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MIDI Guitar Pickup Guide
MIDI guitar pickups require minimal modification to your guitar most of the time, and often none at all. Some MIDI pickups are simply installed or attached to the bridge saddle, while other pickup models replace the actual saddles with piezo equipped ones. Those that require no modifications will have their electronic components attached to the body of the guitar, while others might require you to drill holes to place the parts in. Once installed, you can simply connect it to a MIDI synthesizer, sequencer or computer to get the sounds you want. Roland GK-3 Divided Pickup This is a reasonably affordable and easy to install MIDI guitar pickup system from Roland. The Roland GK-3 can easily attach to any steel string electric guitar without any drilling or modification. It allows you to get individual signals from each of your guitar strings to GK compatible devices, letting you play chords and harmonies. The GK-3 has a GK knob and a select switch for mixing or changing between synth and normal guitar tone. It might get in the way of your right hand but this is still highly recommended for those that need MIDI without having to modify their beloved axes. A
The Best Bass Guitar Brands
Not all bass guitars were created equal, however that hasn’t stopped our experts from naming the ultimate bass guitar brands. We selected the top bass guitar brands based on popularity with musicians, influence, historical significance and quality. The top 5 bass brands are: Fender, Hofner, Rickenbacker, Music Man, Warwick. Fender Some might argue that many of the boutique bass guitars out there are better, but Fender still rightfully sits at the top as the best bass guitar brand. This is because of Fender’s popularity and significance, as well as quality. The Fender Precision Bass and Fender Jazz Bass continue to be staples in many a bass player’s gig bag, and continue to be popularly used in many song productions. Fender has achieved iconic status, and other manufacturers continue to use these classic Fender basses as their foundation for improved designs. Fender ’50s Precision Bass The Fender Precision Bass was introduced in 1951 and was the first mass-produced electric bass guitar. It became popular with musicians and has become an industry standard ever since. The Fender P-bass continues its bass guitar legacy because of its simple yet effective design. Jaco Pastorius Signature Fretless Jazz Bass Another favorite from the Fender brand
Best Acoustic Guitar Under $1000
We present to you GuitarSite’s award for the best acoustic guitar under $1000, along with some equally impressive runner-ups! There are a number of great acoustics in the sub $1000 price range, which is great from the point of view of having variety, but it can make it difficult to choose. But don’t worry, we’ve used our considerable experience to present you with the best options under $1000, along with some details to help you decide on which one to buy. These guitars feature tone woods, durability, attention to detail, and sounds that are comparable to many more expensive models. The Best! Martin DSR2 It was a close call, but ultimately, the Martin DSR2 tops all the best acoustic guitars under 1000 dollars. Although the runner-ups did come close and can arguably beat it on some aspects, this well rounded guitar served as our standard to which other guitars were measured. If you are looking for a great all around acoustic guitar, best get it from one of the oldest and biggest brands – C.F. Martin & Co. Getting a full featured and great sounding Martin guitar at a retail price of less than $1000 is already a very sweet
Best Guitar Stand Guide
This guide will show you some insights on the most popular and highly rated stands, to help you decide which is the best guitar stand to buy. Guitar stands are handy when we want to put a guitar down safely while keeping it within convenient reach. But heed this caution – when not in use, it is always safest to put your guitar in its case. Some of the foam and rubber used on guitar stands might cause discoloration or even damage to your guitar’s finish. Thin finishes like Nitrocellulose which are found on expensive guitars are said to be more susceptible. To be safe, many guitar players employ cloth coverings on all contact points, but to be truly safe, do not leave your guitar on a stand for too long. Hercules GS414B AGS Guitar Stand The Hercules brand is home to some of the best guitar stands, and the GS414B is one of them. Its AGS or Auto Grip System, uses the weight of the guitar to automatically secure and lock your instrument on the guitar stand, allowing you to operate it with one hand. Another plus is its wood patterned veneer, which unlike the usual black color, makes
10 of the Best Guitar Cables
