What are Fuzz and Octave Effect Pedals for Guitar
Entertainment,Music,Consumer
Fuzz and octave guitar effects pedals are a unique way in which several well known musicians have achieved sound from different stages in musical history. In an effort to come up with a totally unique sound, technology has put together devices that are clear and distinct. When these units are applied to modern day music it gives an interesting sound spin that is ruminant to the mid to late seventies.
Modern technology has made the use of a revered piece of equipment such as this clear and distinct. Sounds of today are easily mixed with the unique feel of the sixties and the seventies.
The audio source is always affected by the effects pedals. This electric source is directly responsible for the sounds of the electric instrument. It can be used with the electric keyboard, the electric guitar, and and keyboards. Each one of these instruments is enhanced to great heights.
The sound that this unit can produce may not be for every one very few things are. It is usually more appreciated by the musically advanced. There is a greater quality of sound from an octave up than you may find coming from any other pedal. Guitar players from around the globe of all levels have learned to respect the advancement this technology has offered the industry.
The fuzz directly affects the transition. A poor quality product can easily distort sounds. It can be used during live concerts or in a recording studio. When it is used in a live concert it should be plugged into the path of the electric signal. During a post production situation the auxiliary output is patched into the effects petal. The effect is responsible for dramatic sounds as well as subtle musical listening.
Subtle music as well as dramatic musical listening can be contributed to the device.This device gives a seasoned musician the ability to take their sound to a whole new and unexplored level. Many of them have a remarkable amount of respect for the reigns of dramatic sounds caused by a unit that will also relax and distress a listener with clear subtle sounds. Ultimately there is no substitute for good quality.
Locate that octave pedal to help make your music sound better. Or choose one of many fuzz pedal choices you have online. Go online today and find more.
Related Articles - consumer electronics, fuzz pedals, octave pedals, guitar effects pedals for guitar
Showing posts with label Seymour Duncan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seymour Duncan. Show all posts
Monday, 5 July 2010
Thursday, 5 November 2009
Taming High Gain Distortion Noise
Noise is a demon that plagues all high gain distortion pedals. It's a fact of life that there's just no escape from... or is there?
Before we begin lets take a moment to define the word 'noise' as we use it in this article. When we use the word noise we're referring to the hum & hiss you hear when you are not playing. The moment you strike a note, the noise is 'gone', but in reality it is simply overcome by the note having been played. The note is passing trough the distortion circuit and being amplified in the same way the noise is, but being that the note is intentional and, as such, a much louder source than whatever is causing the noise in the first place. As the struck note decays the noise slowly becomes more apparent until it overcomes the decaying note, as the noise never left, it was simply overpowered by the note.
Why are distortion pedals noisy?
Many distortions use cascading gain stages to create their sound. While this creates some great distorted tones, each gain stage also amplifies all background noise.
Not all distortion pedals use this design, but the long and short of it is that a distortion pedal will amplify and distort any signal it is fed; even if you can not hear the noise causing signal source before activating the pedal.
What could be causing the noise?
Many times, the noise accentuated by distortion pedals can be tracked to environmental issues. This is why professional recording studios are so expensive to design and construct. Painstaking measures are taken to ensure that every power source is pristine, ever power line is shielded and kept far from physical audio paths, all of the walls are shielded against stray radio frequencies, and so on.
That being said; let's take a quick look at what might be causing your noise and a few things you can do to clean up your signal.
Power
The first thing to look at is how you're powering the unit. Batteries will deliver a quieter performance, as they are not subject to some of the issues that affect AC power, but they have a downside as well. Batteries will steal your tone as they die, at such a subtle rate, you might not notice until your tone is truly not the same anymore.
AC power eliminates the gradual tone theft caused by dying batteries but they open the door to other noise causing possibilities. AC power directly from the wall is wrought with noise. The power is not delivered in a conditioned or filtered manner which is perfectly acceptable for most worldly applications, but not in the audio realm. If you rely heavily on pedals of any kind to create your tone, we highly recommend investing in a good power supply for them. Here in our shop we use the PA9 power supply from Godlyke, but there are many others on the market.
