In this edition of TECH TIPS we will discuss the difference between Gain and Volume. Guitarists and bassists use gain all the time, yet many would be hard-pressed to tell you clearly and correctly what gain is, exactly, and how it relates to volume. Granted, you needn’t be able to define “gain” in order to use it—you just know you...
Three passive pickups mounted to the pickguard are clearly visible beneath the strings of a Stratocaster® guitar (above); two active pickups are mounted on a Jim Root Telecaster® guitar (below). You'll often see a guitar or a bass advertised as having passive or active pickups. What does that mean? The difference matters quite a lot in terms of your instrument's...
In this edition of TECH TIPS the guys over at Fender dropped some knowledge to share with you about what is the proper way to setup your effects pedal chain. Rare is the guitarist these days whose rig doesn’t include effects. If you’re only using a pedal or two, your signal path is still pretty straightforward and relatively uncluttered by...
In this installment of TECH TIPS, we’re going to take a look at a simple factor of any guitar’s set up, but one that newer players often approached from too a narrow standpoint. When a learner first picks up the electric guitar, he or she is often most drawn to an instrument that has the strings as low to the...
In this installment of TECH TIPS, we want to expend a few words on the concept of “home tone” vs. “gig tone”. This is something that experienced performing musicians know intuitively, but which often slaps newcomers to the live venue right in the face when they come up against it for the first time. To preface: there’s so much talk...