If you have a Mac, you have it made as far as recording software goes. Using the included GarageBand software on your Mac, you can easily record tracks, create layers, add effects, and manipulate the audio.

If you have a PC, you will need to download the free, open source program Audacity. Audacity is not nearly as nice as GarageBand, but it will do the trick for your initial home studio.

If you went the route of my suggested $75 studio setup which includes one microphone, you will capture better sound if you record each audio source separately. In other words, don’t just play your song into the mic. You will need to put the mic against your amp and record the guitar track, then record a second track for the vocals, and so on. Layering the tracks is very easy to do in the software mentioned above.

Good luck and have fun!

There are even cheaper routes that you can take… like using a USB plug-n-play mic, for example. However, if you are even semi-serious about recording, I recommend investing in a foundation of very basic audio equipment that you can then expand on in the future.

Here is my $75 home recording studio:
$24.99 Nady SP1 Microphone and Stand Package (includes mic, mic clip, stand, and XLR cable)
$29.99 ART Tube MP Studio Mic Preamp (includes power source)
$1.99 Musicians Gear Microphone Windscreen Black Foam
$9.29 Hosa XVM105 5′ XLR to 1/8″ cable

This dirt-cheap setup has everything you need to capture sound – the mic is clipped to the stand and connected to the preamp via an XLR cable, and the preamp is connected to your computer via the XLR-1/8″ converter cable.

If you want to upgrade the microphone to something a little nicer, opt for the Shure SM58 for $99.99.

This package would cost a little bit more ($165):
$99.99 Shure SM58 Microphone
$12.99 Musicians Gear Tripod Mic Stand
$7.89 Musicians Gear XLR cable
$2.79 Musicians Gear Basic Mic Clip
$29.99 ART Tube MP Studio Mic Preamp
$1.99 Musicians Gear Microphone Windscreen
$9.29 Hosa XVM105 5′ XLR to 1/8″ cable

As you can see, things can get expensive fast. It just depends on how much you are willing to spend for the initial studio. I found all of this equipment at Musicians Friend with the exception of the Hosa cable, which is from Sweetwater.

Continue reading in part 2 of setting up your inexpensive home recording studio: Music recording/editing software.

Last year, Gibson released the most technologically advanced guitar ever made: the Robot Guitar. The guitar could literally tune itself for a retail price of $2,499. The company made it very clear at the time that the guitar was a prototype, and that anyone that purchased the product would be investing money in the revised model to be released at a later date.

Well, that date is almost here. Gibson revealed the new guitar, dubbed “Dark Fire,” yesterday.

A cure for cancer? No, just another damn expensive Gibson guitar.

Simply put, Dark Fire is 10 guitars in one. The Gibson Dark Fire features all of Gibson’s finest hardware, including the P90h pickup on the neck and a Burstbucker 3 pickup on the bridge. The new model also sports “Chameleon Tone Technology,” described on the website as “the ability to change your guitar’s tone to better match your environment.” The automated tuning pegs are miles faster now as well, so that you can literally change tuning in the middle of a song.

More details as well as a live demo of the Dark Fire guitar will be released on Monday, Dec. 15. You can check out Gibson’s site for more information.

The Gibson Les Paul guitar

The sweet sounding Mahogany, the tone sustaining Humbuckers – the Gibson Les Paul has been the guitar of choice for many rock stars. Here are a few of the big name artists that have preferred the Les Paul guitar.

1. Jimmy Page. One of the greatest guitarists of all time, Page played for The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, and even a solo gig. He uses a 1958 Les Paul Standard, a 1959 Les Paul Standard, a 1973 Les Paul Standard, a Goldtop Premium Les Paul and a 1991 Custom Shop Les Paul. Page also owned a modified 1960 Les Paul Custom named “Black Beauty” with a Bigsby tailpiece and a 3-pickup configuration.

2. Zakk Wylde. Guitarist for Ozzy Osborne and Black Label Society, Wylde uses a signature Les Paul “Bulls Eye” model, a signature Les Paul “Buzzsaw” model and signature “Camo” model with a camouflage finish.

3. Duane Allman. Both guitarists from the Allman Brothers Band used Les Paul guitars.

4. Buckethead. The mechanical metal maniac uses a custom Gibson Les Paul with a baritone neck, pearl hardware, and killswitch.

5. Billie Joe Armstrong. You know, the guy from Green Day, the 90s rock group turned millenial emo? Armstrong uses several differen Les Paul Junior models, except for recordings in which he uses a Standard Les Paul.

6. Eric Clapton. While Clapton did become a Fender convert later in his career, his early work with Cream was all done on a Gibson.

