However, it doesn’t take much more than a few chords to really get a lifetime’s enjoyment out of the guitar. You can learn basic versions of thousands of songs with just a handful of chords.

If you go out on the weekend and play tag football with some buddies, are you worried about measuring up to NFL greats? Probably not. You’re probably just doing the best you can with your abilities and having a good time.

Try to remember this next time you’re feeling inadequate as guitar player. Enjoying yourself is the most important part of playing.

I hope this video helps. Like a lot of things in guitar, this isn’t the only way to do it. For example, Eddie Van Halen holds his pick between his thumb and middle finger to keep his index finger free for two-handed tapping. That’s worked out well for him, so just use this video as a general guide on how to hold a guitar pick if you’re a new guitar player.

Here’s a picture of what you should be aiming for:

That being said, there are some clear winners in the world of guitar effects, and below you can find the Top 6 Best Guitar Effects Pedals to get you started in the right direction.

1. Ibanez Tube Screamer

As far as overdrive goes, this is hands down one of the best guitar effects pedals out there. The original model is exceedingly difficult to find these days, as it’s out of production. But, Ibanez has released the TS9, which is a pretty good replica and a very popular reissue. In this day of effects boards with 10,000 presets and way too much complication, sometimes it’s best to keep it simple.

Stevie Ray Vaughn was a fan of the Tube Screamer, and I used to see acoustic guitar phenom Monte Montgomery actually use the Tube Screamer in his live rig… for his acoustic guitar! Obviously, you can use guitar effects for more than they’re meant for.

The key to the Tube Screamer’s sought-after tone has to do with the way the pedal subtly clips the sound. In creator S. Tamura’s words, the Tube Screamer “preserves the original dynamics of the input signal which otherwise would get lost at the threshold of clipping.” That’s about as techie as I’ll get for you, but if you’re looking for subtle and classy distortion, the Tube Screamer (and TS9 Reissue) is one of the best guitar effects pedals you’ll find.

2. Dunlop Crybaby Wah Pedal

The wah pedal (or wah-wah) is one of the most distinctive-sounding  guitar effects pedals. If you’re not familiar with the effect, think Jimi Hendrix “Voodoo Chile,” Slash on the end of “Civil War,” or Tom Morello playing Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade” intro. All of those are iconic examples of the wah pedal’s “crying” sound, and the wah has the best name of all the guitar effects pedals: it’s name is what is does.

The wah pedal was actually inspired by a trumpet player named Clyde McCoy, who was famous for making “crying” sounds on his trumpet by covering and uncovering the opening of his instrument with a trumpet mute. It’s not clear who invented the first wah pedal, but since the 1960s it’s been a huge influence on guitarists and popular music in general.

The wah pedal effect is often built into most multi-effects boards these days, but it works great as a standalone pedal too. The wah is one of the best guitar effects pedals for soloing with distortion on, too.

3. BBE Sonic Maximizer

The Sonic Maximizer is a not the first effects pedal you should get, but it makes an excellent addition to any guitar player’s rig. This is a relatively new player on the guitar effects scene, but has gotten very popular because it just makes your rig sound better.

Using some complicated technology that I won’t get into here, the Sonic Maximizer gives your sound more fullness,  presence, more clarity.

It couldn’t be easier to use: it’s got two knobs, “lo contour,” and “process.” It’s way easier than typical EQs and has a much different effect. Check out more review of the BBE Sonic Stomp Sonic Maximizer Pedal here

4. TC Electronic Stereo Chorus Flanger

You have a ton of chorus pedals to pick from, and TC Electronics wins in my book because it’s subtle, versatile, and organic. It’s not going to be the most over-the-top chorus effect out there, and that’s part of the reason it’s good. This is a pro-level effect, and it really lets the your tone come through without coloring it.

It’s a very natural and warm sounding effect too, and as far chorus is concerned is one of the best guitar effects pedals you’ll find.

This unit is really tough, and can stand up to heavy gigging. Where it really shines, though, is in the studio. The crisp, pure analog boutique quality tone comes across very well on tape (or disc). This chorus unit also has Pitch Modulation and Flange, and has true bypass that won’t color your tone when you’re not using it.

