Classical Guitar Guide: 2014

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

I need a good Ukulele instruction dvd?

Marley

Sometime within this week or next I plan on buying a Ukulele. This will be the first instrument I have evr owned and I want to make sure I have a good instructional Video. The only problem is I'm not sure what constitutes a good video. So I need recommendations. Keep in mind I need something that will start from the very very beginning because like I said I have never played an instrument before. If you know of any lessons that are uploaded online that contain this content that would also be great as it would save me money lol

Answer
I am not familiar with any Ukulele video but there are many publishers like Mel Bay and Alfred that have published various books ( some with CD's) that are very good for a beginner student of the Ukulele.

You should be aware that there are four sizes of Ukuleles.
From the smallest to the largest they are the Soprano, then Concert, then Tenor, and the Baritone. The three smallest are must often tuned G-C-E-A called "C" tuning and the larger Baritone is tuned D-G-B-E just like the first four strings of a standard guitar. If you have access to a guitar place a "capo" at the 5th fret of the guitar and strum the first four strings (starting a the capo) and you will hear how the three smallest Ukes will sound. If you remove the " capo" then play the first four open strings and you will hear how the Baritone Uke will sound.

Chords are easy to learn but be aware that the chords fingering for the three smallest Ukes is different that the fingering used for the Baritone Uke.
Many guitar players that play the Ukulele (like myself) like the Baritone for the reason that the chord formation are identical to the guitar chords except you only have four strings instead of the six in the guitar and in many cases you will only need two fingers instead of three to form a chord.

Another interesting note is that If you were to use the identical chord fingering you learn in the baritone (or guitar) in the smaller three Ukes you will actually be playing four notes higher in pitch but the sound will be OK just the note will be 4 notes apart. As an example a fingering for a "G" chord in the baritone when playing a small soprano will give you a "C" chord- Four notes higher ("G"-A-B-"C"). The reverse is also the same, playing the fingering for a "C" chord in the soprano in the baritone will sound four notes lower ("C"-B-A-"G") It will sound OK.

The Uke is one of the easiest string Instruments to learn as well as making it easy portable due to its small size. The largest Baritone is only approx. 30" long and some guitar players used them as their "travel" instrument that fit almost anywhere.

Go by your local music or book store and check out the section on instrumental instruction.See which one appeals to you the most and get it. When buying a Ukulele if you can afford it buy it with a solid wood top - not laminated- the extra $30 to $50 will be worth it in the sound projection. A solid-top smaller uke will start around $125. and a larger Baritone around $150. Laminated smaller Ukes that are not toys should start at around $60. and around $75. for a Baritone. Good Luck and Enjoy your Ukulele

Saturday, June 21, 2014

ideas for a teen christmas party 20-35 people?

ibe2hot4ud

i know its early but ive seen what happens when you wait until its to late and i want to make sure evry1 comes to my party not some1 else's. im renting a large comunity center with a kitchen and a fire place. the guests will be middle school age and im going to have a wii a few tvs to play like guitar hero face offs dance dance revolution dance offs and mabey a murder mystery and a christmas idol sing off with awards. i need ideas for food, decoration, party favors, raffle prizes, somthing to wear and other games. thnks in advance. (also anything else you can think of and no drugs alchohal or anything in apporpriate)
no white elephant or anything like that

Answer
I absolutly love Christmas parties but it sounds like you need a lot of help and I don't know your budget. Lets take it one thing at a time.

FOOD:
I'm not sure if you are having this party over a meal time but here are websites that should help you.
http://www.santas.net/recipes.htm

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/et_hd_christmas/0,1972,FOOD_9832,00.html

http://www.christmas-joy.com/recipes/

http://www.saint-nick.com/recipes/

http://www.abc.net.au/backyard/recipes/christmas.htm

http://www.celebrating-christmas.com/recipes/index.shtml

http://www.santaswarehouse.com.au/favorite/christmas_recipes/

Remember, Christmas food is usually homecooked so be prepared to spend alot of time in the kitchen, it will be worth it! Also make sure that you check with all your guests for food allergies or dietary need (like vegetarians or vegans). You don't want any of your guests going hungry!
Make sure that you have alot of candy for snacks, especially candy canes. Hang these up around the room and you will be able to turn them into nice decorations aswell!

DECORATIONS:
http://www.theydeserveit.com/christmas-decorations/party-decorations.html

http://www.mykindaliving.com/celebrating/holidays/christmas.shtml

http://www.amazing-christmas-ideas.com/white-christmas-decorating.html

http://www.amazing-christmas-ideas.com/christmas-table-decorations.html

http://www.amazing-christmas-ideas.com/quick-and-easy-decorating-with-christmas-wreaths.html

http://www.make-stuff.com/hollidays/christmas.html

http://www.rollanet.org/~anderson/cdecorating.html

http://www.decorating4less.com/pages/cmas99.htm

http://www.home-decorating-made-easy.com/christmas-decorating.html

PARTY FAVORS:
The simplest and easiest party favors would obviously be ornaments. You could buy a buch of colourful Christmas balls and, with sparkly paint, paint each persons name onto their ornament. Everybody will love these and they will always have a reminder of your party.
You could also get a christmas hat or stocking for each persona and fill it with candy. Everyone with love these and they should be pretty cheap.
Another idea is to give everybody a cheap, disposable camera at the beginning of the party. This way evryone can take their own special pictures.
Scented christmas candles in cute holders are small, cheap and give lots of Christmas spirit. Get them in festive colours like red, green and white.
You could give each of them a burnt CD of Christmas songs. This idea is really cheap and suitable for evrybody.
You could get them all a festive photo frame, either store bought or a plain one you have decorated yourself. Put in it a little note telling them that they will be recieving lots of photos from the night (coz obviously you will have had someone taking them with a dgital camera!).
Small snow globes are always a cute idea. This will work best if most of your guests are female but even male guys will love them if you get the right ones.
Buy lots of small tins and fill them with homemade Christmas cookies. No one will be able to resist!

RAFFLE PRIZES:
Obviously you want this to be at least partially Christmas themed. For a group of that many people, I suggest that you have a first prize, second prize, third prize and 5 small consilation prizes. Usually I would make 1st, 2nd and 3rd about equal. The person who gets 1st gets to pick their prize first and so on. This mean people are more likely to get what they want and you don't have to bother with defingin three prizes.
Here are some ideas for your 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes:
A Christmas hamper filled with Christmas food.
A pile of fancy Christmas ornaments and other decorations
A small Christmas tree with a few small Christmas decorations.
A set of Christmas DVDs (make sure they are appropriate for your age group)
A voucher for a specialised Christmas shop

Here are some ideas for the consilation prizes:
A Santa's Cookie Jar
A small Christmas stocking filled with candy
A Christmas Fruit cake
A stack of blank Christmas Cards
A Christmas stuffed toy

WHAT TO WEAR:
You are the host so how you act and look will set the whole tone of the party. I would suggest incorperating some Christmas theme into what you wear and asking everyone else to do the same. This will make your party really seem festive and get everybody in the right mood. Don't go to overboard though and from the sound of your game remind everybody to wear or bring leggings or pants. Maybe you could wear a cute red and white dress with leggings underneath. Or even just jeans and a top you love with some Christmasy accessories. You could supply everbody with a Santa hat to wear when the walk in the door. I don't know how formal o unformal your party is going to be but as long and you are comfortable and love what you are wearing anything will do fine.

GAMES:
There are lots of games that you could give a Christmas twist to. Definatly don't rule our kids games because they seem to young! Trust me, I am 15 and every party that me and my friends have we play Pass the Parcel. Here are some game ideas:

Christmas Charades (use Christmas songs, names, movies,etc)

The Chocolate game - if you don't know this, you all get in a circle and there is a block of chocolate in the middle with a fork and a knife. You each take turns throwing the dice and when someone gets the number you have decided on (usually 1 or 6) they get to start eating the chocolate. The trick is that before they start they have to put on certain items of clothing (baggy shirts, hats, gloves, scarves, etc). They can then start cutting the chocolate using the knife and fork (no hands) but they can only cut of one square at a time. When they have they can put this in their mouth and can't keep going untill they have completely fineshed it. Meanwhile, everybody else keeps on rolling the dice. When the next person get the decided number, no matter how far through the first person is, they must immediatly stop, take of the clothes and return to the middle. Make sure that the chocolate isn't too hard or soft. I would suggest having two sets of the same clothes so that noone is held up by the previous person. Also, with a group that big you might want to think about having two or three groups.Trust me, evryone loves this game.

