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Jimmy Hendrix, Eddie VanHalen, B. B. King, Angus Young, Brian "Head"
Welch, Fletcher Dragge. What do all of these people have in common?
They are all guitar heroes in they're own styles of music. However,
because of the different styles of music they play, each guitarist
mentioned above uses a different style of guitar. The guitars different
body styles and shape help mold the perfect sound for the style you
play. From sweet and warm, to loud and thrashing, the guitar is one of
the most versatile instruments and can be used for any style of music.
Most styles of music (and the legends who made that style famous)
have a specific guitar that embodies each genres sound. Jimmy Hendrix,
a virtuoso of the 60' era, played a Fender Stratocaster. Eddie
VanHalen, know for his innovative "tapping" style solos, Plays a custom
peavey guitar called a Wolfgang. B. B. King, a blues guitar legend,
plays a signature model Gibson Hollow body. Angus young, lead guitarist
for AC/DC, plays a solid body Gibson SG. Head, one of two guitar
players for the band Korn, plays an Ibanez 7-string model. Fletcher
Dragge, a pioneer in the field of punk, plays a standard series RG
Ibanez. To those who don't play guitar these names may be unfamiliar,
but to those who play, these guitars cover most of the different sounds
you can get out of a guitar.
One way a guitar sounds different than other models is the way it is
built. Depending on what kind of wood is used the sound can completely
change. Some examples of woods used for guitars are ash, pine,
sandalwood, rosewood, and maple. The more dense the wood is, the longer
the sustain it has (sustain is a term for how long the sound will carry
from one attack). Also, the lighter the wood, the brighter tone it has.
The wood used for the fret board is also important. Usually it is made
of maple or rosewood. Each of these woods has a different feel to it
(it is more of a preference for one or the other as opposed to it being
a mater of how they sound). When a guitar is manufactured, there are
three ways of attaching the fretboard (or neck) of the guitar to the
body. The first style is a bolt-on neck. The fret board is literally
bolted and glued to the body of the guitar. This is the cheapest and
quickest way to attach the neck. Although it is the fastest and
cheapest, guitars with a bolt-on neck still get a great sound; even
though you sacrifice some sustain. The second way to attach the neck is
called a set-neck style. The body has a slot that is the same size as
the end of the neck. They attach the neck using only glue. This creates
more contact between the neck and the body for a long sustain and a
fat, warm tone. The third style is not even a way to connect the neck
to the body (technically, it is a way to attach the body to the neck).
It is called neck-through body style. The neck of the guitar and the
center section of the body are one piece of wood. They then glue a
"wing" to each side of the center part of the body half of the guitar,
creating a huge sustain, and an amazing tone. This last process cost
much more than the other two styles.
The body shape of a guitar is as important to the sound as is the
way it is made. If there are slight imperfections in the fretbord or
the body, it can cause problems with intonation. There are many
different body styles that all accommodate a different style of music.
A hollow body or acoustic guitar has the perfect sound for classical or
folk music. A semi-hollow body guitar is used mostly for blues or
rockabilly. All other electric guitars sounds can be changed to fit the
style of music you wish to play. Most solid body guitars have the same
base tone. The difference in sound comes from the many kinds of
pick-ups used in the guitar, and how they are arranged. A pick-up is a
set of magnets that are used to read the vibrations of the strings.
They then send the notes you play through the cable to the amplifier.
There are many different kinds of pick-ups used in guitars. There are
two main versions of a pick-up: a single rail, and a humbucker. There
are many versions of each kind. A single rail pick-up has six bar
magnets used to read the sound. They have a very bright sound. The
Humbucker pick-up was invented by Seymour Duncan to eliminate the fuzz
that was prominent in older Single rail pick-ups. They are twice as
wide as single rails. They contain a single wire that is wrapped around
two sets of six magnets. The wire is used to stop the buzzing (or "buck
the hum" as Seymour said it). The different combinations of single and
humbucker pickups are endless. The use of one and the other can result
in some really different tone qualities. Each style of music has it's
own average pick-up combination. Alternative rock usually sides with
the humbucker/ two single setup because it is so versatile. Harder rock
players usually use two humbuckers for the fat and warm tone. Punk and
ska players tend to lean towards the single coil pick-ups because of
their bright tone. Another kind of pick-up is an active pickup. Most
pick-ups are passive, meaning that they take the power they need from
the amp. Active pick-ups use an internal battery. This allows for a
fast response and a hotter sound.
The main reason people choose to use different models and pick-up
configuration is to mold and shape their own individual guitar sound.
Finding the perfect sound for your style of music is not tough, but
putting your personal touches on it can be frustrating. Many newer
players are resorting to "stomp boxes" (a.k.a. foot pedals or effects
generators) to alter the sound of their guitar. A good example of a
guitarist that is breaking out of the traditional way of using pedals
is Wes Borland. He uses strings of pedals to create new sounds that
compliment his playing style. He has a sound that no other guitar
player can copy. He also plays on a seven-string guitar. He has found
the perfect sound for his style of music, a feat that takes many people
an entire career to accomplish.
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