The Difference a Pick Makes

Guitarists know that every piece of their equipment is of vital importance in creating their signature sound. While electric guitarists spend years finding just the right amplification and electronics that come together most pleasingly, acoustic artists spend more time experimenting with different tonewoods, fretboards, and often string combinations and bridge height. An interesting fact that many acoustic guitarists are well aware of is the different sounds that can be produced depending upon the material, size, and thickness of the pick used to create them. The pick is, apart from fingerpicking of course, the material that comes between a guitarist’s fingers and the strings, and its influence and importance should not be underestimated.

There are many different materials that have been used over the centuries in the manufacturing of guitar picks. Some of the earliest and most coveted picks were made from tortoise shells. Theses picks were known for their stiffness even when paper thin. Tortoise shell picks were also known to have lasted for many years, as long as the guitarist kept track of them of course! These picks are no longer made due to the international ban on their manufacturing in the 1970s, so guitarists will have to be satisfied with the non-organic imitators, and there are plenty to choose from. Celluloid is still used in pick making. It is also famously used in pin pong balls and hair styling combs. Their production is slowing due to their flammable nature, but can still be found. Many players enjoy the bright sounds produced by metal picks. The attack can be very aggressive and brassy; metal picks are often made of aluminum or copper and are found at most guitar shops. Japanese players are privy to the distinct sounds made from stone picks that are popularly produced in their country. These picks are quite expensive, going for nearly $20 a piece, but many players swear by their warmth of tone and durability. Most of today’s picks are made from a variety of plastics such as nylon. They, of course come in assorted colors, shapes, and sizes depending on the manufacturer. The thicker picks are usually most appealing to players that like to play at accelerated speeds because of the preciseness of their attack. A thinner pick does not have a high tensile strength, bending when coming into contact with the string and is unable to rebound quickly enough for the next strike. Plastic picks can have a brighter or a duller sound as well depending upon their thickness.

It is always good to try different picks made from different materials as part of efforts to find the desired sound. Most local guitar shops like Austin’s Strait Music Company have open containers of picks to try so get out there and put those picks to strings!

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 guitars and guitar accessories to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Choosing a Bass Amp

Playing bass guitar in a rock band can often be a thankless job. Thankless mostly, because bass players often go unheard beneath the screaming vocalists, the squealing lead guitarists, and the thunderous beatings of overzealous drummers. As a bass player, it is your right and responsibility to take your volume into your own hands. Allowing for enough volume, independent of PA amplification should be a primary concern. If included in the PA mix as well, so much the better, but an effort on your part to insure cut and volume is often a necessity.

The most important measure of volume for a bass player should be as compared to your fellow timekeeper, the drummer. The bassist and drummer can be viewed as a two-headed monster in a band, providing the integral rhythms upon which guitarists, vocalists, and keyboard players may build melodies and riffs. Drummer and bassist should have a nice mix between the two, allowing for clear articulation of the kick drum and of fingered bass strings in the lower registers. Bass players need much higher wattage than guitarists in order to produce a tight and cutting low end. As a rule, bass needs at least 150 watts to keep up with the 60 or so watts of a lead or rhythm guitarist and an un-miked drummer. If the drummer is amplified, another 50 to 100 watts is desirable to ensure your presence in the mix. The size of your speaker cabinet should be of special attention as well (Yes, size does matter!). A couple of 10 inch speakers are advantageous for their ability to carry the high end and provide the punch of trebles and mid-range frequencies. 10 inch speakers have less mass allowing their cones to move very quickly, providing punch and attack articulation. For low frequencies, especially the lower kilohertz provided by the B string on 5 and 6 string basses, a larger speaker should be considered. The larger amount of air that is moved by a 15 or 18 inch speaker will allow the large waves of the lowest frequencies to be heard and felt. A combination of both size speakers would be preferable, with many bass players opting for a couple of 10 inch and a 15 incher running in tandem to provide warmth and accuracy across the entire sound spectrum. Many bass cabinets also include a driver or horn that help provide well defined high frequencies by ensuring higher partials and overtones of notes cut through.

The best way to find the amplification you need is by trying all the many types and combinations that are made available at local music shops. Take your favorite bass down and play through a few setups and ask questions of the salespeople on hand. Local shops like Austin’s Strait Music Company stock all the major brands and have a friendly, knowledgeable staff that are willing to give you the straight low-down when comes to producing your deepest and baddest low end!

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.

Replacing the Bass Strings on Your Bass Guitar

When bass guitar strings are new, they produce brilliant highs and resonant lows, and are extremely responsive across the whole tone spectrum inherent to their size and length. As strings age, the dust, grime, and oils from the player’s hands stick to the strings, dulling their response and tone. Oxidation can happen to bass strings as well, making their stainless steel makeup lose its brilliance in color and resonant response. Depending on how often a bass guitar is played, strings might need replacing as often as once every couple months for the professional player or as little as once a year (especially if kept in the closet).

Provided a player has found a brand of string and thickness that he or she is comfortable with, and unless experimenting with new strings to find new tones or response, we will take as a given that the same manufacturer and style of strings will be used when replacement time occurs. Because strings are tightened and continually placing stress upon the neck and body of the bass guitar, it is advisable to not remove all 4 (5, 6, or 7) strings at once. A balance should be kept in order to keep the neck straight and true and to make sure intonation is not affected because of a quick release of the stress that the strings provide when on the bass guitar.

Lets begin with the lowest resonating string, E, on a 4 string bass guitar. Notice how the string is wound around the tuning post on the headstock, which direction is it wound around and how many times? This should be mimicked when replacing this string. Slowly turn the tuning key in the direction that loosens the string so as to not shock the neck with a quick release of tension. After the string is loose of the tuning peg, see how it is fed through the bridge at the base of the bass. Some bass guitars allow strings to be fed through the body and then through the bridge, while others are merely fed through the bridge. Again, take note, as this should be mimicked when putting on the new E string. While the string is off, it is good to take a rag and wipe off the grime that has collected on the fretboard before replacing the new string. Feed the new string through the bridge (and body, if applicable) and then through the tuning peg, holding it in place while winding the peg until enough tension exists to hold the string. If so desired, the E string an be tuned to E before proceeding, but just a relaxed tension is all that is necessary, fine tuning can be completed when all strings are replaced. This process should be repeated until all strings are in place, and then tuning can begin.