The marshmallow game - this is basically like bobbing for apples except instead of apples their are marshmallow and instead of water their is icing suger. The marshmallows are hidden in the icing sugar to make it harder and the person bobbing has their hands tied behind their back. If you want, you can turn this into a race where there is more than one bowl set up and each person has to try and get all of their marshmallows out and onto the plate beside them first.

Christmas Balloon Battle - http://www.partygamecentral.com/pgcstandard/gametmpstd.asp?gn=CHRISTMAS+BALLOON+BATTLE

Reindeer Games - http://www.partygamecentral.com/pgcstandard/gametmpstd.asp?gn=REINDEER+GAMES

Santa Dress Up - http://www.partygamecentral.com/pgcstandard/gametmpstd.asp?gn=SANTA+DRESS+UP

Box Game -
http://www.partygamecentral.com/pgcstandard/gametmpstd.asp?gn=BOX+GAME

Pinata - http://www.partygamecentral.com/pgcstandard/gametmpstd.asp?gn=PINATA+PARTY

Sweet Spot - http://www.partygamecentral.com/pgcstandard/gametmpstd.asp?gn=SWEET+SPOT

Tape the Nose on Santa - http://www.partygamecentral.com/pgcstandard/gametmpstd.asp?gn=TAPE+THE+NOSE+ON+SANTA

I hope this has been a help. Good luck!

Monday, June 16, 2014

wireless guitar system?

pupe dek

I am looking for a wireless guitar system to buy. dont say something that is like over 200 bucks. when u tell me about one,
tell me its
name and brand and make
a link of it to a music site or something where it has a description of it
how i can walk away from my amp while still working
how long it will last until it breaks.

please include all or most of those things asked above!

thanks

Answer
The answer to every single one of your questions is here...

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Nady-DKW1-VHF-Wireless-Guitar-System?sku=277103

It will last for at least 5-8 years if you take care of it.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Guitar picking help??!!?

Ledzepp

I just noticed that whenever i play, my pick scratches against my strings and it makes and awful clanging noise. i've heard others play, and it doesn't happen to them. it also happens when i stop my string from vibrating, u hear my hand hitting my strings. do i just have an over-sensitive amp, or it is something i'm doing? how do i stop it?

Answer
Match your guitar pick with the strings. If you are using super light gauge , don't use a 1.0mm pick or it will sound harsh. I use it sometimes but I know how NOT to apply to much pressure on the string. The best gague is around .60 to .75 for most strings.

You may also use economy picking which will help reduce the scratchy sound when playing. You will have to use the left hand more by using hammer-ons, pull-off which can emulate alternatie picking if done right.

Again, if you use a havier gauge string, use a heavier pick and vice - versa. Also, angle the pick so that it hits the string at a 45 deg. angle . This will help you pickup speed and cleanness.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

How to record professionally, electro-acoustic guitars?

RUSTIC_MAN

How do Great bands, record the acoustic guitar parts?
Do they connect the guitar to a interface? to an amplifier? to a mixing desk?
How to get the best performance?

Answer
Great bands will use lots of equipment - mics - mixers - computers - preamps - signal processors - on and on and on.

You don't need all that - all you need is a simple USB mic to make a great recording of your guitar:

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B002VA464S/ref=sr_1_2?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285620765&sr=8-2

Monday, June 9, 2014

I am looking for a looper for an acoustic guitar?

Becca

My Boyfriend mentioned that he would love a looper. Unfortunately I don't know much about music and all. So I am curious to know what I should get him... What the best is out there? I was looking at a Jamman, and I heard that the boss brand is good. Any suggestions?? I will be getting it for him for Christmas and I would like to keep it under $250

Answer
I've had three loopers and they all have their good & bad points. Right now I own the Boss RC20 loop station and it's really easy to use and the sound quality is almost perfect. It has some things I don't like, but for the money ($225.00 on ebay) it's pretty good. I had a Boomerang phrase sampler too, and it was amazing. Very easy and fun to use, but cost 400 bucks used. I ended up getting rid of it because setting it up live on unfamiliar sound systems was a total nightmare. Finally, I also had a Line 6 DL4, (300 dollar range) which was the best sound quality and easiest for me to use, but it blew up on a gig and I'm left with the Boss. KT Tunstall uses an Akai Headrush and it sounds perfect and looks easy to use. And from what I've seen, they are under the 250 dollar range too. That might be a good one to check out.

In short, there is no "best". But I'd check out the Akai Headrush, and the Boss is pretty decent for the money.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Epiphone LP Junior Special Electric Guitar ?

Weap

Can anyone tell me if this would be a good buy for 120? lookin to replace my shitty washburn x10

Answer
Depends on how shitty your Washburn is. It is not in any way, shape or form a major step up (to put it mildly). These lower priced Epiphone guitars is usually bad stuff. The more expensive ones are usually good, but you'll get better value elsewhere.

Personally, I wouldn't play this Epiphone if you paid me good money to do it, but I'd gladly take a Washburn any day and upgrade/fix that.

I agree with the other poster that a Squier is a better instrument. Other options to look at would be Cort, Jay Turser, Ibanez or Samick. In general much, much better instruments than the lower end Epiphone.

Personally, I tend to recommend the Agile brand and the other ones found here: http://www.learnelectricguitarnow.net/agile-electrics - The Agiles will probably be a little too expensive for you, after all we're talking guitars here in the quality league of a good Gibson but for the fraction of the price.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

is there gloves for playing guitar?

rockman

well i have short fat fingers that cant reach accross the fret board,also i have several pieces of broken glass in my fretting hand ,after a few minutes my hand aches terribly.i figured till i get the pieces removed surgically,using a glove could help.

Answer
http://www.fingergloves.com/
i found this, maybe it could work out.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Very inexpensive guitar?

LT Frizz

Well I'm learning to play guitar, but instead of getting a quality brand beginner acoustic like YAMAHA, my mom, being cheap ordered this $40 one: http://www.amazon.com/Beginner-Acoustic-Carrying-Accessories-Harmonica/dp/B001M4L796
I told her it was pretty cheap for a guitar and probably made out of cheap materials, but she does not listen. She says that since I'm a beginner and I'm just learning, it would be "perfect" for me. She says it can be a good as the higher priced guitars when I learn to play. Imo, it looks like a cheap toy guitar, like First Act. Were not poor trust me, but she just gets me angry when she always buy expensive stuff for herself but cheap crap for me. I haven't gotten the guitar yet, but I'm planning on either sending it back or just keeping it put up. Is this a guitar I can play on at the least or do I need to just hang it up?

Answer
Here's my answer as somebody who's played guitars for the past decade in gigging bands. Feel free to show this to your mother:

I'm fully supportive of buying cheap equipment for people who are just getting into music, but $40 is too cheap. Last Christmas one of my cousins bought a guitar very similar to this one for her son. I played around with it as did my father (a better musician than I am). Neither of us could even play it. We'd tune it and within 30 seconds it would be dreadfully out of tune. Even perfectly tuned the intonation on all the notes would be wrong and chords would sound completely out of tune. And it would only get worse the more we strummed and the further out of tune it went. It's not my first experience with $40 guitars. It's not just that they're bad guitars. They're not even playable for a pro, let alone a beginner. Send it back or it'll end up doing nothing more than being a wall ornament. It's very unlikely to be a playable instrument even if you are a pro.

Inexpensive playable guitars tend to run between $100-$200 new. You can sometimes find great deals on Craigslist, but I'd stay away from $100 Craigslist guitars. Too often that's somebody trying to get rid of a defective and unplayable guitar. A $200 used guitar is generally going to outplay a $200 new guitar substantially though. Cheap musical gear generally runs at nearly half the price used as it does new. (The expensive stuff is nearly as expensive, sometimes more, than it is new on the other hand). If you want to get your son a guitar that is actually playable, $100 is a bare minimum and even that will have defects so troublesome he won't actually be able to play in a band. Maybe around $200 for a used guitar he'll get something inexpensive that will be quality enough to use for awhile.

