Whether it's a used guitar I'm purchasing in person or a new one that arrived from an online transaction, I perform the 'Play Test' to assess the guitar for feel, sound, and playability. And, if you're performing the 'Play Test' in person, I suggest bringing a headstock tuner (I also bring a strap to sit […]
I call it research, and we all do some form of it. My investigation session starts with Sweetwater and Youtube. I load the Sweetwater landing page, type the guitar make and model in the search box, and watch the spinning wheel of death until my product page has successfully loaded. Next, I read the specs […]
One of the difficult things to overcome when you're learning an instrument is enjoying your practice sessions. Remember, it's called playing the guitar, not working the guitar. Nonetheless, there is work that needs to be done. But, you can get to a place where you will not only want to do that work but enjoy […]
I don't believe in resolutions because I've never been able to stick to them. I make them during the last week of the year, and on January 1st, I diligently begin my routine. After all, it's easy; I'm still on holiday break. But, in mid-January, the daily grind begins again, and my initial resolve is […]
"What kind of pickups do you use?" If you're like most guitarists, this is one of the most common questions we ask each other. Because we all know that, along with the guitar and amp, pickups are the primary source of the sound. Also, between humbuckers, single-coils, lipsticks, P90s, PAFs, Filter'Trons, etc., not to mention […]
Intro Online guitar lessons are great, and I watch them myself. But, too many choices plus an overwhelming amount of instructional content can lead to analysis paralysis. So, I watch them as entertainment. Or, as we used to say at the Guitar Workshop, edutainment. But what if you really want to get better? How do […]
We guitar players are a demanding bunch—and I'm no different. Now, I love gadgets and gear innovations as much as the next frethead, but some products furrow my brow as I noise (not so under my breath), "Really?!" I had read about the EverTune Bridge System and had not thought much about it. And my […]
The year was 1996, and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds was the "it" producer. He had produced the Revelations record for Wynonna Judd, and Eric Clapton did a cover version of the tune for the soundtrack of the movie Phenomenon starring John Travolta. This was my sophomore year at Music Sales, and I was recently promoted to senior music editor. And […]
From 2004-2006, I was the Guitar Curriculum Manager for WorkshopLive. This was the online teaching platform for the National Guitar Workshop, and it was my job to design the curriculum structure for the site. But I needed help to do this job. So, we flew in guitar experts with teaching experience and sat in a […]
Mid-2021, I was asked to lay down some guitar parts by a guitarist/producer on the local scene. He's one of the better guitarists on the scene, so I was surprised when he asked me to come to his studio. We spoke about what he was looking for, and I did a quick takedown of the […]