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How To Play Twelve String Guitar – The Joy And The Peril

Author: Gyorgy Huba

The first step towards learning to play the twelve string guitar is the same as for learning the six string – play some chords and scales to toughen up your fingertips and get the muscles of your hands into guitar playing mode. A technical difficulty with the twelve string is that you need to press down on two strings instead of one to play a note. This needs some practice to keep fret buzz down.

Once you have some practice with the twelve string you will possibly notice, as have many other guitarists, that this instrument is best for playing chords rather than single note solos. The twelve string has a distinctive sound which is interesting when used for solos but is really at its best with open chords ringing out.

The first four pairs of strings are an octave apart. Tuning is quite critical with the twelve strings so it would be best to use an electronic tuner.

One of the most famous twelve string guitar players was Leadbelly, one of the pioneer blues players of the first half of the twentieth century. So let’s take a look at playing the blues on the twelve string guitar. As the blues usually features guitar solos of single notes so you will need to work on your single note playing technique. Many blues players recommend tuning the twelve string guitar to an open G or E chord. Also to bring out the full vibrant beauty of the twelve string sound, use a slide to get the real bluesy effect.

Here are some tunings you can use for slide playing on a twelve string guitar:

Open A: eE aA eE aAC# C# EE

Open C: cC gG cC eE gG cC

Open D: dD aA dD f#F# AA DD

Open F: cC fF cC fF AA CC

Open G: dD gG dD gG bB dD

Hawaiian: cC gG cC gG AA EE

Slack C: cC gG cC gG CCCC

George Harrison of The Beatles played a Rickenbacker 360/12 twelve string guitar in the movie A Hard Days Night and this inspired Roger McGuinn of The Byrds to go out and buy one and feature it on records. Harrison played twelve string on You Can’t Do That, one of The Beatles’ early hits so find that track and have a listen to the sound. And go to YouTube to find some examples of The Byrds music. Leo Kottke is another artist who has used the twelve string guitar to good effect as a solo instrument.

And finally have a listen to Led Zeppelin and The Eagles using double neck guitars to switch between six and twelve strings on Stairway To Heaven and Hotel California.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/how-to-play-twelve-string-guitar-the-joy-and-the-peril-1131157.html

About the Author

Newbie guitar players are flocking to Guitar How-To for the free articles, tutorials and videos on every aspect of guitar playing you can think of. Fast track your guitar expertise now at http://guitar-how-to.com/

Acoustic Electric Guitars

Author: Peter Suhm

Acoustic electric guitars: is this not a contradiction in terms? After all, “acoustic” describes music, or a musical instrument that is not electronically amplified; “electric” however, implies that the music or musical instrument is electronically amplified. Well actually, the wonderful thing about acoustic electric guitars is that they combine both the qualities of the acoustic, which is to control, absorb, and carry sound, as well as the qualities of the electric which is to amplify the sound. Acoustic electric guitars give the player and the listener alike the full benefit of both acoustic and electric qualities.

Acoustic guitars have a hollow body (or at least a portion of the body is hollow) like acoustic instruments, but they also have electric pickups mounted directly onto the body. The purpose of an acoustic electric guitar is to get the tones of an acoustic, but with an increased volume. The most basic and original kind of acoustic electric guitar is an acoustic that has been fitted to include pickups. When these were first introduced, the major problem was with feedback. The electronic pickups couldn’t handle all the vibrations of the instrument and the electrical currents, so a screaming feedback often resulted. In addition, the acoustic sound was often compromised as well because the electric pickups simply could not manage the high frequency sounds.

Today, most acoustic electric guitars have piezoelectric pickups which require a preamplifier made directly into the body of the guitar. The more advanced acoustic electric guitars of today have eliminated these problems and enhanced the quality of sound as they are designed to be truly acoustic-electric as opposed to being acoustic guitars with an electric add-on.

There are two kinds of acoustic electric guitars: the acoustic-electric classical guitar, and the basic acoustic electric guitar. The acoustic-electric classical guitar was designed to amplify the sound. This guitar is first an acoustic instrument, and the electric component is added. This idea was then improved upon, thus the invention of the acoustic electric guitar. Generally speaking, you can remember that acoustic electric guitars are primarily regarded as acoustic instruments because the pickups produce a signal from the vibration of the guitar’s body rather than from the vibration of the strings.

