Brownsville Choirboy and Thug Electric Guitars

http://bit.ly/qrZRl3 The Brownsville Choirboy and Thug are one-of-a-kind hollowbody guitars that are classically designed, low noise, single-coil pickups. Both guitars feature a slim, hard maple neck with 24-3/4 scale length and a fast rosewood fingerboard.

The Choirboy has a single-cutaway body design with special binding and an f-hole, plus three single-coil pickups and a five-way position switch. The guitar was available in metallic finishes that include burgundy mist, black and sea foam green [pictured].


The Thug featured a compact single-cutaway design with two single-coil pickups, and a three-way position switch. It was available in an array of sparkle finishes, including laser blue, silver and red [pictured]. Both guitars have precision tuning machines and a solid one-piece adjustable tailpiece/bridge for more accurate intonation and sustain.

[These guitars are no longer in production – They are a bit hard to find, but if you do, you won’t be disappointed!]

Buy – Sell - Trade at USED MUSIC GEAR at GEAR-VAULT CLASSIFIEDS

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@pingfm @plerb

Fine Tune your Tone – Tweaking Edition

http://bit.ly/rrl2uZ Over the past months, I’ve opened countless emails from frustrated players who would like to customize their tone but can’t achieve the ideal sound that they hear in their head. It’s as though the tone they’re seeking exists somewhere beyond the limits of the knobs and switches on their gear. Some of these players ask me if they should change their brand of speakers or cables, or switch to different pickups or try using heavier or lighter gauge strings. In nearly every instance, “cost” is the common concern of these players, since few of them have heaps of money to spend in their pursuit of tone bliss.

Obviously, every player has his or her own guitar setup and rig. For that reason, there isn’t one universal answer that satisfies every question I receive on this subject. However, there is one aspect of tone controls that is at the heart of every guitarist’s quest for a great sound—namely, equalization. No matter what equipment you’re using, equalization can do wonders to help you achieve the guitar sound of your dreams.

Oddly, not many players think about experimenting with equalizers. They really should, because equalizers provide very specific control over the combined frequencies that make up sound. Using an equalizer, you can adjust the individual frequencies of your tone, making alterations that vary from subtle to drastic. The best example of this is a wah-wah pedal, which is actually an equalizer with rotary control that sweeps through a range of frequencies. When you rock the pedal, you change the frequency of the signal in real time.

Equalizers come in two types: graphic and parametric. A graphic eq divides the audio spectrum into a number of “bands” and provides a sliding volume control for each of these bands. Moving a slider up or down from its center position increases or decreases the volume of that frequency.

Parametric eqs use rotary controls to attenuate tone. A parametric eq allows you to sweep a range of frequencies and dial in the center frequency that you want to adjust, then boost cut that frequency with another control.

Anyone who’s experimented with an equalizer knows that it can be a powerful tone-shaping device. Depending on the level of control it provides, an equalizer can transform shrill sounds into warm tones and deliver gain level compensation and signal boosting, which can be extremely useful under the right circumstances.

If you’re interested in getting your feet wet, I highly recommend the Boss GE-7. It’s a well made pedal, and sells for a reasonable price at MusiciansFriend's Clearance Explosion sales (or find one used for about $50 bones,) it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. The GE-7 provides a high degree of tone control and can help you get the sounds you’re looking for, regardless of your musical style. I’ve found the Boss GE-7 especially helpful during recording sessions when the engineer likes the sound of my rig but wants the tone tweaked ever so slightly.

It’s those moments that have made my eq pedal the most valued piece of equipment I own. If you want an effective and low-cost way to get the greatest variety of tone from your equipment, pick up an equalizer and start tinkering.

@pingfm @plerb

The Gibson Holy V Guitar - Only 1000 Being Made

http://bit.ly/qK0NEJ Having come up with such guitars as the Les Paul and Flying V, among others, Gibson is known for innovation, creativity and spirit. The Gibson Holy-V is a representation of this continuing ingenuity, with its unique body and headstock. Like most Gibson guitars of the month, January 2009—is Gibson’s latest testament to their imagination. Production is quite limited—just 1,000 of these are being made, making it both a collector's item and a good guitar for both the amateur and the pro guitarist.

The Main Features

One of the most noticeable things about the Holy V is the holes (vented openings) that are found in the V-shaped body and headstock of the guitar. These holes are carefully carved into the body and the headstock, so as to make the guitar the lightest Gibson to date and gives an intense aesthetic effect. Indeed, the guitar has the same tonal sound quality of a traditional Gibson Flying V, while it’s said that the vented cavities provide for more sustain, we should all agree that the light weight creativity is a unique feature in itself.

