set it up depending on the neck of the guitar or the strings type. It is advisable that we should always buy our first guitars from stores so that we can have the salesman or the store luthier set up our devices to meet our needs. This is very important because you will not go home with your guitar then jump to YouTube videos to assist you set it up. Once it is customized and set up according to your needs, your new baby will be now ready to rock and roll.

Learn to play

Being your fist guitar and now that you have already set up your mind on what you are going to get I would encourage that you should learn to play your new baby. Some newbies go out in the stores to buy guitars without having a formula on how they are going to learn to play. It is important that you should know who is going to teach you how to play. There are music schools that offer the best rates when it comes to teaching newbies how to play. Ensure that you enroll in one after buying your guitar.

Final Words

With this review above I intend to help a lot of new beginners how to select and purchase the best acoustic guitar that suits them. Therefore, I advise that you take every point into consideration and ensure that you follow it to the letter for you to be successful in purchasing that guitar that you like.

Another important note to bear in mind is that you should not be confused by the wide range of guitar types that are in the market, just narrow your thoughts to what you are looking for, and it will not be much problem getting your first guitar. For more information, read How To Start Learning Acoustic Guitar  

– by Nancy Shumate

How To Choose Your First Guitar from MyRareGuitars.com

Using alternate tunings is one of the best ways to find new inspiration and getting a new freshness to your playing. Here’s our list of Top 5 alternate tunings (and some of the best songs using them) every guitarist should try at least once in their lives… have you ever tried them all? 

DADGBE (a.k.a. “Drop D”): 

This is one of the easiest alternate tunings you can try – simply tune your bottom (thickest) E-string to D! This is a popular tuning in rock & metal. Early, famous songs featuring this tuning include The Beatles’ ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’ and Led Zeppelin’s ‘Moby Dick’.

DADGBD (Double Drop D):

OK, now for the next tuning, things get even more interesting! Besides tuning down the bottom E-string, you just need to do the same with the top E-string? The result? A guitar tuning that’s been used on many legendary recordings, including “Cortez The Killer” and “Cinnamon Girl” by Neil Young, “The End” by The Doors, “Going To California” by Led Zeppelin and “Bryter Later” by Nick Drake. Impressive list, or what??? 

DGDGBD (Open G, the “Keef Tuning”):

This is the tuning used by Keith Richards on some of his most memorable riffs: “Honky Tonk Women”, “Brown Sugar” and “Start Me Up”. Following from Double Drop D, you just need to tune yet another string down – A to G. 

According to the legend, many players who tried to cover The Rolling Stones in the late 60’s, early 70’s, didn’t quite get it right, because hardly anyone knew Keith Richards used this alternate tuning, so they tried to play the songs on standard tuning. 

Also, as the story goes, it was Ry Cooder who told Keef about the Open G. Interesting to note that, if you truly want to copy Richards, you need to remove the bottom D-string altogether, because he uses a Telecaster with only 5 strings for this tuning!

DADF#AD (Open D, “Blues” tuning):

This tuning was used by Elmore James and is considered one of the most popular for blues, especially slide guitar. But there’s much more to it, too: the whole of Bob Dylan’s “Blood On The Tracks” album was recorded using this tuning. Other famous users include Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Elizabeth Cotten and even Pearl Jam (rhythm parts of early hit singles “Oceans” and “Even Flow”).

DADGAD (“Celtic” tuning):

This tuning was made popular by influential British folk player Davey Graham, inspired by the tuning used by Oud players in Morocco. Since then, it was used by other legendary players such as Bert Jansch and Jimmy Page. 

Want more alternate tunings?

Check out the Warren Ellis Series alternate tunings guide, for those who play tenors but also featuring some suitable for 6-string players!

Five Alternate Guitar Tunings Every Guitarist Should Try from MyRareGuitars.com

Simply put, they are exactly the same as any standard electric guitar but with a lower voice. A standard guitars tuning (from lowest string to highest) is E A D G B E. Baritone guitars are usually tuned a fifth lower (A D G C E A), or a fourth lower (B E A D F♯ B). Therefore, all the chord patterns you already know are exactly the same on a baritone, but simply produce a lower voice.

Why use a baritone when I can tune my standard guitar lower?

“So why not just take my trusty Fender and tune it lower?” you might ask. If you did, you’ll find the strings to be too “floppy” and not enough tension to produce a useable sound. The solution? Make the neck longer and use heavier strings. More precisely, make the “scale length” longer and use heavier strings. What is the scale length?

