Electric Guitar

[caption id="attachment_2269" align="alignright" width="300"] The Poltergeist features a Mahogany body, a set 3-piece Set-Neck with Ultra Access, Ebony fingerboard, 24 X-Jumbo Frets, 24.625” scale length, and glow in the dark side dot inlays.[/caption] Schecter Guitar Research will  debut the Chris Poland Signature Solo-6 FR Poltergeist for the 2015 Winter NAMM Show, which will be showcased in Schecter’s upstairs Room 210-D. The Poltergeist features a Mahogany body, a set 3-piece Set-Neck with Ultra Access, Ebony fingerboard, 24 X-Jumbo Frets, 24.625” scale length, and glow in the dark side dot inlays. It also includes the Schecter Exclusive Floyd Rose 1500 Series Bridge which features stainless steel parts, new push-in arm, and knife points that are re-tooled for better tuning and smoother tremolo play.   Continue reading →

[caption id="attachment_2202" align="alignright" width="300"] The PRS P245 is perfect for players who prefer short-scale guitars and provides players with both electric and authentic acoustic tones in one instrument.[/caption] PRS Guitars’ new P245 is a vintage-inspired single-cutaway guitar with the added versatility of the LR Baggs/PRS piezo system. Perfect for players who prefer short-scale guitars, the P245 provides players with both electric and authentic acoustic tones in one instrument. With two output jacks, the P245 can be plugged directly into an amplifier or plugged into a soundboard’s direct input. By utilizing the separate blend control, the tone of the P245’s 58/15 pickups can be combined with acoustic sounds through a single output. The P245 is one of the first models to feature the new 58/15 treble and bass pickups, which were personally designed by Paul Reed Smith. 58/15’s are a vintage style pickup with exceptional clarity and focused midrange. These pickups paired with a shorter 24.5” scale length and 22 frets, give the P245 a truly classic voice that is imminently recordable and gig-ready. Continue reading →

[caption id="attachment_2166" align="alignright" width="300"] The SEYMOUR DUNCAN APH-2B Alnico II Pro Slash Humbucker bridge reverse zebra features a Warm, moderate output humbucker, recommended for jazz, blues, and classic rock.[/caption] There are two main types of magnets used in today’s pickups – Alnico and Ceramic. And with these two pickup magnets comes their own set of features, most prominently of which is tone. Of the two, you’re likely to hear that alnico magnets give off a brighter tone. This unfortunately is incorrect; it’s not what the magnets are made of that influences their sound but their strength. But as that old saying goes, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and in this case, there actually is something to that rumor of alnico being brighter. Alnico is a lot more expensive than ceramic; so much so that alnico is almost never used in grades of 5 or higher (grades are used to tell a magnet’s strength but only in comparison to magnets made of the same material). In order to keep down costs but still have a magnet with strength high enough for something like a high output pickup, ceramic is used. Interestingly enough ceramic magnets are actually weaker than alnico when they are of the same grade and size – but only after a certain point though. When it comes to magnets the size used in pickups however, ceramic is actually stronger. Which brings me back to that rumor of alnico pickups being brighter; if you had pickups the size of a football, yeah, the alnico will be brighter – but good luck trying to fit that inside your axe!   Continue reading →

[caption id="attachment_2108" align="alignright" width="300"] Fender Vintage Strat Tremolo Bridge[/caption] Effectively, there are two main types of bridges that you’ll have to choose from; the non-tremolo bridges and the tremolo variety. For those new to electric guitars, the bridge is the part of the instrument where the strings are attacked, located on the main body. When it comes down to it, making the choice between the two types of bridges is essentially a matter of personal preference along with how much control you’d like over the guitar’s sound, although each do have their benefits. First off, the non-tremolo bridges don’t offer any control over the tension of the strings which means that they do not have the option of use with a whammy bar. The tremolo bridge on the other hand – which comes in plenty of options – does allow for control over the tension of the strings which in turn allows for some pretty unique and well known effects that you can add to your repertoire. Continue reading →

Fender has just expanded its popular American Standard series. The series, which debuted in 1986, has become the proverbial heart of the Fender brand, fusing the best of classic and contemporary features. “The Fender American Standard series is the core of the Fender lineup, the place where we combine our 60-plus years of history with modern innovations in a perfect...