If you’re putting together an array of effects, chances are you’ve been trying out different delay pedals. Delay pedals create that echo effect you’ve heard on countless songs, and are useful in many different ways.

From creating extra texture, to giving the illusion of a whole other guitarist, delay can expand your playing and add new dimensions to your sound.

But with so many choices, it can be hard to find the right effect.

Some players swear by analog delay, while others require the precision of digital. And maybe you’ve even seen those lunchbox sized tape delay units that often come with a huge price tag. As manufacturers offer more and more effects options it can be hard to know what to use.

In this article, we discuss what exactly sets these effects apart so that you can find the effect that suits you best. But keep in mind, there really is no best kind. It’s all a matter of preference…

The Tape Delay

To give a little historical perspective, we start with tape delay which was developed in the early 1950s with the help of a very familiar name: Les Paul. Tape delay is exactly what it sounds like.

A tape records your guitar signal for a certain period of time and then automatically plays it back creating the echo. Because tape delay units rely on moving parts and a (often difficult to find) tape cartridge, this is not the most efficient type of delay effect. Generally these are used in studios to achieve a more “vintage” tone.

Analog vs. Digital Delay Effects

The two most common types of delay these days are analog and digital. Both are typically built as compact stompboxes, but there are some fundamental differences that set them apart.

Analog

Analog delay pedals have been popular since the mid 1970s and rely on a microchip that was pioneered by Panasonic. The famed “Bucket Brigade” chip works by feeding the original sound from the guitar back into the signal chain at timed intervals. Since there is nothing in the circuitry of the effect to preserve the fidelity of the echoes, they will degrade with each repeat.

The result is a very natural sound that mimics the effect of a real echo, which degrades in sound quality as it reaches your ears.

Many players feel that the warm tone produced by analog delay is superior to that of digital delay, but it’s not without its limitations. Because of the simplicity of the circuitry, analog delay generally has a much shorter delay time than digital units, and far less flexibility in terms of creating different delay patterns.

Digital

Digital delay, on the other hand, takes your guitar’s signal and converts it to zeros and ones, creating a perfect replica of each note.

The echoes sound very clean and precise, but without further processing, tend not to have a natural echo tone.

That’s not to say that digital is without it’s advantages. If you prefer long delay times, (echoes longer than a couple of seconds) digital is probably the way to go, as it offers delay times sometimes longer than a minute. This can allow you to use delay to create long loops.

Another advantage of digital is the ability to create rhythmic patterns with the echo. Some delay units like the TC Electronics Nova Delay allow you to structure your echoes like notes so you can achieve a rhythm to the echo that fits the song you’re playing.

Delay Pedals Explained

JHS Pedals break down the six main different types of delay pedals, where they came from, and what they sound like.

TC Electronics Nova – Digital Delay Pedal

A great example of this is the intro to U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name”. That rhythmic effect would not have been possible with the limitations of analog delay.

Digital Delay Effects in U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name”

Digital units also tend to be a bit cheaper, but with the rise in popularity of analog delay, manufacturers are finding ways to produce cheaper analog delay pedals that still sound very impressive. The MXR Carbon Copy, for example, is a great place to start without spending all your rent money.

MXR Carbon Copy – Demo Video

Because of the huge differences in delay pedals, I’ve been fond of keeping one analog and one digital pedal on my board at all times.

I’m a fan of the Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man for analog and the TC Electronics Nova Delay for digital. Because they serve such different purposes, I think of them as two entirely separate effects. One gives me a warm, vintage sound, and the other, a clean, precise echo.

Electro Harmonix Delux Memory Man – Demo Video

As with any effect though, there is no “best” product. It’s all a matter of what creates your perfect tone. Hopefully, knowing the difference between these types of effects will make to process of finding the perfect one that much easier.

Delay pedals can work across many genres and are an essential tool to many sounds and tones. If you’re unsure how best to start using a delay pedal, then our free articles here on our blog can help. Some of our most recently published articles include our intro to guitar scales chords, our guitar zen techniques, and our app that listens to music and tells you the chords. 

The post Guitar Delay Pedals in 2021: Which Effect is Right for Beginners? appeared first on Uberchord App.

The complete opposite is true. Because all acoustic guitars are shaped from individual sections of timber, and the various models and brands are often made from alternative types of wood, it means that every single acoustic guitar is unique and different.

Even mass-produced instruments from the budget-priced manufacturers can’t avoid slight variations in appearance, playing action and tone. Of course, electric guitars are the same, except that being solid-bodied and dependent on the various designs of the inbuilt electronics, choosing an electric guitar is another process again with different considerations. Well, if you are confused about what kind of Guitar to buy, you can check out our post on: Types of Guitar: Beginner’s Guide to Buying A Guitar and here is a complete guide to what kind of Guitar strings to use on your acoustic Guitar.

We at Uberchord (click to download the free guitar learning app) strongly recommend that it is always best if you can physically handle a new guitar and get a feel for the instrument, especially the neck and playing action, and listen to the tone. But as always, there are some great deals online that are hard to resist. While it’s impossible to choose the five best acoustic guitars without any hands-on experience, we’ll look at the five best examples of ideas and options for your new acoustic.

Fender Squier Acoustic Bundle

Do you want some great extra, extras?

Is sticking with a well-known brand important for you?

Price: $189.99

You’re paying a little more for this acoustic compared to some similar deals, but the added extras are worth it.

In particular the hard case and the guitar stand (see our blog on 5 Most Essential Guitar Products for Beginners). The hard case will keep your new instrument safe and snug from the elements, while the stand is invaluable since acoustic guitars are notorious for sliding off walls and stools they’ve been leaned against—and getting badly damaged. A solid stand avoids that.

Being a Fender, you’re buying a well-established brand with a great reputation, so build quality won’t be a problem. Going for known manufacturers is always a good thing. All the other accessories complete everything you’ll need.