Airline Baritone Guitar & Eastwood Baritone Guitar

The scale length is the precise length of the suspended string, the length between the nut and the bridge. Generally speaking, most Gibson style guitars have a 24 ¾” scale and most Fender style guitars have a 25 1/2” scale. String sets of 10-46 gauge are typical for these guitars tuned E-E. On the other end, tuned a full octave below the standard guitar at E-E, a Fender Bass has a scale length of 34” and strings in the 45-100 range. Eastwood produces a number of “short scale” bass models, with a 30 ½” and 32” scale, also with the 45-100 string sets.

Most Baritone guitars fit in the middle and have a scale length ranging from 27” to 28”. Eastwood’s Sidejack Baritone has a 27” scale and uses D’addario Baritone Light strings, 13-62, tuned B-B.

Why is a baritone guitar useful and why should I buy one?

OK, with all that technical stuff out of the way, the next question, “why is a baritone useful and why should I buy one?” The real advantage is that ANY guitar player can pick one up and be an expert baritone player immediately as the tuning is identical to their standard guitar, just lower. So every chord pattern you play is identical on the baritone.

For example, when you play an open E chord on your guitar, you’ll do exactly the same on your Eastwood baritone, but it will be an open B. Get it? So you can play any song or riff you already know, right out of the box, but you’ll notice a darker, more haunting texture in your tone.

Jeff Senn Model One Baritone Demo

The Jeff Senn Model One Baritone is a new Eastwood Custom Shop model, and one of those guitars that really could tip you into falling in love with baritones! VIEW MODEL ONE BARITONE INFO

NEW: Classic 6 Baritone semi-acoustic

New Eastwood Custom Shop Classic 6 Baritone

Truth be told, baritone guitars are still a little bit of a niche, though not as much as it used to be, and we’ve notice a steady increase in the number of users over the years. But still, you won’t find many semi-acoustic models available out there, which makes this recent Eastwood Custom Shop very appealing: Imagine a George Harrison Country Gent-style guitar… but with longer scale for a slightly darker tone! Sounds amazing… at the moment, the Eastwood Customs Classic 6 Baritone is a crowdfunding project, and those interested need only leave a small deposit to guarantee theirs and make sure the guitar gets made. 

A brief history of… Baritone guitars

Next, let’s take a look at the history behind the baritone. Danelectro was the first to introduce the electric baritone guitar in the late 1950s where it soon appeared in a lot of 60’s surf music as well as background music for many movie soundtracks, especially spaghetti westerns. These days you’ll hear baritone in all types of music from folk to rock to heavy metal. The voice of the baritone is low enough to stand out in the mix next to a standard guitar and is high enough to cut through well above the bass.

Ian McKeye and his baritone guitar, live with The Evens

Brian Wilson used baritones often in his arrangements with the Beach Boys. Glen Campbell used them in great songs like Wichita Lineman.  Ian Mackaye from Minor Threat uses a Sidejack baritone with his band The Evens. Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny uses baritones in his arsenal of guitars. Pat Smear of the Foo Fighters also uses a Sidejack Baritone. Colin Newman of Wire (who came up with the idea) uses the Airline MAP Baritone. The great Richard Hawley (can you tell I’m a big fan?) uses a Sidejack Baritone on his recordings, many of which were inspired by one of the earliest adopters of the baritone, the fabulous Duane Eddy.

If you have a studio, you really NEED a baritone electric. You won’t have to invest any time in learning to play it and you will quickly discover many useful applications. Eastwood produces a few variations and price points to suit every need. The Sidejack Standard and Deluxe baritones are under $500, great bang for the buck. The new Airline MAP and MAP DLX are killer baritones and come in under $900.

OK… How does a baritone guitar sound?

Here is a great example, where RJ Ronquillo rearranges Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus using the new Airline MAP DLX Baritone. The result is a deep, dark, beautifully haunting and more tearful composition than the original – “stripped” down to just a Baritone, without the need for gratuitous nudity.

Check out RJ here again, riffing along with his Sidejack Baritone giving “Hey Joe” a darker bluesy vibe, then showing the versatility of a baritone in surf and western styles.

Here is Lance Keltner taking a Sidejack Baritone for a spin with his band. Note the clarity when played along with a Stormbird Bass.

The baritone is also very useful when paired with a wide variety of effects:

..and with a little dirt too to give you that garage rock sound.

