Avoiding Feedback with an Acoustic Guitar - Tips for Playing Acoustic Guitar Live - Part 1
LearningCommonly used by electric guitar players, especially to liven things up, feedback is the worst enemy of acoustic musicians. In this series of articles we'll look into the solutions to play a relaxed …
Classic Gear Spotlight: The Vox AC30 - The Amp That Armed the British Invasion
LearningIn today’s digitally dominated world of music gear, one way to tell how highly a guitar amp is regarded is whether it’s been emulated in major amp-modeling software packages. One of the amps you'll f…
Taylor 814ce 2014 Edition Review - My Taylor is Rich
Written testBest Product awardIt's always a pleasure to review a Taylor, an American brand that stands for high quality among musicians.
Review of the Line 6 AMPLIFi FX100 - A Multi-Effects Pedal in the Palm of your Hand
Written testFollowing in the footsteps of the AMPLIFi 150 and AMPLIFi 75 amplifiers, Line 6 has released the AMPLIFi FX100, a floor-based multi-effects pedal controlled by your iOS device. How does this concept …
A pint-sized yet powerful multi-effects unit - Review of the Tech 21 Fly Rig 5
Written testThe Tech 21 Fly Rig 5 is a multi-effects pedal small enough to fit in a backpack, or in the pocket of most guitar bags. Featuring Tech 21’s signature analog tone, it can be used either through an amp…
Tips on Alternate Tunings - How to Adapt Your Electric Guitar to Your Alternate Tuning
LearningFans of alternate tunings (especially metalheads) will often find themselves with overcooked noodles instead of strings, compromising their sound. Here are a couple of recipes to make sure your strin…
We test drive EHX's new "Organ Machine" - Review of the Electro-Harmonix B9
Written testElectro Harmonix calls the B9 an “Organ Machine,” and indeed it is. Plug your guitar into this pedal and out comes a variety of authentic organ sounds. Read on to find out more.
Boss reinvents the DS distortion pedal - Review of the Boss DS-1X
Written testThis year, Boss has been releasing new stompboxes at a prodigious pace: two at Winter NAMM and three at Summer NAMM. All are reinventions of older Boss pedals. The DS-1X, released along with the OD-…
Soldering Basics for Guitar Players - Part 2 - How to Solder the Jack of an Electric Guitar
LearningThe musical instrument industry has chosen the best method for the internal cabling of electric instruments, namely soldering. But, as we will see in a moment, this way of connecting two conductors r…
Review of the Boss ME-80 - Versatile, powerful, and priced to sell
Written testFor years, Boss has been one of the leading manufacturers of self-contained guitar multi-effects floor units, and the ME-80 is its latest effort. Less expensive than the flagship GT-100, it's neverth…
Soldering Basics for Guitar Players - Part 1 - Soldering Equipment for Beginners
LearningThe use of a soldering iron is indispensable if you need to change the pickups, a jack or any other component of your guitar. While changing a string is no secret for most of us, it's a whole differe…
Review of the Boss OD-1X OverDrive - An Overdrive Pedal with a New Look and Feel
Written testThe Boss OD-1X OverDrive was one of two new stompboxes the company announced at NAMM 2014 (the DS-1X Distortion was the other). It features the company’s recently developed Multi-Dimensional Processi…
Solutions to Keep Your Guitar Safe - How to Choose the Right Guitar Stand
LearningThe guitar hasn't quite followed the evolution of its creator ─ the homo sapien ─ and still cannot stand up straight on its own. So, after having to break that news to you, let's look at the differen…
Choose the Right Pots for Your Electric Guitar - Help Picking the Right Pots for Your Electric Guitar
LearningMost guitarists don't think too much about the pots (potentiometers) inside their guitars, unless they start going bad and making noise. But did you know there are different types of pots with differ…
Understanding the Specifics of a Guitar Neck - What Type of Guitar Neck to Choose
LearningGuitar necks come in different shapes, sizes and finishes. So, how can you pick the right one for you? In this article we'll explore the different neck options available, in order to understand their…
Electro-Harmonix EHX Tortion Review - Tubey or not Tubey, that is the question.
Written testSince the days of the original Big Muff Pi, Electro-Harmonix has been building distortion pedals, and one of its latest entries is the EHX Tortion ($179). Way more than just a distortion effect, it a…
Key Concepts for Instrument Miking - How to Get the Best Results When Recording Acoustic Instruments
LearningIf you’ve ever recorded an acoustic instrument, you already know that there’s more involved than just sticking a mic in front of it. Factors that influence how the recording will come out — besides t…
Tech 21 Hot-Rod Plexi Review - Stack Attack
Written testAlthough most amp modeling is digital, Tech 21 has always created its amp emulations using analog circuitry. The Hot-Rod Plexi pedal ($179) is the latest example. It’s an effects processor that’s des…
The Top Digital Reverb Pedals - A Look at the Best Digital Reverb Guitar Pedals
LearningIndispensable on the pedalboard of any guitarist — right next to the overdrive/distortion — the reverb pedal allows you to add some ambient or to modify the position of a sound in a mix. Naturally, i…
The Top Guitar Pickup Brands - A Look at the Best Electric Guitar Pickup Makers
LearningElectromagnetic transducers play a crucial role in the sound of a guitar player and many of us like to change the original pickups on our guitars. Here are the results of a survey we ran some time ag…
How to Get Ready for Your First Gig - Part 1 - Getting ready for your first gig as a guitar player
LearningThe time has come, your band is ready for the big jump: Your first live gig as a guitar player is imminent. However, your stress is rising at a rate that would shock any cardiologist. Stay cool — her…
How much power does your amp need for rehearsals and gi… - Choosing the Right Wattage for Your Guitar Amp
LearningThanks to "Doc" Emmett Brown, everybody knows that you need 1.21 gigawatts for a DeLorean to go back to the future when its flux capacitor runs out of plutonium.
Which Type of Tuning Machines Are Best for You? - How to Choose Tuners for Electric Guitar
LearningBroken, worn-out or simply ugly-looking tuners are often the cause of complaints by guitarists. If changing them is unavoidable, here is some info that will help you understand the subject better.
Tips for Better Soloing - Make Your Solos More Interesting and Musical
LearningWhether you play guitar, keyboard, saxophone or any other lead instrument, there’s more to being a good soloist than just having chops and knowing riffs. Playing fast is great, but speed by itself do…
A Review of Toontrack's Classic Amps EZmix Pack - Classic Amps the EZ Way
LearningToontrack recently released a new collection of amp models with effects called the Classic Amps EZmix Pack, which can be opened as presets in the company's EZmix 2 software. How do these emulations s…
