Guitarist

Ever spotted a set of ‘Send and Return’ ports round the back of a guitar amp and wondered what they’re for? These jack ports make up the effects loop, which is an infinitely useful feature when you’re trying to make external guitar effects sound as good as possible. In this article, we’ll tell you exactly which effects you should incorporate into your FX loop and why.

Two guitarists in one band: sometimes it’s a happy accident, sometimes it’s part of the plan. Regardless of how it came to be, to work together well, both guitarists will have to make conscious decisions all the time. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways for two guitarists to work side-by-side.

You’ve no doubt seen one clamped on the neck of a guitar before: a capo. Also known as a capodastro, this handy little tool typically features a metal, plastic or rubber-coated bar that, as soon as the device is clamped on, holds down all six strings at the preferred fret to change the pitch, essentially changing the key the guitar is in. Never used a capo before? Then read on to learn all about it.

You might not know it, but the concept of a headless electric guitar or headless bass is actually pretty old. In 1979, Steinberger released a headless model with a distinctively minimal design, and soon after, Hohner released their own ‘licensed by Steinberger’ models. During the last few years, a headless trend has been brewing and these less-than-standard models have experienced a comeback, so in this blog we dive into the benefits and the pitfalls of owning your own headless guitar or bass.

While the guitar industry is fairly conservative when it comes to innovation, some recent developments are worth checking out. So, if you’ve never heard of multiscale guitars before (aka models fitted with so-called fanned frets), simply read on and be amazed.

Suffering from Gear Acquisition Syndrome? Here’s the cure: instead of buying a new guitar, upgrade your current guitar! In this article, we lay out five ways you can upgrade your stringed sidekick and refresh its sound, look and feel. Ready for a make-over?

Since good posture always results in better playing, here, we explain the best and most comfortable way to hold your guitar whether you’re sitting down or standing up. While you can play an acoustic or electric guitar either standing or sitting, if you’re a complete beginner, we recommend sitting down to play at first. This will help you make a habit of adopting the right posture every time you play so that, when you do stand, you’ll be set up with the best possible way to play.

You happily tune up your guitar, your bass, your ukulele or another string instrument and a few minutes later it’s already fallen horribly out of tune. In desperation, you look to the sky and cry out to the universe: “Why won’t it stay in tune?!!” It’s a simple question but it has at least ten possible answers. So, depending on the answer, you might be able to solve the problem in the blink of an eye. Or you might be working with an instrument that’s in dire need of a good tune-up. No matter the problem, you’ll be able to find the solution in this list of the usual suspects when it comes to wonky tuning stability.

In this guitar-focussed article, guest-blogger Marc serves up a step-by-step guide on how to swap out the standard strap buttons of your acoustic guitar, electric guitar or bass with strap locks. Rest assured, it’s easier than you think and all it takes is a screwdriver and a little bit of your time. Let’s get started.

You’ve just picked up your first guitar and you’re already itching to start learning to play some songs. Whether you want to impress your mates, serenade your soulmate or more importantly, start making some music, our Guestblogger Alexousky is here to guide you through six classic pop tracks that you don’t just know already, but are actually really easy to learn. Have a look through, pick something that works for you, and get to grips with a nice and short, classic little riff or an immediately familiar set of chords that you can get your mates singing along to.

Guest-blogger and multi-instrumentalist Nigel Hubée reveals how he bumped the foot percussion of the acoustic duo he’s one half of (The Tickets) up to the next level with a mix of self-contrived drums, a fresh take on an old-school hi-hat, and modern digital technology. Read on and learn!

Plenty of solo guitarists and artists want to back up their live gigs with a beat, but simply tapping your foot in time simply doesn’t cut it. You could set up a cajon and kick pedal, but for most musicians, this might feel a bit unnatural and start hindering the show. To solve this problem, Ortega offers a new and innovative solution in the form of their Stomp Box Series