To find the bass strings and bass, for that matter, that suits your needs, it is in your best interest to try the different types offered at your local guitar shop. Austin’s Strait Music Company and other local shops stock many types and styles of bass guitar and bass guitar strings to choose from. Local stores are also a wealth of knowledge for musicians so get on down and ask and play away!

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 guitars and guitar accessories to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Acoustic Guitar Body Sizes

An acoustic guitar is a wonderful tool that allows a guitarist to express him or herself anytime and anywhere. Because no amplification is needed, a guitarist can create melodies and rhythms that can be heard by audiences of various sizes as the sound is projected from the resonating cavity of the instrument. The size of the guitar affects how loudly and deeply the resonant sound is.

Acoustic guitars come in various sizes that apply well to different situations, styles, and applications. A size that works well in accompanying a vocalist as well as for solo fingerstyle playing is the Grand Concert. It is smaller in size, so is very portable, and this compactness allows for a focus of tone that allows it to project well also. It works well for players with a slighter build without having to sacrifice tone or quality. The Auditorium size is a mite larger, allowing for more defined mids and lows, but still allowing for those smaller in stature to get their arms around it. For playing with others, the Dreadnought is a tremendous choice. It is larger and has the ability for more power and volume as well as possessing an extremely focused tone. The dreadnought is the most popular size acoustic guitar because of its unrivalled ability to be heard within an ensemble, especially with loud instruments such as fiddles, banjos, as well as other acoustic guitars. The articulation that a dreadnaught provides can be described as ‘punchy” allowing it to be easily heard and distinguished among other string instruments. One of the largest size acoustic guitars available is the Super Jumbo. Its large size allows for extremely pronounced low frequencies. Its bass is unrivalled by the other sizes because of the larger cavity it possesses. The power created by a super jumbo can easily fill a concert hall and cut through a large ensemble with ease. A super jumbo is also very “punchy” in tone as well as pleasing, warm, and vibrant with its ringing tones through the entire sound spectrum.

Acoustic guitars have long been the choice of flatpickers, blues players, fingerstyle players, and bluegrass players alike for their portability and organic sound. The best way to find which style and size is right for a particular guitarists is truly by trying them all on for size. Guitar shops like Austin’s Strait Music Company stock new and used models that are just waiting to be strummed, picked, and enjoyed.

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 guitars and guitar accessories to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Distressed Guitars Versus Vintage Originals

Every guitar player wants to rock and look good while doing it; but not every guitar player has the time, energy, commitment, or playing prowess, to allow their instrument to reflect years of love and abuse. The prized instruments of famous rock guitar gods like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and others, are weather-beaten and worn from many years and many miles of touring and playing. These instruments, nearly as famous as their owners, have retained their mojo, their spirit or soul, the intangible prowess and feel that has allowed them to spawn some of the singularly memorable riffs and grooves that have made their owners famous and wealthy. In the last decade, a new phenomenon has become a major player in the worldwide guitar market. An idea originated in Fender Musical Instrument’s Fullerton, California, Custom Shop, has really taken off. Newly manufactured guitars are intentionally distressed, stripped, and weathered, or broken in, in order to (hopefully) look like and play like the original vintage instruments they are modeled after. While the amounts paid for these instruments are high, $2000 and more for some, their prices are nowhere near the amount one would shell out for the original vintage instruments they are patterned after, with true vintage instruments often fetching $250,000 or more.

Who buys these guitars that have been artificially aged? The same people who enjoy retro-styled motorcycles, broken in jeans, and other similarly antiqued items. What could be better than a guitar that looks and feels like it has been played and loved for many years, but is essentially new, possessing the electronic advances that make newer instruments less prone to unwanted electronic buzzes, hums, or feedback, that often plague their vintage counterparts. Many rock stars have actually purchased these relic imitations to take on tour, allowing them to leave their original treasured instruments at home, protected and safe.

The distressing process entails everything from whipping the instrument’s bodies with belt buckles, administering industrial solvents to the paint, and taking sandpaper to the fretboards. Some, like the replica of Clapton’s “Blackie”, are even burned to replicate cigarette burns from the original. The value of these artificially distressed replicas keep going up, with collectors buying them as quickly as they are produced. Whether a vintage original or a replica is what you desire, local guitar shops like Austin’s Strait Music Company stock many options for those looking for a new or “new-to-you” axe that will provide years of enjoyment and opportunity to add one’s own “mojo” into to the mix.

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 accessories to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Bass Drum Adjustments for Best Sound

Perhaps the most important part of a drum set or drummer’s unique sound is the thunderous boom (or not) from his or her kick drum. The kick drum lays the foundation upon which all other drum hits are based. It provides the basest (bassest) part of the rhythmic structure, delineating and driving the syncopation that is set up initially by the high-hat’s 8th or 16th rhythms. Most often, a drummer desires a well-articulated attack with minimal, but sure decay, and utilizing the right tools, beginning with the musician’s ears, a booming bass is sure to be achieved.

Getting the correct sound from your bass begins with tuning of the heads. Uniform tension across the head is key, always turn your drum key the same amount of times at all lugs in order to avoid annoying overtones. As a rule, the bass drum batter head (the head that receives the strike, nearest the drummer) should possess a looser tension than the other heads of the kit. A too loose situation could result in the batter puncturing the skin, so moderately loose, of course. The other side (resonant side) does not need as much attention, but to make sure that the skin is uniformly tightened around the circumference.

