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Top 5 Tone Tips For Improving Your Tone
Acolytes of Tone, gather round, as I share with you my top 5 tone tips for improving your tone! Let me preface this, however, with a disclaimer: tone is, by its very nature, a very subjective thing. Often, tonal differences come down to the individual player’s personal taste. Don’t stone me for my suggestions, rather let your ears guide you and go with what makes you want to pick... -
Top 5 Fender Tele Tone Tips
Some background before we dive into my top 5 Fender Tele tone tips: When Leo Fender introduced the Fender Telecaster, early in 1951, it was derided by some as a “boat paddle” and “snow shovel”. You may still hear modern players affectionately refer to their Telecaster as a ‘plank’. Little did Leo or anyone else realise what a monumental shift this humble electric guitar signalled for the future of... -
The Boom-Chick Rhythm | Country Guitar Lesson
A very popular country guitar technique is a rhythmic device called boom-chick. Click the video below to learn how to play this simple but creatively rewarding technique: ►To get FULL ACCESS to our video lesson library click here: https://www.guitarexcellence.co.za/product/video-membership/ ►For more great lessons and other valuable free content delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe here: https://www.guitarexcellence.co.za/newsletter-sign-up/ ►For more FREE lessons subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://goo.gl/oTbwrS Notes: The boom-chick... -
Guitar Effects Buzzwords Volume 3: All Analogue
The ‘Golden Age’ of guitar effects you say? Sounds fantastic! Anything I should know about, any words of caution? Well, yes, actually. Digital or all analogue? Don’t fall for the hype. Be informed regarding ‘the latest and the greatest’ trend. Know what the buzzwords are all about. The following for your edification: “All Analogue’ – What is all the fuss about? Surely we live among the wonders and... -
Guitar Effects Buzzwords Volume 2: True Bypass
This time we look at the concept of ‘true bypass’. Do you have it? Do you need it? Will it make you sound better, and therefore play better? As I’ve mentioned before, the ‘Golden Age’ of guitar effects we find ourselves in can have some accompanying pitfalls, one of which is deciphering the buzzwords that appear to be ‘all the rage’, and not falling for something that may simply... -
Guitar Effects Buzzwords Volume 1: Transparent
I’m not the first to say it: we are living in a ‘Golden Age’ of guitar effects. The boom in the guitar industry, perhaps coupled with the Internet and social media platforms like YouTube, has us spoiled for choice when it comes to effects pedals of all sizes, shapes, and functions. This plethora of effects covers a wide price range and we are seeing more and more small boutique... -
Improve Guitar Tone – 5 Smart Tips
Jeff Owens from Fender offers some cost-effective tips on how you can improve guitar tone, no matter what guitar you play. Check out his five tips below: HAVE A WELL-ORGANIZED PEDAL BOARD Effects pedals are a terrific way to develop your own tonal identity. One basic thing to remember while turning your pedal board into your sonic playground is that certain types of effects sound best when placed... -
Top 8 Guitar Amps & Songs That Made Them Famous
This is our list of the top 8 guitar amps and the songs that made them famous: Marshall Super Lead #1959 Song: Running With The Devil Artist: Eddie Van Halen With the release of Van Halen I in 1978, they changed the world of rock forever. Edward Van Halen hit the scene with a new guitar sound that was so fast and furious, no one had ever heard anything... -
Guitarists You Should Be Listening To
Listening to great guitarists can do wonders for your own playing. Whether you play the same genre as these guitarists or not, and even whether you would ever use the same techniques these guitarists are known for or not, is immaterial. You can always learn some from a fantastic player to add to your own overall musicality. I’d like to share with you some guitarists that I highly recommend listening to. Some of them... -
Crunch Guitar Sounds
Crunch guitar tones are now part and parcel of the pantheon of recorded rock guitar. Everyone loves the sound of an electric guitar that screams! From the earliest rock ‘n’ roll recordings, where amplifier speakers were torn on the way to the recording. This results in a clipping and distorted sound EG: Rocket 88. To the early recordings with effects pedals that ‘distort’ or crunch the guitar sound like...