What to Look for in a New Guitar

By Scott Daugherty

Most new guitarists aren't sure of what kind of guitar they should buy when they decide to purchase. Myself, I spent months and thousands trying to find the right guitar. Here is a list of things to look at when trying to decide which guitar to choose.

Tone

This is probably the single most important thing to look at in a guitar. Whether you are playing electric or acoustic, country, rock, blues, or jazz, you need to have a tone that fits your musical genre. You wouldn't want to play a guitar that is perfect for country music in a heavy metal band. Which guitars have the right tone for you?

Blues

If you are playing blues, you need a guitar that has a bluesy tone. That being said, there are a few guitars that are perfect for that style: Semi-acoustic electric guitars with "soapbox" humbuckers sound great, as do Fender Stratocasters. The other important thing to achieve a blues tone is your strings. In blues, the heavier the string, the better the sound. You can't achieve the right sound using extra light gauge strings. They won't have the resonance, the bottom end or the mid range of the heavier strings.

Also playing electric guitar blues, your amplifier will make a difference on your tone. If you are using a vintage amplifier, preferably tube amp, you will notice a BIG difference in the tone.

Country

Country music needs a brighter tone from the electric guitar. To get the brightest tones, it is best to use a guitar with single coil pickups. The two best guitars for this category are Fender Stratocasters and Fender Telecasters. Using a Tele, it is as easy as plugging in and playing really. On the Strat, there is a secret that a lot of guitarists don't know that I am going to share with you.

A lot of Nashville guitarist call it the 'Nashville Sound'. Simply put your toggle switch all the way to the bridge pickup. Then start sliding it back to the next position toward the neck. In between the bridge position and the second position, you will find a sweet spot. The switch will not be locked into place on either pickup but the sound is awesome. It takes only a minute to find it and when you do, the sound is incredible.

Again, the amplifier plays a big key on the sound of an electric guitar as well. A lot of Nashville musicians use a Peavey Classic VT/Series Tube amplifier or the newer Peavey Classic. Behringer also makes a great amplifier that is used in country music.

Jazz

For jazz guitarist, a good semi-acoustic electric guitar is almost vital. The pickups on these guitars are usually humbuckers. For tone, a medium gauge set of strings is suggested.

As far amplifiers go, just about any 'natural' sounding amplifier will work. My personal recommendations are Mesa Boogie, or Peavey. They recreate a good sound.

Rock

Last but not least, let's look at rock and roll. Getting the right tone for rock and roll is tricky. Maybe you want a heavy sound that a standard 6 string can't give you so you get a 7 string guitar. The best 7 string guitars are made by Ibanez. Since the conception in the late 80's or early 90's, Ibanez has perfected the tone from the instrument.

If you don't want a 7 string but want that same tone, you can get the same tone from a 6 string using heavy gauge strings. The guitar should have humbucker pickups to get better tone as well. Guitars recommended for this are Gibson Les Pauls and Ibanez.

For a more modern top 40 rock style, the sound would vary. For the retro sounds heard in a lot of today's alternative music, Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters are used. Sometimes, the Fender Jaguar is played as well. For the heavier sounds, you would need a guitar with the humbuckers and probably two of the best guitars for this would be the Gibson Les Paul and Paul Reed Smith.

To get the tone at the amplifier, it is important to have a good tube or solid state amplifier that can model a tube amp. Mesa Boogie has the leading edge on tone in rock music as does Marshall. Other good amplifiers are made by Peavey, Crate, Behringer, and Fender.

Playability

The way the instrument plays determines a lot on your happiness with it. You can have a guitar that makes the most beautiful sound but you hate to play it. It is said that the perfect guitar will be like an extension of your body. I have found this to be true with my number 1 axe. Whenever I pick it up and play, it feels like a natural extension of my body.

After you pick the guitar that you want for tone, play it and see if it frets right. If the strings are too high, adjust the torsion rod and intonation. This in itself could make the world of difference on your guitar. If you don't know how to adjust these yourself, call your local guitar shop. It usually costs no more than $15 and takes about 30 minutes to do it.

