Tag Archives: guitar

Ovation iDEA

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Ovation have had the bright iDEA of building a digital MP3 recorder straight into their new iDEA guitar – FRESH! A digital recorder is part of the on-board Ovation preamp as well as an inbuilt microphone. A simple and direct recording control makes it easy to record entire songs, riffs, fragments, vocals and commentary. The iDea is also a learning tool, with audio lessons pre-installed in the memory.

The Idea also connects via USB to your computer so you can edit, rearrange, move, rename right on your desktop. Mixes from recording software, rhythm tracks, even songs can be played back through the headphones or the gutar itself.

What makes this guitar so invaluable as a learning tool is probably the fact that the recording ability allows the player to self accompany and therefore to focus upon building an innate understanding of how a guitar actually works in terms of scales, chords and their interrelationships.

If you were learning the JAMORAMA LEAD course this machine would really help you in understanding how the CAGED system works and prove ultimately beneficial in unlocking soem of the musical mysteries of the guitar’s neck.

Stretch your strings

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One of the sure fire ways to ensure that you go through copious amounts of electric guitar strings is to play them fresh out of the packet without stretching them. It`s a common mistake that beginners make and I`m here to help you avoid this common mistake. Later on I`ll be adding a video demonstration to this article showing you exactly how to stretch your strings.

Guitar Materials & Innovation – Resonators and Hole Heads

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In May I mentioned the awesome talent invested in Mattsen resonators after having tried one out at Mojo Sound in Wellington. Mattsen are made in Neslon, Aotearoa, New Zealand and if you are ever here you should visit Russ Mattsen at his studio and play one of his exquisitely crafted resonator guitars – they really are something else.

I thought I would have another look at interesting guitar technologies that involve innovations in materials. We`ve already had a look at the Carbon Fibre Handle so tday I`m going to push the envelope and have a quick look at some NZ resonators that are made of some rather innovative and distinctive materials, as well as another guitar that has a few extra holes in it the black bird rider.

USB Guitars Laptop Rock updated

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Anyway, the meeting of modern digital technology and the tradition of guitar manufacturing is continuing to blossom with plenty of new products that bring the two together and one of these is the inclusion of USB connectivity into guitars. IN SHORT what this means is that you can plug your guitar straight into your computer without the need for any interface. This allows you to jam directly alongside you Tube videos, or any other music source on your computer.

The Handle and Adrian Legg – Modern guitar

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If you listen to most of the guitar players from the last 50 years you`ll agree that there`s nothing quite like the sound of a strat’ bridge pick up with the tone rolled off through some burning vacuum tubes. Ask Eric.
Can there be any more?
Well, in a world that’s ultimately soaked and aged in the sinlge malt, tried and trusted, eulogised traditions and techniques of the cannon of popular guitar music, recording and performance then the answer must be a resounding “No!”.

Some artists (Jack White) go to great lengths to take their modern song writing performance and bathe it in the holy waters of yesteryear with a penchant for vintage valve amplifiers, 2 and a quarter inch tape, leslie cabinets, and even rusty old strings. Wouldn`t you want to play with some of Hubert’s rusty old castaways from the Wolf Days?

Anyway if you’re not neck deep in the sand and you fancy embracing something a little more modern than maybe designer Peter Solomon’s cutting edge Handle might grab ya. With a single body of carbon fibre “its mono-chassis construction favors direct transmission of acoustic vibrations without sound dampening nor loss. The entire guitar is hollow sectioned, creating a resonance chamber similar to that of a semi-acoustic guitar”.

17th Century Schizoid Man II – updated

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In the previous post I took a rather circuitous journey from the lute through to the Chapman stick – a lute-like modern fret based instrument that occupies a unique space in between the guitar , the lute and the piano. If you have ever wondered why the mathematical complexities of a 6 string guitar account for the 3rd string anomaly then here’s Bob Chapman’s illumination upon the matter – it`s all about playing in keys…

Nile Rodgers, Hip Hop, Electro

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Aggregators, connectors , samplers, grooves, licks and threads! What does it all mean. Well, here at last its the post we`ve all been waiting for. It`s the behemoth of influential guitar-production genius that is Nile Rodgers!
I`ve previously mentioned the sheer genius of the Sesame Street Band! Well NIle started off there when he was a teenager, moving to the house band at the Apollo theatre – he was always destined for great things. IN the mid 70`s being black meant Nile struggled to get a deal playing rock but in 1977 he put together the band Chic. The songs “Everybody Dance,” “Le Freak,” and “Good Times” are some of the most sampled records EVER and have formed the scratching backbone of a limitless number of electro, breakdance and hip-hop records. If you`re hearing a DJ scratching and the hook sounds familiar it`s most likely something from Nile`s band Chic.
Yeah! The original Hip Hop opus “Rapper’s Delight” by Grand Master Flash and “Another One Bites the Dust” by rock megalith Queen are built on samples lifted from Nile`s Good Times. To say that Rodger’s guitar prowess & playing was understatedly, groovy, tight, and precise would be down playing it somewhat and to say that his production skills were`nt astronomical would be madness.

Michael Jacksons Guitarists

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Michael Jackson`s legacy has left and interesting aftertaste for the guitar afficionado.

Jackson`s first album began with the luminescent touch of Larry Carlton and Beat It from Thriller features both Eddie Van Halen and Steve Lukather as well as Jeff Porcaro and, as usual, Quincy Jones` inimitable production. The following album, Bad, featured Billy Idol`s guitarist Steve Stevens and on tour the fiery Jennifer Batten (later to work with Jeff Beck).