The most valued benefits of an acoustic electric guitar are 1) the ability to plug your instrument into a console without the need for expensive microphone equipment, and 2) the ability to play at very loud volumes while still maintaining the clear, sharp, beautiful tones of the acoustic guitar. These guitars produce both clarity of tone as well as volume and are an excellent choice for many musicians.

The term acoustic electric guitars is not at all a contradiction of terms, rather it refers to the type of guitar that produces an incredible sound at concert levels by its innovative design.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/acoustic-electric-guitars-590478.html

About the Author

My name is Peter Suhm and i have played music since i was 9 years old.
Visit my website about electric guitars here:

http://www.find-electric-guitars.info

The Acoustic Bass Guitar: A Relative Newcomer

Author: Victor Epand

If you find out someone is a guitarist and you ask them what kind of guitar they play, chances are that the answer will not be “the acoustic bass.” In the world of guitars, this instrument does not have an overly large following. It lacks the historical tradition of the classical acoustic guitar and the sexiness of the electric bass. However, the acoustic bass should not be discounted, as it does hold a certain place in the world of music. Although rarely utilized in its early years, it gained a foothold during the late 1980s when it was used during MTV Unplugged programs.

Acoustic bass guitars are an extremely recent advent as compared with most other versions of the instrument. The first acoustic basses on record are those made during the 1950s, and the first modern such instrument was developed in the early 1960s. The modern acoustic bass is accredited to Ernie Ball of California, who was supposedly felt that since electric guitars had bass instruments, acoustic guitars should too. Regardless of his motivation, Ball went on to collaborate with a man named George Fullerton and together, the two of them developed the first commercially produced acoustic bass, the Earthwood. This instrument was produced from 1972 to 1974 and again from 1976 to 1985.

An acoustic bass guitar, unlike its electric cousin, has a hollow wooden body similar to that of a steel-string acoustic guitar. It is generally fretted and possessed of four strings, although variations on this makeup do occur. The sound produced by this instrument is quite low, and as a result it can be difficult to hear unless an amplifier is used. Therefore, most acoustic basses have pickups that allow them to be used with amplifiers. Manufacturers of these instruments include Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, Tacoma and a number of other companies.

It should be noted that while the modern acoustic bass dates back only to the 1950s, traditional Mexican music has utilized this instrument for much longer. This style of music actually uses several kinds of acoustic basses. One of the most common is the “baja sexto,” which resembles a twelve-string guitar that has simply been tuned an octave lower. This instrument has been used in Texas since the 1920s, when “Tex-Mex” music began to become popular. A variation on the baja sexton is the “bajo sexton,” which is tuned slightly differently.

Finally, it is impossible to discuss bass guitars without bringing up the “guitarron,” the largest of the Mexican acoustic basses. This instrument is very large and has a strikingly deep body. It has six strings, as opposed to the modern acoustic bass’s four, and is commonly used in the music of mariachi bands. Because of its great size, the guitarron produces a loud sound and does not require electric amplification, at least in smaller venues. This attribute, the number of its strings and the fact that the guitarron is fretless all make it noticeably different from the modern acoustic bass. Despite these variations, Mr. Ball is believed to have used the guitarron as inspiration for his invention.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/the-acoustic-bass-guitar-a-relative-newcomer-565450.html

About the Author

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for guitars, acoustic bass guitars, guitarrons, sheet music, guitar tabs, and home theater audio.

Fender Highway One Stratocaster Review – Great Deal!

Author: R. S. Rasnick

The USA-made Fender Highway One Stratocaster is located between Fender’s American Standard and the Made-in-Mexico Standard series. Rather than just being a “budget” American-made guitar, the Highway One Stratocaster has a vibe all its own.

The Highway One Stratocaster we examined came in a Flat Black finish. One of the cost-cutting steps of this series is Fender’s choice of a light nitro satin finish. It’s a personal preference, but we liked it, and the light finish will surely allow the alder body to breathe better over time.

The guitar features a large 70′s style headstock with big frets, a vintage-style tremolo bridge, C-shaped maple neck (with choice of rosewood or maple fingerboard), 3 single-coil pickups with Alnico 3 magnets, and a special “Greasebucket” tone circuit. The guitar also ships with a gig-bag rather than the SKB hardshell case that comes with the Fender American series.

Upon playing the Highway One Stratocaster, it becomes immediately clear that the guitar is a quality, USA-made six string, even if it’s got some major differences that set it apart from the American Standard series. As we’ve already stated, we dug the nitro finish and value the result it has on the guitar’s tone (yes, finish does affect tone). Individual notes and chords just seemed to resonate better than with glossy finishes.

