Never a better time to buy a guitar

Times are tough, no doubt. We all feel it in some way, whether directly or indirectly. We have to make purchases wisely, buy things that last, require little upkeep and provide long term benefits. Hey, I just described guitars!!

Let’s face it, we all need things to do, things to entertain us, things to take us out of our workaday world and put a smile on our face. We could buy new TV’s but in a couple of years they’ll be needing replaced and upgraded and honestly, the quality of what goes on those TV’s is not all it could be. We could buy video game systems. Sure, those are lots of fun until you play out a game and need another to occupy you at an average of $50 a piece. Those systems, if they last, aren’t worth a whole lot down the road and the support and new games dwindle each year because the new model will be out and ready for you to start all over again. Ever try to sell an old system? That $300 and $50 games are worth pennies down the road.

Don’t get me wrong, I watch TV, I play video games. But I also play guitar, have for over 30 years and plan on it for at least 30 more. A good guitar will last decades with minimal upkeep. Also, remember there is no end to what you can do with a guitar (or other musical instrument). And your choices of features and styles are near limitless. Even in the low budget realm you can find something for every taste.

Recently a rep sent me a letter written by a musician on the importance of music. Often we tend to take the idea of music and downgrade it to a mere hobby or simple pastime. And for many, it is just that. But consider the importance music plays in your life, whether you play or not, how often you turn to music, how often music comes into play. How much better is a movie because of the music score. How much better is your drive to work with some music on? In this letter, the writer tells how he was living in Manhattan the day of Sept. 11. He goes on to mention that the very first public event in New York was a music concert. Music was part of the healing, not a football game, not a video game challenge. Music.

You have to choose wisely when you spend. You have to pick value, longevity, benefits. I sure other industries could state their case more elegantly but I don’t think any could win against the value of creating music. Ask any musician and they’ll tell you the same.

The Healing Power of Music

Why do we love music?  Think about it, it is extremely rare to find someone that doesn’t like some kind of music.  I’d be willing to bet that in those few cases that the person may have a hearing problem, not allowing him to hear music properly.  For the rest of us, we love our music.  A lot of us even get rabid about our listening choices, be it classical, heavy metal, country, blues or whatever.  For every style of music, there are fans and I think that is great.

So, why do we love music?  What is it about music that it is such a large factor in our lives?  Recent studies have shown things like improved academic skills and lower instances of substance abuse in children involved in musicmaking.  Other studies have shown a reduction of the severity of Alzheimer’s amongst patients that played music.  I know firsthand, that after my father’s stroke that his playing music aided greatly in restoring his lost motor skills.  There have been other links between music making and improvement of autism, language issues, math skills and so on.

Without getting into the physiological elements, of which I’m not qualified, I think we can safely say that, as musicians of all levels, performing music and even passive listening to music can have positive effects on our moods.  Given the many links to the mind/body connection, improving our moods can improve our physical health.  Besides the actual physical movement of playing an instrument, we exercise our creative muscles, we allow ourselves to wander off for a moment, leaving today’s worries behind.  We sharpen our concentration, we play a sad song and empathize, a happy song and get carried away with the upbeat.  When I would get depressed, I’d often play depressing music.  Not to wallow in and deepen my depression, but more as ‘misery loves company’, in other words, I wasn’t alone and that made me feel relieved.  And when I had energy to burn, fast, hard rockin’ music would pump me up and get me ready to take on the world.  I bet you could tell similar stories.

So, next time the world feels like it is sitting on your shoulders, reach for your guitar (or whatever you play).

Bob at www.cmusicshop.com

It isn’t a competition

Music making.  It isn’t a competition, though you can make it one.  Sure, you can try to top the skills of another musician but most serious musicians are more interested in being better players for the reward of being able to play what you want, not to outdo someone else.  In fact, I generally see more respect in musicians for other musicians than in other groups of people.  We tend to be more healthy in attitude when we see someone better than us.  Maybe it is because we know how much effort it takes to achieve proficiency in an instrument.  We admire someone’s tone because it, to us, reflects some of who they are.  Watching someone tear it up on an instrument makes us want to try harder.