Another thing people will notice about the guitar is the gearless tuners. There are no tuning pegs on the headstock, which gives the headstock a very distinctive look. Every Holy V is fitted with Steinberger Gearless Tuners which are noted for their smooth tuning action and accuracy and are said to prevent string slippage.

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The Gibson Holy V also features a 24-fret ebony fingerboard, making it ideal for guitarists who need the extra two frets for soloing. While the Flying V is usually considered to be a guitar appropriate for metal/hard rock guitarists, the Holy V can handle many types of music. So if you're a classic rock or modern rock guitarist, you'll still find something to like about this guitar.

Among the Holy V's other features are the beautiful split diamond inlays, a mahogany set-neck construction (for better sustain), solid mahogany body with a Tune-O-Matic bridge and a '57 classic pickup, supplying the classic Gibson PAF crunch and power.

While the Holy-V is an expensive guitar, for all that it features and uniqueness; is worth it?

MSRP $2799 but can be found as low as $1839. The Gibson Holy-V will not be available until January 2009. However some music stores will allow you to pre-order.

Gear-Vault Classifieds is an eBay alternative. Come sell your used music equipment with us, for FREE! @pingfm @plerb

Gibson ES-135 Limited Edition Guitar Review

http://bit.ly/qIq4LO With its single cutaway and slightly deeper body (2.125 inches at the edge), the ES-135 comes a little closer to a jazz axe than its 335-based brothers. You’d normally find the ES-135 outfitted with chrome hardware and P-90 pickups or, on some models, Gibson’s stacked P-100s. The Limited-Edition 135 features the famous PAF ’57 humbuckers and gold hardware, including Grover tuners and a trapeze tailpiece. If that center block weren’t there, this would be a dead ringer for the jazz player’s workhorse, the ES-175.

Otherwise, it’s a simple- and functional-looking instrument, with immaculate craftsmanship. An unbound rosewood fingerboard is ornamented with dot inlays, and the headstock is similarly unbound and unornamented, save the gold Gibson decal. Simple white binding sets off the unfigured maple body, with its unbound f-holes. If the untinted clear finish doesn’t float your boat, check out Gibson’s wine red, vintage sunburst or ebony black finishes.

The ES-135 was strung with standard .010 - .046 strings, but the three-piece maple neck has a healthy, rounded ’59 Les Paul contour that could easily handle the added tension of flatwound strings. The deeper body and trapeze tailpiece combine to provide a response that is darker and punchier on the attack and less acoustically sustaining—a perfect recipe for a more traditional jazz tone.

Amp this Gibson up, and jazz disciples will swoon the ’57 humbuckers sound rich and thick, nailing that Sixties Blue Note sound with a vengeance. Those fat-mama tones will work equal wonders on old-school funk or r&b charts, particularly if you employ the bridge pickup and roll the very responsive tone control back a couple of numbers. Fans of Sixties psychedelia will grok the zaftig, fuzzbox-friendly output: plucking behind the bridge nails Jerry’s “Dark Star” tone, the perfect ting for your next raga-rock jam.

THE END LINE

The Limited-Edition 135, has enough custom attitude to set it apart from the standard ES-135 and ES-175 series, and the vintage ‘buckers are a good call. This is a premium axe for all your retro needs.

Gibson ES-135

@pingfm @plerb

Epiphone Riviera Semi Hollow Body Electric Guitar Review

http://bit.ly/pX6rDc The Riviera is a perfect example of Epiphone’s ability to rival parent Gibson in quality and playability. It’s a kissing cousin to the Gibson ES-335, set apart by its mini-humbuckers and “Frequensator” tailpiece. Our review model’s unfigured maple body and mahogany neck came with an amber-tint natural finish, giving this brand-new guitar a warm vintage vibe. (Other available finishes include cherry, ebony and vintage cherry sunburst). Appointments are tastefully restrained and neatly executed, and the headstock’s long, slim shape is accentuated with chamfered edges that reveal elongated crescents of mahogany. The wide, oval frets are neatly finished, and the chrome hardware includes Kluson-style tuners.

The Riviera was strung with .011-.049 strings, including a wound G. The Frequensator tailpiece is designed to brighten strings relatively dark, and, yes, it really does work. The increased length of the three bass strings adds to their vibrancy, while the treble strings are slightly, but nicely subdued due to their shorter length.

The Riviera’s mini-humbuckers sound a couple of pounds thinner than their full-bodied kin, revealing a clean tone full of wood grain, with a nice bite in the attack. The neck and combination positions are strum-friendly, while the bridge pickup has a jaggedness in the high end that would d Albert Collins proud. On overdrive, this translates to a very aggressive lead tone, with long and slow-blossoming overtones. The neck pickup, however, was probably in need of wax potting or replacement; overdrive sent it squealing.

