Fender aims for beginners and travelers with cheap Mini series guitars

When people start learning to play guitar, a full-size electric can seem pretty daunting. For those looking for something just a little bit smaller, Fender has responded with a couple of electrics and a bass that can also serve as travel companions.Con… Continue reading Fender aims for beginners and travelers with cheap Mini series guitars

Z-Tone stomp and box let guitarists take control of their tone

IK Multimedia has drawn key tone-shaping features from its mighty Axe I/O instrument interface and put them into the Z-Tone Buffer Boost preamp pedal for gigging and Z-Tone DI active box for studio work.Continue ReadingCategory: Music, TechnologyTags: … Continue reading Z-Tone stomp and box let guitarists take control of their tone

All About That Bass – Marble Machine X Keeps Growing

We’re okay if you call out Not A Hack™ on this one, because “hack” really doesn’t do justice to the creations of [Martin] from [Wintergatan]. You’re probably familiar with the Marble Machine that went viral a few years ago, and while it was impressive as-is back then, and most …read more

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Wheelbarrow Bass Drives a Sound Garden

One of the best things about making music is that it’s so easy to do. There are countless ways to make interesting sounds out of nearly anything if you’re willing to experiment a little bit — just ask anyone who has ever made a guitar out of a cigar box …read more

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Thunderous guitar pickup brings out a guitarist’s inner bass player

Back in 2014, guitarist Andy Alt launched a Kickstarter for an electric guitar pickup that added a separate drop-octave signal to the instrument’s lowest strings, The crowdfunding campaign was successful and A Little Thunder started shipping mid-2015. … Continue reading Thunderous guitar pickup brings out a guitarist’s inner bass player

AirBass Lets You Jam Wherever

If you play an instrument, you know how rewarding it is to watch and hear yourself reproduce your favorite songs and make new melodies. But you also know how steep the learning curve can be, how difficult it is to learn positions and notes while your body adjusts to the …read more

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Boss launches pedalboard-friendly wireless system for guitarists

In January, 2019, Line 6 released a useful update to its excellent Relay G10 wireless system for electric pickers, where the receiver housing was reworked to fit on a pedalboard. Now Roland’s Boss brand has followed suit with the WL-60 Wirele… Continue reading Boss launches pedalboard-friendly wireless system for guitarists

How to Play the Bass With Marbles

Stringed instruments make noise from the vibrations of tuned strings, using acoustic or electronic means to amplify those vibrations to the point where they’re loud enough to hear. The strings are triggered in a variety of ways – piano strings are hit with hammers, guitar strings are plucked, while violin strings are bowed. Meanwhile, [Martin] from the band [Wintergatan] is using marbles to play a bass guitar.

[Martin] starts out with a basic setup. The bass guitar is placed on the workbench, while a piece of wood is taped to a tripod. The wood has a hole drilled through it, …read more

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