News, Reviews, and More!

Gibson Guitar Deals On Musician’s Friend

Gibson Les Paul Studio – Now Faded Cherry Only $799!!

   I am a Fender instruments player and a really big fan of all their musical equipment. But I must say that I’ve been truly disappointed with Fender jacking up their prices resulting in a huge price increase. Don’t get me wrong, I think any company is fully within their rights to charge what the market is willing to bear. I also think it’s fully within the rights of the consumer to shop around for the best deals.

   As you know, I primarily play my Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster’s in my live band. I also own a Gibson Les Paul Custom which I used to play in my live band until they jacked the price up so high I knew I could never replace it if it was stolen or damaged. Now it sits safely in it’s case, un-played and increasing in value which I think is a complete waste of a beautiful guitar. I also have a Gibson Les Paul BFG that is a fun instrument to play but still doesn’t see a lot of stage time. It’s just a little too poorly constructed to stand up well to the rigors of regular live use.

   Still with Fender putting the markup on their best Stratocaster’s so high, I’ve been looking into Gibson again. While checking the current deals at Musician’s Friend I ran across their add banner that Gibson has reduced prices on their American made guitars. So naturally, I checked into it. (Here’s the banner for you to check out)

   As it turns out, you can save a bundle of money on a Gibson Les Paul Studio or a Gibson SG guitar. They’re both American made and possess the legendary Gibson sound that they’re famous for. Now for why they’re so affordable, the finish is crap! The best deals are on the “Faded” finish or as I like to call it, the “half-can of spray paint” finish.

   Before you think that I feel like the faded finish is a bad thing, I really don’t. Because these guitars are intended to be working guitars. They’re meant to be played live in your band. A finish is just going to get beat to hell with regular live playing use so why not start out with a more affordable finish? That’s why I’m recommending these guitars as potential candidates to become your onstage, working guitar. They’re both definitely worth a look.

   If you have more money to spend, you may as well check out the Gibson Les Paul 1959 Reissue. Just follow the banner below to check it out.
Download Free Fender Cyber-Twin SE Preset Patch “LMC Twang”

Fender Cyber-Twin SE Amplifier

Today I’m posting another of my custom programmed preset patches for all you guitarists using the excellent Fender Cyber-Twin SE amplifier in your live band. The Fender Cyber-Twin SE is my current stage amp. I’m very particular about my live sound so I spend some good time programming my Cyber-Twin SE until it sounds just like what I’m hearing in my head. Today’s patch is called “LMC Twang” and as the name suggests, it’s a twangy clear tone sound preset.

There’s not a lot to say about this preset patch. It’s a bright, clear and twangy amp sound which uses a Blackface tone stack. I use this sound when my band plays Folsom Prison by Johnny Cash. I also used this sound on Shufflin’ Noah’s album “Fudgie The Dog”. I used it on track 1, “Fudgie The Dog (intro)”. (more…)
Sunday Funnies – Up Butt Coconut

This stupid video cracked me up for one main reason. When I was about 12 years old, I got in some major trouble for teaching my 4-year old nephew how to say “Up your butt with a coconut”. Now I thought it was truly unfair that I had gotten busted by my Sister-In-Law for teaching my nephew a phrase that had been a playground put-down staple for years!!

Phil, if you’re reading this, I hope it brings back some memories! (more…)
Weekend Set List For Your Live Band To Play 5-22-09 – Dance 2

   Every weekend I will be featuring a new downloadable live band set list for you to check out and download right here on Live Musician Central. This feature is called “Weekend Set List” and it features proven set lists that keep the audience on their feet in live music clubs. The songs on the set list are time tested and proven to work in the clubs.

   The musical style of the setlist is shown at the end of the post title. This week I’m featuring another Dance set list. This set list of songs are taken from the Mobile Beat Top 200 Dance Songs Of All Time. These songs have been shown to fill the floor with dancers every time they’re played.

   You can either use this list and learn these songs to play with your live band or you can simply use them as break music. If you play these while your band takes it’s break you will keep the party happening while you get some rest. It’s a good idea to keep these songs on your iPod or portable music player.

   I am posting the Set List with Amazon.com MP3 downloads because they’re cheaper than iTunes, sound better than iTunes and you can listen to samples right here on the webpage.
Playing Cover Music Vs. Playing Original Music Part 3

Shufflin' Noah – Making Original Music Since The Mid 90's

This is the 3rd and final (for now) part of my take on playing cover music versus playing original music in a live band. I’ve written two previous posts on this topic titled Playing Cover Music Vs. Playing Original Music Part1 and Part 2. I’ve played in live bands for 27 years and I’ve played original music as well as cover music the entire time. I have a unique perspective about playing both types of gigs. Today I’m going to talk about the difference between playing in an Original Music band and a Cover Band.

