GHS Fast Fret – Guitarists Best Friend
I have been using GHS Fast Fret for years, in fact I think I have had this one for at least 2!
Fast Fret
Pretty simple product really, a wooden handle with cloth on the end (has mineral oil embedded in it).
You can apply to the neck and not worry about it damaging the fretboard, just run it over the strings then wipe off any excess with the supplied cloth.
Warning! don't apply too much though as its takes a while to come off.
I wipe the strings off every time I'm done playing then use this about once a week, it helps keep the strings looking like new and definately helps with making them longer lasting.
Another word of warning, keep it in the container or it will dry it out.
G | H Rating 5/5
The ML1 has landed! Rob Chapman guitar almost here
Just wanted to spread the news that Rob Chapman's signature ML1 is almost among us.
Interview with Rob Chapman – Questions needed
Rob Chapman
Hi all, I've lined up an interview with YouTube guitarist guru Rob Chapman (http://www.themonkeylord.com).
Rob has been endorsed by Orange, ESP, PRS and Marshall and has also just signed up for his own signature model, the ML1.
Rob has been a big influence on my internet efforts and I hope to ask some really great questions, this is where the community comes in.
I want you to submit any questions that you would like me to ask Rob in the comments section of this page, you have until the 5th Oct.
Thanks and please participate to make this a great interview.
Digitech Hardwire CM-2 Review
The CM-2 is an OD pedal in a similar vein to the Ibanez Tube Screamer.
Digitech CM2
Price - £99
Out of the box
First impressions are that this pedal is built to last, constructed like most other pedals out there but this has nice chunky alloy dials and two things that make this even more of a gig worthy pedal. First is the nice glow in the dark sticker that can be applied to the foot switch and secondly the Stomplock, which allows you to secure all of the present settings in place with the use of a plastic guard that fits on top of the dials. The battery location is situated under the footswitch allowing for easy access, just as you would expect.
Connections and controls
As expected 1 in and 1 out.
Dials are (from left to right): Level, Low, High, Gain
Then there is another switch just below these which is Classic (in the Tube Screamer, low gain OD) and Modified (another gain stage for playing heavy rock).
Sounds
This is one of the best OD pedals I've heard. I play mostly blues and rock and I can get anything from SRV to Metallica, if you are after a heavier sound then I would recommend checking out their TL-2 Metal pedal instead.
The main advantage I found was being able to have more control over my OD at lower levels without losing tone, which when using the drive from a valve amp is difficult especially at bedroom levels. If you are into texas blues and classic rock tones then this is the pedal you need.
Overall
When compared to some other OD pedals this may seem expensive but the quality of the pedal justifies the price tag. A hard wearing, great sounding pedal that will last for years. For me though where this pedal comes out into its own is being able to play at home on a sensible volume without losing any quality of your tone.
G | H rating 5/5
Boss RV-5 Review
Boss Rv-5
Digital Reverb from Boss, the RV-5
Price: £99 (£129 when purchased)
Out of the box
This shouldn't surprise anyone already familiar with a BOSS product, standard case in the same metal construction as the other ones in the line. Battery compartment located under the footswitch, with easy access.
Connections and Controls
4 IN and OUT, 2 mono and 2 stereo.
Dials are (left to right): E.Level, Tone, Time, Mode (spring, plate, hall, room, gate and modulate).
Sounds
This pedal covers all you could ever want from a reverb pedal, from discrete all the way up to monster hall reverb. The killer feature on this pedal though that makes it stand above others is the MODULATE function, check out this YT video:
Overall
If you have a reverb pedal or have it built into the amp then you may not want to spend £99 on another pedal, but if you love that modulate setting then this is a must buy.
G | H Rating: 4/5
Tab Toolkit – Review
Tab Toolkit
Tab Toolkit is brought to you by the same company that gave us Guitar Toolkit (see previous review).
It is an all in one solution for reading tabs on the go or if you do not have access to a computer and costs £5.99 on the app store.
First impressions are that it is well presented and intuitive, no need for a help file here to show you where to go.
It is compatible with:
* Guitar Pro
* Power Tab
* Plain Text
So it covers pretty much all bases.
