House of Rock and Roll

Acoustic Guitars – Variations On A Theme

An acoustic guitar does not have any electronic means of producing its sound. The music that comes out of it is a matter between the guitar and its player. Actually, once upon a time, all guitars were acoustic. Nowadays they need to be distinguished from electric guitars and acoustic guitars that have pickups in them to provide electronic means of amplification.

To the beginner guitar player it could be a surprise that there is an enormous range of sizes, shapes and materials in acoustic guitars. To most acoustic guitar players who only play popular music, the main distinction is between nylon string and steel string acoustic guitars. Within the classification of acoustic guitars there’s the Baroque guitar, the classical guitar, the Renaissance guitar, the archtop guitar, the flamenco guitar and the twelve string guitar.

The classical guitar is the basic model for the acoustic guitar. Even though steel string acoustic guitars have been developed with a cutaway body to help the guitarist reach the high notes, the classical guitar retains the standard shape which was more or less decided upon a couple of hundred years ago. Classical guitar players use their fingers to pluck and strum the strings, growing the nails on their right hands slightly longer than the nails on the left hand. Although it’s called a classical guitar, many guitarists from many genres have been seduced by the tone of the nylon string guitar. As a result you can find the nylon string sound in jazz, pop, folk or even blues music.

The flamenco guitar looks similar to a classical guitar but is lighter in color and weight. The flamenco guitar is traditionally much brighter in sound than the classical guitar even though in recent years many flamenco guitarists have been playing instruments with a more mellow sound similar to the classical guitar. A distinguishing characteristic of the flamenco guitar is the tapping plate which is a piece of white or transparent plastic attached to the body of the guitar just below the sound hole. You will sometimes find flamenco guitars that are fitted with wooden tuning pegs instead of machine heads. All guitars had these kind of tuning pegs once but now they are only retained because some flamenco guitarists prefers them because they keep the weight of the guitar to a minimum.

The twelve string guitar has six courses of strings, and it produces a much more complex sound than the six string. The twelve string guitar is made for strumming rather than picking or plucking because the individual courses do not easily lend themselves to single note playing. The twelve string has proved to be very attractive for guitarists who enjoyed experimenting with open tunings. Back in the 70s the image of Jimmy Page playing his double neck guitar was a rock ‘n roll icon. One neck was fitted with twelve strings which allowed him to move between six and twelve string guitar for different effects.

Efforts to make the guitar heard above other instruments in jazz bands of the early twentieth century resulted not only in the production of the electric guitar, but also the resonator guitar. In the resonator guitar the sound is produced by metal cones instead of by the wooden body of the guitar. The resonator did not help much with amplification but its distinctive sound has made it a favorite with bluegrass and blues players.

Bass Guitars Have Their own Appeal

Many people who aren’t familiar with guitars assume a bass guitar is a brand like a Gibson or a Fender. While guitarists find this amusing, the bass guitar really doesn’t get the respect it deserves.

The bass guitar is a beautiful sounding instrument that can make even the most stiff legged, tone deaf person want to get out of a chair and “shake their booty”. It is a simple, yet powerful instrument that many well respect guitarists such as McCartney and Sting have played. It was also a driving force in the early days of rock and roll and has helped to shape the sounds of modern day rock.

An early bass guitar had four strings, and eventually evolved into six, eight and twelve string versions by the 70s. Each of these versions helped to produce their own unique sounds and helped to evolve the sounds of rock over the last few decades.

Playing bass guitar is generally easier than learning on an electric or acoustic guitar, but make no mistake; it takes a lot of skill to play this instrument.

To get started playing, you will need to buy a decent bass guitar, which can run anywhere from a couple hundred, to thousands of dollars. Obviously when you are first starting out, it makes sense to buy a cheaper one, and as your skills improve, then a more high quality bass guitar. You can get an all inclusive package that includes the guitar, amp, tuner, straps, and picks for under 0. As I said above, this kind of kit should do just fine for any beginner.

To learn how to play, simply do a search online and you will easily finds dozens of free lessons you can take to start with the basics. As you advance further along with your playing skills, you can then take some specialized bass lessons with an experienced instructor.

