So whats so special? nothing… and everything

The thing is, Leo Fender got it right first time round. In the first half of the 20th century, guitars were built by highly skilled artisans, usings skills that had taken years to perfect.

Then along came Fender, bolting a few bits of wood together and calling it a guitar. And it blew tradition out of the water. Five decades later and via just about every rock god that ascended the stairway to guitar heaven, and the Stratocaster has barely changed. Why not? I already said, Leo got it right!

It won’t look dated in 5, 10 even another 50 years, and it’s robust. It’ll certainly last that long.  You know how it sounds already. It’s Clapton, it’s Beck, it’s Hendrix at Woodstock; the wide sixties-style headstock just screams purple haze at you, and the tremolo is there for all those dive bombs.

Three pickups give a wide range of tones, for all styles of playing, and plenty of great lead and rhythm sounds. It’s made of the right woods, using the right hardware, and comes in an array of colors.

This is a superb guitar, that can do everything that a very expensive pro guitar can do, but for a fraction of the price. It’s functional, it’s durable, it’s cheap, and it sounds flippin’ marvelous!

More about the
Squier Affinity Stratocaster / Buy online

Figure 1 – The Seagull Entourage mini jumbo

Seagull (by Godin) produces some of the finest acoustic guitars for under $500. The Seagull Entourage Mini Jumbo is currently priced at $349. Not bad at all.

This guitar was hand crafted in LaPatrie, Qu’bec Canada. Lets take a look at the features:

Body: Mini Jumbo
Top: Solid cedar
Back: Wild Cherry
Sides: Wild Cherry
Neck: Silver Leaf Maple
Fretboard: Rosewood, 21 frets
Bridge: Rosewood
Finish: Rustic Burst Semi-gloss
Nut: Tusq®
Saddle: compensated, Tusq®
Nut Width: 1.72″
Upper Bout: 11.59″
Lower Bout: 16″
Waist: 9.53″
Body Length: 2.0″
Body Depth: 5″

As stated above, the top is solid cedar! Although it does produce a nice sound, it is fairly delicate and will easily scratch and dent. The finish is a very thin semi-gloss. I don’t mind this. I actually like it this way – You just have to be extra careful if you don’t want tons of dents and scratches in your guitars body (which WILL happen). The action on this thing out of the box was just perfect. It came with fairly low action which made it a breeze to play. The mini jumbo body style is one of the main reasons I purchased this guitar. The bigger dips in the body make it feel much more comfortable than a standard dreadnought guitar as it rests on your thigh. The rustic sunburst finish is also candy to the eyes.

The neck is a little bigger than most acoustics but isn’t as wide at the nut as the Seagull S6. I hear some people say that the headstock on the Seagulls are ugly. Sure, it’s a little smaller than a lot of other headstocks but in my opinion it still looks great. The smaller size does not affect tuning stability or anything else, but it does feel better from the players point of view. The Seagull Entourage Mini Jumbo stays in tune better than my Takamine and my Ibanez acoustics.

I’m willing to say that it is the best 6 string acoustic guitar for under $1k. I played much higher priced guitars at the music store, but none of them had the mojo that this one did. Highly recommended!

• Buy the

Figure  1 – The Fender PT-100 chromatic guitar tuner

I think i’ve found one of the most useful pieces of equipment any guitarist can own! Such statements shouldn’t be made lightly, but in this case I stand by it. If you need a new tuner you really should consider this one. In the PT-100, Fender have a solid, durable and, most importantly, easy to use tuner that works for guitar and bass. It does the job, and it does it well.

So what’s so special? Surely a tuner is a tuner? Well, yes and no. The first thing you notice about the PT-100 is its weight; this is a rugged, heavy-duty stage tuner. Its die-cast metal casing isn’t going to break, and the hinged battery cover is screwed down – this will survive a good gigging for sure. But the weight has another advantage for simple home-tuning. When you plug in to tune it stays where it is. How annoying is it to have a lightweight tuner that can’t bear the weight of the cable that plugs into it, and ends up on the floor, usually in two pieces with the battery hanging out?

