Category: 2. Live Band Equipment

What equipment do I need to play live concerts? What equipment should I use in my home studio? Find out here.

Talent And Skill On The Ukulele – Jake Shimabukuro

   I have to admit that I never really considered the Ukulele a very serious instrument. It seems so limited with only four strings and a two octave range. Of course, whenever an instrument can make music, it seems like someone comes along and masters it.

   I gained a new appreciation for the Ukulele when I saw an amazing YouTube video by Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro. His skill on the instrument is truly amazing and he has a rare talent for creating very moving arrangements of well loved songs. The video I have added to this post is of Jake playing “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” written by George Harrison of The Beatles. It’s an amazing video to watch and Jake performed this same version on the Conan O’Brien show. His performance of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was a huge hit on the Conan O’Brien show and prompted Conan to get up out of his chair and declare the performance as one of the best things he’s ever seen on the show.

   So enjoy the video of Jake Shimabukuro, I’ve also included a link to his website.

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The Digitech Whammy Pedal

Digitech Whammy Pedal

One of the coolest effects I have purchased for my collection of guitar effects is the Whammy Pedal by Digitech. The Whammy Pedal was revolutionary when it was first released in 1991 and the new updated version can do even more than the original. It can be heard on recordings by The White Stripes, Buckethead, Radiohead, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, David Gilmour and Pink Floyd, Jimmy Page and many more. So what is it that this pedal does that has such famous and great guitarists using it?

What this pedal does is change the pitch of the note that you play on guitar. You can play a note and then either raise the pitch up to 2 full octaves or drop the pitch down 3 full octaves. It’s quite a broad range of pitch bending. It’s very simple in theory and when you start using it you begin to understand the possibilities that the Whammy Pedal opens up. Have you ever been playing a guitar solo and wished you could play even higher notes? (more…)
Announcing Live Musician Central Store

Live Musician Central Store

   Today Live Musician Central is opening our featured products store. In the store you will be able to find all the products we discuss at Live Musician Central. You will find all the products necessary for creating a great live show with your band.

   There are products for guitar players, bass players, drummers, keyboard players and singers. You will also find a good selection of equipment for live sound such as P.A. systems and live sound accessories. There is also a section on stage lighting.

   As we review and discuss more products on Live Musician Central they will be added to the store. The Live Musician Central store is powered by Amazon.com shopping cart and check out system and the products are offered from many different vendors. If you’re familiar with shopping on Amazon I’m sure you’ve had some trouble sorting through all the various offerings on the same product. For instance there are several store entries for Shure SM57 microphones. What we’ve done in the Live Musician Central store is sort through and select the best offerings from Amazon.com vendors so you won’t have to spend a lot of time searching for what you’re looking for.

   You can access the Live Musician Central Store at any time by clicking on the tab at the top of the page called LMC Store. So if you want good prices, security and reliability then shop at the Live Musician Central Store.
Getting Proper Equalization With EQ Frequencies

Mackie Quad EQ

One of the most important aspects of mixing music in a live venue or in the studio is the use of equalization. The other day I wrote about how to tweak your guitar amplifier EQ settings. Today I’m going to write about the effect of equalization on other parts of the mix.

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The Hohner Blues Harp

Hohner Blues Harp

Mathias Hohner started making harmonicas in his kitchen in Trossingen, Germany. Amazingly, Hohner harmonicas are still made at a factory in Trossingen, Germany after all these years. I don’t think there’s any question that the Hohner Harmonica has had a profound influence on American music. The harmonica is one of the easiest and most fun instruments I have ever learned how to play. I play the awesome Hohner Blues Harp harmonica.

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The Martin 00CXAE Thin Body Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Martin 00CXAE

My first guitar was a Korean made acoustic guitar that wasn’t even branded. I loved that guitar and it was my first step into a lifelong endeavor of being a guitarist. So when I finally wore the frets down to the wood I decided to get myself another acoustic guitar. What I was looking for was an acoustic guitar with the following qualities: (more…)
Roland HPD-10 Handsonic Percussion Controller

Roland Handsonic HPD-10

Today I’d like to introduce you to the Roland HPD-10 Handsonic Percussion Controller. This is really an amazing instrument. The Handsonic is a drum controller meant to be played with your hands. It has 10 highly sensitive individual pads that have both pressure and positional sensitivity. That means you’ll get different sounds when you hit the pad hard, soft or closer to the edges of the individual pads. The Handsonic has 400 high-quality instrument sounds built in including congas, bongos, tabla, djembe and cajon.

One of the coolest features of the Roland HPD-10 is the D Beam controller. The D Beam sends out a beam of infrared light which reflects off your hand or any other solid surface you put in front of it. (more…)
Learn Guitar Chords, Scales And Tunings For Free

Guitar Chordbook at Chordbook.com

When I was learning guitar one of my most valuable learning aids was a chord book. I had a Beatles songbook that didn’t have chord diagrams but it did have chord names above the music notation. So I had to turn to the chord book to learn how to finger the chords I wanted to play. It was a good way to do it because I memorized chords faster that way. Later on I got in Jazz Band in high school and had to learn all kinds of jazz chords on the guitar. Needless to say I used that chord book until the covers were falling off.

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A Classic Fender Amp, The Fender Bassman

Fender Bassman

I recently had the opportunity to play a ’59 Fender Bassman Reissue amplifier and I was really blown away with how amazing it sounded. As a guitarist you hear stories of the great amplifiers as you learn your craft and you hear the amplifiers on recordings. But there’s really nothing like playing the amps yourself and really being able to crank them all the way up. The thing about tube amplifiers is they give you more sweetness the harder you push them. Every tube amp I’ve played has had a sweet spot where the amplifier really sings.

So I got to really push the ’59 Fender Bassman Reissue and let me tell you, it’s loud. But it sounds so damn good that you don’t care how loud it is. It’s ecstasy because it’s a sound that you recognize from all the recordings that have been made with this amplifier. I love it when an amplifier roars when you really hit your guitar hard and then quiets down and softens as you play softer and roll down your guitar volume. (more…)
Back To School For Drummers

Remo Practice Pad

   My son is a drummer and every year we have to replenish his supply of back-to-school drumming items. If you have any kids in a percussion program I figured I’d save you some time searching for those essential back-to-school items that your student may need.

   Our list for this year included SD1 General Sticks, SD2 General Sticks, Stick Bag and a Practice Pad. Here are some links to the essentials for your percussion student.

   I have found all the links to buy the above products… (more…)