Another power distribution possibility could be that you have too many pedals on your power supply's chain. Noise occurs when you overload your power supply's capacity. The rated output of your power supply might indicate it can handle 4 or 5 pedals (after doing the math of course), and in fact it can- it just can't handle it well. That output rate is there to tell you where the failure point would be, not where the optimum operating level is. To keep your pedal board sounding clean stay well under your power supply's rated output. Some pros suggest you cut the rated output in halve and use that as your load guide. I say use your ears. If you hear degradation, even while within the specs of your power supply, ease back on its load.
Cables
Why are you plugging your $1000 guitar into your $1500 amp with a $9 cable? And DO NOT get me started on those $3 patch cables you're using in between each pedal on your board. C'mon guys... your cables are essential to your tone, so skimp someplace else.
Our good friend Mark Stoddard over at Lava Cable chimes in with this angle:
"Noise or microphonics is caused by cable movement or contact as small voltages are generated from this that interrupt the signal path. If the cable does not have the correct amount or type shielding the noise will be greater. Also, the lower in capacitance a cable is, the easier the noise will be heard as more signal is passed. Typically, with static cable such as pedal jumpers noise is not an issue as there's no movement. It's important for cable jumpers to be solidly built as a loose solder connection or loose solder-free connection can cause noise when the pedal or cable is moved."
This is good info, lets expand on it a bit- pedal jumpers or patch cables actually take some serious abuse if you're a heavy footed pedal user. Every time you're stepping on the switch you're causing that whole unit it shift, unless your using mounting screws to keep your pedals on your board, and that slight shift with each stomp causes your patch cables to move and flex as well. So each time you engage your boost pedal for a solo, lets say once per song multiplied by 10 songs a set, thats 20 stomps... that can add up to some sizable movement over the course of the evening, not to mention the movment your cable plugging your axe into your pedal board is seeing. So you want to be sure that these are well constructed.
The other topic Mark touched on is capacitance. Over at Lava Cables web site they have a great write up on capacitance, and cables in general, I encourage you to check it out. But in a nut shell, capacitance sucks the high end out of your signal. The longer the cable the higher the capacitance, which is why 40 foot cables sound dark and muddy. So, stick to the correct cable length. If you're a bedroom rocker, a couple of 5-8 foot cables is probably all you need. If you're gigging try 12-15 footers, they'll probably do you well for most venues.
Shielding
Do you have any quiet spots in the room you currently play in? Meaning- if you move around in the room do you have spots that are less noisy? If you do that tells us you've got something floating around in the air which might be quieted by shielding your guitars cavities.
Shielding the cavities of your guitar is not all that difficult, it can be time consuming, but not hard; however, the end results can be amazing. What shielding does is it prevents radio frequencies and other 'noise' from entering your pick ups. The shielding doesn't make the 'noise' signals bounce away, it actually absorbs the noise. The conductive material in the cavities attracts the signal and sends it to ground rather than letting it float around your pick ups. There are a lot of different methods to shield your guitar, so do your research. You can probably start and stop at GuitarNuts.com. GuitarNuts has been offering tips and guidance for shielding and pickup re-wiring for years, and they're a great resource. I've rewired more than my fair share of instruments using their diagrams, check them out!
Pedal board config
Heres a real example from a customer that had horrible noise issues with his Body Rot II. His pedal signal chain was a GE7 EQ to 'scoop' his tone, then running into the Body Rot II, then some reverb and delay. Here is exactly what I told him via Email:
One thing I would recommend right off the bat- put the GE7 at the end of your chain (before your delay or reverb) to sculpt your entire tone. If not at the end, certainly after the BRII. Essentially the BRII will take the boosted signals produced by the GE7 and distort it. Causing noise when there otherwise not be any.
With the tone 'scooped' by the EQ, the highs are boosted, then feeding those boosted highs into the BR2 to further boost and distort, caused hellacious noise. Simply moving the EQ cured his problems.
Another common noise causing problem the fact we use the volume knob on our distortion pedals as a master volume. Yes its handier to use the volume control on your pedal to turn your amp up and down, but its causing more noise than you need to hear. Let the amp do the heavy lifting. Set your pedals volume to the same level on or off (unity gain-ish) and use your amp to give you more volume when you need it, this will clean you up greatly.
The obvious
Do you have any computer monitors in the room- the older big monitors, not a flat panel? If so, you're probably going to get noise.
