Guitar deals for Black Friday 2017

There's some good ones this year, and you'll definitely want to check these out. If you get the jump on them before November 24 (which is when Black Friday is for 2017), you won't have any problem getting any one of these.

Gibson Les Paul Studio Gold Series

Definitely one of the best looking Les Paul guitars I've seen. It's done so well that you forget the fact it's a Studio and not a Standard model, which basically means no body/neck binding. And since it's a Studio model, it's priced lower than the Standard. You really don't get all that much more with the Standard other than a higher price tag, so this one is a really good deal.

It should also be noted that, thankfully, there is absolutely none of that wacky robot tuner garbage nor any other "improvements" on the Studio model. It's a true Les Paul, the way it should be. No awful surprises here.

Schecter C-1 SGR

This is a guitar I've mentioned recently, and as luck would have it, it's an unbelievably good Black Friday deal. The price is LOW and the quality is HIGH. Great guitar to give as a gift or to have as a spare. It's also mod-friendly, so if you want to swap out the pickups and tuners (not that you need to,) no problem.

Protege by Cordoba C100M Full Size Classical Guitar with Gig Bag and Tuner

Where nylon string (meaning not steel string) classical guitars are concerned, I like the fact this one comes with everything you need. Guitar, gig bag and tuner. Do you need anything else? Nope.

If you've never played a classical guitar before with nylon strings, they are very easy to play - especially for those with sensitive hands and fingers. The nylon strings don't hurt the fingers at all and are easy to press down to the fingerboard.

ESP LTD EC100AT

This guitar is already priced low, but right now it's priced even better.

This guitar is Les Paul shaped, but the neck is a thin-U shape contour with extra jumbo frets on the fretboard. That basically means if you like a Les Paul but prefer the thinner neck with bigger frets for easier soloing, this is the guitar for you. Yes, it has the same 24.75" scale as a Gibson Les Paul, yes it does have body and neck binding and yes, it has traditional passive electronics (which makes for easy modding.)

Again, this guitar is priced low, but with the 20% extra taken off, it's a steal.

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How to sound like Dimebag Darrell

This sound is actually not difficult to achieve when you know how it was done.

There are a lot of metal guitarists that think that Dimebag's tone was amazing, specifically on the Vulgar Display of Power album.

I'll tell you how to get that guitar sound, but before I do, know this: It's actually a really crappy sound.

Why is Dimebag's sound so crappy? Because on its own, it's nothing but awful '90s era solid-state digital junk. Dimebag was known to use Randall solid-state amps and Korg (yes, Korg) digital pedal effects.

Today, we have proper digital amp modeling technology that actually sounds right, such as with the DigiTech RP360 or even the cheapest Fender Mustang amplifier. But back in 1991 when Vulgar was recorded, guitar tech was in this weird state where it was a mishmash of '70s solid-state and late '80s/early '90s digital nastiness.

On to the tone...

I'll use Walk as the example and explain how to get this. First I'll describe the guitar you need, the rhythm sound, then the lead sound.

Which guitar to use?

All you basically need here is any guitar that has a pair of high-output pickups. Even a cheap Squier Mustang HH would work.

If however you also want to capture Dime's lead tones, you'll need a guitar with a proper Floyd-Rose style tremolo system. And by proper I mean the kind that won't fall apart in a year from regular use. The guitar I suggest here is Schecter Hellraiser C-1 FR.

Rhythm

It's very obvious the guitars are doubled to add in mids and bottom end. My ear hears this immediately, which tells me one recorded guitar on its own during recording sessions wasn't good enough.

If recording at home, this isn't a problem to recreate. Just record the rhythm guitar twice and then adjust levels.

In a live situation, the easiest way to simulate this is to use a digital delay pedal like the BOSS DD-7. What you do is add one very short repeat, almost like a slap-back delay. The end result of this is a tone that has more mids and bass. It won't sound exactly like doubled-up guitars, but it will be real close.

Lead

On Walk, this is nothing but neck pickup. It was EQ'd to be nothing but midrange frequencies. There is no bass and not much treble going on either.

If you're a metal player, you know what "scooping the mids" means. This lead tone is the exact opposite of that. Instead of mid down/bass up/treble up, it's mid up/bass down/treble down. This is what was done in the studio to allow the lead guitar sound to cut through the mix and be heard.

A ridiculous amount of distortion was used for the lead tone. At no time during the solo does Dime pause significantly between notes, because it's probably true if he did, a BUZZZZZZ (pickup noise) would have been heard from all the crazy amounts of gain used. You'll also notice at the end of the solo, the lead guitar is very quickly cut out of the mix, again to prevent hearing that BUZZZZZ...