Song List
The main song list page lets you see all of the tabs that you have on your phone, it organises by Artist or Song.
Well laid out and easy to read.
Clicking on one of the tabs then takes you into the main area of the program, here you can view the tab in the given format e.g. guitar pro, text etc.
Main Tab Area
You can see from the picture (Main Tab Area) that it looks just as you would expect in guitar pro, you can also turn your iPhone sideways for full landscape. This works really well and through the settings menu you can change the tempo and configure the metronome.
This works so well I would fully expect to replace using the screen with this, easier to have by your side and easy to read. It even shows the fretboard so that you can see the notes more visually. The sound is also just as you would expect from Guitar Pro.
You can select the different instruments using the guitar icon in the bottom left hand corner, this shows all available for the your chosen track.
Downloading Tab
One of my favourite features of this software is its ability to download tab as you go without having to take it from a PC. There are two options for getting tab onto the program:
1. Copy from a computer using a browser (type in a given IP address)
2. Use the 'Download Tab' option and it brings up Google. You can then navigate to any of the various tab websites to get one of the supported file types. If you are on a text only page, a message pops up and allows you to download this also. You are then asked to enter the Artist and Song name so that it can be added to your song list, I found this to be good but would be nice to auto-fill once I had entered the first few letters.
Overall
Tab Toolkit is another must have for iPhone owning guitar players, I can see it being invaluable when gigging / rehearsing. How many other people carry around a folder of paper, I know I do.
There are a few improvements (already mentioned auto-fill) but also the google search once you have a page displayed seemed a little unpredictable but it certainly doesn't detract from making this one of the best applications available.
G | H rating 4.5/5
New Guitar for review – Martin JC-16 GTE
Martin JC-16
Review coming soon, thought I would let you know what ones are coming up in the future.
Bought from Jeff at World Guitars (http://www.worldguitars.co.uk), check out the site for all your high end needs.
World Guitars
Guitar Toolkit – Update, it has scales
After posting my review Jack at AgilePartners got in contact to let me know that the FRETBOARD section of the app contains a bit more than I thought.
If you hit the 'i' (see image below)
Hit the i in the bottom right hand corner
You get the following
Allowing you to select a whole host of scales (see above image), in which you can click on the notes to hear them.
Brilliant!! Thanks for the update.
Guitar Toolkit – iPhone Review
The iPhone is great for keeping in touch but the apps is where its made strides in the winning the phone wars.
As a guitar player there are loads of apps out there, this is my favourite though.
This application currently retails at £5.99 on the app store and is selling well, I also spot they have a Tab Toolkit application which I will download and review.
What do you get?
This applications comes with the following functionality:
Tuner
The tuner is easy to see and has a handy RED/GREEN light as seen with most normal tuners.
You have a MODE button which allows you change the tuning options:
* All notes
* Standard tuning
The standard tuning was selected in the options setting (last tab) and can be changed, there are a wide variety of alternative tunings here including dropped D and Baritone.
It uses the built in MIC and does a great job in a quiet environment so is great for home use and rehearsal (if you can shut your band mates up for a few minutes).
Fretboard
This is a virtual fretboard, you can strum each string but cannot play any fretted notes. Its a handy guide to tuning if you are doing it by ear (which I recommend you do).
Not much more to say here, works well.
Metronome
All guitarists must practise with a metronome to get a good sense of timing, it also helps with those chromatic runs and exercises to help coordination.
The metronome on here is excellent and the BPM can be adjusted from 20 to 300.
It uses a Cow Bell sound, which isn't too irritating.
Chords
Massive chord database, cant see you needing anymore chords here..
Great having a pocket book of chords that you have access to, especially when reading from tabs.
Instrument
This screen allows you to select which instrument (6 string, 12 string, 5 string bass, 6 string bass, banjo, mandolin and ukulele) and tuning options you want.
Overall
G | H rating 5/5 - This is a must for all iPhone owning guitar players.
Learning the fretboard
Know your notes?
As part of sharing my practise schedule thought it would be good to show you some tips for learning the notes on the fretboard, well the way I do it anyways.