Think about these things before purchasing your first or next guitar. It may save you a lot of headache and money in the long run.

Scott Daugherty is a performing guitarist and studio engineer. For a free guitar lesson visit http://www.superguitartab.com or for purchasing a new beginner guitar visit http://www.superguitartab.com/store/

Easy Guitar Songs To Play On The Guitar

By Kevin Sinclair

Music is the language of the soul, according to the old saying. It can speak to you and evoke certain feelings and emotions. Nearly everybody likes music of one type or another and many others want to learn to play an instrument, such as the guitar.

Playing the guitar is a great way to express your feelings and sentiments. It is also a way of expressing your artistic skill and entertaining yourself and others. That is why millions of people want to learn to play the guitar or improve their playing ability.

When someone plays the guitar, other people assume they have either had professional lessons or taught themselves. Whichever way you go about learning, it is important to use the right techniques to play the guitar properly rather than develop any bad habits which might be hard to get rid of later on.

One great way of learning to play the guitar is to use some simple guitar songs. This makes it easier to understand the tablatures and gets you more used to playing. If you can "sight read" a particular song, it will be easier to learn how to play the guitar. This all depends on your musical experience.

Some experts think guitarists can sing along with songs and then learn it on the guitar as they go. An interest in the type of music you want to play is also a great help because you will be more enthusiastic about it all.

Using easy guitar songs in order to learn how to play the guitar helps the beginner to learn the rhythm and pace of the song. If you listen to the song first or, better still, pick something you already know, you will have a good idea of how it is supposed to sound. With this knowledge, you can practice getting the note pattern and tempo right.

If you use simple guitar songs to teach yourself to play, you will help to tune your ear for music. When you know how to listen well, you will be able to know if you are playing the right note or if you have made a mistake. You will also know if your notes are slightly off key and if your guitar needs to be tuned up.

Using these easy guitar songs can make a huge difference in your ability to learn the guitar. It is, of course, much more difficult to learn the instrument if you are not able to have easy tools such as easy songs and a guitar. And remember - take your time because practice makes perfect!

Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.

What to Look for in a New Guitar

By Scott Daugherty

Most new guitarists aren't sure of what kind of guitar they should buy when they decide to purchase. Myself, I spent months and thousands trying to find the right guitar. Here is a list of things to look at when trying to decide which guitar to choose.

Tone

This is probably the single most important thing to look at in a guitar. Whether you are playing electric or acoustic, country, rock, blues, or jazz, you need to have a tone that fits your musical genre. You wouldn't want to play a guitar that is perfect for country music in a heavy metal band. Which guitars have the right tone for you?

Blues

If you are playing blues, you need a guitar that has a bluesy tone. That being said, there are a few guitars that are perfect for that style: Semi-acoustic electric guitars with "soapbox" humbuckers sound great, as do Fender Stratocasters. The other important thing to achieve a blues tone is your strings. In blues, the heavier the string, the better the sound. You can't achieve the right sound using extra light gauge strings. They won't have the resonance, the bottom end or the mid range of the heavier strings.

Also playing electric guitar blues, your amplifier will make a difference on your tone. If you are using a vintage amplifier, preferably tube amp, you will notice a BIG difference in the tone.

Country

Country music needs a brighter tone from the electric guitar. To get the brightest tones, it is best to use a guitar with single coil pickups. The two best guitars for this category are Fender Stratocasters and Fender Telecasters. Using a Tele, it is as easy as plugging in and playing really. On the Strat, there is a secret that a lot of guitarists don't know that I am going to share with you.

A lot of Nashville guitarist call it the 'Nashville Sound'. Simply put your toggle switch all the way to the bridge pickup. Then start sliding it back to the next position toward the neck. In between the bridge position and the second position, you will find a sweet spot. The switch will not be locked into place on either pickup but the sound is awesome. It takes only a minute to find it and when you do, the sound is incredible.

Again, the amplifier plays a big key on the sound of an electric guitar as well. A lot of Nashville musicians use a Peavey Classic VT/Series Tube amplifier or the newer Peavey Classic. Behringer also makes a great amplifier that is used in country music.

