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 […]

Fender is an American guitar manufacturer who has been making guitars and other instruments since they started in 1946. Many people recognize the Fender name, and think of them when looking for a beginner guitar.  “But which one should I get?”, you say. “There are so many. Are they all good? Are some better for […]

There are a lot of ways to approach the question of “How much damage is considered ok on a guitar.” Today I’m going to take a look at some of the reasons why someone might ask this question, and offer my philosophy when it comes to the care and maintenance of our instruments.  Very broadly, […]

You plug in and expect to hear a raging wall of rock and roll but instead a wimpy clean tone dribbles from your electric guitar. It sounds thin and feeble almost like an acoustic. The culprit could be anywhere from the guitar to the amp. In this article we’re going to look at how to […]

Many beginner guitar programs and classes require starting on a classical guitar, but why is this? While the nylon strings of a classical guitar tend to be easier to press down than acoustic steel strings, this is not the main reason. Classical guitar lends itself perfectly to learning how to read and play along to […]

Changing the strings on your acoustic guitar can seem pretty intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be changing your strings like a pro. Changing guitar strings is an essential skill for all guitar players, and a great way to get to know your guitar if you’re a beginner. Follow […]

No, you do not need to detune your guitar or loosen the strings when you’re not playing it. In fact, do not do this as it will most likely cause damage to the neck of the guitar over time.  Guitar necks are designed and set up with enough counter pressure to the strings that under […]

The first all tube guitar amp that you should buy is the Fender Blues Jr. This is such a versatile, great sounding amp that is perfect for practice, gigs, hauling to and from practice, and using with your favorite effects pedals. Every guitar player progresses up to a tube amp at some point, and when […]

It’s that time of year again! Time to start thinking about gifts for your guitar playing loved ones or people you tolerate and need to get a gift for.  Do they play guitar? Great, get them a guitar gift. But you know what? Getting something for a guitar player is not always easy. With thousands […]

The best first guitar effects pedal to buy is the Boss DS-1 Distortion Pedal. This is a great pedal for beginner guitar players, and an effect that almost every guitarist has in their arsenal. While there may be more focused pedals for heavy metal distortion, the BOSS DS-1 handles all types of distortion with ease […]