..and you can have hours of fun driving the baritone through GuitarRig 4:

So there you have it. Starting at just $429, it’s time to jump on the baritone bandwagon! Take home one of Eastwood’s family of baritone guitars and add some punch to your playing and recording endeavors. You’ll be glad you did.

update Oct 5/2014: here is a link to a recent Premier Guitar review of the Airline MAP Baritone:

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/20377-eastwood-guitars-airline-map-baritone-review

Also just announced the MAP Baritone received the 2014 “Premier Gear Award”

BARITONE GUITAR: What It Is & Why You Need One from MyRareGuitars.com

Thank you to everyone who wrote to me at DrDaveBlogFeedback [at] gmail.com for all of your kind words about my articles on self-publicity. You raised so many good questions that I want to take this opportunity to talk about when you don’t want to do your own publicity. So:

When should you consider using a professional PR firm?

The short answer is when the advantages out-weigh the cost. So let’s consider what a good PR firm can do that you can’t.

Most importantly, a good PR firm will have a list of contacts that will be very difficult if not impossible for you to get. Many of these influential people will not accept unsolicited submissions unless they come from a trusted source. So your PR firm should be able to get your music into the hands – and ears – of the movers and shakers in your area of the music biz.

Related to this is a good firm’s ability to pre-screen music for their clients. In essence they rate your music compared to the field, and will only pass it on if it is considered good enough. While this can sometimes be exasperating for an artist, it helps cement the bond with the critics, reviewers, A&R folks, etc. who they deal with. The better this relationship is, the more weight their recommendation will carry.

So a good firm will provide extra sets of ears for your music. They will also give you extra sets of eyes for your other materials, punching up the text and maybe suggesting more effective photos to help you stand out from the crowd.

It may seem redundant to say that the business of a public relations firm is public relations, but at a certain stage in your career you will need someone with just this focus. I deal directly with the presidents of several small- and medium-size labels, and while our initial contacts have always been good there comes a time when other issues draw them away from artist promotion so that some of their artists, or some of their music, is not given the attention it needs. The example that comes to mind right away is follow-up. The PR firms that send me music always follow-up in a few weeks time to be sure that I have listened to the (usually) CD and to ask my opinion. Some will discuss the music and compare it to other artists to get a better idea of my taste and the tastes of my readers so that they can fine tune what they send me. Not surprisingly I review a greater percentage of their submissions because I like more of what they send. No, it’s not rocket science but patient, long-term work that eventually pays off for both the company and the artist.

Cross-promotions might be something that interests you. Some firms can arrange guest spots for artists on recordings or tours that can introduce your music to new fans in different genres. These don’t just work at superstar levels, and they can be a real career boost to both artists as well as a lot of fun. So you need to know who the firm represents and whether these possibilities exist. It also pays to keep your eyes and ears open for these types of opportunity as you meet other musicians at your gigs, or theirs.

Finally, a firm can help with bookings. Some firms double as booking agents and will send CD’s out in advance of a tour. Others work with booking agents (or the artists themselves if they book their own gigs), pointing out areas where their music has been well-received and in demand. They might be able to supply a good opening act that will bring in the local crowd as well as complementing your own music. And even though it is painful to consider, a good firm can even suggest postponing a tour that is potentially disastrous due to lack of interest in the music. Even small local tours can be costly and I know of several good groups that have broken up over these financial fiascos.

So the bottom line is common sense. If self-promotion is getting you the results you want, save your money. If you feel that you have tapped your current market completely and are ready to move to the next level, consider some professional representation, but find a service that is within your budget. A good first move is a trial deal for your new CD. If your sales improve and new markets open up you may want to move into a longer-term relationship. Even if sales stall, if you find that you get valuable feedback on your music or marketing efforts, you probably want to try again with your next CD having learned from experience.

In any case, don’t be afraid to ask the important questions when approaching a PR firm. What contacts do they have in your particular field? What strategy do they have to get you to the level you want to attain? Who have they represented and what have they done for them? Get references. Get their opinions. Get prices. Yes, it’s a lot of work. But it’s work that will pay off in the long run, and free up your time to concentrate on your music.

Post by Dr. Dave

Tips for Getting Reviewed – Part III: When to Use a PR Firm from MyRareGuitars.com

The good news is that you don’t need a professional publicist to get your music out into the world in a pro format. In fact, some of the best material I’ve received over the years has come from individuals, while some of the worst has no doubt cost the artists a fair amount of cash. Here’s what you need to know:

CD or Download?

