Category 
Guitars
Along with the piano, the guitar is certainly the most played instrument in the world because it combines rhythmic and harmonic richness while remaining relatively affordable… and transportable. Acoustics, electrics or acoustic-electrics, it consists of a fretted neck and a body (or resonance table), over which are stretched 6 to 12 strings that are plucked to produce sound.
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List of user reviews
Guitars
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Characteristics
- The Digitech [Hardwire Series] RV-7 Stereo Reverb is a digital effects pedal that even though has the Digitech name, has teamed up with Lexicon to use their patented reverb tones. The pedal has a 1/4 inch input for your guitar and has two 1/4 inch outputs and is powered by either a 9 volt battery or 9 volt power supply. It isn't a rack mountable unit as it is a stomp box.
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Utilization
- The make up of the Digitech RV-7 is quite easy to follow as it has pretty simple parameters. The pedal has knobs for level, liveliness (which is like a tone knob), decay, and one to choose the mode. You can choose between seven different reverb modes including modulated, reverse, gated, plate, room, spring, and hall. This is really more than you could have asked for as it gives you all sorts of reverb tones that range all across the board. I don't have the manual for the Digitech RV-7 but it is easy enough to use on its own that you don't need it if you don't already have one.
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Sound Quality
- The sound quality heard from the Digitech RV-7 is surprisingly really good for a pedal that has the Digitech stamp, which probably has to do with the fact that it is part of their Hardwire series and they borrow the classic Lexicon reverb tone. I'm a fan of pretty much all of the modes on this pedal, with the reverse and the modulated being my favorite as they are the most creative, but the others are just as good in terms of sound quality. The three parameters are well placed as they definitely help to get a wide array of different reverb sounds within each of the modes. This is probably the best reverb pedal made by Digitech.
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Overall Opinion
- I haven't been using the Digitech RV-7 all that long because it is a fairly new pedal, but in the time that I've been able to use it I've been pretty impressed. The price isn't all that expensive and is actually the same price as the Boss RV-5 reverb pedal which is quite similar in make up. I probably like the Boss version better because I've used it for longer and have gotten used to it, but the Digitech RV-7 comes pretty close. If you are in the market for a versatile reverb pedal, I would recommend checking out the Digitech RV-7 as well as the Boss RV-5 and some of the reverb pedals of this type that are available on the market today.
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Characteristics
- The Taylor 814 CE was made in the USA and is an acoustic/electric guitar. The guitar has a built in pick up and has three knobs for controlling your volume and tone. In every way, this is a beautiful guitar.
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Utilization
- The feel of the Taylor 814 CE is absolutely outstanding. The neck is quite fluid and the guitar is overall really a pleasure to play. It feels good on the fingers and it is easy to play any type of music and any type of part on this guitar. The guitar also has a great look and shape to it while the weight isn't all that heavy. Getting a good sound is really easy granted you know how to play, no matter if you are using it as strictly an acoustic guitar or as an acoustic/electric.
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Sounds
- The sound heard from the Taylor 814 CE is extremely vibrant and sounds great both acoustic and plugged in. I'm usually not a huge fan of the way acoustic/electric guitars sound when plugged in, but this guitar is a big exception as the pick up sounds great and there is pleanty of control over your tone available. I've used this guitar mostly for pop and rock music, but it is definitely suitable for any type of music that you would want to use it with.
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Overall Opinion
- I first used the Taylor 814 CE about six months ago and it has become one of my favorite guitars that Taylor has to offer. I mostly play Martin guitars, but the 814 CE is just about as good as any acoustic guitar that I've played. It has a great sound both acoustically and when plugged in, and has an absolutely stellar look with a beautiful inlay. The price of the guitar is quite expensive but is designed for professionals looking for top notch tone regardless of the price. If you are looking for an incredible acoustic/electric guitar that will last forever, the Taylor 814 CE needs to be considered!
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Characteristics
- The Danelectro Cool Cat Drive is a distortion/overdrive pedal designed for use with electric guitar. It has 1/4 inch connections and is powered with a nine volt battery. This isn't a rackable piece of gear as it is a foot pedal.
