The Vortex Keytar
Vortex
USB/MIDI Keytar Controller with Accelerometer

The Vortex includes even more features never before found on any keytar: both traditional MIDI and USB MIDI are onboard, empowering you to use the Vortex with all of your software instruments and synths on Mac, PC, and iPad*. You’ll have a virtually unlimited palette of sounds, ready to command with one of the most exciting keytar controllers ever. Read More..

Only to be surpassed by the e-hooter (with commercial rights to “The Hooters” well in hand)..

Via BoingBoing/Rob Beschizza via Alesis

]]> http://blog.gbase.com/2012/01/surf-the-vortex/feed/ 0 http://blog.gbase.com/2012/01/framptons-dream-guitar-recovered-npr/ http://blog.gbase.com/2012/01/framptons-dream-guitar-recovered-npr/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:31:00 +0000 James http://blog.gbase.com/?p=1760

Courtesy Gregg Roth (via NPR)

Peter Frampton sold millions of records with the help of a customized Gibson guitar. Three decades ago, that guitar was destroyed in a plane crash … or so he thought.

The story begins in 1970, when Frampton and his old band Humble Pie scored a gig playing two sets a night at the Fillmore West in San Francisco. Frampton says the first night was a rough go: The guitar he was using fed back at loud volumes and made soloing a chore. After the show, an audience member approached him and offered to help.

Read on at NPR…

How To Buy A Vintage Guitar – Expert Shares Secrets

November 2011

Nothing like the smell of woodsmoke in the air to get your Autumnal emotions rolling. Halloween was a mere blink of the eye  (geez I do miss the former regularity of the Frank Zappa Halloween Concerts – RIP Frank) and you know what that means. CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens and more,  all across the country, have broken out Christmas decorations whilst we’re dreaming of turkey, football relatives whilst nicking a few Butterfingers and Baby Ruth bars from the leftover Halloween jar. But I digress – there a few guitar shows remaining so keep an eye out for those. MORE IMPORTANTLY – it’s time to break out your humidification for those acoustic instruments. Don’t Forget!!!

NAMM & the Amp Expo 2011

By John LeVan

One of the most exciting parts of my job is attending conventions where I can check out the latest gear.  Two of the best are held in Nashville each year; the NAMM convention and The Nashville Amp Expo. Each is radically different, but together they provide the best of both worlds for all musicians. This Summer I attended both, here’s an overview of the events…

Summer NAMM

NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) convention is where music stores go to look at the latest products to buy for their stores. In the past, it has been reserved for manufacturers, distributors, instrument dealers and a select few musicians. This year NAMM opened the last day of the convention to the public (for a fee). It was a smaller convention than years past, but I found some great new products to talk about.

Taylor Guitars

My first stop this year was the Taylor booth. I spoke to Glenn Wolf about the new line of solid body electric guitars, and their NEW “Build to Order” program. This is a brilliant idea! Essentially, you can go to their website and actually order a guitar, built to your specifications — something I wish all manufacturers would offer. I was impressed with their new line of electric guitars. Here are a few that blew me away!

The Taylor Classic Solid body was awesome, and using their Solidbody Configurator, you can customize it. Here are some of the basic features:

• 15 colors to choose from.
• Solid Swamp Ash Body.
• Maple neck w/ 22 fret ebony board.
• Single or double cutaway.
• 8 different pickup/switching configurations.
• Solderless electronics! Just plug-n-play!
• Taylor Tremolo or stop tailpiece.
• BONE STRING NUT!

Taylor Classic Solid Body. Photo property of Taylor Guitar Co.

Plan to spend around $2,000 for this puppy, but it’s totally worth it! This guitar is studio/road ready.

Taylor Standard solidbody has even more features! In addition, they also offer the following:

• 14 Transparent colors to choose from.
• Chambered Mahogany Body.
• Quilted Maple Top.
• Mahogany neck w/ 22 fret ebony board.
• Single or double cutaway.
• 6 different pickgaurds.
• 8 different pickup/switching configurations.
• Solderless electronics! Just plug-n-play!
• Taylor Tremolo or stop tailpiece.
• BONE STRING NUT!