Any fluorescent lighting in the room, either overhead or on a wall? If so, you're probably going to get noise. Even the new compact fluorescent bulbs that are going to be the only types of bulb we can buy in the near future are noisy. The best cure for both the old monitor noise and the fluorescent light noise is to shield your guitar, but even the best of shielding can't eliminate the noise those sources cause.
One last thought- noise gates are always useful in high gain situation. Sometimes there's just no way around them.
Dennis M.
Dennis Mollan is the founder of Pro Tone Pedals. With 20 years experience as a practicing guitarist coupled with his formal education in music theory and audio engineering Dennis has become a noted resource in all things rock guitar related. Pro Tone Pedals was founded in 2004 to provide hand built high quality guitar effects to modern hard rock guitarists. In the five years following, the Dallas Texas based company has had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in modern rock music.
Pro Tone Pedals have been on tour and in the studio with Velvet Revolver, Alice In Chains, Camp Freddy, Flickerstick, Ministry, Peter Murphy, Rusty Cooley, Richie Kotzen, Jeff Loomis, Nevermore, Prong, Mission UK, Poison, Overkill, Fear Factory, Mob research, and the Cult.
Website: http://www.ProTonePedals.com
Blog http://blog.ProTonePedals.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Mollan
Before we begin lets take a moment to define the word 'noise' as we use it in this article. When we use the word noise we're referring to the hum & hiss you hear when you are not playing. The moment you strike a note, the noise is 'gone', but in reality it is simply overcome by the note having been played. The note is passing trough the distortion circuit and being amplified in the same way the noise is, but being that the note is intentional and, as such, a much louder source than whatever is causing the noise in the first place. As the struck note decays the noise slowly becomes more apparent until it overcomes the decaying note, as the noise never left, it was simply overpowered by the note.
Why are distortion pedals noisy?
Many distortions use cascading gain stages to create their sound. While this creates some great distorted tones, each gain stage also amplifies all background noise.
Not all distortion pedals use this design, but the long and short of it is that a distortion pedal will amplify and distort any signal it is fed; even if you can not hear the noise causing signal source before activating the pedal.
What could be causing the noise?
Many times, the noise accentuated by distortion pedals can be tracked to environmental issues. This is why professional recording studios are so expensive to design and construct. Painstaking measures are taken to ensure that every power source is pristine, ever power line is shielded and kept far from physical audio paths, all of the walls are shielded against stray radio frequencies, and so on.
That being said; let's take a quick look at what might be causing your noise and a few things you can do to clean up your signal.
Power
The first thing to look at is how you're powering the unit. Batteries will deliver a quieter performance, as they are not subject to some of the issues that affect AC power, but they have a downside as well. Batteries will steal your tone as they die, at such a subtle rate, you might not notice until your tone is truly not the same anymore.
AC power eliminates the gradual tone theft caused by dying batteries but they open the door to other noise causing possibilities. AC power directly from the wall is wrought with noise. The power is not delivered in a conditioned or filtered manner which is perfectly acceptable for most worldly applications, but not in the audio realm. If you rely heavily on pedals of any kind to create your tone, we highly recommend investing in a good power supply for them. Here in our shop we use the PA9 power supply from Godlyke, but there are many others on the market.
Another power distribution possibility could be that you have too many pedals on your power supply's chain. Noise occurs when you overload your power supply's capacity. The rated output of your power supply might indicate it can handle 4 or 5 pedals (after doing the math of course), and in fact it can- it just can't handle it well. That output rate is there to tell you where the failure point would be, not where the optimum operating level is. To keep your pedal board sounding clean stay well under your power supply's rated output. Some pros suggest you cut the rated output in halve and use that as your load guide. I say use your ears. If you hear degradation, even while within the specs of your power supply, ease back on its load.
Cables
Why are you plugging your $1000 guitar into your $1500 amp with a $9 cable? And DO NOT get me started on those $3 patch cables you're using in between each pedal on your board. C'mon guys... your cables are essential to your tone, so skimp someplace else.
Our good friend Mark Stoddard over at Lava Cable chimes in with this angle:
"Noise or microphonics is caused by cable movement or contact as small voltages are generated from this that interrupt the signal path. If the cable does not have the correct amount or type shielding the noise will be greater. Also, the lower in capacitance a cable is, the easier the noise will be heard as more signal is passed. Typically, with static cable such as pedal jumpers noise is not an issue as there's no movement. It's important for cable jumpers to be solidly built as a loose solder connection or loose solder-free connection can cause noise when the pedal or cable is moved."
