Electric Guitar Blog

Custom Electric Guitars

2010-12-07T19:28:00.000-08:00

Check out these cool custom electric guitars by Onyx Ford Custom Electric Guitars. They have really cool body shapes and paint jobs. The gloss finishes are also very appealing.

These custom guitars look really cool. Check out their website to see more.

Metal Guitar Arpeggio Solo

2010-12-07T18:53:00.000-08:00

Check out this metal guitar arpeggio solo tutorial. Arpeggios played with distortion and reverb/delay effects can make a song sound epic if played cleanly. Make sure to learn the arpeggio slowly and don't just rush it to play it fast. If you rush it, then it will sound brutal. So, go slow with it and gradually speed it up.

Make Your Own Beats Online

2010-12-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

If you are feeling creative and wanna make some catchy music, then check out MakeThatBeat.com. This website allows you to make your own beats online. You get to use your keyboard to easily create your own melodies. There's only one level so fara but once the traffic increases it will have various styles, tempos and instruments to work with.

This fun flash game was created by DJ Dirty Boy, a music producer who works with hip-hop, dance, techno, house, electronica, pop and other types of digital music. Make sure to check out DJ Dirty Boy's beats and subscribe to the DJ Dirty Boy YouTube Channel.

So, spread the word and have fun with this website that lets you make your own beats online.

Top Ten Best Electric Guitars

2010-12-05T21:01:00.000-08:00

Gibson Les Paul - This electric guitar model is an incredible solid-bodied electric guitar. Gibson is a great electric guitar brand and one of the top electric guitar manufacturers. This electric guitar model was named after Les Paul, a renowned jazz guitarist. The Gibson Les Paul electric guitar is a hollow-body electric guitar with great features, such as glued-in neck and a nicely curved body style.
Gibson ES-335 - The Gibson ES-335 electric guitar model is a semi-hollow body guitar. This electric guitar has a powerful switch control. Its exterior is made of a painted hardshell and its interior is charcoal. The pickups on this guitar are '57 Classic humbuckers.
Danelectro DC3 - This electric guitar model is huge amongst retro rockers because of its powerful sound and visual style. The Danelectro DC3 is a well-priced electric guitar. It's also a very durable instrument.
Rickenbacker 381 V69 - The Rickenbacker 381 V69 electric guitar has an old-school look with a glossy fingerboard. This guitar also has a beautiful finish.
Gibson SG - This electric guitar is similar to the Gibson Les Paul guitar with a couple of changes. The body is thinner and its horns stand out more. The pickguard is also smaller than that of the Les Paul. The Gibson SG is a great electric guitar.
Gretsch White Falcon - The Gretsch White Falcon looks a lot different from other electric guitars models because it has a gold trim and white paint. It's also bigger than a lot of other electric guitars.
Suhr Classic - This electric guitar has a shiny chrome finish that looks great. It also features a steel block tremolo and a push-in arm. It's a very responsive guitar and it sounds awesome.
Fender Stratocaster - The Fender Stratocaster is a classic electric guitar. You see this model all over the place in movies, TV, magazines, etc. This guitar is also known as the Fender Strat. It has a custom contour body that looks sharp and the guitar sounds great.
Stardust Elite Venus - This guitar is an attractive, double-cutaway electric guitar that a lot of girls are into. It's a well-priced guitar with great geatures such as its powerful humbucker pick ups.
Luna Andromeda - The Luna Andromeda is another guitar that is popular amongst girls. It's known for its locking tremolo and a small neck. This guitar is great for those with smaller hands.

Power Chords

2008-11-08T08:48:00.000-08:00

Power chords are the basis of some of the best heavy metal and punk rock music. They are a great way to construct the rhythm of a powerful song. To construct a power chord, you put your pointer finger down on the root note, and your ring finger seven steps higher. You can also put your pinky finger on the next string up, at the same fret as your ring finger. This setup will allow you to play three notes at once. Another way to hit all three notes is to place your ring finger over the second two strings instead of using your pinky.