Of course the floor is where this tuner is designed to be. The LEDs that tell you whether you are flat, sharp, or just right, are very bright indeed. You’ll be able to tune from standing in any lighting conditions…. and seeing as this is a chromatic tuner there are no switches to flip. Just lights to tell you which way to go!

 The PT-100 has two outputs, the second for muted tuning. Silent adjustments can be made mid-set, purely by stepping on the pedal. And when the input jack is removed no more power is drawn from the battery. Never again will you unpack for rehearsal to find a flat battery from when you left it on last time! And when it is time, the battery can be accessed by loosening the screw on the underside. Here again Fender have thought of everything; this simple large slot-head isn’t going to fall out, yet can be opened with a small coin or stiff plectrum.

 This is a great piece of equipment, and although more expensive than some lighter tuners, it really is worth every cent.

• Buy the
• See also Fender AG-6 guitar tuner

Figure 1 – The John Lennon 1965 Casino

In the 1960s Epiphone Casinos were ‘in’. And John Lennon wasn’t the only Beatles to own one. In fact Paul McCartney and George Harrison both had Casinos, as did Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. But it was Lennon who became most associated with the instrument, most famously playing it on the infamous rooftop appearance of 1969.

Fast forward to November 1997, and a team from Epiphone visit “The Dakota” in New York to examine John’s Casino. They took measurements of the neck and body, studied the components and photographed everything, in order to create a guitar as close to Lennons original as was possible to acheive.

As a result and in cooperation with Yoko Ono, Epiphone proudly introduced the Limited Edition John Lennon “Revolution” and “1965″ Casinos.

The “John Lennon 1965 Casino” is a reproduction of the guitar as John originally purchased it with the sunburst finish and stock hardware.

The “John Lennon Revolution Casino” is a reproduction of the “stripped” guitar featuring one coat of nitro-cellulose lacquer, gold Grover tuners and no pickguard.

Epiphone is, of course, owned by Gibson, and in the sixties guitars by both brands were very similar, and were made side by side in the factory at Kalamazoo, Michigan. Read more about the 1960s Epiphone Casino. Gibson had strict product licensing arrangment that limited the number of dealers stocking Gibsons, and the Epiphone brand was a way to increase sales without breaking these deals.

These Lennon reissues are incredible guitars; manufactured to the standards of the 1960s originals. Just 1,965 instruments have been made, each numbered. A portion of the proceeds from each sale was donated to “The BMI Foundation, Inc. for John Lennon Scholarship fund” which supports music education

Original body shape and materials- Mid 60s Kalamazoo Specifications

• Nitro Cellulose lacquer finish
• One-piece Mahogany neck
• Rosewood fingerboard with pearloid, parallelogram fret markers, binding over fret-ends
• Neck joint at 16th fret
• 24.750″ scale
• Mother-of-pearl headstock logo – 17 degree pitch
• “Gibson USA- factory” electronics and hardware
• Nickel plated, Alnico-V p-90s with original pole spacing
• Switchcraft, 3-way toggle with old style black washer
• Nickel ABR bridge with nylon saddles
• Vintage style case with shroud

Figure 2 – The Beatles perform on the roof of the Apple building, Jan 1969. Note John’s Epiphone Casino is now stripped down to a natural wood finish

Similar guitars

The Casino was very similar to the Gibson ES-330TD. Today Epiphone produce some very nice Casinos, some cheap, and some quite expensive – but all terrific instruments. If you want to play a semi-acoustic guitar, you should certainly try one out!

• Epiphone Casino
• Gibson ES-330TD
• Vintage Epiphone guitars
• Buy an Epiphone Casino

2007 has seen a wide range of guitars leave the Gibson factory doors; from the standard instruments that are the companys bread and butter, to limited-number special-edition instruments: the Guitar of the Week range, numerous historical reissues, and of course the Inspired By range.

This is a series of instruments “inspired by and built to the exact specifications of passionate musicians and artists” – among them are Les Pauls (John Lennon and Warren Haynes), Flying Vs (Jimi Hendrix and Zakk Wylde) and three thinlines; the Roy Orbison ES-335, Keither Sutherland  ES-336 and best of all the Dave Grohl DG-335.