Epiphone DR-212 Dreadnought 12 String Guitar

Do you want to stand out from the crowd?

Is a 12-string guitar different to learn?

Price: $229.00

Calling any 12-string guitar suitable for a beginner is maybe ambitious, however if you want to “begin” a 12-string journey that will definitely make you stand out from the crowd (either as your first-ever guitar or your next) then this Epiphone is well worth considering.

It’s a good price, but more important, Epiphone guitars are known for their slim, but strong neck and fret board designs, so getting to all twelve strings isn’t the handful other manufacturers’ guitars can be.

To be honest, 12-string guitars have fallen out of favour a little as acoustic-only stomp pedals and special effects can come close to reproducing the 12-string sound from a normal six-string. Still, it’s only close and not the real thing—only a true 12-string instrument does that and it’s a wonderful, rich tone you’ll fall in love with. Actually playing a twelve string guitar is no different to six strings. The theory and technique are the same. It’s just a little tougher on the fingertips at first!

Another reason to try a 12-string is that the cost of replacement strings is so much cheaper these days. This guitar is affordable and so are all the accessories.

Fender CD-60CE Dreadnought Acoustic with Pickup and Cutaway

Do you want the best of both worlds?

Do you buy effects pedals for acoustic guitars?

Price: $299.99

If your first acoustic is more than likely a step towards eventually playing an electric instrument too, then buying a model with a cutaway body that gives you access to the higher fret positions is a must. You can play electric solo scales on an acoustic guitar.

Cutaway bodies usually come on the better-quality designs—meaning more cost—but with some careful choices (like this Fender) you’ll also get the inbuilt pickups that allow you amplify the guitar on stage. Plus, not just amplification, but that pickup opens up the world of effects pedals like delay and reverb that can create exciting sounds for your acoustic—stomp pedals aren’t just for the metal and hard rocker players!

Have a look at our blogs about Learning Scale Patterns and the A Minor Pentatonic Scale and you’ll see how the cutaway body design is needed for the higher scale positions.

With practise, you’ll need it sooner than you think.

Yamaha C40 GigMaker Classical Guitar

Are you looking for a classical tone?

How important is a good design in classic guitars?

Price: $159.99

Classical guitars are often mistaken for a cheap, beginner’s instrument—and for sure, they are a lot of budget, poorly-made instruments available. But a proper classical guitar has a beautiful tone and unique sound that certainly has a place in modern music, too. Plenty of well-known rockers and steel-string players include classical guitar in their recordings.

The important thing to know is that even some of the better classical guitars still don’t have a truss-rod system in the neck, so it’s vital you buy a quality instrument that’s well-built to last a lifetime. That’s why I like this Yamaha guitar.

Yamaha has been manufacturing classical guitars for a long time and the company knows its stuff. Also, this is a full-sized guitar—beware of accidentally buying a three-quarter or half-size instrument designed for kids. Plus you get the padded gig bag and a tuner. This isn’t just a good beginner’s classical guitar, it’s also a good buy for anyone looking to add classical tones to their repertoire.

If you are keen on learning more about classical guitars, check out previous post: A Beginner’s Guide to Classical Guitar.

Martin Backpacker Travel Guitar

Are you travelling all the time?

Do you need a guitar that suits a small living space?

Price: $194.99

Some beginner players find themselves in unique situations that don’t lend themselves to carrying around a full-sized guitar all the time, so I figured it was worth looking for a good entry-level travel guitar.

Similar to quality classical guitars, travel guitars need to be well designed and built to provide good tone and durability, otherwise they sound just like guitar strings attached to a baseball bat!

The lack of a true guitar body means there’s less structure to support the tension of the fret board, and they can lack deeper tones. It’s why going for an established brand like this Martin (a famous, very old “name” in guitars), albeit a little more expensive, is your best bet for getting a good guitar. Beware though, even the best travel guitars, while they can sound cool, won’t sound like a full-bodied design.

If you can, have a listen before buying.

That’s my five best acoustic guitar ideas for beginners.

Remember, if you can, try to get your hands on any of these first or, if you can’t and have to buy online, pay careful attention to more thoughtful, considered reviews. And it’s always better to spend a little more on an established, well-known brand rather than focus on any “bang-for-your-buck” deal from lesser-known manufacturers.

Now that you had a good idea of what guitar to buy you should start finding out what you want to learn! Our team at Uberchord has catered many articles towards beginners who are overwhelmed by all the information out there and just want to get started. Search our site for whatever you may need or check out our latest articles like dancing in the moonlight chords no capo, jimmy page effects, and how to find the pentatonic scale in any key. 

The post 5 Best & Affordable Acoustic Guitars for Beginners: 2021 appeared first on Uberchord App.

To start with, there are some things that will come in handy from the very beginning. Here’s our top five recommendations of extra guitar gear you need now.

1. A Sturdy Guitar Stand

It never fails to amaze me when I see top-notch players with seriously expensive guitars that cost thousands of dollars—and they don’t spend twenty bucks on a guitar stand.

Instead, they lean the guitar neck against the amplifier or prop it on a stool. This is the best recipe for your precious guitar to slide sideways and usually snap off a machine head—if not the neck itself—when it hits the floor. The same goes at home. Do you lean your guitar against the wall? Drop it on the floor where someone might step on it? Guitars of any kind are really badly designed to stand by themselves. Avoid the risk and invest in a solid guitar stand.

Our recommendation: Musician’s Gear Electric, Acoustic and Bass Guitar Stand Black
Cost: $12.95 (approx)

2. A Strong Guitar Case

Lots of beginners believe they don’t need a case, because it’s going to be ages before they need to take the guitar anywhere. It’s staying at home until at least you can jam barre chords, right?

But a guitar case serves a more important purpose than just protecting your instrument on the road. Guitars are made of wood—and wood is very susceptible to temperature and humidity changes. Plus, leaving your strings exposed to the open air will significantly reduce their life and turn them dull.