7. Sheryl Crow. The popular 60’s country singer/songwriter uses a variety of Gibson Les Paul guitars.

8. Allen Collins. While the Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist mainly used a Firebird and an Explorer, he also started using a double-cutaway Les Paul Junior in 1977.

9. Buck Dharma. The Blue Öyster Cult guitarist used a 1974 Les Paul Deluxe along with his 1969 SG.

10. Don Felder. Don Felder of the Eagles uses a Les Paul guitar.

11. Ace Frehley. This guitarist from Kiss was known for his Les Paul Custom with three pickups.

12. Billy Gibbons. This beardy guitarist from ZZ Top has used Goldtop Les Pauls along with Les Paul Juniors. His main guitar, however, is a 1959 Les Paul Standard named “Pearly Gates.”

13. David Gilmour. While Gilmour, the lead guitarist for Pink Floyd, was always known for Playing Fenders, he did start using a 1956 Les Paul Goldtop with a Bigsby tailpiece in his later work.

14. Dave Grohl. The Nirvana guitarist that went off to start the Foo Fighers uses many different Gibson guitars including Les Pauls.

15. Kirk Hammett. Metallica’s right hand man used Les Paul guitars on top of the occasional Flying V.

16. George Harrison. The Beatles’ George Harrison used Les Pauls along with many other guitar models. John Lennon and Paul McCartney also used Les Pauls, the latter of which owns a rare left-handed 1957 Les Paul Goldtop.

17. Steve Jones. The Sex Pistols’ guitarist used Les Paul Customs as well as a Gibson Les Paul Double Cut. Gibson now makes a signature guitar based on Jones’ Custom.

18. Alex Lifeson. Lifeson of Rush was a Gibson loyalist, using many of their different models including Les Pauls.

19. Bob Marley. Marley used a Les Paul Custom which is now buried with him in his mausoleum.

20. Ted Nugent. In Nugent’s most recent work he used a 1959 sunburst Les Paul and an American-flag-motif Les Paul.

21. Joe Perry. The Aerosmith guitarist has used a variety of different Les Pauls. He also has signature Gibson and Epiphone Les Paul models named “Boneyard.”

25. Randy Rhoads. The shredder via Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne, Rhoads used an off white Les Paul Custom.

26. Keith Richards. The Rolling Stones guitarist is practically a Gibson fashion model. He was one of the first people to bring Gibson into the spotlight in Britian. Brian Jones and Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones also Les Paul guitars.

27. Carlos Santana. Santana has used a sunburst Les Paul Custom.

28. Slash. In my opinion, Slash the first players to fully utilize a Les Paul. The ex-Guns N’ Roses, now Velvet Revolver guitarist has used too many Les Pauls to count. For the most part, he has prefferred a Gibson Custom.

29. Pete Townshend. The Who’s guitarist used various customized Les Paul models from 1973-1979.

30. Eddie Van Halen. Van Halen has used a Les Paul throughout his career.

31. Muddy Waters. Used a Les Paul Goldtop in his early career.

32. Neil Young. Uses several Gibson acoustic and electric models. Young’s main guitar, “Old Black”, is a 1953 Goldtop Les Paul (painted black) with a Bigsby tailpiece. Young also has two other 1953 Goldtops, one which has modifications similar to “Old Black”, the other a stock original.

Also be sure to check out part 1 in this series, who played Fender Stratocasters.

The 1960's model Fender Stratocaster guitar

Who, exactly, has laid hands on a Fender Stratocaster in the rock-o-sphere? Here’s a list of some of the most influential Strat players.

1. Dick Dale. Dale was one of the original players in “Strat pack,” and also one of the very first owners of a Fender Stratocaster. Leo Fender gave Dale his strat in 1955, which he used to popularize surf rock.

2. Eric Clapton. A great guitarist and genuine asshole, Clapton grew up on Gibson guitars but transitioned to the Strat (which he nicknamed Brownie) in 1970. He has used nothing else since then.

3. Jeff Beck. Jeff Beck rose to fame with the all star band The Yardbirds, but you also may know him from his more recent band, The Jeff Beck Group. Jeff stopped using the Les Paul in 1975 in favor of the Stratocaster for its unique tone.

4. The Edge. You know Bono. You’ve heard of U2. If you’re a fan, chances are you’ve heard of The Edge, U2’s lead guitarist. He prefers the Fender Strat.

5. Jimi Hendrix. The man that reinvited the blues guitar style into the rock scene, Hendrix used nothing but a Fender Strat. Interestingly enough, he played in the same way that my buddy John does. He played a right-handed guitar left-handed and upside down, with the strings reversed.

6. Ritchie Blackmore. Blackmore’s most notable historical achievement was his part in the bands Deep Purple and Rainbow. After using Hofner and Gibson for years, Blackmore switched to Fender guitars in 1968 after being wooed by Hendrix’ talent.

