Where did that guitar come from?

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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