In music you really do get what you pay for. $40 gets you a wall ornament.

Friday, May 16, 2014

Help with trying to get the right guitar effects pedal!?!?

redkirby01

I am getting an effects pedal for my guitar and im VERY new to effects pedals so i was wondering what brand would be the best to choose from?

btw im trying to get a paramore kind of sound if you know what i mean.

if you dont here are some of there videos (most of the guitar parts on all of their songs sound the same)

emergency:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUdBXgDLhBc

Misery buisness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEGYgcRFKmc

pressure:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2pOMAOf9KI

Answer
Okay, here's more information than you need.
Distortion is a sound caused by the electrical wave-form of a guitar signal "clipping," or hitting it's volume limit. Traditionally this came from turning up a vacuum tube amplifier until the signal going through the tubes was more than it could amplify. Today, it's often done with diodes, shorting the signal to ground when it reaches a certain volume. There are three types of distortion:
Overdrive is a "soft-clipped" sound most similar to a tube amp turned up loud. It has a smooth, full, midrange-heavy tone and is usually very sensitive to picking. Pedals for this include the Ibanez Tube Screamer and the Boss SD-1, but they're usually intended more to boost your amp and make the tubes distort than to use on their own.
Distortion is a hard-clipped sound similar to what you get when you really crank a high-gain amp. It makes your tone harsh and usually adds a lot of harmonics. Some examples are the Boss DS-1, Digitech Hot Head, and ProCo Rat.
Fuzz is when you clip the signal so hard it loses its dynamics, so the electrical pulse looks like a square wave. All fuzz pedals have distinct characteristics, but it usually weakens your midrange and emphasizes either bass or treble. It has a buzzy kind of chainsaw sound, normally. Some good fuzz pedals are the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi, the Danelectro Cool Cat Fuzz, and the Dunlop Fuzz Face. Some old fuzz pedals are very rare and sought after, like the Mosrite Fuzzrite, the Univox Superfuzz, and the original Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face.
Paramore's guitar tone (like most all modern rock bands) is based on an amp called the Mesa Dual Rectifier. It's pretty much the king of high-gain amps; it can produce incredible amounts of distortion and still sound clear and defined. Assuming you can afford to go out and buy a Recto (which I assume you can't; they're expensive) the tone is still not hard to imitate.
First off, for that sound, you don't need an overdrive or fuzz pedal, you need distortion. And you need a full, bassy distortion. A lot of people will probably recommend the Boss DS-1; it's one of the world's most popular distortions. But it's a very trebly, bright sounding distortion. A lot of great guitarists have used them, but usually those guitarists also had a tube amp turned up to where the extra boost of the distortion would overdrive the tubes and fill in the pedal's lack of low-end richness. Kurt Cobain, for example, of Nirvana, used a DS-1 and later a DS-2 into a Mesa preamp, producing a very thick, harmonic-rich distortion. DS-1 is not what you need. The ProCo Rat comes closer; it was kind of the official distortion pedal of the 80s, but it has also been used a lot in metal. It has a tone control that lets you filter out the really high end of your signal, which keeps it smooth and full. But my personal recommendation is the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi.
Now, I know what you're thinking: "Wow, this guy is seriously obsessed with distortion." No, not that. You were supposed to be thinking "Wait, you said I didn't need a fuzz pedal." And you're right. But the BMP is a very special fuzz; it actually sort of turns into a distortion when you roll of the gain and tone knobs a bit. It has a very dark, heavy sound with a lot of low end punch. For an example of its sound, listen to "Lithium" by Nirvana, or to any Smashing Pumpkins song with any distortion in it.
There are actually a ton of different versions of the Big Muff out there. You might want to check some of them out (like the Metal Muff) but the original pedal still comes in two versions: the New York one and the Russian one. They're easy to tell apart; the one they made in New York is silver, and the Russian one is black. The major difference is that the Russian model is smoother-sounding. I'd recommend it, because it sounds less like a fuzz and more like distortion. It usually sells for around $80 new, $30-50 used; you can get a very good copy, the Behringer VD-1 Vintage Distortion, for about $30 brand new, but it has more of the rough American quality.
If you don't like that, check out Digitech's line of analog distortions, mainly the Hot Head. Digitech makes excellent products, slightly better than Boss in sheer durability, and they tend to sell pretty cheap on ebay. The Hot Head is based on the sound of an overdriven Marshall stack, but it has high and low frequency controls that'll let you dial in a lot of different tones. It doesn't have as much pure gain as the Big Muff, but it should have enough.
Anyway, yeah. Electro-Harmonix, ProCo and Digitech are good ones to check out. The most important thing is to NOT get a digital distortion, it'll make any guitarist's ears fall off and die. YouTube has lots of demo videos.
Hope this helped!

Thursday, May 15, 2014

should i get a right or left handed guitar?

Jeremy

im left handed and im getting a guitar very soon and i don't know which to get. ive played on a friends guitar and lefty just feels so natural and better. i flips sides to see if that would be better but i didn't give it too much of a try cuz it didn't feel right. all the guitars ive seen are for righty and lefty costs too much. if i get a right handed guitar would i be able to learn to play it right handed

Answer
In the long run, you'll be doing yourself a favor by learning on a normal (right handed) guitar. I realize that there are people who feel that because they are left handed, there must be a need to get a left handed guitar. It simply isn't true. The fact is that playing guitar requires you to use both of your hands equally. No matter which hand you favor, the other one is going to feel clumsy for a while. When you're first learning to play, it's the left hand that's doing all the intricate fingering....that should actually give a lefty an advantage.

You might have noticed that there are no left handed pianos. No left handed flutes, saxes, or any other band instrument. Yet left handed people can and do excel at all these instruments. Guitar is no different, except that it is more likely to be self-taught. A self learner is more likely to make assumptions about the need to learn lefty.

As you have correctly noted, left handed guitars are harder to come by, and selection is limited. If you learn lefty, you'll never be able to try or play other guitars. All your instructional material will be backwards. There are a lot of disadvantages to playing lefty...and in my opinion, it's just unnecessary to learn that way. I don't know if there has ever been a poll, but I suspect that the vast majority of left handed people play normal guitars.....the few that don't are the vocal and visible ones. One of the best guitarists I know plays right handed. I've been playing with this guy for over 20 years and just found out he's left handed.

BTW, right handed guitars can be flipped over but unless you restring them your strumming will be strange...with the bass strings on the bottom. Restringing involves a little more than simply putting the strings on backwards....the slots in the nut have to be resized, and the intonation at the bridge has to be reset (almost impossible on an acoustic)

Bottom line is that there are a lot of good reasons to at least try to learn right handed. It can be done, and it is done all the time by left handed people. It's going to feel strange at first...but it does for everybody, left or right handed. At least give right hand guitars a fair try. Your life will be much easier if you do. Best of luck

Monday, May 12, 2014

youtube guitar video

Jimmy V

could u watch rate and comment on my guitar video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcauKz2E6-g
im 13 and its me playing guitar

my other guitar video is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZCoAzENcyw

Answer
Hey I watched ur videos and they are good. Plus I love the Cubs(I just got back from Chicago to see their games yesterday) and Sammy Sosa used to be my favorite player. I have a guitar account too. You wanna do sub 4 sub? My account is

http://www.youtube.com/user/MetalMayhem11

Monday, May 5, 2014

Best Guitar Lesson Book/DVD?

PunkChick

I need your help/opinions on which book/dvd guitar tutorial for beginners is best because there's so many to choose from and i have no idea which one is ideal...
HELP!
Please&&Thankyou :)

Answer
I had used Guitar for Dummies from the FOR DUMMIES series and I thought the introduction and everything was quite easy to understand.It depends on you but I really like that book.

Monday, April 28, 2014

How to add veneer to a guitar?

Joshua

I have two solid blocks of wood for the body (which is what I'll begin tomorrow) and I don't know if I should apply the veneer at the very beginning. I still need to cut the body's shape out of the blocks and the route the holes for the pickups and wires, etc. so it seems like it would be a lot easier to just glue the veneer first. If I do, then I can treat the veneer and the wood blocks as one single entity and cut each hole a single time. If I don't, then I'll have to cut the holes out of the body and then replicate these holes on the veneer sheets. All the guitar making videos apply the veneer second, but it seems like this might be more efficient?