5. Keeley Compressor

The Keely Compressor is “the”  industry standard in guitar compression. It’s understated, meaning it’s not gonna knock your socks off with any crazy effects. But, when you’re talking about compression, quality is far and away more important than anything else.

The Keely is truly “transparent,” meaning that it won’t color your tone. You can find the Keely in 2 and 4-knob versions, and I recommend you go for the 4-knob as it obviously gives you more control.

The Keely ain’t cheap, but if you’re looking for the best compressor, the Keely is the hands down one of the best guitar effects pedals around.

6. Boss DD-20 Delay – “Giga Delay”

It was really tough to narrow down the Best Delay Pedal, there’s just so much to choose from. I ultimately went with the Boss DD-20 Delay because it’s versatile, and unlike some of the other top delay pedals out there you can set the exact delay time instead of just twisting a know and hoping you get it right.

For some songs that use delay as a crucial piece of the guitar sound (U2 come to mind here), it’s really important that you have the delay time locked in. When you’re playing a song that *depends* on the delay, the guitar will actually keep time for the band. How about that… the drummer counting on the guitar player for timing! This should happen more often

This delay pedal comes with lots of presets. You have up to 23 seconds of delay, you can tweak almost every parameter, and you have 4 presets so you can save four completely different delay settings. Read more reviews of the Boss DD-20 Delay – “Giga Delay” here.

Good luck with your search for the perfect sound!

Ever wonder where Buck Cherry got their name?

Guest Post By Nick Koch

It’s one of those arguments that has no real answer; who was the true originator of rock and roll? Some favor Elvis Presley for amping up blues songs and presenting them to a ready and willing record buying audience. Others might tell you that it was Jackie Breston singing Ike Turners “Rocket 88″ with its driving rhythm and thinly veiled sexual innuendos that was the seed that grew into rock. Still others give the nod to Big Momma Thornton’s “Hound Dog” or Bill Haley and the Comets “Rock Around The Clock”. And yet almost everyone who has entertained this question has had to acknowledge Chuck Berry as one of rock and rolls true architects. With his trademark ‘riff’, stage strutting duck walk and genius for tapping into teenaged angst and hormone fueled desires lyrically. Berry essentially epitomized the early days of rock and set the stage for what it was to become well into the future.

This article is courtesy of GuitarTricks.com – read the full review of Guitar Tricks here

Chuck Berry was born on October 18, 1926 and was raised on the North Side of the highly segregated city of St. Louis, Missouri. Like so many blues and rhythm and blues players of the twenties and thirties, Berry’s earliest musical influence was through the church and gospel music as well as music classes that he attended during high school. His first foray into the guitar was under the instruction of local jazz guitarist, Ira Harris, who taught him the rudiments of the instrument on a four-string tenor guitar. By 1950, he had switched to the six string electric. But Berry’s education was interrupted when he was sentenced to three years in a reformatory for armed robbery while still a high school student.

When he was released from the reform school and returned to St. Louis, Berry married, took a job working at General Motor Fisher Body assembly plant while preparing for a career as a hairdresser and beautician by taking classes in night school. But the allure of music was never far off and in 1952, he had formed a trio with drummer Ebby Harding and pianist Johnnie Johnson and began playing weekend gigs in and around the St. Louis area.

By 1955, the trio had become a top local draw and Berry was supplementing his income as a hairdresser with regular shows.

Berry decided to head to Chicago in search of a professional music career in 1955. Shortly after his arrival, Berry walked into a club where one of his idols, Muddy Waters, was playing. After the show, Berry approached Waters and asked him where he should go to cut a record. Waters directed him to Chess Records, the giant blues label in Chicago where Waters and a host of other enormous national blues acts were stabled. When Berry and Leonard Chess met, Berry had no tapes to give to the promoter. Chess told Berry that he would be glad to give him a listen and instructed him to go on home and bring him something back. Berry returned to St. Louis, recorded a handful of tracks, including the then titled “Ida May” (which later became “Maybelline”) and later that week drove back to Chicago with the tapes.