Most reviewers want a CD. This is a more expensive option than having them download your music, but many reviewers and critics will refuse to download. Some people are still technologically challenged, while others are so busy that they feel they don’t have time to download. I’ll often give an album a first listen in the car, and for those albums I download I’ll maybe have to convert to MP3 and put them into iTunes and on to my iPod, so if I’m pressed for time I’m most likely to just grab a CD from the pile and listen to it. But there is a big exception, for me at least: if an artist sends me a link to one song that they feel is representative, I’ll usually listen to it as soon as I can, and if I like it I’ll download the album. But that’s me, and others tell me they won’t do that – they need a CD.

Data Sheet

Most CD’s are accompanied by a single sheet. Laser printing is fine, but use colour if you can. The title should be the name of the CD and the artist. The label, recording studio, producer, etc. can all be mentioned later, but you want the title and your name (or your band’s name) to be the focus and stick in the reviewer’s mind. Finally, display your web site’s URL prominently.

The trick with the data sheet is to give enough information to hook the reader, but still keep them wondering “Who is this artist? How can I find out more?” You want to give an idea of the musical style, the makeup of the group or style of soloist, if the music is original or covers or a mix, and maybe a little about where you are coming from musically.

Try to find a starting sentence that will grab the attention of someone who will like what you’ve done. Remember that you can’t please everybody, so try to hook the reviewer or critic who is going to be favorably inclined.

Talk a little about the music but don’t explain each song. Give a capsule overview of the music and what you were trying to achieve.

Give a one or two (at most) paragraph musical biography of yourself. It should tell something about what made you the artist that you are at this point, and how it led to the music on the album.

No Glossy Photos Please

At least once a month I’ll get a glossy photo of an artist with a CD, and it always saddens me to think of the pointless expense. These are very rarely used, and it is much better to include a number of digital shots in your online Press Kit.

Online Press Kit

It is expensive enough to send out a CD and single data sheet without sending an entire press kit to every potential reviewer. Set up a “Press” section on your web site, and include the basic components of a press kit there. Have shots of album covers in different sizes and resolutions, artist photos, gig shots if you have them, and any other graphic PR material that might interest a fan or other reader. This is the place to include previous reviews, testimonials, and fan comments, as well as tour schedules and upcoming events. A full biography of every member of the group and other info such as gear endorsements should be here as well. Think of this as the one stop a reviewer or critic will make and give them as much information as they could possibly want, clearly labelled.

The “Don’ts”

OK, so here are the things that you should not do.

DON’T exaggerate claims wildly. Saying that everyone will love your music will only determine some critics to contradict you, often very unkindly.

DON’T give your life story. Give the musical essentials and let the reviewer check your web site for more, if they want it.

DON’T cite testimonials unless they are from major sources. Even the most glowing quote is meaningless if the source is unknown (let’s hope you have at least one friend who likes what you do!).

DON’T include your CV. One page is enough, and some won’t even read that.

DON’T cite your parents as your “greatest fans.” Do I have to tell you why? Don’t laugh though. I’ve had two of these in the past month.

DON’T think that “formal” language will sound impressive. Let the reader know who you are by speaking naturally. Use good grammar and spelling but your own words. “I thought to myself I’m gonna make the best damn album I could!” is better than “I took upon myself the consideration that I should produce a product the most praiseworthy that one in my situation might conceivably produce, given of course the constraints.”

DON’T be afraid to follow up. Give the reviewer a few weeks to receive the CD and to listen to it. Remember that most of us get one or more a day, and often this is not our main job, so it might take a while to get around to your work. Remember to be polite; you don’t want an angry reviewer taking their first listen.

… and …

DON’T get angry and attack someone who decides not to review your work. I’ve occasionally listened to a rejected CD and decided that my initial impression was wrong and given it a good review. But I’m only human, and a really angry email back would probably make me want to just toss the CD in the trash. (Fortunately this has not happened to me, but I have heard from critics that it does happen.)

Press Release

I will talk about press releases because I still get them from some press agents and publicists, as well as some artists who seem to have taken business courses or seminars. Except for the major media, these are largely unnecessary. A good data sheet is all most people really need. So unless you think your CD may sell more than 100,000 copies this might be a waste of time.

Even when I write for a magazine, I have to smile at the start of almost every press release: “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE!” Realize that most magazines have a lead time of 3 or more months and you will see what I mean. A major artist may stoke interest by pre-announcing an upcoming album, but few reviewers or critics will write much until they hear the music. And those who will are usually well aware of what is in the pipeline well before a press release arrives.

