5 Things About Slides

Sep 19,2011
1 ANYTHING GOES Slide is a rootsy form developed by artists who simply used whatever they could get their hands on to create haunting glissandos and singing sustain. If you want to experiment with slide playing, but don’t More...

Class A vs. Class AB

Oct 24,2011
Everyone knows that that an “A” on your report card means you kicked ass in class, but is a “class A” guitar amplifier also mean it’s the best? To answer that question we first have to understand what classes mean in terms More...

Clean Sim Sounds in Six Simple Steps

Oct 1,2010
I’VE SEEN SEVERAL COMMENTS online that amp sims are okay for distorted sounds, but not clean ones. However, it’s very easy to get good, clean guitar sounds, sometimes even with that “tube sparkle” . . . you just have to know More...

Multi-Amp Magic

Oct 1,2010
I WANT TO RUN THREE COMBO AMPS at the same time à la Stevie Ray Vaughan. What should I know to do this correctly? —JH via email While it is possible to get a great sound with multiple amplifiers, if done incorrectly, a More...

5 Things About Scale Length

May 1,2011
1 YOUR “FEEL” STARTS HERE. Pick up two guitars that are otherwise identically constructed—same neck profile, fretboard radius, pickups and hardware, same type and gauge of strings even—but which are made to a 24.75" More...

TC Electronic PolyTune Mini

Mar 27,2012
I reviewed what can now be called the HUGE PolyTune in the March 2010 issue of GP, and I gave it an Editors’ Pick A ward. A s the first polyphonic stompbox tuner, this mad genius of a pedal changed the tuning paradigm by More...

Modern Alternatives to Classic Miking Techniques

Mar 27,2012
There’s nothing wrong with the classic amp-miking technique of sticking a Shure SM57 right up against a speaker cone. After all, there have probably been more than a bazillion astounding guitar tones captured with that setup. More...

Don’t Be a Miking Sissy!

Feb 8,2012
Recording software offers truly excellent virtual amp and instrument sounds, which makes it an easy decision to abandon miking source sounds. And, let’s face it, there’s also trepidation amongst some home-studio More...

8 Cabinet Miking Tips

Feb 8,2012
IK Multimedia’s AmpliTube 3 has two main virtual mics and two room mics that realistically emulate the results of mic placement. Miking a cab is simple: you just point a mic in its general More...

5 Things About Reducing Amp Volume

Feb 8,2012
1 WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO REDUCE YOUR AMP’S VOLUME? There are valid reasons for wanting to reduce amp volume, but rarely is it simply about making things quieter. Guitarists typically want to keep their amp sounding as good More...

5 Tips for Layering Guitars

Feb 15,2012
Two electric guitars playing power chords are layered in the top two tracks, and panned opposite each other. The doubled acoustic guitar part (bottom track) adds a bright, percussive quality on top of the power chords. More...

The Recording guitarist - Re-Amping with DAWs

Feb 15,2012
Enabling the monitoring function in (clockwise from top) Cubase, Live, Sonar, Studio One, and Pro Tools. Re-amping is a technique that lets you change amp sounds after recording. When tape ruled, guitarists More...

Brain Snack: 5 Things About Guitar Finishes

Feb 15,2012
1 Finishes Sure Are A Hot-Button Topic Who would have thought that anyone would get so heated over the composition of a guitar’s finish, regardless of its actual appearance? But talk to fans of vintage gear, survey a More...

Smooth Your Sonic Ride

Aug 16,2011
AS WE ALL KNOW, THERE IS NO substitute for turning a guitar amp up loud. To nail that sweet, organic, classic rock or blues tone, an amp needs to get loud enough to push its power tubes into distortion (a.k.a clipping or More...

5 Mix-Saving EQ Tips

Apr 16,2012
EQ is one of the most overused— and likely “misused”—elements of the recording and mixing processes. Trust me, going all cowabunga with tone tweaks can tank your mix and befoul your song. Here are five suggestions for More...

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