Chess loved “Ida May / Maybelline” and signed Berry to the label. In a stroke of somewhat shady marketing genius, Leonard Chess gave a copy of the single to Alan Freed of WINS in New York (Freed is often credited with coining the phrase rock and roll and was instrumental to its development as a legitimate musical genre) to get airplay. Chess made a deal with Freed by giving the DJ a twenty-five percent writing credit on the single in exchange for airing the disc. (Berry was unaware of the deal when it was made and it was not resolved 1986. By the time Berry and his lawyers re-worked the deal, the single had sold well in excess of 1million copies). By summer of 1955, “Maybelline” hit #5 on the Pop Charts and #1 on the R&B charts. It was a fortuitous moment for both Berry and Chess Records. It launched Berry’s career and allowed Chess Records to move from the niche blues/rhythm and blues genre into a more mainstream area of music production.

In the late 50′s through the early 60′s, Chuck Berry had an incredible string of successes with songs like “Brown Eyed Man”, “Too Much Monkey Business”, “Memphis”, “Sweet Little Sixteen” and “Roll Over Beethoven” but it was “Johnny B. Goode” that is considered his masterpiece. “Johnny B. Goode” was the near-perfect song for the time, combining a danceable rhythm, a stinging blues/almost rockabilly guitar riff and lyrics that were accessible and identifiable to both youthful black and white audiences alike.

It was a boom time for Berry. His music had become an essential part of the burgeoning soundtrack of rock and roll and he had found himself a main stay of the club scene. Berry was even found himself in films like Rock, Rock, Rock (1956), Mister Rock and Roll (1957) and Go, Johnny, Go (1959).

But along with his enormous success, Berry had his share of troubles. In 1959, Chuck Berry was charged with violating The Mann Act. Apparently he had brought a 14 year old Apache prostitute with him from Texas to St. Louis to work as a hat check girl at his St. Louis club. After he fired her, she complained to authorities. His first trial, a blatantly racist affair, ended in a mistrial but he was convicted on the second go around and he was sentenced to two years in Federal prison in Indiana. Berry emerged from prison in 1964 an angry and embittered man.

When Berry re-entered the music business he was up against the British Invasion that was underway at the time. Oddly enough, Chuck Berry found himself competing with bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones whose albums had their own versions of some of his own songs. But Berry kept pace by recording a few more classics like “Nadine”, “No Particular Place To Go” and “You Never Can Tell”.

In 1964, Berry toured Britain and opened Berry Park near Wentsville, Missouri, a site that would figure prominently later in Berry’s life.

In 1966, Chuck left Chess Records and signed with the Mercury label in an effort to change the direction of his career. It was a calculated move that failed to provide the results he was looking for and the discs he cut (the forgettable Live At The Filmore Auditorium and Concerto in B. Goode) failed to produce the anticipated results. By 1969, Berry went back to Chess. At Chess Berry recorded Back Home Again (1969) and San Francisco Dues (1970) both which charted nationally. However his biggest hit came in 1972 when he released the single “My Ding-A-Ling”, a risque number loaded with thinly veiled sexual references that Berry had been playing to huge responses in adult clubs throughout his career. (He had originally recorded the song while at Mercury under the title “My Tambourine”). The single sold more than a million copies and reached the top of the U.S. charts on October 21, 1972.

By the middle of the Seventies, Berry’s career had slowed to the point where he fell from headlining to touring with ‘oldies’ retrospectives on the rock and roll revival circuit with other acts like Bill Haley and the Comets, Chubby Checker and Bo Diddley. Again Berry caught film credits appearing in 1973′s Let the Good Times Roll and in 1978′s American Hot Wax, where he and legendary D.J. Alan Freed played themselves. But along with his revival in the 70s, Berry could seem to stay ahead of trouble. In 1979, a few days before he was to play at the White House for then President Jimmy Carter, the IRS charged him with income tax evasion. A short time later, Berry found himself serving a 100 day sentence in federal prison.

Although he continued to tour and make several guest appearances in various concerts, Berry’s career had ground to a near halt by the mid-eighties. However Berry was never far from the collective rock and roll consciousness, cited by many as a primary influence, including guitarists as far ranging as Dickey Betts, Keith Richards, Ted Nugent and Angus Young. His sphere of influence was noted when he was one of the very first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. In 1987, a documentary of his life, Hail, Hail, Rock and Roll was released and is considered by many as one of the most brutally honest looks at contemporary music ever made.

