Any baritone guitar fans in the house? Let’s talk LOW! I’ve been obsessed with baritone and other low-tuned guitars for decades, but I’ve never really found a perfect method for setting up a lower-than-standard guitar, so I’m interested to hear about other players’ experiences. My main issue is pretty straightforward: I can get great tones […] 
Sadly, the Mutant Beauty Pageant ended weeks ago. But I suspect you’ll enjoy the pics I received from Lithuanian reader Dmitrij Timofejev. Dmitrij, what does that sideways humbucker sound like? BTW, the is the less radical of Dmitrij’s two guitars. […] 
Authentic and un-retouched historic photo. Okay, I’ve received this link in the last 24 hours from pretty much everyone I know who’s every held a guitar pick. Guess Who guitarist Randy Bachman claims to have cracked the half-century mystery of the polychord that jump-starts the Beatles’ “Hard Day’s Night.” And I believe he’s […] 
Put more ELECTRIC in your guitar! Lately I’ve been obsessed with mounting boosters inside my electric guitars. Why bother? Especially when you can just get a clean-boost stompbox and use it on all your guitars? Because: a) certain guitars just seem to sound best with a particular boost circuit; b) you can “play” […] 
A while back a couple of readers brought up Jimmy Page’s Les Paul wiring scheme, which made me want to set up a dual-humbucker guitar with lots of those tricky series, parallel, and split-coil tricks. Meanwhile, I wanted to do a sequel to my last cheap guitar makeover, but this time with a solidbody instead […] 
Nothing says “low budget cool” like a lipstick tube pickup. Maybe it’s their humble but sweet sound. Maybe it’s the quirky housing. Or maybe just the fact that, for countless Baby Boomers, the lipstick tube pickups of the ’60s provided the formative electric guitar experience. Whatever the reasons, it’s been a loooooong time since […] Longtime Howlin’ Wolf sideman Hubert Sumlin died this week at age 80. He played with Wolf on and off from 1953 until the singer’s death in 1976. (The YouTube clip features the two performing one of their greatest tunes live in Europe in 1964, accompanied by pianist Sunnyland Slim, drummer Clifton James, and the […] 
Not a turkey: Dave Wetherby's eye-catching Colorcaster The contestants were formidable. The competition was fierce. But by the time yesterday’s deadline arrived, one mutant stood triumphant — so triumphant that we are spared the interminable silliness responsibility of a run-off round. And the winner is Dave Wetherby’s kaleidoscopic Colorcaster. Congrats to Dave, who […] 
Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving! At the moment, I’m particularly thankful that, despite being a jaded old musician, I can still encounter instruments that, um, take my breath away. And if you can view all the Mutant Beauty Pageant contestants without spewing your beverage all over your computer, you’re made of stern stuff indeed. […] 
The end is nigh! But maybe not as nigh as originally planned… Thanksgiving Day (that’s Nov. 24th to you non-U.S. residents) was the original deadline, but I’m going to extend it through the holiday weekend, till midnight, PST, on the 27th) for one simple reason: We want to HEAR some of these mutants! C’mon — […] |
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