Making music isn’t a race or a game where an end is in sight.  No, music making is a journey without end and yet, with amazing sights and sounds to take in along the way.  Like life, there is always more to learn with no end to what can be achieved in music.  The best thing a parent can do is to allow their children the chance to become musicians.  While having goals like getting a spot in the school band or even entering a contest are fine, they should never interfere with the simple goal of making music for the sake of making music.  Do what you love because you love it and everything else will fall into place from there.

One of the coolest things about music is that it can’t be measured.  Is Steve Vai a faster and technically more proficient guitarist than Eric Clapton?  I think if we are analytical about it we’d have to say ‘yes’.  But, who has sold more records, touched more lives and had the longer career?  Clapton.  However, neither really matters, probably even less so to Steve Vai and Eric Clapton, because both of them don’t do it for those reasons and I suspect both of them totally respect the other’s ability.  In music you can be Keith Richards or Yngwie Malmsteen, Frank Zappa or Lawrence Welk, Brittney Spears or Elizabeth Frasier and in the end, it’s all good.

Bob Campbell at CMusicshop.com

Music Myths

A while ago I posted music truths.  Now, let’s expose some myths.

• You have to learn on acoustic guitar before electric – simply not true.  In fact, electric is easier due to the lighter strings and lower action and in the end, what we want is to make playing music easy for the beginning student.  There is no benefit to making things hard.  That being said, there is also nothing wrong with starting on acoustic.  Start on the instrument that the student is most interested in, keeping their interest is important.
• On a related point: You have to know another instrument (usually piano) or have some prior musical instruction before starting lessons – Nope, we take ‘em from complete, never touched an instrument before.  No bad habits to overcome!  Bottom line, come as you are, a good teacher will take you where you want to go.
• American instruments are more handmade than ones made overseas – Not always.  In fact, most larger US builders use CNC machines (which isn’t a bad thing) for carving out necks, bodies, etc.  Much of the process is automated.  CNC machines are often too expensive in other countries, human labor is actually more cost effective compared to the cost of human labor in the US.  So many times that Chinese or Korean guitar is more handmade than the top known brand US products.
• Older is better – Sometimes.  Sure, vintage guitars can often have that ‘vibe’ and it is true, some things are done differently now that aren’t necessarily improvements.  But, modern guitar making has moved forward in many important areas.  For instance, it is a well known fact that many Martins of a certain era had poor neck pitch, making playing more difficult.  Martin, as well as many other companies with similar issues, has since corrected that.  Another common issue is inconsistency in pickups.  Old Fred back in 1959 might have not been so precise when winding pickups.  These days, most pickup makers are incredibly meticulous and precise, so that you are assured the same quality and tone across a model.

Hope you enjoyed some ‘mythbusting’ and I welcome your comments.  Thanks Tim Renner for the blog idea too!  Bob C.  www.cmusicshop.com

Where did that guitar come from?

st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
<!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.5in 1.25in 1.5in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.6in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:”";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

Many of us over a few decades old may remember a time where products from Japan were considered junk. Cheap, poorly made and poorly working items foisted upon the US market, often as alternatives to American goods. Those of us also remember when the Japanese started making some really great, affordable alternatives to US goods. Cars like Toyota and Honda come to mind. In the guitar world it was brands like Ibanez, Aria and ESP that made products rivaling American giants like Fender, Gibson and Martin. A lot of this happened at a time when those US companies were slipping in quality as well.

Fast forward to today. We have so many products that come from other lands that it really has become a non issue. Our cars, TV sets and DVD players, toasters, clothing, you name it. Of course, there still can be some stigma attached to foreign made products but the question is ‘why?’ In some cases, it is rightfully earned for example, some of the bottom of the line guitars that have poor neck pitch, blotchy finish work, cheese grater action. But why is this? Is it because another country can’t make a good guitar or because the factory is given a low dollar figure and that’s the best the factory can squeeze into the instrument? Certainly, we’ve seen enough top quality guitars coming from countries like China that we know that they are capable. As I like to point out, China built a wall that spans over 4,000 miles and can be seen from space without the aid of bulldozers and cranes – they can build guitars.