Bass guitars are incredible instruments and I highly suggest if you are considering playing the guitar that you start with one. Since it is easier to learn than other instruments, the likelihood you stick with it is significantly higher. This is easily the most important aspect of learning any new instrument!

Related 70s Rock And Roll Articles

Types of Guitars – Acoustic Electric Guitars, Electric Guitars, Classical Guitars, Hollow-body Guitars, Steel Guitars

Acoustic electric Guitars: this is a term used to describe acoustic guitars that have pickups installed in them so they can be plugged into amplifiers or PA systems. The majority of acoustic guitars you see on stage are acoustic electric guitars. Structurally, they are identical to traditional acoustic guitars.

Electric Guitars: these types of guitars made out of a solid piece of wood and rely exclusively on their electronic pickup systems and amplifiers for their volume. Their unique sound lends itself best to rock and roll, but they have also substantially shaped the sound of country music in the last 50 years. (Think “twang”)

Classical Guitars: also called “nylon-string”, classical guitars are used almost exclusively in the classical and folk idioms, but can also be found on more popular recordings. Carlos Santana makes a lot of use of the classical guitar in his

recordings. Slightly smaller than a traditional acoustic, they feature slightly wider necks and strings that are made of nylon rather than steel, to give them a very gentle, warm sound. The best Classical guitars are usually from Spain.

Hollow-body Guitars: These are simply traditional electric guitars that have chambers cut in the body to allow for more sonic resonance. They come in many different sizes and are favored primarily by players of blues and jazz music.

Steel Guitars: These are the farthest breed apart from traditional guitars so far. While any guitarist can pick up any guitar

from the above list and play, a steel guitar requires special training to play. The guitar is played flat on its back, and the strings are elevated approximately half an inch above the fretboard. This allows the strings to be played using a “tone bar” that takes the place of the fingers on a fretboard and gives the steel guitar its classic “crying sound”. This is the archetypal guitar sound.

Charm of Vintage Guitars

Vintage guitars are presents on markets during last 25 years. There are many people who like vintage guitars very much. Vintage means brand, like for example Fender and Gibson clothes. In general vintage guitars include many brands like Alembic Guitars, Aria Guitars, Armstrong guitars, Benedetto guitars and others.
The Alembic vintage guitars are included as a small part in the history of rock’n’roll guitars. There guitars are very popular among guitar players and by guitar plying listeners. Alembic guitars were created in 1969 by Susan and Ron Wickersham. These guitars were designed with the aim to improve the quality of sound both in life concerts and during recoding process.
Those artists who got used to play Alembic vintage guitar won’ agree to change it to the most modern and the newest and the most advanced guitar. But today it is not easy to fins Alembic vintage guitars.
Aria is the oldest producer of vintage guitars. These guitars are made on highest level, according to the latest technologies and innovative ideas. It is popular on the market during 50 years. Aria continues to be successful with its guitars because they move with the time and observe latest invocations in the sphere of technologies and they use these innovations very well in the production of their guitars.
As for Carvin vintage guitars, whole this story is something like business fairy tail. The production of Carvin guitars was started by Lowell Kiesel in 1946 in California. Today Carvin makes guitars of their own materials and accessories. It is allowed for customers to choose that material which will be used for their guitars and you may be sure that your guitar will e made of chosen material.
Benedetto vintage guitars are mostly used by jazz performers. The original variant of such guitar was introduces in the market in 1968.

Rickenbacker Bass Guitars – 4003 Model

The Rickenbacker 4003 Bass is famous for its ringing sustain, treble punch, and solid underlying bottom end. It’s also famous for its distinctive, elegantly curved body shape, accentuated by a subtle strip of binding, deluxe triangular fretboard inlays, stereo output, neck-thru-body construction, double truss rods, and high output single-coil pickups with wide response range and brilliant clarity. The Vintage Tone Selector activates a capacitor in the treble pickup circuit to emphasize the high end. Pressed in, you get the familiar 4003 sound, pull it out to add bite and crispness.