Answer
I've done a lot of work with veneers in the furniture industry, and in my opinion, it would be too easy to damage when doing the bulk of the work on the body. I would build the body, do the necessary work on it, including any large holes/cavities, then apply the veneer, trim it out around the body and any pockets already installed.... then at the very last, I'd do any tiny hole drilling, being very careful not to gouge the veneer.

Good Luck

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Can I fix a stripped volume knob on a guitar?

fredgarvin

The knob turns and turns but it's not catching, hence I cant turn the guitar up. Its got no volume at all. Can I take off the back of the guitar and fix it myself or should I take it to a pro?

Answer
The knob is stripped on the inside. I doubt it's the spindle that goes from the inside to fit the on the knob it is connected to. They are made of steel. The plastic knob has been stripped and just turns so you need to find out what the spindle looks like. Slide the knob off by pulling straight out. Usually the spindle looks like a half round with a flat side. You need to find a knob that will fit it. There are a lot on ebay. They are pretty standard. There are two types. One fits into the hole and one stays outside the hole. Get the one that matches the knob you have. It does not need to be exactly the same it just needs to have the same notch for the knob. They are pretty standard.
P.S. I have used a trick that sometimes works. Take a wooden match and break it off to fit into the hole in the knob and break it so it won't stick out. then slide the knob on with the match in it and it may take up the extra space so the know will turn again. Also you could take the knob off and use needle nose pliers to turn the spindle instead of a knob.

Friday, April 11, 2014

What Guitar Lessons Video (maybe for beginners) would you recommend?

gunsnrocke

Answer
I would recommend Rock Guitar steps 1 and 2 distributed by Warner Brothers home video. The teacher is a guy named Nick Nolan. I believe these two videos will teach you more than months worth of lessons from an instructor. I've seen a good bit of videos and I thought the Rock Guitar series were some of the best. Just go to amazon.com and you can find them there on DVD or VHS. GOOD LUCK !

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Is there more than one guitar for Guitar Hero?

Jackie

My son purchased a GH guitar at a garage sale (w/o the game) and then purchased the game at Game Stop, but the guitar doesn't work (lights are on). I'm just wondering if the guitar is broken or if this guitar only works work certain version of Guitar Hero? Any suggestions?

Answer
if i remember right,rockband guitars dont work for guitar hero so that might be the problem

Friday, April 4, 2014

What kind of electric guitar pickups are best for me?

The second paragraph is my question, the first will be the situation; you can disregard the first half of this question if you don't need that much information.

I've played guitar a little over a year. Though I'm by no means great, I plan on starting lessons in the next few weeks (I've learned everything from time signatures to vibratos to scales to chords to hammer-ons/pull-offs, the circle of fifths, even a few licks on my own). I hope my lessons will take me a little higher in my guitar as I'd like to perform in front of family and friends before 2015. I have 5 guitars; 1 acoustic, 1 acoustic-electric, and 3 electrics. All my guitars have been used and bought rather cheaply, and I have taken them to stores for repairs and putting together some different things. There is a used guitar I would like to get soon, it's a Warbeast electric. Being concerned about spending a few hundred dollars online, I have taken the liberty of reading some reviews on the guitar. Most of which are positive, but have honest feedback about the pickups being terrible, and the headstock being a little weighted, making it no good to play sitting down. I plan on having the guitar shipped to Guitar Center and picking it up there.

Since the pickups are no good on the guitar I am buying, I would like to get pickups for the guitar that will, more or less, be my type. I enjoy a more thrash metal type of sound (my favorite band is Anthrax), but I want a little bit of versatility--not a lot, mind you, but just enough to where I can play it without distortion as well as with a pedal or two. I've never purchased pickups, nor do I know the first thing about them. I want to be able to play some really speedy licks, but also be able to tone down to, say, a nice slow opening like Metallica's "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)". What kind of pickups should I look for?

I will call ahead to a local guitar shop to get the pickups and some new strings put on the guitar the first day of having it, so I'm not too worried about price as long as it's between $1 - $200, I have time to save up and get the right option. What would you recommend?

PS. I would also like to change tunings on my guitar for things like "Walk" by Pantera (Drop D), though I will not go lower than a whole step down on all strings (DGCFAF)

If needed, the specifics of the guitar are (as provided by the website:)
"Construction: bolt on
Body wood: basswood
Top style: beveled
Headstock style: SOB 3 to a side
Headstock color: black
Tuners: sealed die cast
Neck wood: maple
Neck radius: 12"
Back of neck: satin
Neck binding: none
Nut width: 43mm
Fretboard: rosewood
Inlay: none
Frets: 22 jumbo 2.7mm
Factory strings: 9-42
Scale: 25-1/2"
Bridge type: tune-o-matic
Tailpiece type: string-through-body
Pickups: 2 black plastic covered BC Rich humbuckers
Controls: 1 volume, 1 tone and 1 three-way toggle
Hardware: chrome
Finish: glossy"
EDIT: Yes, I need to get the really good ones. But what pickups ARE really good for thrash metal type of music?
EDIT: Guitar is $500. All my other guitars are actually pretty nice, They've just been used (all of them are $300 or more brand new, but I saved about $50 by just buying them off friends and hooking them up with some new strings and a new nutstock etc.) I just want to add a Warbeast for design and to have some fun. It's not a bad guitar, just that it's not an extravagant $2000 one. I'm getting a $1300 Floyd Rose with a whammy soon. That's why I said I'd pay up to 200 in pick-ups. Because some nice pickups in a semi-nice guitar would be awesome to me.
EDIT: It says it's got 2 humbuckers, though I'm not exactly sure what those mean. I appreciate the help, I really do, I hope I don't come across as a bit of an ass, I've just been looking at the guitar and customer reviews are all very positive but mention that the pickups are a bit muddy and that the headstock is weighted (which isn't surprising because the guitar is a Warbeast so it has one of the ridiculously huge headstocks)
EDIT: Cnewshadow: 1) No, I'm not fluent in specifics of guitars, which is why I'm asking about different things first.
2) I'm bothering with this one because I'm not great with adjusting the tension of the bridge on a Floyd Rose. Yes, I know, the brand is not Floyd Rose, I've had one before, almost bought a second one and changed my mind because I was going to wait until I was better with swapping the strings on it. It's a Synyster Gates signature Schecter guitar, brand new could be upwards of $1300, I'm sure if you looked around you could get it for about $700 used, which is still more than I'm paying for it (friend likes drop tunings, was not smart when he bought the guitar for $1300, he wants to get rid of it and nobody wants to pay $500 for it).
3) I'm not dead set on the Warbeast, mainly because there's a few Explorer guitars I've been wanting, but I am still seriously considering the Warbeast simply because it'll be nice to have it,

Answer
You don't know much about guitars do you?

1) The Warbeast is a piece of junk. I wouldn't buy one at all if I were you. Low end BC Rich guitars are marketed toward people that don't know much about guitars and get them because they look cool. Getting better pickups will not help that guitar much.

Keep in mind that since it is marketed to people who don't know much about guitars, it is reviewed by people who don't know much about guitars. The reports you're reading about the pickups being bad are most likely being caused by the fact that the reviewers are playing through a little 15 watt practice amp and blame the thin, tinny sound on the guitar instead of the amp. Those same people probably have several guitars that have "terrible pickups" and it never dawns on them that maybe the amp they are playing through is the problem.

And in most cases, the people doing the review are comparing them to their first guitar, which was likely a Squier or a First Act or something similar. Naturally, it will be awesome compared to those guitars. If you can find even one professional musician who plays a Warbeast, I will be very surprised.

2) If you're getting a $1300 guitar soon, why are you bothering with this one? For the record, Floyd Rose is the name of the type of bridge the guitar has, most likely NOT the name of the company that made the guitar.

3 If you're dead set on buying the Warbeast despite my warning, look into the following brands and models of pickup:

Seymour Duncan: Duncan Distortion, Invader, Dimebucker, JB. The Invader and Dimebucker are a little thin sounding for my taste, but you might like them.

DiMarzio: Dominion, Crunch Lab, X2N, D-Activator, Super Distortion, Breed, Evolution. Of that group, I like the Dominion and D-Activator the best.

