Guitar equipment & accessories Part 1 MUS1472 Brendan Lake 1/23/13

Overview Types of guitars – Classical – Steel-string – Electric Amplifier basics – Structures – Solid state vs. tube amps

Classical/Nylon-string Guitars Soundboard – Cedar (orange): warmer tone – Spruce (blonde): brighter tone Strings – Different guitars sound good with different strings – Experiment with multiple types Aim for solid woods Needs humidity control (40% is ideal)

Acoustic/steel-string guitars Two body types: – Dreadnaught and Jumbo Cutaways Needs humidity control Some acoustic/classicals have electric pickups (which also have tuners built in)

Electric guitars Require an amplifier (you can still hear them, but barely) Dont typically need humidity control Jazz guitars have a hollow-body (or semi-hollow) and these may require more humidity care A heavier electric guitar or a hollow-body typically equates to a warmer sound The two most popular guitars are the Fender Stratocaster and the Gibson Les Paul

Electric Guitar Pictures Hollow-body guitarFender StratocasterGibson Les Paul

Fun fact: The top of stratocasters (and many other guitars) with the one-sided tuning machines is a throwback to old guitars with violin-scroll shaped heads

Buying a guitar Dont buy a guitar online unless youre willing to spend an extra $75 on adjustments Evaluate the straightness of the neck and the action of the guitar. This will usually correspond to how easy it is to play – Avoid guitars with frets that naturally buzz Evaluate its ability to stay in tune An electric pick up may be useful if youre planning on playing outside of your home – Dont buy the pick-up just for the tuner. A great clip- on tuner is $10. Consider re-stringing it after you buy it

Amplifiers/Amps More watts = more volume, and all other factors (sensitivity/efficiency/clarity, etc) depend on the materials and organization of the electronics Amplifiers below 75 watts will typically only consist of one box unit. Higher wattage systems will often use an amp head (containing most of the electronics) coupled with one or more speaker cabinets (half-stacks and full-stacks for instance)

Amplifiers A single-unit amplifier, a half-stack, and a fullstack

Tube Amps vs. Solid State Two types of amplifier: tube and solid state Tube Amps use vacuum tubes to transmit the sound to the speaker Solid state amps use transistors, and sometimes software, to transmit sound to the speaker Both amps generally look the same

Tube and Solid State pictures A tube amp head and a solid-state amp head

Tube Amps Pros – Are generally better-sounding amps. Compared to solid-state, they are warmer and respond to certain players in unique ways – Clear with strong power: 20W can sound as loud as a 200W solid-state Cons – Tubes need replacing every year or two – Can sound thin at low volumes

Solid State Pros – Clean, quick and accurate – Very sturdy with little or no maintenance – Usually weigh less than a tube amp Cons – Can sound cold or sterile – Distortion can sound too bright – Doesnt vary in sound and respond to different players the way tube amps do (but they can change character using various software)

Next week Microphones Cables Accessories General maintenance

The End Questions? Reviews?