Teaj | Gear Acquisition Syndrome!!

How To Buy A Ukulele – The Island of Songs Awaits You, Mahn!

Posted on March 2, 2018May 29, 2020 by Teaj

I was first turned on to playing the uke waaaay back in 1979!

I went to see “The Jerk”, starring Steve Martin, and there was a scene with him and Bernadette Peters (his girlfriend in the movie) walking the beach, Steve playing ukulele, and both of them singing.

It’s a CLASSIC scene from one of Martin’s true masterpieces of comedy. Check it out HERE.

To this day, “You Belong To Me” from this film is still my absolute favorite song to play on the uke, especially if there’s a beautiful woman to sing the harmony part with me, and being that my wife sings like an angel… she fits that bill pretty handily!

But, of course, to learn the song I had to have a uke (the slang term for ukulele). Well, after doing my research then, and today, here’s what I learned about how to buy a ukulele.

In Hawaii… Size Matters

If you want to hear strummy song sunshine filling the rooms of your life, first things first: decide up front which version of uke is going to suit you best.

Version?? Yup. Ukes come in quite a few sizes. They are:

the Sopranino ukulele (DGBE tuning)
the Soprano ukulele (GCEA tuning)
the Concert ukulele (GCEA tuning)
the Tenor ukulele (GCEA tuning)
the Baritone ukulele (DGBE tuning)

These are listed by size in ascending order. Thus, it goes from the Sopranino, which is really tiny, down to the Baritone, which is (obviously) the biggest.

Two through four on that list all use the same standard ukulele fingerings.

The first and last one, however, are different. Notice how the tunings is different?They use the same fingerings as guitar, except that you only have four strings to deal with instead of six.

Already play guitar? Great! Then you’ll go in knowing the chord shapes already for the Sopranino and Baritone, which is bound to get you up and running sooner.

But keep in mind, since the Baritone uke is the largest, it will sound the least like what people expect, and might not sound as, uh… Hawaii-like as you’d hoped.

What’s the most popular? These days, most people start out on a Concert ukulele. It’s not so small as a Soprano, which can feel like a toy, and is provides a good middle ground for most hand sizes. Chances are, if you saw a uke played on a YouTube channel by someone, or in a music video from the last ten years… .. it’s a concert ukulele.

Lastly, consider how the uke size will complement your own hand size. Do you have small hands? Or big mitts? Choose a uke size accordingly and you’ll be glad you did. Chords won’t be nearly as hard to stretch into if you think about the best match for your own dancing fingers and swaying palms. 😉

If you haven’t met Amanda and her ukes online yet, she gives a nice comparison of the different ukulele options HERE.

Isn’t she great?! Join her… in letting sunny sweetness pour out, from your hands to all of us!

In Oahu, It Goes to Eleven

Back in 2009, my band at that time decided to perform “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train one weekend for kicks. What a great song!! I love the energy, the lightness, the brightness… the absolute FUN inherent in that song.

It’s also Train’s highest-charting single ever. Know why? It’s gotta be the uke, baby!!

If you’re going to enter the hum-happy world of uke performing, you should also answer this question: do I need amplification electronics in it??
Of course, if you buy a uke with a mic and/or preamp in it, you’re upping the cost significantly right outta the gate.

But if you’re already in a performing band of some kind, and you know you’re going to be adding some joy-filled ‘uke moments’ in the show, you might as well spring for what will give you the best sound through the sound system. The best is always having an instrument ready inside for a P.A. system.

But if you do not get electronics in your uke, don’t worry! Any good sound person can throw a mic up in front of you, run a cable, and you’re gold.

You won’t be able to stray very far from that mic during performance, mind you; ukuleles don’t project a lot of sound, so since they’re soft you’ll have to stay right on the mic in order for anyone to hear you. But if you can live with that restriction, you’ve just saved a lot of money!

In Molokai, Looks Aren’t Everything

To declare the worth of the ukulele to the universe and beyond, the important thing is how it sounds. But everybody’s different, and how your uke looks can certainly come into the equation, even if it’s not the important thing.

The iconic, standard look of a uke is one that’s made of wood and shows the striped wood grain. In Hawaii, trees called ‘Koa’ grow there, so many ukes that come from that island are made from Koa wood. If you want authenticity, you can’t get better than a Koa uke.

But there’s also painted models that show no wood grain at all. If sporting your favorite color while singing sunshine is more yo’ thang… go for it!

All that really matters is, are you happy picking up your new instrument and playing it? Does it feel like an extension of you?!

One thing’s for sure… the more time you spend with your uke, the more that sensation will be there!

In Lanai, They Rock with Wood

Ukes tend to come in two kinds: Laminate or solid wood.

Laminate is going to be the cheapest, and solid wood is the most expensive.

Why? Because, basically, the more actual wood you find in a ukulele the more expensive it’s going to be. Real wood resonates loudly, provides the best, well-rounded sound, and usually, IMHO, looks a whole lot better too.

Laminated ukes are good if they’re for really young kids, who might just as well chase down and beat doggie with it as try to play a real chord. They’re tougher, made to withstand beating better.

But tone? Well, wood will always reign supreme there.

The top of the uke, where the hole is, is the most important part. It’s called the soundboard, or the resonating plate. Most of your tone and timbre are going to come from this important piece of wood, or (if you must) plastic.

Even if the rest of your uke is laminate, or plastic, try to get this top plate made of real wood. It makes such a difference in the sound of the instrument.

In Maui, They Don’t Budge on the Budget

So, obviously there’s a lot of fun and, potentially, success to be had with a ukulele at your side.

Or front, as is more the case. 😉

But the big question is usually the same: how much do I have to spend?

Well, ukes range from $20 all the way up to thousands! Here’s a big tip though: If you spend less than $40, you’re probably going to get a toy, not an instrument. Save yourself the grief of learning on something that makes it as hard as possible for you to become adept.

Instead, save if you have to, but spend at least $40 and get yourself something that you won’t have to throw out with the next garbage heap because it hurts to play, sounds bad and cracks open at the seams when you just look at it.

As usual, whenever buying an instrument, spend the most that you can on it. The closer you are to the $100 mark, the more overjoyed you’re going to be with the resulting instrument. As long as you go with a reputable manufacturer, that is.

In Kauai, Perspiration Comes From Inspiration!

I wonder: what brought you here? Why suddenly are you wanting to get a ukulele?

Could it be because, like me, you saw and heard a uke performance that has just drew you to its power, its uplifting disposition… .. its tropical, easy sound that brings a smile to every face?

I’d bet ‘yes’. And let me tell you, there are some excellent reasons why it’s the perfect choice for entertaining people… including yourself:

It’s easy to take with you anywhere
It doesn’t shift pitch too badly with temperature/weather changes
Practicing is fun!
It immediately produces the ‘Island Smile’ on peoples faces
You can play it as simply, or as masterfully, as you like!

Most people have only seen someone strumming simple songs on a uke and think it’s somewhat a toy. Well, you can play it that way, and that’s okay, but have you ever seen an incredibly skilled and advanced musician play an intricate piece on the instrument?? It’s amazing!!

Moreover, in our current YouTube-driven online entertainment community, there are quite a few skilled musicians who are (get this!) making six-figures (yes, I said six) from playing and teaching this fun, little instrument for people!

Any great achievement of that magnitude will certainly take its share of focused practice, but learning how to bring the best out of a uke is one of the most fun ways to spend hours of your life. If not years. Its sound is just so… so… happy!

To inspire you further and show you just how ‘worth it’ your efforts will be if you sweat out serious practice, take a minute to enjoy these epic masterpieces from uke virtuosos. And I dare you… not to smile!! lol

So? What’d ya think?! Those glimpses forever dispel the wrong rumour that the uke is only for silly little children’s songs or grass-skirt Hawaii crooning.

True artists can bring any instrument to life in inspiring ways, and sometimes, as it is for you right now, it’s a surprising, refreshing internal wake-up call… to come join the luau!

In Niihau, It Comes From Across the Sea

If this will be your first ukulele, don’t fear buying from the Internet. I’ve played a lot of ukuleles, and most of them feel pretty much the same. It’s only when spend more than $100 or $200 that you start to notice some substantial differences that make you go “Oooooo….!”

Buy from a reputable dealer and you’ll be fine. If it’s “Hozay’s Music Stohr” or some other questionable retailer that hasn’t been around long… well, you can feel free to stay away from that!

Check to see, before you push the big button tho’, if a CASE is included with your uke purchase. Even if it’s a gig bag made of cloth or plastic, it’s better than nothing, and just today I see at least twenty options that are under $70 and come with an included bag or case.

A case will also better protect the uke as it comes to you across the miles right to your door.

Another thing that is often thrown in with the purchase online of a ukulele is a tuner. Check to see if that’s included too. If you are just starting out a tuner will be needful, to get you used to what it means to be a musician who stays in tune. Trust me – you want to be one of those!!

If your choice does not come with one though, have no fear: there are plenty of tuner options, and they don’t have to be expensive. Read MY TUNER POST HERE to find out exactly what you need.

If there’s a music store around that you know carried ukuleles, you can certainly try them out there. Just make sure you check online pricing before you buy at a local store. They tend to jack up the prices to make more because they have to – they’ve got monthly bills to pay every month because of that building they’re in!

See You Under The Palm!

So that, in a giant’s nutshell of a few thousand words, is how you buy a ukulele!

Remember if you’re getting one for the first time, it’s really just important that it has four strings and holds pitch, and that means spend at least $40.

How the neck feels, what the wood grain looks like, whether the bridge has individual saddles or not… that’s all stuff that gets important once you’ve practiced enough to say, “Ya know what? I AM a uke player!” Until then, all that matters is learning chords and being able to play simple songs with and for your friends and family.

And believe me… they will LOVE IT!!

If you’re ready to pull the musical trigger and start strumming, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve listed the top 7 ukulele choices for this year so you don’t have to waste time in endless research. We’ve already done it for you. To see the best seven current uke choices, VISIT THIS ARTICLE!

When you get your happy uke, meet me under the communal sing-along palm tree. You know the one. We’ll get a little practice in, and…

… go… make… Hawaiian sounds!

Teaj

7 Best Guitar Tuners of 2019 – The End of Flappin’ Frequencies!

Posted on February 24, 2018February 7, 2019 by Teaj

Teaj's best guitar tuner — One of Teaj’s live rigs with his favorite tuner shinin’ blue on the right!