Bare Knuckle: Warpig, Aftermath, Painkiller, Cold Sweat (these are very expensive, I'm just including them for completeness)

All of those pickups are humbuckers, which is 2 pickups placed side by side so the magnetic fields cancel each other out and eliminate unwanted noise from the pickups.

4) You really should wait until you actually have the guitar and know what it sounds like before you plan to change the pickups. Doing it the way you are is like buying a car and getting a new engine for it before you've ever driven it.

EDIT:

I'd opt for something like this over the Warbeast: http://www.guitarcenter.com/In-Store-Used-USED-LTD-MH1000-DELUXE-TRANS-BLACK-QUILT-108832711-i3123533.gc

Goes for $800 new, Guitar Center has a used one for $549. And it already has an EMG 81/85 pickup set, so no changing of pickups will be necessary. So, you could buy the Warbeast for $500 and spend an additional $200 changing the pickups, or you could just buy the ESP for $549 and be set.

I actually kind of like the Synyster Gates signature model. It's not a bad guitar. I think it looks a little goofy, but it's a quality axe underneath the gaudiness. I have a Schecter Avenger myself, which is the body style his signature model is. It's surprisingly comfortable to play, even with the upper horn sticking out like that.

String swapping on a Floyd Rose isn't hard, but I can see how string tension would be a pain in the butt.

If you got one of these you wouldn't have to worry about that anymore, basically turns a Floyd Rose into a fixed bridge, and you can unlock it if you want to use the tremolo again: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Allparts-Tremol-No-Tremolo-Locking-Device---Pin-Type-H71947-i1820306.gc

Here's a video that might help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzBLysvmPy0

I change my strings one at a time so I don't have to block anything off, but the way he's doing it works just fine.

Note: If your friend is selling his Schecter cheap because he doesn't understand how to adjust the bridge on it.....JUMP ON IT NOW BEFORE HE FINDS ONE OF THESE VIDEOS!

You can drop tune just fine with a Floyd, you just have to make sure you adjust your spring tension to counteract the change in string tension and gauge.

Watch the video I linked you to, and when your friends are idiots and buy expensive guitars they don't know how to work on, you can get them cheap because you'll know what they don't :P

If you have questions about how to change tunings with a Floyd, ask here and either I'll try and walk you through it or someone else who knows about them will (Ask in Performing Arts, that's where the serious musicians hang out)

(I wasn't trying to be a jerk about my answer, I was just having a bad day so I was a little more sarcastic than usual)

Thursday, April 3, 2014

What should I do for a kill switch on guitar?

futbolboy2

I want to install a kill switch on my guitar, but at the same time, I am nervous about messing with all the electronics, because I don't really know what I'm doing with it. Currently, I imitate a kill switch by turning the bass tone knob on the guitar to 0, and the treble tone knob to 10. In order to kill the tone, I toggle back and forth between the pickup selectors. It works pretty well, but it doesn't completely cut out the bass tone, so I want a more effective solution.

Thanks

Answer
I did this to my guitar a while ago. The nice thing is it's incredibly easy to do and you don't need to mess with what's already there - you're just tacking something on to the end.

You can get the parts from any electronics supplier, like Radio Shack. You'll need a switch. This can be a toggle switch, but I much prefer a pushbutton. If you get a pushbutton, get a momentary push-to-make switch. You'll also need some 24 guage wire.

Solder two bits of wire (maybe like 10cm each) onto two legs of the switch (middle leg and one of the outside legs if it's a toggle switch). Drill a hole in your scratchplate and mount the switch in it. Now solder one of the switch wires to your signal wire, and the other to ground. The signal wire is the one that connects to the tip of the output jack.

Now when the switch is closed, you ground the signal, causing the output to fall silent.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Guitar Recording Gear?

Robert

Ok i wanna know if theres any cheap device that i can record my music and singing on and if there is can you send the link to me and it needs to be simple please thanks

Answer
I highly recommend the Olympus WS-100 digital voice recorder. For personal recording it's fantastic. Sounds great, small, easy to use, plenty of capacity, and connects to your computer via USB as a flash drive.

I got this for my daughter to record her composition ideas. She loves it.

(This device probably wouldn't work too well for recording high volume levels, like a full band.)

Although Amazon sells it for $63, you can pick one up for a little over $30 from Amazon Marketplace sellers or eBay.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Websites that has guitar hero 3 bundle for xbox 360?

MUFC

I want guitar hero 3 for the xbox 360 bundle. But I can't find it all online. It is sold out every where.

Answer
Hey, you should check out GuitarZeroToHero.com, my friend got GH3 for 360 there a few days ago. They basically list prices and places where to can find Guitar Hero 3 in stock for any system. Here's a link to their Guitar Hero 3 Xbox 360 Section:

http://www.guitarzerotohero.com/shop/xbox-360/guitar-hero-3/bundles

Also they just added a new Ebay section which helps you find low priced bundles with the buy now option on ebay if you're into that, heres a link to the Guitar Hero 3 Xbox 360 Ebay Section:

http://www.guitarzerotohero.com/ebay/guitar-hero-3-bundle-xbox-360

Good luck!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

What's a GOOD guitar gig bag?

Carlos

I own a Yamaha APX700II and i would like to know if there is a gig bag that offers close or similar protection as a hard case

I already have a hard case
Money is not an issue
I am referring to those hybrid cases

Answer
Hello there,

No soft case will offer the same level of protection that a hard case does. A padded gig bag is better than an unpadded one. But neither are close to the level of protection a hard case provides.

There is a fairly modern case that is sort of a mix between a soft and hard case. It is black canvas like a gig bag. It is rectangular shaped. It has a foam sheet over and under the guitar. That gives more protection than a padded gig bag, but still less than the traditional hard case. These hybrid cases give a fair level of protection and are very light weight.

Later,

Saturday, March 1, 2014

My wireless guitar won't sync up with my xbox 360. ?

Patrick

I turn on the xbox 360 hit the little x at the top of the guitar and then press the little black button by the headphone input (i think) and the green lights spin in circles looking for the xbox. It does this for maybe 30 seconds and then its green again, but nothing is synched up. What could be wrong?

Answer
Maybe the guitar needs new batteries...
try turning on the xbox 360 with the guitar first

Thursday, February 27, 2014

is a junior guitar smaller?

Q. is it smaller than a regular one? im 5'5 and i wanted to know if im too tall to play. if it would look awkward. i want the billie joe gibson one but i kan only find it in junior. i hear hes 5'7 and he doesnt look wierd playing it. all im asking, is it smaller than a regular guitar?

Answer
Ya the junior guitars are smaller than the regular ones. The neck is shorter on the juniors, and the body is smaller.

Guitar to USB?

Ryan K

Is there a device/adapter that will connect the chord that runs from my guitar to my computer's USB Port. I am asking because my amplifier is only "Hi-Gain", and I'm wondering if there is a way I can connect my guitar to my computer for custom amp sounds (i.e. Hi-Gain, Fuzz, Overdriven) and so I can record my playing.

Answer
You need an interface or sound card geared for pro recording because they have almost no latency and use low latency ASIO drivers compatible with pro recording and sequencing software like Cakewalk SONAR Guitar Tracks, Garage Band, etc...

This is a nice USB interface that comes with good software amp modeling, stomp box models and effects. No pro recording software is included though. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Line-6-Toneport-GX-USB-Recording-Interface?sku=241406

There are also multi effects units being sold that have USB outputs. This might be your best bang for the buck because it would allow you to use the effects with your amp too. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/DigiTech-RP250-Multi-Effects-Pedal?sku=156607

Then there's the GNX4 that has USB out, comes with excellent recording / sequencing / MIDI software included, has a setting to simulate bass with a guitar, and even does multi-track recording without being hooked up to a computer at all. $500.00 though... http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/DigiTech-GNX4-Guitar-Workstation-?sku=150848

I just bought a GNX3 for $250.00. A steal, considering they used to go for $500.00. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GNX3/ Musicians Friend is already sold out. These won't last long.

The drawbacks are that there's no USB output (although there is a digital out that works great with pro recording sound cards having digital inputs like my M-Audio Audiophile 2496 http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MAudio-Audiophile-2496-PCI-Digital-Audio-Card?sku=701341). The on-board multi-track recorder uses smart media cards that are no longer being made and sell for about $50.00 on eBay. Some people have some on hand from older digital cameras. The drum machine sucks...

