Fender Strat Giveaway...Woodstock Celebration

I am a sucker for a white Strat with a maple neck!And Fender is giving one away,it's gorgeous and only one of forty!

In celebration of the cultural legacy of Woodstock, this customized Standard Strat® guitar is produced exclusively as one of only 40 and is not available for sale. The Prize Package also includes the Woodstock Special Edition 2-disc DVD package from Warner Home Video.
Sign Up... http://www.fender.com/woodstock/contest.php

Best Rack Mount Guitar Preamp...Marshall JMP-1

If you are like me and prefer a rack system over floor pedals the Marshall JMP-1 tube preamp is a great piece to add.It is by far the most authentic sounding guitar preamp i have ever personally used,to sounding like a great sounding all tube combo amp or stack,bar none!
It is the only one that stays clean and tight on the low end,like an all tube amp does.The lows are tight and thumpy,not mushy and dirty.And...the great thing about this unit is,it is MIDI.And in addition,the line out,for recording is also killer sounding.
here are some specs...
* Four channels: two clean, two overdriven
* MIDI in, out, and thru
* Mapping facility
* Programmable stereo effects loop
* Speaker-Emulated and standard outs
The write up at Musicians Friend...
By combining Marshall valve tone with guitar-friendly MIDI technology, the JMP-1 establishes itself as the leading edge in rack mounted preamps. 4 custom-voiced channels are provided: Clean 1, for warm full bodied chords; Clean 2, for the glassy edge of a JTM45 and a spectrum of bright tones; OD1, for smoldering power and the searing tones of modern metal; and OD2, for tight, focused tone and all the sustain you could ever want. The JMP-1 has MIDI in, out, and thru connections plus a mapping facility. Also features a programmable stereo effects loop and Speaker-Emulated outputs (in addition to standard outputs), including an incredibly realistic stereo emulation.
So.if you are looking for a great sounding and very versatile guitar rack mount preamp,the Marshall JMP-1 is the baby to go with.
Musicians Friend... http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Marshall-JMP1-Tube-MIDI-Guitar-Preamp?sku=180410
Harmony Central user reviews... http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Effects/product/Marshall/9004+Preamp/10/1

The Perfect Club Amp...Mesa Boogie Nomad 55

Lets talk about an amp good for gigging clubs with.Number one,an all tube amp,Two,enough power to do the job by staying clean at higher volumes,and Three,enough foot switchable choices to go from clean to overdrive to distortion!Now...lets talk about the Mesa Boogie Nomad 55 with a single 12" speaker.This baby is sweet and filled with goodies!
It has 3 independent channels,each with it's own EQ.Channel 1 is for clean,2 for overdrive and 3 for distortion.And there is a Master Volume,so...set the channels up and leave it!In addition,you can switch out the power tubes from 6L6's to EL34's,with a bias switch included,i prefer EL's,for a milky sound and more synchronicity/feeling with the amp.And you can dial from 5 % up to 100 %!Also included is a speaker extension jack and line out,for recording.
This baby has it all,and eventhough it is no longer produced,you can still find them.Here is a review on the amp,at Harmony Central... http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar+Amp/product/Mesa%2FBoogie/Nomad+55+112/10/1
MesaBoogie... http://www.mesaboogie.com/US/What_s_New_/Amplitudes/New_Products/The_Nomad/the_nomad.html#55

A Mode For Each Note Of Major Scale

Basically, you have listed progressions in a Major key only. These progressions are all from the major scale. If you slowed the progressions down to the point where each chord is held long enough to be heard as its own tonal center, then you could apply the different modes to each chord.

I ii iii IV V vi vii

Respectively, this would be:

Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolean and Locrean.

Locrian however is almost never used as it is seen as an extention of Mixolydian or Phrygian.

Take the example of a I-vi-ii-V in the key of C

if you took it chord by chord, the modes would be:

C Ionian-A Aeolian- D Dorian- G Mixolydian

This is the way that I think in order to be able to outline the chord tones of each chord. Most people will just say, "It's all in the key of C so C ionian over the whole thing".

http://www.ibreathemusic.com/

Slapback Delay For Guitar

Slapback Delay is used a lot on vocals and guitar.It can fatten up the sound of a vocal or guitar track.It is especially useful on guitar for Blues and Chickin Pickin,and Jeff Beck uses slapback delay with a heavy mix,on a lot of his playing.
If,say,you can not build a delay preset or patch to match the tempo of the song,slapback also works well as a substitute.This is the problem with a lot of pedals without a "tap" delay function.You can not set up different delay patches or presets,that have different delay tempos to match the song you are playing!
Slapback delay usually falls between a timing of 40 to 120 milliseconds.So it is very quick,and does not require to be "in time" with the song tempo,while at the same time,it fills the purpose of "fattening" up the sound!
Some audio examples of delay times and slapback delay...
http://www.harmony-central.com/Effects/Articles/Delay/
http://www.fender.com/products/dynatouchIII/home.php ..."Chickin Pickin"