THE END LINE

Mini-Buckers can be a tighter, more focused alternative to their full-sized parental units. If big-buckers are your preference, consider that this pretty guitar, with its fine natural sound (and economical price), could be easily upgraded with a set of replacement pickups.

Epiphone Riviera Semi Hollow Guitar

@pingfm @plerb

First Act Premium Metal Electric Guitar Review

http://bit.ly/nlRiid MOST ENTRY-LEVEL electric guitars look dorky. You would probably be better off saving your money and buying a pair of suspenders, moon boots and Napoleon Dynamite glasses so at least you wouldn’t be broke after the inevitable ass-whoopin’ you would receive.

Fortunately, First Act is giving aspiring players increased odds for survival with its new Premium Metal electric guitar. Although this affordably priced guitar is sold by retailers like Toys R Us, it’s not a toy but rather a cool-looking, high-performance ax.

FIRST ACT GUITAR FEATURES

THE PREMIUM METAL boasts much of the same attention to detail as First Act’s more expensive models, such as beveled cutaways, a built-in boost circuit and a pair of high-powered humbuckers. The tuners, knobs and vibrato unit have a durable black finish that helps to set this guitar apart from the plain Janes in its price range. Even the gothic-looking gryphon design on the two-piece pickguard is undeniably cool and unusual.

Although the basswood body is rather small, it’s perfect for preteens or anyone who digs compact guitar designs. The 22-fret maple neck features a wide, flat rosewood fingerboard and has a rock-solid feel with a thin, fast profile comparable to more expensive Ibanez models. The neck pocket fit is tighter than security on the Cheney Ranch. Controls include master volume, master tone and a three-way pickup selector.

FIRST ACT GUITAR PERFORMANCE

INSTEAD Of THE BULKY baseball bat—style necks found on many beginner’s guitars, the Premium Metal boasts a neck that’s built for speed. The big, meaty frets make it easy to grind away at power chords or shred on solos, although the fret edges could use better attention to detail, as a few were sharp.

The humhuckers pump out surprisingly chunky tone with good definition and sustain. While you don’t get a locking Floyd-style tremolo at this price point, the vintage style trem could handle generous abuse before going out of tune, perhaps thanks to the butt-ugly elongated headstock with its weird two-by-four tuner arrangement.

THE END LINE

IF YOU WANT TO buy an entry-level guitar good enough to encourage anyone to retain interest well beyond the beginner stage, First Act's Premium Metal is an ironclad choice. Source: First Act Guitars @pingfm @plerb

Washburn HB-35 Hollowbody Electric Guitar Review

http://bit.ly/nhFa7O Washburn puts just enough spin on the HB-35 to make it both a strong contender for the Gibson ES-335 customer and a viable alternative to the ES-335 clonedom. The body’s cutaways are a shade wider and less like the “mouse ears” of standard ES-335s, and the extra handroom really does provide greater access to the upper frets. The body is covered front, sides and back with the deliciously tight-flamed sycamore (a close relative of maple) in a pale golden yellow natural finish (tobacco sunburst and whine red finishes are also available). The rosewood fingerboard, ornamented with variations on split block inlays, has an open grain which is sealed, leaving a surface that’s attractive and silky smooth. The gold hardware (including Grover Tuners and a Tune-O-Matic bridge) is an appropriately regal touch, making the Washburn the most handsomely appointed guitar of the batch.

The attention to detail extends to the workmanship and playability, too. The neck is a solid-maple affair, with a wide, mildly V-shaped contour. A scarf joint at the headstick is added for strength. The frets are medium-tall and somewhat triangular, and the sides of the fingerboard are slightly rounded for a friendly “played-in” feel.

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The setup, with .011-.049 strings, including a wound G, was perhaps the best of all the guitars straight out of the case from our hollowbody review models. The action was boldly low, yet free of buzzes, and the heavier strings and triangular frets contributed to a firm and precise feel.

Clean amp settings unveiled a somewhat dark neck pickup and a refreshingly open bridge pickup that country players will love. The pickups work well as a pair, but I suspect a pickup swap would add some fresh air to the neck position. On the other hand, the pickup combination made perfect sense when sent through overdriven amp settings. The pickup growled on command, and the neck pickup had a smoky jazz tone that cleaned up well. The combo position retained its identity even as high-volume leads sent the responsive tope into resonant feedback.

The End Line

Looks great, feels great, sounds great. You could cover a lot of gigs on this axe. If it sold for close to two grand, I’d call it a great guitar. At a list price of $949, it’s a bargain to boot.

Gear-Vault Classifieds is an eBay alternative. Come sell your music equipment with us. @pingfm @plerb