Jazz

For jazz guitarist, a good semi-acoustic electric guitar is almost vital. The pickups on these guitars are usually humbuckers. For tone, a medium gauge set of strings is suggested.

As far amplifiers go, just about any 'natural' sounding amplifier will work. My personal recommendations are Mesa Boogie, or Peavey. They recreate a good sound.

Rock

Last but not least, let's look at rock and roll. Getting the right tone for rock and roll is tricky. Maybe you want a heavy sound that a standard 6 string can't give you so you get a 7 string guitar. The best 7 string guitars are made by Ibanez. Since the conception in the late 80's or early 90's, Ibanez has perfected the tone from the instrument.

If you don't want a 7 string but want that same tone, you can get the same tone from a 6 string using heavy gauge strings. The guitar should have humbucker pickups to get better tone as well. Guitars recommended for this are Gibson Les Pauls and Ibanez.

For a more modern top 40 rock style, the sound would vary. For the retro sounds heard in a lot of today's alternative music, Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters are used. Sometimes, the Fender Jaguar is played as well. For the heavier sounds, you would need a guitar with the humbuckers and probably two of the best guitars for this would be the Gibson Les Paul and Paul Reed Smith.

To get the tone at the amplifier, it is important to have a good tube or solid state amplifier that can model a tube amp. Mesa Boogie has the leading edge on tone in rock music as does Marshall. Other good amplifiers are made by Peavey, Crate, Behringer, and Fender.

Playability

The way the instrument plays determines a lot on your happiness with it. You can have a guitar that makes the most beautiful sound but you hate to play it. It is said that the perfect guitar will be like an extension of your body. I have found this to be true with my number 1 axe. Whenever I pick it up and play, it feels like a natural extension of my body.

After you pick the guitar that you want for tone, play it and see if it frets right. If the strings are too high, adjust the torsion rod and intonation. This in itself could make the world of difference on your guitar. If you don't know how to adjust these yourself, call your local guitar shop. It usually costs no more than $15 and takes about 30 minutes to do it.

Think about these things before purchasing your first or next guitar. It may save you a lot of headache and money in the long run.

Scott Daugherty is a performing guitarist and studio engineer. For a free guitar lesson visit http://www.superguitartab.com or for purchasing a new beginner guitar visit http://www.superguitartab.com/store/

Cheap or Expensive Instruments - Can Cheap Guitars Really Rock and Roll?

Author: Daniel Mahogany


Nowadays, you can buy a pretty good electric guitar from as little as $70 and there are a number of good brands making them. Although most cheap guitars have a very good quality, professional musicians prefer hand-made electric guitars created by professional luthiers. But, most players, specially non-professionals, just need a good, reliable and affordable instrument that make some loud rock and roll.

Squier, for example, it's a Fender, so you can rest assured in the trust of such a well established company. Kramer, another company owned by Gibson produces most of its cheap guitars in Korea too. Ibanez are making really awesome guitars nowadays. Most players considered them really non-expensive but also very reliable guitars.

Of course some time ago the story was not the same. Traditionally, "cheap guitars" always meant "bad guitars". Poor design, constant loss of tone, low-quality materials. But, fortunately, today they are made fairly well. First, long gone are the days when the Japanese were making bad cheap guitars . Let's take an example: Vantages (a Japanese brand) are considered "cheap guitars" but their 12-string model is built like a tank, solid, tight construction and it plays fantastic. If those affordable guitars sound as good as more expensive ones... I see no problem at all! Second, the reduced tension of the strings (three are tuned down in this tuning) may have made those guitars more playable.

Well, for some reason I enjoy buying, playing, and working on these great rock and roll pieces of art. Overall, more expensive guitars are better in the eyes (ears) of the average customer than the cheaper ones, but deep searching the net for great and unexpensive guitars is more than a hobby, it's a wonderful way of keeping my mind healthy.

Although I could always swap the bridge out, but then the overall price goes up... I know. Not having money was the driving force behind buying cheap guitars and making them work. So it pays to sometimes get one of these low-budget instruments and do hardware upgrades yourself. Don't be scared. In general most of them have good fretboards and wood to wood fitting.