As idiotic as this sounds, the way to get this sound live is to actually use a second gain pedal. Overdrive, specifically. Yes, I am literally saying to overdrive your distortion.

Before telling you what pedal to use, know that distortion + distortion is bad. It won't work, sound terrible and the sound coming out of the amp will actually get quieter.

The pedal that will work best for layering over your distortion for a Dime style lead tone is a cheap BOSS SD-1 Super Overdrive. That pedal has exactly what you need. Drive, level, and most importantly, tone.

If you're crafty enough, you could actually use the bridge side pickup and make it sound like a neck pickup. How? Turn the tone control on the overdrive pedal down. Will it work for you? It might. If it doesn't, just switch to your neck pickup instead. No big deal.

Will distortion + overdrive be a buzzy mess? You will get some buzz and there's just no way around that. When adjusting your overdrive, don't just crank it up all the way. Use only what you need to get the sound you're chasing after, and remember that when soloing, don't stop between notes or buzzy nastiness will break through.

Solos aren't that long anyway, so you can kick on the overdrive for the brief time needed, then kick off when going back to the rhythm sound.

...and that's it.

There's really no magic to Dimebag Darrell metal tone. It was early '90s nastiness combined with doubling up guitars. You can use any guitar you want as long as it has high output pickups. And for the solo stuff, Floyd-Rose is needed for that.

Seriously, that's it.

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These are the best looking guitars you can buy

Some guitar players just want a guitar that has the right look first before anything else. This is a list of the best looking guitars you can buy right now, some of which you can get for cheap.

Attracting men vs. attracting women

Guys buy many things to impress other men. Regardless if the man is straight, bisexual or gay, he will, unless told otherwise, always go for stuff to impress others of his gender.

Examples of guitar looks that guys like and women hate:

• Coffee table - This is any guitar that resembles the look of a coffee table. Girls hate these things because they believe the idea of wearing furniture is stupid. And I have to admit, they're correct.
• Flame top - There is no shortage of these. Again, this is about showing wood grain. Girls hate these too.
• V shape guitar - There are tons of these too. This is not a sexy shape as it's obviously angular and not curvy.
• "Relic" - Absolute woman repellent. Guitars that are purposely made to look old and beat up make women look the other way instantly.

...but it goes beyond just what women like

The amount of people who are not musicians greatly outnumber those who are. That being true, non-musician types have a very different idea of what they think looks good where guitars are concerned.

Relic styled guitars are, again, the kind that make non-musicians cringe the most. Even someone who is into steampunk fashion would look at a relic'd guitar and say, "Why would anyone be stupid enough to buy a new guitar purposely made to look old and beat up? That makes no sense."

Aside from the relic crapola, if a guitar is styled to the point of looking like a toy, that is also something non-musician types consider to look totally stupid.

So what's a good guitar look?

A good looking electric guitar has these qualities to it:

• Solid color that is not "loud" (no super bright neon colors)
• Tasteful array of shiny bits
• Curvy body shape
• A sense of elegance

It's the last one that most guitar players have a difficult time understanding. Elegance where guitar styling is concerned means beauty that is subtle.

A no-brainer where the elegant guitar look is concerned is just to look at hollow body electrics such as Gretsch Streamliner series. All of the Streamliner guitars have elegant styling. There's nothing "loud" in appearance, nothing in-your-face and colors offered are chosen carefully. Examine the styling used, and you can easily see why Gretsch is a proper gentleman's guitar.

Examples of good looking guitars that regular people can afford

Epiphone Les Paul Standard, Gold Top

The gold top Les Paul is can't-go-wrong styling. The Les Paul shape has always taken to gold very well. And the chrome and white works with the gold very nicely. In addition, this style of LP works anywhere for any type of music. Country, jazz, rock, metal, whatever. This just works.

Fender Stratocaster, Lake Placid Blue

The ladies in particular really like this color. They see the sparkly blue and say, "Ooooh, pretty..." If you're going to buy a Strat and want a look that the girls like, get this one.

Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar, Surf Green

The surf green solid finish in combination with the shiny bits (particularly the upper and lower chrome control plates) grabs attention in the right way with this Jag. This guitar always gets stared at in awe, even in Squier flavor. It has styling to it that's genuinely attractive. Weird styling? Yes. But weird in a good way.