This is good info, lets expand on it a bit- pedal jumpers or patch cables actually take some serious abuse if you're a heavy footed pedal user. Every time you're stepping on the switch you're causing that whole unit it shift, unless your using mounting screws to keep your pedals on your board, and that slight shift with each stomp causes your patch cables to move and flex as well. So each time you engage your boost pedal for a solo, lets say once per song multiplied by 10 songs a set, thats 20 stomps... that can add up to some sizable movement over the course of the evening, not to mention the movment your cable plugging your axe into your pedal board is seeing. So you want to be sure that these are well constructed.
The other topic Mark touched on is capacitance. Over at Lava Cables web site they have a great write up on capacitance, and cables in general, I encourage you to check it out. But in a nut shell, capacitance sucks the high end out of your signal. The longer the cable the higher the capacitance, which is why 40 foot cables sound dark and muddy. So, stick to the correct cable length. If you're a bedroom rocker, a couple of 5-8 foot cables is probably all you need. If you're gigging try 12-15 footers, they'll probably do you well for most venues.
Shielding
Do you have any quiet spots in the room you currently play in? Meaning- if you move around in the room do you have spots that are less noisy? If you do that tells us you've got something floating around in the air which might be quieted by shielding your guitars cavities.
Shielding the cavities of your guitar is not all that difficult, it can be time consuming, but not hard; however, the end results can be amazing. What shielding does is it prevents radio frequencies and other 'noise' from entering your pick ups. The shielding doesn't make the 'noise' signals bounce away, it actually absorbs the noise. The conductive material in the cavities attracts the signal and sends it to ground rather than letting it float around your pick ups. There are a lot of different methods to shield your guitar, so do your research. You can probably start and stop at GuitarNuts.com. GuitarNuts has been offering tips and guidance for shielding and pickup re-wiring for years, and they're a great resource. I've rewired more than my fair share of instruments using their diagrams, check them out!
Pedal board config
Heres a real example from a customer that had horrible noise issues with his Body Rot II. His pedal signal chain was a GE7 EQ to 'scoop' his tone, then running into the Body Rot II, then some reverb and delay. Here is exactly what I told him via Email:
One thing I would recommend right off the bat- put the GE7 at the end of your chain (before your delay or reverb) to sculpt your entire tone. If not at the end, certainly after the BRII. Essentially the BRII will take the boosted signals produced by the GE7 and distort it. Causing noise when there otherwise not be any.
With the tone 'scooped' by the EQ, the highs are boosted, then feeding those boosted highs into the BR2 to further boost and distort, caused hellacious noise. Simply moving the EQ cured his problems.
Another common noise causing problem the fact we use the volume knob on our distortion pedals as a master volume. Yes its handier to use the volume control on your pedal to turn your amp up and down, but its causing more noise than you need to hear. Let the amp do the heavy lifting. Set your pedals volume to the same level on or off (unity gain-ish) and use your amp to give you more volume when you need it, this will clean you up greatly.
The obvious
Do you have any computer monitors in the room- the older big monitors, not a flat panel? If so, you're probably going to get noise.
Any fluorescent lighting in the room, either overhead or on a wall? If so, you're probably going to get noise. Even the new compact fluorescent bulbs that are going to be the only types of bulb we can buy in the near future are noisy. The best cure for both the old monitor noise and the fluorescent light noise is to shield your guitar, but even the best of shielding can't eliminate the noise those sources cause.
One last thought- noise gates are always useful in high gain situation. Sometimes there's just no way around them.
Dennis M.
Dennis Mollan is the founder of Pro Tone Pedals. With 20 years experience as a practicing guitarist coupled with his formal education in music theory and audio engineering Dennis has become a noted resource in all things rock guitar related. Pro Tone Pedals was founded in 2004 to provide hand built high quality guitar effects to modern hard rock guitarists. In the five years following, the Dallas Texas based company has had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in modern rock music.
Pro Tone Pedals have been on tour and in the studio with Velvet Revolver, Alice In Chains, Camp Freddy, Flickerstick, Ministry, Peter Murphy, Rusty Cooley, Richie Kotzen, Jeff Loomis, Nevermore, Prong, Mission UK, Poison, Overkill, Fear Factory, Mob research, and the Cult.