So, the real issue is the people commissioning the building of the guitar that affect the quality. If they approach their workers saying we must stay under this price, then, as with all things, the quality will reflect that. If, as in the case of companies like Eastman, they are told to build the best they can, the results are outstanding.

Bob C. from Campbell’s Music

www.cmusicshop.com

Digitech Hardwire pedals review

Time for another review.  Digitech is seriously making a play for the boutique pedal market with their Hardwire series.  So serious in fact, that they initially opted to treat it like a totally separate brand, even requiring me to fill in additional paperwork to carry them.  Since then, Digitech has realized that they can use their well known name to help launch this series.  Smart move.

The basic premise is to offer a line of effects pedals that meet some of the criteria found in the more expensive, boutique pedals while offering a pedal that is affordable, somewhat uniform (in other words, it isn’t some weird shaped box that takes up a huge amount of room on the floor and plugs in at different angles, thereby making your pedalboard a mess) and sounds great.  To this end, they have acheived their goals and more.  Boutique pedals can often be expensive, hard to find and try out and many times, they may only provide a limited range of tones.  The Hardwire series features true bypass combined with the silent switching (no pops) and in some instances, multiple tone options.

Take the Chorus for example.  It has seven settings like Jazz, Boutique, Multi and Analog all of which are adjustable within those settings.  All of the settings are unique but still very usuable.  Sure, there are extremes but overall, the tones are crystal clear and full.  Some settings are very subtle, almost dry while others are bubbly and thick.  The Chorus, the Reverb and the Delay all feature stereo ins and outs which mean that if you are using, say, the Chorus and Delay that the stereo output from one can be fed into the other, retaining its ’stereoness’.

I won’t go into each pedal’s various sounds suffice to say that there is 3 different distortion pedals, a delay, a reverb with Lexicon settings, a chorus and a pedal tuner.  The pedals come with the Stomplock which is a rubber device that slips over the knobs so that your favorite settings can be protected (except for the tuner) and a velcro pad that you can put on the bottom of the pedal to make it pedal board friendly.  Each pedal is in a metal housing with metal jacks, making these nice and sturdy.

I’ll add that the Delay and Reverb are awesome, loaded with great sounds and lots of variety.  The Delay even has looping, though limited to 20 seconds (which really is plenty, if you need more you need a JamMan).  The effects are quiet also, no excessive background noise even on the distortions.  I’m hoping they add to this line with a compressor and phaser.  One more thing, these sell for $99 to $160 so even the most expensive one falls below most boutique pedals.  All in all, a good buy.

He might not stick with it….

We hear the phrase “he/she might not stick with it” referring to a child’s interest in music and the parents need to invest in an instrument.  I can certainly understand that concern.  As a parent myself I know that kids often do not stick with those things that only a short while ago were ‘gotta haves’.  Our son’s interest in BMX bikes is a good example.  But music is a little different.  Sure, there are plenty of people who tried and gave up playing and I feel safe in saying that most of those regret not being able to play.  A recent study suggests somewhere in the area of 70% of non musicians wish they had pursued playing a musical instrument.  And I honestly have never heard of someone who can play a musical instrument who wished they couldn’t.

Much of the concern comes from previous failed attempts at music, usually through a school band program.  Now, please understand that I think all instruments are great and that I’m very happy schools have music programs but there is a common problem which causes little ‘Timmy’ or ‘Suzie’ to drop out.  One point is that the child is rarely playing music that correspondes to their actual listening habits.  A person who listens to Green Day is not going to enjoy playing Sousa marches most likely.  The other issue is that the instrument the child is given is often not what they’d choose if given a free pick.  In some cases it isn’t even the first choice out of a limited offering (‘No, you can’t have trumpet, we have too many now, here’s a clarinet’).  Of course this leads to drop outs.

