Guitar Knowledge on The Guitar Pages

Guitar Wall Mount Vs Guitar Stand

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 23:38:54 +0000

Which is better, a wall mount or a floor stand for your guitar? Guitar wall hangers are great for neat presentation, protection from getting knocked over, and saving space. Guitar floor stands are great for certain space considerations, price, and when drilling into a wall isn’t an option. In this article we dive into the pros and cons of each so you can make an educated decision on how best to store your guitars.

When Does a Guitar Become Vintage?

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 18:09:28 +0000

The exact age for what is considered a vintage guitar is both subjective and changes depending on the make and model of instrument. However, a common increase in value for standard American made guitar models occurs from the late 60s to the early 70s, thus setting a general date for “vintage” guitars as anything manufactured before 1970.

Volume, Gain, Master Volume: Set Correctly on Your Guitar Amp

Mon, 20 Jan 2020 21:10:39 +0000

On a standard guitar rig you have a myriad of ways to change the volume that ends up coming out of the amp. The volume knob on a guitar, a volume pedal on the pedal board, the volume or gain knob on the amp, and finally a master volume (and sometimes even another master volume as we’ll get to), are all possible to see in a normal setup. All of these “volume” knobs work in different ways and should be understood to get optimal tone out of your amplifier.

The Volume Knob – The Guitar’s Best Kept Secret

Fri, 03 Jan 2020 22:49:17 +0000

There are now thousands upon thousands of crazy effects pedals that will take your tone from bland to wobbly, warbley, bendy, gainy and or grainy. The onslaught of small scale effects builders and DIY home building kits has helped capture the imagination of guitarists of all genres. While effects pedals are an excellent way to unlock some strange creatures that inhabit your guitar, one of the most versatile effects is built right onto every single electric guitar. This one effect to rule them all, is the volume knob.

Can you learn to play acoustic style guitar on a classical guitar?

Sat, 12 Jan 2019 17:54:17 +0000

This is a question I’d get quite often when teaching guitar lessons. Most of the time it was coming from beginners who had been gifted an old classical guitar and they were hoping that it would work for learning to play.

Training Technique: Sing Your Solos

Thu, 10 Jan 2019 05:35:43 +0000

The guitar is a unique instrument that creates opportunities and challenges when making music. We all know the opportunities. These are the fun things that I focus on most of the time: tremolos, strings, pickups, effects pedals, and the never ending pile of gear available to express ourselves in different ways.

Tuning Your Guitar The Right Way

Mon, 07 Jan 2019 05:19:34 +0000

This is a very simple trick for tuning a guitar. This will help adjust tension across the strings evenly which will save time and offer more consistent tuning.

While this technique has the most impact on electric guitars that have floating tremolo bridges, it is still a great way to tune any guitar and is the only way I tune my guitars now.

The Ultimate All You Need to Know Guide: Guitar Frets

Thu, 27 Dec 2018 02:53:37 +0000

The metal bits on the neck of our guitars. What are they, why should you care, and everything you need to know about guitar frets.

Although frets don’t always have to be made out of metal, for the purpose of this post we’ll be focusing exclusively on the strips we’re all familiar with that are a semi permanent fixture of a modern guitar.

Clouds or no Clouds: All You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Humidity and Guitars

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 02:39:33 +0000

What is humidity?

Humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor present in air. Ok, that’s pretty simple right? If there is very little water vapor in the air, then it will feel very dry outside and your skin might feel itchy. Same with a lot of water vapor in the air, you will probably feel like you’re in a hot jungle. We’re probably all familiar with the differences of these two and how much they can affect our bodies. Well a wood instrument is no different. Humidity has a huge impact on instruments, especially acoustic guitars, and it is important that we know how to care for our guitars properly, and catch the warning signs of improper humidification early.

Choosing the Right Electric Guitar String Gauge: or Why I Love 11s

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 14:32:49 +0000

If you buy a new electric guitar, most likely it will have 10s on it and will be set up for that gauge of string. You may want to keep them, you may want to change them. Read on to learn what you need to know to choose the right electric guitar string gauge. In this post we’re not going to discuss string types, coatings, or ball ends. We’re only going to get into gauge. Size is everything in this post!

Should I Change the Strings on a New Guitar?

Sun, 25 Nov 2018 00:52:18 +0000

This is a great question that comes up all the time with new, and even experienced guitar players. The question of if you should change your strings immediately when getting a new guitar has two distinct parts to it. The first is questioning how old the strings are that are on it, and how much use have they seen if any. The second is are factory strings any good, at least good enough to keep on your new baby for a couple weeks.

Using a Pick with an Acoustic Guitar

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 05:29:50 +0000

Most beginners will ask this question pretty quickly after picking up their new guitar and trying to strum a chord. Should I learn to use a pick when playing acoustic guitar? This is a great question, and one that warrants a closer look at styles of music, types of strings, and fingernails (fingernails? Yep, fingernails). The short answer to this question is yes. For the longer answer, continue reading for some insight into the weird world of the strumming hand.

How to Tell the Difference Between a Solid and Laminate Top Guitar

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 05:26:46 +0000

If you’ve been playing guitar, or even looking into buying a guitar, for any length of time surely you’ve come across the topic of solid vs. laminated acoustic guitars. In this post, we’re going to discuss laminated guitars, how to spot them, are they really that bad, and what you need to know if you’re buying a solid or laminated instrument.