(Side note: I don't like the Jag in this color, but even so, I know the guitar has a good look to it.)

Fender Classic Player Baja '60s Telecaster, Faded Sonic Blue

Faded Sonic Blue is obviously a color the ladies like because it has a bit of that "baby blue" going on with it. And there is no denying this absolutely counts as an elegant Telecaster look, especially with those brass saddles.

Gretsch Streamliner G2655T, Gold Dust

I mentioned the Streamliner above and wanted to show it. This particular one in "gold dust" finish (which by the way is on the front, back and neck) is a good example of a great Gretsch look. It's definitely elegant, and the pearl block inlays are a very nice touch.

Does the look of a guitar truly matter?

Yes, provided you pick a look for the right reasons.

These are the two rules to always keep in mind when buying a guitar:

1. Never buy a guitar to impress other dudes.
2. Never buy a guitar to impress other guitar players.

Keep these rules in mind, and you will always make better guitar buying decisions. Following those rules means you will not make the mistake of buying guitars like any Dean Razorback or EVH striped crap.

What kind of guitar look works everywhere?

The gold top Les Paul above does.

But there's also the basic black electric guitar. You can consider that the "little black dress" of the guitar world.

Fender designs with the one-piece maple neck do carry the basic black look best because it gives it a "tuxedo" style look. On the cheap side there's the black Squier Affinity Strat and black Squier Affinity Telecaster. For mid-priced basic black, there's the Fender Standard Stratocaster and Fender Standard Telecaster. For upper-tier priced there's the USA-made Professional Stratocaster and Professional Telecaster.

"But I never see these guitars in the guitar store."

That's right, you don't. Guitar stores as a rule stock the dopey, flashier stuff. In the rare instances they are in stock, they sell quick because there are a lot of guitar players that really like basic black. You will probably have to order yours online. And yes, it's worth it - even for a cheap Squier.

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Ernie Ball Slinky Classic guitar strings review

This is the first Ernie Ball string I've ever truly liked.

The Ernie Ball Regular Slinky is a string I do not like. Over the years, I've bought a pack every so often just to see if I could get along with it, and I just couldn't. The strings snapped too easily for my playing style, and overall sound was just too shrill.

However, there is also the Slinky Classic. It is available in sizes 8-38 (what I use), 9-42, 9-46 (heavy bottom), 10-46 and 11-48.

Why did I try this string? Because according to the Ernie Ball web site, it has a slightly lower overall output and less treble, but keeps the midrange and bass response the same as the Regular Slinky.

Is this true? Yes. The Slinky Classic is the first string I've ever actually liked. It's not as shrill as the Regular Slinky, and to my fingers these strings have a better feel to them.

Now as far as how long they'll last for, that I don't know as I just put on a fresh set at the time I wrote this. But so far, yes I am genuinely liking these strings.

Will I like them enough to switch over to using them full time? That I don't know either. Time will tell. But for now they're working out quite well.

In the end, yes it's true that the Classic Slinky is in fact a different string than the Regular Slinky. The Classic isn't just a Regular in different packaging. The feel and sound is definitely different. For me, it's different in a good way.

If you like the Regular Slinky but want something with a little less output and treble to it, the Classic works well. Its best application is on guitars with very trebly pickups to them (such as the Telecaster.)

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Review of 7 guitar string brands

Over the years, I've tried out many different guitar strings from different brands. This is my review of how they performed.

I'll start with the most recent brand I've been using:

GHS Guitar Boomers

The immediate cool thing about these is that GHS Boomers can be bought cheap. But that doesn't mean they perform badly. I've found them to perform quite well. They last a long time and handle string bending easily without snapping too early.

The best thing about these strings is actually the packaging. Each string is individually packed in the pouch with each clearly labeled. In addition, you do not need scissors to open the pouch nor the individual string packets. THANK YOU, GHS for doing this.

The cons of this string is that these take a long time to break in compared to other strings. And while they keep tune, I do have to tune up my guitar after leaving it sit for a day.

D'Addario EXL

The best thing about D'Addario strings is that they're available everywhere, at least in America. It's also very easy to find 3-pack bundles of them in several different sizes.

The second best thing about D'Addario is the wide range of sizes, gauge sets and string types. Everything from heavy bottom to half round (which means a semi-flat surface, the "middle ground" between roundwound and flatwound) to super-bright ProSteels, D'Addario has you covered.

The EXL is "the regular string" that most guitar players use.

My experience with the EXL is that it's good, packaged well and one of the freshest strings you can buy since people buy these so much (stock is routinely replenished and these don't sit on shelves for extended periods of time.)