An unappealing sound from the bass can often be as simple as improper bass drum pedal placement. To get the best sound from your drum, it needs to be struck in the very center, to allow for maximum air flow throughout the drum and increased reverberation and resonance throughout the bass frequency range.

The last check on achieving the best sound from your bass drum entails muffling. With an empty bass drum, the sound can reverberate too wildly, often stepping on frequencies of fellow musicians, especially the bass player’s. Specifically designed pillows can be placed within the bass drum’s cavity, helping to control the sound waves and increase the punch and bite of the initial attack. A beater patch is also instrumental in achieving just the right amount of muffling on the beater side of your bass drum. Place this adhesive patch right where your pedal strikes the head (in the middle). The benefit is two-fold as the patch increases the skin’s strength and helps wrangle in those unwieldy vibrations from each strike, allowing for more “punch” to your tone. On the resonant side, you could place a head with a ported hole that allows for better and punchier bass response while also allowing easy access for pillow or microphone placement in the studio or on the stage.

Local music stores like Austin’s Strait Music Company stock a wide selection of accessories to help each drummer achieve proper tone from their entire kit, not just the kick drum. Knowledgeable salespersons can point you in the right direction and provide helpful information and options to help find the distinct sound you desire.

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 Drum Advances

In the 1970’s, guitarists were becoming inundated with effect and pedal technology allowing them to experiment and explore new sounds and frequencies never available before. Percussionists, seemingly, had to resign themselves to different sized cymbals, drums, and assorted sound effect cymbals to build their orchestra of effects. Not only was this a costly endeavor, lugging around an arsenal of assorted pieces was impractical, unwieldy, and impossible. Change was coming. With the introduction of the first commercially available electronic drum by Pollard Industries in the mid-seventies, drummers’ eyes and ears were opened to new horizons and possibilities that had previously only been afforded to electric guitarists.

The original electronic drum sets were definitely rudimentary experimentations, and their response curve and performance applications were quite limited. Yet, as research and development continued throughout the eighties and into today, electronic drums progressed and evolved into an accepted medium, with an inordinate amount of recording and performance possibilities.

The original technology of electronic drums has remained constant, though improved upon over the last three decades. As in the original prototypes, an electronic pad houses one (or many) piezoelectric transducer microphones that allow a voltage change to be captured when the pad is struck. This signal is transmitted through an instrument cable to a drum “brain” or module that then translates the kinetic energy into sound. The resultant sound produced is determined by the drummer’s programming of an individual effect to the pad being struck. While early drum modules were limited in their processing possibilities, today’s electronic advances have allowed modules to contain dozens upon dozens of true acoustic samples, recorded digitally with such high quality from the original sources, that only a highly trained ear is able to differentiate between an acoustic drum and the advanced sounds produced by electronic kits today.

The possibilities of today’s kits are seemingly endless. More sensitive pads have been introduced, possessing transducers that are able to pick up every nuance, every ghost roll, every precise rudiment, allowing for different zones of the drum “head” to have different timbre and textures just as its acoustic “skinned” cousin possesses. Effects such as reverb, delay, and chorus are only the beginning, with the ability to add effects directly at the source of the strike, processors within today’s modules can accurately reproduce different performance hall situations and microphone techniques without a room, hall, or microphone being present. This allows for drummers of all levels to experience superb sound in the comfort of their own home or studio, whether through expensive monitoring speakers or personal headphones utilized for private, silent practice. No more is it necessary for a passel of microphones when recording since drum modules possess stereo line outs that can be connected directly to the recording device being used. As new innovations are developed, music retailers like Austin’s Strait Music Company keep their knowledge and equipment up to date in order to give local drummers the most options and highest quality available.

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 electronic drums and accessories to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Analog Stompboxes Versus Multi-Effects Processors

Gone are the days of guitarists plugging their guitar into their amplifiers and just playing. While clean or high-gain distortion playing used to be the norm, most guitarists rely upon sophisticated gear in order to achieve the “drill through your face” distortion or “cloudy dreamy” chorus that makes their listeners beg for more. While a decade or two ago, most artists brought along one or two analog stompboxes to augment their tone, more often today, artists have custom pedalboards chock full of expensive boutique pedals or all-in-one multi-effects units, floor or rack-mounted, on their (or their soundguy’s) person for every gig.

Most stompboxes have a dedicated, single feature. An individual box might add chorus, distortion, flange, or any such effect to a guitarist’s tone. The amount of the effect added with a stompbox is easily regulated with simple twists of a couple of knobs, being very user friendly, but only just so adjustable. Most stompboxes run on 9 volt battery power, but many manufacturers offer AC powered “pedalboards” that allow often up to ten or twenty individual boxes to be placed within its friendly confines, all powered by one single outlet, saving batteries and hassle. The advantage of the individual stompboxes is that you can “chain” them together, and only use the effects you want in that chain by simply “stomping” the effect you would like to employ. Moving boxes to different locations in that “chain” can affect the sound by one effect being employed first, second, third, etc, with many possibilities for tone creation. Disadvantages for using stomboxes chained in a pedalboard are mostly expense. Individual pedals cost between $75 to $200 each, depending on their rarity or vintage production, and pedalboards themselves start at well over $150 for a reputable one. Many musicians have taken to building their own pedalboards, to save some cash. Just think how horrible it would be if your custom pedalboard, with nearly or over a $1000 of effects pedals housed inside, was stolen or lost. Finding all of those individual pedals again might be impossible, and definitely costly.

Multi-effects units have become an attractive option for musicians. They sound, react, and are manipulated differently of course because they employ silicone chips to produce sounds digitally instead of the analog transistors used in stompboxes. A multi-effects unit is a good way to get all the sounds you want (and some unnecessary ones of course) and house them within one easy to carry unit. Disadvantages of these units include the tedious knob turning and button pushing necessary to modify effects in order to employ a single effect. Usually, effects are paired together within these units to make their signature sounds, and this could be a deal breaker for the sound purists out there. Another disadvantage is that some modules will lose the presets you’ve created if there is a power outage or battery failure; imagine that happening in front of 1000 spectators! A guitarist can purchase these units for often around $100 to $500, so they are definitely the “more bang for your buck” option.