Website: http://www.ProTonePedals.com
Blog http://blog.ProTonePedals.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Mollan
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
The History of Fender Guitars
Fender® is currently one of the premier electric guitar manufacturers out there. The instrument manufacturing aspect of the company had its beginnings in 1946 when Leo Fender began building them. However, the company actually started in 1938 and was called Fender’s Radio Services. He was actually a skilled technician who repaired radios, phonograph players, amplifiers, and other electronic instruments.
His experience repairing amplifiers actually marked the beginning of the Fender® manufacturer as we know it today. As a technician he had first hand knowledge of the design problems and issues. He began building his own amps in an effort to solve some of these problems.
He then partnered with Clayton Orr Kauffman to form a company called K & F Manufacturing Corp. which specialized in various electric devices and instruments (they made and designed them as well as sold them). Together they created an electric Hawaiian steel guitar. It was shortly after this that Fender and Kauffman had different visions for the business. Kauffman wanted to focus more on repair and Fender wanted to focus on the design aspect. This is when Fender started his company, the Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Corporation and is now called the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.
Fender® played a huge role in creating solid body guitars and making them widely available. One of their most popular models, the Fender® Stratocaster, or “Strat” for short was the first electric guitar with a solid body. Each year, they expand on their current guitar line while still making those old favorites available.
Now, there are over 26 styles of Fender® electric guitars available. The Stratocaster line has expanded to include special series modeled after celebrity artists such as David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Eric Johnson, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Other models include other Stratocaster models, the Toronado, the Jazzmaster, the Bronco, and the Mustang. For a complete list, visit the official Fender® website.
Fender® also boasts a list of artists who play their electric guitars. These include Sting, Eric Johnson, the late Stevie Ray Vaughn, Yngwie Malmstein, Roscoe Beck, and Robert Cray. For a complete list of artists and their profiles you can visit the Fender® website.
Here is what some users have to say about their Fender® guitars:
Fender ’62 Stratocaster Reissue
The tone is fantastic. you really get those screaming highs and the piano like projection of the low strings is gorgeous. through my line 6 flextone II amp it's just a HUGE tone. great looks. great neck, great pickups, no shoddy parts anywhere! refreshing at this price. its an utterly brilliant package and it's the business. epiphone, ibanez...they cant rival this. great super 250's strings. oh yeah...free deluxe gig bag too...winner!
Fender Deluxe Fat Strat
I love the array of sounds. The texas special pickups are hot, and between the 5 pickup combinations with a little tweaking on the tone adjustment, i can't think of a tone you can't get out of this guitar. The neck is smooth, and construction is solid. The Floyd Rose tremelo is easy to make quick tune adjustments with…
Bill McRea is the publisher of Guitar Warehouse the best place to Buy Guitar and learn Guitar Playing Techniques. Visit our site for over 60 Free Guitar Lessons and Information about playing Guitar.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_McRea
His experience repairing amplifiers actually marked the beginning of the Fender® manufacturer as we know it today. As a technician he had first hand knowledge of the design problems and issues. He began building his own amps in an effort to solve some of these problems.
He then partnered with Clayton Orr Kauffman to form a company called K & F Manufacturing Corp. which specialized in various electric devices and instruments (they made and designed them as well as sold them). Together they created an electric Hawaiian steel guitar. It was shortly after this that Fender and Kauffman had different visions for the business. Kauffman wanted to focus more on repair and Fender wanted to focus on the design aspect. This is when Fender started his company, the Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Corporation and is now called the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.
Fender® played a huge role in creating solid body guitars and making them widely available. One of their most popular models, the Fender® Stratocaster, or “Strat” for short was the first electric guitar with a solid body. Each year, they expand on their current guitar line while still making those old favorites available.
Now, there are over 26 styles of Fender® electric guitars available. The Stratocaster line has expanded to include special series modeled after celebrity artists such as David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Eric Johnson, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Other models include other Stratocaster models, the Toronado, the Jazzmaster, the Bronco, and the Mustang. For a complete list, visit the official Fender® website.
Fender® also boasts a list of artists who play their electric guitars. These include Sting, Eric Johnson, the late Stevie Ray Vaughn, Yngwie Malmstein, Roscoe Beck, and Robert Cray. For a complete list of artists and their profiles you can visit the Fender® website.