On the good side... The unit sounds fantastic, the price is right, it has the bass simulation effect, and Cakewalk Guitar Tracks software is included for recording and sequencing on the computer!!! Doing multi-tracks without the computer is so fun and easy too, even if the drum machine sucks...

What is the cheapest metal Ibanez guitar?

Mike

I want an ibanez that plays thrash metal but isn't over $300

Answer
Theses are the cheapest metal guitar Ibanez guitar I could find!
I checked at http://www.musiciansfriend.com

Ibanez GRGA32 Gio Series Electric Guitar $149.99
Ibanez GRX20Z Electric Guitar $149.99
Ibanez GAX30 Electric Guitar $149.99
Ibanez GRX20 Electric Guitar $149.99
Ibanez GSA60 Electric Guitar $149.99
Ibanez GART50FA Electric Guitar $199.99
Ibanez GRG150MS Electric Guitar $199.99
Ibanez GDTM21 Mikro Electric Guitar $199.99
Ibanez GRX70QA Electric Guitar $199.99
Ibanez RG120 Electric Guitar $200.00
Ibanez GART50QA Electric Guitar $200.00

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

How do you put on nylon strings on an acoustic guitar?

grf_93

i have an acoustic guitar but i've bought nylon strings for the beginning lessons, these strings don't have an "end ball" at one end and i don't know hou tu put them on

Answer
Acoustic guitars are built for either steel-strings or nylon strings.
Guitars built for use with nylon strings -also known as "classical" guitars- is the preferred instrument by players that concentrate in the "classical music" genre.- A lot of melody line rather than just chords.
Guitars built for use with steel strings are the preferred choice for "back-up" and primarily chord players.
Both types can be used to play ANY type of guitar music.
The above statement is only a matter of preference with individual players.

As for the strings - It is OK to use nylon-strings on an acoustic guitar built for steel strings.
You are giving up string pressure that will not affect the instrument but it will affect the "sound" projected.
Nylon strings are softer to play and a bit"mellower" than the "metal-like" sound of steel strings.
The volume will also will be lower overall.

The reverse is Not True for guitars built
for use with nylon strings.
NEVER put steel strings on a guitar built for nylon strings. They will not support the pressure of the steel strings.

If your guitar is built for steel string you could experiment using the nylon strings and see if you like the sound.
A few of my guitar player friends seem to like the "mellower" sound and use them in their "steel-strings" guitars.

Only you can decide what "sound" will be to your liking. No harm will be done to your steel-string guitar is you use the nylon strings.

As for setting up the no-ball-end strings, you could make your own end-knot on each string.
Just make sure that the knot is a little bit bigger that the hole on the bridge so that the string won't snap-thru when you are tunning the guitar.
Good Luck and enjoy your guitar playing

Saturday, February 22, 2014

can anyone give me the tabs for the Darth Vader (imperial march) song on guitar?

sidney

thank you much XD

Answer
http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/j/john_williams/star_wars_-_the_imperial_march_tab.htm

You could have just used Google :P

Saturday, February 15, 2014

What's the best guitar instruction?

Smokey

As someone who is not exactly musically inclined would it be better/easier for me to learn to play from a friend that plays or from a licensed guitar instructor? I hear it's always harder to learn as you get older. I'm 46.

Answer
It's never to late to start. I to have the desire to learn and I'm 53, currently in Iraq, bought a ukulele( I know. Hardly a guitar) and a beginners book. Six weeks into it, I am just now getting the finger positions for chord transitions and the strumming techniques down. I practice for at least 45 mins. a nite. I can see the benefit of advice from an experienced player and know I will not soon play lead.
If you think your serious then by all means take lessons from a pro. Your lesson is scheduled. He is an instructor payed to teach you and can probably help you progress faster then your friend by concentrating on the fundamentals.
I can strum a few songs now but can see that if I want to be better then I need a Pro to help me.
Spend the $20 per lesson and then you can show your friend what you've learned and compare notes. Two for the price of one.
Good luck, Old Dog

Guitar notes????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

Jasmine To

I have guitars acoustic and electric my mom bought me a Taylor swift fearless guitar book and I love taylor swift but I don't know how to read it. Help!

Answer
Sounds like you need some basic guitar notation help!

Guitar music can be written in one of three ways. Typical music notation; which looks like the typical music for any instrument (five lines, a clef at the beginning, and notes written n locations on those lines), chords, or more commonly as tablature. Since it is a guitar book, it probably includes all three, but just in case it doesn't I will include the basics of reading each of these notations.

***

Tablature, or tabs, is the most common way guitar music is written, and usually it looks something like this:

---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
---------------5-7p5-----------------
---------------5-------7-7-5b7h0--
-------5--7---------------------------
-5--8---------------------------------

This notation is the easiest to read. There are six lines running horizontally across the page, with numbers and letters in a pattern on those lines. Each line represents a string, with the bottom being the low E, and the top being the high E. The numbers represent which fret on those strings to play. The letters represent techniques to apply to the note. For example, 7p5 means 7th fret, then a pull off into the 5th fret. P usually means pull-off, H usually means hammer-on, and B-usually indicates a bend. Notes in a perfect vertical line with each other are played at the same time, for example if there is a 7 on the fifth string and a 5 on the 6th string directly above it on the tablature, play these strings at the same time. The drawback to tablature is that it does not tell you the rhythm or speed at which to play notes, just the sequence in which they occur.

***

Regular music notation is slightly harder to read, but more universal to other instruments and more detailed in describing rhythm and speed.

Music notation is rather complicated, and since I do not have infinite space on a Yahoo! answers page, I will send you to a link that describes the basics of reading regular music notation. This is a great site that I actually used as a resource when I taught guitar. Once you learn this, I will describe how it applies to guitar.

http://datadragon.com/education/reading/

As you may have noticed, because music notation is universal between instruments, it does not tell you anything that directly relates to guitar. It simply tells you what note (A, A#, Cb, etc.), and how long to play that note for. To apply this to guitar, it is simple.

The guitar only operates on the Treble Clef. No need to worry about the Bass Clef at all. It is good to know if you plan to learn other instruments, but for now you can disregard it.

Each fret on the guitar is a half step apart. That is to say, if the fifth fret on the first string is A, the one above it will be A#, and above that will be B. Remember though, there is no such note as B# or E#. Just skip directly ahead to C and F.

Playing each string open generates the root note for that string. The Open low E string (6th string), is E. The next string above that is A. Next is D, then G, then B, then E.

REMEMBER: THE LOWEST STRING ON A GUITAR IS THE 6th STRING, AND THE HIGHEST IS THE 1st.

An easy way to remember the notes of the strings is:

Eddie (E) 6
Ate (A) 5
Dynamite, (D) 4
Good (G) 3
Bye (B) 2
Eddie (E) 1

By logic, we can deduce that the first fret on the lowest string would then be F, that the fifth fret on the 5th string would be D, and that the first fret on the 4th string would be D#.

***

Finally, chords are the sequence of combinations of musical notes you can play behind a song to sing along with it. Each chord has a name, which may look like any of the following:

A, Bb, Csus2, Dm, Fdim, F#maj

Chords are based on a single note, such as A, C, or D#. Other notes that harmonize with that note are played along with this note to make it sound fuller. As a hint, chords with the word major after their note are considered the basic form of that chord, and are usually indicated by simply the note's name (A, D#, etc.), although they are often referred to as the note's name followed by "maj", such as Amaj or F#maj. Extra letters after the name of the chord (D, A, etc.) indicate that it is a special kind of chord that uses a different type of pattern than the basic chord. Here is a link where you can learn some simple chords. As you progress, you will learn more chords.

http://www.guitar-players-toolbox.com/basic-guitar-chord-charts.html

In your book, chords will most likely be written above the other forms of notation. Play the chord indicated when you reach the part of the song in the musical notation directly beneath it.

***

Hopefully this basic overview of musical notation for guitars will help you in your learning. Good luck learning those songs! If you have any more questions, leave a comment and I will be happy to help clear things up for you.

Happy Learning,
Feepfeep

Can my son use his xbox guitar hero for ps3?