7. David Gilmour. Pink Floyd’s guitarist, David Gilmour, prefers a custom modified Fender Stratocaster. He owns the model #0001 Strat manufactured in 1954.

8. Stevie Ray Vaughan. Simply put: Vaughan was one of the meanest players ever, and all the magic happened on his signature Fender strat.

9. Yngwie J. Malmsteen. Although I despise Malmsteen as a musician, he is definitely the most “metal” of Stratocaster players.

10. George Harrison and John Lennon. Despite Don Randall’s, Leo Fender’s son, work to convince the Beatles guitarists to convert to the Fender way, Harrison and Lennon used the Fender Stratocaster sparingly. None the less, they used it on occassion and made it their own.

11. Ronnie Wood. This Rolling Stones guitarist has been using the Sunburst Strat since 1975.

12. Buddy Holly. Essentially the poster child of the Fender Strat, Holly brought the guitar model into the spotlight when he took it to the Ed Sullivan Show in 1957.

13. John Mayer. The recently popular singer/songwriter has used a Stratocaster for his entire career.

14. Pete Townshend. Serving as the lead guitarist for The Who, Townshend uses a modified version of the Clapton model Fender Strat.

15. Alex Lifeson. Lifeson started using a Strat on Rush’s 1977 album A Farewell to Kings. He continued to use the guitar throughout the 1980’s.

There you have it. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s list of famous Gibson Les Paul players!

The Floyd Rose bridge and tremolo setup, also known as the Locking Tremolo, is a system used on some guitars (especially 80’s metal-era guitars) with a lock on the nut. This holds the strings in place so that if pressure is applied, the tuning heads wont slip. The “floating bridge,” which is the easiest give away for spotting a locking tremolo, is just what you would think it is. The bridge “floats” above a cut in the body and can be wiggled using the whammy.

This all sounds great… except for the fact that its a huge pain in the ass! Not only will the Floyd Rose tremolo throw your guitar out of tune all of the time, but it’s also very easy to break strings with the Floyd Rose installed. For the most part, you can get the same effects of a Floyd Rose using a few effect pedals. Not to mention how long it takes to change the strings on a locking tremolo guitar (hint: call in sick to work).

I highly recommend that you avoid any guitars that utilize the Floyd Rose get up. The only reasons to go for one is if A) You love dive-bombs or B) You collect guitars. If you don’t fall into either of these categories, the locking tremolo is only going to cause you more trouble.

There are my 2 cents. What do you think about the Floyd Rose?

Typical Guitar Strings

Perhaps one of your strings broke while you were shredding on some Slayer. Or maybe you’re just getting sick of all the grease build-up from those late night pizza orders. In any case, I’ve put together a simple guide for changing the strings on your electric guitar. Please note, this guide is not compatible with a Floyd Rose Bridge. If you don’t know what that is, (a) do you have a wammy? (b) does it lift your bridge up when you press down on it? If you answered no to either of these questions, you do NOT have a floyd rose. Here is the guide.

Also: Some guitar models will require you to remove the cover on the bottom of the guitar. Others, such as the Les Paul, give you full string access on top of the guitar. So have tools ready as you may need to spill your axe’s guts.

Step 1: Remove old string
The first step is to, obviously, take the old strings off. Loosen the sixth string (the fattest one) first. You will come back to the other ones later. Strum the string as you loosen it to make sure that it’s not being tightened. Once it’s loose enough, unwind the string from the tuning peg and pull the string out from the opposite side. Do this by grabbing the bulb and pulling it out through the bridge. TIP: I find it easier/safer if I cut the string with some pliers before I pull it off.

Never take more than one string off at a time. You can seriously damage the neck of your guitar if you are hasty about relieving the pressure!

Step 2: Clean your guitar
Using a rag with a little bit of warm water, wipe down the newly exposed part of the neck. You will appreciate doing this while the strings are off.

Step 3: String the new string
Feed the sharp end of your new string (the thickest one you have) back through the bridge (and through your body if the guitar is designed so). Rotate the tuner so that the hole is going the opposite direction of the string (perpendicular). Leave some slack on the string before you thread it. Finding the right amount of slack depends on your guitar, so just estimate. I would recommend a couple of inches.

Now bend the string where you plan to thread it, so that the string makes a right angle. The sharp end should be perpendicular to your guitar. Now bend it again slightly after the first bend (see picture).

Bending your new string

Step 4: Tightening the string
Now its time to tighten that sucker up. Turn the tuner in a counter-clockwise direction. As you turn the peg, make sure that the string is falling into place on the fret board and bridge. Note: If your guitar has 3 pegs on one side and 3 on the other, you will change direction for some strings. The third, second, and first strings should be tightened clockwise.

