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ADIRONDACK versus SITKA SPRUCE
Both of these timbers make great soundboards on flat top acoustic guitars. They have had popularity at different times in history heres the story so far. Adirondack or Red Spruce was very popular piror to WWII. It is found on a lot vintage acoustic guitars. The high weight to strength ratio made it useful in the construction of aeroplane wings during the war. The ratio is what makes it so prized amongst guitar Luthiers. After the war most of the good trees were gone, and what is still available, has cosmetic flaws. If you can put up with this it still makes great sounding guitars especially if you want a new guitar with that vintage sound. This scarcity led to the use of Sitka Spruce as the number one guitar top of the big guitar Luthiers. It is found on most guitars. If you step into some guitar shops like I have and ask to play an Adirondack you will often be greeted with a puzzled look from the shop assistant. The easiest way to get you hands on one is to play a vintage instrument or have a custom guitar built. SITKA SPRUCE Source: Western North America Colours: Pinkish white to Light Brown, silky, even grain Tonal: Good balance, clarity and resonation, bright, crisp Suitable: Steel Strings sound boards, hard flat picking ADIRONDACK (RED) SPRUCE Source: North America Colours: Irregular grain, creamy white, little silking Compares: Engelmann Tonal: Strong, clear. Brilliance of Sitka/warmth of Engelmann Suitable: Flat picking, Andrew Ellis is gaining recognition for his world class guitars. Andrew has made guitars for many full time professional musicians. He has been asked to export to Europe, America and Canada. All instruments are made from the finest materials and a high standard of workmanship.
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Guitar Humidification Problems with humidity can lead to heartbreak for the classical (or other) guitarist. Excessive humidity or dryness can ruin an instrument probably quicker than you think. Rickenbacker 4003 Electric Bass Guitar The Rickenbacker 4003 electric bass guitar is one of the few electric basses to have earned the accolade "classic" as a title for itself. The Rickenbacker 4000 Series guitar is attributed for creating new dimensions of bass playing capabilities. Basses by Rickenbacker are made by hand in America, using traditional methods refined and honed. How to Create an Original Melody Here's a method I use that works. First, sit down at your piano or keyboard and just improvise. I suggest improvising first because music that is created in this way is at its freshest. It's not adulterated or thought up. It is pure inspiration. Now, there will come times during improvisation where you may say to yourself, "this is nice and I'd like to develop it." You see, now you have an original melody to develop. Surf Waves With Jack Johnson Lately I've been listening to some pretty cool music by some beach bum named Jack Johnson. The tunes he plays really touch a chord within me. They are just so honest and selfless, like stories being told by a wise old palm tree that has endured countless days of peaceful monotony, and yet have also experienced the rare tropical storm with gale force winds. I decided to have a look for his website, as I have come to know that humans have written about just about anything of interest on the Internet. RIAA Files Second Wave of Lawsuits The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has launched a second wave of lawsuits against users of internet2 (a specialized high speed version of the internet that makes it ideal for file sharing). By adding 20 new schools to the list, RIAA has greatly expanded the number of students involved in the case. How To Play The Violin This article gives the essential basics for how to play the violin. Generally violins are quite commonly available instruments and it is reasonably easy to rent or buy a violin. Children may need smaller violins (from an eighth, quarter, half, three-quarters, seven-eighths up to full size) to accommodate smaller hands if they are going to be learning over an extended period. Buying A Guitar There are many things to consider when buying a new classical guitar. For instance, whether or not you are a beginner or seasoned professional will determine just what you are looking for and how much you are willing to spend. How Many Songs Are In Your Pocket? The portable MP3 player continues to be the hot item for those who want music on the go. I was talking to a teen the other day wearing a wristwatch MP3 player she takes on her walks. She showed me how it stores & plays about 60 songs and does everything but tell time. Review: Audioslave - Out of Exile Every once in a while a band comes along that really changes the way you perceive music, for me one of these bands was Rage Against the Machine. I'll be the first to admit that I, like most angsty teenagers was lured into Rage's music by their anti-authoritarian songs, and honestly dude, they said "fuck" a whole lot. Not only did the vulgar language lure me in but instead of writing about girls and cars, they took the time to write music about something that actually mattered, politics. Gimmick or not, the music was compelling. Soon after I first heard Bulls on Parade on the radio I started to really question why I was listening to a lot of the other music that interested me at the time. Slowly I began to drift away from happy songs about love and sunshine, and turned to songs that really had a purpose. That being said, I was very excited when I first heard that one of my favorite bands of all time was going to reform, and motherfucking Chris Cornell is going to be their singer. It was like some sort of early-90s rock wet dream. Soundgarden and Rage against the Machine coming together to form a band that would revolutionize rock! Or so they all said. Facts about Betty Kresin, Eminems grandmother Right Hand Guitar Playing Tip This lesson can open for you a secret of high-speed guitar playing. If take the given technique for 2-3 weeks you'll feel progress in high-speed playing of complex passages. How to Find Musical Ideas The Russian Composer Igor Stravinsky once said: " A good composer does not imitate; he steals." Copyright Basics for Songwriters Should you copyright your song? If you're a songwriter, sooner or later you will probably have some questions about getting your material copyrighted. Since I've already been down this road before, you might be able to benefit from my experience. Though I am not an expert in the field, I do believe that I have some valuable information to share with you. Are iPods Changing the Way We Listen to Music They're everywhere, and not only are they everywhere, they look cool too. Since its launch in 2001, 10 million have sold and 8 million of those were in 2004. So welcome to the next generation. 8 tracks, records, cassettes, CDs, and now the iPod. Improvising On The Piano: Jazz Musicians Do It -- Why Not Other Styles? Why jazz piano improvisation? Six Reasons to Play New Age Piano Here are six very good reasons to learn how to play piano in the New Age style: How to Create Backing Tracks If You Dont Play All the Instruments... or Any Congratulations! Your singing has become amazing, and it's time the world knew. You've also written some songs that are just kick you-know-what. They need to be recorded, MP3ed and put on the net ASAP. But you've got two problems. First, you can't afford a studio, let alone a band for all this stuff. Second, you don't play all, or any, of the instruments. Turn It Up: Plugging Into The Perfect Guitar And Amp Settings Yowza! Did you hear that hideous noise? It sounded like a combination of nails on a chalkboard, a cat in a dryer, and a baby wailing at the top of his lungs. Do you have any idea of what made that awful sound? As a long-time musician, I think I may have the answer for you. It's a guitarist fiddling for the first time with his new amp. Celtic Music: The Japanese Connection My friend, guitarist Brian Hughes, toured with the Chieftain's in Japan as an opening act with Loreena McKennitt. He then went on to perform with the Chieftains in North America and Europe when they were promoting their album Santiago. In Japan they played about ten shows between Tokyo and Osaka, mainly at soft seat classical concert halls. The seating ranged from 1500 to 4000 capacity. They were booked through the agent Plankton who specializes in Celtic music. Although the audiences were enthusiastic Brian felt that Celtic music was still a niche market in Japan. A Brief History of Fender Guitars Perhaps no other guitar maker has touched the hearts of so many players and collectors as Fender. By producing excellent guitars at reasonable prices, Fender has been the instrument of choice for many guitarists throughout the world. Both the famous and not so famous have relied on Fender guitars to define their signature sounds.
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