Here is what some users have to say about their Fender® guitars:
Fender ’62 Stratocaster Reissue
The tone is fantastic. you really get those screaming highs and the piano like projection of the low strings is gorgeous. through my line 6 flextone II amp it's just a HUGE tone. great looks. great neck, great pickups, no shoddy parts anywhere! refreshing at this price. its an utterly brilliant package and it's the business. epiphone, ibanez...they cant rival this. great super 250's strings. oh yeah...free deluxe gig bag too...winner!
Fender Deluxe Fat Strat
I love the array of sounds. The texas special pickups are hot, and between the 5 pickup combinations with a little tweaking on the tone adjustment, i can't think of a tone you can't get out of this guitar. The neck is smooth, and construction is solid. The Floyd Rose tremelo is easy to make quick tune adjustments with…
Bill McRea is the publisher of Guitar Warehouse the best place to Buy Guitar and learn Guitar Playing Techniques. Visit our site for over 60 Free Guitar Lessons and Information about playing Guitar.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_McRea
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
The Electric Guitar - How To Buy The Right One
One of the most challenging tasks facing any guitarist is selecting the right electric guitar for their musical needs. Whether you are young or old, a beginner or a master musician, there is no sound in the world like a finely tuned electric guitar. The thing is that it can be overwhelmingly difficult to choose the right guitar.
The basic construction for a guitar is the same for almost all of the different types of guitars. All electric guitars are comprised of the same parts: a body, a neck, a head stock piece, electrical pickups and a bridge.
Unlike an acoustic guitar, electrical guitars require an amplifier to broadcast the guitar's sound. The sound for an electric guitar is generated when a musician plucks the strings and the vibration of the strings is transmitted through the pick-ups to the amplifier.
Now, there are two very important considerations when purchasing the perfect electrical guitar: price and sound.
Electrical guitars can be priced as low as ninety-nine dollars all the way up to twenty thousand dollars, so knowing your budget is crucial. A beginning guitarist should look for starter kits that will include a guitar, amplifier and some instruction books.
Electric guitars are divided into four different categories: Acoustic-Electric, Electric, Hollow Body Electric and Steel Electric and each one is designed to generate a different sound.
Acoustic-electric guitars are acoustic guitars with pick-ups installed so that they can be wired into an amplifier or a public address system. These are some of the most popular types of guitars for touring bands as they are well built and last a long time.
An electric guitar is typically made of a solid wood body and sound is only generated through the pick-up system. An amplifier is required to increase or decrease volume. These are the most popular models of guitars for beginning enthusiasts and prices can range from $99 and up. Most manufacturers like Fender and Gibson have beginner electrical guitar kits that come with a guitar, an amplifier and training manuals to get started.
A hollow body electric guitar is constructed in the same way as a traditional electric guitar with one exception. A hollow-body guitar has 2 chambers cut out of the body. The end result is that the guitar generates additional sonic resonances because of the chambers and delivers a completely unique sound. These guitars are most often played by Jazz enthusiasts and are available in many different sizes and tones.
The last type of electrical guitar is the steel guitar. Steel guitars are so different in design from traditional guitars that it requires many years of specialized training to learn to play them properly. The steel guitar was made famous by Jeff Healey and is played on its back as opposed to being strung around the player's neck. The strings are often elevated above the fret board and allow for the use of a 'tone bar'. A tone bar is a cylindrical tube that is worn over the middle finger of the fret hand, and provides the classical steel guitar 'whine'. The steel guitar is most often used with country and western style music.
Regardless of whether you are looking to purchase an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar it is always advisable that you research thoroughly. Speak with employees of guitar shops and test every guitar you may be buying. Search the internet to decipher between the different manufacturers and models available until you are certain you have found the electric guitar of your dreams and then buy it!
If you're considering buying an electric guitar, then have a look at the esteban electric guitar To learn more, visit our as seen on tv music site.
Copyright 2007. You may reprint this article on your site provided you include author's resource box and active links.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_G
The basic construction for a guitar is the same for almost all of the different types of guitars. All electric guitars are comprised of the same parts: a body, a neck, a head stock piece, electrical pickups and a bridge.