Q. is it universal ? can i just buy a new Game and not the guitar.?

Answer
XBox Guitar Hero guitars are not universal. None of them are, as far as I know. You can't use the XBox guitar with his PS3. Sorry. I think that all playstation guitars are inter-system compatible, if that's any help. All guitars only work with the system they're made for.

Slide Guitar?

Sakuragirl

Can someone show me where to find one, like Gavin Hayes of Dredg uses?
Thanx you Ras
but look at this dont they look different?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8hTsHHRosg
I understand now, thanx too HaphazardJoy. And I'm definitely gonna get there new Cd, when its released.

Answer
Slide guitar, in the way that Dredg uses it, is just an electric guitar with a slide. The guitar itself is up to you, and the slide depends on the style and preference you have. There are guitars meant specifically for slide guitar style playing, like lap and pedal steel guitars, but I think you're just thinking of the slide itself.
Edit- Yep, that's a Lap Steel guitar in the video, basically the same thing as a regular guitar, but different body and neck design to make it easier to play in that position. The standard tuning is different from a regular guitar too, but you can easily change the tuning on your guitar to match.

Check out the link for more info.
Be sure to check out their live album and are you as excited as I am for the new album?!

building a lap steel guitar?

micah itko

I want to make a lap steel guitar in my wood tech class. can anyone give me a link to a video or site that has steps on how to build one.
@rusty nail. You're thinking of a pedal steel guitar. I'm going to make a lap steel guitar. They are two separate instruments.

Answer
Steel guitars have cables attached to foot pedals to change the sound. I don't know how this would work with the top resting on your lap.

building my own guitar?

Q. want to build my own guitar and I need to find some RELIABLE sites that I can by a good quality kit
P.S I live in Australia if that makes any difference and this is going to be my first time building my own guitar so if you have any tips they'd be appreciated, Thanks

Answer
I'd respectfully suggest finding a neck from a busted guitar, and starting with that. If you want to build an acoustic, you need to work for a luthier a few years first. If Electric, any slab of wood will do, as long as the neck will bolt on and you can figure the location for bridge and saddle. The distance from nut to fret 12 is half the distance from nut to bridge, in theory, In practice the bridge wants to move toward the nut a bit (more for the thin strings, less for the fat ones). If you insist on making your own neck, calculate frets as follows: draw a line on paper as long as the scale length (nut to bridge), and draw a perpendicular line 1/13 that distance. Make a hypotenuse. Using a compass, Put the point at the right angle, and the pencil part at the top of the short perpendicular,
Scribe an arc down to the long line. That's the first fret. make a perpendicular from the first fret parallel to the first perpendicular. Set the compass point at the first fret, and the pencil where the perpendicular crossed the hypotenuse, and strike an arc to the perpendicular. That's the second fret. Continue till you have as many frets as you want. When finished, move the nut about 1/8 inch toward the bridge to adjust for string stretch when fretting. String stretch is also why you move the bridge slightly toward the nut. Amount of cheat depends on string height after assembly. Read, read, read, before starting.

First Electric guitar and Finger picking?

edward m

So i am fairly new to the electric guitar. But i fell inlove with the blues and i think slide blues while finger picking is a god sent. I am trying to learn finger picking and i wanted to know if i could play any style of music with finger picking or if i will have to learn to use a pick also. Also if anyone knows any online sites or exercises that teach finger picking for free i would greatly appreciate the link. Also any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am new to this so if something doesn't make sense its just the inexperience and thank you in advance for any help!

Answer
On of the most famous guitar players ever, Chet Atkins, I don't believe, ever owned a pick in his life! So, YES, you can play any kind of music with your fingers. In fact, I have always preferred my thumb to a pick because in my opinion, it just sounds better.

Guitar Tech Gods Only; chaining amps together?

Q. I've asked this before and got unanimous answers that I should use a stereo footswitch. After seeing whats out there(morley combiner switches) I'm a little hesitant about tossing down a bill only to have popping and signal loss.

I don't really need to be able to switch amps so much as just run them at the same time.

A buddy said it would be good to go effects loop out from the 1st amp to the effects loop in on the 2nd amp.

I'm looking for the safest way to do this and don't want to just start plugging things together for fear of things getting too hot and smoky.
would the y-cable deliver too much juice to the guitar?

Answer
Simply use a Y-cable to get your guitar's signal to both amps. Here's what I would do:

Get a Y cable that is 1 male to 2 females.
Plug the Y cable into amp 1 input.
Plug your guitar into female 1 of Y cable.
Run another guitar chord from female 2 of Y cable to amp 2 input.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

I need a guitar case/bag?

Charger

I'm looking to buy a guitar case or bag for my Ibanez AEG20E acoustic-electric guitar, and I'm really not sure what to get. Here's a pic of my guitar, and it's the shape that I'm concerned about.

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-AEG20E-Flamed-Sycamore-Top-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar?sku=519756

I don't really feel like spending $100+ on the Ibanez custom made cases so...I'm thinking this one looks good, but again, it's not the standard dreadnaught shape:

http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Musicians-Gear-Elite-Series-Acoustic-Guitar-Gig-Bag?sku=541771

So yeah, let me know if you have a similar guitar, or case or whatever, and what you did/would do.

Answer
First, let me say that gig bags are poor protection for your guitar....better than nothing, but really not by much. You get what you pay for, and a hardshell case will protect your guitar much better.
I don't know for sure if the gig bag you linked to will fit, but the dimensions are listed on the web.

Musician's Gear Elite Series Acoustic Guitar Gig Bag Specifications:

* Dimensions:
* Length: 43 "
* Body: 23"
* Lower Bout: 17"
* Upper Bout: 14"
* Depth: 5"

You can simply measure your guitar and see if it will fit. Most of the measurements are self exploratory, but you may be unfamiliar with the term "upper and lower bouts." These are just the wide spots in the figure 8 shape. The lower bout is the rearmost and widest spot. The upper bout is the other wide spot closest to the neck. Since yours has a cutaway body, measure to where the bout would be if the cutaway wasn't there.
The length is the overall length of the body and neck combined.

Noise when recording guitar amp?

Stef Van w

I'm trying to record my guitar amp with a shure sm57 mic, into a behringer xenyx 502 that goes into my pc. Problem is, when I record my guitar, and playback my recordings, I hear some buzz when the guitar is being played. As long as there's no sound coming from the amp (also while recording) there's no buzz.
Strange thing: When I record my voice, with the same setup I explained earlier, there is no hum or buzz at all when I playback in my recordings.

So I can only hear hum/buzz on the track I recorded, when I'm actually playing my electric guitar. I don't hear any kind of buzz/hum coming from the amp itself whatsoever. PLEASE help me ;(

Answer
First, try a different guitar cord.

Also avoid running mic or guitar cords in the vicinity of the computer - computers give off tons of clock noise that the amp or mic can pick up.

If you are running output from the computer to the amp, make sure the output comes from your external audio interface. The stock sound cards in most computers have horribly noisy output. You don't hear the noise much when listening in a pair of headphones but it sure does come out in a high-gain circuit like a mic input. It's unbelievably noisy. If you dont have an external audio interface, get one. A cheapie USB interface is about $30. All audio in/out to/from the computer MUST go thru the external interface or you'll hear tons of noise.

If the amp has a polarity switch try switching it.

If it is a three prong AC plug make sure you are plugging into a grounded outlet.

If that doesnt fix it, you probably have a ground loop. Try plugging something (amp, computer, audio interface) into a different electrical outlet... like one on the other side of the room or in another room. do this with one piece of gear at a time till you find the culprit. If moving the connection does not fix the loop put it back where it was. That way you change only one thing at a time.

If none of those things work, try making a 'poor man's ground lift' by plugging the amp into a three-prong AC adapter but not attaching the ground wire. Be careful when using this setup ... its possible (but unlikely) that anything plugged into it (your guitar, a mic etc) could wind up with voltage on it .. you could get a shock. For example you could have your hands on the guitar and accidentally touch the mic and get a tingle - or a jolt! So .. last resort on this one, but people do it all the time

Buying a new electric guitar?