How you wrap the guitar string is a personal choice. I suggest that for the first loop that the string makes, push it above the exposed string. After that, put all of the coils underneath the exposed string. This will help keep your guitar in tune. Most important here is that the string gets wrapped around the peg at least 3-4 times.

Step 5: Tuning and finishing touches
After the new guitar string has been tightened, bring the string into tune. Always tune up. If the string plays sharp, drop the tune way down and gradually tune it back up. Next you will want to stretch the new string out. This will help to keep your guitar in tune. Grab the string using your entire hand, and gently pull away from the pick guard approx 1 1/2″. Re tune the string, repeat stretch, and re tune. Using pliers, cut the excess string from the tuning peg. Leave at least 1/4″ of excess string – I recommend a half an inch for the first couple of days.

Congratulations! You’ve changed 1 electric guitar string! The good news is that you know how to do it now, so the next 5 will go a lot faster.

Design differences
Fender Strat———–Gibson Les Paul
Alder wood————-Mahogany
3 pickups, single coil—-2 pickups, double coil or humbuckers
25.5″ long————–24.75″ long
Double-cut away——-Single-cut away
2 tone, 1 volume knob–2 tone, 2 volume knob
Relatively light———-Relatively heavy
Bolt-on neck———–Set neck
6 tuners on one side—-Tuners distributed
No head angle———-15 deg. head angle (for sustain)
Non-locking tremelo—–Stop tail bridge
Five-way toggle——–Three-way toggle

As far as sound goes, the Gibson Les Paul Standard has a warmer, crunchier tone. I think of the Les Paul guitar as being voluptuous. This makes the guitar great for rock n roll. Not that the Fender Strat isn’t great for rock itself. But a Strat is certainly more applicable in different types of music with its cleaner, metallic sound.

Video of Les Paul playing vs Strat playing

Another thing to consider is the weight. Les Paul style guitars are heavy and rounded. The Strat neck, in my experience, feels like a deck of cards in my hand – thin and portable.

There are even more differences if you are looking at the cheaper versions of the Strat/Les Paul. For example, the Epiphone line of Les Paul signature guitars features bolt-on necks instead of set ones.

If you are trying to decide which one to buy, definitely go into your local guitar shop and ask to try them out. The only way to really tell the difference is to play the difference.

Dean Zelinsky founded the company in 1976. Dean Guitars became known for their high-end stage-worthy instruments such as ZZ Top’s fur guitars and Dimebag Darrell’s ML design. Zelinsky sold the company in 1991, only to partner up with the company again in 2000.

Zelinsky commented, “I wanted to get back to what put Dean on the map originally — building high-quality instruments that shape both the image and tone of guitar players, from the beginner to world-class professionals.” … “I can no longer attach my name to the reputation, quality and direction of Dean Guitars or its current objectives.”

Other noteable bands that have relied on the Dean guitar brand include Pantera, Megadeth, Mountain, Nine Inch Nails, The Cars, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Sammy Hagar, Kansas, the Doobie Brothers, and Heart.

This tiny terror measures 14.5 x 14.5 x 8 cm, small enough to stash in your backpack or strap to your belt. The Orange Micro Crush looks just as cool as the rest of the Orange products, including the Orange basket weave tolex, woven speaker grille, and signature “picture frame” edging in the design.

I purchased mine for a little under $60, a reasonable price for a portable amp. The price is even more justified by the face that the Micro Crush doubles as a guitar tuner, with an easy-to-use LED tuning system. Unfortunately, the tuner is pretty lacking. The system only tells you A) what note you are playing and B) if you are flat, sharp, or in-tune. Alas, the flat/sharp LEDs are not very precise, so I still prefer to use my regular digital-needle tuner.

Another highlight of the Micro Crush amp is the Overdrive function. The overdrive is decent, and definitely offers some crunchy distortion. And for portability’s sake, it’s nice to have this built in. The overdrive switch was the biggest complaint that I heard about the amp before I bought it. But I can honestly say now, that I don’t have any problem with it. The overdrive isn’t amazing, but for portability’s sake, it’s a damn nice feature to have.

The amp also includes a volume nob, tone nob, headphone out, and uses 9 volt batteries. The amp also supports a DV power cord, which unfortunately is not included with the amp. I would either suggest investing in rechargeable 9v batteries or purchasing a power cord, because you WILL be burning through a lot of the disposables.

If you are looking for a decent tuner, you would be better off spending 15 bucks on a digital one. If you are looking for a plug in-in amp, you would be better off looking at the rest of Orange Amps’ line. But if you’re looking for something portable, that you can use to rock out in the park with, then this is a must buy.