What Makes a Good Guitar Speaker Cabinet

Guitarists are known for searching for many years to find the right conglomeration of ingredients to achieve their ultimate, individualistic, signature guitar tone. Of course, professional guitarists rely on a singing tone to separate themselves from the overwhelmingly majority of “hack” guitarists and cover band “wannabes”. All guitarists know that their tone originates with the instrument in their hands, and that their amplifier plays an extremely important part in converting their kinetic energy into sounds, but how many guitarists ever think about the construction of their speaker cabinet? Since this is the last line in the chain of offense when it comes to tone production, as much time and effort should be afforded searching for the unique cabinet that suits your tone and playing style best.

A discussion of speakers, drivers, and speaker cones, will be left for another article, the purpose here, however, is simply to discuss the different aspects of speaker cabinet construction that give each individual cabinet an inherently different tone. The type of wood used is reflected directly by the tone produced. Some popular wood choices are particle-board, MDF, plywood, mahogany, maple, birch, and poplar. MDF (pressboard) and particle-board are chosen for three simple reasons: they are cheap, readily available, and relatively stable. Since these woods are not particularly special nor naturally occurring, they exhibit sounds that are flat, non-organic, and less responsive. A flat, non-organic sound can be described as lacking of vibrance or life. These woods are used in the cheapest cabinets, with more funds funneled towards (hopefully) better speakers for the sound. Higher end, more quality built cabinets rely on tried and true tonewoods with their own particular sound qualities. As with guitar bodies, maple, birch, and poplar exhibit warm and vibrantly bright tone. Mahogany’s tone color can be described as slightly darker and warmer, and very pleasing.

Because most guitarists place their heavy amplifier head on top of their speaker cabinet (when not in a mutual combo assembly), stability and strength of construction is so important. Most manufacturers use glue to join their cabinet walls together, but higher priced, boutique speaker cabinet makers often go even further, many offering finely crafted dovetail joints for strength and long-lasting assembly. In addition to woods used and construction details, cabinets can be either open backed, closed backed, or ported. Open backed cabinets have the rear of the cabinet and speakers somewhat exposed, resulting in a sound that is more surrounding and enveloping, while exhibiting higher mids and trebles, with somewhat diminished bass. Closed back design promotes a high bottom end, with lows being dialed high and very responsive. Ported cabinets allow sound to be funneled toward the closed back and then projected through vents in the front or rear, allowing for punch and articulation of lower frequencies.

Unique construction and woods along with speaker choices are instrumental in the tonal differences present in various manufacturers’ speaker cabinets, and should be closely observed before purchasing. Knowledgeable salespeople at local guitar stores like Austin’s Strait Music Company are able to answer questions, pointing musicians in the right directions, and allowing them ample time and opportunity to try all sorts of combinations in their quest to find the perfect tone.

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of electric guitars and guitar accessories to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Guitar Neck Choices

A guitar, like many other musical instruments, is a finely crafted assemblage of many individual parts coming together to (hopefully) create beautiful melodies and harmonies in the hands of a gifted musician. Specific tonewoods are chosen and picked especially for their resonating qualities in an effort to make the body ring and vibrate pleasingly with the notes produced by the strings. In a previous article, the effects and qualities of popularly chosen body tonewoods were discussed and detailed. In this article, the aim is a dialogue concerning different aspects and considerations to be mindful of when choosing the type of neck for your favorite guitar.

The neck of the guitar is usually composed of a different wood than the fretboard or body. Most commonly necks are made from mahogany or maple. These two woods are known for their beauty, stability, and ease of carving. Newer companies have been experimenting with other materials than wood for neck construction. Graphite and carbon have become popular because they are extremely lightweight yet possess enormous strength and resistance to bowing over time. Necks have a metal rod inside the neck called a truss rod that must be adjusted periodically in order to keep the neck straight and in tune. A neck is constantly subjected to the stress put upon it by the strings, so a strong straight neck is direly important. In addition to the wood or other material used for the neck itself, necks are available in different neck shapes and widths, and some might feel more ergonomically natural to your hand or playing style than others. The variations of neck curvature can be anywhere from a gentle “C” to a more angular, almost “V” shape. Depending upon your style of playing and hand size, the neck’s curvature and width is definitely something to experiment with. A wider neck would possess a larger space between each string; a thinner neck the opposite. The way in which the neck is attached the body can affect the tone and sound of the guitar as well. Cheaper guitars have a bolted on neck. The body has been manufactured and a suitable neck has been bolted on. This is an easy and inexpensive process versus the more labor intensive, neck-through design used on many high end, custom guitars. Most players swear by neck-through construction claiming that the neck feels much more like an extension of the body and possesses much more sustain and tone because of this relationship.