Have you ever been frustrated because your guitar’s out of tune?

Whether you’re playing live, or just practicing at home, intonation problems can be as frustrating as trying to find your cell phone when it’s time to head to a gig (not that that has ever happened to me, mind you)! lol

Fear not, ’cause I’ve found for you some truly fail-safe and rockin’ options.

Below is the LAST LIST YOU’LL NEED this year, and at the end… my number one pick, and the very choice I still use to this day!

1) KLIQ UberTuner Clip

Let me be up front about this: I’m not really a fan of clip-on tuners. They just don’t come equipped with the real estate necessary to really see the micro-measuring that I need in a professional stage environment. Plus, I haven’t found them precise enough for my liking.

That being said, tho’, I realize that there’s a huge market for inexpensive, non-professional tuner uses. So we’ll start things off here with the cheapest option I can actually recommend without cringing: the Kliq.

It’s for two big reasons:

It’s the easiest to see and read onstage
It’s faster than its competition

In a pro gig environment, unless you have your own side-stage gear techs to handle your guitars and tuning them (and if so… can I be YOU for a week… or more?!) those are two of your biggest concerns. You don’t want tuning to take long, and you need to be able to see your unit regardless of what the lighting person is giving you. Or NOT giving you, which is usually more the case.

It also appears that, in today’s market, this particular tuner is the best bang for your buck if you can only afford at most twenty or thirty bucks. There are some cheaper, and more expensive, that don’t work as well as this one!

It makes sense that this would be the best among the clip-ons, since KLIQ Music Gear, the company, was founded by a couple real musicians who really liked the clip-on idea, but (like me) couldn’t find a reliable one. Guess they took the old adage to heart that says, “Don’t complain. Provide a solution.”

The battery life on this unit is not stellar – you’ve only got @ 8 hours on one battery. Since there’s no low battery indicator, you’ll also not know you’re running outta juice until it appears to not work right, or your screen goes blurry, or both. But, again, for the price point, they can’t do everything!

They can, however, give you a great warranty – THREE years! Always good to see a company with the confidence to stand behind their product for so long, isn’t it?

The Kliq provides a few tuning modes which I appreciate in something this inexpensive. Although they’re not all-encompassing by any means, it’s at least a start. It comes with:

Chromatic Mode
Guitar Mode
Bass Mode
Violin Mode
Ukulele Mode (both C and D keys)

Now, the accuracy on this is ±1.0 cent. For a clip-on tuner, that’s… about what I’d expect. For me personally? It’s not enough. Unless I’m around a campfire, in a non-professional setting, you wouldn’t find me onstage with this model. But that’s just me.

If, however, you’re a player who isn’t as picky as I am about intonation, and likes the immediate, visual aid that a clip-on brings, and doesn’t have a big wad to spend… well, this could be your lucky clamp. ‘-)

The UberTuner USER MANUAL

Tuner BUY NOW button — The KLIQ UberTuner!!!

2) TC Electronic PolyTune Clip

Remember what I said about clip-ons not being precise enough? Well, leave it to the great company TC Electronics to come along and prove me wrong. In writing this article I was so intrigued by this little guy that, yes… I went out and bought one. And so far… it’s working great!

The PolyTune has three things going for it that caused me to surrender to the clip gods:

Its accuracy is truly exceptional: ±0.02 cents!
It has “polyphonic view”!
Strobe tuning is one of the visual options

The accuracy speaks for itself, but what’s this “polyphonic view” thing?

It’s a very cool feature, that’s what! It’s something I’ve never had the privilege to test in action until now, but I already love – you can strum ALL the strings at once, and the monitor will show you all six current string tunings! You’ll be able to see instantly if any of them are off at all.

LOVE IT!

Every tuner should have this feature. Being able to look at all the strings and see if any of the six are off instantly… that saves a TON of time! And if you add up all your gigs and the time spent in the past checking your tuner, you’re bound to see what pay-off this is in the long run.

The alternate tuning modes within the unit are pretty good. They don’t cover the kind of wacky ground I use, but for most the options will keep ’em happy. The options are:

Standard tuning
All strings tuned down 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 semi-tones
CAPO tunings at the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7th fret!

I especially like the capo tunings. If you use capos all the time, like I do on acoustic, that’ll definitely come in handy.

There are a couple ways this tuner is the best on the list: first, it has the largest tuning RANGE of all the tuners listed here: A0 to B6. That’s a huge range, far beyond what you’d need for guitar. Harp, anyone??

Second, the accuracy on the PolyTune is second to none. If you use the strobe display option you will get 0.02 cent accuracy! That, my friends, is the best on the list. So definitely use the strobe option. I mean, when it comes to tuning… isn’t accuracy the point??

For those of you that work on your guitars yourself, you’ll be pleased to know that the PolyTune is so precise, you can use it to set the intonation on your guitars. This kind of accuracy is rare, but go ahead – set it, then hit those harmonics. You’ll hear ’em POP with the power of dead-on Hz placement.

In the end, the PolyTune clocks in at only $49 for all these amenities, which is pretty astounding for the price point. Is it going to become my go-to tuner on stage now? Probably not, because that would mean it would have to beat out my usual tuner… which is the bomb. But you’ll see that one later… 😉

But I bought it. And I like it. If I don’t want to drag my whole rig with me… this is my new best friend.

PolyTune Clip USER MANUAL

3) Peterson StroboClip HD Clip-on

The Peterson company has long made their mark by concentrating on two things in the music electronics market: pipe organ-equipment, and tuners. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Whereas other companies have ventured out and created new divisions creating other types of products, Peterson has clung to what it does, and has done, better than any other company for decades.

They’ve been making electronic tuners for musicians since 1964. Even back then multiple touring bands saw their worth and exclusively used them for their tours: the Grateful Dead; The Who; Pink Floyd; Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young…

The list is pretty long, folks. And I’m definitely on the list.

This Clip-on is the most expensive of these first three, but it’s also (clearly, to me) the best of the bunch. It’s definitely in the “you get what you pay for” category.

The StroboClip excels at a few things:

It gives you excellent accuracy for tuning many instruments
It provides the largest library of different tunings and settings in its genre
It offers you “Sweetened Tunings”. No other company goes there.
It allows you to create and upload your OWN tunings into the StroboClip!

If you’re unfamiliar with Sweetened tunings, as I was before I studied up on it a few years back, check out THIS ENLIGHTENING VID, which should bring its tonal worth into spotlight clarity for you.

Basically, it means that the StroboClip will slightly adjust notes to compensate for tuning problems that specific instruments have. James Taylor, for example, always uses the “ACU” sweetener setting in his Peterson for his signature J.T. acoustic guitar sound.

As for specs, they’re as tech’d as you’d expect!

Chromatic
Strobe, HD backlit LCD display
Concert A Reference Pitch 390Hz to 490Hz
Tuning range from C0 – B6
Accuracy of 0.1 cent
50+ Tuning Modes
USB for software updates
Included CR2032 battery
Tour tough chassis
Low Battery Indicator
2 year warranty

One sure way of getting a feel for the real-world worth of a piece of gear is to read the online reviews written by real players like you and me. The StroboClip has the most glowing reviews out of all the tuners on this list. People absolutely love it.

It usually comes down to two reasons: the accuracy and/or the new Sweetened Tunings mode. With this combination, Peterson stands in a class all by itself.

I personally started using a more ‘sweetened tuning’ a couple years ago after reading about the possibilities and consulting some local luthiers and hearing what they had to say on it.

Pretty much whenever I tune a guitar now, I optimize the G and B string harmonic relationship by not using true equal temperament. It makes a big difference, especially on acoustic guitars when I’m playing solo.

The Peterson products make this take no extra time since it’s already hard-wired to give you those relationships. Sweet!

If you occasionally have to play with pianos that have not been tuned in a while, you know the drill of having to tune to the piano, usually quite a bit flat. The StroboClip helps in that it has the largest Concert Pitch range out of any of today’s options. You can set it as low as 400 Hz or as high as 490 Hz. If you have to go lower or higher than that… dude – somebody call the piano tuner NOW!

The StroboClip is now on its third software upgrade, so you can see that they are relentless in keeping their product up-to-date. The USB connection allows you to get the latest version whenever a new one is released.

As for battery life, it registers the longest on the list: 20 hours! If you hate having to buy those expensive, round little batteries all the time, this will keep you going the longest, and avoiding a trip to Battery-Land. 😉

Finally, if you’re like me and create your own guitar tunings frequently, you’ll be able to designate and upload any of them into the StroboClip using their software and a USB cable. Check out THIS WEB PAGE for the specifics.

More expensive? Yes. Worth it? If the extras the StroboClip packs match the needs you have as a professional musician, then most definitely ‘yes’!

The StroboClip USER MANUAL

4) TC Electronic PolyTune 2 Pedal

Whenever I write review articles, I really try to not ever give the same company my recommendation twice. In fact, this is the first time it’s ever happened.

And it won’t be the last. lol

But what can I do? When you put in the time to check products out, and some are just the clear winners, there’s no other option.

Now, I know some of you out there are pedal pushers. You’ve got the ‘big toe dance’ goin’ during performances and it’s your thing. That’s cool. The current pedal trend of the last 6 years or so is not my thing, but back in the day I remember what it was like (my first gear purchase after guitar & amp was a classic Boss Chorus pedal!).

So, you in that camp? You want a TUNER PEDAL? Then there’s really no better option right now than the PolyTune 2.

This TC pedal version gives you all the niceties of the Clip, which to me already sets it ahead of its competition without going any farther.

But consider this: with the pedal you can plug in an optional power cord (the TC Electronic PowerPlug 9) and never have to worry about batteries again. That, to me, is a real plus, ‘cuz I never want to have a battery die during a gig, know what I mean? This unit, like so many, also doesn’t have a low battery indicator, so there’s yet another reason to go for the electric cable.

On the flip side though, a recent battery test of the PolyTune 2 showed it going for 10+ hours before caving in, which is pretty good compared to other pedals.

The PolyTune is also a TrueBypass unit, so there’ll be no tone-sucking when you’re done tuning.