So its a 335? Not quite……

Dave Grohl likes his Gibsons; Firebirds, RDs and of course his cherry red Trini Lopez Standard which he has played for some time.

It is this guitar that the DG-335 is based on, and of course both are basically 1960s ES-335s; a one-piece mahogany neck, maple top, back and rims, and the central maple block that makes this guitar semi-solid. Differences are largely cosmetic: firebird-style headstock (with six-on-a-side tuners), split diamond inlays, and the diamond shaped sound holes.

Figure 2 - Also available in Ebony…

So what did Dave Grohl want from his Inspired By guitar? Well the obvious change is the striking pelham blue colour; a traditional Gibson finish, but scarcely used. The other changes are in the hardware. A stop tailpiece and Gibson burstbucker humbuckers.

Dimensions, materials and construction are all unchanged.

• Body: Laminated maple top, back, rims.  White binding. Diamond soundholes.
• Neck: Mahogany. 50s rounded neck profile.
• Fingerboard: rosewood with split diamond inlay and white binding.
• Frets: 22
• Scale: 24-3/4″
• Width at nut: 1-11/16″
• Hardware: ABR-1 bridge with stop tailpiece. Chrome plated.
• Pickups: Burstbucker 1 (neck); Burstbucker 2 (bridge).
• Controls: 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way selector switch.
• Finishes: Pelham blue, Ebony.

This truly is a special guitar. Dave has been playing his since the summer, and they are at last available to the guitar-buying public.

• Gibson Inspired By Dave Grohl DG-335 Electric Guitar
• Foo Fighters website
• Gibson ‘Inspired By’

Some designs just don’t go out of fashion. Its been 46 years since Gibson redesigned the Les Paul, giving it those batwing cutaways and characteristic translucent cherry finish – and they haven’t looked back. Be it guitar or bass, the SG has attitude, and plenty of it.

Although the shape has seen continual use on guitars, Gibson didn’t produce a bass version for over 20 years. That was until 2005 when they launched the SG reissue bass.

But it hasn’t stopped there – as well as Cherry, White, Ebony, Canary Yellow, Coral Pink, Coral Blue, Silverburst, and faded finishes, there is the maple flamed-top SG Supreme, and a Supreme Fireburst.

Its not just looks that make a guitar; the SG reissue bass is proving a big hit for its sounds and playability too.

Manufacturer Gibson
Model SG Reissue Bass
Bass type Passive, 4 string
Neck 1 piece, glued in mahogany, 30 1/2″ scale
Fingerboard Rosewood, 20 frets
Body Mahogany
Pickups Gibson TB Plus Bass Humbucker, Mini Bass Humbucker
Controls 2 Volume, 1 Tone

The SG basses were very popular in the 1960s, with models like the EB0 and EB3 selling in huge numbers; appearing in the hands of everyone from Jack Bruce and Andy Fraser to Jermaine Jackson of the Jackson Five. For more about the vintage Gibson basses, have a look at FlyGuitars.com.

So does the SG reissue live up to its predecessors reputation? Well yes, in fact it exceeds it! Whilst keeping the looks, construction and general sound of the EB basses, it simplifies the controls – no varitone switch to play up, and no extreme volume changes when you change to another setting.

It balances well, is lightweight whilst substantial and most of all has the classic deep rich sounds you expect from a Gibson.

There are two variations. The all mahogany SG Reissue bass, and the maple-topped SG supreme bass

The SG Reissue bass

Initially offered in Cherry, Ebony and White. A short time after the launch, three new colors were added to the line for export only (although these are stocked at certain online retailers). Coral Pink, Coral Blue and Canary Yellow. Check here for availability. The latest colors are Heritage Cherry Sunburst and Silverburst >more

Gibson have now put out a limited SG Faded bass. Available in Worn Brown (shown) and Worn Cherry. Really reminiscent of the early seventies walnut basses. These have the same hardware as the other basses, yet sell for a few hundred dollars cheaper, simply by having a thinner finish. >more

Gibson SG Supreme Bass

This bass came out in 2007 as Gibsons 1st Guitar of the Week. It really is diferent from the Reissues – the thick maple top gives this bass far more punch than its all mahogany sibling, but it is also more ornate, with an inlaid headstock, and block inlays. As a GOW it is limited to a production run of just 400. >more

The fireburst version is Gibsons Guitar of the Week from week 18, although in other respects is the same as the Natural version. Again just 400 were made. >more

 So there we have it. An absoutely iconic design, with versions to suit traditionalists, those on a budget, and those who prefer the brightness of maple, over the warmth of mahogany

Try one out!

