Just added is a super site for free guitar lessons. I found it when looking for information on guitar strings. Enjoy the resource page. I will keep adding good stuff.

More women than ever are playing the guitar nowadays. More luthiers and guitar manufacturing companies are paying attention to the needs of smaller female players, their playing styles, and their sense of style and design. What exactly is a girls/womans guitar and what are the differences one might expect to find in a guitar described this way?

Guitars made to fit the female form are becoming more fashionable than ever. The first time I picked one up to play I noticed it weighed less and had a nice but smaller feel that adapts well to a smaller hand without loss of tone or sound quality at all. I would not hesitate to recommend this sort of guitar to anyone who is smaller than the average man, including the up and coming virtuosos, and rock stars; children. Although your favorite nephew may not appreciate a pink guitar like the Squier Hello Kitty Electric Guitar.

Playing an instrument that feels right may help you to achieve your emotional and creative goals more easily. Wrestling with a guitar that is too big or heavy takes away from the concentration and comfort needed to perform at a high level.

The major players in bringing Girls Guitars to the public are limited, but include Squier, Gibson. Epiphone, Luna and Daisy Rock. These are just a few of this type of companies known to this author, catering to this new niche. There are a range of models to fit taste preferences as well as budget. It should be noted that Luna, which is one of the smaller companies listed above is owned by a woman who is an artist whose bass player mother inspired her to create a guitar to better suit her mothers needs. It is clear in looking at a Luna guitar that it is a beautifully crafted instrument.
Lets get to it, here are my personal picks for the best guitars for smaller players:

1. Luna Muse Parlor Acoustic Guitar is a brilliant acoustic guitar that is beautiful in design and is very comfy for any player. This is a particularly *affordable model, and plays easily and has great tones, including some very pleasing deep bass tones. It has a lovely soft matt finish, and some clean well crafted celtic knot style wood inlays in various places, as well as moon phase inlays of pearl (pearl like appearance) on the fretboard. The tuners have a really lovely matt grey metal finish. This guitar plays like it wants to be played.

2. Luna Andromeda Phoenix Bass Guitar. It is noticeably lighter in weight than the majority of bass guitars I have examined with out losing any of the tone and pop heard from any good bass guitar. It is also a very affordable guitar.

3. The Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster Electric Guitar is an extremely affordable solid body electric guitar, The friendly face of Hello Kitty is painted on the custom kitty head shaped pickguard on either a bubble gum pink or a black Stratocaster style guitar. This is a decent first guitar for an aspiring rock star gal in your life. Squire also makes an even less expensive Hello Kitty Mini Stratocaster Electric Guitar. It is smaller, has three single coil pickups, a 20 fret neck, and simpler Hello Kitty Graphics on the guitar body. It comes in black and Pink.

4. Daisy Rock Candy Series Daisy Rock Guitars guitar company was established in 2000 by Tish Ciravolo. The company manufactures and markets guitars designed specifically for girls and women. The Daisy Rock Candy Series includes several models of solid-body electric guitars with a single-cutaway body, similar to the body outline of a Gibson Les Paul or Paul Reed Smith single-cut guitar. They sound great and are easy to play. A top quality guitar that allows you to express yourself with great clarity.

5. Daisy Rock Short Scale Guitars. The Heartbreaker Short Scale is proof evolution still is alive in guitar design with a uniquely cut feminine body and a 22-1/2 scale neck making the guitar comfortable for smaller guitarists while still holding on to the the soul of a rocking guitar. Top quality features include a rock maple neck, basswood body, beautiful pearloid heart inlays, and shiny chrome hardware.

6. Minarik Inferno Electric Guitar Endorsed by Shred-mistress Rynata. It has an unusual body design and top notch electrics along with beautiful hardware, manufactured using advanced design techniques. Most women players agree that it has a great feel and super tone.

7. Gibson Les Paul Goddess delivers the same pure tone of a traditional Les Paul in a light, streamlined body. Comfortable enough to play for hours, tough enough to shake the house down. Typical Gibson quality and sound. Uniquely crafted light weight mahogany body with a figured maple top & narrow nut. The slim 60s-style neck is really slippery along with hi powered translucent 490R & 498T humbuckers you can wake up the neighborhood. The slim reduced body size is designed for optimum fit and performance for smaller body sizes. This is a real top line guitar for serious players.