When you’re not playing your guitar, storing it in a good, solid case is like putting it into a snug, warm bed where the temperature doesn’t change, the strings are sealed in and the lid of the case puts an even pressure down the length of the neck keeping it straight. Another bonus is the pockets and compartments built into guitar cases for stashing your other accessories. Everything in the one place—brilliant.

Our recommendation: CAHAYA Acoustic Guitar Case | Thick Padding Waterproof
Cost: $22 (approx)

3. A Quality Capo

Many new players make the mistake of regarding a capo as kind of cheating, like you’re avoiding learning how to play different chords in different keys by instead using familiar fingering and simply shifting a capo to suit. However, you will need to change the keys of many songs to find the right vocal pitch—and here’s the kicker.

Some tunes simply must be played with the original chords to maintain the unique sound of the song. The Eagles’ classic Hotel California is a great example. Try playing it in a different key, figuring out the alternative chords you’ll need (a good exercise, by the way), and the song will sound entirely different and wrong.

Some of the picking patterns just don’t work. This is where a quality capo is a must for changing pitch. “Quality” comes with a quick release, a firm pressure across the entire width of the fret board, and a slim design that won’t get in your way.

Our recommendation: The G7th Performance Capo 
Cost: $38 (approx)

4. Genuine String Cleaning Product

It’s one of the hardest habits to get into, yet it takes so little effort. Even by just quickly cleaning your guitar strings after each and every time you play, you’ll extend the life of your strings a lot and keep them bright and slick under your fingers for much longer.

Considering that playing guitar should be a lifetime thing you’re going to do, cleaning strings will save you heaps of money, because you’ll replace them less frequently. Over, let’s say forty years, you’ll probably save about… oh, maybe four million dollars—okay, perhaps not that much. But you know what I mean. It all adds up.

Choose a proper cleaning fluid and a clean cloth that you use for nothing else, so it doesn’t become contaminated with chemicals that damage your strings.

Our recommendation: GHS Fast Fret Guitar String Cleaner & Lubricant  
Cost: $10 (approx)

5. A Comfortable and Safe Guitar Strap

Okay, this depends on making the decision whether or not you prefer to play sitting down or standing up.

If you want to play on stage, chances are you’ll be standing, which means you need a good guitar strap and you should do a lot of practise on your feet—because the guitar’s position against your body changes and affects the angle of your wrist and fingers.

A good strap should be wide, distributing the weight on your shoulder. Also, quality straps come with locking fasteners on your guitar—you might want to ask a guitar technician to fit these, if drilling holes into the wood scares you. There’s nothing worse than a cheap strap fastener slipping off the guitar and it falling to your feet with a crash—not to mention embarrassing and expensive.

It is difficult to pick a single guitar strap since they can be customised to your requirement, type of guitar, comfort and preference.

Our recommendation: Ernie Ball PolyLock Guitar Strap Locks
Cost: $12 (approx)

Guitar Tuner?

Some of you will be asking, “Why not a tuner?” A good tuner that you can plug in is very handy, if you are playing in noisy environments. Otherwise, you’ve got the Uberchord app with its excellent inbuilt tuner—and it’s free.

The post 5 Most Essential Guitar Products For Beginners: 2021 appeared first on Uberchord App.

by Scott Masson

Have you ever spent ages tweaking your rig and fine tuning your tone until it sounds exactly how you want it, only to take it to a gig or band rehearsal and find that your sound has completely disappeared from the mix?

Have you ever bought a fancy new distortion pedal to give your solos an extra kick but found that, if anything, it makes your guitar seem quieter?

Have you ever seen a fan post a video of last night’s gig and excitedly clicked on it, only to find that your guitar sounded like some sort of rumbling fart box?

If any of these apply to you, you’re not alone. In the 7 years I’ve been a professional, gigging musician I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen bands with guitar sounds that are muddy, ear piercingly shrill or just don’t cut through the mix.

From support bands playing their first show to established, touring acts it seems that no guitarist at any level is immune to bad live tone.

While a large part of live sound inevitably comes down to the room, the PA system and the sound engineer, there are still a lot of things you can do with your own rig to make sure that your guitar sounds as good as possible on stage.

Here are five of the most important ways to improve your live tone.

Nail Your Frequencies

The single most important thing you can do as a guitarist is occupy a frequency range that not only suits your sound, but complements the whole band mix.

Guitars are mid range instruments; in a full band mix they sound best when occupying a fairly narrow band of frequencies within that mid range – usually around 400Hz to 5kHz.

If you or your audience struggle to hear yourself clearly above the bass and drums in live situations, you’ll likely benefit from dialing up the mids on your amp. This is a particularly common problem in metal, hardcore and heavier genres of music, where the “mid-scooped” sound is very popular.

This excellent video from CS Guitars perfectly demonstrates why occupying the mids is so important:

That throatly growl you think of when you imagine a power chord ringing through a cranked Marshall stack comes primarily from the 600-800hz range.

Very few guitar amps have full graphic equalizers on them, which makes finding this sweet spot more tricky. While the mid knob on your amp will do a good job of making that essential frequency range more pronounced, a good EQ pedal will give you much more tone sculpting options.

Find Your Cab’s Sweet Spot

For many guitarists, mic’ing up their rig for live use consists of shoving an SM58 in front of a speaker cone and hoping for the best.

As anyone with any sound engineering experience will tell you, mic placement, angle and distance all have an enormous effect on your tone. Unless you’re playing tiny bar shows, the audience will primarily be hearing your mic’ed up guitar tone through the PA, so it is incredibly important that you make sure that the microphone capture is good.

The best way to do this is to experiment yourself. Bring your recording set up down to the rehearsal room and record various mic placements and angles to find the one you like the best.

It’s also well worth testing all of the speaker cones on your cabinet, as they will age and deteriorate at different rates, therefore sounding different.

Once you’ve found the cone, placement and angle you like the best, mark that spot on the cab with tape and take a picture of the mic so that you can recreate the angle and distance at your next gig.