Q. Does anyone know where I can buy an electric guitar with an amp, some guitar picks, maybe a tuner or something? I'm new to guitar and besides messing with it as a kid, I've never learned to play. My uncle can't teach me now because he is disabled and my sophomore year is filled with classes so no guitar class for me. None of my friends play so there is noone to teach me. So i'm going to teach myself!

Where would be a good play to buy me a good quality electric guitar and amp? Case as well. I'm not rich so don't lead me to a 1000 dollar guitar. Right now I have like 100 bucks in my wallet but I can save up if it's worth it. I'm really wanting to start playing the guitar. Thanks.

Answer
i know what you mean im a guitar player too,i
though myself,its really not hard
Go to guitarcenter,
Their look around and mess with some of their guitars,
since your a starter and whant i good guitar for a cheap price i'd recommend a
Telecaster affinity(squier)
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Squier-Affinity-Series-Telecaster-Special-Electric-Guitar-102320439-i1148535.gc

Or a Ibanez, http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez-GRX20-Electric-Guitar-103557120-i1150594.gc

the telecaster for music with warm texture
the ibanez for well rock/metal music both guitars are great how ever i'd recommend the ibanez.it has a cleaner more rich sound,and when on distortion it also has a clean rock sort of sound it beautiful

get super sliky string they are the best in the world and for only 4 bucks a pack too!
the tuner about 25,if you got a ipod or iphone get 'the epic tune app' its a tuner it works great and its free,
Also get picks,the picks how ever are differnt some better for strumming while others for soloing to other types of music playing,Get a lot of differnt picks they are cheap and helpful

a amp thats good would be a Fender Mustang I

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender-Mustang-I-20W-1x8-Guitar-Combo-Amp-106197130-i1557505.gc?&source=4WWRWXGB&cagpspn=pla&=

it has 26 presets some for every type of music to play and you can even connect it to your computer and change 16 of them to the perfect tone you want,it cames also with delay and reverb affects,so you wont waste time with buying pedals.
plus connect it to your computer(the amp) and you have a unlimited amount of sounds and all the effects you can think of,

i think you can get all of this for around 300 bucks i think you might get a discount tho for buying over 100 bucks.

and use ultimate-guitar.com to look for your tabs(song you want to learn)
to learn songs is easy go to youtube and look up how to read tabs,i bet you'll learn to read guitar music in a day or 2 its that easy!

guitar is the greatest intrument in the world to play and it is very addicting,
i am also a sophmore,im 16 and a guitar player and i got to tell you i love guitar a lot.

P.S i think all of that stuff together would be around 300$
but trust me its very very worth it,the best you can get

Guitar help?

Q. I want to but a guitar and learn how to play. Should I get an acoustic, electric, acoustic/electric, or a bass guitar? Which is the easiest to learn? What is the best brand? Does an acoustic/electric sound like both an acoustic AND electric guitar? Is there one that I can play, and then will be able to play the rest? Please leave VERY detailed answers.thanks.

Answer
the first problem u get when u learning to play guitar is the damage on the finger tips so per my experience in music

buy an electroacoustic guitar with nylon strings

It depends on how much u are trying to expend u can try

the ibanez guitars for around 300 bucks
electroacoustic classic guitar ( nylon strings

also de takamine or Yamaha at aroung 500 bucks
electroacoustic classic with nylon strings

If you have more questions do not hesitate to contact me

tomcj@sbcglobal.net
best Regards
Toemme

Getting a guitar: Fender or Yamaha?

Q. I'm getting a guitar soon and did some research on some guitar brands. Googled some and narrowed the results down to two: Fender CD-60 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Black OR Yamaha CG101A Classical Guitar Natural?

Notice how the Fender is an acoustic and the Yamaha is a classical; I'm pretty sure that I can go with any

If you have one of those can you please review it? And if you can just give them both a rating of quality, features, value and an overall rating please, thanks! (Rate on 5 please -- meaning a maximum rating of 5) *NOTICE: I need the vote to be done in one day if possible, with at least 10 votes so ask your family or your music teacher! Thanks so much for the help!*

Answer
Low end Fender acoustics are not substandard. They consistently get good ratings from the pages of Guitar Player Magazine.

Here's the real difference you should consider when buying an acoustic guitar....

Does the guitar have a solid top? In your case, the Yamaha does, and the Fender doesn't.

Believe me...if the guitar has a solid top, it will be advertised as such. If it doesn't have a solid top, the description will merely say "spruce top, or laminated top"..etc.

Solid tops are preferable because they improve with age in tone, and even playability, and will last generations if well cared for. That's why we still see pre war Martins on the market.

Non-solid tops will not last as long and the resale value is negligible.

if you have your heart set on a steel string acoustic, I'd look into the following Fender. Yes, you'll have to save up a few more pennies, but the price paid will be worth it over the years, and you'll have a guitar that will still be around long after you're gone.

Read all the rave reviews on this guitar and decide for yourself, but remember....buy a solid top if you can afford it.
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-CD140SCE-AcousticElectric-Guitar?sku=517574

What are some good guitar recorders for iphone?

700_up

I've looked at a couple of devices around 40 bucks but they seem to have bad reviews, are they just over critical or are there any better devices?

Answer
U can check this

Memorex MKS-SS1 SingStand Home Karaoke System

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BM7TY6?ie=UTF8&tag=neonsh-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B001BM7TY6

Jammin Pro IGX Guitar Desktop Multi-Effects

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052VYIUU?ie=UTF8&tag=neonsh-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B0052VYIUU

DJ-Tech Guitar Effects Processor With iPod Player/Recorder

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003P0M9TW?ie=UTF8&tag=neonsh-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B003P0M9TW

Is this a good guitar kit?

I want to buy a DIOY project and i play guitar. So i was recently on ebay i saw these guitar kits you can buy. http://cgi.ebay.com/SAGA-FLYING-V-STYLE-FV-10-BUILD-YOUR-OWN-GUITAR-KIT-/200468719249?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item2eacdde691

Answer
The Saga kits actually have a good reputation and they're a great way to get started with guitar building. I've never built a guitar from a Saga kit, but I played one a friend built (after he had it professionally set up by a guitar tech) and it had a decent tone and low action. Since the bodies and necks are made to be work together, you won't have the compatibility problems that can come from buying parts from different sources. And if you decide to change the pickups or any of the hardware, you'll be able to do that pretty cheaply if you start with a kit. I say go for it!

If you do decide to customize the guitar, there's a site I use to buy parts called Guitar Fetish. The store also carries its own line of pickups called GFS that are replicas of big-name ones, but which cost about half the price. Basically, the people at Guitar Fetish buy cool vintage pickups (the kind that are rare and expensive), tear them apart to see what makes them tick, and then replicate them in their own factory. The quality is fantastic and GFS pickups are the only kind I use in guitars I build. Here's a link:

http://store.guitarfetish.com/

How do I know if my guitar is a Flamenco or a Classical?

Ok, so on my guitar I see Valencia DP-39. I aslo see Don Pablo on my guitar. Can someone please give like the real answer, not a bogus one? Thanks.

Answer
Well Valencia is a place, not a name. Given that the model number is DP-35 and it says Don Pablo on the guitar, I would wager that Don Pablo is the maker and that the company is based in Valencia.

I've never heard of this maker though. I can't find any information on them either. There are several differences between classical and flamenco guitars, all of which contribute to a different sound that compliments the style. Without more information about your guitar, I can't help you.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

What do i get my boyfriend for christmas?

Chloe

Okay so im 16 he's 15 and i have only been going out with him for a month but i really do like him and i want to get him something that he will really like but i dont know what?

Answer
you could make him a tied blanket and you guys could make blanket forts (:
or you could find one of those snow globes that you can put pictures in and put a picture of you two in it, i saw some at target last christmas & it was like $10 or 15. or just a cute picture frame but i think the snow globe is better!
orrrrr you could get him a key chain or something with his name engraved in it or your anniversary(i think that might be too soon if you've only been going out for a month)
if hes really into a sport or plays an instrument like guitar or drums or something then you can give him an ornament for that sport(but of course your not gonna find an ornament for a sport that doesnt involve a ball, like swimming or track) or instrument, or a music note.
you could get him a jacket or hoodie from his favorite store, or just something that reminds him of you.
sorry im not really good at this kinda stuff, just pitching out some ideas (: hope i could help a little bit!