Mixing power chords with lead guitar is a great way to create a diverse song with a strong sense of variety. Throw on some heavy distortion, and you can create some strong sounds that go great with some progressive soloing on top.

Play around with some power chord combinations and feel free to post your guitar riffs as comments on this blog.

Sugar Ray

2008-08-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

The album "14:59" by Sugar Ray has some cool electric guitar riffs. The song "Every Morning" has a unique upbeat sound and the drums have a hip-hop feel that sounds great in the mix.

There's all kinds of electric guitar palm mutes and reverb effects. The acoustic guitar played throughout the song is very clean and catchy as well.

"Someday" is another solid guitar track by Sugar Ray. The clean picked acoustic guitar forms an extremely catchy riff. This track also features a hip-hop style drum beat.

Mark Mcgrath's vocals sound great on both tracks. It would be cool to hear a rapper lay some vocals down on these tracks too.

Electric Guitar Distortion Effect

2008-05-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

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.

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

Play around with some different distortion guitar pedals, such as the Boss Metal Zone. There are usually a few settings to tweak to create a sound that you will . If you don't want something so intense, then decrease the gain setting on your amp. The effect works best when the treble and bass are high and the mid-tones are low.

Guitar Chorus Effect

2008-05-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

The chorus guitar effect is great for creating a duplicated sound. It makes it sound like there is more than one of your guitar playing at the exact same time. This creates a thicker, wetter sound that really gives life to your electric guitar riffs.

The chorus guitar effect is similar to the flanger effect but it doesn't have a "phasing" element to it. There are plenty of great electric guitar pedals out there for the chorus effect, including the Digitech RP250.

Fear Factory

2008-05-06T08:39:00.001-07:00

Fear Factory is a sick band if you are into heavy death metal music. Their aggressive style involves precise guitar 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.

Their vocals are very powerful too. The lead singer sings and growls to produce a unique sound above all the low-pitch chaos.

Also, the double bass drum sounds really cool. This drummer is really fast and has good chemistry with the guitars.

The bass guitar is strong and creates a warm tone to their music. This deep low-end tone pulls their tracks together well.

Overall, these guys are great when you are in the mood for an aggressive sound. You should check them out if you are into death metal music.

Digitech RP250 Guitar Pedal

2008-05-05T20:02:00.000-07:00

The Digitech RP250 multi-effects guitar pedal has a lot of great effects and features. This unit has all of the great standard electric guitar pedal effects along with a bunch of unique effects, like "IPS". This effect 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.

There are plenty of settings to tweak for effects like delay, reverb, chorus, flanger, etc. This electric guitar pedal combines a bunch of great guitar effects and filters into one unit. It's a lot cheaper to buy one of these things than to buy a bunch of separate guitar pedals. It is much easier to setup too.

The Digitech RP250 multi-effects guitar pedal also allows you to play a drum loop. The drum loop plays through the output of the unit, which can be headphones, an amplifier, etc. You can choose from a variety of different percussion styles and you can easily alter the tempo and volume of the beat.

The Digitech RP250 is a great investment for the guitarist who likes to save money and time.

Flying V Electric Guitars

2008-04-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

The Gibson V-Factor X Flying V electric guitar is still a popular guitar today. The Flying V electric guitar is a unique-looking guitar that sounds great.

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:

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.
500T "Super Ceramic" - The 500T is also great. Its powerful multi-ceramic magnet build gives the guitar a strong sound. It can scream or growl without 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

Electric Travel Guitar

2008-04-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

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 effective strategies for mastering essential guitar scales, then check this out!

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Digitech RP250

2008-04-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

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How to Choose Electric Guitar Strings

2008-04-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

When choosing guitar strings for your electric guitar, the decision is ultimately up to personal preference. Your guitar strings will effect the sound quality and the comfort of your playing. You need to find a balance between the two that works for you.

As far as the sound goes, certain strings produce different types of sound. Some strings produce a more metallic sound and others produce a more warm, blended sound. Regardless, certain strings will sound different on individual guitars because every guitar's pickups are different.