Guitar Pick Requirements

I am going to give my observation on playing with different pick sizes,stiffness and thicknesses.
I,personally have discovered that it requires a certain degree of playing skill to play with a smaller size pick(i am using the standard universal style pick,red green purple above,as the default).Once you begin to get smaller in size,it requires better playing skills.Also,the stiffer the pick,the harder it is to execute playing rhythm.And...the thicker the pick,the harder it is to control and execute accurate solo playing.Most players use the standard shape pick,in a medium gauge.Again,if i was a beginner,i would choose that shape pick, in a thin or medium gauge.Then once i got use to that particular pick,i would maybe move on to a smaller size.Then once i was use to the smaller size,i would increase the thickness/stiffness.
As a general rule for me....the heavier the gauge string(acoustic guitars),the thinner the pick i use.And the lighter the gauge strings,the thicker and smaller the pick i can use,accurately.This is just for me,you may find better solutions for yourself!
So...for beginners,i recommend the standard shape,in a thin or medium thickness.Then,if desired,move on to smaller and thicker/stiffer picks.

Change Chord Type By Changing Root Note

As you may or may not know,by changing the bass note/root note in a chord,you are changing the name/type chord it is.There is a good example of this at Premier Guitar.She uses,of all examples,the chord produced when simply strumming all six strings open!This chord is an Em7add11,the root note being E.She then uses A note as the root note,and Not changing any of the notes/E,A,D,G,B,E.The chord now becomes an A9sus4.She calls this "bargain chording".

The same concept,that,playing a common chord,or a chord you are familiar with,then charging the root note to one of the other notes in the chord,thus changing the name of the chord.This is chord efficiency at it's best!So check out more examples at Premier guitar,it is a good lesson in chord construction!

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2009/Jul/A_Bargain_Chord.aspx

Quick Music Fact...Flying Your Guitar

Ha everyone,here is a very important Quick Music Fact...When flying your guitar,it is important to remember to loosen all the strings down to no tension.The difference in air pressure can break a guitars neck if the string tension is normal,as when tuned up!

Quick Music Fact...Changes In Weather Affects Guitar

Here's another Quick Music Fact.Did you know that the weather can affect your guitars,especially your acoustics.If you live in a humid area you will need a dehumidifier.And the heat and cold will affect neck alignment/string height.Just remember,your guitar is constructed of wood and the weather has an affect on wood.

Why Buy A Vintage Guitar and Where

There is an informative article on why players spend money on vintage guitar purchases,it is over at ModernGuitars.
For me it is the vibe they have,along with the broken in feel and the tone or sound.Of course there is the bragging rights that some like also!But it is the vibe of the guitar,a uniqueness,a sound or character,the way it plays and sounds.And i gather,there are areas on the planet offering better prices than others.
"the fingerboard wood has something to do with the acoustic tone of a Gibson solidbody electric guitar"
"a ‘68 Les Paul Custom with its maple top acoustically sounds very different from a Goldtop from the same year; and (b) ‘50s Les Paul Customs with their mahogany body still have those tight treble harmonics"
"Like it has been here in the UK, the shop prices there consisted of the US price plus a substantial dealer’s margin. The situation changed for some reason and now, you can find a real bargain in Tokyo"
"buying guitars in Tokyo nowadays need not be an expensive affair"
... http://www.modernguitars.com/sugiyama/

Cheap Trick On 8-Track

Yep...you ask...what is 8-track?It was before the cassette,so it is an old format!Why this decision?But don't fret :-),it is just one of the formats being used.
"Unsurprisingly, finding a manufacturer for an obsolete-format release of the Seventies superstars' latest wasn't easy"...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/cheap-trick-brings-back-the-8-track/article1205531/
http://www.cheaptrick.com/

Guthrie Govan and Cornford Amps

I just discovered Guthrie Govan.He impressed me with his feel and styles of playing.And,he and Greg Howe apparently play the same amp brand...Cornford.Both players get great tone,so the amp speaks out!Guthrie plays some tasty stuff on this short audio clip and again his tone is warm and clear...
http://www.myspace.com/guthriegovaneroticcakes
http://www.guthriegovan.co.uk/
http://www.cornfordamps.com/launch.html

Greg Howe...Come And Get It

V-Pick Review

I recently received a batch of V-picks.So,i have been playing with the different sizes and thicknesses.I must say they feel good between the fingers and have a nice feel when gliding across the strings.The exact three pointed shape is nice also.So where ever you hold the pick,it is the same when hitting the string.The tone produced is warm,but my only complaint is the clicky noise you get when striking the string.This is more apparent with the thinner gauge ones.Again,the feel,tone and playability of the picks are very good in my opinion.As with all new picks,it takes one a while to adjust and really determine if it is the pick for them!
I give the V-picks a thumbs up for feel,tone and playability.
earlier post... http://guitaranswers.blogspot.com/2009/06/v-picks-new-ruby-red.html