I have seen the future of the electric guitar…
More than that – I have played the future of the electric guitar.

It was contained in the Peavey AT-200 guitar featuring “Auto-Tune” technology from Antares.   Intrigued by the wild claims of instantly tuning a guitar and simultaneously adjusting the intonation, I went to check out the Peavey guitar while at the NAMM show.  

On my way to the booth, the memories of unsatisfying past experience with the electro-mechanical robo-tune systems currently on the market ...

When musical instrument strings vibrate, the produce a fundamental tone (the “note” you are playing) and a series of overtones called “harmonics”.   The attack of the note (the sound when you first start the string vibrating) plus the overtones or harmonics (and how they change over time as a note “rings” or sustains) are what gives the particular instrument its sound.   It is how you can tell an acoustic guitar from an electric guitar or a violin, and why guitars ...

Another important thing to check when buying a guitar (see Guitar Buyers Beware) is if the intonation is set properly. When you “set the intonation” you are making sure the distance from the “nut” to the “bridge” is exactly the right length for the tuning and thickness of the string, so it will be “in tune” at every fret along the neck. If it is not set properly, you will be frustrated with tuning problems.

One of the key things to check when buying a guitar (see Guitar Buyers Beware) is if the action is low enough, even, and adjustable.

The “action” is a term for how far the strings are from the fret-board. For most styles of playing a “low action” (strings close to the fret-board) is better because it is easier to press the strings down to make the notes you want. This is ...

One of the key things to check when buying a guitar (see Guitar Buyers Beware) is if the neck is straight.

You check to see if the neck is straight by looking down the top edge of the neck’s fret-board to make sure there are no curves or bumps.

Sight down the bottom edge as well to ensure there is no warping or bumps.

To pick or not to pick, that is one question. Another question is which pick is best for me?

Many great guitarists in a variety of styles do not use picks. For example, every classical guitarist, many folk and country fingerpickers (though some do use “finger picks” – but more on that later), jazz players, and rock players in many styles. Just about the only type of music where I believe everyone uses a pick is in the ...

Ok, so you’ve found a guitar that may be right for you (see Buying the Right Guitar for You). Now it’s time to make sure it works well and will continue to perform.

If you are buying a used guitar and the action is set high (strings are a bit far from the neck’s fret-board), move on to another instrument because the high action may be covering up a variety of ...