In the short lifetime of electric string instruments, very few basses have earned the accolade necessary to genuinely call themselves “classics.” Even less can claim the title of industry standard – but no one can dispute the fact that the Rickenbacker 4000 Series deserves these titles. The piano string-like ring, punch, and sustain brought the bass player out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

Unique style and unmistakable tone!
Rickenbacker’s original solid-body electric bass was first introduced in the spring of 1957, bringing its own unique style to the Rock and Roll explosion of the early 60′s and 70′s. In the hands of bass-masters including Paul McCartney, Chris Squire, and Geddy Lee, 4000-series basses forged a solid reputation for distinct tone and comfortable playability. The latest Rickenbacker 4003 bass stays true to its roots, offering these same characteristics to a whole new generation of players.

Neck-thru construction
True pioneers in musical instrument construction, Rickenbacker luthiers were the first to produce a neck-thru-body bass design. A single piece of wood from the headstock to the tailpiece allows string vibration to travel unhindered through the length of the instrument. This results in a clarity of tone and ringing sustain unmatched by bolt-on or set-neck designs. The 4003 uses this same neck-thru principle today. This construction process is too time-consuming for most mass-production brands to implement, but many boutique bass builders are now discovering the benefits of what Rickenbacker has been doing from the beginning. It may take a little longer to build this bass, but Rickenbacker knows it’s worth the wait. Get one in your hands, and you’ll agree.

Balanced sound for diverse musical styles
Some basses offer deep tone at the low end of the spectrum, but the higher notes tend to be a bit thin. The 4003′s combination bridge/tailpiece assembly reflects more string energy over the pickups for a consistent, balanced sound across the entire fretboard. You get piano-like clarity at the top with plenty of growl down below. This is why Rickenbacker basses are played by such a diverse group of musicians. Lemmy from Motorhead, Andre 3000 from Outkast, Mike Mills from REM, and Chris Ross from Wolfmother are all able to get the tone they need from the same instrument. With so many genres represented, you’re sure to dial in a sound that suits your style.

Super-slim body
Instead of the chunky, bass-heavy designs used by many manufacturers, a slim, streamlined body gives the 4003 increased treble response and added punch. Both body and neck are made of maple for a full, bright tone with a nice, crisp bite. The rosewood fretboard adds mellow warmth, so notes in the upper register don’t sound harsh or shrill. Any style, any technique, comes through with expressive, dynamic clarity.

All about the neck
The thin, fast neck has become a favorite among progressive-rockers and bass-shredders alike. Check out some of Cliff Burton’s earliest work with Metallica, Chris Squier’s jaw-dropping solos from the 70′s, or any of Geddy Lee’s blistering Rickenbacker riffs. You can play the slickest runs from low to high and back again without getting bogged down like you would on a fat-necked bass. It may be skinny, but it’s also strong and stable thanks to the dual truss rod system. Each neck is designed with a natural curvature, or “neck relief”, to ensure the best possible string/fret contact. If the neck relief changes, you’ll get fret-buzz and even dead spots in extreme cases. The truss rod adds stiffness from inside, maintaining the proper curvature. Neck relief is partially dependent on string tension, so changing to heavier- or lighter-gauge strings can cause problems, along with temperature and humidity fluctuations. In these situations, the dual truss rod system can be tightened or loosened to compensate for the new conditions, letting every note ring out as it should.

You can find more info about the Rickenbacker 4003 Bass Guitar at:

http://RickenBacker.YouGet.info

Choose Electric over Acoustic – Guitars

Electric guitars are used in various forms and styles of music including pop, country, rock and roll, jazz or blues. These guitars are used largely in rock music, and are a bit more forgiving than are acoustic guitars. Depending on the venue, electric guitars are one of the most common guitars used in the 20th century.

The strings used on electric guitars are steel strings as on acoustic guitars, but usually of a much lighter gauge so they are generally easier on your fingers. The guitars themselves are much heavier than are acoustic guitars. The wood is heavier and the electronic parts on the inside add weight to the guitar, as well. While the specific wood type for the body, neck and fingerboard is less of a factor in electric guitars, the wood chosen for a particular electric guitar does contribute its distinctive sound and as well as the feel of the guitar in your hands and even in your style of playing. The neck of the electric guitar must also take more stress due to the heavy body of the guitar.

Because of the type of strings used on the electric guitar, they are considered to be easier to play. The lighter gauge of the strings for the electric guitar makes picking and strumming much simpler. The trade-off, of course, is the weight of the guitar and ability to be heard by larger audiences.