(And if none of that made any sense to you, you might want to read THIS. 😉

Since these types of pedals tend to be paired with electric guitars, which don’t tend towards alternate tunings, the onboard tuning options definitely satisfy, since they blow away its competition:

Chromatic
Drop-D
1 – 5 semitones flat
1 – 7 semitones Capo

I think that’s plenty to keep us satisfied, don’t you?

Unlike most pedals, the PolyTune sports a USB port in the back, which allows, like the Peterson Clip, for firmware updates and the like. A simple hook-up in the future to your computer and it’s like buying a newer unit.

A very useful feature in this pedal is the ambient light detector. The brightness of the unit will increase or decrease based on how much light it detects in its environment. With this feature, you won’t find the pedal insanely bright when the stage is dark, but if you’re doing an outdoor gig in the sun, it’ll amp up to max brightness so you can still see the darn thing. Cool addition.

If you’re a tireless golden tone seeker like me and never want “tone sucking”, breathe a sigh of relief – the PolyTune 2 operates in True Bypass mode to protect all your knob-twiddling efforts.

The warranty of three years matches that of the KLIQ UberTuner, but this is a vastly superior unit so that warranty means even more than usual.

Two small caveats before we go: first, this pedal has a one difference as compared to the PolyTune Clip. The Clip is measured, in the strobe mode, at ±0.02 Cent accuracy. This pedal, by comparison, is measured at ±0.1 Cent accuracy. The difference is because of the brand new quartz crystal oscillator that the Clip uses, which provides optimal differentiation in intonation.

That being said, the rest of the features they’ve packed into this pedal still clearly sets it as the pack leader. The famed Boss TU-3, for example, has only ±1 cent accuracy, its display is not as big or bright as the PolyTune, nor does it provide anywhere near the amount of tuning options.

The second caveat is this: if you typically have long cable runs with your rig, or you have an insanely convoluted pedal board, you might want to opt for the PolyTune 3, simply because it has a true analog buffer, but, alas, for more cash.

Regardless, tho’, if you’re a dancin’ guitar lad or lady who knows what intonation is, you now have a friend in TC!

PolyTune 2 USER MANUAL

5) D’Addario NS Micro Soundhole Tuner

So, some of you out there are dependable and traditional: you play acoustic guitar in standard tuning, leave the electric soloing for others with wackier hair, and just want a no-frills, straight-ahead method of covering your part with deftness and skill on the instrument as it was designed to be played.

If that’s you, then I include this on the list with you in mind: the D’Addario NS Micro tuner.

There’s not a lot of bells & whistles on the Micro. The selling point here is that it fits under the rim of your acoustic soundhole, not be noticed by anyone in the crowd. Besides that, you get the basics:

Chromatic 12-note equal temperament tuning
Designed for guitars, ukuleles, and other acoustic instruments
Calibration range of 435 Hz – 445Hz
Backlit LCD screen
One CR2032 battery included

Simple and to the point, right? The big point with this one is that 1) it’s hidden, and 2) once you install it, which is as simple as turning a plastic screw, this tuner is always with you, right on the instrument. Great idea, right (I’m talkin’ to you, Mr. ‘I-forgot-it-again-at-home‘ player)?!

The “hidden” feature is actually loved by a certain select few who hate the look of some dangly thing hangin’ off the headstock, totally destroying any Zen flow in your expensive instrument. Maybe you’re like that? Well, if you don’t want extra plastic making your axe look stupid – this one’s for you. D’Addario‘s got discrete covered by this puppy.

Precision-wise, it’s typical: ±1.0 cent accuracy. That’s the reason I haven’t opted for it, but again… my intonation bar is a lot higher than most.

I’ve long used products from D’Addario as a company: their strings, their tuners, their many and various guitar accessories. They’re a fine, trustworthy and well-respected company in the music industry, and this is not their first tuning rodeo.

And that’s no bull.

(Sorry. Just had to do that. LOL)

If the Micro’s got you coveting it already, just make sure (caveat emptor), that you have a soundboard that is the right thickness. The Micro NS can handle any top up to .150″ (3.81 mm) thick. I mean, ya want the li’l bugger to fit, right?

D’Addario also makes a version of this that is cheaper, but the screen glows a buggy green color. They heard enough complaints to warrant this upgrade to a tuner that is much more discrete and less apt to startle you, thinking there’s a praying mantis in your soundhole! Ouch!!

Because this tuner is chromatic you can tune your guitar any way you want, either standard or alternate, and the Micro will track it well. I saw one guy online who tuned his low E down to a C (which I do as well from time to time) and the Micro tuned it, no problemo!

Couldn’t locate a user manual for the little guy, so let’s peruse the final tally on it:

6) The Roadie 2 Machine-Heads Tuner

This one is the oddball out on today’s list, but it just had to be here.

Here’s the deal: whether you’re an axe-slinger who must do your own string changing should you break one on a gig, or you’re a tech in the wings waiting for that next string to break and you’ll have to change strings FAST for the shredding girl or guy you’re working for, this tuner makes your job soooo muuuuuch easier.

This is a tuner you use only when you’re changing strings. Basically, you put this unit right over your tuning peg, and it turns it to just the right frequency WAY faster than you ever could.

Think of it like the Indy 500 pit crew mega-tool of string changing and tuning!

And it’s not just for guitar; the company proudly states that the Roadie is ready for:

electric guitars
acoustic guitars
7 & 12-string guitars
ukuleles
mandolins
banjos
A dulcimer, santour or anything else with geared pegs!

The tuning accuracy of the unit is ±2.0 cent, which the company says is three times more accurate than the human ear. That may be the case, but it’s still not as good as all the others on this list.

But then, for the purpose of re-stringing your instrument quicker than you ever have, it doesn’t have to be, does it?

The Roadie is the kind of tool that is specialized to do one thing really well, and super quick. Its features are limited, but strong:

300:1 gear ratio motor
Rechargeable Lithium Ion included battery
1 month on a single charge
Battery indicator light
Micro USB charging port & cable included
Turn knob scrolls through instruments and tunings
Backlit interface makes it easy to see
Bluetooth 4.0 low energy ready
Haptic feedback enabled. When a string is in tune, it shakes to verify
Built-in user interface easy and intuitive to use
Free Smartphone app is your guitars and tunings Control Center
1 year warranty

The Roadie App erally increases the unit’s versatility, and it’s compatible with the iPhone (4S & above), iPad (3rd gen. & above), iPad Mini, iPod touch (5th gen. & above) and any Android device running Android version 4.3 or newer AND equipped with Bluetooth 4.0.

Their manual says that it’s also possible to tune with a capo on, change the reference pitch and create custom tunings with this unit. Pretty wide-ranging for a product with such a unique raison d’etre.

Beyond that, you can also finesse the reference pitch of the tuner from 420 Hz up to 460 Hz, again, for those out-of-tune instruments (musicians?) you’re forced to play with.

Now, I know it seems pricey at over a hundred bucks, but consider how strong the motor has to be to wind strings up on the various instruments you’re going to use it on. That’s where the strength has to be there, every time. So don’t be too hard on our little A.I. helper… he’s actually pretty dang powerful and worth the pretty pennies.

If you don’t play out professionally then the speed at which you change your strings and tune them isn’t so much of an issue. But if you have to do it yourself… when an audience is waiting??! Dude – get this NOW!

The Roadie 2 USER MANUAL

7) The Peterson VS-R StroboRack Tuner

Rack tuners. I love ’em. They’re sturdy, usually filled with more features than their smaller counterparts, and look hi-tech and sleek to any audience, should they happen to see it. And this particular model, the Peterson StrobeTuner, is my all-time favorite!

I was impressed with this unit’s performance from the first time I plugged it in. It’s been my gig rig tuner now for about 4 years, and every year I’ve been grateful I paid the extra money and got the best.

But before waxing on about how awesome it is, you should consider whether a rack-mount tuner should even be in the cards for you. The question you need to ask is this: will I need to be able to see and/or touch the unit while I’m on stage??

For me the answer was ‘yes’. I do have occasional gigs where the stage must be empty of gear, but for the most part I have my gear next to me, beside my amp & cabinet that I use for monitoring when I play. So anytime between songs, if I feel something’s off, I can just look to my right or left, where the rack is about waist level on a tilted amp-stand, and see what I’ve knocked out of alignment.

If you can’t have any gear onstage at all, then you might consider the other options above. I personally do everything I can to always have this at least side-stage in the wings where I can just glance over at it and check where my pitch is sitting. Even from that far away, this unit is that easy to read!

Teaj's StroboRack — Teaj’s StroboRack in his rack bag. Ready for count-off!!

No more inadequate tuners for me. I went ‘full Peterson’ and I’m never goin’ back!! lol

If the price is daunting to you, I know how you feel. It definitely is the highest price point you’ll find. But there’s also a reason. I also had never bought, or even considered, a tuner that pricey before. But I went for it anyway, because I really wanted a problem fixed that affected my professionalism every time I gigged.

And fix it it did! I can say without hesitation it’s one of the best gear investments I have ever made. And, yes, all my intonation dreams have come true! Thanks to this StroboTuner every single time I tune with it I hear sweet, musical gold.

At least, if I play everything right.

It has a long list of features, but here are the major ones:

Internal power supply
C0 to A#8 note range (16.35Hz – 7302Hz)!
±0.1 Cent accuracy
Built-in microphone
Mute-able Output
User Presets ready
(2) 1/4″ Mono inputs, Rear 1/4″ Stereo inputs
1/4″ Mute footswitch input
Strobe backlit LCD display
Concert A Reference Pitch can be ‘nudged’ from 390Hz to 490Hz
Die-cast, road-ready construction
Global offset range of 50 cents
24 Sweetened Tunings settings
11 Classic tuning temperaments
25 User Presets
Low Noise level makes for transparent sound pass-through
Built-in power supply (No wall wart!)
Neutrik jacks
One Year Warranty

In addition, this is the only tuner on the market currently to contain specific tempered tunings for pedal steel, lap steel and Resonator guitars; perfect fifths for violin, viola, & cello; “Early Music” instruments such as harpsichord, lute, and viola da gamba… heck, they even have a BAGPIPE tuning temperament programmed! What can’t this unit do??!!

Setting your guitar & bass intonations are a breeze with this tuner. In fact, their manual walks you through exactly how to do it. So if you’ve never primed up your axe before, rather than pay someone… do it yourself, with the StroboRack.

