Music

Tubes vs. Solid-State: What’s the Best Amp for You? Fender amp expert Rick Heins breaks it down. By Mike Duffy More often than not, the first decision to make when looking for the right amp is whether you want to pursue a tube amp or something digital, also known as solid-state. To Rick Heins, one […]

5 Tips for Cleaning Your Guitar Preserve the life and improve the playability of your instrument. By Jeff Owens   One of the best and easiest ways to take care of your guitar is to simply keep it clean. Dirt, dust, sweat, skin oil, spilled beverages, smoke and other gunk can prematurely age your guitar’s

Play Dirty: An Overview of Overdrive, Distortion and Fuzz How to tell the difference between the three oft-confused concepts. By Jeff Owens   Here’s a frequently asked question: “What’s the difference between distortion and overdrive?” And how does fuzz fit into all this? Good questions, since the terms seem so often to be used interchangeably,

Delay: A Guide to Making Things Happen Later The varieties of delay and how to use them. Thirty milliseconds, give or take. That’s the measurable cut-off for when a human can distinguish one sound from another. Though we don’t hear delay effects clocking in at less than 30 milliseconds as distinct and separate sounds, we

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO GUITAR EFFECTS Learning to play the guitar is a great feeling; absorbing all you can and enjoying every minute. Inevitably, though, you find that something is missing. There are sounds you know you’ve heard— t hrilling sounds, strange sounds — and you want to know how to make them. Welcome to

THE EASY WAY TO CHANGE YOUR ELECTRIC GUITAR STRINGS If your electric guitar strings look dirty, consistently sound dull or have broken, it might be time to change them. While some musicians love the sound of broken-in strings (not broken strings), others love how strings sound right out of the pack. Still, in order to

BENEFITS OF LEARNING ON AN ELECTRIC GUITAR Twenty years ago when I was shopping around for my first guitar, the thought of starting on an electric never crossed my mind. At the time, my mother and I assumed acoustics were the way to go for beginners. Fast forward to 2021 and beginners are choosing electrics.

FIND YOUR GUITAR. MAKE SOME NOISE. Now it’s easier than ever to choose the right gear and start playing. Whether you’re looking for your first electric guitar or bass, a great-sounding amp or some must-have accessories to round out your rig, we’ve got your back every step of the way.   TIPS FOR BEGINNERS CONSIDERATION