The 10 Best Guitar Cables for Serious Musicians For worry-free performances, it is essential to invest in good-quality guitar cables. After all, you have spent a lot of effort perfecting your sound, so it makes sense to get the best guitar cables that are up to the task. Best Overall Mogami Gold Cable Experience exceptional transparency when you upgrade to a Mogami gold cable. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Value Boss BIC-10A Guitar Cable A tank-tough guitar cable, sturdy and road worthy for actively gigging musicians. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Budget Cable Fender Professional Series Cable Follows the tried-and-true approach to good build quality, but at a cheap price. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best in Quality George L’s Guitar Cable Eric Johnson, a renowned tone aficionado, swears by the clarity and quality of George L’s cables. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Vintage Style Vox VCC Vintage Coiled Cable A vintage style coiled cable, similar to what guitar legends like Jimi Hendrix used on stage. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review We’re reader-supported. When you click product links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. When selecting an instrument cable for your setup, it
Silent Guitar Buyers Guide
Silent Guitars are acoustic or electric guitars that are stripped down to bare essentials, even the body becomes optional. As the name implies, Silent Guitars are designed to be played acoustically quiet, while keeping the amplified sound and playability as close to regular guitars possible. This is achieved by reducing the resonating body to minimum, while keeping the neck, pickup and strings in proper positions. Silent Guitars are different from travel guitars because they prioritize playability over portability, as exemplified by the skeletal body frames that allow for standard posture while playing. Interestingly, Silent Guitars are also being used on stage by many artists, thanks to its low maintenance design, feather like weight and feedback free performance. Yamaha silent guitars are the popular choice because of their relatively affordable price and wide scale marketing, however there are other builders that offer smaller and more travel friendly silent guitars at varying prices. Yamaha SLG130NW Yamaha SLG130NW Yamaha is the Silent Guitar manufacturer to beat, thanks to their impressive price to quality ratio. And big name artists like Brian May, Mike Stern and Lee Ritenour seem to agree. The SLG130NW is the top-of-the-line model designed to give you the true feel and
The Best Acoustic Guitar Straps – Steel String & Classical
The Best Acoustic Guitar Straps – Steel String & Classical Don’t wait until your beloved instrument falls on the floor, or worse, on your toes, secure your guitar with a functional and stylish strap. Listed below are some of the best acoustic guitar strap deals, categorized based on their form and functionality. Best in Comfort KLIQ AirCell This guitar strap offers air cell cushioning and grid design, perfect for acoustic guitarists who’s seeking a comfy strap. Amazon Read Review Best Embroidered Taylor Embroidered Suede 2.5″ Resembling premium but faux leather, and offers a broken-in feel, non-slip suede surface, and quality design. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Headstock Loop Levy’s MC8A A guitar strap made from leather, cotton, and suede with a headstock loop for guitars with one end pin. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Classical Strap Levy’s M20 Classical guitar strap with sound-hole hook, and tri-glide adjustments (27″-36″), Amazon Read Review Best Strap Adaptor D’Addario Acoustic Quick Release System Hassle-free headstock loop adaptor with quick-release design, ideal for multiple guitars. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review We’re reader-supported. When you click product links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. A good strap will
Guitar For Beginners
If you are new to the Guitar then bookmark this page now. We update this page regularly with more information about everything from learning how to play a guitar, to the very basics of tuning, chords, tabs, and much more. Congratulations on choosing to learn how to play a guitar – it is a wonderful instrument and one of the few that you can play whole songs and sing along with at the same time – or your friends can sing along with you. As well as that it’s pretty much the best instrument you can carry around with you, take it to your friends place or the campfire. This makes the guitar a much more social instrument than something like piano or trumpet (and way cooler too!) The information here is broken down into several categories – just scroll down to the part you are looking for. Beginner Guitar Series This is a special series of articles written totally for beginners – our experts are adding to this collection of guitar wisdom every week: Guitar Stings – Their Names and Notes – introduces you to each of the strings on your guitar, and all the notes on the fretboard.