Pros of the string is that a fresh set rings very nicely, don't snap prematurely and is one of the longest lasting strings you can buy.

Cons is that these things go dead real quick. Treble response can be gone in as little as a week if you play your guitar regularly, and they also seem to rust up fairly quickly too.

Dunlop DEN nickel wound

I used these for a while. Priced right, and the absolute best part is that these strings break in faster than any other I've tried. In my experience, I could have these things stretched properly in less than 20 minutes. I'm not kidding. They also last a while and keep decent treble response for the life of the string.

As for cons, I have opened up a bad set of these a few times. I've also opened up a few sets where the plain strings were showing rust right out of the packaging. And while the string keeps great tune and treble response, they have a nasty habit of rusting up early and denting.

Ernie Ball Regular Slinky

Like D'Addario brand, these are available everywhere and are easy to come by. They also keep a nice low price. A fresh set rings very brightly, and the strings keep their treble response for a good long while.

The major con of this string is that in my experience they are too bright to the point of being shrill.

Now if you're the type of guitar player that likes really, really bright-sounding strings for cheap, A Regular Slinky set will work well. Specifically, this string used on a guitar with humbuckers and played with a thin celluloid pick will bring out treble you didn't even know was there.

However, on guitars with trebly single-coil pickups (most Fender guitars,) this string can sound like an over-trebly mess.

Other cons of this string is that they do take a while to break in, and if you like bending strings a lot, they may snap prematurely.

DR Tite Fit

Great string. Stretches quickly on new installation, keeps good tune, treble response lasts for a while, packaging is nice, note-bending friendly, really nice feel.

My only real knocks against this string are price (other competing brands are cheaper) and the fact that finding bundled sets is not easy. And when you do find them, you usually get no discount.

To the best of my knowledge, DR does not offer 3-set bundles from the factory, so it's up to the individual seller to do so, and that's why the price for a bundle is high. It's too bad DR doesn't offer bundled sets from the factory.

Fender Super Bullets

There was a time when I used nothing but Fender Super Bullets, but stopped for two reasons which I'll get to in a moment.

Super Bullets have a great sound to them, break in fairly quickly and last a long time. The feel of the string is also quite good.

Here are the two reasons I stopped using Super Bullets:

First is price. You cannot get these strings cheap, and there's nothing about them that makes them any more valuable compared to competing strings. Average price is $8 per pack. That's almost double the price of most other brands.

Second is the bullet ends themselves. This takes a bit of explanation.

If you have a top-loader guitar like a Jazzmaster, Jaguar, SG or Les Paul, you won't have any problems with the Super Bullets.

If you have a guitar where the strings mount through the body like a Stratocaster or Telecaster, you will eventually have a problem. And that problem is the bullet ends getting stuck inside the guitar.

Every guitar player that has used Super Bullets strings on a Strat or Tele has at some point had one or more of the strings get stuck when they go to perform a string change. The way to get that stupid bullet end out is to take a discarded wound guitar string (such as an A or low E string,) bend it in half, shove that bent end into the top side of the hole where the string is stuck, then push and tap until that bullet end shakes loose.

After that, you treat the string channel. Spray a pipe cleaner with WD-40 silicone lubricant, run that through the channel a few times, and that will prevent a string's bullet end from getting stuck again. Don't use regular WD-40 because its lubrication will wear out too quickly and stink up your guitar. Lubricate the string channels once every 6 string changes or whenever the bullet ends start sticking again.

Love the Super Bullets, but hate the price and the bullet ends.

Dean Markley Signature

This is one of the longest lasting strings I've used. They keep their tune, keep treble response and are very note-bending friendly.

My issue with these is availability and price. They're usually not easy to find and like the Super Bullets are usually priced fairly high (around $7 per pack depending on where you get them.)

This is the string I recommend for guitar players who like a traditional nickel-plated roundwound string but don't play very often since this string lasts so long.

Rich's picks

I recommend GHS Guitar Boomers, D'Addario EXL and Ernie Ball Regular Slinky.

All three of these are available and are priced low. There is also enough variety in each brand to where you can basically find anything you need.

For example, if you're one of those crazy people that plays an 8-string guitar, D'Addario has that, so does Ernie Ball, and so does GHS. These are companies that have all the traditional and wacky stuff that guitar players are using these days.

With GHS, D'Addario or Ernie Ball, you'll get what you need and it will work. With any other brand, it's a bit of a gamble.

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