Unlike an acoustic guitar, electrical guitars require an amplifier to broadcast the guitar's sound. The sound for an electric guitar is generated when a musician plucks the strings and the vibration of the strings is transmitted through the pick-ups to the amplifier.
Now, there are two very important considerations when purchasing the perfect electrical guitar: price and sound.
Electrical guitars can be priced as low as ninety-nine dollars all the way up to twenty thousand dollars, so knowing your budget is crucial. A beginning guitarist should look for starter kits that will include a guitar, amplifier and some instruction books.
Electric guitars are divided into four different categories: Acoustic-Electric, Electric, Hollow Body Electric and Steel Electric and each one is designed to generate a different sound.
Acoustic-electric guitars are acoustic guitars with pick-ups installed so that they can be wired into an amplifier or a public address system. These are some of the most popular types of guitars for touring bands as they are well built and last a long time.
An electric guitar is typically made of a solid wood body and sound is only generated through the pick-up system. An amplifier is required to increase or decrease volume. These are the most popular models of guitars for beginning enthusiasts and prices can range from $99 and up. Most manufacturers like Fender and Gibson have beginner electrical guitar kits that come with a guitar, an amplifier and training manuals to get started.
A hollow body electric guitar is constructed in the same way as a traditional electric guitar with one exception. A hollow-body guitar has 2 chambers cut out of the body. The end result is that the guitar generates additional sonic resonances because of the chambers and delivers a completely unique sound. These guitars are most often played by Jazz enthusiasts and are available in many different sizes and tones.
The last type of electrical guitar is the steel guitar. Steel guitars are so different in design from traditional guitars that it requires many years of specialized training to learn to play them properly. The steel guitar was made famous by Jeff Healey and is played on its back as opposed to being strung around the player's neck. The strings are often elevated above the fret board and allow for the use of a 'tone bar'. A tone bar is a cylindrical tube that is worn over the middle finger of the fret hand, and provides the classical steel guitar 'whine'. The steel guitar is most often used with country and western style music.
Regardless of whether you are looking to purchase an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar it is always advisable that you research thoroughly. Speak with employees of guitar shops and test every guitar you may be buying. Search the internet to decipher between the different manufacturers and models available until you are certain you have found the electric guitar of your dreams and then buy it!
If you're considering buying an electric guitar, then have a look at the esteban electric guitar To learn more, visit our as seen on tv music site.
Copyright 2007. You may reprint this article on your site provided you include author's resource box and active links.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_G
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
I know it's only Rock and Roll, but I like it!
If you are like me the phrase “too many guitars” is not a concept I can understand. I mean the ladies like shoes and hand bags….and most have a similar feeling regarding the numbers involved. So why are we poor put apon men so hassled about our guitar gear?
I have a modest collection with a standard Fender Telecaster, a Keith Richards type Fender Telecaster with a Seymour Duncan Jazz humbucker on the neck and a Texas Special on the bridge, three Fender Stratocasters, a deluxe, a red USA Standard with Texas Specials and a Frankenstrat with a Warmoth swamp ash body and Hot Alnico Fender pickups and a Wilkinsons bridge….after that a Epiphone 335 with Seymour Duncan humbuckers last but not least a Tokai Les Paul (Japan) and again with a set of Seymours! Nearly forgot the Ovation acoustic!
To compliment a Marshall TSL602, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Blind Dog, and a Laney LC15 tube amps. With effects from Boss, Nady, Electro Harmonix, pedals modified with Monte Allums kits, a TC distortion, a VOX Big Ben, a modified RAT, Dunlop Wah, etc.….. plus two boards, one with two channels switching.
No that’s modest when a friend has 17, OK a lot are FrankenStrats and Teles…but still reasonable. What would I buy if I could, maybe a Suhr or an Anderson. Possible ENGL or a 57 reissue Fender twin..or even a Cornforth. Part of the fun would be looking and trying and deciding.
The biggest regret was selling my Fender 59 Bassman, without dought the best clean sound I’ve ever heard. The trouble was the clean was so good when played through pedals…good but suffered compared to the clean sound.
I’m currently trying to get back in to a band…..just got to join one who’s standards are low enough. I enjoy playing…..isn’t that why we do it.
We are not expecting to be playing at Glastonbury next year….a pub would be just fine!
Source GMP
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