Guitar Workbench 106
What Does Compression Do to a Bass Signal?
What is compression? Why do we need it? Those are questions asked by nearly every musician at one time or another. It’s a process that is seen as a necessary evil or even a fully-blown mystery until one understands what exactly is going on. Compression isn’t magic, and it’s not punishment for an unwieldy bass […]
Extending Your Extended-Range Guitar
Do you want an 8-string guitar but currently only have a 7-string? While zZounds’ Play as You Pay installment plans are helpful, buying a new axe isn’t always a feasible option. In this guide, I’ll go over a method to extend your 7-string even lower into the 8-string range and the tools you’ll need to […]
A Humbucker Enthusiast Takes on the Fender Standard Telecaster
From my earliest days as a guitar player, even growing up admiring the work of players like John Frusciante and Stevie Ray Vaughn, the distinctive spank of a single-coil pickup never spoke to me like the thick, robust sound of a humbucker. I’ve always been drawn to humbuckers, an attraction I attribute to my childhood […]
The JHS 424 Gain Stage Brings the Portastudio to Your Pedalboard
Some pedals are born out of nostalgia, but the JHS 424 Gain Stage is rooted in obsession. For years, producers and guitarists have been chasing the gritty, colorful saturation of the TASCAM 424 Portastudio, the four-track cassette machine that defined an era of lo-fi records. From indie bands layering tape hiss into their mixes to […]
A Beginner’s Guide to Fingerpicking
Looking to spice up your guitar playing with a new skill? No matter what style of guitar you play, fingerpicking is a great tool to add to your arsenal. In this blog post, we’ll help get you going on your fingerpicking journey by walking you through the fundamental techniques, including a layout of the PIMA […]
Learn 7 Blues Leads in 15 Minutes!
Continue your journey to blues mastery with this second lesson on the blues! In our first lesson, we covered the 12-Bar Blues progression (plus several variations) in 12 minutes. This time, watch as Justin demonstrates seven easy-to-learn blues lead licks that’ll add tons of flavor to your playing. Even if you don’t play blues, these […]
Master the 12-Bar Blues in 12 Minutes
Join zZounds for a detailed lesson on the 12-bar blues! Watch as Justin leads you through essential chord progressions and turnarounds that’ll have you sounding like a pro in no time. Learning the 12-bar blues offers players the opportunity to lay down a strong musical foundation upon which they can build new and interesting skills. […]
Using Delay to Create Spring Reverb: What Is the Belton Brick?
Classic, glassy, spring reverb. It’s a snapshot into the past of guitar tone. Mental images of Telecasters through a spring reverb-equipped amplifier in the hands of Dick Dale or George Harrison dance through your mind any time you hear it. But for most players, classic spring reverb tanks just aren’t practical in the modern age. […]
The Source Audio Artifakt Makes Lo-Fi Sounds Easy to Achieve!
The humble beginnings of “lo-fi” music started in musicians’ homes in the 1950s when the spirit of DIY recording was a necessity, not a style. Moving forward into the 1990s, artists began to adapt the low-fidelity sound of DIY recording techniques into the sound of their music overall. This brought the lo-fi sound into the […]