Keep Your Stage Volume Down

A lot of guitarists are guilty of being excessively loud on stage. While it’s easy (and fun!) to crack your 100W tube head until your bones are shaking, you’re not only making the sound engineer’s job harder, but you’ll also be impacting your own sound and that of your band.

For the sound engineer, excessively loud guitars will bleed into the vocal drum mics, which for you means that your signal will be mashed up with the reverb and EQ put on those channels.

As well as this, it makes monitoring for your band mates much more difficult, which usually leads to “volume wars” between band members in order for them to hear themselves.

When it comes to high wattage tube amps, they unfortunately sound at their best when driven quite hard, which can make it difficult to achieve a moderate stage volume.

There are some tools at your disposal to help however:

Attenuators are a great tool, designed with exactly this issue in mind. An attenuator sits between your amp and cabinet and reduces the overall output going into the cab. This means you can drive your valves harder without deafening everyone.

Low wattage guitar heads are also great for this. These days no one really needs huge 100W stacks as modern PAs do all the hard work. Therefore 20-50W valve amps are usually a much more practical live tool and hit that sweet spot at a much more reasonable volume.

Use Less Distortion

Distortion compresses your signal, which is why stepping on a distortion or overdrive pedal can result in a perceived drop in volume.

For most guitarists this is contrary to what they want, as they’ll be using dirt pedals to boost a solo or chorus section.

This is particularly true of fuzz pedals, which tend to have less mid range frequencies. Pairing a dirt box with an EQ pedal to sculpt the tone is one popular way of dealing with this, but a much simpler approach is to use less overall distortion.

Not only will your playing be more clear and cut through the mix better, but your volume will stay more consistent throughout the different sounds you use.

For solos and lead parts, EQ pedals or a cocked wah can often be enough to add extra sizzle and give you the boost you need. Otherwise, using treble boosters or Tube Screamers with the gain rolled down and the output dimed can also be a great way of driving the front of the amp harder to achieve searing lead tones.

Angle Your Backline

Guitar cabinets are extremely directional, meaning that they blast sound towards one specific area.

Using this knowledge tactically can help you both in terms of monitoring and ensuring you get a good front of house mix.

Often, the sound desk will be front and center of the stage, as well as elevated to around the same height as the stage. In smaller venues, this can mean that your cabs are pointing directly at the sound engineer. As a result, they get a warped idea of how loud the guitar is for the rest of the audience.

By angling your cab so it isn’t pointing directly at the sound guy, they’ll be able to mix the band in a way that will sound better through the PA.

Additionally, most guitarists have their cabs on the floor. Unless you’re playing through a full stack, this means that most of the volume from your backline is being blasted at the back of your legs.

Wherever possible, elevating the guitar cabs can result in you being able to hear your amp much better, meaning that you can use your fold back monitor to be able to clearly hear your bandmates.

Beer bottle or milk crates are great for this, and if you’re using a smaller combo amp you can even use a sturdy keyboard stand.

There are many more tips on live sound and guitar tone scattered throughout our free blog. Please take a few minutes to search for the topic you want help on as we may have an article on it! Otherwise, you can take a look at some of our more recent articles like “What is travis picking?”, words and chords for jingle bells, and some cool beginner progressive riffs. 

About the Author

Scott Ronald is a multi-instrumentalist and composer who has been a touring musician for the best part of a decade. Having worked both as a dep musician and in his own bands, he has played venues all over Europe, from 4,000 capacity halls to tiny dive bars and house parties.

He is also the editor of GuitarGearHeadz, a website dedicated to reviewing and comparing guitars, amps and effects to help buyers make informed choices.

The post Why Your Live Guitar Tone Sucks and How to Improve it appeared first on Uberchord App.

ScanScore is a new program that’s taking the music theory world by storm. But how can it help guitar players? In this article, we’ll review the product, and offer some practical ways you may want to use it.

ScanScore Breakdown

In this section, we’ll look at what ScanScore is, how to use it, and if it’s really as easy as the makers say it is.

What is ScanScore?

ScanScore is a program that lets you easily scan, edit, and export your sheet music into musicXML files and then add them to your favourite music editing software. It’s developed by a small team in Germany who are dedicated to filling the music scanning gap that exists in the market today.

Check out this introduction video to get an overview of the program:

How Does It Work?

Once you download the program onto your Windows computer, you can open it up where you’re presented with a choice. There are three clearly labelled buttons that let you scan the physical sheet music into the program. The choices are as follows:

• Use a scanner
• Import from image (or PDF)
• Use the mobile app

Once you scan the music, it opens up into the ScanScore desktop program where you get a side by side view of the original (left) and the recognized version (right). You can use the simple toolbar to correct any mistakes in the scan.

After all the measures have the right number of notes, you can then export the file into musicXML. This file is used by all major music editing software including the following:

• Finale
• Sibelius
• MuseScore
• Dorico
• Notion
• And others…

ScanScore Review: Does It Work?

100% yes! The first time I used ScanScore I was able to get it up and running within minutes. Each of the three scanning options is simple to use, and the toolbar is very intuitive.

My favourite feature is how the apps send the image directly to the ScanScore program. The app even coaches you through the tips to get as clear a read as possible.

My only complaint would be that a poor read may result in a poor digital version. This makes a copy with a lot of mistakes for you to fix. The easiest way to avoid this is to use a scanner or just take extra care to follow all recommendations when taking a picture with the ScanScore app.

If you’re looking for an easy and accurate way to scan physical music, ScanScore is your best bet.

Uses For Guitar Players

As a guitar player and teacher, I know how important learning to read chords and notation can be. When you learn by hearing, seeing, AND reading, you can pick up music so much faster.

I also know that sometimes there’s music out there you want to play, but it’s not in the right key. ScanScore can help!

Use the program to scan the sheet music you have. Then, correct it and input it into an editing software (MuseScore is free). From here, you can easily transpose (change the key) into something that works better for you.