In a subsequent article, fretboard construction will be discussed, and its effects on guitar sound will be outlined. In order to get a feel for the different necks described in this article, it is essential to get down to a local guitar dealer like Austin’s Strait Music Company and try all the different guitars they have in stock. One will feel just right in your hands, promise!

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of electric guitars and guitar accessories to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Guitar Fretboard Construction and Alternatives

As noted in previous articles, the guitar is an amalgam of many individual parts working harmonious and congruently to produce sweet sounds. Along with the choices, styles, and different wood components of a guitar’s neck and body, it is important to note the differences of the fingering or playing surface of the neck: the fretboard.

The fretboard, or fingerboard is the piece of wood or other material that provides the surface of the guitar’s neck upon which fingering is done. As fingers press the string to the surface of the fretboard, the length of the string is shortened, resulting in a higher acoustical pitch being produced. Unlike string instruments such as the double bass, violin, or cello, most guitars, fretless ones being the exception of course, have their necks embedded with nickel or stainless steel strips called frets which have been placed at proper intervals to provide a change of an upward half step movement as one fingers towards the body on the instrument. The mathematical ratio used for this placement results in equal temperment, allowing for a correct and even division of the octave into 12 half step intervals. Cheaply made guitars such as those made for children as toys do not possess this equal temperment and are not suitable for true playing since the rules of a tunable neck will not apply. The woods used for fingerboards on guitars and string instruments vary, and each possesses its own distinct sound and feel. Many guitars possess a maple neck and a maple fingerboard existing as one piece of wood. This construction is well known in Fender guitars, and many players swear that the sound of the maple fretboard in conjunction with the maple neck possesses a brighter, more cohesive sound and sustain than models that have a maple neck and a fretboard made of a different wood, namely rosewood. Rosewood is a very popular wood because of its brighter, more pronounced attack when compared to maple fretboards. Rosewood is often paired with necks made of maple or mahogany. Gibson is well known for its ebony fretboards that are paired with the mahogany-necked SG or Les Paul signature guitars. Ebony is the wood used for fingerboards of violins and other string instruments. As ebony is the densest of the three woods most often used (rosewood, maple, and ebony), it stands out as having the brightest sound and most articulated attack. Other materials used in fretboard construction are graphite and carbon fiber composite. Listeners and players might note their precisely articulated sound, if a tad more “manufactured”.

As well as the material used for the fretboard, detailing inlays and position markers differ from one guitar manufacturer to the next. These can be as simple as painted plastic to extremely ornate mother of pearl designs. Inlays should be chosen according to aesthetic taste for they have no affect upon guitar tone. To get the feel for each fretboard material and find your druthers, it is best to visit your favorite local guitar shop like Austin’s Strait Music Company, pick up every neck you can get your hands around, and get to fingering. You’ll be able to notice the differences described straightway and make a well-informed decision when purchasing.

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of electric guitars and guitar accessories to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Bass Guitar: Fingers, Picks, or Thumbs?

Beginning bass players often need a little guidance when approaching the large fretted, wide necked, and heavy handed instrument that is the electric bass guitar. So you’ve got it, now, how do you play it, right? Well, first, the strap needs to be adjusted for comfort and placement on your chest; usually beginners enjoy the bass a little higher on the chest for easier ergonomics and find that sightlines are better with the bass at a closer adjustment when getting used to the size of the frets and length of the neck. Many professional players in jazz and funk styles find that a higher placement allows for a better field of motion when using advanced techniques as well as higher proficiency during passages requiring more intricate, dexterously fingered playing.

Now that the bass feels comfortable around the body, how should it be played? Short answer: anyway you please. Long answer: there are a myriad of options. Bass players switching from guitar may find that the pick will be an excellent choice. However, thinner picks often must be traded in for thicker ones when attacking the thick cords of roundwound steel that make up the thick strings of a bass guitar. Once the right pick is acquired, let the picking and strumming begin! Now, of course, the bright sound resulting from the attack of nylon on steel by the pick will not work for every situation, and that is exactly why your right (or left, southpaws) hand has fingers and a thumb! You can float your hand over all the strings as you play, but that can get tiresome after awhile. A great place to rest your thumb when playing finger style is on the edge of the pickguard or on the string nearest you that’s not being played. Some bass players even place a block above the lowest sounding string to rest their thumb on as well, while others have a block on the other side (away from the player) to rest fingers when thumbing (not to be confused with slapping) the bass strings in the thumb technique used by players such as Sting. Slapping is a technique pioneered by funk bassists of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, most notably Larry Graham and Louis Johnson. The thumb is used to strike the strings in a hatcheting, tomahawk sort or fashion, often paired with a plucking (away from the bass) of other strings with the forefingers. All styles of playing require the player to do much more muting of strings than in traditional guitar playing. This can be achieved either with the palm or the upper divisions of the forefingers after thumbing, fingering, picking, slapping, or plucking.