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Utilization
- The configuration of the Danelectro Cool Cat Drive is just about as basic as it gets. The pedal simply has three parameters - one for volume, one for tone, and one for drive. This is pretty much the simplest it can get when it comes to a distortion pedal as it covers the three basic parameters. Even if you don't have any experience with distortion pedals or guitar pedals in general, I can't see anyone having too many issues understanding what to do with this pedal. I don't have the manual for the Danelectro Cool Cat Drive so I can't speak to how helpful it is when learning this pedal, but it is easy to use and one really isn't necessary if you don't already have it.
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Sound Quality
- The sound quality of the Danelectro Cool Cat Drive is pretty poor overall. Maybe it is because I am used to using some of the best overdrive pedals on the market, but I'm not a fan of the sound heard from the Danelectro Cool Cat Drive at all. It comes off as really tinny and has no fullness to its sound at all. There isn't much to say beyond that I really can't stand the sounds that you can get with this pedal and ever since I tried it I have stayed away from it.
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Overall Opinion
- Overall, I can't really say that I would recommend the Danelectro Cool Cat Drive to anyone. Unless you have no money at all to spend on a distortion pedal, I would stay away from this pedal. The price is extremely cheap, but this is reflected in the poor craftsmanship and sound quality and is really just a waste of money in my opinion. Look elsewhere for your overdrive and distortion sounds!
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Overall Opinion
- I recently picked up a ten pack of Martin & Co 13/56 Medium Bronze acoustic guitar strings after I saw them on sale and I have to say that I'm really happy with the purchase. I usually get light bronze Martin strings because I have smaller fingers and they are easier to play for acoustic, but since these were on sale I decided to try them out. While they are a little tougher to play at first because of the bigger gauge, after playing them for a few days I've definitely gotten used to them and they are now quite easy to play as well. The best part about the Martin & Co 13/56 Medium Bronze acoustic guitar strings is that they have an immaculate sound to them that is extremely full and rich sounding. I got a similar sound with the ligher strings made by Martin, but I guess the extra size gauge gives them a little extra to their sound. I have played two different acoustic guitars stringed up with these - a Martin DX-1R and a Taylor 814-CE and both sound really great with these strings on them, which is not to say that they probably wouldn't sound great with any strings, but it is noteworthy that both guitars of two different brands with the same strings both sound great. Since I got these on sale, the price was truly a bargain, coming out to about $3 USD a piece in the pack of ten! Even though this was a sale, if you buy a ten pack anyday you can still get a pretty good deal and even if you buy a single pack the price isn't too expensive. While I still prefer lighter strings, the Martin & Co 13/56 Medium Bronze acoustic guitar strings do a great job and I would highly recommend them to any aocustic guitar player.
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Characteristics
- The Boss AD-3 is a digital acoustic instrument processor, best suited for use with acoustic guitar. It has 1/4 inch connections and is powered by the 9 volt power supply that comes with it. It isn't a rack mountable unit as it is a stomp box.
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Utilization
- Using the Boss AD-3 isn't a complicated process at all as it only took me a few minutes to understand exactly what everything does on this unit. The pedal has knobs for anti-feedback (with the ability to set the frequency), bottom and top (tone knobs), as well as chorus and reverb effects. The unit has two separate foot switches - one for anti-feeback and one for the chorus effect, both of which come in handy. The manual for the Boss AD-3 is pretty thorough and well put together, but isn't a necessary thing to have around as it is pretty easy to learn without it.
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Sound Quality
- The sound quality of the Boss AD-3 is pretty good across the board, but isn't anything to write home about in my opinion. The parameters certainly do their jobs and the effects are pretty realistic, but I just see myself getting too much out of this pedal at the end of the day. This probably has to do with the fact that I don't like all that much processing on my acoustic instruments because I love the way they sound on their own! However, if you are an acoustic guitar player looking for a little spice for your live shows, this will add to your sound.
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Overall Opinion
- I first used the Boss AD-3 about a year or two ago and while it is good at what it does, I'm not a huge fan of the unit in the end. It is pretty versatile and the effects are nice sounding, but I've never seen myself using this too often. I would never use this for recording and I really just see it as a live unit if you want a little extra processing to your acoustic sound. If you are looking for a supplement for your acoustic guitar, I would encourage you to shop around, with the AD-3 being part of what you try out as it does have some things to offer.
