Guitar Workbench 80
How to Install PRS SE Locking Tuners
Paul Reed Smith SE Series guitars are a great value for the price, and many owners choose to upgrade their hardware and electronics to bring them even closer to the quality level of American-made PRS models. I recently picked up a set of PRS SE locking tuners which are a direct drop-in replacement on PRS […]
Victory Countess + Gibson Les Paul: A New Take on Classic British Tone
If you’re a guitarist, you know how important it is to pair the right amp with the right guitar, and the time it takes to find the right combination. While there are many guitar/amp pairings that are legendary in many ways, for rock guitarists, there’s one iconic pairing that has stood above many, if not […]
A Bass DI Might Save Your Mix: Here’s How
In today’s world of recording, there are a million-and-one options for tracking your bass guitar. From “direct-in,” (DI) to amp simulation software, or even traditional miking of a bass cabinet, you’ve got options. Each option has its own pros and cons, so why not limit the cons list and combine two of these techniques into […]
Line 6 HX Stomp: The Ultimate Idea Machine
Today it’s easier than ever to get a musical idea from your head bounced out to a great-sounding recording in a hurry. And as the quality of gear climbs higher and higher each year, that means good news for all. This is where the Line 6 HX Stomp comes in. An all-in-one stompbox, interface and […]
Five Go-To Universal Audio Guitar Amp Models
With a marketplace full of great audio interfaces, it can be difficult to choose the right one. Most of us recording demos or full projects at home probably only need an interface with a few inputs at a time, and there are dozens of options to choose from. For me, the decision was a no-brainer: […]
The Case for the Acoustic Guitar Amplifier
Congratulations, you just bought a brand-spanking new acoustic-electric guitar! You’ve got a gig lined up and can’t wait to show off the amazing tone of this new axe. So you plug in your acoustic to your amplifier and…bleh. Awful, thin, nasally tone emanates from the speaker of your electric amp. A common misconception is that […]
Gibson Southern Jumbo Review
The Gibson Southern Jumbo was introduced in 1942 as a more “deluxe” version of the J-45. Of course, the Southern Jumbo has gone through some changes since its introduction in the early 1940s. I got the chance to try Gibson’s 2020 iteration of this classic model for myself. Read below for my thoughts, and listen […]
What’s the Deal with Nashville Tuning?
Nashville, Tennessee has enough musical jargon to fill an entire dictionary. Today we’re going to dive into the world of Nashville tuning, which is also called high strung tuning. So what’s the deal? All you need for this tuning is get a 12-string pack of strings, pick out the octave strings, and string up your […]
Enhance Your Guitar Tone with Preamp Overdrive
Getting the tone that’s in your head sometimes involves more than just twirling the knobs on your amp. Learn how to utilize hardware or software preamps, and you’ll open up a rainbow of tonal possibilities for your tracks. Join me as I attempt to augment a standard rhythm guitar tone with a software preamp model […]