As always, guitarists should scoot on down to their local guitar shop for hands-on experience. Respectable stores like Austin’s Strait Music Company have employees with so much knowledge and experience with all sorts of guitar accessories and are happy to give advice, as well as provide opportunities for trying out all the equipment.

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.

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.

Capacitor Microphones for Sensitivity

No sound recording engineer, novice or professional, owns just one microphone, due to the fact that in every situation, a particular type of microphone would be optimum. In an earlier article, the advantages of the dynamic microphone were discussed. Its construction merited use in louder volume, close proximity situations with brilliant results. For more delicate situations, with sound producers of lower volumes and involving tones possessing all parts of the sound spectrum, capacitor microphones are the choice of professionals because of their ability to successfully capture all the nuances of such delicate, often acoustic instruments such as guitars, violins, and the human voice.

Capacitor (also called condenser) microphones use electrostatic energy to capture sound from a given producing object. The electrical charge produced by the freely fluctuating diaphragm and the backplate provides the sound signal transference to amplifier rather than current magnetically produced as in a dynamic microphone. Because no metal coil is involved, the diaphragm has the ability to be much lighter and exponentially more responsive to more delicate, quieter sounds. This lightness and responsiveness lends to a better reproduction of the originally produced sound than that of its clunkier counterpart (the dynamic microphone). In order to be so responsive, capacitor microphones are very high impedance and require power to provide the electrostatic charge as well as amplifying the sound captured. This power can be generated by a microphone preamp or a mixing board, allowing the diaphragm to move freely and effortlessly with a constant charge applied. This eliminates the need to increase the gain that could adversely affect the sound captured by adding noise as well. Something to keep in mind when choosing the right capacitor microphone is the size of the diaphragm. Capacitor microphones come in large and small diaphragmatic options. The larger diaphragm microphones have seen increased popularity because of the added resonance the larger diaphragm produces especially when capturing the nuances of the human voice. This warmth of resonance can make voices livelier and fuller, adding depth and distinction to vocal tracks.

While dynamic microphones have the ability to withstand use and abuse, the delicate construction of its capacitor cousin requires a lighter hand. The lighter more delicate diaphragm positioning allows for the higher frequency response necessary and might motivate the owner to purchase a case for his or her often more expensive and definitely more responsive capacitor microphones; their tough dynamic brethren will be happy to share the gym bag with the cords, pedals, and such. Local music stores like Austin’s Strait Music Company stock many choices of dynamic and capacitor microphones to satisfy every musician’s needs and budget.

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 recording and pro audio gear to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Sturdy and Reliable: The Dynamic Microphone

In music recording or in live performance, the clarity of the sound heard by the audience and performers will only be as good as the quality of the sound capturing and amplification devices utilized. Whether it is the “boom-boom” of the kick drum or the sweet melodies of a beautiful soprano voice, the correct microphone for each situation is essential in achieving the perfect mix in both live and studio applications. What good is the best music if no one can hear it accurately?

There are essentially two different types of microphones used in live performance and studio recording. A microphone converts the mechanical energy created by the sound from an audio source (voice, drum, guitar, tuba, etc) and converts this energy into an electrical signal. Dynamic microphones convert the sound to signal using an electromagnetic principle, while the other, capacitor microphones, use an electrostatic principal to convert the sound. In this article, the discussion will be limited to the construction, advantages and disadvantages of dynamic microphones.

Dynamic microphones see the most prevalent use because they are durable and relatively inexpensive. They employ a lightweight, often plastic diaphragm that is attached to a small wire coil and suspended within a magnetic field. The sound energy issued by the performing instrument or voice causes the diaphragm and coil to vibrate, generating an electrical current so diminutive that it must then be amplified by a microphone preamp in order to be usable by the sound engineer or mixing board personnel. The advantages of dynamic microphones comes from their tough construction allowing them to be roughly (moderately now!) handled, inexpensive to make, and able to perform straight out of the box without batteries, just plug and play. Their tough construction is also at the core of their disadvantages as well. Because the sound produced by the performing instrument must cause both the diaphragm and the wire coil to vibrate, a large amount of the sound energy is lost in the production of this movement. The fine details and high frequencies of instruments that employ a wide sound spectrum of harmonics and dynamics can be lost in this transference of energy. Another disadvantage can be seen in the minute amount of electrical current produced through this electromagnetic method. Because the current is so small, the necessary large amounts of amplification applied adds excess noise to the signal, making dynamic microphones not so useful in instances where the microphone is not in close proximity to the sound or when less robust sounds are produced (acoustic instruments, vocals).

Dynamic microphones are the microphone of choice when capturing the sound from large volume producers such as guitar or bass cabinets and drums. Less amplification is needed to magnify the current produced from these instruments, and the dynamic microphone’s tough construction allows it to be placed mere inches from the source. Dynamic microphones are an essential part of every recording and live application, and local music stores like Strait Music Company of Austin, Texas, employ musicians with all the necessary knowledge in recording techniques to help every musician find the perfect dynamic microphone to suit his or her needs.

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 recording and pro audio gear to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Drum Shell Construction Importance

It probably goes without saying that the way a particular drum set sounds has a direct relationship to the quality of its construction. The drum shells should be constructed from tried and true, solid, tone woods, such as maple, birch, or mahogany, though less expensive, economy sets often employ lesser-known woods with much less agreeable sounding results. The most influential factors of drum sound are the wood used for the shells themselves, the thickness of the shells, and the sizes employed.