If you do decide you need to send out a press release for whatever reason, even to the local newspaper, follow some simple guidelines. Use the “For immediate release” as the starter. Remember to indicate the date and city of origin. Order your paragraphs in decreasing order of interest, remembering that most small papers will start at the top and cut when they get to their maximum word count. Give the essentials of the album, and then of the artist. Then details of the recording and artist. Think “If they only publish up to here, will they know what they need to know?”

In this case you DO want to fill at least a full page in case they decide to publish the whole thing. Who knows? Maybe you will hit a slow news day, or maybe they are looking for a local music story, or maybe someone there saw you last week and liked what you played. But try to make it all interesting to a potential new fan.

Finally, be sure to include all contact information. This means web sites for the music as well as the artist (if they are different) so that fans can learn more and buy the music. Include also contact information for the media outlet in case they want clarification or maybe even an interview.

Write the release with the expectation that the music will be a big success and the media will publish the entire thing, but for your own sanity be realistic. Be confident but not over-bearing. It’s the killer combination.

Written by “Dr. Dave” Walker
blog.davewalkermusic.com

Dr. Dave Walker is a writer for blog.davewalkermusic.com and for Just Jazz Guitar. A former computer science professor, he has since come to his senses and now teaches music.

Tips for Getting Reviewed – Part II: Your Publicity Package from MyRareGuitars.com

1. WRITE MELODIES.
   I can’t tell you how many guitarists think that blazing speed or awesome technique will impress listeners. They don’t. Most people listen to music, and the heart of music is good melody. Why have songs like Greensleeves and Scarborough Fair lasted for centuries? Why do Hey Jude and Stairway to Heaven remain so popular?
2. EXPAND YOUR CHORD VOCABULARY.
   Three-chord songs have been done to death, and unless you have a really exceptional melody (see tip #1) you should give the melody as much emotional depth as possible by supporting it with rich harmony. A little harmonic surprise now and then will keep the listener interested. Make us wonder “What will happen next?”
3. BALANCE REPETITION AND CONTRAST.
   The two basics of music are repeating things enough so that they sound familiar, and contrast to keep the repeated stuff from becoming boring. Constantly repeating a small phrase, even on different scale steps, is enough to drive most listeners crazy. Too much new material without any repetition just sounds disorganized and pointless. This applies to melodies as well as chord progressions.
4. PLAY MUSICALLY.
   Too many good albums are ruined by robotic playing. Learn to accept a take that may have a flaw or two but really gets the feeling across. Don’t aim for that perfect take that has the soul played out of it from doing hundreds of earlier takes. Often you are the only one that can hear the “imperfection” anyway, but most listeners will hear the lack of spontaneity. If you just can’t get it right, take a break or do a different song and come back to it fresh.
5. DEVELOP YOUR OWN SOUND.
   Don’t fall into the trap of buying your idol’s gear setup and trying to get their sound. They’ve already done that and the audience knows it. An original sound stands out from the mass of wannabes and will always get serious consideration. This doesn’t take a rack of expensive gear. Use your ears and the equipment you’ve got and see what sounds you can get that you really like. You may be very pleasantly surprised. If you want a new pedal, try one that not everybody uses.
6. LISTEN TO AS MUCH MUSIC AS YOU CAN.
   See what others have done that you like. Listen to stuff you don’t like and try to figure out what makes it popular. Listen to classic songs that keep getting re-played and covered, and try to figure out what is so special about them, keeping in mind all of the previous tips. It is very important to know what has already been done, to keep you from “re-inventing the wheel” or inadvertent plagiarism.
7. IMPROVE A SONG.
   I’ve saved the best tip for last because you need to keep all of the previous ones in mind for this one. Pick a song that you think is good, but could be better. Then come up with your own version that you think is better. Keep the good parts and improve the weak parts. Let your imagination go with this one! After a couple of these you will be able to listen more critically to your own songs, and improve them in the same ways. Learn to hear like a listener, instead of the songwriter!

Written by “Dr. Dave” Walker
blog.davewalkermusic.com

Dr. Dave Walker is a writer for blog.davewalkermusic.com and for Just Jazz Guitar. A former computer science professor, he has since come to his senses and now teaches music.