A specialized ‘drop tuning” button on the front allows you to lower your tuning in semitone intervals down to wherever you want.

Oh, and if you have specific alternate tunings that you use often, there’s 8 presets for you to plug them into so they’re ready at the touch of a button too.

As a funny addition to all this unit offers, they also allow you to let your kid out to play by programming your own scrolling screen saver/marquee for you, other band members or your audience to see when the unit is bypassed. Their manual offers this crowd-pleasing idea:

Obviously, they have a good sense of humour.

This is a very specialized unit, optimized for the touring professional, and certainly not for everybody. The price alone makes that obvious.

But if dependability, accuracy and the latest cutting-edge technology for harmonic equilibrium is what you expect out of your gear, then you have found your tuner. Join me in spreading the love for what Peterson has created – the very best tuner money can buy!

StroboRack USER MANUAL

The Final Pitch

There are lots of other options out in capitalist heaven for you to peruse, and I’m well aware of the options. I researched Handheld, App, and Virtual models along with the Pedal, Rack and Clip-on categories you see represented here. Honestly, none of that first group impressed me enough to see them included here.

But I think we’ve got enough, don’t we? With the options I’ve outlined above, there’s no reason why you can’t quickly, consistently slap those flappin’ frequencies into line. All it takes is to buy the right tool for the job. Take a look at your budget, think about how you’ll be using it and how you’d prefer to SEE the unit when you need it, then make your choice.

By the way, Amazon is usually 99 cents cheaper than other sites. Why? Probably because they’re taking over the planet. lol

I know it’s not much, but if any savings is where you want to rock, use these links instead and buy yourself a coffee to celebrate:

If you go with any of what you’ve seen above, you’ll be buying the best in the industry, right now, in 2018.

Got questions? Have a tuner you think should have made the list? Got a favorite amidst the list?? Wonder where to get good sushi during a recording break??! Ask away! Someone around here is bound to know (for that last one, it’s ALWAYS “Noble Fish”!).

And after you get a tuner to make your axe shine the brightest, go over to THIS POST to find out how to record that guitar, make some music, and take over the world!!

Now, go… make… (in-tune…) sounds!!

Teaj

Digital Music – Welcome To The Machine

Posted on February 19, 2018May 29, 2020 by Teaj

In 1451, there was no digital music.

The iPod? It was just a gleam in your

great-great…

GREAT-GREAT…

Grandfather’s eye!

But there were live concerts, with real people, playing real instruments. The music then, in what is considered the early Renaissance era, hadn’t really changed that much, rather it had just skipped along as it had for medieval centuries.

But there was something that DID annihilate the status quo that year. The printing press.

Some contend (and rightly so, I think) that the printing press was the most influential technological breakthrough of the modern age. It changed SO many things in SO many ways, and improved life and human understanding on so many levels, that we are still feeling its effects to this day.

But there was a downside.

Up to that point, the Catholic Church had basically been THE dispenser of knowledge for the masses in many places around the globe. It copied all the texts, it owned those texts, and it was the one to read those texts to an audience in the millions. For each one of those three transmissions there was a charge incurred (even tho’ the tithe was technically considered voluntary it was still expected!), and that put lots of money into the coffers of the Church.

With the advent of the printing press, however, there was a sudden, dramatic and unforeseen cutoff of that lucrative flow. The cash cow had been chopped to bits, and then made into a lovely stew… that the Protestant Reformation slurped up gladly!

So what’s the lesson here? Well, nobody likes it when they’re livelihood is taken away. It hurts. It’s not fair. It sucks. But it’s gonna happen. In fact, for musicians, it’s happening…

right…

now.

The Song Does Not Remain the Same

If you didn’t catch my look back at 2017 and the huge changes that continued to rear their ugly heads in our industry, go read it HERE. Suffice it to say, the level of actual music sales continued to go down, as they have for years now.

Instead, music streaming sites are taking over. People love their “one-stop-shop’ approach to listening to music. Whatever you want to hear, it’s there. Like a certain album? You’re probably going to find it on Spotify. Want to explore other albums you never purchased but always wondered about? Go nuts – they’re right there waiting to satiate your curiosity.

My wife subscribed to Spotify last year, and automatically subscribed me too. Do I like the platform? Absolutely! Love it! I can listen to albums by artists I’ve never heard of and see if I want to support them. I can demo the albums by favorite artists that I did not buy, to see if they’re worth it. And with it all being so instantaneous and accessible all in one place? Well, that makes it even more convenient than my iPod, which got put into storage last year soon after.

But I’m also a performing songwriter. And I know how much Spotify pays per play. Do you? It appears to change every month, but the latest stats I found were from early 2017. They showed the payout to be 0.0004 cents per stream.

That’s abominable. And it’s getting worse: the numbers garnered from Spotify, which are required under Sec 115 of US copyright law, show that as Spotify’s value and revenues have gone up, artists and publishers have in tandem made less.

January 27th, however, did nudge us ever so slightly in the right direction: The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) that determines rates and terms for copyright licenses, and the royalties associated with them, ruled that musicians are not paid enough from all these streaming services. Their ruling now demands that the payout rate for artists and their music be raised from a 10.5% up to a 15.1% portion of all profits. Not only that, but they also put in as part of the ruling that the streaming sites will be financially penalized if they pay artists and publishers late.

Now that’s a step in the right direction!

But clearly, none of us will buying our first Lamborghini anytime soon with these pay-outs. So we’ve gotta take other steps to safeguard our income and musical legacies.

But before we look at that, let’s see how we got here…

Ample Lifts From Samplers

The first major rumblings of musical communism surged through in the 80s. And wouldn’t ya know it, it all coincided with the release of a new kind of music gear called “samplers‘. With a sampler under hand, anyone could nick any bit of a recorded song and play it as a loop for their own recordings. Hundreds did just that. Roger Linn, of Linn Drum fame put it this way:

“I noticed that people were starting to sample big chunks of other people’s records. I thought it was odd that they were using a machine that should be used for drums and just looping a segment, you know, basically standing on the shoulders of giants.”

This continued for a couple years, but soon the original creators of the sampled pieces of music began seeking litigation to stop this theft, basically, from happening. Rules were changed and soon enough there were charges if you wanted to use a sample from someone else’s music.

But the masses had shown their cards – they wanted “free”. Free is nice. Free is good.

Except, of course, for the unpaid person who composed the music in the first place.

I was just watching Hall & Oates in a video today and the interviewer asked them how they feel about the dozens of times their song “No Can Do” has been sampled. They responded positively by saying that we are all inspired by other artists, and it’s okay to try to emulate them, but there’s a line between that and just outright sampling someone else’s work, changing something about it, and calling it your own.
I’d have to agree.

Cut the Crap, Sir, ’bout Napster

June 1, 1999. A little start-up website called Napster comes online. It’s technology’s premise: allow all computer users to exchange, give or simply take any digital audio files, uploaded from CDs, from each other via the Internet.
I remember jumping on to see what the fuss was about. I tried it myself. I even thought it was cool at first. My favorite part was finding recordings I couldn’t buy ‘cuz they’d gone out of print years ago. Getting to hear songs I could only listen to in my memory before definitely got me stoked.

For example, I actually found “Shaving Cream” by Benny Bell, which I hadn’t heard since I was a kid. To my surprise, the song suddenly had a hilarious new meaning that, as a child, went RIGHT OVER my head. Listen to it and I think you’ll see the part I mean! lol

But then I started to see through to the monster we’d created. We didn’t realize it then, but we were all witnessing a sort of musical communism. The masses, suddenly rising up in droves to nab tons of totally free albums, were unwittingly tearing down the very infrastructure of the music business, like amped-up protesters pulling down statues of some despised dictator.

Once I saw that, I deleted the program and never looked back.

By and large, machine innovations have tended to raise the fortunes of most nation states eventually on their rising tides of technological progress. That’s a good thing.

But every time something new is created, something old is made obsolete. Once Napster allowed face-less, nameless invited hackers to share any and all music ever created, the impact on music sales were immediate… and dreadful. Music creators everywhere took the hit. The insatiable cat was definitely out of the bag, and it’s hissing is easily still heard today around the world.

Ghosts (Players) in the Machine

I just completed a new song. I had a blast, as always. I played bass, keys, guitar and percussion, and really like how it has come out.

I did not, however, play the drums.

Who did? Why, Omar Hakim, of course.

If you don’t know, Omar is one of the best of the best, and certainly one of my favorite skin-beaters of all time. He’s been hugely famous for decades because of his adept technical skill and consistent feel. Don’t believe me? Check him out with Sting HERE!

But he doesn’t live in Detroit. And I don’t feel like doling out a lot of cash to him for just a few video background music tracks.

So what did I do? I bought the Omar Hakim Drum Loops from the LoopLoft. They are copyright-cleared, 100% royalty-free, immediately ready, and superbly recorded, with each part of the drum separately tracked for maximum control.

Now, whenever I want, I can summon up Omar’s ghost that resides in my “box”, and bid him come and haunt my latest tracks with his percussive prowess. When I’m satisfied with my choices of his choices, he fades into the byte-bed background of my computer until summoned to rise again.

Oh, and, yea, I can tell you how cool it is, hearing a hero’s playing coming through on MY monitors on MY song, and how it left me smiling the whole day, but until you experience it for yourself… you just can’t know!

Despite my joy thought, it makes me think: doesn’t this negatively impact Omar’s ability to make a living off of his skills now? Why pay him the big bucks when you can just have his playing at the click of a drumstick for less than $20?

He chose to do it, true, but I see his product, and hundreds of products like it by other skilled players, as further proof of the erosion of the typical means for musicians to earn a living.

Here’s other evidences:

Laptops hold all the virtual instruments you need.
The genres that use virtual instruments the most, EDM & Rap, are claiming more and more real estate on the Billboard charts.
The legendary guitar manufacturer Gibson is now facing bankruptcy, after trying to defend itself against a decade-long plunge in guitar sales, due mostly to virtual instruments becoming the sale of choice.
Almost all of my musician friends who still sell CDs, play out locally and upload videos of their live work, are getting close to zero recompense for all their efforts.
Ticket prices. Have you noticed that they are higher than they’ve ever been? It’s one of the few tools artists have left to try to compensate for the still-plunging decline in music sales.