Of the three most often used woods, mahogany is the least expensive and also the least desirable for several reasons. Aesthetically, mahogany is less attractive, possessing less naturally occurring grain and striations resulting in this wood usually being covered with a plastic polymer coating, adding color or pattern to an otherwise unattractive fascia. This plastic wrap makes construction quite inexpensive versus the protective spray used on higher end drums, utilized to showcase and protect the more beautiful woods. Budget sets made on assembly lines for large drum set distributors are usually crafted of mahogany. The relatively dull sound produced by mahogany sets can be attributed to the relative softness of this easily obtained wood.

The other most often used woods are maple and birch. They both possess a beautiful grain with striations that often form striking patterns such as the much sought after birdseye-maple rings. Shells in these woods are exhibited as well as protected by a spray on coating, allowing the natural grains to show through. Maple and birch are both sturdy hardwoods, possessing hardy sounds with the ability to cut through in many genre applications. The difference in tone between these two woods can be best observed in the treble ranges of the drums. Birch drums are described as possessing a brighter sound due to their magnified response in the treble range while maple shells display warmth across the entire sound spectrum.

Thickness of shell affects the pitch of the drum. The thicker the shell, the higher the pitch, the thinner the shell, the lower the pitch. Most drum shells are constructed of several plies (different layers) of wood allowing for strength, durability, and defense against warping over time. Also affecting the pitch of a given drum is its diameter and depth. A larger floor tom or bass drum will display a much deeper tone than say a smaller, shallower mounted tom. These differences allow for a large palette of sound being available within a five or six piece drum set. Local music stores such as Austin’s Strait Music Company stock a wide variety of drum sets catering to needs of many a budding and professional drummer alike. The best way to hear these differences is to go on in and pound on some skin!


About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, the best of drum set stores in Austin TX. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Guitar Amplifiers: Solid State Advantages

This article is in response to the previous article posted claiming that tube amplifiers dominate over solid state amplifiers in achieving best sounding tone. Solid state amplifiers need not be short-changed in order to tout the greatness of the tube. Solid state amplifiers do possess many advantages and remain a viable choice for many guitarists and bassists alike.

Solid state amplifiers are almost always less expensive than tube amplifiers, both at time of purchase and in terms of maintenance. This makes them a very attractive alternative for the beginning as well as seasoned guitarist alike. Tubes must be replaced, depending on the load put on them and the frequency of playing. If a guitarist plays at loud volumes several times a week, especially without allowing adequate time for the tubes to warm up before cranking the volume up, tubes might need replacing within 3 months. With the usual 3-4 times a week performing or practice sessions, with proper adherence to warm up times, tubes still must be replaced anywhere from 6 months to once a year for optimum performance. This yearly maintenance can cost a guitarist approximately $10-$15 per tube on the low end, with most tube amplifiers utilizing 4 or more tubes. For example, the coveted sound produced by the popular Fender Deville amplifier uses two Groove Tube output tubes ($70 - $130 for a matched pair) and 3 Fender preamp tubes ($10 a piece). That’s quite a hefty price tag if all tubes need replacing at once!

Another advantage the solid state amplifier has over its tube counterpart is portability and ease of transport. Because tube amplifiers employ glass vacuum tubes at the heart of their power, they need much more space for these glass cylinders and require much more care when hefting their heavy weight to and from the trusty band van. One misstep could result in a trip to the guitar store immediately if replacement tubes aren’t part of a band’s gear box; the show must go on, but won’t go on if tubes are damaged because a sticky fingered roadie had an unfortunate accident with the guitarist’s boutique tube powered amplifier. Because solid state amplifiers employ transistors instead of tubes, they are much lighter, more durable, and need much smaller cabinets to hold a higher rated power plant than their portly, tube-powered cousins.

New advances in solid state amplifiers allow for guitarists to dial in the precise tone they’re looking for without breaking the bank in the process. Well informed and friendly sales associates at local guitar shops like Austin’s Strait Music Company can help guitarists of any and all skill levels find the solid state powerhouse they need to keep on rockin!

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 amplifiers to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Guitar Amplifiers: Are Tubes the Best?

A large part of getting just the right tone from an electric guitar happens when the signal from the instrument is amplified. True, the original tone is an amalgam of the tone wood selected for the guitar’s body and the electrical pickup technology employed, but the tone generated in the amplification process is definitely not to be understated or underemphasized. Most guitarists tend to lean towards tube amplification over transistor-based, solid state technology, but for what reasons, and are these reasons with merit?

Tube technology has been the choice of famous and novice musicians alike for decades, because its technology has been present the longest. Vacuum tubes were used in the first radios and televisions to provide power for sound amplification. Tubes are basically light bulbs, possessing a filament inside that must get warm in order to perform their duties. When musicians talk about their tube amplifiers, they inevitably mention the “warmth” of the tone produced. This warmth arguably comes from the true heat that is being generated by these tubes, a naturally emanating warmness generated from current through filament that can be heard in the guitarist’s resulting tone. A tube sound can be described as possessing this “warmness” throughout the entire spectrum of guitar sound, resulting in mellow, “creamy” treble sounds that experience a “punch” or focus when strings are struck harder, while continuing to display thick bass sounds from underneath. Who wouldn’t enjoy a warm sound that seems to vibrate and grow to fill the space of a given room? When guitarists first discovered the ability to overdrive tubes, achieving a clipped or distorted sound from the speakers, tube sound became immortalized. Guitarists found that more distortion could be added gradually as the gain knob was turned up, creating a more saturated, dirty sound across the whole sound spectrum. The amount of available drive that a particular amplifier can handle without overextending itself is called “headroom”. This allows a guitarist to pump up the gain in order to overdrive the signal without experiencing electrical difficulty because of the increased power to the tubes. While tubes arguably provide the best tone possible, this tone does not come without a price. Tube amplifiers cost substantially more than their solid state cousins. Also, since the tubes themselves are made of glass, some care is necessary when loading and unloading tube amplifiers, though new advances are making them more durable than ever. Warming up a tube amplifier is necessary before playing, but ask any of the well informed sales associates at Strait Music of Austin, and they’ll surely say the same: tube amplifiers sound warmer, fuller, and resoundingly better than solid state, and are definitely worth the extra money in the attempt to find that killer 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 amplifiers to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Professional-Level Amateur Recording Options

While electric guitars, basses, and drum sets, have mostly maintained the same basic designs and options over the years, the ways in which to capture their sounds have progressed in leaps and bounds. Used to be, performers were forced to book studio time, paying high professional fees in order to produce professional level demo tapes or recordings. New innovations in recording technology has made it possible for artists to produce their own professional level recordings from the comfort of their home, on the road, and even outside in nature. This article will profile new products the budding amateur or professional musician can’t live without.