Another good use for this program is for the guitar teacher. You can quickly take scans of your music, export to XML, then edit it to match what your students need to work on.

The Verdict

ScanScore may not be for every casual guitar player, but serious ones and teachers can find it really useful. The easy scanning and exporting program gets physical sheet music into editing software quickly and accurately. Other programs struggle with this, but ScanScore’s easily used tools can help anyone feel like a master music engineer.

Give it shot, and keep on playing!

The post ScanScore Review: Can It Help Guitar Players? appeared first on Uberchord App.

Mark Knopfler is an iconic guitar player who is revered for his impeccable feel, finger style guitar playing and, of course, for his tone! Here we will take a look at the gear behind the tone and discuss possible combinations of gear that will lead you to his remarkable tone!

Mark Knopfler’s tone is a bright, compressed, single coil tone that captures the natural warmth of his legendary fingerstyle picking.

The Knopfler Tone

Mark Knopfler’s tone is famously very bright, clear and compressed. He is well documented as a user of the Fender Stratocaster as well as other guitars with single coil pickups; these types of pickups are a huge part of his sound. He is also known for using the crisp clean channels of boutique amplifiers to which he would apply the all-important compressor to really optimise the extreme, desirable, dynamic ranges of the single coil pickups.

The Guitar

If you’re looking to sound like Knopfler your best bet would be the Fender Stratocaster.

Fender makes many incarnations of their iconic Stratocaster, a good place to start is the Fender American Standard Stratocaster. On this guitar, you will find an alder body, maple fretboard, “C” shaped neck, 3 single coil pickups and a 25.5″ scale. The American Standard line is typically the archetypical Stratocaster. In other words, it features everything you need to get that versatile, single coil tone that Mark Knopfler achieved from his Stratocaster.

If you’re on a budget, have no fear! Check out the Fender Standard Stratocaster. These guitars are not American made but they feature all of the familiar features of the Stratocaster and they sound great!

Here are some other great Stratocaster options from Fender!

• American Deluxe Stratocaster
• Classic Series Stratocaster
• American Special Stratocaster

Now Knopfler also used humbuckers on many songs as well so if you are interested in obtaining both his single coil sounds as well as his humbucker sounds I would check out the Fender Standard HSS Strat

If you’re not into Fender guitars plenty of other companies make “strat-like” guitars that feature the double cutaway body and the three single-coil pickup configuration. When it comes down to it, the single coil pickups add so much to the Knopfler tone and any guitar that features single coils is a possible candidate to create a successful reproduction of the Knopfler sound!

Other guitar manufacturers that produce Stratocaster reminiscent guitars include G&L and Suhr!

The Guitar Amp

Mark Knopfler used many different amps over his career but commonly he would use a tube amp, with a lot of headroom and tonal space, often an expensive boutique amp. Luckily nowadays there are many amp choices that meet these standards that won’t break the bank!

The first option I would suggest is the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III. This amp gets very loud and has a pristine, versatile clean channel. It features 2 6L6 tubes and responds extremely well to pedals and picking technique. The cool thing about Fender amps is that they are essential voiced for Fender guitars, such as the Stratocaster, so these amps would go hand in hand with any Fender guitar!

Another great option would be the Fender Deluxe Reverb

Knopfler was also known to use Soldano amplifiers from time to time. He would normally set the bass around 9 and the treble and mids around 5 on these amplifiers. A great option would be the Soldano Lucky 13

The Single Coil Sound

When chasing Knopfler’s Stratocaster’s tone, the thing that really matters is the single coil pickups. They have a classic, well-known dynamic response and timbre making them indispensable. If you are looking to upgrade single coils in a guitar you already own check out these options!

• Fender Original 57/62
  
• Seymour Duncan Antiquity 
• Seymour Duncan SSL-5
• DiMarzio Area 61

 Stompboxes & Pedals

One of the most important pedals when it comes to achieving the Knopfler tone is the compressor.

A compressor helps to normalise the volume of the notes that are being played. This creates a pleasing “squished”, sustained sound that has even volume and prevents things from getting lost in the mix.

A popular, and very affordable, the compressor is the MXR Dyna Comp. This is a very simple and user-friendly compressor and is a staple of many guitarists!

There are so many compressors out there that you can choose from. The compressor really is a massive part of achieving the Knopfler tone. In combination with a cranked tweed amp, it creates a very bright, authentic tone. When the compressor is set where it doesn’t squish everything too much it will bring out the sound of the fingers on the strings.

Here are some other compressors to check out:

• Wampler Ego
• Xotic SP Compressor
• Boss CS-3
• TC Electronic Hypergravity

Another pedal to think about is an overdrive pedal. A great place to start would be the Ibanez TS808 or TS9 Tube Screamer overdrive pedal. The tube screamer series is an absolute classic. They have used the world over for their classic tube amp-like distortion that can really round out and complete your sound.

Here are some other great, classic distortion pedals to consider!

• Wampler Euphoria
• Electro-Harmonix SoulFood
• Wampler Pinnacle
• Fulltone OCD
• Xotic SL Drive

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Gilmour’s tone is renowned for it’s delicacy, grace and cleanliness. It is an extremely transparent tone allowing for maximum expression

Today we are going to take a look at the guitars, amps, pedals and more that you can buy that will get you the famous Gilmour tone!

Pink Floyd Tone

Gilmour achieves a beautiful, clear tone which is just as important to his playing as his technical ability. He is also known for his use of effects such as phasers, delays and reverbs on the Pink Floyd records. These sounds have become Gilmour’s tonal calling card and allow for enhanced ambience in his guitar parts; they are absolutely crucial to achieving his tone. He often uses very complex rigs whilst on tour and in the studio so here we will take a look at ways to achieve his high-end tone without breaking the bank!

