Chorus Effect

Hey,

Tonight I was playing along with with a delay/chorus combo effect on my electric guitar. I put the delay to about 400 ms, with a 75% volume level, and combined that with a standard chorus at 20% max speed with a 60% volume level.

When combined with a high gain, compressed amp, the result was amazing! I was able to make the guitar cry for well over an hour to a beat that I created earlier today. The beat is a mid-pace rock/hip-hop combo percussion loop. I made it on Sony Acid Pro. I also put a reverb effect on the snare drum to really give depth to the overall sound.

I will be experimenting some more with many other new effects in the nearby future, so check back for some great recommendations on settings that you can use on your electric guitar.

Fear Factory Rocks!

Hey guys,

I wanted to talk a little bit about a band that I recently rediscovered, Fear Factory. I used to listen to these guys about eight years ago, and when I was listening to Pandora the other day, the song "Shock" from their Obsolete album came on.

I find their aggressive style to be incredibly influential when I draw evil art for RottenToons.com. I am very impressed by their 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.

The vocals are great. The guy can produce these powerful death growls that are so strong they make me want to destroy Innocent property! I also like how he sings as well to produce a melodic sound above all the low-pitch chaos.

The double bass drum is awesome. This guy really knows how to make that sucker rumble. I love how the guitar fits into place with the double bass.

Overall, these guys are great. I encourage you guys to check them out if you are into death metal music. They also make a great background music for games such as Counter-Strike!

Experimenting with the Digitech RP250

Hey guys,

I was experimenting with the Digitech RP 250 tonight and came up with some cool riffs. I put on a high gain heavy metal amplifier setting, and then set the special effects to what is called "IPS". Basically, IPS 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.

I threw on some delay and cranked up the bass and let that sucker roar! It's amazing how much shit you can come up with just from screwin' around. In my opinion, the best things in life are created from experimenting with new things. In this case, it was the first time that I really gave much time to the IPS effect.

I created a great drum beat using Sony Acid Pro 6. I'm going to use it when I record a song tomorrow. I am going to take the drumbeat, which is a calm rock beat at 120 BPM, and I am going to place a warm acoustic melody over it. The melody will consist of a four part chord progression, with only two notes of each chord plucked.

As the melody repeats, I am going to put a heavy gain guitar with delay on top of the acoustic guitar. This will produce the effect that the distorted guitar is in the background, and the acoustic guitar is in the front ground. However, I may swap the two, and put the acoustic guitar in the background with the distorted guitar in the front. Or, I may just stick them both in the background. It really depends on the mood that I'm feeling at the time. Creativity is a very controlling thing!

On another note, I realize that I haven't been updating this guitar blog lately. Therefore, I gotta get to it! In the meantime, check out my brand new cartoon logo website. There's a lot of great stuff on there and feel free to order a design if you are interested.

Flying V Electric Guitars

Let's talk a little about the Gibson V-Factor X Flying V Electric Guitar. We've all seen it on TV and at our favorite rock concert, but what's it all about? Today I'm gonna cover the features of the Flying V electric guitars so that you can decide if you need one.


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:

1. 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.
2. 500T "Super Ceramic"
   The 500T is great. The powerful multi-ceramic magnet build allows this monster to roar! It can scream or growl - never 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 (Classic White only)

Electric Travel Guitar

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.

Digitech RP250

Today I've decided to talk a little bit about one of my favorite electric guitar accessories, the Digitech RP250 multi-effects pedal. This little machine is a great toy. It comes equipped with about 80 preset guitar effects, which can each be customized to your liking.

The Digitech RP250 comes equipped with such effects as chorus, multi-chorus, flanger, delay, reverb, whammy, auto-wah, auto-yah, pitch, and many more. Each effect has its own settings so you can find exactly what works for your desired sound.

Need some more customization? No problem. The Digitech RP250 allows you to choose the type of amplifier you want to play out of. In other words, this machine has the ability to produce a simulated sound that nearly matches the original sound of such amps as Fender, Ibanez, and more!

Ok fine...you need EVEN MORE customization settings. Each amplifier can be set to a specific amplifier cabinet so that you can really get a unique sound. From here, you have the option to play around with the equalizer settings, including bass, treble, and mid-tones. You can choose presets for the equalizer as well as customize the individual settings. This is a great feature on the Digitech RP250.

The built in wah pedal works great. This saves you a lot of money since a good wah pedal is usually over $100.

Another feature I love on the Digitech RP250 is the built-in drum machine. This thing has a great variety of beats, which can each be sped up or slowed down. You can also adjust the volume of the drums, change the drum style, or just turn it into a metronome.

Lastly, the Digitech RP250 has a built-in USB recording device, so you can simply plug it into your computer and record quality sound. The software is free and easy to download from the Digitech website.

Go get your hands on the Digitech RP250. It's under $200 and its worth much more!

--
Ty Lombardi
Ty@ElectricGuitarBlog.com
www.ElectricGuitarBlog.com
Digitech RP250 Review

How to Choose Guitar Strings

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.

I personally like my top three strings to be a thin gauge, and my bottom three strings to be a thicker gauge. My range is usually 11-50, where 11 is the gauge of the high E string, and 50 is the gauge of the low E string. This is a good setup for heavier music, such as death metal.

There are hundreds of makes out there, but I stick with 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.

Kids Electric Guitars

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.

Printable Guitar Chord Chart

Alright guys. Before you start writing your own guitar songs, your best bet is to memorize some guitar chords. I've decided to provide you with a very helpful printable guitar chord chart. This chart is neat, simple, and extremely useful.

All you have to do is click the image below and it will pop up in full size. Once it is full size, simply press "print" from your file menu or press ctrl+p. Feel free to show your friends this online guitar chord chart and print plenty of copies for everyone to use!

Beginner Electric Guitars

Everyone's gotta start somewhere. So I've decided to put together a list of great beginner guitars. Although each guitar is a good buy, the final decision is up to personal preference.

1. 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.
2. Squier Stratocaster - This guitar is fun and cheap. I picked one up for $100 once. They look cool, sound great, 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

History of the Electric Guitar

I've decided to start off this electric guitar blog with a brief history of the electric guitar. I've always found it interesting to know the origin of the things I take for granted today. Since I love the electric guitar I figured why the hell not list the history on my electric guitar blog. Enjoy:

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 thus begun 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.

There you have it, a brief history of the electric guitar. Nothing intense, just a little something to help you appreciate the this great toy that we all take for granted! Keep checking back to my electric guitar blog for daily updates on the electric guitar.