Since the advent of the personal computer, software companies have been working vigorously, realizing new software for home use that mimics and often times, is the exact same software used in large established studios in New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville. A leader in this field is the ProTools line of software, living up to its name by being the first choice of professional music studios around the world. ProTools offers many different options for all levels of musicians and recording enthusiasts, and even their more affordable software options possess the same usability and many of the same technical advances existing in their more expensive cousins. DAWs, or Digital Audio Workstations can be configured with different software, different audio interfaces that allow instruments to enjoy “plug and play” operation, and various “plug-ins” or extras offered by assorted software companies. The portability of laptops and the portability of smaller and smaller interfaces (a company named M-Audio has one that is fob sized, about as big as your thumb) are allowing musicians to take their projects on the road, experiencing total freedom of operation. If a musician doesn’t have the computer know-how or funds necessary to go the DAW or notebook route, there are many companies who offer standalone machines which record, mix, and often include onboard Cd burners to produce professional level Cds. Many of these machines come equipped with onboard microphones and battery powered operation, allowing them to be used at home or even around the campfire, whenever the mood strikes. A forerunner in this technology is Zoom, offering a portable four track and field recorder packed with editable effects that runs on AA batteries allowing musicians to go anywhere their spirit takes them without compromising quality or missing precious moments of inspiration.

Local music stores like Austin’s Strait Music Company carry a myriad of options, and employ dozens of well informed salespeople who are eager to talk about the many recording options available today.

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 recording software and interfaces to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Digital Pianos and Their Acoustic Counterparts

Many people are daunted by the large price tag not to mention the large size of a traditional acoustic piano. Many are not ready to make the spatial sacrifice especially in today’s world where a jumbo television screen can be mounted flush on any wall, taking up no floor space whatsoever. Modern advances in construction and the sampling of acoustic instruments has brought about the introduction of numerous new choices of excellent and affordable digital pianos that are growing in popularity as musicians realize they are not their “father’s keyboard”.

Many of today’s digital keyboards’ sound banks are chock full of sounds provided by true samples, recorded on fine concert and vintage pianos in acoustically desirable environments. The processors within new models translate these sounds to performance so exactingly that the mellifluous tones produced can hardly be discerned from the true originals. Many complain about the touch and playability of digital pianos compared to acoustic pianos, however, new innovations including fully weighted keys and hammer-strike mimicking technology has improved the newest digital keyboards’ playability exponentially. Most new digital pianos have effects which can be added to the sound produced. Digital effects like reverb, chorus, and others, can add space and depth to performance, often faithfully reproducing the acoustics found in fine concert halls, studios, or other venues. Digital pianos really flex their muscles when it is time to record. There is no need for strategically placed microphones, microphone preamps, or mixing of signals involved as with a traditional piano. Digital pianos are truly “plug and play”, allowing musicians to concentrate on their artistry, and not losing their inspiration and muse because of technical setup or the like. Many digital pianos actually have onboard recording and sequencing abilities, allowing the player to play 2 or more parts, actually accompanying him or herself while playing a melody with their own prerecorded backing track. This is invaluable when putting together that perfect right hand solo without having to worry about “comping” with your left while figuring it out; no extra equipment necessary.

Perhaps the greatest advantage a digital piano possesses over its acoustic counterpart is not even experienced by the player, but instead by the listener. For beginning pianists, sometimes it is not about what is heard, but what is not heard. Headphone ports come standard on nearly all digital pianos allowing for silent operation with no disturbance to neighbors, housemates, parents, or friends. Digital pianos are an excellent resource for the pianist who is just starting out, and local music stores like Austin’s trusted Strait Music Company stock many viable options and styles.

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 digital and acoustic pianos to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Choosing an Acoustic Piano for the Home

An acoustic piano is a wonderful addition to any living room, den, or music room, providing years of enjoyment and beautiful melodies for all lucky enough to be near it. The purchasing of a piano is quite a commitment and many contributing factors help determine which piano is the right choice for a particular household.

As an acoustic piano is a relatively large piece of furniture doubling as a musical instrument, space constraints can be a formidable issue. Luckily, pianos are available in all shapes and sizes, from a diminutive spinet, well suited for parlors or smaller rooms, to an enormous nine foot long grand piano for larger spaces and fine concert halls. Primarily, modern pianos can be divided into two basic types: the grand piano and the upright piano. Grand pianos take up much more space due the arrangement of their strings horizontally within the frames. A longer piano (i.e. concert grand up to 9 feet in length) has a much fuller, deeper, breadth of sound because the longer strings have the ability to vibrate freely within the larger cabinet. A more compact version of the grand piano which many opt for, the baby grand, will have less true overtones, or partials exuding from the true tone, because of the necessitation of shorter, thicker strings within its constrained cabinet. A professional player would obviously ultimately opt for the largest grand piano that would be conducive to the given space. Not only does a grand piano possess a better, fuller sound, its playability is far superior to the upright piano as well. An upright, or vertical piano houses its strings vertically, allowing it to squeeze into much smaller rooms because of its compact footprint. The hammers that strike the strings, creating the tones in a vertical piano move horizontally as opposed to vertically like the hammers in a grand piano. The vertical movement in a grand is superior because its hammers return to the stationary position using gravity, falling back into place rather than relying upon springs to return them to that position as in a vertical piano. These springs of course can lose their integrity over time and must be replaced due to wear and tear generated by normal playing. As earlier stated, longer strings ring and vibrate more truthfully so a taller, upright grand piano is best when considering an upright because of its ability to house the longer strings.