However, as has been a common theme in Berry’s career, trouble again reared its ugly head in 1990. At 60 years old, Berry was sued by some 60 different women who claimed that he had filmed them while they were using the facilities at a restaurant at his theme park in Wentzville, MO. Berry has steadfastly denied the allegations but did pay over a $1 million dollars to settle the claims. In that same year police raided his home and he was arrested for possession of a small amount of marijuana as well as possession of a variety of ‘homemade’ pornography.

But like a cat, Berry’s career seems to have had nine lives. Two years later, Berry played at President Clinton’s inaugural celebration and in 2000 and he was honored as well with a Kennedy Center tribute. However in perhaps his greatest tribute, “Johnny B. Goode” was included in The Sounds Of The Earth, an auditory record (gold plated naturally) that was stowed aboard Voyagers 1 and 2 as they were dispatched on their journey beyond our solar system. The idea behind The Sounds Of The Earth is that if other intelligent beings in the universe were to come across the craft, their indoctrination into rock and roll would be by what many considered to be one of the purest of the original rock and roll records as recorded by the main architect of rock and roll himself, ‘The Eternal Teenager’, Chuck Berry.

This Article is Brought to You by GuitarTricks -

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You could argue that these things are just gonna be on the floor, but if your stompbox style is important to you, the Dans may be the way to go. With names like “Chili Dog” and “Chicken Salad,” Danelectro’s marketing department is certainly earning their salary. Danelectro also tries pretty hard to cash in on the whole Vintage vibe. That being said, they make some pretty cool-sounding pedals.

“Bang for the Buck” is what you get with Danelectro guitar effects. They’re pretty inexpensive, so you can’t expect them to sound like the best guitar effects pedals on the market. If you’re looking for pretty good and pretty cheap though, you are in luck my friend.

Danelectro guitar effects come in quite a few flavors: Original Line, Cool Cat, FAB, and Mini Effects, and Paisley Effects (discontinued). In each line there are your typical effects like overdrive, chorus, delay, and that type of thing. There are also some stand alone effects pedals like the “Free Speech” talk box, the “Reel Echo” echo effect and the “Spring King” Reverb unit. I told you that Marketing Department was working overtime!

Here’s a breakdown of Danelectro’s effects models over the years:

The Original Danelectro Guitar Effects Line

Daddy O. Overdrive

Cool Cat Chorus

FAB Tone Distortion

Dan-Echo Simulated Tape Echo

Dan-O-Matic Tuner

Cool Cat Effects

Tremolo

Vibe

Metal

Fuzz

Fuzz V2

Drive
Drive V2
Transparent Overdrive
Transparent Overdrive V2
Distortion
Metal II
Chorus

FAB – The least expensive Danelectro Guitar Effects

• Distortion
• Metal
• Overdrive
• Echo
• Flange
• Chorus

Mini Effects

• Pastrami Overdrive
• T-Bone Distortion
• BLT Slap Echo
• Corned Beef Reverb
• Tuna Melt Tremolo
• Hash Browns Flanger
• Pepperoni Phaser
• Milkshake Chorus
• Surf and Turf Compressor
• Grilled Cheese Distortion
• Pedal Tuner
• Chili Dog Octave
• Fish and Chips 7 Band EQ
• Chicken Salad Vibrato
• French Toast Octave Distortion
• PB&J Delay
• Rocky Road Spinning Speaker
• Black Coffee Metal Distortion
• French Fries Auto-Wah
• Black Licorice Beyond Metal
• I am starving (not an effect. I am)

Vintage Danelectro Guitar Effects

• Reel Echo
• Spring King

Paisley effects (No Longer in Production)

• Blue Paisley PureDrive
• Black Paisley Liquid Metal
• Wasabi effects
• Wasabi Overdrive
• Wasabi Distortion
• Wasabi Rock-A-Bye
• Wasabi Forward-Reverse Delay
• Wasabi Chorus-Trem

Miscellaneous Danelectro Guitar Effects

• Shift Daddy
• Trip-L Wah
• Dan-O-Wah
• Free Speech Talk Box
• Psycho Flanger
• Sitar Swami
• Back Talk Reverse Delay

Bottom Line: If you’re looking for stylish, inexpensive stompboxes, Danelectro guitar effects are a good way to go.

Average User Rating:

Hi Guys,

I wanted to do an Adult Guitar Lessons review because this is one guitar course that really stands out from the pack.