The Best Acoustic Guitar Pickup | The Results Are In
The Best Acoustic Guitar Pickups for Steel & Nylon Strings Are you wondering what the best acoustic guitar pickup is for your particular needs? Here, we’ll give you our thoughts on our top picks for the best acoustic guitar pickups for steel and nylon strings. Best Hybrid Pickup LR Baggs Anthem Tru-Mic Active Acoustic Guitar Pickup The LR Baggs Anthem is a high-fidelity acoustic pickup that blends a piezo system with microphone signals. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Passive Pickup DiMarzio Black Angel DP234 DiMarzio, often associated with electric pickups, gets our recommendation with their bright sounding and feedback resistant Black Angel acoustic pickup. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Humbucker Pickup Fishman Rare Earth Humbucking Pickup With Mic The Fishman’s Rare Earth is a soundhole pickup with incredible clarity and great sounding warm tones, which works well for stage and recording use. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best For Beginners Seymour Duncan Woody SA-3 HC Hum-Cancelling Pickup The Woody SA-3 is a premium wooden pickup that delivers consistent, noiseless tones while being easy to install and use, ideal for beginners. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Bridge Plate Pickup LR Baggs iBeam Active The LR Baggs iBeam is a good alternative to
The 10 Best Guitar Effects & Pedals
Guitar effects have come a long way… This page is sponsored by Sweetwater so you can click through to get the full specifications, the latest price, and purchase any of the effects and pedals that we here at GuitarSite.com have selected. From the first ever tremolo standalone effect unit, to the complex amp and effects modelers of today. Soon we will probably be plugging into a guitar hero modeler, which will convert our playing technique to that of the guitar hero profile we selected! While waiting for this level of technology to come along we decided to name the best guitar effects pedals currently available, from the most feature packed multi-effects units to time tested classic analog pedals. Top 10 Guitar Effects Overview This table shows you all of the guitar effects and pedals in our top 10 list – scroll down below to read our extended reviews for each of these effects. # Image Link to Sweetwater Short Description Long Description 1. Fractal Audio Axe-FX II The Axe-FXII is the most sought after guitar processor in the market, supported by some of the biggest names in the guitar industry. If you can imagine a guitar rig, chances are this
2024 Best Overdrive Pedal Selection
We have updated our selection of the best overdrive pedals, and added tips on how to find the right one that fits your taste and tone shaping needs. This guide is sponsored by Sweetwater so you can click through to get the full specifications, the latest price, and purchase any of the Overdrive Pedals stocked by Sweetwater that we have recommended. Overdrive pedals can have distinct tonal characteristics. And this makes direct comparisons challenging. But particular OD (Overdrive) pedals stand out for their excellent tone, reliability, and intuitive design. And out of the lot, we showcase the top few that deserve closer inspection. Overdrive Pedals vs Distortion and Fuzz Pedals Overdrive pedals are sometimes confused with fuzz and distortion pedals. This is understandable, given the similarities, but there are important distinctions. Overdrive pedals push the signal to a warm natural breakup, similar to a cranked tube amp. This is what makes ODs sound more transparent. They preserve more of your core tone and playing nuances. And this expressiveness is essential in many musical styles, including blues, rock, pop, and more. On the other hand, distortion and fuzz pedals apply aggressive clipping, which gives them their thicker and more saturated sound. Clipping
Best Modeling Amp on a Budget
Thanks to modeling amplifiers, we can enjoy the flexibility of having multiple amps and effects without emptying our wallets. Big name guitarists and even producers are now embracing the magic that amp modeling technology brings, and this in turn pushes the quality of amp modelers to new heights. Here we look at the best modeling amps that offer amazing value for your money, focusing on amps that sit below the $400 mark. This guide has been updated for 2017 with a new section that discusses the features that you need to look for in modeling amplifiers. This roundup is sponsored by Sweetwater so you can click through for the full specifications, latest price, and purchase any of the Guitar Amplifiers stocked by Sweetwater that we have recommended. Line 6 Spider V Peavey Vypyr VIP 3 Fender Mustang I V.2 78 amp and 101 effects models combined with over 100 song-based and artist created presets. 36 amp models including 6 bass amps and 6 acoustic amps to combine with 26 different effects. 18 amp models and 37 effects including models of some of Fender’s most famous guitar amps. Read more… Read more… Read more… Sweetwater’s Price Sweetwater’s Price Sweetwater’s Price What