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We decidedly loved the pickups, which had a little more “punch” and dirt than American Standard pickups do. We especially dug the Greasebucket circuit, allowing you to diminish the highs without simultaneously increasing the bass. This instrument is especially suited for blues and classic rock tones.

The neck might not be for everyone, but we really liked it. The 70′s headstock is purely an aesthetic decision, but the large frets and satin finished C-shape neck just felt right in our hands. Strings bent like “buttah” and the neck really helps sweep arpeggios and fast runs. It requires the right touch, but we felt like the neck was really well done (we opted for the maple fretboard, by the way).

If you’re not a fan of larger frets, you probably won’t dig the feel, but we thought it was quite comfortable and gave the Highway One Stratocaster a feeling all its own.

With a street price of around $700, the Fender Highway One Stratocaster is a first-class USA-made instrument at a price that won’t break your piggy-bank. From its classy satin finish to its lovely C-shaped neck, the Highway One Stratocaster is an instrument that we highly recommend to Strat devotees who want an instrument just a little bit different.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/fender-highway-one-stratocaster-review-great-deal-1764122.html

About the Author

Need to find the cheapest prices on a used or new Fender Highway One Stratocaster? Then head on over to Ray’s Guitar Shop, which offers the lowest prices on all used and new guitars (electric and acoustic). It doesn’t matter if you need a Fender Stratocaster, a Gibson SG, or a PRS Custom 24, they can help you find the perfect guitar.

Ibanez Electric Guitars

Author: Peter Suhm

Ibanez electric guitars are inseparable from their Japanese roots as the Hoshino Gakki musical Instrument Co. in Japan imported Salvador Ibanez instruments as far back as the late 1920s. The Ibanez Company was eventually bought by Hoshino Gakki and by the late 1950s Ibanez electric guitars were being fabricated solely in Japan. Since 1982 Ibanez electric guitars have been sold on the international market.

Originally the Ibanez electric guitars were imitations or copies of already established models made by Fender and Gibson, but by the late 1970s Ibanez emerged on the market with their own unique models, the Iceman, and the Ibanez Roadstar, thereby securing their place in the market of electric guitars. Since the production of the Iceman and the Roadstar, the company has no longer been producing copies of other models.

The Ibanez Roadstar series features 24 fret slim necks and most of the models have bolt-on necks with high-performing tremolos. One way to easily identify an Ibanez electric guitar is by the “Monkey grip” or the “Lion’s Claw” just below the tremolo. Vine or Pyramid inlay are also signature design qualities of Ibanez electric guitars. Today’s Roadstar guitars include a 6-step special treatment to the fret board for more comfortable playing. Ibanez also designed the “S” series which is now famous for its ergonomic and light weight bodies made of mahogany wood. As intricate design is ingrained in Japanese esthetics, it is no surprise that the Ibanez electric guitars include delicate inlay in their design.

Some of the famous musicians who favor the Ibanez electric guitars are Frank Gambale, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Nuno Bettencourt. Herman Li, guitarist for Dragonforce, is the newest endorser of Ibanez guitars. Frank Zappa’s guitarist, Steve Vai formed a relationship with Ibanez in the early 1990s, a collaboration that resulted in the Ibanez JEM and the Ibanez Universe models. Soon after the success of the JEM, a lower-priced version of this model appeared on the market and it too, was an instant hit among electric guitar enthusiasts.

Also true to Japanese manufacturing that aims for high quality at low cost, Ibanez electric guitars are noted for being amongst the best made guitars on the market for the best price. With so much bang for your buck, you really can’t go wrong with an Ibanez. In 2002 the company released the new Artcore series, a hollow body guitar aimed to attract the novice guitarist. Since then, the Artcore is considered to be among the very best value guitars on today’s market.

With its beginnings in Spain and its foot in the door to the Japanese market before its destruction in the Spanish Civil War, the Ibanez Company survived incredible obstacles, finally securing its place in the world market for electric guitars. This is truly remarkable and speaks highly for the persistence and dedication to excellence that has made the Ibanez electric guitar what it is today: an awesome instrument worthy of the passionate player’s attention.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/ibanez-electric-guitars-590487.html

About the Author

My name is Peter Suhm and i have played music since i was 9 years old.
Visit my website about electric guitars here:

http://www.find-electric-guitars.info