As a guitarist there can be nothing worse than being in the middle of a gig and breaking a string, having a cable fail or losing something and realizing you don’t have a replacement. Being unprepared is a musicians worst nightmare but happens far too often. You should always have a fully stocked gig bag! …
If there’s one thing pretty much every guitarists wants it’s more guitars. Buying and owning guitars is so addictive there’s even a (joke) condition about it: GAS – Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. But whilst that might be a bit of fun there is a serious question behind it – how many guitars do you really need? …
The zero fret is a little bit of an enigma. In some cases reviled and hated, by others adored and considered a technological marvel that makes tuning stability and your tone much better. But they’re a bit odd. You tend to find them either installed in really cheap and poor guitars or the highest quality, …
A Kill switch is one of those guitar terms you may have read about but not fully understand. They’re not all that common but can be an interesting addition to your playing. I actually installed a kill switch in an old guitar of mine to test it out. It was a fun experiment and a …
You may have come across the phrase ‘relicing’ in relation to guitars and the way they look. It’s been growing steadily in popularity for a while now and lots of guitarists like that reliced look. If you’re not sure, relicing guitars is when you take a guitar and make it look worn, old and ‘vintage’. …
One thing those new to the guitar often worry about is hand size. Sometimes it’s because their hands are big and they have fat fingers. But mostly it’s concern their hands are too small to play guitar. So, can you play guitar with small hands? Yes, although there may be certain chords and stretches that …
Guitars, like most things in life, are susceptible to wear and tear. Even if you look after it like it’s your child (and let’s be honest – we do) if you play it regularly it’ll begin to show some signs of wear. The strings need changing, the finish gets chipped and dinged, the electronics can …
Guitars come with many different pickup combinations. But knowing what HSS, SSS and HSH means can be confusing. You have to remember what the letters for each pickup configuration stands for and then what they’re best suited for. This is even more of a puzzle if you’re a beginner or not familiar with pickups. So …
The weight of a guitar is important for a variety of reasons. Not just the obvious of how heavy will it be when playing it but it can also indicate the quality and tone of the guitar. As someone smaller (alright, weaker) then I get on better with lighter guitars. A really heavy Les Paul …
Squier are probably the biggest entry level guitar brand. Owned by Fender, they account for so many first time guitars for beginners or those looking for an affordable but decent instrument. But are Squier guitars good? They are hugely popular with those looking to buy their first guitar and want a good entry point. And …