Building a Guitar, Part 5: Installing Tuners
Welcome back! In this installment, I’m going to do a basic walkthrough on a very common and practical guitar modification: installing tuners. Depending on the model and brand you have, this process can have slight variations, but the installation is largely universal. Here’s what you’ll need: Supplies Tuners of your choice (I went with Gotoh […]
Direct-Drive vs. Chain-Drive Kick Drum Pedals
In the world of professional drumming, “feel” is almost always the most important aspect of picking components and hardware for a drum kit. This is why online forums are set on fire when the discussion of direct-drive vs. chain-drive bass drum pedals comes up. Those who love chain-drive for its “solid and real feel” argue […]
Analog Mixers for Multi-Track Recording
At the heart of countless performance venues, recording rigs, practice spaces, and broadcast facilities, you’ll find analog mixers. For any music project that involves more than one or two simultaneous mics or instruments, a mixer can be of great use. With a mixer, you can balance levels between multiple sources, sweeten your sound with the […]
The 12 Tones of Christmas
We’re counting down to Christmas one day (and pedal) at a time! Follow our Instagram to see each featured pedal and Christmas tune, and check back on the blog, where we’ll listing out each clip in order. Rock around the Christmas tree to these jams or scour our list for a few awesome gift ideas! […]
Legends of Tone – Frank Zappa
Here at zZounds, we’ve done more than a few Legends of Tone features the past couple of years. This time, we’re putting the spotlight on perhaps one of the most prolific, bizarre, and brilliant minds of the 20th century: Frank Zappa. He released an astounding 62 albums during his lifetime, almost all self-produced. After his death, […]
Beat Connection Collection: Production Styles
In Beat Connection, we explore 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 this collection, we’re highlighting Beat Connection posts that detail the foundations of beats across several genres — everything from trap to reggae to punk and footwork. […]
EHX Releases New Muff, Flatiron Fuzz and Battalion Nano
It’s been a busy weekend for Mike Matthews and the crew at Electro-Harmonix, as the New York pedal heads just released three new pedals aimed at bassists and guitarists alike. Sovtek Deluxe Big Muff First up in the weekend trilogy is the Sovtek Deluxe Big Muff, a throwback to the old “Civil War” era Big […]
Cymbal Anatomy Part 4: Bell Size
Bells are an over-looked aural enveloper. Whether or not you’re riding them on a funk chorus, or blast-beating them straight into the abyss, this part of the cymbal really impacts your cymbal’s overall sound. Let’s look at how the size of a cymbal’s bell (or whether or not a cymbal has a bell) shapes your tone. Flat […]
Gibson 2019 Guitar Lineup Overview
Standing with one foot solidly in the past, and the other in the future, Gibson sprints out of the gate in 2019 with a killer selection of your favorite models. Prefer a more vintage style? Then pick up something like the classic Les Paul Standard. A timeless instrument, the Standard is everything you ever wanted […]