Figure 1.2 Taylor Standard. Photo by John LeVan.

I played this one, and it was great! This model will cost about $2,700, and is worth every penny! You can see more on their website at taylorguitars.com

D’addario & Planet Waves

One of my favorite booths at NAMM is the D’addario booth. It’s always a good hang. Every year they come up something new & useful for players.  Brian Vance had me check out some cool new products for this year.

The Planet Waves NS Mini Headstock Tuner is perfect! It’s smaller and lighter than its competitors. It’s easy to read and you can rotate it 360°. I also found it to be very accurate compared to most of the tuners I’ve done bench tests on. A great value for only $22!

Figure 1.3 Planet Wave NS Mini Headstock Tuner. Photo by John LeVan.

The O-Port was interesting. It’s advertised as an accessory for acoustic guitar designed to improve clarity, volume and a richer tone. At first, I thought it was a cone to keep your pet from licking itself….. but then I listened to what it does. WOW! Now I’ll admit, I was very skeptical of this apparatus, but it actually works! I even talked to a few players that told me it also helps to reduce feedback when they play live. Only $23!

Figure 1.4 Planet O-Port. Photo provided by D’addario String Co.

I-Phone apps! Check out the new I-Phone apps from Planet Waves. Designed for all skill levels, these apps have everything from chords and scales, as well as, a music store locator and much more!

Check it out at:

http://www.planetwaves.com/PWiphoneapps.Page

My last stop was at the Kemper booth. I had heard about their profiling amp from several players, and had to check them out. The Kemper Profiling Amplifier is a very unique way to “profile” any amp and store that information into one unit. Basically, it creates a digital thumbprint of one (or several) amp(s) and allows you to store them. That way, you can just use one amp in the studio/gig and utilize the tone of several without lugging around a ton of gear. I was very impressed with it. It even mimics the tonal changes when you change your attack, or when you roll the volume down on your guitar. It’s a very serious piece of gear, with a serious price tag…around $1900. Check them out at: http://kemper-amps.com

The Nashville Amp Expo!

This was the third annual Nashville Amp Expo and, by far, the best one yet! It’s organized by Gary “Sarge” Gistinger (President of Creation Audio Labs) and the good folks at Pedaltrain. Sarge and the boys outdid themselves this year. Over 110 exhibitors, several free concerts and seminars, for three solid days! What makes this event cool is that it’s held at a hotel where each exhibitor has a private room. Unlike NAMM, you don’t have to struggle to hear what you’re playing or worry about the “Noise Nazi’s” barking at you to turn the volume down! In addition, the price was great, only $5 per person. Then to make it even better, the event is open as late as 1 AM! Here’s what I found at the expo…

Nashville Amp Show Flyer

Delgado Guitars

I caught up with Manuel Delgado to check out his latest creations. Manuel is a Luthier’s Luthier! In fact, he comes from a long line (3 generations) of Master Luthiers. He had amazing classical and flamenco guitars that he let me play, along with some really cool ukuleles. All of his instruments are hand carved from the finest woods, and sound absolutely amazing!

One of my favorites was “Monica”. Monica is a flamenco guitar named after Manuel’s sister. She is built with European Cypress sides and back, German Spruce top, Indian Rosewood Bridge, Cedar neck and African Ebony fingerboard. Monica has a beautiful full tone with great balance.

Figure 1.6 Delgado’s “Monica” Flamenco Guitar. Photo by John LeVan

Manuel also had several Ukuleles on hand. I was blown away by how loud these little guys were. For such a small instrument, they were very balanced and quite loud. But then again, what else would you expect from a Delgado?