Electric guitars are slightly more expensive than are acoustic guitars but quality electric guitars can be found in the lower price ranges, as well. The important thing to remember in planning to purchase an electric guitar is that they only sound good with an amplifier, so you must count on purchasing one of those as well as the guitar.

While various historians would argue about the time frame, electric guitars became popular in the 1960’s and 1970′s. At that point, rock n’ roll was the prevailing culture in the world of music. Electric guitars became a necessity in the competition with the amplified instruments used by jazz orchestras. They quickly became popular, even though there were some difficulties with their construction. The body of the electric guitar would vibrate because of the amplified sounds that came through the speakers, to which they were connected, causing what we know as feed-back. Electric guitars don’t work with microphones, but with special pickups on the body of the guitar that senses the movement of strings. These pickups also tend to pick up the various electrical noises of the room, giving the guitar a bit of a “hum” which can be a very large or very small depending on where the guitar is being played. Several different designs for electric guitars were tried and left unused because of this difficulty in the decades before the 70’s. However, the Les Paul by Gibson and the Stratocaster by Fender rose above the other models to help eliminate some of these difficulties and secured their place in electric guitar history.

There are many types of electric guitars: solid body, hollow body and metal body. The solid body electric guitar is actually carved from hardwood and has a lacquer finish. The guitars with the metal bodies are affected by the “weight relief” holes that are bored into the solid metal guitars or they are chambered metal so that the guitar will not weigh so much. The hollow bodied electric guitars are said to add resonance and sustain to the guitar while being lighter in weight for the guitarists handling of the instrument. The hollow body electric guitars have the pick-ups mounted in such a way that they convert the combination of the string and the instrument’s body vibration into the electrical signal sent to the amplifier.

Electric guitars are great instruments to have around. They can be played for large audiences and their versatility of style is excellent. Earphones are a great addition to the guitar and the amplifier for the student who lives in the house with others that don’t necessarily want to hear the instrument played all night or all day. With this one upgrade, the electric guitar is a great addition to the other instruments in my household!

History of B.C. Rich Guitars

BC Rich Guitars are an organization specialising in angular and extreme electric guitar shapes and styles best suited for rock, hard rock and heavy metal music. Bernardo Chavez Rico was a doubtful person to build distinct guitars. Bernardo Rico (aka “Bernie”) was an accomplished Flamenco acoustic player. From the early-to-mid 60s Bernie Rico exclusively created Flamenco guitars in Bernardo’s Guitar Store in LA, Cal. Ex- executive Vice President, Mal Stich, said, “When you walked into Bernardo’s shop the first thing you noticed was wall to wall guitars hanging from the wall like birthday celebration balloons. There was a glass counter with picks, strings, guitar components and accessories. Behind the counter was a window and you could watch the guys constructing electric guitars. And, the best thing was that there were usually Flamenco and Classical players pickin away. I recall Flamenco musicians firing at each other with riff after riff. Bernie’s dad, Bernardo Mason Rico, was usually sitting in his chair next to the Coca-Cola machine while friends and neighbors, even the postman, stood spellbound as they listened to the music.”

We’re recognizing BC Rich’s Fortieth Anniversary stamping 1969 as the time Bernie set out on his first real try to manufacture guitars and basses. It was recorded that ten basses influenced by the Gibson EB-3 electric bass in addition to 10 matching Les Paul influenced electric guitars were hand-crafted. At present few of these musical instruments exist, and it’s rumored that fewer than the number above had been actually finished.

The period around 1972 was exceptionally auspicious. The first original electric guitar design, the Seagull, was handcrafted in Bernardo’s shop. True to future style, the Seagull guitar was visually distinctive as well as revolutionary. Its neck-through design (now an embarkment of BC Rich Guitars) featured a heel-less design – very rare for that point in time.

Bernie soon hired a number of proficient designers to compliment his extremely proficient craftsmen. Most of the distinct shapes that would emerge from this expansion had become legendary shapes associated with electric guitars. Around 1976 arrived the Mockingbird, and then the additional development of the Seagull, the Eagle guitar emerged, and around 1978 came the Bich was introduced. A few of the most respected musicians instantly took to the brand new trend of BC Rich Guitars.