The Best Electric Guitars Under $500
These are the best budget friendly electric guitars starting from just $110. Not only will you sound good playing these – you’ll look good too! This page is sponsored by Sweetwater so you can click through to get the full specifications, the latest price, and purchase any of the Electric Guitars stocked by Sweetwater that we have recommended. Thanks to computer aided design and modernized factories around the world with precision engineering equipment you can now get budget guitars at a level of quality not possible a couple of decades ago, and our updated recommendations below reflect that. Here are our best recommendations broken down into two price brackets: 1. Best Under $200 2. Best Under $500 The Best Electric Guitars Under $200 This table shows you all of the guitars we recommend – scroll down below to read our extended reviews for each one. Image Link to Sweetwater Overview Link to Details Squier Bullet Strat HSS Squier are owned by Fender and it was Leo Fender himself with the help of Freddie Tavares who originally designed the famous Stratocaster back in 1954. Now the Strat is available in various price brackets, with this one being the most versatile entry
Best Classical Guitar
Here is our selection of the best classical guitars, covering both boutique instruments built by small scale luthiers (as opposed to small scale classical guitars) and readily available mass produced guitars. This page is sponsored by Sweetwater so you can click through to get the full specifications, the latest price, and purchase any of the Classical Guitars stocked by Sweetwater that we have recommended. Professional classical guitarists almost exclusively play handmade “boutique” instruments that are designed and built by small scale guitar makers. This way quality is ensured and it gives them a say on the build or material used, but it comes with a hefty price tag and a long wait time that not everyone can afford. We have selected the most influential, iconic, and widely used guitars from among these elite bunch for you to feast your eyes and ears on. Since many don’t have access to the the kind of luthiers mentioned above, our list also includes the best among the mass production classical guitars in the market today. They can serve as great starting points to narrow down your choices if you are looking to procure a classical guitar. If nothing else, you can also use
The Top 10 Best Guitar Amps Under $500 – Tube & Solid State
Here we present you with our updated selection of the best guitar amps under $500, covering both tube and solid state combo amps. This page is sponsored by Sweetwater so you can click through to get the full specifications, the latest price, and purchase any of the Amps that we here at GuitarSite.com have selected below. This selection features the best among the top rated amps in this price range, many of which rival the quality of more expensive amplifiers, in terms of tone, functionality and appearance. The scope of this list is limited to combo amplifiers, because they give you more value for you money (you won’t have to spend more on a speaker cabinet). To better organize the list, we’ve divided it into two sections: first of which feature the best solid state amps, followed by a section dedicated to the best tube amps. Rev2 Contents The Top 10 Best Guitar Amps Under $500 – Tube & Solid State Solid State Guitar Amplifiers Tube Guitar Amplifiers What to Look For in a Guitar Amplifier Best Solid State Guitar Amps Under $500 Picture View on Sweetwater Overview Detailed Description Fender Mustang GT 40 The GT 40 is a modeling
The Best Cheap Tube Amp Roundup
Cheap doesn’t have to mean low quality – so here we take a look at the best cheap tube amps that deliver great guitar tones without going over budget. This page is sponsored by Sweetwater so you can click through to get the full specifications, the latest price, and purchase any of the Tube Amps stocked by Sweetwater that we have recommended. Thanks to their organic tone, tube amp technology never goes out of fashion, but they do continue to get more expensive. Thankfully, there are still a number of good quality amps in the sub $200 price range, the best of which are listed here. They are ideal for practice, small venue gigs and even for recording. Stretching your budget a bit further to the sub $500 price range opens up your options to include top rated tube amps from reputable brands like Fender, Marshall and Vox. These amps allow for more volume, tone shaping, and connectivity options. Whatever your budget and preference maybe, this guide will help you find a suitable and budget-friendly tube amp. Things to Consider When Buying Affordable Tube Amps Power Rating Power rating dictates the amp’s volume and projection. It goes without saying that