In this article, the surface has barely been scratched concerning the many choices and options available when choosing a modern piano. Music retailers like Strait Music Company in Austin, Texas, employ dozens of well-trained salespeople who are happy to help every budding musician considering a piano purchase.

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 new and used pianos to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

What Makes an Electric Guitar a “Good One”

A good electric guitar has the ability to free the inner voice within a special guitar player, giving him or her the ability to sing from deep with in their soul, sending melodies outward from the tips of their fingers. Much work and extreme attention detail goes into the construction of a finely made electric guitar whether it be made on an assembly line of a large manufacturer or in a shop of a private luthier (guitar maker). A good electric guitar can be seen as a sum of individually selected parts that come together in a cooperative way to perform successfully, expressively and masterfully, in the hands of gifted and learning musicians alike.

A master luthier’s first mission is to find the wood for the body of the guitar. The resonance and tonal quality is different for every particular kind of wood. Ash, for example, is a very popular wood used in making electric guitar bodies. “Southern Soft” or “Swamp Ash” is found in the swamps of the Southern United States. Swamp ash trees spend their lives well hydrated by the waters they grow in, so the wood is very porous and lightweight, lending to resonance and sustain across the whole frequency spectrum of a guitar. A standard, non-exotic wood often used is alder. Alder is popular because of its lightweight and harder, thicker grains, offering long sustain, balanced tone, with a complex resonance, and good dynamic range, making alder very desirable for blues playing. As first choice body materials such as alder, ash, and mahogany become more scarce in the United States, luthiers look to other continents such as Africa and Australia, choosing woods such as bubinga and blackwood whose tonal qualities mirror those of woods found on the American continent.

What good is the resonance of an electric guitar’s body if that resonance is not transferred somehow to the listener? The purity of tone can be heard by placing one’s ear up to the body, experiencing the tonality and resonant vibration firsthand, but of course, that sound must be captured and amplified for it to be enjoyed by others. This is where the pickups on an electric guitar become important. Pickups on electric guitars act as microphones, picking up string vibration and sending it through the 1/4” cable to an awaiting amplifier for amplification. There are basically two different types of pickups, piezoelectric that capture vibrations of all types of strings, and magnetic pickups which naturally only work with steel strings.

Along with a choice of fingerboard and neck, the body and pickups work together resulting in a sweet amalgam that successfully captures and transmits the melodies and rhythms from guitarists’ hands to listeners’ ears. Specially trained salespeople at fine music stores like Strait Music of Austin, Texas, are available to assist all levels of musicians in the choosing and purchasing of a fine instrument that will prove to be an extension of the musician’s very soul.

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.

Pricey Guitar Cables: Worth the Cost?

Electric guitar players search for many years, striving to find just the right guitar that provides just the right tone they desire. Most prefer tube amplifiers for their axes, because of the purity of tone and the clarity and ease of manipulation tried and true tube technology provides. After emptying their wallets and pocketbooks at their local music stores around town, does it make sense to plug a sub-standard, economy 1/4” cord into the boutique setup they’ve searched and searched for? The answer is a resounding “NO!”

Cheaply priced guitar cables are cheaply made. The inner cable is usually made from a less expensive, thinner gauge copper that will lose its integrity and fail at the worst possible moment whether it be on stage or in the recording studio. This thin copper cable also does not support the frequency response that a thicker gauge, copper cable provides. Since tone is an issue with all guitarists, attention to the entire frequency band should be essential. What’s the point of paying top dollar for the twelve-band equalizer on your favorite amplifier if the cheap guitar cable used merely supports the middle tone partials of the guitar’s broad frequency range? The thickness of the surrounding casing of the cable can be marginal in inexpensive cords as well, allowing for any twisting or bending of the cord at right angles to interrupt the signal immediately and irreparably without soldering the inner cable together again, costing much time and effort.

Most professional guitar players agree and would never use a cheaply made instrument cable on the road or in the studio, happily paying higher prices for higher quality cables because of the purer tone that the higher quality constructed cables provide. The amount paid for one, often lifetime guaranteed, guitar cable far outweighs the headaches incurred by choosing a less expensive, poorly made cable. Well-stocked retailers like Strait Music of Austin, Texas, carry many various options of guitar and instrument cables. When your favorite music store employee steers you in the direction of the higher priced instrument cables, it is not because they want to charge you this higher price unnecessarily. The higher quality cable is simply the better choice. Perhaps you enjoy often returning to your local music store, buying replacement cables; there are always friendly salespeople there who enjoy talking about guitars and amplifiers as much as you do. But if you’d rather enjoy playing and making music with your friends, a higher priced, better-made cable is the obvious choice.

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 instrument cables and other guitar accessories to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Tuning Your Guitar

One of the first skills necessary when learning to play the guitar has to be the process of tuning it. The wonderful thing about a guitar, and all string instruments, is the ability to tune to itself. This means that all strings can be in a state of “tuneness” with each other whether or not they are truly in tune as far as correct acoustically resonating pitches are concerned. For example, the true resonating frequency for the note “A” is 440 hz using a strobe tuner; if a tuner is not available, one can pick from a range of tones for this “A string” and then tune other strings to that theoretical “A”. Now, one must realize that if a tone is picked that is too far removed from the spectrum of a true “A” tone, this might prove difficult when tuning higher strings; undue stress could be placed upon their tensile strength, resulting in breakage from over-tightening. It is best to receive a true tone from either a tuner or perhaps a nearby piano (though they are not always in tune!) and begin the process.