With growing success, there was a need for a inexpensive mass-produced BC Rich guitar. Nearly around 1978 Bernie developed the BC Rico brand name to designate guitars to be imported from Japan. This first try was not profitable when the Rico Reed Company filed a lawsuit over using the brand. Regardless of the consequence, the choice was already made to use the BC Rich name on imported electric guitars. Merely a small portion, perhaps a hundred or so BC Rico guitars ever made it to the United States.

When the early 1980s came, the Warlock was introduced. Almost instantly the hair metal culture of the era took to the Warlock’s edgy and distinctive sculpt. The Warlock, while nowhere near the newest style created, rounds out the primary 5 legendary BC Rich shapes and styles.

The 90s and 2000s witnessed a new crop of nasty models even pointier than the 80s models. These included the Draco, Zombie, Ignitor, Beast (master-minded by Brian Hoffman, guitarists of death metal band Deicide), Warbeast (a mixture of Beast and Warlock).

BC Rich are also known for their endorsement deals with a number of important and revered hard rock and metal artists including Kerry King of Slayer (whose signature guitar is diabolic V-shaped axe that has intensive tribal visual work over the body. He also has a signature guitar primarily based on the Warlock). The late Chuck Schuldiner of Death (when Schuldiner died of cancer in 2001 BC Rich launched a tribute guitar based on his preferred guitar, the BC Rich Stealth). Paul Stanley of KISS, and Paolo Gregoletto (bassist of Trivium) are also endorsed BC Rich players. If you are like me, when you think of hard rock and metal… you think of recognizable guitars like BC Rich Guitars. They helped shape rock and roll.

Getting Used Bass Guitars for a Bargain

What would a rock band be without a bass guitar? It is one of the most overlooked of the rock instruments, but it is also one of the most essential. Without a bass, the only beat you have to go with is the beat of the drums, and that does not always work for certain songs.

The bass guitar is also one of the easiest of instruments to learn how to play. It only has a few chords, and often in songs, it uses the same beat over and over, with a few variations. Due to the ease of use, as well as its role as a part of rock and roll, many kids will want to take up the bass guitar.

However, the problem with bass guitars is that they are not cheap. This is not a problem for the child, but it is a problem for the parent who wants to encourage their child to try musical instruments to broaden their horizons.With bass guitars costing upwards of a few hundred dollars, what can parents do to ensure that they will be able to afford to buy a bass guitar for their children.

The answer comes in the form of a used bass guitar, which are a dime a dozen and can be found in stores and online.When you have the option of paying hundreds of a new bass guitar, or paying as little as for a used bass guitar, which are you going to choose?

As any parent can tell you, children often get bored of things they are enthusiastic about, very quickly. If you spend hundreds on a new bass guitar and your child gets bored with it, then you are going to be out a lot of money. Even if you sell it, you will be selling it for a lot less than you bought it for, and you will take a heavy hit in the pocket book.

However, with used bass guitars, you will not pay a lot and if your child bores of it, then no harm no foul. You can then sell it and make a profit, or break even, whichever is good. When you are looking for a used bass guitar, try online and pawn shops. Online, you will find sites like Craigslist.com and eBay.com, which often have excellent instruments for sale. Pawn shops also have very cheap prices and if you decide to sell the bass guitar, you can sell it right back to the pawn shop.

Bass guitars are essential in rock music, think of bands like The Who, Nirvana, or The Red Hot Chili Peppers, without their signature bass rifts. As a result, many children want to learn to play the bass guitar and they will often go to great measures to convince their parents to buy it for them. If you are going to buy a bass guitar, make sure it is a used one, because the last thing you want when you spend a lot of money is to have your kid toss it into the closet after a month.

The Best Guitars For Beginners

When you go looking for the best guitars for beginners, take a guitar player with you. Electric guitars could have warped necks or rattling hardware and the beginner guitarist will not have a clue that anything is significantly out of place. Anything can happen to an individual guitar to make it a lemon but it is possible to follow some general guidelines about which brand and model is worth looking at.