You can also mix up different string types to create your own sound. For example, you can make your top three strings to be a thin gauge and your bottom three strings to be a thicker gauge. An effective gauge range could be something like 11-50, where 11 is the gauge of the high E string, and 50 is the gauge of the low E string. This would be a good setup for heavier music, like death metal.

There's hundreds of makes out there. One solid brand is DR strings. Go to your local guitar shop and start experimenting to find out what works for you. Strings are cheap, so your best bet is to stick with trial and error.

Drop D Guitar Tuning

2008-04-14T17:05:00.001-07:00

Drop D tuning is a type of guitar tuning used to produce a deepened bass sound on the low E string. This string is lowered down to the D note, while all of the others remain in standard tuning.

Bands such as Megadeth, Lamb of God, and Breaking Benjamin play many of their songs in Drop D tuning to produce the low powerful sounds that are needed to convey certain messages.

In order to tune your guitar into Drop D tuning, you should first tune your guitar to standard tuning. Once your guitar is successfully tuned in standard tuning, you have to tune your low E string down to a D. To do this, simply loosen the string using the corresponding tuning peg. Once the 7th fret of the low E string matches the open A string, then you are done.

What you've done is tuned your low E string down two notes which leaves you with the D as the lowest string. For this reason, it is called Drop D tuning. When you want to go back to standard tuning, all you have to do is tighten the low E string tuning peg until the 5th fret matches the open A string.

Kids Electric Guitars

2008-04-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

In Search Of A Quality Kids Electric Guitar

By: David Smithe

It is a long and arduous task. Your son or daughter has been begging you to buy them an electric guitar for months, weeks, and years. You have reached your breaking point and finally decide that your child is ready to accept the responsibility for owning a musical instrument. Kid s electric guitars come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Whether you ve got an ambitious toddler or a teenager on your hands, there is a company making a guitar that will be a perfect fit.

Finding the Right Size:

The problem with buying a guitar for a child is that one day, it will eventually be too small. Just like kid s clothes, kid s electric guitars will soon become cumbersome and constricting like ill fitting jeans. It is important that you let your child try a few different sizes, just to see what looks and feels appropriate. The child will likely gravitate toward a bigger instrument, but make sure you consult with a knowledgeable staff member at a music store prior to making a purchase. It may be a good idea to take a trip to your local music vendor to get an idea for what is available, take detailed notes, and then continue shopping online.

Vivid Color:

In your child's eyes, the color of their guitar will play a significant role. Make sure you discuss the importance of finding an instrument that fits, rather than one that looks pretty before you ever set foot in a music store or start viewing products online. Only after you have determined what size is appropriate should you consider discussing a color scheme for your kid s electric guitar.

Getting Good Value:

If you get a guitar at Wal Mart for $45, then you will end up with a product that sounds and behaves like a $45 guitar. This means that you ll have broken strings. This means that you will have cracks, scratches, dents, and possible electronic failure issues. The sound and quality of your kid s electric guitar will be dependent upon how much you are willing to invest. Another consideration you should make is that if your child is taking lessons or a devout self learner, it will be challenging for them to experience success with something that came out of a box from Wal Mart. There are extremely affordable options produced by reputable guitar manufacturers all over the world. You probably wouldn t have your car painted at Wal Mart, but you would take it to a body shop. Likewise, if you re buying a guitar, don t shop at Wal Mart consult a music store or music website.

Choosing Between the Brands:

Most major guitar manufacturers produce kid s electric guitar models. When you shop online or in a store, look for familiar guitar names like Fender or Yamaha. Consider purchasing a package deal that comes with everything your child will need to start rocking.

As with any new responsibility, it might be a good idea to sign your child up for lessons after you ve purchased your kid s electric guitar. Your child will learn how to handle their instrument properly, while developing great techniques. They may continue on with a teacher or decide to take a more self directed approach. This will also help you both make the most out of your guitar investment.