Additionally, Azerrad, an American author, journalist and musician, writes that early in their career, Sonic Youth "could only afford cheap guitars, and they sounded like... cheap guitars!". Kurt Cobain had some cheaper guitars he used too. But, in my opinion, the talent always overcomes the budget. The great thing about these instruments nowadays is that they are actually playable, and we can make really good sound on them!

I am a professional medicine doctor, the face I use to pay my bills. And I'm an amateur but passioned guitar player. Fortunately I don't have to pay my bills with my guitar skills :)

And finally, I have a small website about... Cheap and Hot Guitars! (Nope, It is NOT about medicine at all!)

Takamine Solid Spruce Acoustic Electric Guitar Rosewood Fingerboard Gloss Natural The Takamine EG460SC features a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides in a cutaway shape for full fingerboard access Other features of this magnificent fretted instrument include a rosewood fingerboard with abalone snowflake inlays an abalone rosette and elegant gold tuners The builtin TP4T preamp is a breeze to operate and includes a 3 Band graphic EQ plus built in tuner

Interesting Facts About Guitars

Author: Roberto Sedycias


This article talks about a brief history and the many types of guitars.

The guitar (violao) is a musical instrument that utilizes strings to produce sound. Usually, guitar is made with six strings, but four, seven, eight, ten and twelve string guitars are not rare.

Guitar (violao) is considered as an instrument in many forms of music like blues, country, flamenco, rock and even pop. Acoustically playing, the guitar involves production of the tone by vibration of the string and modulation by the hollow body. Electronic manipulation can also be done on the tone using an amplifier.

Combinations of various woods, with either nylon or steel strings are used for the construction of guitars. The person who makes and repairs string instruments like guitar is called a luthier.

History and development of string instruments similar to guitar (violao) can be traced back to at least 5,000 years. In those days, when synthetic material was not available for making guitars, a guitar was defined as `a long, fretted neck, flat wooden soundboard, ribs, and a flat back instrument, most often with incurved sides`.

There are two major types of guitars:

Acoustic guitar (violao): A soundboard (present in the front of the guitar body in the form of a piece of wood) is used to produce the sound from this kind of guitars. No external arrangement or device is needed to produce sound. This makes the acoustic guitar quieter than other commonly found band or orchestra instruments and often an external amplifier is used to make the guitar sound audible and to match the sound of other band instruments. The latest range of acoustic guitars come with a host of pick-ups for amplifying and modifying the raw guitar sound.

Within the acoustic guitar type, the sub-categories include: Classical guitars; Flamenco guitars; Steel string guitars (include the flat top or `folk` guitar); Twelve string guitars; Arch-top guitars; Renaissance or Baroque guitars; Resonator, resophonic or Dobro guitars; Russian guitars; Acoustic bass guitars; Tenor guitars; Harp guitars; Extended range guitars; Guitar battente.

Electric guitars: Electric guitar bodies are solid, semi-hollow or hollow. The sound produced is little and low without amplification. An amplifier forms an integral part of electric guitars. Vibrations of steel strings converted into electric signals by electromagnetic pick-ups are fed in to an amplifier using a cable or radio transmitter. The sound is often modified either using electronic devices or through distortion of valves naturally. The pick-ups here are of two types: single line or double line, each can be either active or passive. Electric guitar sound is most commonly used in jazz, rock-n-roll and blues style of music.

Construction of the guitar (violao) is based on whether the player is left-handed or right-handed. Usually, players use their dominant hand to pluck the strings. For most of the people, it is the right hand. The other hand of the player is on the frets for depressing and gripping guitar strings.

The various major guitar components include: headstock, nut, fretboard, frets, truss rod, inlays, neck, heel or neck joint, strings, guitar body and pickups.

There are certain accessories that might be helpful while playing a guitar (violao). Accessories like: Plectrum - also called the guitar pick, is used for picking the strings. It is made of a plastic like hard material; Slides - used for creating glissando effect in blues and rock genre of music. Neck of a bottle, knife blade or round metal bar, any of these can be used as a slide; Copatasto - it is used for changing pitch of open strings.