Bass guitars can be played in all of the above ways, and new innovative techniques are coming to the fore each year by new virtuosic players bringing low down playing to new heights. Picks, cables, and basses, are all available at preferred local music shops like Austin’s Strait Music Company that are excellently stocked for outfitting musicians of all types and abilities with the gear they need.

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of electric guitars and basses to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Electric Bass: The Choice of the New Generation?

In a rock and roll rhythm section, the drummer and the bass guitarist provide the essential foundation over which the electric guitarist (lead and otherwise) and vocalist can provide melodic movement and main thematic material. Take the mighty Led Zeppelin for instance; Jimmy Page and Robert Plant’s virtuosic exploits were made possible because of the sure and true foundation provided by the locked in groove of drummer John Bonham and bassist John Paul Jones. An excellent bassist must have the ability to be a seamless extension of the rhythm of the drums. Perhaps better described, drummer and bassist should be the two-headed monster, inextricably bound by beat and groove.

Everybody knows the guitarists and the singers get the girls (exceptions and apologies of course to the many female artists like Joni Mitchell and Ann Wilson who “get the guys”). You never hear of the offstage antics of the Rolling Stones’ Bill Wyman, only of Sir Mick’s latest conquest (continuing to sire new heirs in his late sixties). Bassists have been painted as workmen over the years, playing their basses with precision (pardon the pun), but always staying out of the way of the fleet fingered, show-stopping guitarist noodling away stratospherically above. Case in point, can anyone think of memorable lines offered by Van Halen’s Michael Anthony? Without his sure foundation would Eddy’s slick lines be possible or could they get any monkey, strike that, Wolfie to do it? Okay, maybe Michael Anthony isn’t the best example, known mostly for his accomplished background vocals, not for his prodigious counterpuntal basement bass lines, but the point should be well taken. Bass playing has not been the choice of most young men and women growing up in America because it has been painted as boring compared to guitarists’ exploits. Name one bassist who has set their rig aflame or smashed it. Okay, I’ll give you Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic, any others?

What America’s youth need to remember when thinking about picking up a bass or a traditional guitar is that guitarists are a dime a dozen. An excellent bassist is in high demand, because so many are simply “want to be” guitarists. A bassist in a rock and roll band might not be glamorous, but he or she is nonetheless essential. This is a call to all youngsters, get down to your local guitar shop like Austin’s Strait Music Company, and pick up a sweet bass guitar. Feel its heft in your hands. Plug it in and give that low E a good pluck or thwack. You won’t be sorry. You might not be on a course to move mountains like Hendrix’s Voodoo Chile, but you’ll most definitely move hips and booties if you hone those chops just right!

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of electric guitars and basses to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Drumstick Choices

Each type of musician is afforded choices of different “peripherals” (if you will) to use in the performing and honing of his or her craft. Wind instrumentalists spend time finding their favorite reeds, brass instrumentalists, their favorite mouthpieces, and guitarists have a wide array of strings to choose from. Is it any surprise that percussionists have a myriad of choices when it comes to sticks? Striking a drumhead can be intense and aggressive, or soft and expressive, depending on genre and situation, and sticks have to be responsive to each particular situation, and some handle this better than others.

Since the tip of the stick is what most often provides the strike or hit, this is where one should begin in order to find the sound and response preferred. There are two materials available for drumstick tips, nylon and wood, each possessing its own singular and distinct sound. Nylon tips are known for their special ability to excel in intricate cymbal playing, being a popular choice in music that employs precise cymbal work (think fusion and jazz). Nylon tips have a brighter, more distinct sound while wood is the material of choice when a darker tone is desired. Wood tips sound more dense, thicker, darker, and more organic than nylon and are used often in situations demanding a deeper sound.

The shaft and butt (parts held in the percussionists’ hands) of most all drumsticks are made of wood, but the two types most used also possess their own distinct sound and feel. Maple sticks are used by players desiring a lighter feel and sound. Maple is inherently a light, porous wood, and sticks made of maple are faster because they are lighter in weight, requiring less energy to move them quickly. The sound produced is lighter as well, and maple is a popular choice among players of genres requiring subtle detailing and delicate snare work. The downside of using this lighter wood is the propensity for breakage with heavier use due to its lighter tensile strength. Extras should be kept handy. Hickory sticks are chosen by players requiring a heavier, thicker, or “beefier” sound because hickory is a much denser wood. Hickory responds well to the pounding required in heavier genres of rock and funk, with a thicker more solid strike and sound from solid hits to snare and tom. Sticks made from the heavier hickory are more durable and can withstand the abuse dealt out by hardier players.

Finding the right stick requires playing a wide variety. Local drum stores like Austin’s Strait Music Company have various manufacturers’ sticks on hand and encourage musicians to pick them up and hit their favorite kit for a while. Finding the right “thwak” for your buck requires a “hands on” approach, so get out there and grab some sticks!