The 5 Best Acoustic Electric Guitars Under $1,000
Take your acoustic guitar playing to new heights with our selection of the best sub $1000 acoustic-electric guitars. This page is sponsored by Sweetwater so you can click through to get the full specifications, the latest price, and purchase any of the Acoustic Guitars stocked by Sweetwater that we have recommended. Before making big investments, one must count the cost and expect gains. This is exactly what we did when we updated this list to feature the best acoustic-electric guitars that you can get for under $1000. We narrowed the list down to just the top five, featuring guitars that outclass others in terms of tone, build quality, and overall playing experience. They also give you more value for your money since they are very similar to high-end instruments, albeit built using more cost-effective materials and methods, and with stripped down aesthetics. This means that you are getting a premium sounding and feeling instruments at more modest price points. Contents The 5 Best Acoustic-Electric Guitars Under $1,000 What to Look for in a sub $1000 Acoustic-Electric Guitar Tonewood Pickup and Preamp System Guitar Body Shape and Size Playability (Neck specifications) Aesthetics The 5 Best Acoustic-Electric Guitars Under $1,000 Picture View
Gearfest 2016 – Includes Some Exciting Guitarists…
Sweetwater’s 15th annual music gear event will be held in Fort Wayne, Indiana on June 17 and 18 this year. Related Feature:G4 Experience 2016 Guitar Camp Disclosure: Sweetwater are a sponsor of GuitarSite.com but this article does not form any part of their advertising program with us. Even if Sweetwater weren’t one of our sponsors we’d still be bringing you this news because it looks like it’s going to be quite an eventful couple of days based on the lineup of presenters, workshops and exhibitors scheduled this year. Presenters Here are just a few of the presenters who will be of interest to guitarists: Andy Timmons – Andy has worked with the likes of Simon Phillips, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, Ted Nugent, and The Beach Boys, and he will be presenting a workshop on behalf of Ibanez. Bunny Brunel – Bunny is accredited with being one of the founders of the jazz-fusion bass movement and he will be showing off his extraordinary talent and discussing some of the evolutionary instruments he has crafted for ESP. Greg Koch – Greg is an accomplished guitarist and clinician who Tom Wheeler from Guitar
Tone Wizards eBook
Here’s a book for tone freaks and gear heads, “Tone Wizards: Tone Wizards: Interviews With Top Guitarists and Gear Gurus On the Quest for the Ultimate Sound”. Related Feature:Modern Guitar Rigs 2nd Edition This new book from guitarist Curtis Fornadley features unbiased conversations that reveal how expert musicians and technicians achieve their tone, and is now available in e-book format from various online bookstores. Because he independently shouldered all the expenses of creating this book, Curtis was not clouded by sponsorship deals and the like. This allows for honest and unbiased research, and ensures that the conversations are in no way manipulated to point to a specific result, or worse a sponsor. The book features interviews with various guitar virtuoso’s, the techs that help them get their tone, and gear manufacturers. Each one of them shared their experience and snippets of the philosophy and methodology they use to achieve their distinct sounds. They also provided important practical advice that any gear head will appreciate. Example wisdom quotes from the book include: “Style is a reflection of your own creative instincts, but tone, the way you play it, can be changed” from Steve Vai. “There is a very symbiotic relationship between
Guitar Effects Apps Finally Coming to Android!
If you’re an Android phone or tablet owner you’ve probably been frustrated seeing all the great virtual amp, effects, and cabinet simulator apps for iOS and wondered why they aren’t available on Android. Related Feature:Android Apps for Guitar The problem isn’t with software developers, it’s actually Android itself which has caused the problem due to its inability to provide a reliable low latency signal path for audio. However, that problem is now being overcome… USB On-The-Go Often called USB OTG for short, this specification which is now being supported by some Android devices running version 4.0 or later, can enable your smart phone or tablet to act as a USB host. In short, this means you can now plug USB Audio Interfaces directly into your device, and then plug your guitar into the interface, and get the sound working with relatively low latency. usbEffect So far this is the leading Android App to take advantage of the USB OTG specification. The developer, Githara Studios, calls it a “Virtual Amp App”, however it’s primarily an effects app at this stage because it doesn’t provide a range of amp simulations like many of the iOS apps. Here’s a list of the main