7 Tips for Getting Reviewed from MyRareGuitars.com

I recently saw a later model (Blue faced) Supro Corsica going on eBay and the seller claimed THIS was the Jimmy Page amp…he was positive…everyone had it wrong…if you wanted THE TONE this was the Page amp. It, naturally, got the “question/comments” section crackling with replies (including, yes, I admit it, one of mine…I just can’t help myself sometimes) asking where this guy got his information, how did he know, and so on. He also claimed the Bluefaced Supros were EXACTLY the same (minus cosmetics) as the earlier Gray Tolex-ed models, which just isn’t true (I’m hardly a Supro expert, but just easy simple research will show you they often changed the guts over the years).

The upshot? The amp, which looked to be in so-so condition, sold for $450 amidst a series of increasingly angry and defensive responses from the seller about what idiots the people who were writing him were….Along the way, there were wonderful stories and theories about Page’s amp (it was destroyed in a fire, yet somehow is at the R&R Hall of fame…some have seen photos that prove it’s a Thunderbolt; some that prove it’s not…I half expected someone to say they had a photo where the grill cloth had the outline of the Virgin Mary head-banging in it or something).

And Thunderbolts (the most common, and probably correctly, Page-associated model) these days are drawing anywhere from $800 to $1,200.

And you know what? Page or no Page, cheap (ten years ago) or not cheap (today), they’re TOTALLY worth it. They’re very well put together (if not as easy to service as a Fender – but then, what, except for a Fender Clone, is?), have plenty of volume for a gig, take pedals well, and sound awesome without a pedal at all. It doesn’t really matter what Page played on those albums (or if and when Hendrix used a Supro), because IF YOU use a Thunderbolt, you will sound REALLY GOOD. And isn’t that the point of all this tone chasing us sick, diseased, deranged gear-addicted people do?

And, despite the enormous (and goody for all of us, I say) amount of boutique amps companies, there really aren’t many Valco-ish boutique amps out there. In the early 90’s, everyone seemed to be building a Fender Tweed copy (with variations, of course). Then, it was Fender Blackfaces. Then, the current 18-watt craze.

1960s Harmony 525B Bass Guitar Amp

And it makes some sense. With Tweed Fenders going in the 3-5 Grand range, why not pick up a point-to-point (or hand stuffed circuit-board) copy of one of those great amps for two thousand? But no one could build and market a Supro Thunderbolt clone, with high grade parts, for any less than the $1,000 you’d pay for an original with a cap job and a tune up. So, while their price has gone up (lots) in recent years, they are still something of a vintage bargain, and they’re awesome amp.

But what if you can’t scrounge up $800-1000 for that tone, let alone a couple thousand? Enter the Harmony 420 and the Harmony 525 bass amps (made by Valco in the, respectively, mid and late 60’s). It’s much like a Supro Thunderbolt, with some minor differences, on a budget. On a super budget. They can be found, with some regularity, in the $200 range. Wow! Well-built 60’s tube tone for that kind of price?

The 420 (in the black paper covering with the silver grill cloth) and the 525 (racing stripe!) are the same amp on the inside. They run a ½ of a 12AX7 for the preamp (leaving ½ unused for you gain-adders and modifiers), another 12AX7 as the phase inverter, and two 6L6’s for the output (all the same as the Thunderbolt). The speaker is a 15″ ceramic Jensen (ditto- same as the Thunderbolt).

Where they differ from their Page-ian (Page-esque? Page-larian?)brethren? A solid state rectifier and a different tone control (the Harmonys have separate 500k Bass and Tremble controls, while the Supro has a single tone pot) that makes it a little more constipated sounding than the Bolt (this can be addressed).

I snagged the one in the photo (posed with a beat up, amazing Harmony H-72) for 100 bucks from some clown who refused to ship it. Local pickup is always nice…especially when it’s all they offer and you are the local one! Turned out it was a pawn shop about fifteen miles away. This was a great deal – the speaker needs a recone, or I’ll probably buy a Weber Alnico for it, as I’ll gig with it and tend to get new speakers for that. Some minor (very minor) modifications to the preamp for more gain, new filter caps, and this thing is a sustaining singing overdrive blues/rock amp.

Even if you have no interest in picking up a soldering iron, you can buy these for around two hundred bucks and invest very little at your tech’s and get a vintage Valco-made amp with boutique tone for under $400. You can’t beat that.

If you can afford it, though, get the Thunderbolt, too. That tube rectifier sings. And, you know, it was on every single song Jimmy Page ever cut. EVER! He never ever ever ever recorded without his Supro! And, just so you know (and capture THAT tone), he always put it 18 inches to his left and 17 inches behind him, wore a paisley shirt whenever he played it and never ate hamburger the day of the recording.

