Distortion: The Ultimate Electric Guitar Effect

The electric guitar has the ability to produce clean harmonic sounds and beautiful, warm melodies. However, there is no guitar effect as powerful as distortion.

For newbies, distortion is an effect produced by increasing the amplifier gain setting to a high level. The result is a crunchy, cutting sound.

On the lower, heavier gauge strings, such as the low "E" string, distortion produces a "chugging" sound that resembles a deep growl or bark. This type of sound is commonly used in rhythm guitar.

On higher strings, such as the "B" string, distortion creates a "whining" or "crying" sound which makes a perfect effect for lead guitar.

I recommend you play around with some different distortion guitar pedals, such as the Boss Metal Zone. Screw around with the settings and find out what works for you. If you don't want something so intense, feel free to simply increase the gain setting on your amp. The effect works best when the treble and bass are high and the mid-tones are low.

Enjoy!

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Ty Lombardi
Ty@ElectricGuitarBlog.com
www.ElectricGuitarBlog.com
Distortion Guitar Effect

Chorus Effect

Hey,

Tonight I was playing along with with a delay/chorus combo effect on my electric guitar. I put the delay to about 400 ms, with a 75% volume level, and combined that with a standard chorus at 20% max speed with a 60% volume level.

When combined with a high gain, compressed amp, the result was amazing! I was able to make the guitar cry for well over an hour to a beat that I created earlier today. The beat is a mid-pace rock/hip-hop combo percussion loop. I made it on Sony Acid Pro. I also put a reverb effect on the snare drum to really give depth to the overall sound.

I will be experimenting some more with many other new effects in the nearby future, so check back for some great recommendations on settings that you can use on your electric guitar.

Later guys.

--
Ty Lombardi
Ty@ElectricGuitarBlog.com
www.ElectricGuitarBlog.com
Guitar Chorus Effect

Fear Factory Rocks!

Hey guys,

I wanted to talk a little bit about a band that I recently rediscovered, Fear Factory. I used to listen to these guys about eight years ago, and when I was listening to Pandora the other day, the song "Shock" from their Obsolete album came on.

I find their aggressive style to be incredibly influential when I draw evil art for RottenToons.com. I am very impressed by their timing. On their Obsolete and Archetype albums, they do a lot of "running" or "chugging" on the bottom string. This sound creates a train effect, where the music is constantly moving with abrupt changes at random times.

The vocals are great. The guy can produce these powerful death growls that are so strong they make me want to destroy Innocent property! I also like how he sings as well to produce a melodic sound above all the low-pitch chaos.

The double bass drum is awesome. This guy really knows how to make that sucker rumble. I love how the guitar fits into place with the double bass.

Overall, these guys are great. I encourage you guys to check them out if you are into death metal music. They also make a great background music for games such as Counter-Strike!

See ya.

--
Ty Lombardi
Ty@ElectricGuitarBlog.com
www.ElectricGuitarBlog.com
Guitar Reviews, News, and Tutorials

Experimenting with the Digitech RP250

Hey guys,

I was experimenting with the Digitech RP 250 tonight and came up with some cool riffs. I put on a high gain heavy metal amplifier setting, and then set the special effects to what is called "IPS". Basically, IPS allows you to choose which key you want to play in, and it produces a note in the same key only further up in the scale. The produced note is played at the same time as the note you are playing. The result is a great harmony effect.

I threw on some delay and cranked up the bass and let that sucker roar! It's amazing how much shit you can come up with just from screwin' around. In my opinion, the best things in life are created from experimenting with new things. In this case, it was the first time that I really gave much time to the IPS effect.

I created a great drum beat using Sony Acid Pro 6. I'm going to use it when I record a song tomorrow. I am going to take the drumbeat, which is a calm rock beat at 120 BPM, and I am going to place a warm acoustic melody over it. The melody will consist of a four part chord progression, with only two notes of each chord plucked.

As the melody repeats, I am going to put a heavy gain guitar with delay on top of the acoustic guitar. This will produce the effect that the distorted guitar is in the background, and the acoustic guitar is in the front ground. However, I may swap the two, and put the acoustic guitar in the background with the distorted guitar in the front. Or, I may just stick them both in the background. It really depends on the mood that I'm feeling at the time. Creativity is a very controlling thing!

On another note, I realize that I haven't been updating this guitar blog lately. Therefore, I gotta get to it! In the meantime, check out my brand new cartoon logo website. There's a lot of great stuff on there and feel free to order a design if you are interested.

Later.

--
Ty Lombardi
Ty@ElectricGuitarBlog.com
www.ElectricGuitarBlog.com

Flying V Electric Guitars

Let's talk a little about the Gibson V-Factor X Flying V Electric Guitar. We've all seen it on TV and at our favorite rock concert, but what's it all about? Today I'm gonna cover the features of the Flying V electric guitars so that you can decide if you need one.


Flying V Electric Guitar Features:

The features of the Gibson V-Factor X Flying V Electric Guitar include: 496R and 500T ceramic humbuckers, a mahogany body, mahogany neck, a Tune-o-matic bridge with a Stopbar tailpiece, rosewood fingerboard (or ebony on Classic White) with 22 frets and green key tuners.