Play the Machine, or the Machine Plays You

All of the above might sound like complaining. It’s not. Just the opposite, actually – I think this may be the most exciting time to be a musician in history. The tools at our disposal are just astounding in the light of the little we had even 20 years ago.

But this word must get out: we absolutely cannot go about business as usual. Our industry is in a time of upheaval, and if we don’t adapt to what the juggernaut machine is steamrolling over us, we will certainly not thrive. Or even survive, in some cases.

So… what’s to be done?

We must develop new ways of generating income and marketing our music, and really take a good look at also marketing ourselves. We must not just roll with the changes – we must implement our own.

Consider this: according to the “World Economic Forum Annual Meeting” which took place at the end of last month, there are four key “superpowers” that the world is embracing at record speeds that will continue to reshape our methods and instruments of communication, learning, and daily interaction for decades, if not centuries, to come. They are:

Mobile technology
The Cloud
Deep-learning AI
The internet of things (IoT)

These four things are trending upward very fast, and there appears no sign of them stopping anytime soon. For more specifics on each one, see THIS ARTICLE.

So the question is, in light of this truth, how can we leverage these things for our own benefit, for the benefit of our families, and, of course, for the benefit of relieving our G.A.S.-y love for music gear whenever it might strike?

I was asking the same questions last year, when it became clear that album releases these days generates close to zero in sales for all but the biggest stars. Even hugely popular albums or songs earn very little, due to the command of streaming sites in the music industry now and, if we call a spade a spade, their concomitant greed.

Once, we had an ongoing income stream via the continued sales of our albums. That’s gone. The only game in town is now streaming music, and, unless further litigation forces their hand, they’re going to continue to share only a pittance of their earnings with the actual makers of the music.

Ahhh, but about this: developing your own online website… as a business?!

Let’s Make You… Digital TOO!

Last year I looked at the business and knew that the approaches of the past were no longer valid. If I was to be successful with my next album, I’d have to do something outside the box. Outside the “streaming” box, especially.

As I researched over the course of months, I noticed that there was a small core of relatively unknown musicians who were nonetheless succeeding financially, BIG TIME, by leveraging the power of the Internet.

The more I studied, the more clear it became: in this day and age, to truly forge your own successful path in music, you had to partner with the Web, ongoingly work your own website, and market either your own product or other company’s products via your site.

Hundreds of entrepreneurial, hard-working musicians around the globe are doing just that… right now! And making six figures from their efforts!!

So it was clear to me… if they can do it, then I CAN.

Moreover, as an extension of that – YOU can.

All it will take is a simple paradigm shift: change your thinking from:

“I have a website”

To:

“I am running an online business.”

That’s really what will make the difference. Once you’ve set that thinking as your foundation, the implementation strategies and presentation options are just little work hurdles to jump over.

Thousand all over the globe are leveraging their sites for long-term success, and finding it works. I started last year and am amazed at the results. I love what I do, and have already seen how “worth it” it can be when your own efforts are monetized and your own passions are shared.

It’ll take a few months before you see any huge results, but if you set it up right, and look at your site like a business rather than just a photo book for your concerts, it will grow and grow if you put even a modicum of effort into it a few times weekly.

In the End… Your Music’s Worth It!

In light of all we’ve learned about digital music and digital music creation, it’s clear we must create our own launch platforms and opportunities instead of waiting for some big break from the audio sky to summon us to stardom.

In fact, labels expect these days is that you’ve already developed a grass-roots following using all the major social media outlets, and that you have your own website and community/touring presence before they even take you seriously.

Assemble your own entertaining website with these things in mind, and link up with the right interlocking parts from a reputable online provider. Slowly but surely, it will substantiate into your personal vision of monetary and artistic success.

Go ahead. It can’t hurt to try it!

We musicians have put a lot of time into honing our craft – sometimes decades. But it’s important that we be just as skilled at navigating how our industry changes. These days, we must look the changes square in the eye and dare them to keep us down!

It’s time. Time to think creatively instead of relying on models that once worked but are now defunct. Time to change our methods of monetizing, so we can ongoingly remain financially successful with our music.

If you have any questions, or comments, please… leave them below. We love hearing from you. And I really personally enjoy sharing the insights I’ve gained from the success of this website with those who are kind of lost and wondering, “What do I do in the face of all this industry change??!”

For now tho’, as usual, don’t neglect the joy of playing those instruments and that gear, and use them all to…

… go… make… sounds!!

Teaj

How to Play the Guitar For Beginners, Pt. 3 – The Juke Box Hero’s Quest!!

Posted on February 13, 2018March 11, 2019 by Teaj

“High atop the glistening mountain, with Terrible Tune Eagles screeching from all directions around him, the Songsmith sat, and watched as the morning sun cut a laser ray overhead from the horizon, and bathed him in warmth.

This was why he came: to see how song was born…

… to understand its power…

… and take back with him its greatest gifts.”

This quote, from a fictional fantasy novel which I’m sure I’ll WRITE (right after I finish this post) sets us up nicely for today’s focus: how to continue learning this exceptionally wondrous, diverse and mesmeric instrument called the guitar, such that it’s the perfect companion for its top job these days – to accompany a singing voice for a SONG.

If you haven’t caught my previous two articles on how to play guitar for beginners, check part one out HERE, and part two HERE. Taking in the suggested thoughts, techniques and approaches of those is an excellent foundation to build upon with today’s topic.

Now… let’s rock!

The Powerful Canyons of Song

In a hot apartment one afternoon in Los Angeles, I was brought to tears by a single melody performed by an oboe.

In that same hot apartment, the next year, I was on the floor, rolling in laughter, because of a new song my band of the time and I were writing that, uh… went in unexpected places.

And lastly, that exact apartment was also the nest for moments of real songwriting breakthroughs and an incredible senses of fulfillment, as I studied songs by the masters, and applied what I’d learned to my own material.

Thank you, Apt. 62 in Reseda! Your effect my life will never be forgotten.

Because you’ve probably experienced the power of a song before, those glimpses into my life as a musician are more than likely somewhat familiar to you. Music is a magical thing. It has a presence that stays with you, long after the song is over.

Today’s songs are almost exclusively driven by lyrics. Sure, there are instrumental stations for jazz, classical, atmospheric, etc., but their market shares are quite low compared to the spoken story songs that mostly fill the soundtracks of our lives.

Good lyrics are powerful; they can be deeply meaningful, and become almost like a mission statement for our souls. They can tell our story, or they can remind us of a relationship, or maybe they steer us in a way we really wanted to go, but didn’t quite have the strength or will to, until we heard that song.

If you’re learning guitar, one thing’s for sure: you will probably be an accompaniment to a voice singing lyrics most of the time. It might be your voice. It might be someone else’s voice. But, for sure, you’re going to be a musical bed for some voice at almost all your gigs.

But, in essence, you are really only serving one thing as a guitar player: the SONG. Let everything you do answer the question “How do I make this song sound the best it can be?” Do that, and your quest won’t be nearly as long as you might think!

From Songsmith Peak… the Full Panorama

Because you’ll be accompanying your voice or another’s voice usually, you should start from the get-go learning WHOLE SONGS with your guitar. Not parts. Not the best bits. Not just licks.

LEARN… THE… WHOLE… SONG.

If there’s any habit that most sets apart those who succeed at an instrument and those who don’t, it’s that. If you commit to learning a complete song, beginning to end, and being able to play all its constituent parts, you are pretty much guaranteed to become a good player.

There are thousands of noodling amateurs in the world who will never taste the victory of playing live for audiences, and it’s mostly because they don’t learn entire songs.

Let me put it in business terms: no one is going to hire you if you can’t play songs in their entirety. And even bands that pay NOTHING don’t want incomplete musicians. No matter how advanced or not you are, the point of concerts is to play whole songs for fans that like those songs.

Now the great thing is, if you learn entire tunes, not only is it going to be what everyone wants to hear – it also is going to make you a faaaaar superior musician, because you will start and continue to internalize what a good, well-written, moving, effective song is beginning to end. You won’t even know you’re learning it, but you will be.

If you ever want to write your own music, this will come in real handy!

So, got it? Learn whole songs.

You’ll thank me later. 😉

The Ancient Cave Tune Runes… Uncovered!

After you’ve spent all that time wood-shedding (that’s what musicians call long periods honing chops by solitary practicing) and you finally can play the song, beginning to end, with no mistakes…

… it’s time to understand what you’re playing.

This is where you write down the song form, and all the chord choices, and study it. Why? because it will, again, make you a far superior musician than most. You’ll stand out from the thousands of guitar players. You’ll get the gigs. You’ll make obviously better musical choices.

Because you not only can reproduce a song, you understand it.

Here are great questions I like to ask about songs I’m learning:

What key is this song in? Why was this key chosen?

Does this song keep to simple, Diatonic chord progressions?

What’s the chord map, if I break down the chords into the Nashville Number system?

What kind of lyric is it? Story? Poetic? Slang? Street? Emotive? Surreal? First person?

What chord positions are used that are different than normal? Why were they used?

If chords are new to you, how are they used in this song? What other ways can I use them?

Do I understand each section of the song? Are the sections in normal order, or different?

Are any sections played using a different guitar technique? Why the switch there?

How do the different guitar techniques complement the vocal, the most important part?

Why were certain guitar effects used in certain parts of the song?

If you do none of the rest of this list, at LEAST do the Nashville Number system study of the chord progressions. All this means is you’ll be substituting a number where a new chord is given. The number will represent what part of the major scale the chords are built on.

If you write out a chart for the song using this system, you’ll be performing exactly what every Nashville session player does every day as they lay down hit after hit on their bad axes. The number system makes music SO easy when you understand it. It’s worth investing the time to get your head around it.

If you have no clue about this, no worries… I’ll be writing a new post on it soon. For now, go read THIS POST for a quick beginner’s understanding to chord building.

The Singing Wells Echo… the Hero’s Voice

Just as our voice is amplified and echoed into the world when we shout down a well, or cry out at cliffs or mountains, so we must get our music propelling outwards… by getting out and playing for people!

Wherever and whenever possible, perform the songs you’ve learned. Even if it’s just in your home, for guests that happen to be visiting, perform for those humans. They’ll love it and you’ll get used to the feeling of being in the spotlight for music.