You want to play electric guitar and the question of what are the best guitars for beginners arises in your brain. To put it broadly, a decent electric guitar for a beginner is not hard to come by, you just need to know how to look.

There are so many sources of new and second hand guitars, online and offline, through retail outlets and through classified ads, you just need to take a little care in choosing your first guitar. Here are some suggestions that you could carry with you as you go out into the world looking for a starter guitar.

The Squier Affinity Tele. The Telecaster is loved by many guitarists, Albert Lee, Keith Richards and Steve Cropper among them. It grabs the attention with its retro rock n roll looks, backed up by solid construction. The body of the Affinity series is made from alder and the fretboard is maple. This is a good choice for the learner guitar player who wants to look as well as feel the part. You will probably notice some hum but not enough to complain about. The sound you get from this guitar definitely matches the looks, so if you see one, grab it.

The Squier Fat Strat is a moderately priced guitar let down by uneven quality of parts and workmanship. The flashy looks belie the poor quality of construction. Even so, it should serve the beginner guitar player quite well until you are more certain of your musical direction.

The Epiphone Les Paul Special II. The Les Paul guitar is part of rock and roll history. This is a beginner’s guitar you can pick up new for not too many dollars. It has a fretboard made of rosewood and a body of alder and maple. The looks of this guitar will inspire you to get you chops quickly so you can deserve to keep playing it.

The Epiphone G-310 SG is a copy of the Gibson SG which is a fairly high-range guitar. The electronics and hardware are where the company saves money but in spite of that, the general opinion amongst guitarists who have given it a try is that it is an excellent beginners model. The sound is fine for absolutely any electric guitar music and the light weight will make you want to play all day.

Now for a low priced acoustic guitar for the beginner. The Yamaha No. 120 Nippon Gakki is a nylon string guitar that you can acclimatize your fingers on, but you just might want to keep it when you move onto an electric. This is another guitar that you should grab if the price is right.

A Brief History of ESP Guitars

ESP, short for Electric Sound Products, started as a shop in Japan by Hisatake Shibuya in 1975. At first they just sold replacement parts for the guitar but in 1976 they started making guitars. These products were only found in Japan until the 80s when the replacement parts found their way to the U.S.

The company was pretty much obscure in the United States until 1983 when these replacement parts line was introduced. Then in 84 and 85 ESP began creating custom guitars for certain artists such as Bruce Kulick of KISS, Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones, and Vernon Reid of Living Color. In 1986 George Lynch discovered the shop in Japan while searching for a replacement guitar part. The end result of this encounter was his Kamikaze model. The Kamikaze was ESPs first signature model.

Over the years, the company has evolved. They have gone from an exclusive producer of replacements parts for the guitar to a high quality electric guitar manufacturer. In the early 90s the company faced some changes to their United States division. At the same time that they discontinued the replacement parts for the U.S., they started expanding their guitar line. Also, ESP moved their headquarters a few times before settling on their Los Angeles, CA location in 1993.

Now, ESP is a fast growing company in the guitar industry. Their current line of guitars boasts many celebrity endorsees. These include Lynchs Kamikaze and James Hetfields Truckster model, created in honor of the companys 30th Anniversary. Other models include the AX series, the Standard Series, the Mirage Series, the Xtone Series, and the Signature Series.

ESP boasts a really long list of artists who play their guitars. In fact, the nature of ESPs popularity is tied into the fact that many renowned artists love their guitars. These artists include James Hetfield and Kirk Hammet or Metallica, Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones, Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, Jeff Hannemen and Tom Arraya of Slayer, and Richard z Kruspe of Rammstein. For more information on the artists, visit their website.

It isnt just famous artists who love the guitars. ESP guitars receive great reception from guitar players of all ages. Heres what one person has to say about ESP guitars (Source Harmony Central):

Concerning the ESP B-154

The sound is just awesome. I play hard rock and metal and have played for 5 years now. I am just happy with this. I use a Behringer V-Amp Pro Pre-amp, with a Behringer BX4500H amp and a 1500 Watt slave amplifier.
It is impressively noiseless!!! It has a bright sound, but it depends on what EQ settings i am using. With setting it correct, you can get a “thick” sound like the one in the Metallica track Enter Sandman.

The sound generally is very good. Definitely worth all money!