How-To Guides 5
The Story Behind Fret Sprout
You pick up your guitar that you’ve had sitting in the stand for a few weeks and suddenly you feel it: the “sharp” frets are sticking out from the fretboard! Or worse yet, you pull a brand-new guitar you just ordered out of the box and the setup is all off and you feel the […]
What’s the Matter with Musical Meter?
Welcome to Beat Connection, a series dedicated to promoting modern and vintage dance styles the only way we know how…by providing you a musical starting point to help you create that beat. In our previous post, we outlined a very important concept to think about when composing music: tempo. Today, we take one more step […]
Using Two Microphones to Record Electric Guitar
Using two or more microphones when recording electric guitars is a great way to expand your tonal options during the final mixdown. Different microphones impart their own personality on your guitar’s sound and using more than one can help bring out tones that you wouldn’t be able to do with just a single mic. For […]
zZounds Accessory Look Book: Guitar
Welcome to the zZounds Accessory Look Book! This visual guide shows off some of the most unique, innovative accessories we have to offer. In this edition, we’re taking a look at top guitar accessories that make gigging a breeze for the mobile guitarist (or bassist!) From straps to cables, stands and more, there’s a lot […]
Building a Guitar, Part 2: Choosing Body and Neck Wood
When constructing a guitar, one of the most important aspects to consider is the wood that the body and neck are made from. With the massive array of wood species available today to choose from, it can no doubt be a seriously difficult decision to make. But have no fear – this wood buying guide […]
A Guitarist’s Guide to Thick Studio Tone
As the only guitarist in a three-piece band, I sometimes struggle with maintaining a full, thick tone. I’ve compensated by adapting my playing style to be a hybrid of rhythm and lead at all times, and choosing my amps, cabs and effects wisely in live settings. When my band hits the studio, it’s a slightly […]
Overdrive vs. Distortion vs. Fuzz
Overdrive. Distortion. Fuzz. We’ve all heard the terms before. But how exactly are they different? While there are players whouse the words interchangeably, there are distinctive differences between the three types of signal clipping. When I first started playing, the word “distortion” covered the entire gamut of clipping tones. I knew Kurt Cobain used a distortion […]
How Do Headphones Produce Bass Frequencies?
To reproduce low frequencies accurately, loudspeakers need to be big. It’s why dedicated subwoofer speakers often use large drivers, commonly around 18″ wide for live sound reinforcement, and at least 8″ or 10″ wide in the recording studio. Yet headphones use comparatively tiny drivers — usually no larger than 50 millimeters, and much smaller for in-ear […]
A Primer on Power Tubes
As you gaze lovingly into the warm glow of the tubes in your favorite amp, you may wonder: “What exactly do these glorified lightbulbs have to do with powering my amp, let alone shaping my tone?” The answer to that question is: “a lot.” Each type of power tube, whether EL34, KT88, 6L6 or otherwise, has drastically different […]