I learnt the notes on the 6th (E) and 5th (A) string for 3rd, 5th and 7th frets (G-A-B-C-D-E).
Then to learn the 4th string you can use octaves:
E.g. Play F on 6th string (1st fret) then play F on 4th string (3rd fret), this shape can be used for all the notes on the 6th string, this gives a nice little shortcut for all notes on the 4th string.
You can then use this same principle for the 3rd string i.e. use the same shape on the 5th and 3rd strings - another handy shortcut.
The 2nd string can be learned on its own.
The 1st string is the same as the 6th.
I saw a tip from Joe Satriani where you set your metronome to 60, pick a note to play, then on each click play the same note in a different place.
Post your tips.
Practise makes perfect – Scheduled Practise
I find it hard to be disciplined about sitting down and practising new things rather than pick up the guitar and play the same old blues licks but I've made a conscious effort to start to sit down for an hour a night and stick to a practise schedule.
Between playing with others and this website I find I have little time to BUT here is the start of my routine:
- 10 mins warmup exercises
- 20 mins practising a technique (legato, sweep, tapping)
- 20 mins Theory using my trusty Guthrie Govan books
- Learn a new song OR some licks (BB King, Buddy Guy, Peter Green)
Anyone want to post their practise schedule, or give mine a try.
Giveaway Update
I noticed that there was an incorrect setting on the site that may have stopped people from commenting, please try again.
Guitar Pro 5.3.1 works on Snow Leopard – Installation
Right at last Guitar Pro 5 works fine on Snow Leopard.
1. Use App Cleaner to remove all traces of the old version
2. Download 5.3.1 (without RSE)
3. Install
Hey presto.
Giveaway – Set of PRS Strings and a Brit Pick
Thought I would reward my visitors with a GIVEAWAY, up for grabs is one set of 9.5 PRS Strings and a Brit Pick.
Goodies
This is a one off giveaway to celebrate my hit count (over a 1000 a day), check the site daily for news, reviews and keep an eye out for competitions.
How to win:
1. Post a comment on this page, tell us what guitar you will be putting them on
2. Subscribe to our twitter feed (@GuitaristHub) http://twitter.com/guitaristhub
Then whilst you are there feel free to join our forum and YouTube channel (you don't need to do this to be in with a chance, just if you like them).
Then on the 3rd October I will randomly pick an entry that has done all of the above (this will be video'd, expect to see them in a hat!), I will pick up the postage and you will have a nice new set of Strings and Pick from us to cherish!
GOOD LUCK
Lee Peterson – EP reduced to £1.50
In a bid to fund the album I've reduced my EP to £1.50
If you like instrumental music check out:
Guitar Pro 5 Fixed for Snow Leopard
Just as I post about Guitar Pro being broken I get an email from customer support:
Hello,
Guitar Pro 5.3.1 running under Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard is now available. Please go to the Customers' Area of our website to download it.
NB: The RSE is still unstable under Snow Leopard. It is therefore advised not to download the RSE sound banks, or to uncheck the RSE option is you have already installed them.
We are currently working on a solution to this problem.
We remain at your disposal for any additional information you may require.
What Snow Leopard broke
Before upgrading to Snow Leopard you should be aware of a few incompatibilities that could have a massive effect on the way you use your mac for music.
I took the plunge and upgraded to Snow Leopard a few days after launch (silly I know) but I thought what the hell, I've got 4GB RAM so wanted to take full advantage of the speed gains.
It broke the following:
- Guitar Pro - Still not working, I've emailed support
- Line 6 Gear Box - Still not working
- Line 6 Toneport Ux1 - Managed to fix this, see my other article
I'm back up and running but be aware that if you rely on your mac then be cautious about the upgrade, do you really need it? There is a speed increase, feels snappier especially the finder. But I wouldn't say that its worth the upgrade if you are uncertain of compatibility, might be worth waiting a few months first.
Dont forget to check out our Pro Logic 9 guitar samples
More videos to come, there are a lot of amp models so I will soon be putting a video together to show those.
Remember to view our article on the effect samples.
Exciting new linkshare – Guitar News
I've just become a link share partner with @GuitarNews on Twitter.
Thanks guys.