Rich's favorite types of guitar tuners

When I say "guitar tuner" I'm not talking about the tuner keys that wind/unwind strings but rather small little devices that assist you with tuning your strings.

Before I list off the devices I do like, I'll list the ones I don't like first.

• Tuner-in-a-pedal - Complete waste of space, and bulky.
• Standalone box - These are little gray or black boxes that operate on battery that you have to plug your guitar into to use. These aren't bulky, but annoying.
• Rack-mounted tuner - Biggest waste of space there is. You're devoting an entire 1U rack space just for a tuner.

My favorite types of tuners:

On-board to the guitar itself

Certain acoustic guitars have tuners built right in, such as Ibanez AEL20E. As far as I'm concerned, all electric-acoustics should have an on-board tuner.

Clip-on

The Snark Clip-On tuner is fantastic. Clip it on and tune up. And the display is just plain cool looking. It even comes in different colors like red and blue.

Headstock

The mini headstock guitar tuner is just plain awesome, mainly for the reason you can leave it clipped to your headstock all the time if you wanted. Small, easily readable and stays out of your way. You can even leave it there when performing live so you can do super-fast quick tunings between songs.

permalink

Cheap easy ways to get great vintage electric guitar tone

You don't need expensive gear to get great vintage tone. Instead you just need to know a few tricks and use the right effects, and you'll be sounding vintage-awesome in no time.

1. Sixties Mud

• Era: Late 1960s
• Guitar needed: Doesn't matter, use whatever you have
• Effects needed: Overdrive or distortion
• Example: No Time by The Guess Who (listen for the "fuzzy" guitar)

Many recordings of the "hippie era" of music were very dirty and ugly, and what many guitar players did was simply crank up huge amounts of gain and turned the guitar's tone control to zero. This resulted in a seriously muddy sound, but they were almost forced to do that because if the tone was up, the "clack" of the guitar would have overpowered the singer.

To achieve this tone is easy. Crank up huge amounts of gain/overdrive/distortion, switch to the neck pickup on your guitar, then turn the guitar's tone control to zero. Yes, it will be muddy and take a while to figure out how to work with it. My advice here is simple, let it be muddy and work with it as best you can. You can basically only do simple solos and power chords with this type of sound, but that's fine.

It is true more often than not that using a neck-position humbucker (such as with guitars with the HH pickup configuration) work better for that zero-tone mud sound, but you can use a single-coil and get away with it.

2. Surf

• Era: Late 1950s/early 1960s
• Guitar needed: Strat, Jaguar or Jazzmaster by Fender or Squier
• Effects needed: Reverb and Compressor
• Example: Miserlou by Dick Dale and the Del-Tones

Surf music is something that is for all intents and purposes "a Fender thing". You want the surf, you need a Strat, Jag or Jazzmaster.

With any of those 3 guitars, go to the bridge position pickup, crank the volume and tone all the way to 10.

You'll need reverb at this point. If you have a Fender amplifier with its own spring reverb, you're good to go. Crank that up to 10. If you don't, you'll need a reverb pedal.

Ordinarily I am very against reverb pedals because I think they all sound terrible, but, if you want the surf sound and you have no spring reverb, yeah you need it.

The only reverb pedal I recommend is the DigiTech DigiVerb, for the reason it has a "Hall" setting, and that's the closest thing to a Fender natural spring reverb.

Again, it's better if you have the real-deal Fender spring reverb for surf music. Fender still puts this in many of their amplifier heads, even on the lower-priced models.

As far as the compressor is concerned, you only need light compression. Add too much and it will stick out too much.

The compressor to get is the MXR Dyna Comp. Very easy to operate (there's only 2 knobs), very easy to get just the right amount of punch you need. It may not look like much, but believe me, these things are awesome.

You will really like having a compressor pedal in your setup. Compressors aren't just for surf as they can be applied to many different types of tones - even for metal.

If you ever wanted to know how certain guitar players get that unbelievable sustain, chances are they're using a compressor. Some guitar snobs call using a compressor "cheating". It isn't. Compressors have been used for many decades, and it's only the snobs who believe otherwise.