8. ESP Horizon 3 Girl Electric Guitar. The ESP Horizon 3 Girl Electric Guitar is an unbelievable custom axe that incorporates a breathtaking emerald green see-thru finish over a figured maple top with an anime girl graphic. It’s an excellent partner to the sleek Horizon 3 body, with it’s scalloped double cutaways, large upper horn and jet black headstock that follows the body’s curves. This guitar doesn’t stop at great looks. . In addition to the maple top, the Horizon 3 Girl features a solid mahogany body and maple neck to ensure great tone and sustain. Two EMG81 humbucker pickups means this young lady has a very powerful voice, one that will growl on your chunky chords and wail high and clear on your solos. All of the hardware is black including high quality Sperzel tuners, a tone-enhancing Gotoh bridge, volume & tone knobs and a 3-way pickup switch. This guitar is an amazing high quality guitar for the accomplished player, or performer.

9. Epiphone Emily the Strange SG Electric Guitar. The limited-edition Epiphone Emily The Strange G-310 SG features Emily’s face and other graphics from the Cosmic Debris character including, of course, one of Emily black cats. This axe delivers everything from warm distortion to all-out scream with 2 hot-wired humbuckers. Crafted with select hardwood body, bolt-on mahogany neck, and rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays. Also features tune-o-matic bridge, stopbar tailpiece, and chrome tuners.

10. Taylor Baby Taylor Mahogany Top Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar is a 3/4 scale guitar. It has a perfectly symmetrical design and is like a full sized guitar. it is not designated as a womans/girls guitar, however it’s unique size and the usual superior Taylor quality will surprise smaller people with it’s perfect sound and feel. The Taylor Baby Taylor is a great slightly smaller guitar at an affordable price .

11. Fender Custom Shop Bonnie Raitt Model . This particular guitar is excellent. It is one of the sweetest guitars I have ever played. It is a Stratocaster in every way. Primarily, the biggest difference between this Strat and a stock American Strat is the nice narrow neck and terrific manufacturing job performed in The Fender Custom Shop. This guitar is not in production now, and must be acquired used. It is a great find if you come upon one.

*GPC defines affordable as any guitar which costs under $550 when new.

For more information about Guitar Players Center Guitar Articles or Guitar Reviews. Feel free to visit our website, ask questions, make comments or simply enjoy.

Article shared from http://www.articlesforboomers.com

by Mantius Cazaubon
In this material we shall take a look at some of the things you should look out for when buying a bass guitar. This will help you in better understanding bass guitar descriptions and reviews. We shall talk about different types of body styles, necks, scale lengths, tuning machines, intonation, bolt-on necks, neck-throughs, fingerboards, number of frets, pickups, woods and finishes. We shall explain what each of these features are all about to help you decide what is the best bass guitar for you.

Body Style:
Most electric bass guitars are solid-body electrics. But if you’re looking for a rounder and more acoustic sound you should buy a semi-hollowbody bass instead.

Fingerboard:
Another thing to pay attention to when choosing the best bass for you is the fingerboard. If you’re looking for a warm, natural sound, you need a bass with an uncoated fingerboard. With a coated fingerboard the sound produced is whining and trebly and it sustains longer.

Neck:
How do you know what neck to choose? It’s pretty simple. The type of neck you choose is dependent on the size of your hands. There are different shapes for you to choose from including round, flat back, oval, “vee” and asymmetrical where the neck is thinner either on the treble or bass side. Naturally, four string basses usually come with smaller necks than 4 string or 5 string basses.

Scale Length:
The scale length is the distance between the nut and bridge saddle. It is the vibrating length of the string. The longer the scale the more distance there is between the frets. The scale length chosen is important because it is what influences the tonal quality of the notes and the tension of the string when a note is played.

What scale length is best? Is it a short scale of 30 inches, medium scale of 32 inches, standard scale of 34 inches, 5 string long scale of 35 inches, or an extra long scale of 36 inches? Well it all depends on the instrument you’re thinking of getting and the tone you desire. Let’s say you’re interested in getting a five string bass for example and want a defined low B string sound. In that case the longer the neck, the better. For a four string bass a shorter scale will do and it helps you get the most out of the G string. If you have small hands, a short scale bass is probably the best bass guitar for you.

Intonation:
Pay close attention to intonation. This is what determines whether the various notes on your bass play in tune. On some basses, the distance between the frets can be a little off and as a result these basses don’t play in tune, usually when you pass the 12th fret. As far as I’m concerned these basses are useless and you shouldn’t waste money on one.

Tuning machines:
In choosing the best bass guitar for you, you must pay attention to the type of tuning head your bass guitar has. This is what you use to fine tune your instrument and hold pitch. Ensure that you get the best one available. An enclosed machine heads are better than open tuning machines. They resists rust and airborne corrosives and you therefore don’t have to maintain or replace them often.