If you want to get your child into music, hurray for you!!!  It is absolutely one of the greatest gifts you can give a child.  It isn’t seasonal, there is no age limit, it allows for creativity and expression and exercises the brain!  Certainly investing a lot of money into an instrument where longevity of interest is concerned may not be wise but investing in a playable, worthwhile instrument that the child can and wants to play is smart.  Bottom of the basement priced instruments often have playabilty issues but great beginning instruments can be found at reasonable prices and allow the student to really have a chance at making your investment worthwhile.  So….

Consider the child’s interests – music they listen to, instruments they are truly interested in not what slot they can fit in a band

Instruments they can handle (no Tubas for 5 year olds)

Instruments that don’t impede their chances of learning a continuing (guitars with high action, warped necks, flutes that don’t note correctly, etc.)

Teachers that want to teach what the student wants to learn while at the same time, teaches what they need to progress.  Teach a man a song and he only plays that song, teach him how to play music and he can play anything

Over and out, Bob C., Campbell’s Music Service, York, PA

www.cmusicshop.com

The Guitar Hero Effect

Bob from www.cmusicshop.com (Campbell’s Music Service) here.

Some of my peers have been debating whether the video game, Guitar Hero, is good for the actual guitar market.  Some argue that the game makes guitar playing look easy and when faced with the challenge of really playing a guitar they will become disheartened by the actual effort needed and give up quickly.  Others argue that it is a gateway to real guitar playing, that after the ‘toyish’ effect wears off kids will yearn to play the songs on real guitars.  I’ve seen both happen but what the greater effect on the whole has yet to be seen.

I think one good thing is the exposure to great music that features the guitar.  Getting kids to interact with the music seems like a positive step towards actual music making.  Another thing is the fun factor, playing music is fun and getting that message out is nothing but good.  But there is the dark side, that Guitar Hero acts as a sort placebo to real playing.  Almost as if we have a guitar playing genetic need that gets its fix from the simulation of playing guitar on Guitar Hero.  The fear is that kids will not go deeper into the next step of real music making which has a great drawing power that can immerse people into it.  That people will stop at Guitar Hero or Rock Band who might have scratched the musical itch with real instruments.

As I mentioned, I’ve seen both happen but I’m just one small corner of the world.  We’ve had one student quit because, although he was good at Guitar Hero, he couldn’t reconcile that real guitar required real effort and practice.  We’ve seen other folks say that Guitar Hero made them want to attempt real guitar.  I guess we’ll have real answers in a couple of years when the game has run its course.  I’d love to hear your input, please post a comment.

Guitar Buying through the ages

I’ve said it a hundred times and believe it more every time I say it.  There has never been a better time to buy a guitar (or most any musical instrument) than this time in history.  We have more options, brands, variations, color choices and so on than ever before in the history of mankind.  This is one reason I’m so adamant about exploring all the guitar world has to offer.  For the first time buyer, there are more brands and styles at very good prices that are infinitely better than much of the beginner junk that was around for previous generations to get started on.  For the high end player, there are more custom models and brands that virtually any thought that can be applied to a guitar can and will be done, for a price of course.  For the intermediate player, the world is wide open and affordable.  We’ll classify the intermediate player as someone not really pro but not beginner either, in other words most of us that have been playing for a while.  In this price range there are so many good companies that make guitars you could easily gig with but won’t cost you an arm and leg, like ESP and Ibanez.

Campbell American Transitone review

Transitone

By now, anyone familiar with my posts know I have a fondness for the Campbell American lineup. This is the third guitar I’ve reviewed for the brand and possibly the most surprising to me. When I first talked to Dean Campbell of Campbell American I flat out told him I wasn’t too fond of the Transitone styling. It just didn’t ‘trip my trigger’ as they say. My perception was that it was large and bulky (it’s not!) and generally less ergonomic, which to me matters a great deal. Dean wisely suggested I try one, that he’s been getting good feedback from the buyers. Ok, I’m a team player, let’s give it a go.

