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 […]
Gibson Announces New Slash Les Paul in Anaconda Burst
With the recent news that Gibson had named guitarist Slash as its global brand ambassador, the timing seems perfect that the Gibson Custom Shop is releasing a new version of perhaps the most famous signature model of Les Paul’s signature model. This Gibson Custom Shop Slash Les Paul features a stunning and bold new finish […]
EHX Announces Green Russian Big Muff
As much as The Dude is synonymous with his favorite cocktail, the White Russian, fans of heavy riffage have flocked to the so-called “Green Russian Big Muff” — a variant of the famed Big Muff Pi pedal produced by Sovtek in Russia in the mid-’90s. Beloved for its low-end growl, this variant has become a […]
Play Guitar Through Your DAW
If you’re a beginning guitarist, you’ll quickly find that playing through a real amp is exhilarating, but can also be frustrating, especially if you have neighbors close by. There’s almost nothing like the sound of a real guitar amp, but digital options have come a long way in the last decade. Playing guitar through a […]
How to Install a Pre-Wired Pickguard
Perhaps the most drastic way to change your guitar’s tone is by installing a new set of pickups. And whether you’re making a big change in the type of pickup — like going from a single-coil pickup to a humbucker, or installing active pickups where you had passive pickups — or just installing a different […]
Passive vs. Active Pickups
Even though both passive and active pickups have now been around for decades, some players still don’t know the true differences between the two types. Pickups happen to be one of the most — if not the most — fundamental tone-shaping parts on your electric guitar. Knowing how they work and the different tones they […]
Roland Announces SH-01A and TR-08 for 808 Day
August 8th isn’t an official holiday per say, but for synthesizer fans it’s one of the best days of the year — 808 day! Roland (the company who released the groundbreaking TR-808 Rhythm Composer in 1980) has marked August 8th in recent years with big announcements and events, and 2017’s edition is no exception. This […]
Beat Production Tool: Ableton Sampler
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: musical pitch. Today, we take another step […]
