Tremolo vs Vibrato: What's the difference

Some of the earliest effects available to guitarists were tremolo and vibrato.  These effects were usually built into the amplifier.  Between the vibrato, tremolo, and reverb there was little else available to the electric guitarist.

Leo Fender's company while prominent in the development of the electric guitar led to some great confusion with the mis-labeling of their amps tremolo channel as vibrato.

Seasoned guitarists have figured this out but for anyone who hasn't quite nailed down the difference here is a quick video to demonstrate to the difference between tremolo and vibrato.

Name that tune

As a guitarists I always want to be in tune.  There is nothing worse than kicking off a song and being out of tune or being in the middle of that perfect take on a track only to realize that you're slightly flat.

Electonic tuners have been around for many years now but are constantly evolving. No longer is the guitar player limited to one tuner that hopefully has a fresh battery or better yet, is actually in their gig bag. 

From rack tuners to the standard handheld tuners to pedal tuners to clip on tuners to tuner apps there is no reason for any guitar player to ever be out of tune.

Obviously some are much more accurate than others so using the correct tuner for the job is key. 

Rack or desktop tuners:

Strobe tuners or rack-mount tuners are best suited for professional situations such as recording studios or high end live gigs. These tuners allow for extremely accurate tuning.  That said, a pedal tuner or clip on tuner are good backups for this situation.

Handheld tuners: 

The long standing standard tuner for hobbyists or working man guitar players these tuners offer good accuracy, reliability, and affordability.  The portability is a big win for this category.  These easily fit in a gig bag or a case. 

Pedal tuners: Pedal tuners are a must have for those who use a pedal board, heck even if you don't use a pedal board you probably should have one.  They're accurate and will mute your signal while you're tuning.  Also, the mute function is awesome as a kill switch in the case that something is going horribly wrong in your signal chain.

Clip on tuners:

The past few years have seen a rise in the availability of clip on tuners. These tiny devices clip on the the headstock of your guitar and register the vibrations through the neck. While not as accurate as the rack or desktop tuners, the clip on tuners just might overtake pedals and handheld tuners as the ubiquitous option for the every man guitar player.

Tuner Apps:Everyone has a smartphone these days. There are plenty of free tuner apps and some really good paid ones as well.  It's worth having at least a free one on your phone as a last ditch effort if you find yourself without any of your other tuning options. I wouldn't rely on one as my main means of tuning my instruments but they prove useful as a backup or just a quick tune.

My Guitar Collection

Guitarists are a strange breed. Some of us only have one or two guitars. We find that special instrument and never look back.  Some of us are obsessive collectors needing one of each kind in every color.   Some of us are players and collectors who cherish both the special one that you always come back to but still have a few on the side for some variety.

 While  you can only play one at a time, each guitar does have a unique voice.  Some are dark, some are bright, some just look cool, but all of them are part of the family.

Each one has a personality of it's own that requires  special attention. Some are easy to play, some are challenging.  Some are versatile, some are very specific, but all of these are mine and I am going to share with you my weapons of choice.

Here are the guitars I use in my various endeavors from recording to gigs to just sitting around the house noodling.

Get by with a little DIY…..

How many times have you had a pedal that sounded good but you thought, “it could use a little more bass” or “a little more mids would be nice”. Maybe you think, “I don’t know if I want a fuzz pedal enough to spend the dough”. Maybe you’re just naturally curious and like to tinker. If so, the I’m here to help you get bit by the DIY bug.


I got into DIY pedals about 10 years ago simply because I wanted an octave pedal but didn’t have the cash to buy one. I had a new baby and I couldn’t justify spending the dough on a pedal I didn’t really need. So I thought, “I can build one”. Sure why not. I quickly found out that DIY does not equal cheaper, but it sure is fun.


I surfed the net and found lots of great information and some not so great information. Here are some of my favorite sites to get you immersed in the world of DIY pedals.

Kit Sites

• General Guitar Gadgets
• Build your own clone
• Officially Licensed Circuits

General DIY info

• DIY stompboxes
• R.G. Keen’s site
• AMZ

Required reading

• DIY wiki
• Geofex how to’s
• Geofex debuggin page

Basic Electronics references

• Basic info on Capacitors,resistors, etc..
• Ohms law calculator
• Ohms law chart

Parts

• Small bear electronics
• DIY stompboxes store
• Jameco electronics
• Pedal Parts Plus

These are just a few of the many sites out their devoted to DIY stomp boxes. Look around and you’ll find a whole world of information to get you on the road to building your own pedals.

Scott

T.C. Electronics Flashback Delay

Delay is one of those effects that seems to have two camps. One camp believes delay is a crutch to cover up poor playing and the other camp views delay as a vital tool utilizing multiple delay units for different purposes.

For the former camp, read no further, for the latter camp, the T.C. Electronics Flashback is definitely something you should have in your toolbox.

A wide range of delay sounds as well as the tone print technology allow you to dial in the perfect delay for your needs.

Check out this demo of the Flashback complete with a simple little trick to let you use the Flashback as a chorus pedal.

Why I love Guitar

To most people, the experience of playing guitar, whether for yourself or in front of an audience is a mystery.  For those of us that have this experience we know what we know.

I’ve often said that those of us who have the gift of music should share it with the world. Not everyone has this gift and we should not take it for granted.  This is part of the reason I love playing guitar.

The feeling of creating something out of nothing.  The feeling of hitting that right note that just sings to you.  the feeling that nothing else exists in that moment but you and a chunk of wood and steel.