On the other Campbell Americans I picked more of the features, from the wood to the pickup combinations to the extras like coil tap or matching headstocks. On the Transitone I mostly went with Dean’s suggestions of American Tilia wood (basswood) and three Jason Lollar Firebird mini humbuckers. “Three? How about two?” “No, you’ll want the three, trust me” I did pick the color scheme (transparent white with tortoise pickguard – a classic look). After all, I’m going to sell them, it isn’t about my tastes, right?

Here’s where the surprises come in. The guitar arrives and of course, the workmanship is perfect but what’s this? The body is actually compact, not large at all and fairly contoured, not blocky, so it sits very comfortably on your lap. I even suggested to Dean that he features a picture of someone playing a Transitone to give people a better idea of the dimensions. So, instead of a cumbersome Firebird or Explorer feel the Transitone actually hugs you nicely without a lot of extra chunks of timber to bump into mic stands and the bass player (like I used to do with my Flying V, sorry Sluggo). Ok, I’m a big enough man to admit that I prejudged the body feel and give it high marks, but what about those Lollar pickups? Mini humbuckers? Lollar who?

For those not in the know, Jason Lollar is THE tone guru, the pickup meister. The pickup maker’s pickup maker. Alright, so he’s good and these are probably well made but how do they sound? Stunning! Clear, glassy, enough output to rock out hardcore but articulate and clean when needed. I had a bias that mini humbuckers would be either too weak for fat distortion or too fat for snappy twang tones. Wrong! On a guitar like the Transitone the Lollar mini’s have plenty of spank while still being full and hum cancelling (actually quieter than the Duncans I A/B’d them against). They overdrive nicely, allowing a clarity that cuts through the heavier dirt. I’m one of those guys that play clean and dirty roughly 50/50 and trying to find guitars that do both well is tough. Beefy humbuckers can be too thick clean and single coils often are noisy and too weak to get those singing, Santanaesque dirt tones. I figured the mini’s would do neither well but they do both exceptionally. Yes, they’re brighter and snappier than a PAF type pickup but that’s what is cool – heavier distorted settings growl and grind and can be sweetened up rolling off the tone for the more woofier humbucking sounds. Clean this guitar retains a chimey strat/tele character but fuller with added depth. Pull the coil tap and there is plenty of true single coil snarl when needed.

Something Campbell American has done is make the middle pickup switchable into whatever setting the normal threeway is at. For instance, all the way back you get the bridge pickup as expected. Kick in the middle pickup and you get the bridge/middle, reminding one of the Strat #2 setting – ringy, a little hollow but fuller in the humbucker mode. Same with the neck position and Strat #4 setting. While you can’t get the middle by itself (no biggie) you can get the neck/bridge combo which is far more useful. By the way, the coil taps all three for a total of twelve settings, all pretty distinct!

I did find that lowering the middle pickup did two things for me, one was to get it out of the way of my pick. The other was to lower the output of the middle a little which when combined with the bridge or neck seemed to accentuate the ’stratiness’ of those combo settings where the middle was engaged. It almost took on the character of a channel switch where the gain dropped and the thickness of the bridge or neck thinned out a bit of the tone, great for rhythm.

On all other fronts the Transitone is a great guitar, excellent feel, impeccable finish work, sustain out the wazoo. The other points I’ve covered on other Campbell American reviews apply, like component and build quality, playability, etc. The Transitone has grown immensely on me, the shape works on the comfort and balance issues. Weight is light, body is resonant. Pickups and the clever switching options combined with Campbell’s normal versatile and hardy wiring scheme are an extreme in tonal offerings. Believe me, I went from the punk/funk of Andy Gill’s classic Gang of Four edgey harmonic explosions to soupy sweet jazz tones to chicken pickin’ twang back to full bore metal with no more than manipulating the controls and kicking on the amp’s dirt channel. Do not overlook or underestimate this guitar or you are missing out.

Bob (a convert) at CMusicShop.com