Guitar Reviews | Guitar-Secrets.net

Line 6 Variax 700 Review

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:19:51 +0000

In this review we're going to talk about the Line 6 Variax 700 electric guitar. If you've heard about this guitar before, then you already know that the best way of describing this is a “guitar with multiple personalities”. Specifically, this is called a “modeling electric guitar”. With the twist of a knob, you can have 25 very unique tones which sound similar to the original. While purists won't be a fan of this (you can argue it's not a “real” guitar – simply a signal processing computer in the shape of a guitar), many people love being able to have “25 guitars in 1”.

Another cool feature which isn't always mentioned is that the Variax Workbench software gives you the opportunity to adjust the tuning of your guitar easily, without needing a tuner – which is great if you want to try out a few open tunings without hassle.

To summarize – if you don't have the budget to buy dozens of original guitars, then the Variax 700 is a guitar you should strongly consider. While it's not one for purists, the range and variety of sounds that will be available to you are something that no other guitar can compete with. The variety of the Variax is one of the main selling points, and if you invest in this guitar – you're going to have a lot of fun.

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US $250.00

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Yamaha Pacifica PAC012 Review

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:15:42 +0000

In this review we're going to talk about the Yamaha Pacifica PAC012. This particular model is for the beginner, and it retails for around $200 – which is a reasonable price for the quality of this guitar.

In fact, the Yamaha Pacifica range has long been touted as one of the best options for the beginning guitarist or young learner. Despite it's low cost, you can still expect good craftsmanship, durability, playability and tone. These guitars are designed to be very forgiving in the hands of a beginner. It holds tune very well, and the neck is very easy to play.

The pickups are nothing to write home about, but they pump out a solid tone that will inspire the beginner to keep practicing – and for the price, you really can't go wrong! The mixture between two single coil pickups and one humbucker gives you a nice range of tone. Combined with a quality amp, you'll be impressed with the sound you can get out of this cheap guitar.

New Yamaha Pacifica Pac012 Electric Guitar Red Rock

US $139.00

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Yamaha Pacifica Pac012 Electric Guitar Digital Sound

US $139.00

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US $139.00

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US $125.90

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Yamaha Pac012 Electric Guitar

US $179.99

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Yamaha ET112 Review

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:10:07 +0000

In this post we're going to take a look at the Yamaha ET112. This is another popular beginner guitar made by Yamaha, and like all of the budget range – you can expect a great guitar, considering the price. In fact, it's not easy to find a brand of guitar that can rival Yamaha's supremacy when it comes to quality, budget guitars for the beginner.

So what are people saying about this one? Surprisingly, many guitarists who have since upgraded to more expensive guitars still keep one of these in the “guitar armory”. Why? Because they're so easy and fun to play – and because of the low cost, you just don't have to “protect” it in the same way that you would if you had a genuine Les Paul or Strat.

To summarize, if you're a beginner guitarist – you just can't make a mistake by choosing a Yamaha.

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Yamaha Dg60 112 Electric Guitar Amplifier

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Yamaha G 50 Fifty 112 Vintage Guitar Amp Amplifier Ww

US $239.00

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Yamaha AES Series AES420 Review

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:05:22 +0000

In this review we're going to take a look at the Yamaha AES Series AES420. This guitar is made by Yamaha, who are well known for the high quality, yet reasonably-priced entry level to intermediate guitars. This model is produced in Korea – which means you can expect a well made guitar at a good price.

While this is a fairly low-priced model, you can still expect a quality solid-mahogany body and neck, and a rosewood fingerboard. Some of the other key features include twin humbuckers, a 3 way EQ switch, and finally, the compulsory tone and volume controls.

Yamaha Aes420

US $250.00

Ends in 5d 14h 26m

So what are people saying about the Yamaha AES420? The overall opinion is that this is a very solid purchase if you're a beginner or intermediate player looking for a quality instrument that'll last you for many years. It's built like a tank – it will easily withstand a few bumps and knocks, so it makes for a great practice/learning guitar. It holds tune perfectly, the "sculpted" body makes it easy for a beginner to get to grips with, and most importantly - it plays beautifully.