If you find you’re making some mistakes when you play for others, the answer is simple: just spend ten or fifteen minutes a day continuing to practice that song. Focus not on the whole thing, but only on those few measures, or licks, or chords, where you make the mistakes.

In a week or two, you won’t be ABLE to make a mistake, the right way will be so ingrained in your muscle memory.

In music, like in anything, you will get out of it what you put into it… and then some!

Now… nervousness. Some of you will never get over it. It can be a lifelong struggle.

My wife, for example, is a fantastic musician, but she has always hated the feeling of being the center of attention that performance brings, and for that reason mostly plays at home, for herself or for her family, without all the spotlight glare.

Such anxiety is shared by Eddie Van Halen, Adele, Brian Wilson, Barbara Streisand, and even… Ozzy Osbourne!

It does get easier though, if it doesn’t totally disappear. But it will only lessen if you choose to get out there and play whole songs, back-to-back, beginning to end, with (hopefully) no mistakes, or as few mistakes as possible. The more you do it, the more “normal” it becomes.

And if you’ve practiced enough, you won’t have to worry about mistakes because of the entrenched muscle memory I mentioned.

You can do it. And the benefits are awesome.

Just remember this: you will be your worst critic. Most people won’t even notice you made a mistake. Know why?

They’re too busy… singing along!

Our Hero’s Reflection On the Sungsea Waves

An interesting thing happens when you learn a whole song, study to understand it fully, and then perform it time and time again for adoring fans: you start to discover that elusive, whispered-about entity that eludes so many that do not do those things – you start to discover your own style!

You will find that you gravitate towards certain artists. That’s okay; there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Let your heroes teach you! In time, you will probably want to explore other avenues, other styles, other artists. Just live in the now and learn what you enjoy.

The author during his sunny (but smoggy) L.A. guitar days!

I remember when I was first learning, I absolutely could not learn enough songs by Paul Simon… and Van Halen! Both satisfied different kinds of internal cravings (obviously!), and I ate ’em up like Thanksgiving dinner.

As you intentionally, thoroughly learn specific artists and styles, their thinking patterns and musical instincts start to become your own, but with a twist – the mix of them is what starts to create what is singularly YOU. No one else will learn exactly the same songs, styles, riffs and progressions as you will.

Those unique decisions become the road to your own distinct sound. It’s something that you won’t have to work on… it’ll just happen! If you put the time and effort in.

So keep learning, one by one, your favorite songs. You’ll not only be able to recreate timeless classics – you’ll start becoming one yourself!

The Hero Returns Home… A Legend!

Every hero’s quest ends with the protagonist coming back to a place he or she was before. But this time, they’re a new person, someone who has seen, experienced, and taken in epic things that have changed them from the inside out, and taught them much they did not know.

Their senses are now fuller, deeper, more acutely aware of things that, before, would have passed by unnoticed. They have learned what the majority never even suspect, because the majority never try hard enough to break through walls, set out in faith to face the unknown, and spend the simple time it takes to unwrap the mysteries of their life until light springs up from the lifted layers of exploration.

Your musical journey will take you many places, but the total itinerary will be one that is all your own – a singular path that will shape you into a singular artist.

The author on Mt. Toggenburg, Switzerland.

You must keep climbing, sometimes over many peaks, before you arrive at the playing peak you’ve been working towards.

Some would say it’s an arduous road, even futile, and you might be tempted to think they have a point.

But remember: they do not know how exciting, thrilling, inspiring and fulfilling this journey is. No one who has not worked hard on an instrument to attain certain skill levels will ever understand.

But you do. So keep pressing on. Keep climbing. Reach for the top by practicing smart, and hard, and never, ever, ever lose what drew you to it in the first place – the pure, lovely enjoyment of making music.

Keep that up… and you’ll be a juke box hero in no time!

If you’re ready for your next free lesson, head over to THIS PART 4 post on how to play the guitar for beginners.

Then, go… make… sounds!!

Teaj

Serious G.A.S. Relief!! Interview 2: Sean Barrett & his Egnater TOL 50!

Posted on February 7, 2018April 10, 2018 by Teaj

A rocker and his amp are not soon parted, as you shall see in today’s fun and insightful video interview with local virtuoso legend Sean Barrett!

Come take a ride on the rockin’ side with us as we explore this gem of a transducer that is now almost 30 years old, the Egnater TOL 50. For Sean, it’s still servin’ up smokin’ hot licks with the best of ’em under the mellifluous fingers of maestro Barrett.

If it inspires you, you know what to do – just pick up your instrument and…

… go… make… SOUNDS!!!

How to Play the Guitar For Beginners, Pt. 2 – Wield That Weapon With Style!

Posted on February 3, 2018March 11, 2019 by Teaj

“Hiyyy -YAH!”

“Tchoh!!”

“Whohhhhhhhh – HAH!!!”

If any of you, like me, have ever taken a martial arts class or course, then you know the sounds I’m talking about! Somehow just that little bit more ‘oomph’ comes forth when we utter those syllables of power.

Plus, it just makes you seem more of a bad-ass, right?! I mean, imagine a Bruce Lee movie, where he fought but didn’t make any sounds. Unnatural, dude!!

So, what do martial arts have to do with how to play guitar for beginners?? Well, it’s all about… options!

See, I personally studied the ‘kung fu‘ branch of martial arts for some years, and learned much from some very good teachers at the dojo..

But recently I joined another class from a different discipline: karate. Know what I found? They do everything SO different! You still are accomplishing the same goal: defence against an attacker, but the movements, placements, vocalizations, mental processing… they are all so different from what I learned in kung fu.

And yet… it works. And is awesome in its own way.

In a similar fashion, in this SECOND PART of our series, we look today at how choosing to play guitar is like choosing a weapon, or a form of martial arts. There are many ways to wield your instrument, practice it, and you probably won’t have the time or desire to take them all on. So how do you choose which disciplines to take on?

If you haven’t gone through my first article on how to play guitar, check it out HERE. If you have, then let’s bow a dojo greeting and get swingin’… !

Your Sensei

In martial arts training, the person who has excelled the furthest in a particular dojo, who is the main Instructor and thus the most revered, is the Sensei. The word means “teacher”, but there’s also a profound respect that is carried along with the term in martial arts.

A Sensei is usually a black belt and often has put DECADES of time and study into the craft. Thus, it also carries a tone of respect for someone who has achieved a level of mastery and accomplishment in the art.

The Sensei is there to keep you on track, to make sure you’re aligned with the teachings, and to help guide you toward proficiency and mastery.

In music, one of our most excellent Sensei masters is… the METRONOME! As you progress through any musical studies, if you apply the metronome to all your practice sessions, you will be able to attain mastery that others, who don’t use one, will only dream about.

A metronome is simply a time-keeping device. It doesn’t slow down or speed up, but rather keeps a consistent, steady tempo for you to practice to.

It’s also like having your own private drummer that follows you around, only it won’t ask you to move heavy gear, lend money, or let him or her crash at your place tonight like real drummers do. LOL

These days you can download several metronomes for FREE on your smart phone, so, more than ever, there’s no excuse for not practicing with one. It’s so easy to do and is so transformative and effective. Should you use one? Yes, you should!!

Each time you’re learning an exercise, play it first with the metronome at a lower number, say, around 60, or 70. Then, as you master that speed, bump it up by two or three numbers and practice that until you make no mistakes. Then bump it up again.

Aligning your performance with a metronome will really let you know when you are ready to increase your speed. Basically, if you’re still making any mistakes, you’re not ready.

The Rack o’ Weapons

Take a cue from soldiers in ancient China: they didn’t all do the same thing.

Some wielded swords.

Others spears.

Off to the side, there were the halberd bearers.

And way behind them, on the ridge… the cross-bow deliverers of death!

In hand-to-hand combat, your skills meant life or death, so they didn’t try to take on every style of defence – they chose one and mastered it… or they didn’t last long.

In a concert scenario, there’s more than one way to release your own battle barrage of notes onto the paying, suspecting crowds. Here are your choices:

Strumming
Finger Picking
Plectrium Picking
Hitting or Striking

There are even more really way out, wacky methods (I’m looking at you, drill-wielding EVH!), but these pretty much cover most of the playing you’re ever going to see. Each one is a weapon, and must be handled in very different ways to be effective.

Throughout your musician life, but especially when you’re first starting out, it’s important to always be trying out different techniques on your instrument. Even if you’re just playing around with them and not taking the specific technique too seriously. This will lead naturally to developing your own, unique style in due course.

Remember, we PLAY guitar. Not work it. Always approach your instrument with joy, friendly determination and respect. It’ll pay back in rich dividends.

Initially, though, so you’re not overwhelmed (& also so you can feel a sense of real accomplishment), just choose one or two techniques to explore.

Ok, let’s march down the warpath and do a little sparring, shall we?

Skirmishing With Your Heroes

When I started, I had two heroes that I wanted to emulate, and I learned and practiced their styles, back and forth, with passion and consistency: Paul Simon (for acoustic guitar) and Eddie Van Halen (for electric guitar).

Many have raised their eyebrows at my taking on two guitarists who, on the surface, couldn’t be more poles apart.

To me, it was a no-brainer: it was all about the songs! They were timeless, and well-constructed, and emotionally impactful.

But their proficiency on guitar was also AMAZING. Their techniques and inventive approaches to the instrument never ceased to inspire me.

I knew soon enough that if I could learn how to write songs as well as they wrote them, and play even half as good as they did, I could bring some quality music into reality too.

I was right. The more I learned from both of them, the better I got. Learning the songs of your musical heroes is like skirmishing or grappling with them in battle: you learn their moves, their tricks, their stratagems, and it gives you insider insight as to how they think through their ‘campaigns’, song to song.

Plus, if you choose music that inspires you, you’re bound to practice a lot. For me, it was such a high to find myself being able to play their guitar parts finally, when before I had only won “air guitar” contests. Now I was the real deal!

Because of those two heroes, my concentration at first was on two main areas: learning and using scales for soloing (thank you, Eddie!), and learning and refining chords, finger picking and strumming for acoustic sing-along songs (Paul was the bomb for that!)

In the same way, if you’re starting out, I want YOU to pick two guitar heroes that you would just LOVE to play like, and start studying the specific techniques they use the most. Don’t try to learn everything at once. Focus on a couple, really gain control in them, and then move on to other methods.