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of drums and cymbals to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Choosing Drum Set Cymbals

For a new drummer, choosing the right kit is daunting enough even without thinking about the necessary accoutrements (cymbals, hardware, stool, etc.). This article purports to discuss several things to keep in mind when choosing cymbals explicitly, hardware et al discussions will have to wait! Though there are only basically five types of cymbals per se, they come in all shapes and sizes, not to mention tones and colors (sonically).

The five basic types of cymbals to choose from are ride, high-hat, crash, splash, and china. Besides these five types, there exists an inordinate amount of effects cymbals that provide every metallic, ringing sound a musician could ever dream up or want in his or her sound arsenal. Many musicians believe that when selecting cymbals, you should start with finding the right ride, and then buying other cymbals to complement it. Rides come in sizes varying from 20” to 22” in diameter, and thicker rides can be described as “dark” or “warm” while thinner rides are often heard as “crisp”, even “bright”. A good ride for jazz playing can be described as having a lower, darker sound that shimmers when struck. A darker sound helps allow your ride to blend with the other instruments while also having a distinct tone that can cut, especially when striking the bell. A brighter ride cymbal can be kept as a backup when a brighter, more cutting sound is needed dependent mostly on style and ensemble. The crash should possess a slightly higher pitch than the ride and usually comes in 16” to 20”. These are also offered in thick or thin, with the same rules applying to the sound quality. A thicker crash will have longer sustain and could get in the way of the other instruments’ entrances, while a thinner crash creates a nice “wash” of sound and then trails off, getting out of the way so a nice quality ensemble can be achieved. A good ear should be able to find a nice crash that will compliment the sonic qualities of the ride selected. A good pair of high hats can round out your kit, and will naturally cut through helping provide the rhythm of your ensemble.

Many musicians swear by hand hammered cymbals over ones that are machine cast. All cymbals are made from bronze, so material choice is not an issue. Many beginning drummers find that the pre-assembled sets are a nice way to go, with manufacturers guaranteeing the cymbals are “sonically matched” with each other. The truth is, to find the right cymbals, a drummer should play a lot of cymbals, observing not only the initial “crash” of the attack, but the upper and lower partials of the sound that resonates; a great cymbal sounds pleasing when struck quietly, and that continues to be the best way to observe all the nuances and overtones of the sound produced. Music stores like Austin’s Strait Music Company stock cymbals in all sizes and are happy to hear you while your time away, striking this one and that one, until you zero in on just the right cymbal to complete your kit’s distinctive sound.

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of drums and cymbals to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Electronic Pickups Affect Bass Guitar Sound

As with standard electric guitars, the sound captured by the pickups is extremely important in the tone achieved for conveyance to audience or recording. There are basically two different ways in which the pickups on bass guitars use electronics to capture the sound produced by the strings. Most electric basses use magnetic pickups to capture the sound created from string vibration. The other main type of pickups is non-magnetic.

Magnetic pickups possess magnets that create a magnetic field that is interrupted and fluctuates by the vibrations created when the strings are picked or plucked. These fluctuations produce electrical current in the metal coils within the pickups, creating an electrical signal that is then sent to the bass guitar amplifier for processing and amplification in order to be converted back into an acoustic sound signal. The magnetic pickups work in basically the same way as the coil within a dynamic microphone converts sound to signal, minus the diaphragm. Pickup arrangements come in various styles, each purporting to get the most sound out of bass string vibration. The main difference between magnetic pickups found in electric basses can be observed by the number of magnetic poles (4 or 8) and the number of coils found within the pickup itself (single or double). The tried and true methods created by Leo Fender when he designed the first electric bass have been mimicked in assorted ways over the years, with most basses possessing one or two pickups, usually one nearer the bridge for a brighter sound and one nearer the neck joint for warmth. A dual coil pickup is called a humbucker and possess two rows of exposed magnetic poles while the single coil pickup possesses just one. The other type of magnetic pickup, the soapbar, gets its name by its design (it looks like a bar of soap) and does not possess visible poles.

Types of non-magnetic pickups are piezoelectric pickups and optical pickups. Piezoelectric pickups use a transducer crystal to convert string vibrations into electric signal for the amplifier. Because vibrations are captured non-magnetically, non-metal strings made of materials such as nylon or rubber may be used. These different materials when used in bass strings provide a much different tone than produced by metal strings, often mirroring the sonic qualities of a double bass, especially on fretless models. Optical pickups use an L.E.D. to track string movement optically. This arrangement allows for high volume production without the annoying white noise or interference generated by traditional magnetic pickups at high volumes.

The best way to find the right pickup arrangement for a given bassist is by playing every kind of electric bass one can get their hands on. Local music stores like Austin’s Strait Music Company stock basses that are representative of all styles and brands to provide every bassist with a wide array of sounds and tones to choose from.

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of electric guitars to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.