The Stratocaster

The first thing on the path to achieving the Gilmour tone is obviously the guitar. He is famous for using a black Fender Stratocaster with a maple fretboard and loaded with higher output single coil pickups (we will discuss pickups specifically later on). If you are a massive Gilmour fan and need to have his tone than the first place to start would be the replica of his guitar made by Fender it is very expensive but they do an amazing job of replicating the tonal and aesthetic features of Gilmour’s personal guitar.

Another great option, in a more manageable price range, is the Fender American Standard Stratocaster. On this guitar, you will find very similar specs to the actual strat Gilmour uses: an alder body, maple fretboard, “C” shaped neck, 3 single coil pickups and a 25.5″ scale. To top it off this one is a fraction of the cost of the custom shop guitar and is still a professional quality guitar!

If you’re on a budget, have no fear! Check out the Fender Standard Stratocaster. These guitars are not American made but they feature all of the familiar features of the iconic Stratocaster and they sound great! If you’re not into Fender guitars plenty of other companies make “strat-like” guitars that feature the double cutaway body and the three single-coil pickup configuration. When it comes down to it, the single coil pickups add so much to the Gilmour tone and any guitar that features single coils is a possible candidate to conjure up the Gilmour sound!

Other guitar manufacturers that produce Stratocaster reminiscent guitars include G&L and Suhr!

The SSS configuration

Single coil pickups provide a pleasant sonic twang and a glassy clarity inherent in the David Gilmour tone.

As mentioned before, single coil pickups are an essential part of the Gilmour tone. As a Stratocaster player, Gilmour used the “SSS” configuration; a single coil pickup in the bridge, middle and neck. The five-way selector on Stratocasters allowed him to take advantage of this combination and create many different tones. In Gilmour’s own guitar, the neck and middle pickups were the pickups that came with the guitar but the bridge pickup was a custom pickup made by Seymour Duncan which is now in production as the SSL-5 pickup. This is an overwound pickup what strikes a great middle ground between increased output and traditional Stratocaster sound. It makes chords sound fatter and gives lead lines more clarity so they cut through the mix easier.

Seymour Duncan also makes an SSL-5 set which has all 3 pickups! The main thing to look for when it comes to pickups, in this case, is increased output and clarity.

Here are some other great options to check out:

• Dimarzio Area Strat Pickups
• Fender Original 57/62
• Seymour Duncan Antiquity II
• Bare Knuckle Slow Hand

Gilmour’s Amps

Gilmour is known to use a lot of different amps both in the studio and in a live setting. The thing to keep in mind when looking for an appropriate amp capable of producing Gilmour’s sound is it needs to be able to be turned up loud while maintaining clarity. The first amp I would suggest is the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III. This amp gets super loud (emphasis on super) while staying surprisingly clean making it perfect for the Gilmour tone. It features 2 6L6 tubes and responds extremely well to pedals (especially overdrive pedals which we will be talking about next!)

Another great choice would be the Marshall DSL40c . This is another great affordable amp that can be pushed into the high volume range while retaining its clarity. It features 4 ECC83 and 2 EL34 tubes which give it a different character than the Fender style amps so it really comes to down to personal preference when making an amp decision!

 Guitar Pedals

A massive part of Gilmour’s tone is his use of effects pedals. He is known for using modulation effects like a phaser, tape delay and reverbs. Let’s start with distortion pedals. Great transparent overdrives such as the Wampler Euphoria, Electro-Harmonix Soul food and the Fulltone OCD will get the job done. They are all extremely versatile and have the necessary power and clarity to achieve the Gilmour tone.

Gilmour is constantly experimenting with new sounds and pedals but he is quite famous for using phasers, delays and reverbs. For a great phaser pedal check out the MXR Phase 90, this one is super common because it sounds amazing and is very simple to use. For delay check out the Wampler Tape Delay or MXR Carbon Copy. If you’re really looking to invest in a very versatile delay pedal look no further than the Strymon Timeline. When it comes down to reverb, the TC Electronic Hall of Fame is a great choice and will supply you with that great echoing room sound!

Accessories

When it comes to strings Gilmour uses a custom set: .010 .012 .016 .028 .038 .048 which you can purchase from GHS. He uses this slightly thinner B and G string to make it easier to bend the strings and he uses these slightly thicker strings on the lower three strings to give the chords and riffs more definition and bite.

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Eddie’s original tone came from his famous homemade “Frankenstrat” guitar, a marshall amp and use of MXR effects pedals like the Phase 90 and Flanger.

The Guitar

Eddie is widely known for building his own guitar. His goal in building this instrument was to combine the sound of a Gibson guitar with the feeling, aesthetic and playability of a Fender guitar. He made it from a Northern Ash body Stratocaster body, a maple neck and a maple fretboard. He took a Gibson PAF pickup from a ES-335 and placed it in the bridge position. The guitar also features the Floyd Rose locking tremolo system. Later in his career, Eddie played Kramer and Charvel guitars until eventually the EVH guitar brand was founded and began manufacturing guitars.

The EVH company produces instruments truly endorsed by the man himself so they would be a great place to start on the quest for the brown sound. The striped series by EVH guitars features a basswood body, maple neck, floyd rose locking tremolo and the high output Wolfgang humbucking pickup, which is similar to the PAF. And it comes in the iconic red, white and black color scheme (other color options are available as well!)

Later in his career Eddie started using the Wolfgang model of guitars which are also available through the EVH line. This is the EVH Wolfgang Standard and features a double cutaway basswood body with a quilted maple top, maple neck and 2 wolfgang pickups. All these features and it goes for only $550!

If you’re not in the market to spend too much on a new guitar, there are ways to make the guitar you already have capable of the brown sound! If you have a guitar with a humbucker in the bridge you are on the right path!

Pickups: The higher the output, the better!

As mentioned before Eddie was building the Frankenstrat to put the higher output Gibson sound, associated with humbucking pickups, into the Fender stratocaster body style. Initially he used a Gibson PAF. Gibson has produced many PAF’s throughout the years but currently they produce the Burstbucker Pro which is a high output PAF style pickup endorsed by the Gibson name!