Let’s break down the most common options you’ll come across…

The Cobra Rhythms of the Hand!

Strumming. It’s a basic prerequisite for acoustic guitar, tho’ you also may see it down on electric at times.

Strumming is usually done with a pick, since you’ll probably want a lot of volume for the part you’re learning.

You can use your fingernail if you want, but I’d only do that if you’re playing in a church or somewhere you don’t want to be loud or brash. Your fingernail will definitely soften the guitar sound.

The most important part of learning to strum is always having your hand and pick continuing in an UP/DOWN pattern. Even if your pick is not hitting the strings, keep the up and down going. This keeps you in the song’s groove and brings a consistency to where you’re striking the strings.

Try these patterns on for size:

Exercise One:

Strum the guitar strings up and down, slowly, eight times.
While you do that count “ONE – and – TWO – and – THREE– and – FOUR – and”.
How’d you do? If you succeeded, you just strummed one measure, in 4/4 time, on each of the four beats, AND its subdivisions (the ‘and’s). Now do it again.
Once that feels natural, play it and repeat it continuously while counting out loud.

You can also pick up the pace and increase the speed. It’ll start to sound more like a song the faster you get.
When you can do that for lots of measures on end, without making a mistake in counting, then it’s time to get more tricky!

Exercise 2:

This time we’ll play the SAME pattern as we did above, but with this change: don’t strum the strings on “THREE – and“. Your hand must still go up and down though! Keep it moving, but just don’t strum the strings on “3 – and”. You’ll pass them up and down silently, then come back in, hitting the strings, for “FOUR – and”.

If we put asterisks in where we DON’T play, it looks like this:

“ONE – and – TWO – and – * – * – FOUR – and”.
Increase the speed as you gain more control.

Exercise 3:

Now try this one: “ONE – and – * – and – THREE – and – * – and”.

Again, the asterisks are where you will not strum the strings, but, as usual, your hand and pick will continue to rise and fall. Don’t stop moving your hand! Keep it going and the groove will be with you… always!

These three patterns are very cool to have in your hip pocket. They cover a lot of songs. To expand on this, just decide for yourself which beats or sub-beats to leave out. Try leaving out “TWO – and – THREE”. That’s a good one. Or how about “TWO – and – THREE – and”? That’ll sound cool.

The possibilities are endless, but the important thing is to start getting used to this constant up and down technique and picking up the speed with a few patterns. Soon, you’ll be sparring with the best of ’em!

The Most Intricate of Battle Formations!

This technique might take you a little longer to get down, since by its nature it is more intricate than simple strumming. But don’t worry – with consistency, and having fun practicing songs and artists you love, you’ll be amazed at your progress!

By far, the most common finger-picking pattern is the Travis picking pattern. There are SO many songs that use this, and I mean really popular ones that have become “standards” – songs you’ll probably never stop hearing on “Classics” stations.

To play it, choose four strings. In fact, let’s make it easy by playing a ‘D’ chord. Since that uses only the upper four strings, our choice is made for us!

Now, you’ll pluck strings in a specific sequence. Here it is:

In case you’ve never read TAB music before (which is on the bottom) the numbers refer to which FRET you’ll press down. Notice how those numbers correspond to the guitar GRID which is above the musical staff. It’s your basic ‘D’ chord.

What TAB doesn’t tell you is which FINGERS to use to pluck. I can tell you that the most common method, which I recommend, is using your thumb and your first two fingers. In the above example, I would use my THUMB for the notes marked 0 and 2. I would use my FIRST finger for the frets marked 3, and I would use my SECOND finger to pluck the fretted note marked 2.

Notice that in typical Travis picking, only at the very start of the pattern do you play two notes at the same time (the 0 with your thumb, and the 2 with your second finger). This is a big part of what gives Travis picking its particular sound and style.

Once you’re comfortable picking the ‘D’ chord, let’s expand the width a bit and try finger picking an ‘A’ chord:

Notice how we are not using the fourth sting in this example. When you’re first starting to Travis pick, concentrating on only four strings is the best. Later, when you’re more proficient, you can skip around a bit more and add ’em all!

Use the same fingers to pluck with as our first example.
As usual, start slowly and then work your way up to faster speeds.

Lastly, let’s move on to picking over the entire width of the fretboard. For this we’ll use a ‘G’ chord, since it uses all six strings.

Use the same fingers to pluck as the other two examples.
Notice here that we are ignoring TWO strings that are usually played in the ‘G’ chord: strings 4 and 5. Notice how the thumb has a much wider distance to cover now; it’s going to alternate between the bottom string and the 3rd string. Quite a hop!

For that reason, this may take a bit more time to master, but mark my words – if you practice consistently (ideally at least 10 minutes a day) you’ll have this down easily within a couple weeks.

And, as always, remember… the metronome is your friend!

Your Battle Shield!

Now let’s talk about using a plectrum, or most players refer to it, a PICK.

It looks kind of like a little shield soldiers would take into warfare in the epoch of the Napoleonic Wars. In our line of work though, we’ll be using it more like an offensive weapon than a defensive one!

As a general rule, the majority of electric guitar players use a pick… but there are exceptions:

Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits
Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac.
John Mayer.
Derek Trucks.

These players buck the trend and use fingers on electric instead, either once in a while or (like Mark) all the time.

Still, at most concerts you go to, if you’re in the first few rows, you’re probably going to get guitar picks tossed at you from the cool guy with weird clothes who’s shredding with fiery fingers on that electric!

On the other hand, most acoustic guitar players who finger pick a lot do not use a pick:

Bruce Cockburn
Paul Simon
Suzanne Vega
Ed Sheeran
John Denver
James Taylor

Watch concert footage of these acoustic players and you’ll see that instead of a pick, they have grown their fingernails out on their right hand, eliminating the need for an extraneous pick that could get lost or dropped.

If you find that most of your acoustic work is strumming however, like Jimmy Buffett, then a pick would be more appropriate since you’re typically wanting a higher volume for a strumming-driven tune.

Which should you choose?? Your choice. Totally your decision to make. Try both ways. See what feels comfortable for you. Everybody’s hands, sense of rhythm and coordination are different, so you’ll have to just leave it to instinct as you practice. You’ll find you will gravitate towards one way or another mostly because of what music you are trying to emulate and which heroes you respect.

The best practice that you must integrate into your practices, with regard to the pick, is choosing to deliberately maintain a DOWN – UP pick movement. Similar to good strumming technique, the more consistent you can be in the down-up method, the faster and cleaner you’ll play.

To make this an instant habit, start your practices with this simple exercise: play four ascending notes on all six strings, using the same frets, while making sure that you are picking in a down-up format. Then do the same thing descending.

It’ll look like this TAB shows:

Notice the symbols at the start of the first measure, above the notes. The bracket means DOWN pick, and the arrow means UP pick. They merely alternate back and forth throughout the whole exercise, which is why is says “cont…”

If you do this for a few months every time you practice anything, it will become ingrained in your playing style easily, and that, my friends, is a good thing. It’s like being able to do endless flying, leaping front kicks to your opponent’s heads while never breaking a sweat! AWESOME!!

Musical Violence is Golden!

The last technique we’ll talk about briefly is hitting or striking the strings… with whatever! But most of the time, obviously, you’ll use your fingers in some fashion to hit are strike the strings or the guitar body.

This technique is used mostly for effect, but there are some who have made a whole career out of this technique. One of the most advanced I’ve ever seen is this guy, Stanley Jordan. Watch that video link. A – MAAAAAAAAZ – ing!

Or how about this great performance by arguably the best all-around guitarist of the last few generations, Phil Keaggy?! He uses normal techniques AND slapping/hitting and that has become his signature hybrid style.

Finally, if you like this style you have to witness Andy McKee do his thing HERE. Can anyone DO more hitting and slapping than this and still sound as outstandingly musical an Andy does here??? I doubt it!!

These examples show that, obviously, this is the most advanced, and rarely used, technique of the bunch. It takes much more practice to attain mastery of this technique, since not many people go there and thus there’s not a lot of training to be found on it. But it can be done.

For example, I utilize it sparingly in my pieces, mostly due to the influence of Eddie and Phil, who both employ it in imaginative and unexpected ways.

Like it? Then practice it! And maybe we’ll see your videos going viral sometime soon.

Samurai Videography!

In case your a visual learner who prefers a video any day over text, I got yer back! Click THIS VIDEO LINK and you’ll enjoy the benefit of a short tutorial video that covers what I laid out above.

Amazing what you can do with a GoPro. 😉

The War is Never Over!

Practicing, ascending to new and/or undiscovered musical heights and pushing the envelope in your playing style, prowess and skill is a never-ending assault on lethargy and apathy. As my father says, “Anything worth doing is worth doing right!”

It takes time, effort and concentration, and the result is not only a smile on your face because of what you’ve accomplished, but smiles upon the audience’s face because you and your music have become an endearing, enduring part of their lives.

So, take these exercises and use them to your advantage. If you feel you’re ready, HERE IS LESSON 3!

Keep going and soon you’ll be creating some timeless, invigorating music… that we’ll all enjoy.

In the meantime, you know what to do: go… make… sounds!!

Teaj

The Mesa Cab Clone – All Gain & No Pain!

Posted on January 31, 2018February 4, 2018 by Teaj

Sometimes…. I like it LOUD.

And I’m not just talking car radio loud. I mean shake the walls, rattle the windows, cause the icicles outside to drop and shatter and (even tho’ I have a big yard) make the neighbors consider calling that number. You know the one.

And, yea, I’m wearin’ protection when I do it.

What am I talkin’ about? Why, playing guitar through an AMP, of course!! What else??

Even with my protective, volume-cutting headphones on, when my amp is really cranked I just love that whole-body feeling – the guitar, bass or keys, flying around, bold as love & Jimi, the energy pushing palpably through my frame and lighting up the world around me, creating that singing feedback that cries to the heavens “I SQUEAL, THEREFORE I AM!!”

Oohhh, yea, baby.

But, hey, there are times when I don’t want to endanger the pyramids with my latest licks, or shake passing birds out of their migration triangles. I just wanna lay down some choice parts with the minimum of fuss, but the maximum of tonal splendor… and still have neighbors that smile at me.

The question for years was… how do I do that? How can I record great amp tone while keeping the volume down??

