Adam Ezra on Making an Album with 400 Producers (and One Very Special Guest)
For folk-roots rocker Adam Ezra, music is a powerful force for bringing community together. So it’s no surprise that the Adam Ezra Group’s 2017 album Hurricane Wind is an all-hands-on-deck community effort, with some 400 fans playing a role in the production process — not only crowdfunding the project, but actually producing it. zZounds sat […]
Fret End Dressing
Previously, we talked about fret sprout, what it is, why it happens, and how to prevent it. Sometimes though, despite how many humidifiers you’re running, it happens. Fret sprout is just an unavoidable part of owning a instrument built out of wood. One of these days you’ll go to pick up your favorite guitar (or […]
D’Angelico Electrozinc Strings: Roundtable Review
D’Angelico Electrozinc strings are technically a new product, having been released in 2016, but the truth is, their origins go back much farther. A collaboration between famed John D’Angelico and string innovator John D’Addario, Electrozinc strings were first produced in the late 1930s using “Bethanized” steel from the Bethlehem (PA) Steel Corporation. Though production stopped […]
Gibson 2018 – Video Overview & Interview
During our time in Nashville for Summer NAMM 2017, the zZounds Crew paid a visit to Gibson USA to check out the 2018 line of Gibson guitars. We were treated to any guitarists’ dream: a room full of Gibson’s finest. From classic favorites like the Les Paul and SG, to Memphis semi-hollowbody guitars to acoustic […]
Using Dynamic Microphones for Recording Vocals
For many of us, the age-old picture of a recording studio likely includes the large console with motorized faders, bass traps and sound diffusion panels mounted on the walls, and of course a large diaphragm condenser microphone equipped with pop filter. Though this isn’t a misrepresentation by any means, it muddies the waters in what […]
Top 5 Alex Lifeson Solos
This month’s Legends of Tone feature is very near and dear to me, because of who we are showcasing: Alex Lifeson of Rush. Lifeson is such an important figure in my life in regards to music, in fact, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for his music and guitar playing. Simply put, I started […]
Beat Production Tool: Ableton Simpler
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 took an in-depth look at one of Ableton Live’s most important beat production tools: Sampler. Today, we explore […]
Building a Guitar Part 3: Applying a Custom Neck Finish
In this installment of Building a Guitar, I’d like to focus on one of the most important aspects of any guitar: the neck. The neck is the literal “feel” of the guitar, as you manipulate it most from this area as you play. Because of this, a lot of care and attention to detail is […]
Interview with Tom Jones of TV Jones
Tom “TV” Jones is one of a handful of elite luthiers and pickup winders guitarists know by name. His interpretation of the classic Filter’Tron pickups found in vintage Gretsch guitars are regarded as the best out there –Gretsch themselves commissioned Jones to develop pickups for their higher end models, and TV Jones pickups are loved by […]