What is AdultGuitarLessons.com?

First, let me clarify that there is no nudity on the site, it’s not “that” kind of adult What it is is a website that caters to a more mature crowd.

This course is not aimed at teenagers, and it’s actually kind of refreshing because of that. You won’t find a lot of flashy, annoying graphics and promises of rock stardom. I review a lot of guitar courses and find such hype annoying.

Click Here to Visit Adult Guitar Lessons Now

Pros

First of all, the course is very complete. You will not be missing anything. The layout is very nice, and founder Keith Dean is a true pro with a teacher’s heart.

The course is geared toward people (like me) who have full lives: kids, jobs, mortgages, the whole nine yards. You will get a complete overview of guitar playing, with no stone left unturned. Chords, scales, songs, tips & tricks… everything you need to learn guitar.

Cons

While there are not any glaring flaws with this course, I do have to caution you that learning to play guitar does not happen overnight. Keith actually addresses this, saying

“You see, this course is not for everyone. If you are afraid to put forth some effort, not a lot, but a little time every day, or each week – you will not see progress on the guitar.”

This is not really a flaw of the program, but sometimes we all get really excited reading sales pages and think we’ll be guitar superstars overnight. The truth is that it takes a commitment on your part to learn. All the tools are here, though, and the rewards are certainly worth the effort!

Price

$47 one time fee for a Lifetime Platinum Membership. Includes lifetime upgrades and unlimited email coaching (unheard of in this industry)

Guarantee

Yes, there is a 60 day, no questions asked money back guarantee. If for any reason you’re not happy, you get a complete refund with no hassle.

Conclusion

After spending many weeks using the Adult Guitar Lessons course, I’m happy to say I have no problems recommending it. It’s simple, no-nonsense layout is refreshing and it works. I’ve done a lot of research on this course, and the feedback on the forums is great too. Adult guitar lessons is helping a lot of adults learn guitar… imagine that!

Click Here to Visit Adult Guitar Lessons Now

]]> http://www.myguitarguide.com/adult-guitar-lessons-review/feed/ 0 http://www.myguitarguide.com/guitar-scale-mastery-review/ http://www.myguitarguide.com/guitar-scale-mastery-review/#comments Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:18:35 +0000 The Guide http://www.myguitarguide.com/?page_id=1739 Reviewer: Derek Douglas

Average User Rating:

Hi guys,

I get a lot of questions about guitar courses, and one that has been coming up a lot lately is Guitar Scale Mastery. I decided to join this program and write a thorough Guitar Scale Mastery review so that I can answer everyone’s questions. Let’s dive right in.

What is the Guitar Scale Mastery System?

In this Guitar Scale Mastery review, I want to shed some light on just what the program actually is and what it is not. You could probably devote hundreds of hours to studying guitar scales, and this course was designed so you don’t have to do that. It successfully cuts through all the fluff and gets right to the skills you need to practice in order to master scales.

What you won’t find is endless drudgery and recommendations to run through scales all day. What it does is show you the essential scales, one string at a time, so you can internalize them and master the scales.

Price

$67 one time payment for a Premium 3 Year Membership. About the cost of 2 private lessons.

Pros

Guitar Scale Mastery breaks it down and makes the content very easy to learn and digest. If you are a beginner, you’ll appreciate the simple layout of the course. The goal is to make your solos and phrases fluid and effortless, and if that’s what you’re looking for this course will be a good fit.

Cons

If you’re looking for a comprehensive learn guitar system that takes you through all the basics, this course is not it. This course is scales, scales, scales!

Guarantee

Guitar Scale Mastery has a 60 day, 100% money back guarantee. If you’re not happy with the course for any reason whatsoever, all you have to do is email them and request and refund. That’s it! No sneaky tactics or high pressure nonsense.

Conclusion

After playing with Guitar Scale mastery for a few weeks, I can confidently recommend this program if you want to drastically improve your understanding of the neck. I hope you’ve enjoyed my Guitar Scale Mastery review, and I strongly recommend you give this program a look.

Click Here to Visit Guitar Scale Mastery

I get to see a lot of guitar products. I write reviews for MyGuitarGuide.com and as a result have seen just about every guitar lesson package on the Net!

