There
are many great guitars, in many shapes and sizes, what is the
difference and what are they?!
which
one for you?
First and foremost you are an
individual. The guitar is an extension of yourself. Be true to
yourself. Don't pick it just because that is what everybody else
is doing.
If you like to play hard
rhythms and aggro riffs, but don't play solos, avoid a trem
unit, especially the locking variety! They can be hard to
maintain, though great for the out and out lick master!
The wood and construction are
major factors.
Woods:
- Alder - Bluesy, warm.
The classic Strat wood.
Great for most styles. The tone of Hendrix, Ynwie, Beck...
- Mahogany - Thick,
warm, more low end and lower mids.
Less top end. Great for heavy, chunky rhythm, doomy riffs,
sweet lead tone with a nice growl! Used in Gibson SG, V,
Explorer. Angus, Sabbath, early Metallica.
- Mahogany/Maple - The
classic Les mix. Pounding bottom end, aggressive tops. A
great match. The tone of Zep, some Rhoads, Slash...
- Basswood - Popular
Ibanez and Jackson wood. This slightly softer wood has tons
of mids for throaty leads, shreddy riffing and crunchy
rhythm. Seems to work well on Floyd style guitars. Think Vai,
and early Satriani.
- Maple - Mostly used for
necks. Strong, bright, good looking!
Construction:
- Bolt on neck - Bright punchy
tone, very 'immediate' response, snappy.
- Set neck - Great sustain and
raw power.
- Neck thru - Very tight, good
sustain. It can almost sound compressed... ? The 'wings'
contribute less to the overall tone, most of the sound comes
from the centre piece.
Pick ups:
- Humbuckers - Higher ouput,
more gain. The louder the pick up the less treble response
on the whole.
- Single coils - Sharp, clean.
Great to cut through a rather large racket.
Hardware:
- Fixed bridge - Great for
stability. If you drop to D a lot this is for you! Better
overall tone and sustain.
- Floyd trem - Double locking
to keep you in tune. You can do marvelous things! Great for
the out there solo god! Be prepared to take time to set it
up, restring.
- Standard style trem - There
are some great trems on Fender American Strats, that do a
great job. Yngwie loves a well set up standard trem. Great
for melodic players, not in need of pyrotechnics!
Finish:
That is your call! Does black
sound better?!
Conclusion:
Most makers provide a good
variety of the above features. The main thing is to get your
sound, the one you hear in your head, with the guitar of your
choice.
If the look is important, look
at a model that suits as many of your needs as possible. Don't
buy just for the look! If you want a beefy thick tone don't
expect single coils to do it easily without a well set up amp
and effects. If you want a crystal clear chiming tone,
reconsider the Les. Yes,
you can get these tones, but let us be honest!
If flexibility is the key there
are many great axes in the Fender range, like the Fat Strats. If
you prefer the pointy look Ibanez and Jackson have some winners.
The RG Ibo and Dinky Jacko are classics in their field.
Ultimately, we love to have a
choice of guitars, and it is great to have a Strat, Les, and a
gonzo metal beast at your disposal! It depends on your
disposable income!
Listen to your fave players and
check what they play, and what you like about their sound. If
you can narrow what you like down it is easier! Remember though,
that the guitar in the picture may not be what is used on the
album.
The classics:
- Fender Stratocaster
- Gibson Les Paul
They have been here a while,
and will stay a while! If you can't get a great tone out of them
then....
- Ibanez RG series
- Jackson Dinky/ RR V
They have survived the early
back lashes and seem to be here to stay. Not as universal as the
big 2, but worthy contenders.
My stuff:
For the Black Steel Destructor
album, I used a Les Paul for all backing tracks, to get the
fattest crunch I could. Solos were mixed between the Les and a
Formentin Signature. For my next project I will use a Les for
rhythm and as many leads as possible, but with a Fender Relic
strat to do cleaner bluesier things.
Amp wise, I love the Marshall
tone. It seems to cut through better live, and is easy to
overdrive with simple Boss pedals. The Marshalls of choice are
either DSL or TSL heads, with Marshall 412 cabs.
I love the tone of the new Line
6 Guitar Port, and may use it extensively in the studio, along
with Marshall.
A lot of people ask about Mesa
Boogie, and it is good, just not for me. For heavy grunt I
prefer a Peavey 5150II.
Gibson recommended listening:
- Led Zeppelin 2 - Les Paul
- UFO Obsessions - Flying V
- Kill 'em all - Metallica -
Explorer/V?
- Gary Moore Still got the
blues - LP
- AC/DC For those about to
rock - SG
- EC Bluesbreakers - LP
Fender:
- Any Yngwie!
- Any Hendrix!
- Any Blackmore/Deep Purple
Jackson:
Ibanez:
- Vai
- Satriani
- Dream Theater
- Korn
Tell us what your fave bands
are playing!
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Rock
Axe Heroes 1960's to present.
Vote for or add
your fave !
Eric Clapton
Jimi Hendrix
Jimmy Page
Jeff Beck
Ritchie Blackmore
Brian May
Michael Schenker
Uli Roth
Fast Eddie Clarke
Eddie Van Halen
Randy Rhoads
Joe Satriani
Steve Vai
Kirk Hammett
Kerry King
Dave Murray
John Sykes
Adrian Smith
Angus Young
Ace Frehley
Zakk Wylde
Send 'em in!!!
What
is the best rock and metal axe?
Fender
Stratocaster
Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Explorer
Gibson V
Gibson SG
Epiphone Les Paul
Jackson Rhoads V
Jackson Dinky
Jackson Soloist
Ibanez RG
Ibanez Vai
Ibanez Satriani
Ibanez RG7620
Washburn Dime
BC Rich Warlock
Other!!!!
Name
your fave
Metal band!
Led Zeppelin
AC/DC
Kiss
Metallica
Guns'n'Roses
Slayer
Iron Maiden
Black Sabbath
Van Halen
Rush
Hammerfall
Rhapsody
Scorpions
Ozzy Osbourne
Tool
Sevendust
Korn
More...
Jackson
Guitars are available at Kosmic.
Call in and try them, and show us your best shred licks!
Also, visit
jacksonguitars.com
to check more of these outrageous guitars.
We have a lerge
range of Ibanez too!
Check Ibanez also
at www.ibanez.com
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