And before that, Arthur pulled a sword out of this most legendary of amps and became king of England……and after that, the Supro Thunderbolt discovered America while looking for spice routes to Asia…and after that it wrote the Canterbury Tales. Or maybe I’m thinking of Communication Breakdown?

Bio: Rob Roberge is the author of Working Backwards From the Worst Moment of My Life (due Oct 10th), the novels More Than They Could Chew (Perennial Dark Alley/Harper Collins, February 2005) and Drive (Hollyridge Press, 2006). He teaches writing at the Antioch University Los Angeles, MFA in Creative Writing and the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program, where he received the Outstanding Instructor Award in Creative Writing in 2003. He plays guitar and sings with several LA bands, including the legendary Punk pioneers, The Urinals. In his spare time, he restores and rebuilds vintage amplifiers and quack medical devices. For news and more info, visit & or email at either www.myspace.com/robroberge or www.robroberge.com

Rob’s Crazy eBay Finds: eBay Myths & Misinformation from MyRareGuitars.com

One thing I discovered though: The new soft case I bought for my Strat fits into the overhead locker of the 767 so I don’t have check it in as baggage. I’ve always hated to see my old Fender disappear down the conveyor belt. You’re never quite sure that you’ll ever see it again. Now, I don’t have to part with it. I did however get asked the question.

Why is it that so many people think that there are two kinds of guitar player — rhythm and lead? I’ve been asked the question a million times in my playing career, mostly by beginners and non players. “What do you play? Rhythm or lead?” like they were two different instruments. I like to say I play music.

If you want to call yourself a guitarist, you must of course be able to do both, and for me the distinction between the two becomes more and more blurred as the years go by. A simple muted single note melodic line can become a great rhythm part conversely, a sequence of chords can easily be heard as the ‘lead’ part if approached with that in mind. Both are music.

The song should dictate what’s required. Obviously, when the singer is singing, the spotlight should be on him or her. To be riffing away would be distracting if not downright rude. This is when you should be thinking ‘rhythm’. This is when you should be listening to the singer, the lyrics, and asking yourself “What’s the least I can do here to help give the singer and the song their best shot”, and by least I mean “minimum amount of playing”. You will never go wrong thinking small, especially if you play with others in a band. This is very difficult to do, by the way, as some of you may already know. It’s much easier to play a continuous, mechanical strumming part than to break it up into little pieces and throw three quarters of them away. The first first technique is robot-like, the latter requires thought, consideration and taste.

As for ‘lead guitar’, even after thirty nine years now of playing guitar, I still don’t really know what it is, but I think it has a lot to do with what George used to do with The Beatles: playing the intro themes, filling the gaps between the vocals with riffs, either improvised or written into the song, and of course, taking the solos, again, either improvised or set in concrete. I must say though, that after all these years of playing and hanging out with players, I’ve never met a ‘lead guitarist’, a guy who just plays themes, riffs and solos. Before you can do that, you must first know about chords (rhythm) so that you know where to find your riffs, licks and solos. They are born from chords.

Again, when playing ‘lead’, less is best, and again, much harder to do. Running mechanically up and down scales at breakneck speed is not really making music. Killer melodies come from the heart, not the fingers, not the scale, as I’ve stressed over and over in these columns.

I used to see music as a building process — adding this element to that, collecting riffs and licks, connecting bits of information. Now that I know, I see playing music as a process of subtraction. I ask myself questions like: How few notes can I use out of all the possibilities to covey what I want? What’s the smallest way of stating (for example) Am7, and how big can the holes be between plucks or strums without losing the feel of the song. The challenge of deciding what NOT to play is much greater than collecting all the bits and pieces in the first place. As I’ve mentioned before, this is where taste comes in.

That’s it for now. Gotta go do some pickin’.

Rhythm & Lead Guitar from MyRareGuitars.com

I felt the same thing years ago about guitars. I had been playing for Four or five years. I can’t remember the brand of instrument I was playing. It was a nylon string Spanish guitar, the rosette around the sound hole was a decal, it was a piece of crap. My playing had hit a plateau, and my plan to master the instrument was looking shaky. I just couldn’t do the things I wanted to do, and I thought it was something to do with me.