When you first start using a compressor, you'll probably think, "This pedal really doesn't do much.." Wait until you start playing notes and chords on the higher frets. All of a sudden you finally have the sustain you were looking for and realize you didn't need better pickups, you needed a compressor.

3. James Bond

• Era: Mid-1960s
• Guitar needed: Doesn't matter, use whatever you have
• Effects needed: Reverb and Compressor
• Example: James Bond 007 Movie Theme

If you've ever watched any of the old Sean Connery-era James Bond movies like Dr. No, Goldfinger and the like, the guitar sound that you hear in the main theme is incredible. What a sound!

But how do you get it?

The James Bond tone is actually very similar to surf tone, but with only a few minor changes.

First, the reverb is turned down somewhat. Whereas with surf music the reverb is all the way up to 10, a James Bond sound is around 5 to 7. You will need reverb as mentioned above in the surf music section.

Second, instead of using the bridge position pickup, the middle position is used. It doesn't matter what pickup configuration you have be it SSS, HSS or HH, go for the middle.

Third, light compression is used (you will need the compressor as mentioned in surf above).

Fourth, you have to adjust your playing style slightly to get that James Bond sound, which is really easy to do once you know how to do it. Change your picking position. Normally, most people strum strings half-way between where the bridge ends and the neck begins. Pick closer to the bridge, which will result in a sound that has more of a "bite" to it. Yes, your strings will buzz slightly when you do this, but if you listen to the recording, the strings are buzzing in there too.

For example, on a Stratocaster guitar, when picking you're probably strumming over the middle pickup like most people do. For the James Bond sound, strum over the bridge pickup. For right-handed players (which most are) that means moving your picking hand, as in your right hand, back a few inches where you're playing closer to the bridge. You will notice the difference in tone immediately. Combine that with a middle-position pickup setting, some reverb and a compressor, and you've got the James Bond tone.

4. AC/DC from the 1980s

• Era: Early 1980s
• Guitar needed: Anything with a humbucker in the bridge position
• Effects needed: Overdrive or Distortion
• Example: Back in Black by AC/DC

The first thing to know about how AC/DC got that unbelievably awesome rock guitar sound they did in the 1980s is that you're always hearing two guitars. If you've ever played AC/DC songs by yourself and thought, "I'm close to that sound, but just can't seem to get it...", that's because you're only playing one guitar. The doubling-up of two guitars is the exact reason why AC/DC sounds as full as it does.

AC/DC's tone is best described as "full-stack Marshall", as in a Gibson guitar plugged into a tube-type Marshall head with Marshall cabinets, all cranked up.

While it's true you can play AC/DC songs on a Strat, a guitar with a humbucker in the bridge position does a much better job. Does it matter what kind of guitar it is? Not really. As long as you're using a humbucker on the bridge, that's really all that matters.

I will list a trick you can use to get AC/DC tone on a Strat in a moment. Keep reading.

Assuming you have a guitar with a humbucker on the bridge, getting the AC/DC tone is easy.

1. Use the bridge setting on your guitar where the humbucker is.
2. Turn your volume and tone all the way up on the guitar.
3. Use a moderate overdrive or distortion level. Remember, this is AC/DC which is more of a rock tone than metal. What this means is to not turn your distortion or overdrive all the way up. If you have settings 0 through 10 for example for distortion, you would use somewhere between 5 and 7.

Trick to using a Strat for the AC/DC sound

A Stratocaster is usually way too bright-sounding to get that AC/DC sound, but there is something you can do to get close to it.

The volume control on a Strat is a "natural" EQ. You would use the bridge position pickup setting like you would on a guitar with a humbucker, but the difference is that instead of turning the guitar's volume to 10, you use 6 or 7. This will cut out just enough brightness to be much more AC/DC-sounding.

"But I lose sustain when I do that!"

Yes, you do. But you can compensate for it using the compressor pedal as mentioned above. Remember how I said that you'd really like owning a compressor pedal and find a whole bunch of uses for it? This is yet again another reason to own one.

Trick to getting close to the fullness of the two-guitar sound

When trying to get that two-guitar sound on a single guitar, the effect to use here is a chorus pedal, but in a very specific way.

As I mentioned in my top 6 recommended guitar pedals article, the chorus pedal to get is the MXR M234 Analog Chorus pedal.

