The Marshall Amps of the late 1960s defined the classic rock tone, thanks in large part to the 100 Watt Super Lead head installed on them—called Plexi heads for short because of their distinctive Plexiglas front panel. These vintage amp heads are still prized and cherished, not only by rock guitarist, but across the genres, […]
Continue reading →Mandolin pickups are often overlooked, but they shouldn’t be. Even in an all-string ensemble like those typical to bluegrass, a little amplification can go a long way toward making sure the mandolin can be heard in the mix. Once you start playing with electric instruments and drums, amplification becomes a necessity. Because they’re traditional an […]
Continue reading →The Telecaster has become known for the ability to yield a bright tone, with more than enough edge, as well as warm and mellow tones perfect for blues and jazz. Depending on the pickup mount you choose, you can stress either of the two. If you want to get that bluesy jazzy tone, then you […]
Continue reading →Many people simply overlook what proves to be a critical part of your pedal board – the volume pedal. Volume pedals can give you one of the following things – precise control of notes; a prolonged, airy note that fades away; you can also use it to silence your guitar when you want cleaner and […]
Continue reading →A good bass fuzz pedal can be instrumental in finding your ideal sound, whether you’re looking for the psychedelic bass fuzz of the ’60s or the grinding overdrive made popular in ’90s metal, grunge, and industrial. A lot of distortion and fuzz pedals that are aimed at guitarists will have a tight low end, achieved […]
Continue reading →Univibe pedals are similar to phase shifters, chorus, or vibrato effects, but give your tone a unique color that can’t be accomplished with any other pedals. Introduced in the 1960s to emulate Leslie speaker’s “Doppler sound,” the effect uses a staggered series of filters (instead of the aligned filters in other phasing pedals) to give […]
Continue reading →If you play on a vacuum tube amp, you’re eventually going to need to replace your tubes, either because of a blowout or because they’re worn out and don’t play quite like they used to. Changing out your vacuum tubes can also be a way to add a new color to your sound and tweak […]
Continue reading →Although iconic, the Telecaster has a pickup system that’s not ideal. The bridge pickup has a loud, clear tone with a bit of twang that makes the neck pickup sound bland and muffled in comparison. As a result, many players either use only the bridge pickup—limiting their sonic options—or look to upgrade one or both […]
Continue reading →Fender’s Precision Bass was a revolutionary new sound in the electric bassist’s arsenal when it came out in 1951. The tone is both warm and aggressive, strong in the mid-range with low end depth. Though it was originally released with one single-coil pickup, the company switched to using a split coil humbucker in 1957, and […]
Continue reading →The original Tube Screamer was released in the late ’70s by Ibanez and was popularized when guitarists like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Joan Jett used it as part of their signature sound. This legendary overdrive pedal has since become one of the most cloned pedals in history; now, it seems like any company that makes […]
Continue reading →