After the PAF Eddie used Seymour Duncan pickups. Great humbuckers from them are the Custom Shop ’78 and the SH-1b

Also, in addition to producing guitars, EVH also produces the Frankenstein pickup which would be a great option!

Amplifiers – What is the “Brown Sound”

There is much debate about the amps that Eddie used in the early days of Van Halen. Some say he used modified super lead Marshall plexis, some claim they weren’t modified at all. To achieve the “brown sound” Eddie utilized a variax which is basically a power supply that the amp plugs into and you can than control the voltage that the amp receives. By turning that down the tubes of the amp get “starved” and this gives a warmer tone that Eddie dubbed the “brown sound”.

Eddie’s tone is surprisingly clean. He relies on power amp distortion rather than pre amp distortion. This is why he would always crank his amp, to push the tubes and get a nice, natural distortion. It is a tone with quite a bit of top end and sparkle which makes the pick attack very audible. A great way to start in dialing in the brown sound is simply turning all of the knobs up and than adjusting from there! Lets take a look at some amplifier choices.

The JCM 800 is a great choice. It is a classic amp that evolved from the Plexi era. All tube amplifier head that can be pushed to get that all tube overdrive that is characteristic of the Brown Sound

If you’re not looking for a half stack, the DSL400 combo is a great choice

Pedals

EVH is also famous for using effects pedals to augment his guitar tone and to enhance his compositions. He is widely known for using the MXR Phase 90 and the MXR Flanger pedal (hear this one on the Van Halen song “Unchained”)

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Choosing the Right Pedalboard Order

Last week we talked about choosing the right “Guitar Effects to Expand Your Sound” with sub-topics of “Guitar Effects Used By Your Favorite Pro Guitarists” and “Guitar Effects To Use For Each Music Genre”. Now that you’ve hopefully acquired some pedals of your own, there is another important topic that greatly influences the outcome of your tone – your pedalboard order.

At first this may seem trivial, but a little experimentation reveals that each effect reacts very differently depending on how the original signal has been altered by previous effects in the signal chain. Initially, this can seem rather frustrating; a pedal that sounds awesome on its own can turn your sound into a real mess when combined thoughtlessly with other effects. I’m going to go into the basics of signal flow and cover the fundamentals of setting up a great sounding pedal board. As you would expect, there isn’t any one “correct” way of doing things. You may find that changing the order gives you a completely unique sound, and that’s great. However, if you’re sorting it all out for the first time, this is a good way to start ordering your pedalboard.

1. Most Guitarists Put Their Drive Pedals First

Overdrive, Distortion, Fuzz & Boost Pedals

Generally, guitarists with an array of pedals like to put their drive pedals first. This includes your overdrive, distortion, fuzz, or boost pedals. Some guitarists have more than one of these, and they usually go at the beginning of your chain. The reason for putting them first in your pedalboard order is because you will be distorting or boosting the purest version of your guitar tone. Putting a delay pedal before distortion means that the echoes from the delay pedal would themselves become distorted, resulting in an unnatural and messy sound. If you’re using an overdrive and a boost, it’s wise to put the boost first – that sends a stronger signal into the overdrive to get the most out of it.

2. Wah & Equalizer (EQ) Pedals

Second in your chain are usually wah or EQ pedals. These tend to do well when directly affecting a distorted signal, and without much else in the mix. If you plan on using a compressor you have a choice: for a more natural rock tone, the compressor works best right after the distortion or wah/EQ effects. If you’re going for that thick classic country sound however, try putting your compressor right at the end of the chain so that it squashes everything.

3. Modulation Effects

Phasers, Flangers, Chorus & Vibrato Effects

After the wah or EQ, try throwing in your phasers, flangers, chorus or vibrato effects. Because they’re following overdrive/distortion, wah and EQ, you will find that modulation effects gain a richer and more complex sound than they would have on their own or toward the front of your chain. But annoyingly, putting them right at the end of your chain can also be somewhat limiting because these types of effects tend to overpower others that go before it. Modulation effects work best right in the middle of the effects sequence.

4. Time Related Effects

Delay & Reverb

If you’re using temporal effects such as delay and reverb, these generally work best at the end of the chain. Putting a delay at the end allows the effect to give a more natural echo to everything that comes before it; the echo itself will not be altered by other effects. The same applies for reverb. Most guitarists leave reverb as the very last effect, occasionally using the amp’s in-built reverb over a pedal. Amps that have onboard reverb usually use a spring unit which produces a shimmery twang that works well for many types of music. However, if you’re looking for a roomier type of reverb that emulates a giant concert hall, a pedal based reverb is probably what you’re looking for. Either way, putting reverb at the end of the chain provides a spacious, natural tone that simulates a cavernous echo.

5. Experimentation is Strongly Encouraged

As always, experimenting with your pedalboard order is strongly encouraged. Given the countless effects pedals that are currently available, it can take quite a long time to figure out what works best, and in which combination. But this effect order should provide a great jump-off point for getting your effects to play well with one another.

I get a lot of questions from concerned effects enthusiast about “true bypass” effects and how important that feature is to your sound. In the next column I’ll spend some time discussing the pros and cons of “true bypass”, and why you should or shouldn’t care about it.

Still confused about pedal boards? Here is your best lesson and some words of wisdom from the God of guitar himself – Steve Vai.

If you are a DIY kind of guitar player and like to build stuff on your own, then check out this fantastic video from Guitar World on – How to Build Your Own Pedal Board at Home.

Learning how to use pedals and arrange your zoom pedal board order can help immensely when learning areas of the guitar. Some riffs, like “Voodoo Child,” are not the same without a wah pedal! However you need the technique and the music theory knowledge, sometimes, to play these riffs correctly. So please look over our free blog for any topics you’re still shaky on. We have articles on topics as varied as the key of dm for guitar, angus young’s gibson sg special marshall amp, as well as discussions on the best youtube guitar lessons for rock.