Pickups:

1. 496R "Hot Ceramic"
   The 496R "Hot Ceramic" is a great neck pickup with awesome sustain and explosive power. Its high-output ceramic magnet gives out more highs with huge definition, sparing the muddiness. Factory-installed 496R pickups have two conductor wiring.
2. 500T "Super Ceramic"
   The 500T is great. The powerful multi-ceramic magnet build allows this monster to roar! It can scream or growl - never losing its rich combination of enhanced lows and crystal clear highs. Factory-installed 500T pickups have two conductor wiring.

More Info:

• Manufactured in: Nashville, TN
• Body Species: Mahogany
• Neck Species: Mahogany
• Profile: Rounded
• Peghead Pitch: 17
• Thickness at 1st Fret: 0.800
• Thickness at 12th Fret: 0.850
• Heel Length: 0.625
• Neck Joint Location: 17
• Fingerboard Species: Rosewood, Ebony (Classic White only)

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Ty Lombardi
Ty@ElectricGuitarBlog.com
www.ElectricGuitarBlog.com
Flying V Electric Guitars

Electric Travel Guitar

On The Road With A Travel Electric Guitar

By: David Smithe

The demands of a busy personal life may start to impact your music. If your job takes you around the world and back again, your guitar playing may start to suffer. It s not practical to take your valuable instruments on the road with you for short term travel. They could be lost or stolen. They could be seriously damaged beyond repair on an airplane. The risk is a costly one. Who wants their favorite axe smashed to bits? Certainly not me!

Believe it or not, there are some companies who focus entirely on making musical instruments and accessories that are geared toward simplicity and portability. A travel electric guitar may be the answer to staying on top of your guitar technique and maintaining your globetrotting lifestyle.

Traveler Guitars:

The Traveler Guitar makes several travel electric guitars that have many of the same features as standard instruments. Their guitars and basses feature unique, ergonomic designs that will keep you rocking on the road. Each instrument comes with a case and weighs roughly 5 pounds. Traveler Guitar even makes essential on the go accessories like small amp heads. They produce both electric guitars and basses for the road.

Hohner Guitars:

Hohner travel electric guitars feature a one of a kind design. Their headless construction makes the instrument much shorter, but it still packs a powerful punch in the sound department. The unique design is eye catching, and heads will turn when you pull this instrument out of a gig bag. You won t even need a strap to play this guitar, because it features a fold out leg rest that packs neatly away right inside the body of the instrument. Coupled with the perfect small sized or practice amp, this guitar packs a lot of power. It also performs well when plugged in to a standard amp, and might serve you very well in an impromptu gig or jam session.

Pignose Guitars:

The Pignose travel electric guitar features the ultimate in ease of portability, with an amplifier built directly into the instrument. Powered by a 9 volt battery, this little guitar is perfect for the traveler who doesn t want to haul an amp along. However, this instrument can also be plugged into an amp if desired.

A travel electric guitar is the perfect solution for staying on top of your musical game despite your busy work and personal life. An investment in a travel guitar is like an investment in your musical development, and it will protect your more expensive gear from dangers on the road. They feature accessories and amenities that are comparable to your regular instruments. These little travel guitars are perfect for jamming on the road, on your lunch break, or in between classes. Some of them are powerful and resonant enough that you could even use them in recording sessions if you wanted to!

Don t let your music suffer because of the inconveniences that are presented by traveling. Take your guitar along with you to relieve stress, pass the time, and entertain your friends, family and coworkers while you re at it.

Author Resource:-> If you would like to discover unusual but very effective strategies for mastering essential scales for guitar, then be sure to check out: http://www.GuitarScaleMastery.com/letter/

Article From Article Talent - Article Submission - Free Website Content - Publishing

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Ty Lombardi
Ty@ElectricGuitarBlog.com
www.ElectricGuitarBlog.com
Travel Size Electric Guitar

Digitech RP250

Today I've decided to talk a little bit about one of my favorite electric guitar accessories, the Digitech RP250 multi-effects pedal. This little machine is a great toy. It comes equipped with about 80 preset guitar effects, which can each be customized to your liking.

The Digitech RP250 comes equipped with such effects as chorus, multi-chorus, flanger, delay, reverb, whammy, auto-wah, auto-yah, pitch, and many more. Each effect has its own settings so you can find exactly what works for your desired sound.

Need some more customization? No problem. The Digitech RP250 allows you to choose the type of amplifier you want to play out of. In other words, this machine has the ability to produce a simulated sound that nearly matches the original sound of such amps as Fender, Ibanez, and more!

Ok fine...you need EVEN MORE customization settings. Each amplifier can be set to a specific amplifier cabinet so that you can really get a unique sound. From here, you have the option to play around with the equalizer settings, including bass, treble, and mid-tones. You can choose presets for the equalizer as well as customize the individual settings. This is a great feature on the Digitech RP250.

The built in wah pedal works great. This saves you a lot of money since a good wah pedal is usually over $100.

Another feature I love on the Digitech RP250 is the built-in drum machine. This thing has a great variety of beats, which can each be sped up or slowed down. You can also adjust the volume of the drums, change the drum style, or just turn it into a metronome.

Lastly, the Digitech RP250 has a built-in USB recording device, so you can simply plug it into your computer and record quality sound. The software is free and easy to download from the Digitech website.

Go get your hands on the Digitech RP250. It's under $200 and its worth much more!

--
Ty Lombardi
Ty@ElectricGuitarBlog.com
www.ElectricGuitarBlog.com
Digitech RP250 Review