• Read about classic Gibson basses at the FlyGuitars.com

The good side to the Fender AG-6 is that it retails for around $20, and manages to put a few appreciated features in for the low price. Most analog gitar tuners of this price range are reminiscent of the bulky, black, and often frustrating guitar tuners that come in cheap Stratocaster packs. Fender has reinvented the cheap analog tuner with the sparkly surface and ultra lightweight design. The backlit display enables tuning to be possible in dark settings, another nice feature.

A speaker is included for tuning acoustic guitars, and support for Bass guitars is also given. The AG-6 is more geared towards electric and acoustic guitars, however, and some complaints have been raised as to the accuracy of the Bass tuning feature. A nice time saving feature for electric and bass guitar players is the automatic string selection that takes place when plucking a string. Most cheap analog guitar tuners require that a button be pressed to select the string that is being tuned- not so with the Fender AG-6. This is instead done automatically, so tuning literally only takes a few seconds to accomplish.

Beyond the previusly mentioned benefits, there are a few downfalls that the cheap guitar tuner category ultimately experiences. First, there is no option to tune to separate tuning configurations, such as Drop D. This is a nice time-saving feature that is usually included on slightly more expensive tuners. Since the Fender AG-6 is in fact analog, the most accurate results that come with purely digital tuners are out of reach. It’s likely that a difference won’t be noticed in the accuracy, but it is something to consider. A few other features could’ve been added that newer guitar tuners are becoming standard with- such as an included metronome. For many, this is overkill- as it defeats the simple purpose of just owning a guitar tuner that doesn’t try to be something else.

Figure 2 – No, a metronome isn’t included. hat happened to the days when a guitar tuner was just a guitar tuner? Fender seems to like to keep things simple with the AG-6.

Along with the mentioned benefits and downfalls, the Fender AG-6 comes with the standard guitar tuning features. A line-out jack, battery checker, and instructions are included. The instructions may be a little basic, and beginners will most likely have trouble tuning their guitars without a little help, but most guitar players should know how to use a guitar tuner. Given the fact that the Fender AG-6 comes in three sparkly colors- red, blue, and black- expressing one’s self via guitar tuners has never been easier.

The Fender Automatic Guitar Tuner AG-6 is exactly what it claims to be- a guitar tuner. It won’t perform metronome functions, or even offer the ability to easily tune to alternate tuning configurations. It will, however, tune a guitar in standard tuning fairly fast, especially given the fact that the needle is very stable and gives accurate results. The lightweight factor of the AG-6 isn’t a problem when it comes to durability- dropping the Fender AG-6 a few times will hardly do any damage at all. The best part is, the AG-6 makes a great gift idea, since it’s only $20 and comes with an unheard of sense of style. If a cheap, yet functional and durable guitar tuner is needed, the Fender AG-6 will be sure to please electric and acoustic guitar fans.

• Purchase Fender AG-6 Sparkle Tone Tuner from Musicians Friend
  

Installing and using the program is fairly easy. The interface of Guitar FX Box is easy to navigate, and the colors complement each ther nicely. The only problem that was encountered was the compatibility mode that Windows Vista users will more than likely have to use. Windows Vista users will not be able to record or play without hearing an unbearable delay- something that compatibility mode will fix to a certain extent. Windows XP users and previous versions of Windows will be glad to hear these problems are non-existent.

The distortion section of the program is vast- a total of 11 distortions types are available. Normal distortion options, phasers, compressors, reverbs, echoes, Wah-Wah effects, and much more effects are available. This is where the bulk of the program lies, as within these 11 categories of distortion, lies a ton more options. Even on just the normal distortion category, things such as drive, saturation, wah, filtering, and clipping types can be edited. Obviously, this program is very complex in the amount of options that can go into getting a precise tone. The most interesting part of the 11 ategories is that you can mix and match- turn on wah sounds with reverb sounds- or perhaps chorus sounds with a phaser. It’s all possible and incredibly easy to do.