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Characteristics
- The DOD 565 is a stereo chorus pedal designed for use with electric guitar, but can be used with any electronic instrument. It has 1/4 inch connections and can be powered either by a nine volt battery or a nine volt power supply. It is an analog pedal and cannot be rack mounted as it is a stomp box.
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Utilization
- The make up of the DOD 565 stereo chorus couldn't be any easier to use and follow as it only has three different knobs. The pedal has parameters for delay time, width, and speed, each on a one to ten scale. Even if you don't have any experience with guitar pedals, I don't think you'll have any trouble figuring this out as it only takes a little while of playing around with it to see what everything does. I don't have the manual so I don't know how thorough it is, but it isn't necessary as the pedal is easy enough on its own.
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Sound Quality
- The sounds heard from the DOD 565 stereo chorus really aren't all that impressive. While it certainly gives you a chorus sound that is capable of being manipulated in a number of different ways, the inherent sound isn't that great. It lacks a certain richness and depth that I look for in a chorus pedal and for this reason isn't suitable for recording and I wouldn't even use it for live shows really.
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Overall Opinion
- I've first used the DOD 565 stereo chorus a few years ago, but I've only used a few times as I try to stay away from it. I don't like the sounds you get from this pedal even though it is really easy to use. There are tons of other chorus pedals out there that I would recommend that are in a similar price range even though they aren't this cheap, like some of the Boss and DOD chorus pedals. I can't say I would recommend this pedal to anyone and I would recommend looking elsewhere for your chorus tones.
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Characteristics
- The Danelectro Reel Echo is a tape echo simulator in the form of a guitar pedal. It has 1/4 inch connections and is powered by the power supply that comes with it. It isn't a rack mountable piece of gear as it is a stomp box.
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Utilization
- The unit is pretty simple to use, but at the same time it still has a good amount of parameters to control your sound. The pedal has knobs for mix, lo-fi and repeats and then has a few switches - one that allows you to choose between either a solid state or tube tone, and one to put warble either on or off. The pedal also has a slider to choose the speed range in an amount of milliseconds and has two buttons for echo and sound on sound. I didn't have too much trouble figuring out the Danelectro Reel Echo and since it is pretty easy to use, you really don't need a manual if you don't have it already.
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Sound Quality
- The sound quality of the Danelectro Reel Echo is actually pretty good as I was surprised to see it from a Danelectro pedal as they are known usually for making cheaper pedals that don't sound that great. While the sound of this pedal won't blow you away, it is definitely usable and it is a pretty versatile pedal to boot. I use the pedal usually with a Fender Strat and a '76 Fender Twin Reverb, so I get a pretty accurate sound of the pedal sounds like. While I have other options in terms of delay pedals that I would rather use than this, the Danelectro Reel Echo holds its own in the world of tape echo simulators.
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Overall Opinion
- I've only used the Danelectro Reel Echo pedal a few times for recording, but whenever I have used it I have liked what I have heard. While not incredibly realistic, it definitely does a good job of simulating tape echo and the wide array of parameters makes it possible to get a bunch of cool sounds. The price of the Danelectro Reel Echo is quite cheap for a pedal of this type which makes it perfect for players on a budget or those looking to get their feet wet with tape echo simulation. All in all, the Danelectro Reel Echo is a nice little pedal but I would recommend that those interested check out all of the tape echo simulators on the market to see what will work best for your situation.
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Characteristics
- The Fender Artist Signature Series Tom Delonge Stratocaster is probably one of the worst guitars you can buy. To me, this guitar is simply a hyped up guitar that is slightly better than a Squier that costs more than it should because of the name attached to it. This guitar was made in Mexico but is no longer being made and you can now only get them used. The guitar provides the absolute minimum in terms of tone control as it only has a single pick up and a single volume knob.
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Utilization
- While this guitar is playable it by no means has a fluid neck or is a pleasure on the fingers all that much. The shape is basically the same as a normal Strat while the weight of it is pretty light, probably because there are barely any electronics inside of it. Getting the sound that this guitar can get isn't hard, but it is the only sound you can get with the guitar and isn't all that good to begin with.