While the trained ear will know this isn't a Gibson – it still produces a rich warm tone, especially at such an incredible price.

To summarize, you really can't go wrong with the Yamaha AES420.

Open Position Chords For Acoustic Guitar

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:51:13 +0000

One of the best things to learn if you’re just strating out with an acoustic, is to learn how to play some open position chords.

These chords can be used to make your own songs or play many popular songs – and they’re also easier to play than barre chords – especially on an acoustic.

Scales are an important thing to understand when it comes to comes playing guitar. Scales and chords are the building blocks to all music, no matter what instrument you decide to play.

This is because chords are BUILT on the scales.

However, we’re going to start off by learning some basic chords, first. Chords are very important when it comes to guitar, because you will spend a lot of time working with them as a guitarist.

By learning a few chords you can also get up and running by performing a few simple songs, or making your own music.

We’ll start with some of the most common “open-position” chords.

We’ll start with C:

0------------------------------
-----1-------------------------
0------------------------------
---------------2---------------
--------------------------3----
X------------------------------

In case you’re not familiar with chord diagrams: The “x” mark means don’t play that string. The 0’s mean play that string open (without holding down a string). The number mean hold down that number fret on that string. (Also, for this particular diagram, it means use that number finger to hold it down).

Another open position chord used in guitar playing is G.

Here it is:

-------------------3------------------------------ <-- High E
-------------------0------------------------------
-------------------0------------------------------
-------------------0------------------------------
---------2----------------------------------------
-------------------3------------------------------ <-- Low E

Next we will learn a variation of the G chord, which is the G7 chord. This is basically the same fingering as the G chord, but (for the people who understand music theory) the root is lowered to the 7th interval.

Here’s how it looks:
---1---------------------------------------------- <-- High E
-------------------0------------------------------
-------------------0------------------------------
-------------------0------------------------------
---------2----------------------------------------
-------------------3------------------------------ <-- Low E

Next we will learn the D chord. Here it is:

-------------------2------------------------------ <-- High E
-------------------3------------------------------
-------------------2------------------------------
-------------------0------------------------------
X--------------------------------------------------
X-------------------------------------------------- <-- Low E

Another open position chord used in guitar playing is G.

Here it is:

Next we will learn the D chord. Here it is:

So it’s now time to carry on and learn a few more open position chords. So far I’ve covered C, G, G7, D, and Dm. Next we will teach you another very popular chord, the E chord.

Here’s the diagram:

-------------------0------------------------------ <-- High E
-------------------0------------------------------
-------------------1------------------------------
-------------------2------------------------------
-------------------2------------------------------
-------------------0------------------------------ <-- Low E

Next we will learn Em. (m means minor).

Here’s the diagram:

-------------------0------------------------------ <-- High E
-------------------0------------------------------
-------------------0------------------------------
-------------------2------------------------------
-------------------2------------------------------
-------------------0------------------------------ <-- Low E

As you can see, it’s just the same as E major, but you only need to use two fingers down, as the rest of the strings are played open.

Now let’s learn A.

Here’s the diagram:

-------------------0------------------------------ <-- High E
-------------------2------------------------------
-------------------2------------------------------
-------------------2------------------------------
-------------------0------------------------------
X------------------------------------------------- <-- Low E

And then there’s the minor version of A. Here’s the diagram for A minor:

-------------------0------------------------------ <-- High E
-------------------1------------------------------
-------------------2------------------------------
-------------------2------------------------------
-------------------0------------------------------
X------------------------------------------------- <-- Low E

The next chord to learn is the A7 chord. Here’s the diagram for it:

-------------------0------------------------------ <-- High E
-------------------2------------------------------
-------------------0------------------------------
-------------------2------------------------------
-------------------0------------------------------
X------------------------------------------------- <-- Low E

The next chord I have for you is the E7 chord. Here it is:

-------------------0------------------------------ <-- High E
-------------------2------------------------------
-------------------1------------------------------
-------------------0------------------------------
-------------------2------------------------------
-------------------0------------------------------- <-- Low E

And finally, we have the D7 chord. Here’s the diagram:

-------------------2------------------------------ <-- High E
-------------------1------------------------------
-------------------2------------------------------
-------------------0------------------------------
X-------------------------------------------------
X------------------------------------------------- <-- Low E

And that’s all there is to it! W hope you’ve taken the time to learn these chords well. Not just memorize them, but also practice moving from one to the other.

