All in Guitar
TC Electronic Hall Of Fame Mini Reverb Review
Reverb is one of those effects that works well both subtle and extreme. Sometimes you might want to just add a little space to your guitar signal, and sometimes you might want to play “surf” music or create ambient washes. So you might wonder if a mini reverb pedal can accomplish both subtle and extreme effects well...
TC Electronic Ditto Looper Review
Looping (recording repeating backing tracks to play over) is great for practice and solo live work. There are a multitude of looper pedals now, varying in complexity, but sometimes simple is best. TC Electronic’s Ditto Looper falls in the simple category...
Old Song Remembered
A song I wrote about 30 years ago, and haven't played in years, popped into my head today. I thought, "I wonder if I remember how to play it." So I grabbed my old acoustic guitar...
Quick Pick Trick
Here is easy pick trick I do when playing jazz, but it will work for any style of music. I normally use Fender Medium picks when I play with a pick...
And So It Began
When I was a kid I heard a guy make cool sounds using wood and steel. And I liked it. So I decided to become one of those guys.
Too Good For Your Own Good?
The passing of Alan Holdsworth has me thinking about “virtuoso” guitarists. If you have never heard of Alan Holdsworth, that is my point. Although he was a highly skilled player with amazing technique and was highly respected by professional musicians, outside of guitar players, fusion, and prog rock circles I doubt many people know him. It’s a common sad story that...
RocknRoller Multi-Cart R2RT Micro Review
Electric guitar players typically have a lot of gear. Guitars, amps, pedals, pedalboards, stands, etc. Which is great when you are playing at home. But it less than great when have to move a lot of it. If you play in a band or with friends, you know what a hassle it can be to haul everything around...
Line 6 Spider V 30 Review
I am a musician and guitar teacher, and have been using Spider IV 15 amps for teaching guitar for seven years. They are good teaching/practice amps. They are easy to use, have four good sounding amp models, built in effects, and a low price. All good things for a musician/teacher teaching a wide variety of musical styles. So I was naturally interested when the Spider V 30 was released. Here is my review.
Music To Change Strings By
When you have to change your guitar strings on chilly afternoon The Best of Simon & Garfunkel makes the job a little less tedious.
AmpClamp S Series Review
One thing is fairly certain for many gigging guitar players. There is never enough room on stage. I have intentionally made my rig as compact as possible for just this reason. I use a...
Guitar Naming Laziness
Why do so many guitar companies use letter/number combinations to name their guitars? Is it laziness? Is it easier to fit letter/number combinations on their spreadsheets?...
Shubb Deluxe Capo Review
Over the years, Capos have seen dramatic improvements. Gone are the days of loose-fitting elastic bands and the screw-on plastic monsters that we used back in the 70’s. Most capos are now both quick and easy to use. One of the first “new generation” capos was the...
Songs Worth Learning - 23
Soul Man - Sam & Dave
Some guitar players have an instantly recognizable style of playing. Steve Cropper is one of those players. As a member of STAX record label house band, he added his distinctive style to many soul and R&B hits.
Guitars Are Tools
Guitars are tools. They are tools designed to create music. Every good workman appreciates quality tools. They make the job easier and more enjoyable. But they are still tools, designed to do a job. A hammer drives nails. A guitar makes music. I think sometimes guitar players...
Your Present Will Be Your Past
When you are young you tend to spend a lot of time looking forward. Dreaming of how your life may go, and then chasing those dreams. You may not think much about
Creative Use Of Loopers At Home
Loopers have been around since the 1950s when Les Paul hid reel to reel tape decks off stage and controlled them using a box attached to his guitar. This allowed him to record and play back parts, and accompany himself live. He called the box the “Les Paulverizer” and it must have seem like magic to 1950s crowds. Nowadays, most of us
Iron Age Spearhead & JazzRT Guitar Pick Review
Picks come in lots of shapes, thicknesses, and materials. It can be difficult to find just the right one for your playing style and music. While conventional thought says flexible picks are better for strumming and rigid picks are better for fast single note picking and riffs, there are no rules. It is really a matter of preference.
Ibanez George Benson GB10SE Review
George Benson is simply one of the greatest jazz guitar players of all time. And like many famous guitar players he has his own signature model guitars. The Ibanez GB300 and the GB10. The GB300 is a full size hollowbody and GB10 is smaller body hollowbody designed to be more comfortable to play and fight feedback. The problem for many working musicians or part time jazz players, however, is the price. At $5000 and $3500 they are out of reach for many players.
Learning Songs By Ear
Learning songs by ear is a valuable skill that will make you a better musician. It is a great way to train your ear and make you less dependent on TABs or chord charts.