The biggest differences between playing in a cover band vs. playing in an original band become glaringly apparent when it comes to gigs. I have to say that playing original music gigs can be either the highest of highs or the lowest of lows. Playing cover music gigs are much more consistent as long as your band plays the songs well. Let me explain what I mean. (more…)
Affordable Practice Amp – Marshall MS-2 Micro Amp Review

Marshall MS-2 Micro Amplifier

A few years ago I was looking for a cheap battery powered amplifier to take with me on the road so I could practice my electric guitar while travelling. I really just wanted a convenient way to stay in practice for when I gigged with my live band. I came across the Marshall MS-2 Micro Amplifier during my search and I decided to give it a try. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised at how well this tiny amplifier filled my needs for a portable practice amp.

The Marshall MS-2 stands a mere 5-3/4″ high and looks like a classic Marshall half-stack. The amplifier is powered by a single 9-volt battery that fits into a slot on the back of the amp and is very easy to change. The MS-2 has the Marshall logo on the front of the amplifier with a gold colored control panel. The amp has a guitar input jack, volume, tone and power/overdrive switch on the front panel. On the side it has a headphone output and a power adapter input plug if you want to use an external power adapter. You can also use the headphone out to run to a larger amplifier if you want to use the MS-2 as a pre-amp distortion box. (more…)
Joe Satriani – Flying In A Blue Dream (Live In San Francisco)

What can I say about the amazing Joe Satriani. He is truly a guitar god and one of the finest live guitarists on the planet. This video clip is from his excellent live concert DVD “Live In San Francisco” which also features bass god Stuart Hamm.

This song, Flying In A Blue Dream, is the first song off the album of the same name. Flying In A Blue Dream is an album that changed my entire approach to the guitar and this song kicked off that album. I’ve always loved it and in this video clip, Joe is in his finest form. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I did. (more…)
Music Equipment Rebates On AKG, JBL, Lexicon, dbx, Crown and Soundcraft

Get Rebates On The JBL JRX125 Speaker

   Until June 30, 2009 you can score up to $500 cash back with rebates offered on top of the line music equipment manufactured by Harman brand. I have owned many pieces of equipment manufactured by Harman over the years and I have always had excellent results. The best speakers I’ve ever used in my live band are my JBL JRX125 Dual 15″ 2-way speakers and they are made by Harman International.

   Harman manufactures the following brands which are all participating in this rebate offer: JBL, Crown, dbx, AKG, Lexicon and Soundcraft. This rebate offer can save you a ton of money if you’re in the process of building your P.A. system or your home studio rig. These are all premium brand names which make top level, professional music equipment. You can pick up speakers, amplifiers, compressors, equalizers, patchbays, microphones and many more products under the umbrella of this excellent offer.

   Music123 has created a special link directly to all the Harman products included in this rebate offer. As you know, I believe that Music123 has some of the best customer service of all the online music equipment retailers. Go ahead and follow the link below to start shopping for these excellent products offered by Harman International today:
Playing Cover Music Vs. Playing Original Music Part 2

George Thorogood Plays Original Music And Cover Music

The other day I wrote a post titled Playing Cover Music Vs. Playing Original Music Part 1 which covered the amount of creativity involved in playing cover music versus original music in a live band. Today I’m writing part two of that post to give you my view on another angle of the Cover Music Vs. Original Music debate. I’ve been seeing a lot of action in the online forums on this topic and I wanted to give you my view based on the fact the I play in both a cover band and an original band.

In my previous post I wrote about the amount of creativity involved in playing cover music vs. original music. I gave a slight edge to original music since it does take a bit more creativity to create a song from nothing. If you remember, I believe that playing cover music requires just about as much creativity as playing original music. Today I’m going to write about the skill level involved in playing Cover Music vs. Original Music. (more…)
Sunday Funnies – Worst Nirvana Cover Ever

Okay, it’s not fair to make fun of a live band trying to play a song so I want to point out a few positives here first. This song, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is difficult to play because the recording that we’re all used to is so full sounding. But when you try to cover it in a live band, it is really tough to make two notes on the guitar sound rich and full like the recording.

These poor kids don’t even have a bass player and the guitarist doesn’t have his guitar in tune for the two-note riff. So really, all is lost before the singer begins to sing. After the singer starts…well, I’ll let you see for yourself. I will say this though, the drummer has potential! (more…)