Take it slow at first, give your fingers a chance to learn the positions, then gradually increase the speed… but not at the expense of accuracy.

Experiment with which chords should good together. This will also help to train your ear, which is a great advantage for a guitarist.

Problems With Playing A Barre Chord

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:50:22 +0000

Learning how to play barre chords is an important part of progressing as a guitar player.

But many people have problems with learning how to play a barre chord.

It can be difficult at first to keep your first finger pressed against the strings, and to make the strings ring clearly.

You need to apply a little more pressure than an open position chord… but don’t be tempted to use only pressure.

It’s more about positioning. Make sure your thumb is level behind the first finger as you hold the neck of your guitar. Try to roll your finger back slightly towards the nut of your guitar as well, if it helps.

There’s no magic secret for how to play a barre chord, its just practice and perseverance. It’s easier to play one on an electric guitar though, and with lighter strings.

A good way to learn is to just practice moving your finger in slightly different positions, and play each string one at a time to check it’s ringing properly.

Try to relax your hand to some degree, don’t tense up and try to squeeze a barre chord out with sheer force – it doesn’t work like that. Also, your finger will toughen up after a few days or weeks (depending on how much your practice) and it will be easier.

If you’re finding barre chords a real problem, try playing them higher up the neck at first, as it’s easier to play them there. Practice the E minor shape first… as that one is easier for most people at first.

Learning To Play Minor Barre Chords

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:45:37 +0000

In this lesson we are going to talk about minor barre chords.

If you've already learned how to play barre chords, then this should be fairly straight forward.

Basically, the minor barre chords are the same as the major ones, only you use the E MINOR shape, and A MINOR shape, instead of the major shape.

I’ll draw you a diagram to make it clearer:

This is the A shaped barre chord, in minor form.

-------------------1------------------------------ <-- High E
-------------------1------2-----------------------
-------------------1---------------3--------------
-------------------1---------------4--------------
-------------------1------------------------------
X------------------------------------------------- <-- Low E

Okay, my diagram isn’t quite perfect seeing as it doesn’t have fret markers, but look at the shape… and remember the shape of an A minor. You simply move the finger down one fret on the B string, see?

The E shaped minor barre chord should be a little clearer. You simply take your second finger off the string entirely, so it looks like this in the diagram:

-------------------1------------------------------ <-- High E
-------------------1------------------------------
-------------------1------------------------------
-------------------1-------------3----------------
-------------------1-------------4----------------
-------------------1------------------------------- <-- Low E

By learning how to play the minor barre chords, you’ve covered a lot of ground when it comes to learning all the chords for guitar.

Learning To Play Barre Chords

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:37:18 +0000

In this guitar lesson we are going to teach you have to play “barre chords”.

This may not be easy at first – and it is a stumbling block for many beginners.

It requires a lot of practice to get right, and if you’re not used to playing guitar – it may hurt your fingers to some degree.

But if you stick with it, you’ll master it in no time.

So what exactly is a barre chord?

A barre chord is basically a movable chord. This allows you to play chords higher up the neck, and unlocks lots of options. I guess they are called barre chords because you use your first finger to make a “bar”. Your first finger kind of acts like the nut of your guitar. Or if you’re familiar with a capo, its like using your finger as capo.

Moving on.

One of the benefits of learning barre chords is that once you learn a few shapes, you can use the same fingering to play many different chords, just by moving your hand up and down the neck. This has many advantages.

We’ll start by learning the two barre chord shapes for major chords. These shapes are based of the E and A chords (if that doesn’t make sense, you’ll understand in a minute). These are the two most commonly used barre chord shapes.