Number of Frets:
The number of frets you choose is also a matter of personal preference. You can choose between 21, 22, or 24 frets. Personally, I do not worry about this too much since most playing takes place in the lower frets anyway.

Pickups:
When it comes to sound, pickups are perhaps just as important as the strings on your bass. No matter how good the wood of the bass is, if the pickups are lacking, it’s pointless. But you need the right pickup for your bass since one pickup may work very well on one bass and not on another. You also need the right combination of strings and pickup. There are many pickup models available and they are either active or passive. If you choose one that is active, keep in mind that you will have to keep replacing batteries.

Bolt-on necks and neck-throughs:
In terms of neck, the best bass for you is all about your personal preference. If you want one that is stronger, has better sustain and note resolution, buy a neck-through bass. But for a punchier sound, nothings beats a bolt-on neck; the only limitation is that they are more prone to having dead spots.

Wood:
When buying the best bass guitar for you, choice of wood is important. The wood you choose will affect the tone and weight of the instrument. If you’re gonna be standing up to play it’s wise to have one that is lightweight. Swamp ash wood is a lightweight soft wood that produces low mids and a punchy tone. Alder is another lightweight wood except that the tone it produces is more crisp. At the end of the day, although you should pay attention to the weight of the instrument, it’s all about whether or not you like the sound.

Finish:
You can choose any finish you like since it doesn’t really affect the sound of your electric bass.
All the best in finding the best bass guitar for you. As long as you have a clear understanding of what you need it should be easy to find the right bass guitar.

Mantius Cazaubon helps you choose the best bass guitar for you on his site, Bass Guitars Guide. Visit Bass Guitars Guide for bass guitar reviews, tips and lessons.

Originally published on SearchWarp.com for Mantius Cazaubon Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Article Source: What Is the Best Bass Guitar For You? – How To Choose a Bass Guitar.

Here is a clip from August Rush when he slaps the guitar for the first time. Hey, baby boomers out there, are you this excited?

Babies learning the guitar and a baby boomer learning the guitar are both alike. How?

There are three (3) things that are silmilar:

1. They are both young in mind and excited about learning something new.

2. They both need A LOT OF encouragement.

3. They both need their rest so they can be fresh and alert for another guitar lesson.

Now, look at the short video below. Do you agree or disagree?

Listen to these two young men from Brazil make their acoustic guitars rock!

Taking care of our instrument, as you know, is important. Enjoy the article below: 

By Kevin Singclair

Every good guitarist will want to take care of their guitar in order to keep it in the best condition. A large part of caring for your guitar is by cleaning it on a regular basis. And as a guitarist, it is your solemn duty to ensure that your guitar it maintained to the best of conditions, in order for it to deliver a quality sound. No matter whether you are a professional guitarist or a beginner, it is essential to undertake the care and maintenance of your guitar.

Your guitar will become dirty with sweat and dust just by playing it. Using a soft cloth is the best way to clean it. Special cloths can be purchased in music stores, or you can simply use an old t-shirt, providing that it is 100% cotton. It is imperative however, that if the t-shirt contains a logo, you firstly remove it, as this can cause damage by scratching the surface of your guitar.

If the surface of your guitar is French polished or lacquered, then cleaning items such as paper towels must be avoided at all times, as these will also cause scratches. If you feel that it is necessary to clean your guitar with paper towels, then it is advised to purchase non-woven shop towels which are available on a roll. These do cost a little more, but they will not scratch your guitar.

You will find that dust accumulates under the strings. Therefore particular attention should be paid to this area of your guitar. Do not be hesitant in inserting a cloth behind the strings and giving it a good rub, at the same time as you are wiping the entire body of your guitar. If you pay close attention to cleaning the strings of your guitar, then their life will be extended. In addition to a normal cleaning routine, it is advised that after every jam session with your guitar, you give the strings a good wipe by holding them firmly through a cloth and rubbing the cloth up and down their length. This will remove any dust, grease from your fingers, perspiration build-up, and skin cells etc.

If you find that you are having difficulty in removing finger prints on your guitar, then you can blow a gentle breath, just as you would with spectacles, to create a little moisture. You will then find that by rubbing your guitar vigorously that the finger prints will be removed. It is also possible to use a slightly moistened soft cloth and a small amount of mild detergent. However, do not overdo it. It is essential that you avoid at all times, getting moisture into the small spaces on the guitar surface. However you choose to remove finger prints from your guitar, it is advised to rub it well afterwards with a soft dry cloth. It is also recommended to change to a clean cloth on a regular basis, to avoid rubbing the dirt from an old cloth back on to the guitar.