Check out all of Manuel’s creations at: delgadoguitars.com

Figure 1.7 Delgado’s Ukuleles. Photo by John LeVan

G’Zan Guitars

Luthier Mark Newsbaum, of G’Zan Guitars showed me a sweet S-style electric he built. I was surprised at how well it played and how affordable it was. To find a custom built guitar for around $1500 is a steal! Mark has been a Luthier for over 30 years, he understands quality, tone and performance.

Check him out at: www.gzancustomguitars.com

Figure 1.8 G’Zan Custon S. Photo by John LeVan

Sybil & and all of her personalities!

I got a kick out of The Sandberg Guitar Company’s “Sybil Bass”. For those of us who grew up in the 70”s & 80’s, the name Sybil brings back vivid memories of a girl with multiple (and disturbing) personalities. This Sandberg bass is like a Luthier interpretation of Sybil!

Figure 1.9 Sandberg Bass “Sibyl”. Photo by John LeVan

Loudest Amp Contest!

Got earplugs? The loudest Amp competition is not for the faint of sound. This year’s winner (overall loudest amp) reached a brain splitting 127.1 Decibels (That’s louder that a jet plane taking off)!!!

The honor went to Lickliter Amplification’s 120 watt XD120. This high gain guitar amp has two independent channels, global depth and presence controls, FX loop (with true bypass) and is hand crafted in the USA. Earplugs not included.

Needless to say, the Nashville Amp Expo was a huge success. Sarge told me he’ll be expanding the Expo next year. He plans to add more studio gear and other exhibitors. I’m really looking forward to next year, hope to see you there!

John M. LeVan

Be sure to visit with John at his site – Guitarservices.com

Copyright © 2011 John M. LeVan all rights reserved.

Is your baby hanging on a worthy strap? Well, enter your name and email below and she could be!

Summer is just around the corner!

After what has been a very turbulent and stormy spring, many of us are looking forward to a warming trend with less rain, less erratic weather and maybe a little beach time or possibly a little down time from the 9-to-5.

Many of us here have been booking more gigs, outdoors no less and are preparing to get some sunshine on our bones. So whether you’re just a weekend warrior or a practicing professional, dust of the gear and get outside.

Gbase has Pignose amps that you can take with you just about anywhere and they’re incredibly affordable and sound pretty good. Great for backyard BBQ’s or hiking in the hills. Or maybe you need a backpacker guitar? Many manufacturers are making a travel sided instrument: Martin, Yamaha, Larrivee, Beaver Creek, and Taylor just to name a few.

The point is, enjoy the weather, the sunshine and even the rain where applicable. Update your gear with a visit to Gbase and find the gear of your dreams somewhere amongst those 30,000 pieces of inventory. If you’re looking for it, most likely, we have it! Have a great one

The Gbase Team

Tuning War

How to win the battle!

by John M. LeVan

I have received some great questions lately that fall into the category of “Tuning Problems”. Getting your guitar to play in tune can be a daunting task. This has been a fierce battle that has been raging since the invention of the guitar. There are several issues that, overlooked, can & will cause your guitar to play out of tune. After many years of fighting this battle, I’ve discovered some ideas to help, so here we go…

Why is it so difficult to tune my guitar?

There are several reasons why it’s difficult to tune a guitar.

• Worn out strings.
• Burrs on the saddles.
• Strings are binding at the nut.
• Intonation is out of adjustment.
• Defective Tuning Keys.
• Playing Style – Are you pressing the strings too hard?
• The String Nut and/or Saddle(s) are in the wrong spot.
• The frets are worn out or pitted.

Strings, Saddles & Nuts …. Oh MY!

Worn strings are generally the first thing I look at when a guitar has tuning issues. The more you play a string, the more it wears and develop “dents” as it’s pressed against the frets. This will cause the string to rattle & play out of tune. Likewise, the more you play, the more wear & tear you inflict on the saddle(s) & String nut. When the “point of contact” between the string & saddle(s)/nut begins to erode, this changes the intonation. Thus, the instrument plays out of tune. Another common ailment is when the strings are binding at the nut, commonly caused when either the string slots are not properly cut to match the string gauge, or the slots are worn down and the strings “stick” or “bind” in the slots. This is why you should have your guitar setup seasonally.