Here’s the “E-shaped” moveable barre chord:
-------------------1------------------------------ <-- High E
-------------------1------------------------------
-------------------1-------2---------------------
-------------------1-------------3----------------
-------------------1-------------4----------------
-------------------1------------------------------- <-- Low E

The numbers correspond to your fingers. The 1’s on every string represent your index finger. Knowing just this shape allows you to play every single major chord. Cool huh?

All you have to do is start with your index finger on the note name you want to play. For example, if your barre is on the third fret, you’ll be playing G major. On the 5th fret? That’s an A.

The next thing to learn is the note names for the E string and the A string, so you’ll know the name of the chords you’re playing.

-------------------1------------------------------ <-- High E
-------------------1----------2-------------------
-------------------1----------3-------------------
-------------------1----------4-------------------
-------------------1------------------------------
X------------------------------------------------- <-- Low E

This is an “A-shaped” barre chord. To name the chords you’re playing with this shape, you’ll use the A string.

Now let me explain how these chords are named. Firstly, chords are named according to the “root” note in the chord.

If you’re using an E shaped barre chord, the root is on the low E string. So to name the chord, you’ll need to know the names of the different notes on this string.

If you play the E string open, that’s E. (obvious, huh?) Then it’s simple (as long as you know the alphabet).

And then you just count up the musical alphabet (from A to G). And also remember to add the sharps and flats between each letter, apart from B & C, and E & F. There is no sharp or flat between those two.

Let me write the musical alphabet out for you to make this crystal clear (I’ll start from E):

E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E

Once you arrive at the octave (the twelve fret on your guitar) the cycle repeats itself.

With the A shaped barre chord, you start from the open A and work up the musical alphabet again. Like this:

A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A

That’s pretty much everything you need to learn to play any chord in the form of a movable barre chord.

Learning The Pentatonic Scales

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:28:11 +0000

To learn guitar, one of the things you need to understand is scales.

Scales are the building blocks of all music, no matter what instrument you play.

In this lesson we will reveal nearly everything there is to know about using the pentatonic scale.

This scale is the foundation of a lot of blues and rock guitar, too. Which means you can have some fun once you've learnt this scale.

--------5------------------------------8----------
--------5----------------------7------------------
--------5----------------------7------------------
--------5----------------------7------------------
--------5------------------------------8----------

This is a tab for a pentatonic scale in A. This is a moveable scale, so you can easily transpose this scale for a different chord by moving it up or down the fret board.

So what do you do now?

Learn this scale pattern. Play it up and down a few times first to commit it to memory, then you can experiment with mixing it up a little, and making your own riffs out of this simple pattern.

Remember that playing guitar isn’t just about playing scales though. This scale pattern is a building block. To create melody, you need to add timing, and inflection. So go experiment

However, this pattern is just one of the five forms. These 5 forms stretch out across the entire fretboard, and are basically the same 5 notes played in different locations.

It’s important to learn the five different forms, because this will mean you can play the pentatonic scale in any key over the entire fretboard.

Here’s the second pattern:

--------------------2-----------------------4------
--------------------2-----------------------4------
--------1---------------------3--------------------
--------1-----------------------------------4------
--------1-----------------------------------4------
---------------------2----------------------4------

The numbers are for each of your fingers, 1 is your index, 2 is your middle, 3 is your ring, and 4 is the pinkie. I haven’t included fret markers. Just apply the one finger per fret rule and it will make sense.

Also, you need to know that this form (form 2) matches up with form 1.

Let me show you:

--------0------------------------------0------------------0--------
--------0------------------------------0------------------0--------
--------0----------------0---------------------0-------------------
--------0----------------0--------------------------------0--------
--------0----------------0--------------------------------0--------
--------0------------------------------0------------------0--------

See how it matches up? All of the forms match up like this.

Next, we will learn the third pentatonic scale pattern. But before we do, we need to make something clear to you.

And here it is:

Scales are not good music. They are simply the building blocks of music, okay? Try not to get stuck in pattern thinking – just use it as a guide.

A good idea is to sing or hum the scale notes as you play through the pattern. This will help you internalize the sound, so you will have a better ear for melody. You don’t want to get stuck in the rut of all your music sounding “scaley”… like scales being played up and down.