Remember, chorus literally means "a group of singers", meaning the effect is supposed to simulate more-than-one.

When applying chorus to get the AC/DC rock tone, apply it very lightly. You want only a very small amount of chorus to simulate two guitars when playing. It will take some experimentation to accomplish this, but it can be done.

And yes this applies whether using a Strat or a humbucker-equipped guitar.

5. Metallica from the 1980s

• Era: Early 1980s
• Guitar needed: Anything with a humbucker in the bridge position
• Effects needed: Distortion
• Example: Seek and Destroy by Metallica

This sound is actually very similar to the AC/DC tone. The same two-guitar thing is heard, the same "full-stack Marshall" sound is there, and like with the AC/DC sound, the Metallica tone is best achieved with a bridge-position humbucker (although you can use the same trick to get Metallica tone with a Strat as mentioned with the AC/DC sound above).

Getting the early-1980s Metallica tone is done by doing the following:

1. Follow the same instructions for the AC/DC tone listed above.
2. Don't use overdrive, use distortion. And yes there is a difference.
3. Use a lot more distortion gain, and as much as you can without the pickups buzzing all over the place.
4. Remember that while AC/DC uses a lot of open chords, Metallica uses a lot of palm-muting, otherwise known as "chugging". This is an essential technique to learn to truly get that early-80s Metallica sound.

6. 1980s R&B

• Era: 1980s
• Guitar needed: Strat
• Effects needed: Delay and Compressor
• Example: Let's Dance by David Bowie

Fun fact: Did you know Stevie Ray Vaughan (yes, THAT Stevie Ray Vaughan) is featured on the studio recording of Let's Dance by David Bowie? It's true.

1980s-era Rhythm & Blues/Dance tracks feature basically only one guitar - the Stratocaster. You hear Strats everywhere on R&B/Dance of the 80s, and they're usually drowned in effects, but that was the style back then.

Strat guitars in the majority of R&B/Dance songs of the 80s feature three effects more than any other: Compressor, chorus and delay - but no reverb.

The way to get that R&B/Dance tone is to do the following:

1. On your Stratocaster or Strat-like guitar, turn the volume and tone all the way to 10.
2. Select the 2 or 4 position on the pickup selector to get the "quack" tone.
3. On your compressor pedal, crank that up. Many 80s recordings are over-compressed beyond belief, so it's appropriate.
4. On your delay pedal, it's best to set it to a heavy "slap" sound, meaning a short delay that can be heard very easily.
5. On your chorus pedal, use a setting that isn't "warbly" sounding, and turn it up.

(Again, see my recommended pedals if you need any of the effects above.)

There is usually very little distortion/overdrive for 80s R&B/Dance music because guitars aren't supposed to be "dirty" in songs like those.

Remember that the tone is supposed to sound very non-guitar like. Why? Because in the 80s, dance music was all about synthesizers, which you may know as keyboards. Producers of the time were trying to get guitars to sound like more electronic than organic.

Alternative Dance/R&B tone

There is another flavor of the Dance/R&B sound, and that's an absolutely bone dry (meaning no distortion, delay or reverb) Stratocaster on the 2 or 4 position using nothing but chorus and heavy compression.

A prime example of this is P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) by Michael Jackson. The Stratocaster is VERY obvious there and in many other R&B/Dance songs. Very dry, very compressed. It is amazing how in-your-face the Strat sticks out in R&B/Dance songs of the 80s.

"I'll never be playing even half of these styles, and some of this stuff isn't even vintage"

Personally, I didn't really start getting good at guitar until I learned to appreciate other styles. And remember, anything over 25 years old is considered vintage. It's 2012, and that means anything from 1987 or earlier is real vintage.

Guitar snobs think vintage means a very specific thing when it comes to guitars, amps and effects. In the snob's mind, only rock music from the 60s and 70s is all that matters for vintage. Obviously, that's completely wrong. Vintage is determined by age first and not by style. In fact, one of the definitions for vintage is, "the year in which something is produced".

You will discover that as a guitar player, you'll find a lot more joy in playing if you learn as many styles as you can. If you purposely put yourself in a box and say, "I ONLY PLAY METAL" or something like that, break out of that box and try different things - even if it's just on your own in your bedroom.