Then I went to a music shop and played a good guitar. It’s still with me, leaning over there against the wall. A nylon string Goya, made in Sweden, a real guitar. Within minutes of buying it my playing ability had doubled, no, tripled. I had been wasting my time on the other thing, limiting myself to it’s mediocre workmanship.

If you’re one of those players — frustrated in your playing by an inferior instrument — do something about it. Either get it fixed up (if that’s possible — some cheap guitars are so poorly made that they can’t be adjusted) or save your money and buy something decent. You won’t regret it.

And how to find the perfect instrument? I’m asked that question all the time. “What kind of guitar should I buy Kirk? What’s a good brand?” My answer is always this: There is no such thing as a good brand. Sure, Gibson, Fender, Ibanez, Gretch etc. are all ‘good’ brands. They meet a certain standard. But there are some great guitars out there of unknown brand, and even out of a hundred seemingly identical ‘good brand’ guitars, there will only be 10 or so which will really be outstanding and only a couple greats. The rest will be good guitars, but I’m talking about upgrading to an instrument YOU LOVE to play.

You’ll know it when it happens. My favorite guitar is still my little Gibson nylon string I bought maybe fifteen years ago. I was in a shop and was intrigued because I didn’t even know Gibson made nylon strings. I picked it up to try it out and was still there plunking away a couple of hours later when the shop was closing. They couldn’t pry it out of my hands so I bought it. I had to have it. It was made for me.

I digress. I titled this article ’10 Golden Rules I just made up’. Here they are:

1. Get tuned up and stay that way. There’s no excuse these days for being out of tune. You can pick up an electronic tuner for just a few bucks these days. If your guitar doesn’t stay in tune, or is out when you play up the neck, chances are you need new strings. If it’s out of tune with new strings, have the intonation adjusted.
2. Listen.
3. Pay as much attention to what you don’t play as to what you do. In other words, let the music breathe, let it be an exercise in contrast. The holes you leave make what you do play sound better. Even if you don’t hear it at the time, your audience will. The great players we know and love wouldn’t be household names if they over-played. They’d be sitting at home wondering why the big break hadn’t arrived for them.
4. Listen.
5. Avoid alcohol when playing. It makes you sound bad and look stupid. A few years ago, my band, The Train, was playing in Sydney at a venue where a certain ex-Rolling Stone, had been playing the night before The manager asked if it was alright if he got up with us and had a play. We were thrilled of course. “Yes, by all means”. Unfortunately, he was pissed as a fart, couldn’t play a thing, kept stepping on MY effects pedal, was abusive and I had to ask him to desist. Alcohol. (Mick, if you get to read this, it was at The Bridge in about 1995. I know you won’t remember. I hope you’re feeling better)
6. Know what you’re playing. Never play anything without knowing its context, how it fits into the tune. By that I mean: know what key you’re in; know what chord is being played (the chord of the moment) and its role within that key; know which notes you’re playing in the context of that chord (is it a I, II, III, flat V, VII) etc. This becomes automatic after a while. It’s hard work at first, but stick at it until it does become automatic. Playing away without knowing what it is you’re doing will get you nowhere fast.
7. Listen.
8. Play within your own limitations. We’re all made differently. Some of us have long quick fingers, some of us are getting old and stiff. There is nothing worse than listening to someone trying to play beyond their capability. Much better to make beautiful music with one or two notes than to go for twenty and muff them all. Lucky for all of us. playing guitar was never a contest.
9. Let the song rule. Guitarists often think they are indispensable. So do drummers and bass players and keyboardists… I won’t even mention singers. The fact is, the piece of music is boss. Let it be so.
10. Listen.

There. I’m sure many of you have different ideas about the discipline of being a guitarist. These are mine.

Have a look at the new-look PlaneTalk site. All of a sudden, I can do anything I want design-wise. I have so many options, the difficulty has become settling on one. In all the hours I spent changing my pages, this iMac didn’t freeze once. I love it. Don’t forget, if you still haven’t ordered PlaneTalk, the ‘trick’ to keeping track of all music is written in and illustrated in it’s pages. The Guitar Slide Rule that comes with it is so revealing that even I, its inventor, marvel at it. All for the cost of a couple of lessons! And now, you can order it through a secure online shop. How much easier could it be?

Those who have ordered it (thanks) won’t even be reading this. They’ll be playing the guitar. You can read some of their comments on it at the Testimonials page at my site.

Until next time.

– Kirk Lorange (written in 1998)

10 Tips to Becoming a Better Guitar Player from MyRareGuitars.com