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.

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!

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.