If you're worried about your friends making fun of you for playing softer stuff, ask yourself a question. Who determines what you play on your guitar - you, or your friends? The answer is you, of course. Play what you want. It's your guitar, after all.

And if that doesn't convince you, you know from watching my videos that I bounce around with a whole bunch of different styles. A bunch of people see those videos and think, "Wow, I like all these different sounds". Well, getting different sounds means learning different styles, and that's how I learned them.

Learn all you can, and have fun. That's what it's all about, and that's why you play.

permalink

Should a guitar player own a bass guitar? Yes.

In my videos you periodically see a keyboard in view. Sometimes when I'm writing songs I use that for drum and bass tracks. However with certain songs, I need the real-deal electric bass guitar, and that's why I own one.

If you know how to play guitar, even if you're just a beginner, playing the bass isn't that difficult. The reason you want a bass guitar is the same reason I did - because it sounds better compared to a keyboard or detuning your electric guitar way down for the bass notes (which will sound awful).

My suggestion to anyone who wants to put a bass guitar in their collection is to buy the cheapest one that sounds good. It's not like you're going to play it very often, so it makes no sense to put any real money into it.

The only thing you really have to be concerned with is the pickup configuration. In my experience, the configuration to go for is either straight/straight (Jazz Bass style) or straight/split-coil (P/J style).

If the bass only has split-coil or only straight, don't buy it because you'll hate it, and it will sound "loggy" to you. The combination of straight/straight or straight/split-coil makes a world of difference because it covers the most range of tones that a guitar player would want. You can do anything from blues to rock to metal to country and everything else when you have one of the two bass pickup configurations.

Also, don't talk to bass players about buying a bass. You're a guitar player, and you want something that plays easy, won't wreck your fingers and can be played with a pick.

The best bass guitar for a guitar player is a cheap 4-string with one of the two pickup configurations listed above. This will be a bass you can record with easily.

4-string bass guitars that you'll like as a guitar player

(5-string models will be listed after these for those who want one of those)

• Yamaha RBX170 - I own a Yamaha RBX personally. Feels good in the hand and the neck isn't too long. The straight/split-coil pickup configuration fits any style I throw at it and it works great. This is not the cheapest bass there is, but in my opinion is the best low-priced electric bass that exists. The design hasn't changed in years because it was done right the first time.
• Squier Affinity Jazz Bass - This one has a straight/straight pickup configuration and is a very comfortable player.
• Ibanez GSRM20 - This is a "Mikro" short-scale bass, which for a guitar player is preferred because we play on shorter necks. This one in particular is the next best thing to a Yamaha RBX170.
• Dean EVO XM - This one has a bit of a "fat Les Paul" look to it and gets the job done.
• ESP LTD B-50 - I'd have to say this is the best-looking inexpensive 4-string. If looks matter to you, this bass looks really expensive, but it isn't.

5-string bass guitars that you'll like as a guitar player

The only reason you'd want a 5-string is for the low B on top. Rock and metal players particularly like having that super-low B note, so if that's your thing, here's some 5-strings to check out:

• Squier Affinity Jazz Bass V - Has the classic Fender look.
• Dean Edge 1 - At this point we're already probably getting into more than you want to spend. 5-strings do command a higher price.
• ESP LTD B-55 - Same thing as the B-50 4-string mentioned above, except in a 5-string version. If I were to buy a 5-string, it would probably be this one.
• Peavey Millennium 5 BXP - Peavey makes a good showing here with their straight/straight pickup configuration model.
• Ibanez GSR205 - If comfort is a big deal for you, this one probably has the most comfortable shape when playing.
• Schecter Riot Deluxe - This is one badass looking bass and has the hardware to match.

permalink

Are multitrack recorders any good?

It is true that if you wanted to, you can use your PC (Windows or Linux) or Mac to record multitrack audio completely for free using Audacity. That app may be ugly and not the most user-friendly thing in the world, but hey, it's free.