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Carlos Santana is famous for his warm, resonant, vocal like lead tone that has inspired legions of guitar players for centuries

Carlos Santana’s Guitar

In the early days of his career, Santana would use various Gibson guitar models. On his first releases he used a Gibson Les Paul Special with P-90’s. This era of his tone was a little brighter and honkier due to the tonal qualities found in the single coil p-90 pickups. He later transitioned to a Gibson SG with humbuckers and as a result his tone became more mid-rangy and beefier with more power and bite.

In the 1970’s Santana discovered Paul Reed Smith (PRS) guitars, for which he is most well known. He prefers double cut away guitars with 24 frets and humbucking pickups. These are the attributes that his various PRS incarnations over the years have shared.

The PRS Guitar

Nowadays, Santana is well known for using his signature model he designed with Paul Reed Smith. If you are looking to get the most authentic and Santana approved gear in order to acquire his sound look no further than this guitar! Having been designed by the man himself it can’t can anymore legitimate than this. It features a double cut mahogany body for a full sounding mid range, a neck specification that Santana himself designed, which is slightly larger and provides a smooth playing experience. It also feature two humbucking pickups, in this case, that were also designed by Santana. If you’re not looking to spend upwards of five grand in your quest to sound like Santana have no fear, there are other options!

The Other PRS Guitars

Luckily PRS, makes a more affordable, but still amazing, Santana model (they actually make two!). The first one is the SE Santana Signature. This again features a mahogany, double cut away body, SE pickups that were approved and designed by Santana, 24 frets and a stunning maple top. The best part is that this is a stunningly faithful and quality instrument that you can pick up for around $800!

PRS actually do make another Santana signature under their mass produced SE line. It is called the SE Santana Standard. It is a little less flashy than the SE signature mentioned before, most notably by the fact that it lacks a high-grade maple top. It is a very simplistic and affordable guitar but still features the mahogany body, 22 frets, humbucking pickups and approval from Santana himself!

The Humbucker Sound

As you’ll notice in all of the PRS Santana models, and in the Gibsons and other guitars Santana played before finding PRS, he used humbucking pickups. These pickups provide you with more output, mid range and fullness of sound than a single coil pickup and they are an important part of Santana’s sound. If you already have a guitar you enjoy but are looking to upgrade the pickups to something that would be more Santana appropriate, check these options out!

• Bare Knuckle Stormy Monday
• Seymour Duncan SH-5
• DiMarzio DP103 PAF
• Lollar Imperial
• Porter Classic Humbucker
• Seymour Duncan SH-1b
• Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates

 “Man, that little thing really Boogies!”

In the early days there was Marshall and there was Fender. Any guitarist, like Santana, that was in pursuit of a rich, creamy, warm tone had to find a way to make due with what they had or have their amps modified. In the beginning Santana was known for using a Fender Twin Reverb with the volume all the way up on his guitar and on the amp to give him more gain.

He later became associated with Mesa Boogie Amps. These amps were among the first custom boutique amplifiers that could acquire the tone Santana heard in his head. He had a signature amp called the King Snake with Mesa Boogie but they have gone out of production so they first amp I would recommend is the Mesa Boogie Express 5:25 Combo.

This amp is full of the classic Mesa Boogie tone that Santana has become associated with. This is a 25 watt all tube, open back combo amplifier consisting of 2 channels. It features 5 12AX7A and 2 EL84 tubes and 4 different style modes that give you many options to craft the tone that you want to hear. This amp is extremely versatile and very capable of producing the creamy, rich Santana tone!

Another amp to check out is the Egnater Tweaker Combo Series. This is a great alternative to the Mesa Boogie amp in a cheaper price range. This is an all tub amplifier just like the Mesa. It features 2 6v6 power tubes and 3 12AX7 pre-amp tubes. When combined with some pedals you can really get a screaming tone!

Stompboxes & Pedals

Santana has a relatively simple rig in terms of effects pedals. What we are going to discuss is mainly distortion pedals that can give you that Santana tone on the amp you already have!

The first pedal to check out is the Mesa Boogie Flux-Five overdrive pedal. This thing is like having a Mesa amp inside a pedal and it is a perfect option when trying to emulate Santana due to his avid use of Mesa Boogie products. This pedal can create overdriven tones ranging from a more subtle, crisp boost to a heavy tone. It also features a 5-band EQ which is very commonly found on Mesa amps themselves. This pedal can be used on your amps clean tone or it can be used to supplement an already overdriven tone. Keep in mind that Santana’s tone isn’t overly saturated with tone so it is best to experiment and keep the gain knob on the low side and boost the volume. This pedal actually has 2 modes; one with less gain and one with more gain. If you are setting the equalizer slightly scoop the mid frequencies and slightly boost the high frequencies.

Another pedal option would be the Ibanez TS808 or TS9 Tube Screamer overdrive pedal. The tube screamer series is an absolute classic. They are used the world over for their classic tube amp like distortion that can really round out and complete your sound. These pedals will get you the smooth, controlled distorted sound of Santana!

Here are some other great, classic distortion pedals to consider!

• Wampler Euphoria
• Electro-Harmonix SoulFood
• Wampler Pinnacle
• Fulltone OCD
• Xotic SL Drive

More to Consider

In terms of accessories like strings a picks, Santana has a set of strings that are commercially available through GHS strings. These are available in 4 different gauge sets and are all made of nickel. The higher strings (the E and B) are often custom gauges to make them last longer because they do get the most wear and tear.

Santana is also known to be a fan of V-Picks and you can purchase the guitar pick he enjoys right here! To learn more about he plays lead guitar and solos, then you’re in the right place. Our blog has free articles on these topics as well as what arpeggios do i learn on guitar, guitar assistant guitar tuner, and the guitar g sharp chord. 

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