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.

  • Korg Pandora PX5D Multi-Effect Processor For Bass And Guitar

    Korg Pandora PX5D
    Korg PX5D Pandora

       I previously reviewed the Korg ToneWorks PX4D and gave it my highest recommendation because of the many applications that it has in your gear arsenal. To read that review click here. The latest and greatest offering in the Korg Pandora line is the:
    Korg Pandora PX5D Guitar Multi Effects Processor Silver.

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  • Fender American Standard Precision Bass

       This is my favorite bass guitar of all time. It’s such a simple instrument with a simple design and setup that it’s surprising how many things there are to love about it. Body and scale wise it’s the bass version of the Fender Stratocaster. When it originally came out in 1951 it didn’t have the excellent body contouring that it has now. They gave the Precision Bass the comfortable body contouring in 1953. The Precision Bass actually helped spawn the design of the Fender Stratocaster. The Precision Bass was the first Fender offering to have the double cutaway design and the body contouring, both of which went on to be incorporated into the design of the Fender Stratocaster. The P-Bass is still selling today, 57 years after its introduction. It has helped shape the sound of all modern music.

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  • Learn Songs The Easy Way, Tascam MP-GT1

    Tascam MP-GT1 Portable MP3 Guitar Trainer

       When I was first learning how to play songs by ear from the original recordings it was a huge struggle for me. I was trained to read music from a young age and playing by ear was a whole new world for me. I remember sitting on my bed and working on a song for several hours before I finally had it down. The hardest thing of all was learining how to play the guitar solos. The notes flew by so fast that I couldn’t begin to pick them out.

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  • June Is Fender Month At Musician’s Friend

       Today I just wanted to let everybody know that June is Fender month at Musician’s Friend. This is a big deal to me because I’m a huge user and fan of Fender products. (more…)

  • The Best Guitar Picks – Clayton Acetal Standard Picks

    Clayton Acetal Standard Guitar Picks

       I’ve used dozens of different types of guitar picks over the years in the quest to find a great guitar pick. I wanted a pick with the following qualities:

    • Non-slip, sweat resistant surface
    • Long lasting and break resistant
    • Good hardness for a sharp attack

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  • The Best Instrument Microphone – The Shure SM57

    Shure SM57 Microphone

       If you’ve been in any recording studio or seen any band live with microphones on the guitar amps, you’ll have seen the Shure SM57 Instrument Microphone. This mic is a dandy! (and I don’t say “dandy” very often). My experience with the Shure SM57 has been nothing but positive. The microphone is tougher than nails and my guitar amp sounds fantastic with my pair of SM57’s on it.

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  • You Need A P.A. System To Play A Gig

    Behringer PMP6000/B1520 Pro Mains And Monitors P.A. Package
    Behringer PMP6000/B1520 Pro Mains And Monitors P.A. Package

     In a live band there are certain things you need when you play a Gig. The biggest and most important is a Public Address system. Without one you will not be able to amplify your singers properly. You just can’t get away with running the vocalist through a guitar amplifier.

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  • Guitar Collecting

    Fender American Deluxe 50th Anniversary Stratocaster
    50th Anniversary Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster

       I am a guitar player so it goes without saying that I love guitars. I have 14 guitars and I would still like to have more. It’s really hard to pick just one favorite because they all have certain things they do well and each guitar comes with its own special vibe.         (more…)

  • Behringer ADA8000 Ultragain Pro-8 A/D/A Converter

    Behringer Ultragain Pro-8 Digital ADA8000
    Behringer ADA8000

    When I upgraded my studio from my old Fostex 24-track system to my Digidesign Pro Tools setup I lost some critical functionality. My Digidesign Digi-002 Rack system only had 8 total inputs which was a major downgrade from my 24-track. To be able to do live studio recordings with the whole band I needed a minimum of 12 channels for our 4-piece band.
    Luckily my Digidesign Digi-002 Rack has a built-in ADAT interface. So my search began for an A/D Converter with Mic preamps built in.            (more…)

  • Mixer For Live And Studio Use, the Phonic Helix Board 18 MK1 FireWire

    Phonic Helix Board 18
    Phonic Helix Board 18 MK1 FireWire

       I’m always on the lookout for good deals on products that you can use for multiple purposes. Today I’m going to tell you about the Phonic Helix Board MkI FireWire. It has been replaced by the MkII but is virtually the same board with a few cosmetic changes. I’m talking about the MkI because you can get a great deal on it right now on eBay.   (more…)