Dented strings will cause string rattle & intonation problems. Photo by John LeVan

Defective Tuning Keys

A common problem with tuning is when the tuning keys are defective. Defective keys can cause the strings to slip out of tune, or jump beyond the desired note when you’re tuning. The Quality of the keys is another important factor. Most contemporary keys have a turning ratio of 14:1. In other words, it takes 14 turns of the button for the post to make 1 complete revolution. Most vintage keys have a ratio of 11:1. Typically, these keys were poorly machined and had a lot of what we call “lag-time”. That’s when you turn the button and nothing happens until you’ve turned it ½ a turn (then the string jumps ahead of the note you were tuning to). There are some excellent tuning keys available today that have turning ratios of 18:1 up to 21:1.

Worn out tuning keys. Photo by John LeVan

<The higher the ratio, the finer and more accurate you can tune.>

Several manufacturers are producing reproduction, or direct replacement keys, so now you can buy high performance keys for your vintage instrument, as well as a modern guitar.

Playing Style

How you play directly affects whether or not your guitar will play in tune. This can be a sensitive subject when explaining it to a customer.  Sometimes the truth hurts, but it’s not nearly as painful as playing out of tune! Remember, the harder you press the string, the sharper (#) that string sounds. The harder you strike the string, the more the sharpness (#) spikes. Your playing style is a variable that always affect tuning.

<ALWAYS tune your guitar exactly the way you play it.>

In other words, if you normally play with an aggressive strike, then tune using that same technique. If you play soft, then tune it playing softly.

Always tune the string to the “attack”, of the note. The “attack” is the first measurement that registers on the tuner.

Many players tune to the drift of the note (where the note settles on the tuner), but this will cause the chords to sound out of tune. The only exception is when you tune a bass and you should tune those to the “drift” of the note.

Another commonly overlooked mistake is holding the tuning key while watching the tuner. Once you turn the key, take your hand off of the key. The slightest touch can give you a false reading on the tuner. Another important note…ALWAYS tune your guitar in playing position, never with it lying on its back. Gravity will mess with tuning!

Planet Waves Tru-strobe Tuner. Photo by John LeVan

Wrong Address?

If the string nut and or saddle(s) are in the wrong spot, the instrument will never play well in tune. This is a common problem with many guitars and affects acoustic, as well as electric guitars. The reason the location is critical has to do with the string length, fret placement and the location of the harmonics. If the string nut is too far away from the first fret, this will cause the notes to play sharp (#) in first position. Likewise, if the saddle is in the wrong location on the bridge, the guitar will play out of tune as you move up the neck. To really complicate the issue, if the frets aren’t in the correct location, you’re out of luck!

What is Intonation?

Intonation (as it applies to guitar) is to match the fretted note (at the 12^th fret) to the harmonic (at the 12^th fret). This can be adjusted by moving the bridge saddle(s). On an acoustic guitar, the bridge saddle has to be carved (compensated), so that each string intonates. However, if the string nut or bridge saddle(s) are in the wrong location, it’s nearly impossible to adjust the intonation.

- GEEK ALERT –

<The following information contains complicated math!>

Nut & saddle placement can be corrected. Relocating the string nut requires accurately measuring the scale length of the neck, and then evaluating the location of the string nut & first fret based on a series of calculations we call “the Rule of 18”. In basic terms, we divide the actual scale length of the neck by 17.817 to determine the correct distance from the string nut to the top of the first fret. In geek terms: scale ÷ 17.817 = distance from face of nut to center point of first fret. From there, we make the proper adjustments to relocate the nut.