Okay, let’s learn the third pentatonic scale pattern. I’ll start it at the 8th fret, which would mean it’s in the key of A. So the number I write down will correspond to fret numbers.

Here it is:

------------8----------------10-----------------
------------8---------------------------11------
---7-------------------------10-----------------
------------8----------------10-----------------
------------8----------------10-----------------
------------8----------------10-----------------

Here’s how it fits together with scale form 2:

--------------0---------------0---------------0---------------------
--------------0---------------0----------------------------0--------
-----0-----------------0----------------------0---------------------
-----0------------------------0---------------0---------------------
-----0------------------------0---------------0---------------------
--------------0---------------0---------------0---------------------

Next, we have the forth form of the pentatonic scale. If you’re new to guitar, this form should be a little easier on the fingers… because it’s a lot like the first form of the pentatonic scale… which you have already learnt, right?

Okay, here we go. Let me show you the pattern of the forth form:

--------1------------------------------4----------
-----------------2---------------------4----------
--------1-------------------3---------------------
--------1-------------------3---------------------
--------1------------------------------4----------
--------1------------------------------4----------

Once again, the numbers correspond to your fingers. The one finger per fret rule applies, so you should be able to work out how many frets apart each note is. It’s quite straight forward really.

Here’s how it matches up with form 3:

---------------0----------------0-------------------------0----------
---------------0-------------------------------0----------0----------
--------0--------------------------------------0---------------------
---------------0----------------0--------------0---------------------
---------------0----------------0-------------------------0----------
---------------0----------------0-------------------------0----------

And that’s all there is to it! If you’ve learnt all 4 of the patterns so far, then you’re doing well. There is only one more pentatonic scale form left, which we will learn now.

Here is the pattern for scale form 5:

-------------------2-------------------4----------
-------------------2-------------------4----------
--------1------------------------------4----------
--------1------------------------------4----------
-------------------2-------------------4----------
-------------------2-------------------4----------

This form matches back up with form 1. You can see where all the 4’s are, is also the beginning part of the first form.

Specifically, here’s how it goes together with form four:

--------0------------------------------0------------------0--------
-----------------0---------------------0------------------0--------
--------0-----------------0-------------------------------0--------
--------0-----------------0-------------------------------0--------
--------0------------------------------0------------------0--------
--------0------------------------------0------------------0--------

So now that you’ve learnt all the five forms, you may want to practice them in various keys. The most common keys for songs on guitar is C, A, G, E, and D… so you may want to start with them first.

Although this has all been presented on just one page, this represents a lot of work – especially for a beginner. So take your time with this to learn everything thoroughly and correctly.

Learning The Blues Scale

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:18:01 +0000

In this lesson we are going give you a quick blues guitar lesson. The topic of this lesson will be the scale that is one of the most important to blues and rock music.

This scale is called “the blues scale”.

Now if you're thinking there are way too many scales to learn (especially if you’ve learning major, minor, pentatonics etc) don't panic - remember that most of them are just simply slight alterations of each other.

The blues scale is basically just a pentatonic scale, with an added note. This added note adds a lot of possibilities.

The blues scale isn’t really thought of as a “6 note scale” in the way that a pentatonic scale is a “5 note scale”… because the extra note (sometimes called the blues note) was always just a passing note. But over the years, this note has become more and more popular and useful for modern music.

Let’s learn a pattern of this scale on the fretboard:

--------5------------------------------8----------
--------5------------------------------8----------
--------5----------------------7-------8----------
--------5----------------------7------------------
--------5----------6----------7-------------------
--------5------------------------------8----------

The numbers correspond to the frets. This blues scale is over the chord of A. You can shift the chord you’re playing around by moving this pattern up or down the fretboard. For example, if you move up two frets – you’ll be playing over a B chord.

As you can probably tell if you’re familiar with your pentatonic scales, this is the same as the first form pentatonic, only with a few added notes. The “blues” notes.

What is this note? The interval is called "b5" (flat fifth), and it's one of the main intervals used to give a "bluesy" sound.

Have fun with this scale. Once you’ve mastered this pattern, you can learn where the added blues note is in all of the pentatonic scales – then you can play anywhere on the fretboard over any chord.