I also love the visual aspects of the guitar.  The curves of a strat or Les Paul.  the clean lines of an Explorer.  The wild shapes from companies like B.C. Rich or Jackson.  There is something primal about seeing that six string work of art that makes me want to pick it up and play my heart out. 


I wish I could channel this experience and share it with people who have not yet been able to go down the path of guitar bliss. I wish I could share the emotion, joy, angst, and euphoria that goes with playing guitar. 


I also love the feeling when I’ve created something totally new. Yes, I know nothing is totally original in the music world but when I create something new to me, I feel like a proud parent.

With the technology available today I don’t see why more people cant pick up a guitar. YouTube as well as other online outlets and DVD lessons make it easier than ever to learn to play guitar  Guitar Center has offered pretty low prices on entry level guitar packs too.  For around $200 you could get a beginner guitar pack and use the internet to start learning the ways of the six string. 


I’m challenging the internet to go out there and start playing guitar.  Make some noise, jam with some friends, write a song that speaks to you. The world can only be a better place when this happens. Go make some noise!!!!

Danelectro Rocky Road Rotary Speaker Simulator

Danelectro’s Rocky Road Rotary Speaker pedal is a great little option for those who are looking for that signature Leslie sound without taking up too much real estate on the pedal board.  For such a compact pedal it packs in quite a few features to faithfully recreate the classic rotary speaker sound.

A speed knob, ramp button, and switchable fast or slow ramp speeds allow you to dial in the right amount of warble and switch between the underwater sounds on the fast side of things to the thick slow pulsing on the slow side of things.

The drive knob allows you to dial in a little grit simulating the power amp distortion often associated with the Leslie’s sound.  From a little dirt to full overdrive and everything in between.

Below is a short video demo of this awesome little pedal

MXR Phase 45 Reissue

Back in the 70’s MXR produced a number of pedals, the most famous of all the Phase 90 which was used generously by Eddie Van Halen.  A lesser appreciated pedal (at the time) was the little brother, the Phase 45. 

The Phase 45 was a two stage phase shifter which had a more subtle effect which to my ears is a little more musical.  The pedal was discontinued and seemed lost to musical instrument history with vintage examples popping up occasionally.  The circuit did find some life in the DIY world with many schematics and layouts for the original circuit.

MXR eventually decided to reissue a faithful recreation of this awesome little swirly sounding pedal.  The SCP105 ‘75 Vintage Phase 45.

From subtle slow swirl to fast warble this pedal produces some really great modulation that to me sounds more like a Univibe type sound rather than a phase shifter.
Check out a short demo  of what this pedal can do.

Ibanez Tone Lok series CF7 Chorus/Flanger demo

Back in the late 90’s, Ibanez had a great idea for their new series of effects pedals.The Tone Lok series allowed you to set your knobs then depress them and lock them in place preventing them from being moved or accidentally stepped on.

 

This idea in itself was great, but they went even further (at least with some of the series).  the CF7 Chorus/Flanger featured a “Krazy” switch to go between normal and “WAKD”.  The normal settings were average swirly modulation sounds but the “WAKD” setting allowed for Vibrato,Leslie, Ring Mod, and beyond. 

 

I acquired one of these pedals for about $30 on ebay and decided to do a video demo, similar to my “Yestergear” posts from my old blog.

 

Enjoy. 

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!!

Enjoy my rendition of the our country's National Anthem.

10 things you should never do onstage

 

  Never stop the song.The audience will forgive you if you got a little off track but keep going.  Once you find your way back everyone will be into the song and they will forget all about the glitch.

Never drink to the point of passing out.This should go without saying.  Having a drink or two to loosen up is OK but getting hammered during a gig is just unacceptable.

Never let the audience know you made a mistake. If by chance you hit a bad note or miss a phrase just keep moving. Smile, do a big rock and roll pick slide and pretend like you are  having the time of your life.  Only the die hard music fans will notice the mistake but the rest of the crowd is having too much fun so just let it go.

Never fall off the stage Sometimes it happens but nothing brings a gig to a halt like a member of the band disappearing into the crowd in front.  If you do fall of the stage, try to keep going with the song and just get back up there. (even if you’ve lost a limb)

Never insult the soundman (on mic) We all have to deal with soundmen.  They can be a life saver or they can make you sound like dog crap in a can.  If something isn’t quite right, respectfully talk to the soundman off mic. You should never announce through the PA that mix sound like crap.

Never argue with a drunk in the audience. There are always a few of those loud mouth drunks who will make their opinions of your band known.  Just smile and keep playing.  There is no point in arguing with someone who isn’t going to even remember you in the morning.

Never smile at the drunk chick dancing in front (she might get the wrong idea) Sure it’s tempting to flash a little smile at the drunk girl dancing down front. Unfortunately she may think that means you and her have a connection.  There is nothing worse than a sloppy drunk chick trying to get in your face while your trying to tear down and go home. 

Never smile at the drunk dude dancing in front of you( he will definitely get the wrong idea) The same as above applies.  You really don’t want the drunk guy dancing getting the wrong idea.
 
Never set your drink on top of your amp.  It only takes a second for you drink to spill down the back of your amp and cut your gig short.  Better yet, drink bottled water during the set and have your beer or jack and coke during your break.

Never take yourself to seriously. Music is about having fun.  Even if it is your job is to play music you need to entertain.  You should look like your having fun which in turn helps the audience to have fun. In the end, it’s just a gig, your not performing brain surgery .