Measuring Location of String Nut. Photo by John LeVan

Many classical builders have used a similar technique, as well as, the Regal Guitar Company back in the 1940’s. Even Taylor Guitars, PRS and Washburn use a similar – although slightly different – system for string nut location.

This is a very precise adjustment. DO NOT try this on your own.

It requires special tools and attention to detail.

Saddle relocation is also very complicated when intonating an acoustic guitar. Usually, we have to fill the existing saddle slot (in the bridge) with a matching piece of wood. Then, we re-cut the slot in the proper location. It is much harder than it sounds. The most common mistake repair guys make is to glue a piece of wood in with the grain in the wrong direction. This causes an odd reflection that is very noticeable. The biggest mistake is when the saddle slot is cut into the bridge. If the slot isn’t cut to the correct depth, location and width, the project will look and perform poorly. I use special tools that I have developed in my shop to ensure that I find the right location to cut the saddle slot.

Always consult a qualified Luthier to make these corrections.

Bridge Saddle in the Wrong Location. Photo by John LeVan

These Frets are the Pits!

When the frets develop pits & dents, it can cause a world of problems. String rattles dead notes and intonation problems. As the frets wear, it changes the point of contact between the string & fret, thus altering the intonation. Maintaining your frets will greatly improve the playability & intonation of your guitar.

Worn & Pitted Frets. Photo by John LeVan

What is Tempering?

Tempering refers to a series of adjustment to make an instrument “sound” more in tune with itself. In other words, certain strings are tuned slightly sharp (#) or flat (b) to make the chords sound more in tune. This was developed by Bach. He would tune his piano slightly off from “Middle C”, tuning each set of string slightly off in order to sound more in tune with each other. The same concept applies to guitar. Not only can you tune your guitar to different temperaments, but you can actually intonate it slight sharp (#) or flat (b) for better sounding chords. There are many different ways to temper-tune an instrument. In fact, there are over 80 different ways just to temper-tune a piano! It requires a very accurate tuner.

The Bottom Line

Tuning will always be a matter of compromise; believe it or not, no guitar can play perfectly in tune. Learning how your guitar reacts, along with the fore-mentioned tips, will help you play as well in tune as possible.

For more info on how to tune and intonate your guitar, check out my books & DVDs on setups.

FAQ Electric Guitar Care & Setup DVD $14.95.

I encourage you all to check out the Guitar Setup, Maintenance & Repair book, written by yours truly. This book is a step by step guide on setting up a guitar like a pro, carving string a nut, intonation, as well as other important upgrades and repairs. Packed with over 250 photographs and diagrams, this series thoroughly guides through the setup process step by step. Of course, I even have a chapter on the top ten signs of a problematic guitar. This chapter explores the defects to look for when you’re thinking about buying a guitar. The information in that chapter alone could save you from buying a lemon!

Figure 1.6 Guitar Setup, Maintenance & Repair Book. (Cover by Skip Anderson/David Johnson)

I know that you will find these books to be informative, fun and an excellent investment in you’re guitar’s future. To order go to www.guitarservices.com or any Mel Bay Dealer. Enjoy!  John M. LeVan

Copyright © 2011 John M. LeVan all rights res.

Contest closed! Winner will be notified this week (11/7/2011)

Some lucky Gbase GearHead will win the recently re-released Europe ’72 by the Grateful Dead. This pivotal Dead release has long been an anchor point for many Dead fans. From ‘One More Saturday Night” to the more ethereal ‘China Cat Sunflower’ – they’re all here and a must for any fan.

Here’s what one winner will receive- The GD E72 deluxe prize pack giveaway:

• Europe 72 (Original Album 2-CD set)
• Europe 72 Ice Cream Kid Sticker
• Europe 72 Grey Tee (LG)
• Europe 72 Rainbow Foot Button
• Europe 72 Rainbow Foot Patch
• Official GD 2011 Calendar
• Grateful Dead Now Playing New York Historical Society Poster

Contest closed! Winner will be notified this week (11/7/2011)