It is easiest to begin with the lowest sounding string that should be tuned to the note “E” resonating at 329 hz. Match the tone given by the tuner or chosen instrument by turning the tuning pegs on the headstock of the guitar clockwise or counter-clockwise until the pitch lines up in your ear or on the meter of the tuner. You have now successfully tuned the lowest guitar string and are now one sixth of the way towards completion! Now look at the guitar neck. It is separated into different quadrants by vertically aligned pieces of metal called “frets”. The space to the left of each metal division or “fret” is usually also referred to as the fret position corresponding to the number of the dividing fret (metal piece). By pushing this “E” string to the fretboard at the fifth position (to the left of the 5th fret if you are right handed), it will result in the next string unfretted, or “A”, 440 hz. Turn the tuning peg to match accordingly. In order, the next four strings should be tuned in the same fashion: 3rd string “D”, fifth position on 2nd string, “A” – 4th string “G”, fifth position on 3rd string “D” – 5th string “B”, FOURTH position on 4th string “G” – and 6th string “E”, fifth position on 5th string “B”.

Following this easy procedure has resulted in your guitar being in tune with true acoustically resonating pitches provided the guitar is properly constructed. One way to make certain your guitar is made properly is by purchasing it from or having it inspected by a respected local dealer like Strait Music Company of Austin, Texas. Friendly musicians are employed by music stores and are happy to help answer all questions a budding guitarist might have.

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.

Choosing Electric Guitar Strings

It is very easy to be overwhelmed in the string section of your favorite guitar shop if you don’t know what you’re looking for. The display wall is stocked full of many different brands in all different colors of attractive packaging, but how do you choose which one is right for you? The best way to avoid being overwhelmed by the shop’s selection is to be well informed about the differences between strings, not necessarily brands, but weights, and having an idea of what styles you are looking to play as well before perusing the assorted brands.

As one can imagine, the thickness of a guitar string has a large effect on its sound. Many players enjoy the thicker, more resonant sound a thicker string makes. One player of note who enjoyed thicker strings was the blues legend, Stevie Ray Vaughan. If you ever marveled at the thickness of Stevie Ray’s legendary tone, marvel no longer. His secret, besides his favorite Fender Stratocaster, was in the fact that he used some of the thickest strings on the market. Of course, when choosing thick strings, you must be confident in your ability to press them successfully to the fretboard at all different positions in order to make a full and stable tone. Not everyone possesses the hand strength of a fantastic player like Stevie Ray Vaughan, but if you desire his tone, thicker strings are the way to go.

Thicker strings, because of their larger surface area, are much more difficult to press to the fretboard, so many beginning players opt for the higher playability of thinner strings, though in trade, they receive a thinner tone as well. The playability, especially when bending strings to higher pitches while soloing can be very expressive and less physically demanding than with their thicker counterparts. Of course with a little manipulation of your favorite equalizer or effects pedal, a player can add more thickness to make up for the thinner tone a thin string creates. But remember, this thinner sound created by a thinner gauge of string is very desirable in many styles of playing such as surf rock and rockabilly, so perhaps this manipulation of tone by effects is not necessary.

In the end, the style of playing, ability and hand strength, as well as desired timbre of sound are all determining factors in string selection. At locally owned shops such as Strait Music Company in Austin, Texas, helpful salespeople have plenty of time and knowledge to help ensure each customer leaves with the perfect strings to fit their particular hands.

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 sheet music to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Types of Pianos

If you are in the market for a new or used piano for sale, it is a good idea to know a little bit about the different shapes and styles of pianos that are most common, so that you can pick the best type of piano for you and your home. For many people, the size and shape are very important factors depending on the floor space available in the home. According to shape, horizontal and vertical are the two most basic categories of pianos.

These terms refer to how the piano’s soundboard is arranged. The soundboard on a horizontal piano is built parallel to the floor. These are also known as grand pianos, though they take up the most amount of space, they are considered to have the most full and lush sounds as well as dynamic range. Amongst the horizontal, or grand, pianos are several different subcategories of piano designs. The Petite Grand is the smallest horizontal piano design, and it ranges from four to five feet in length, but it is still a quite a powerful instrument. The Baby Grand is perhaps the most popular of fine household pianos. These range from one to two feet longer than Petite Grands. Baby Grands can produce a marvelous sound without taking over an entire room. The next most well known horizontal piano is the Concert Grand. This piano is considered the finest in tone, key response, and action, and it consumes a whopping nine feet in length. It is the most commonly used piano for professional music productions such as symphonies and operas. Between the Concert grand and the Baby Grand, there are a host of other sizes, such as the Medium Grand, Parlor Grand, and Ballroom Grand, each with its own unique shape and sound.

Vertical piano designs are much more common in the home for a couple of reasons. Because the soundboard is arranged vertically, the piano takes up less space and also requires less material for manufacturing, thus they are less expensive than most horizontal varieties. There are four basic types of vertical pianos. Spinet pianos are approximately 36 to 38 inches in height and around 60 inches in width, and they are the smallest of vertical pianos. For those that live in extremely limited quarters, the Spinet is an ideal solution, however, the power and accuracy are somewhat compromised due to the size. The Console piano is taller than the Spinet at 40 to 43 inches and very similar in width. Console pianos are designed to compliment interior design, so they come in many different shapes, finishes, and designs. A Studio piano is the most common vertical piece found in music schools around the world because it has a larger soundboard while still a vertical design. This creates a great tone quality due to the longer strings. However, the tallest of vertical pianos is the actual Upright piano. These range from 50 to 60 inches in height and are most common amongst the grandparent generation. There are many of these built fifty years ago that have maintained a very rich tone and rival some horizontal designs in quality.

Take the time to see and play several of these types of pianos before you decide on the right one for you. This largely depends on your budget, the amount of space you have, and how you plan to use it. If you are opening a new concert hall, the answer is simple. The concert grand is your only option. However, if you are a student learning to play for the first time, you might consider on of the vertical varieties.

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, with the best selection of Austin pianos for sale. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.