The recording feature is very simple- select the output filename and start recording. During some recordings on Vista machines, recording had to be done with the sound off- since the delay was incredibly distracting. Occasionally, there would be some rather odd distortion sounds that sounded like something had gone wrong- but needless to say, the sounds did not make it into the recorded file (suggsting that it was just a speaker or driver at fault). The recordings sound amazingly crisp, and the tones that can be controlled make for a truly unique sound. The recording feature also supports looping a background sound- for recording drum beats or rhythms with ease.

The program even comes with an electronic guitar tuner- so no need to waste money on batteries ever again.  Like the other features of the program, the tuner is far from basic. Tuning to special tuning types such as Drop D is easy- and of course tuning to standard tuning is just as easy. The tuner is a nice addition to an all-in-one package for guitarists. 

Overall, the program is cheap- yet offers some of the best distortion and recording software for the price range. It is important to remember that the latency isn’t non-existent- most users will see 5ms-20ms delay. Vista users will probably see a lot more than that, to the point where it is unusable unless compatibility mode is turned on. The ease of use, great navigation, and durable settings makes the program an easy choice. Since it operates from a single line-in port, this very likely will not be a solution for the entire band- just for soloists or bands consisting of very few members. Compared to the few hundred dollars it’d take to buy distortion pedals, this is a nice tradeoff for only $20. Well worth the money for those looking for a cost-effective solution for a not-so-serious band environment.

Sorry, Windows Vista users- there is probably better out there at the moment. 

• Guitar FX Box Website 

Figure 1 - “The Best of Rage Against the Machine” by Troy Stetina 

The book is oversized, so most songs fit on several pages. One of the best additions to the tablature is the history and information that Troy Stetina provides o Rage Against the Machine. An introduction page gives readers a thorough guide to the startup of the band, to inspiration for songs and a large band photograph. Throughout the entire book, readers will notice that even further information on specific songs is given before each song. More information is given before each solo for songs, which gives very handy tips on how to accomplish some of the tough sounds Rage Against the Machine creates.

The tablatures are easy to read, and are well organized. Lyrics are also included, so players can synchronize playing with how they remember the song. If timing and solo riffs are still giving players a hard time, all they have to do is turn to the included CD. The CD plays the music, without lyrics, so the melodies and riffs can be learned quickly. The CD comes with a slowed down version of all the songs, in case a particular part of a song has got a guitar player beat. This is especially handy for solos, which can be a nightmare without the slwed play.

Figure 2 – Self titled album cover, “Rage Against the Machine”. The cover art shows some of RATM’s political and social beliefs. 

The back of the page gives a nice reference to all the notes and special notations, such as tremolo picking or vibratos. It also tells the guitar player how to perform these actions with clear instructions. This feature won’t necessarily teach a new player all the tricks, but it is a great primer for some of the more advanced features that many songs use in the book. Playing Rage Against the Machine songs as accurately as possible is important, but almost impossible without the right equiment. The book tells readers on how to get the sound from assorted distortion pedals, which is a great feature.

Rage Against the Machine has some great riffs, and playing “Killing in the Name’s” main riff is addicting. “Bombtrack’s” intro and “Bulls on Parade’s”  riffs are equally as therapeutic to play. The hard and heavy hitting riffs to “Know Your Enemy” will surely turn a few heads while played. With all of the tips and explanations, it is easy to get the sound that Rage Against the Machine does. For instance, the book mentions that to get the sound from “People of the Sun”, an actual Allen Wrench should be used. 

“Best of Rages Against the Machine” by Troy Stetina is a hit for fans of the band. Even for those who aren’t obsessed with the rhythms and melodies the band possesses, the book is great for beginners to learn some quick and heavy riffs. Experienced players will be glad to know that the solos will give anyone a tough time- even experts. For a challenge, learn the “Know Your Enemy” solo- it will take some time. The book retails for around $20 new, so be sure to pick it up for yourself or as a present for a friend. 

•  Purchase Best of Rage Against The Machine (Signature Licks) from Amazon.com