A problem when recording to the PC is that it's tough to get your guitar tone to sound right, and this is especially true if you use pedals. If using a Line 6 POD, then sure, you should be able to get a good sound when plugged in direct to your sound card, but with pedals it's not easy. Typically, pedals when connected directly to a computer sound very "buzzy" and there's not much you can do about that.

What's a multitrack recorder?

These are standalone devices that can record multiple tracks of audio, which some of you may call "layers", as in you "lay down" one track, then lay down another, and so on. Multitrack recorders are completely self-contained and do not require a separate computer to operate.

There are a few distinct advantages to owning a standalone multitrack recorder.

Compact

You can take a multitrack recorder almost anywhere. It goes where you go. You can't do that with a PC, and even if you have a laptop, it's not like you want to lug that thing around whenever you want to record.

Convenient

A standalone multitrack recorder is the easiest way to record your band. Bring it along to practice, plug in, mic up and start recording.

Yes, it's a studio!

Today's portable multitrack recorders are stuffed full of features that used to cost many thousands of dollars. Built-in effects, filters and a whole bunch of other cool stuff.

Computer connectivity

I know of no multitrack recorder that doesn't have PC connection options when you need to export audio, so it's there when you need it.

Here's a few multitrack recorders you can check out

• BOSS Micro BR-80 - One of the smallest multitrack recorders you'll find. The only real drawback is that it's mainly made for guitar players and not recording full bands, but if you write a lot of riffs, you'll love owning this.
• Korg Sound on Sound Unlimited Track Recorder SR1 - This is also a small-sized multitrack recorder with unlimited overdub capability, and has tons of effects and drum patterns as well that a lot of people like.
• Tascam DP-008 Portastudio - Tascam and its PortaStudio line has been around for a very long time and almost wrote the book on how portable multitracking should be done. Years ago I used to own compact cassette-based Portastudios, and they were great. Tascam is still holding up the tradition with modern digital models like the DP-008.
• ZOOM R16 - Not cheap, but worth the price. Very friendly operation, easy menus and one of the best for recording bands with.
• BOSS BR-800 - The big brother to the Micro BR-80. Sort of complicated to use, so read the description carefully before considering this one - but it's a powerhouse.

permalink

How to avoid Stratocaster-Les-Paul syndrome

I don't have a problem with people who play Stratocaster or Les Paul guitars. If that's what you like, that's fine. What I do have a problem with however are guitar players who are absolutely unwilling to try something different every once in a while.

I own Strats (both by Fender and Squier), and I've played Les Paul guitars (both by Epiphone and the real-deal Gibsons). However I've also tried other electric guitars that break out of that Stratocaster-Les-Paul thing, and some of them are pretty cool.

Before I list off the guitars you should consider trying out, the key to avoiding Stratocaster-Les-Paul syndrome is just a willingness to try different guitars that AREN'T Strats or Les Pauls. I'm not saying you shouldn't buy a Strat or a Les Paul. What I am saying is don't limit your options to just those two guitars.

Here's a few you may really like (and most of them are very affordable):

1. ESP LTD M-53 - This is primarily a rock/metal guitar. Has the reverse headstock, looks good, has the HSS pickup configuration and easy controls.
2. Squier Cyclone - Definitely different. Somewhat similar to a Fender Mustang, but without the complicated electronics and a really good looker to boot.
3. Dean Z-X - It blows my mind how Dean can sell a guitar this good that looks awesome for as cheap as they do. Fantastic looking burst, and fits just about any style of music you'd want to play.
4. Dean VX - Like the Z-X, except in a V-shape. Very cool.
5. ESP LTD V-50 - Another V guitar, but with sharper body edges. Probably the "most metal looking" guitar you can buy for the lowest possible price. I remember when buying a guitar in this shape used to cost $500+, but now it's half that price.
6. Squier Jagmaster - Very cool guitar to have for that awesome retro look, and probably one of the most comfortable body shapes Fender has ever put out. You wouldn't think so to look at it, but it's very comfy when playing sitting or standing.
7. Peavey PXD Tomb - If you want something that will get you noticed on stage (or even with just with your friends), you should get this. The body has a wild-but-nice shape and the headstock looks like bat wings (seriously!) Very cool. Stupidly simple operation. One pickup, one volume knob and that's it. Gorgeous all around.

permalink