In 2016, the answer came. Ladies & gentlemen, I present to you… the box that has solved my late-night jamming quandaries… the Mesa Cab Clone!!

The Signal Challenger!

We all know that when you push your amp into higher dB levels that a luscious, mesmerizing “cool fro” frizz takes place that adds beautiful, cascading overtones of sexy distortion to whatever notes you’re playing. LOVE that. But when it’s, say, 10 p.m. and your family’s called it a night, you can’t turn it up to eleven.

Sorry, Nigel.

When we want that knock-out punch, without it becoming a weapon of mass destruction, both Strongbad and I turn to the Mesa Cab Clone to help.

Basically, there are three reasons to buy this product:

You play through an amp live but your sound man doesn’t like mic’ing your amp. You send a Direct Out to the soundboard and it sounds like it’s actually coming out of a cabinet, unlike the Direct Out of most amps.
You want to be able to play through or record your amp and cabinet at low volume.
You want to crank your amp to higher levels to achieve that gorgeous, overdriven tube sound, but not with the accompanying high volumes that demolish everything in its wake.

I have used this unit for each of these needs, and in each case it has delivered well. As we shall see, it has its weaknesses, but for these three uses it does have solid solutions that make it worth its weight in sound.

The C.C., as I shall call it, comes in three flavors:

4 Ohms
8 Ohms
16 Ohms

Your choice will depend on the Ohms rating of your particular amp. Match them… or face dire consequences!
This is, by the way, a PASSIVE amp interface, so there’s no power cord; no need to plug this baby in at all. Nice, right?

The Cab Clone is produced to work with amps that are 100 Watts or less. If your amp can implode buildings in a single 5 chords ‘cuz it’s more than that, you’re outta luck.

A Hit to the Front!

The front is where you’ll be doing any tweaking, so let’s start there. Obviously, if you have any ground or phase issues, you know you can just flip either switch to help out. Good to have those there, but they’re not why we’re here. The big, bad prize fighters on either side of the front casing are what deliver the knock-out blows, so let’s focus our attentions there…

On the left you have your D.I. level. Crucial control that. Depending on how I’m using it, I might have it ALL the way down to the left, or somewhat higher. The amount of decibel control you have with this unit is the big reason I bought it, and it really allows for some excellent sonic flexibility.

On the far right, workin’ the speed bag with grit, is the Cabinet Simulator switch. Three options are available to us here:

Closed back cabinet sound
Open back cabinet sound
Vintage cabinet sound

The first option, I admit, I never, ever use. It’s just too out there. It’s raspy, brittle-sounding and just… doesn’t sound good. To my ears, anyway.

The second option? Yea, that’s my go-to. It’s a good sound. Not for everything, mind you. I know one Metal guy who doesn’t like any of the presets here for his genre’s tone. Fair enough. For my Rock/Pop and Rock stuff, I find the Open Back position to be very usable, especially in a song mix setting.

The third option is the darkest option, but it still doesn’t sound bad. I don’t think I’ve used it yet on a song, but if I had a tune with a lot of, say, mandolin, fiddle and high, glistening acoustic guitar, I could settle on this Vintage setting for some nice balance.

One interesting thing about this unit is that the emulations sound a little different based on whether or not you have a real cabinet plugged into the “Thru” port. I think the best versions are when I DO have the cabinet live and plugged in as well. The sound is beefier and, when I’m playing, there just seems to be more dynamic and tonal interaction between my guitar and the resulting sound and tone. Your mileage may vary.

A Jab to the Back!

The speaker cable out of your amp, that would usually go to your cabinet, you’ll put into port marked “Input“, on the far left. Make sure, of course, that you’re using a real speaker cable, not a standard 1/4′ guitar cable.

If you want to monitor through your cabinet live, while at the same time using the C.C. to send a speaker cabinet emulated signal to a board for live use, or to a DAW for recording purposes, then plug a speaker cable into the second port to the right, marked “Thru“, and plug the other end into your speaker cab.

It almost goes without saying, but make sure you know the correct Ohms rating of your amp and have chosen the correct C.C. unit that was made for that rating. Strange and/or quite damaging things can occur if you aren’t careful here!

In the middle is the Balanced Direct Out port. It’s going to give you the best, quietest direct sound. Use an XLR cable and send your signal to a sound board or recording device using this port. It will deliver the sound of your amp with one of the three cabinet simulations added.

The next port, the “Line Out”, I never use. It just sends the same untreated, unsimulated signal out as my amp does through its Direct Out. I hate that sound. Yuck!! So sterile and…. blech! Movin’ on…

The “Headphones” jack is really cool for practicing. It allows you to turn your amp up as loud as you want, use all the effects in your effects loop, and still achieve a cabinet-simulated sound that will have you cheesing through the midnight hours, when no one else will be able to witness your shredding glory.

Too bad. I bet you sound awesome. 😉

Just know that when you’re plugged into the Headphones jack, you are defeating the XLR Balanced Output. It won’t work if you’ve got cans on, in other words.

My Three Best Punches!

Now that we know the beast a bit, lemme show you the three ways I use it to add oomph and punch to my music.

First, when I’m playing live if the sound person doesn’t want to mic my cab, no problem. I send him the cab simulated direct out via XLR and it sounds great. I’ve heard the recordings from the board. Works nicely and makes sound people big fans of you and your rig.

Second, if I’m recording in the studio I always put down two tracks of electric, at least, no matter what part I’m putting down. One is the cabinet mic’d. The other is the D.I. out of the C.C. This is with the cabinet plugged in, obviously.

A third way I like to use the C.C. is to record it D.I. with no cabinet. This is really fun, ‘cuz I crank my amp volume up quite high. What is produced is that wrecking ball immense brawn that only comes from pushing the amp tubes hard.

Keep in mind that Mesa does not recommend putting your volume on its absolute highest level, as I did for this demo. They obviously don’t want you to blow your tubes, or damage your amp, and then come hunting them down for vengeance. It’s understandable.

I find that I only have to turn the volume up to about 1 o’clock for my amp to get a good, saturated sound anyway. That saves wear and tear on circuitry and tubes, but still gives me the sound I’m yearnin’ for.

I don’t include my cabinet speakers with this; I unplug them from the C.C. If I didn’t I’d have no house left except the quaking timbers that have crushed me right during my guitar solo. Think I’ll not go there.

With the “D.I. Level” knob turned all the way down, the decibels of the amp turned all the way up is brought to a more normal place in the C.C., so I get all the meat of my circuitry and tubes but the volume is kept low and manageable to I can bring it into Pro Tools without any digital distortion whatsoever.

Believe it or not, I hardly put any GAIN on during this kind of feat at all. There’s simply enough strength and meat with the amp pushed to the extreme that I don’t need it.

As you can see in the pic to the right, I have it barely on, just up enough to where the sound comes out of the amp. Anything more and I’m in Metal territory. For some of you, that may be just the uppercut you wanna deliver to the masses. If so… there ya go!

For those of you wanting even more tweak-head information about the C.C., check out THIS LINK which will show you its manual. It doesn’t have a lot more than what I’ve already outlined, but it will give you a better idea of how Mesa views this product and its opinions on its use.

The Sound of Pounding

OK, so I know you prefer to hear the differences, so let’s take a quick sonic journey through a few of the Cab Clone’s options. I’m not going to do them all, ‘cuz, well, like I said, I don’t like ’em all!

And since we always like to have fun with what we do here at SeriousGAS, I decided to use one of my favorite tunes that I just LOVE to play on the electric as our ‘dress-up doll’. If you know it, shout it out in the Comments section so I know I’m not the only one lovin’ this oldie but awesome classic!

So, onto the recording test. You’re going to hear my three favorite ways to use this box in this order:

the sound of my 2×12 mic’d with a single Audix i5, midcone
the sound of the SAME performance coming through the C.C. D.I. port

These two tracks you will hear, back and forth, to really showcase the difference between the D.I. and the real cabinet, mic’d, when they both are hooked up and being used together.

The third way you’ll hear, which is the purple waveform, is

the C.C. D.I. only, with the cabinet unplugged from the back.

This is the option that allows you to crank your amp up as high as it’ll go, but feed it into your DAW at a modest volume. It really changes the sound, as you can imagine. For the better, IF you are going for an amped-up, robust, gritty tone. If you’re into Mr. Mellow-land and comping for a ballad, this probably is not the way to go.

Use the picture below as a visual explanation for clarity as well. The green waveform is the mic’d cab. The yellow is the D.I. with cabinet plugged in. The purple is the D.I. with the cabinet unplugged.

The only thing added to this amp/C.C. signal chain is a little reverb. No other EQ, compression or effects are involved. Thus, keep in mind that these varying tones you hear can be processed further using your own brand of studio magic for your particular songs and productions.

Alright, enough talk. Let’s commence with the A/B tests!!

Attack of the Amp Angels!

Finally, there are times when a power stealer like the C.C. will be very INappropriate. If the whoop, whine and whale sounds of organic, analog feedback, for example, is your thing (I know it is mine!), any type of power soaker is going to be to its detriment.

On the last album I produced for a client (‘Tempus’, by Sweda), we used harmonically complimentary feedback on several tracks and they came out so impactful and energized. Resounding amp angels, summoned by our powerful pups, have genuflected our tracks with blessing!

Capturing these kinds of sound waves though demands in-the-room volume swelling and ultra rocker posing in front of quivering cabinet speakers. I’ve tried producing some ring with just the guitar in front of my DAW monitors while running the C.C., but’s it’s hardly effective.

In short, if you want feedback, you’re just gonna have to record at a time your neighbors won’t hate you.

Or hear you, for that matter. 😮

Worth the Purse!

For the flexibility and extra variety out of my amp that the C.C. provides me, I would make the investment again if given the chance. No regrets here; I use the Clone often enough for the purposes outlined above to make it a winner in my book.

Is every option on it usable? Not for my mixes, but you may find it different based on your specific amp and cabinet. Those variables will make a BIG difference in the sound.

The three options I find usable, however, more than make up for its weaknesses.

And remember, its nearest competition is still hundreds of dollars more expensive.

How about you? Have you ever worked with a power soaker or unit in this genre? What were your results?

Let us know in the Comments. Sharing the G.A.S. wealth is what we’re about here!

Until next time, keep crankin’ the ‘bels and ridin’ the swells, and as always…

… go… make… sounds!!

Teaj