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Sounds
- The sound of this guitar is extremely one dimensional because of the minimal control you have over your tone and while the sound you can get is similar to the sound used by Delonge, its the only sound you can really get without other effects. I really can't see how anyone who isn't a fan of Blink 182 and Tom Delonge could really like the sound of this guitar...
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Overall Opinion
- I first used this guitar about six years ago when it first came out and I must admit I haven't used it since because it just isn't my style. For any purpose whether it be for recording or for live shows, I need to have a guitar that gives me options and control over my sound because if I don't have that, all of my tones will sound very similar! This guitar to me is also overpriced and should be a few hundred USD less than it is because it really has no features. Unless you are a die hard fan of Blink 182, I'm sure you know to stay away from this guitar, but in case you didn't know that, it is definitely a good idea!
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Characteristics
- The Martin & Co M-38 is a dreadnought acoustic guitar that has a vintage sound and look and was made in the Nazareth, PA, US, where all of these fine guitars are made. The guitar isn't acoustic/electric so there aren't any pick ups or setting controls, but for me you really don't need them as this guitar sounds both great on its own and awesome when it is mic'd up as well.
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Utilization
- The feel of the Martin M-38 is absolutely brilliant as it is quite easy to play and is always a pleasurable instrument to pick up. The shape of the guitar is in the dreadnought style that Martin is so famous for, but has a more vintage color and overall look than most of the other dreadnought acoustic guitars that Martin has to offer. Getting a good sound is really easy, but it all depends on what you consider a good sound to be. However, if you love the sound of a older dreadnought acoustic guitar, it is hard to match this guitar with any other.
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Sounds
- The sound of the Martin M-38 is quite unique and at the same time is pretty much universally loved. It definitely has a slightly vintage sound to it but still has the fullness of a modern guitar. It is hard to describe the brilliant sound of the M-38 without actually hearing it and I would encourage those truly interested in this guitar to seek out sound clips or go to the store and try it out to see if it will work with your style and what you are trying to do.
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Overall Opinion
- I first used the Martin M-38 only about a year ago, but I wish I had used it earlier as it has become one of my favorite Martin guitars both because of its great sound and really cool vintage look. Martin is simply the best when it comes to making acoustic guitars, but this guitar does come at a steep price because of this and is really designed for professionals or someone looking to drop a lot of change on a guitar that will last a lifetime. Simply another beautiful guitar designed by the masters of their craft.
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Characteristics
- The Taylor 812 C is a steel string guitar that is made in the USA and has 20 frets. The neck is made out of mahogany and since it isn't an acoustic/electric is doesn't have any pick ups or setting controls.
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Utilization
- Playing the Taylor 812 C is a real pleasure as the neck feels great on the fingers and the guitar is overall really easy to play no matter if you are using it for rhythm or lead guitar. The guitar has a jumbo body, but isn't all that heavy and is about average weight for an acoustic guitar of this type. Playing all around the neck isn't all that hard, but of course like on all acoustic guitars getting way up high on the neck is a little tough.
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Sounds
- I have only used the Taylor 812 C acoustic guitar for recording, but in this situation I'm always happy with the tones I'm able to get with this guitar. For recording I usually throw up both a large diaphragm condenser like a Neumann U87 on the sound hole of the guitar and a Neumann KM184 on the neck to pick up the high end, and I'd say that this is a pretty effective way to get a great acoustic guitar sound from the Taylor 812 C. I use the guitar mostly for recording rock and pop songs, but the guitar is versatile enough that it could be used for any type of music.
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Overall Opinion
- I've been using the Taylor 812 C acoustic guitar for a few years and while it isn't my go to acoustic guitar, it has a brilliant sound and is overall a real beauty. I really have no complaints about this guitar and I would encourage those interested to try it out for themselves to see if it will work for you. The price is set about right for a guitar of this caliber, but is still expensive since it is a top end guitar and is made for serious players. Overall, the Taylor 812 C is another beautiful guitar made from one of the leaders in making acoustic guitars.
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