There are also various types of commercial guitar cleaners available to purchase, most of which are good products. When purchasing such products, it is essential that you primarily read all instructions on the bottle carefully, and use a water-based product for water-soluble dirt. There are creamy polishes available on the market, but they do have a tendency to be slightly abrasive. Therefore, if your guitar has a matte finish, then it is recommended not to use a cream product.

If your guitar should have a sticky residue from tape or stickers on it, then this will need to be removed by using mineral spirits. It is also possible to use lighter fluid, which is otherwise known as naphtha. Neither of these products will cause any harm to the finish of your guitar. However, you will need to remove the solvent with a damp cloth to buff your guitar clean after removing tape or stickers. Ensure that you are careful when cleaning sticky residue off your guitar, as you do not want to spread it around the rest of the guitar.

The fingerboard of a guitar, along with the strings and the fret wire are subject to acidity in the player’s hands. Therefore it is advised to completely remove the strings and rub up and down the fingerboard with a piece of extra fine grade steel wool. When rubbing the frets, it is essential that you take care not to catch the ends of them with the steel wool. The steel wool does not need to be wet before undertaking this process. It is after a few motions that the frets should be shiny. Obviously this depends on how dirty the fingerboard initially is. If the surface of the fingerboard is not cracked or damaged, then you can apply a little lemon oil to prevent the wood from cracking, which is caused by temperature and humidity.

Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.
Article Source: Articles for Boomers

Isn’t learning about the guitar almost as much fun as playing?

Enjoy this post by Jon Mercer

All guitarists are searching for their own original sound, and using boutique guitar pedals is one popular way to insure that you stand out from the crowd. Unlike mass-produced guitar pedals, boutique pedals are usually made by small independent workshops, and most often, the pedals are hand-made and numbered.

While the large manufacturers can usually sell guitar effects pedals cheaper, small boutique pedal companies specialize in individuality and attention to detail in their effects. Companies such as Carl Martin, Divided by 13, Fulltone, Keeley and Red Witch are all smaller boutique manufacturers, dedicated exclusively to producing outstanding guitar tone.

As you might expect, small companies that hand build guitar pedals usually charge more for their products, but many pro guitarists insist that the higher price of boutique pedals is justified because of their quality and originality of tone.

As well as the small guitar workshops, boutique pedals are also produced by a few larger companies such as Electro Harmonix and Huges & Kettner. These medium-size manufacturers manage to avoid being labeled as mass producers of guitar effects because of their stellar reputations, and their attention to detail in producing quirky, non-traditional guitar effects.

Boutique guitar pedals come in many different flavors, from swirling chorus effects, to vintage, hand-built overdrive units. Primarily, most of these high-end effects are influenced by the vintage guitar pedals of the 1960s and 70s. For example, many boutique pedal manufacturers sell replications of rare 1960s pedals.

And though the prices of these units tend to be much higher than standard mass-produced guitar effects, when you consider the rarity of these 60s era pedals, and the fact that many of them will be in poor condition after all these years, it can actually make much more sense to buy a replication of a classic pedal than the original.

In a way, the trend toward using boutique guitar pedals is a reaction to the overly commercial music of the past few decades. Guitarists use these unusual and unique sounding “stomp boxes” to create an entirely different palette of sounds.

By using exotic guitar pedals, artists are able to shape the sound of a music to a far greater degree, and avoid the bland same-ness of much commercial music these days.

But as well is sounding unique, boutique guitar pedals are also small, functional works of art. Many boutique pedals are actually hand-painted and hand-labeled, ensuring that no two will look like. Boutique pedal producers such as Zvex are a good example of this. All of their pedals feature vintage analog knobs and foot switches, and are decorated with hand-painted symbols and icons.

So when a guitarist buys a boutique pedal, they are buying something very different from a mass produced multi-effects gadget; they are buying a unique piece of history that has been handcrafted and tested in a small workshop to perform to the highest standards, and create a totally unique sound.

There’s no doubt about it: these pedals cost more than mass-produced units from the big names, but you can also find them on auction for about the same price as a bland, mass-produced effects pedal. And when you consider the originality and inspiration you will gain by using boutique guitar pedals, it’s easy to see why they are becoming more and more popular everyday.

Bid on the hottest boutique guitar pedals and vintage guitar effects at Soundsfat.com
Article Source: Articles for Boomers

Check out BB and friends. Guitar playing is ageless!
Do you recognize the guitars?

Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten, and Marcus Miller on Bass Guitar. Demonstrate what can be done on there instruments. Buy there CD Thunder it’s great.