Author Resource: If mastering essential guitar scales is important to you, then be sure to check out: http://www.GuitarScaleMastery.com/letter/

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Free Guitar Tuner Online

2008-04-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

An out-of-tune guitar sounds bad. It's mandatory that you tune your guitar every time you play it. I know how much of a hassle this can be, so just use this free online guitar tuner. It's a simple program that loads instantly in your browser so that you can tune your guitar quickly without any trouble.

Click the link below to give it a try!

Free Guitar Tuner Online

Printable Guitar Chord Chart

2008-04-11T18:30:00.001-07:00

Check out this free online printable chord chart. This thing will keep you busy and you will be a lot better once you have these guitar chords down. You can print this free online guitar chord chart or you can just bookmark this page and come back any time to use it.

Beginner Electric Guitars

2008-04-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of great beginner electric guitars:

Epiphone G-310 SG - This guitar is modeled after the Gibson SG. It has the same build, only the hardware is not as expensive. Also, the humbucker pickups in the Epiphone G-310 are lower in quality than its father Gibson SG. This is a great beginner electric guitar.

Squier Stratocaster - This guitar is fun and cheap. They look cool, sound great and they are easy to take apart for traveling. The pickups on this guitar are single coil, so the sound is a more twangy stiff sound as apposed to the Epiphone, which produces and overall warm sound. The Squier Strat is an awesome beginner electric guitar.
Danelectro 56-U2 - Very affordable and fun. It is basically a hollow bodied guitar. It is modeled after the original 1956 model. Consider the 56-U2 when shopping for beginner electric guitars.
Yamaha Pacifica 112 - This guitar comes equipped with a maple neck, and alder body, and a rosewood fretboard. The pickups on this guy include two single coils and one humbucker. Great beginner guitar.
Epiphone Les Paul Special II - This is a guitar modeled after the Gibson Les Paul. The guitar features open-coil humbucker pickups, and looks fantastic. That's why this guitar made it on the list.

Cheap Prices on Electric Guitars

2008-04-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

Despite what you may have heard, you DO NOT have to drop ridiculous amounts of money to pick up a great sounding guitar. There's plenty of websites and stores that offer cheap prices on electric guitars.

What to Look For When Searching for Cheap Prices on Electric Guitars:

Pickups - These are important. Make sure that the pickups deliver clear, quality sound on all settings. You can pick up a good set of pickups for about $150-$200.
Electronic Components - Make sure all of the wires are well soldered in place and that the sound doesn't "cut-out" at random.

That's it. The shape, weight, and overall size of the guitar is all personal preference. A good set of strings shouldn't cost you more than $7.00.

So why are some guitars priced in the thousands? Because you are paying for the name and the quality of the wood/paint. When it comes to quality sound, neither of those things apply. You can buy an expensive guitar later on.

History of the Electric Guitar

2008-04-10T19:00:00.001-07:00

The concept of the electric solid body guitar developed from the popularity of Hawaiian music in the 1920s and 1930s. The electric Hawaiian guitars were the first instruments to produce sound electrically. And this is what started the history of the electric guitar.

The first electric guitar was created in the 1930s by a man named Adolph Rickenbacker. The first electric guitars had small soundholes in the body. This type of guitar is called a semi-hollow body electric guitar. This type of guitar is still popular today.

Further along in the history of the electric guitar comes the pickups. The first pickups used on the original electric guitars were called tungsten pickups. These electric guitar pickups made it possible to create guitars without the small soundholes. These were named solid body electric guitars or hard body electric guitars.

The electric guitar began to get more popular during the 30s and 40s. During this time of the history of the electric guitar, bands were starting to incorporate its sound in their music. They needed to have

louder guitars to be overheard by sections of their bands such as the brass sections. The acoustic guitars could not produce the necessary volume.

In the 1950s Gibson introduced Les Paul's unique guitar known as the Gibson Les Paul. This guitar is still around today and used by many excellent guitarists.

Then came Leo Fender. He designed the Fender Broadcaster which later became known as the Fender Stratocaster. This guitar is known as the Strat for short. The Fender Strat became an extremely popular guitar.