I came across Riffmaster Pro the other day though, and after playing with it for a few minutes I thought: “I really need to do a RiffMaster Pro Review.” So, here we go.

Overview of RiffMaster Pro

In this RiffMaster Pro 3 Review, I want to show you all the features, pros and cons of the product so you can make the best decision for yourself. In a nutshell, RiffMaster Pro is a software package the allows you to slow music down without changing pitch. Why would you want to do this? Lots of reasons -

• Learn a guitar part by slowing it down
• Listen to and understand a tricky riff, drum part, or vocal
• Slow down music and mess with the pitch for fun (think Metallica meets the Chipmonks)

Click Here for Your FREE RiffMaster Pro Trial

You can also loop certain parts of a song (like the guitar solo or intro) so that it plays over and over again as you play along. Very cool stuff!

Price

$49 one time fee

Ease of Use

Quite honestly, it couldn’t be easier. Once you start the program, it sits in the middle of your computer screen, and you can do everything from one page. No scrolling around through menus and confusing lists.

Check out these Screenshots of RiffMaster Pro:

Warranty

60 Day no questions asked complete refund. They even give you a free 10 day trial so you can check out first and decide whether or not you want to purchase it.

Upsides

This thing is super easy to use, and it’s really great if you have to learn a bunch of songs quickly. I would have loved to have RiffMaster Pro back when I was playing in cover bands and need to learn like 20 songs at a time. Arrg, it would have been a lifesaver!

This is also perfect if you play in standard tuning, and you want to learn a song that’s in half step tuning (Alice in Chains, etc.) All you do is click the “Pitch” button up or down and then “Save As” Boom, you now have the song saved a step higher or lower! I love this because I actually tune  my guitars half step down (makes it easier to sing!), and being able to instantly “tune” songs up or down is  my favorite feature of RiffMaster Pro.

Downsides

The website says it only works on Windows, so this may be a problem if you use a Mac. I’m not sure why they did this, it seems like they’re alienating a lot of users by doing that. (Update: Mac version now available!)

Bonuses

RiffMaster Pro 3 actually has some really great bonuses. These include a variety of Guitar eBooks and some extra software, but every time I go back to the site they keep adding to it! I’ll let you check out the latest bonuses for yourself, you can see them here.

Conclusion

This is one cool piece of software. I always think to myself, “Ah, I’ve seen everything!” But this one’s a little different. While some software sequencers costing hundreds of dollars can do the same thing as RiffMaster Pro, I’ve never seen this all put together in one simple, cheap package.

Thanks for reading my RiffMaster Pro review, I recommend you check it out if you’re interested in slowing music down to have a better understanding of it. It’s available for instant download, so you won’t have to wait to use it (or the bonuses!).

Click Here for Your FREE RiffMaster Pro Trial

What is it? Online Guitar lessons. 370+ hours of video lessons from 34 different guitar teachers (as of this writing, probably more now).

How Much? $19.95 per month (less if you pay for a longer term)

Bonuses? Great chord library, video Q&A Section, Progress Report feature

Should I Buy It? Yeah, it’s pretty good

Click Here for Your JamPlay Free Trial

Still here? Ok, here’s my full Jamplay Review:

I’ve been playing guitar for many years, and I’ve been writing for MyGuitarGuide.com (the site you’re on now!) for a few years. I review tons of guitars and guitar products, and recently I came across JamPlay. Since I’ve done lots of other “Learn Guitar Online” product reviews, I thought it was natural that I do Jamplay Review.

Overview of Jamplay

Jamplay isn’t a Guitar Course that you buy. You basically subscribe to it for a little under $20 a month and you get access to everything. What is everything? Well, at the time of this writing that means 370+ hours of video lessons from 34 different guitar teachers. They shoot everything in HD from multiple camera angels so you can see what that instructor is doing with both hands.

Price

It’s $19.95 per month, but it gets cheaper if you sign up for a longer term.

Features

Ah, here’s where we get into the good stuff Some of my favorite parts of Jamplay are the chord library, the ability to interact with the instructors, the music learning games, the social section (think Facebook for guitarists), and the fact that they are constantly adding lessons and you can easily check out the newest ones. Whew, that was a mouthfull, but those are my favorite Jamply features!

Support

Good. The offer email support, but my favorite is to use the forum and get answers from people who have been members for awhile. If you just need something simple, you can use the Q&A section they have setup. The Q&A section is cool because it’s a series of videos that answer all your guitar questions. Nice.

Ease of Use

Very easy to use. Pretty much all the lessons are video, which makes it really easy to follow along. The website it very clearly laid out, and it’s easy to navigate

Warranty

Jamplay does offer a warranty. It’s a full money back deal, so if you don’t like it all you have to do is let them know within 7 days of your purchase and they’ll refund your money without any hassle or sales pressure bullsh*t.

Downsides

This is not a good option if you have slow or dial-up internet connection. If that’s you, we recommend Jamorama

JamPlay vs Guitar Tricks ?

Ok, I get lots of emails where people ask me “Should I get Jamplay or Guitar Tricks?” If you haven’t heard, GuitarTricks.com is another Online guitar lesson website. I lean toward GuitarTricks if you’re comparing the two – I feel that they’ve got a more ‘polished’ and professional product. The good news for you is that Guitar Tricks and Jamplay are in direct competition, and this causes them both to constantly update their product and make improvements all the time, with the consumer as the ultimate winner.

Conclusion

Jamplay is a very complete, constantly expanding online guitar course. They are always expanding the number of lessons they offer, and you can learn a ton regardless of your skill level.

Click Here for Your JamPlay Free Trial

]]> http://www.myguitarguide.com/jamplay-review/feed/ 0 http://www.myguitarguide.com/acoustic-guitar-reviews/ http://www.myguitarguide.com/acoustic-guitar-reviews/#comments Sat, 20 Feb 2010 03:29:29 +0000 The Guide http://www.myguitarguide.com/?page_id=1677 Choosing the perfect acoustic guitar can be a daunting task. In this acoustic guitar reviews section, I’ll help explain some of the qualities you should be looking for in an acoustic guitar. The best acoustic guitar will be different for everyone, but I hope I can point you in the right direction.

I’ve owned many acoustic guitars over the years, and it’s hard to say which one is my favorite. I have this heap of junk Yamaha that was my first acoustic guitar ever, but I love that thing! Sure, my Takamine sounds better and plays better, but that old Yamaha just has *soul*. “Best” is a relative term, so do your research and get to know what you like about a certain guitar.

Ok, enough about my acoustic guitars, let’s get on with some Acoustic Guitar Reviews You Can Use:

Acoustic Guitar Reviews: The Top 5 Acoustics You Need to Know About

These guitars are from various price points, but for one reason or another they are all great in their own way, and you should consider them while reading acoustic guitar reviews and shopping for guitars.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Things to Keep in Mind When Shopping for Acoustic Guitars

What’s My Budget? This is a huge factor. You want to buy the best guitar you can afford, but not go overboard. If you’re just starting out and don’t know how to play guitar yet, it’s ok to get a lower-cost guitar. If you’re playing professionally or recording, you’ll want to spend the extra money get a great guitar. A good rule is to try to get a guitar that is a little bit nicer than you think you want. This way, as you get better at playing guitar, you will have a good instrument to play on.

Where Will I Play This Thing? Many “bedroom guitarists” will not be playing for an audience. If that’s you, you don’t need to go all-out on some fancy guitar. On the other hand, if you plan to be playing in front of people, it can help your confidence to have a nice guitar. If you play professionally (make money at it), you’ll want as nice a guitar as you can get your hands on. It’s also tax deductible

What’s My Experience Level? As I mentioned above, if you’re brand new to guitar you do not need to get an expensive instrument. You won’t even appreciate the difference between a nicer guitar and a low end acoustic! If you’re an intermediate player, you should get something nice for yourself that you can “grow into.”

How Much Do I Care About Aesthetics? This is probably the least important factor, but looks do count. Some players like flashy new guitars, and ornamentation might be important. On the other side of the spectrum, I think about Willie Nelson and his beat to shit acoustic guitar with a hole right under the sounds hole. To me, that means the guitar has some soul and has seen some action, and I love that. You could also start out with a brand spankin’ new acoustic and slowly “break her in” over the course of many years. It’s all up to you… be sure to enjoy the process!

Here Are Some Acoustic Guitar Reviews I Think You’ll Enjoy:

Links to Tier 2 pages

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