For Fingerstyle Guitarists, The Martin OMC-28E Acoustic Electric

The Martin OMC-28E has an orchestra model body. 1929 was the year this model answered requests for a 14 fret gutiar. The resulting instrument looked pretty much like the flat top acoustics you see produced today. Of the dreadnought and the OM gutiars the latter is the smaller of the two. The overall sound from low to high is evened out by the smaller body size. The bottom, mids, and highs are more evenly pronounced.
This  makes the OM a great guitar for instrumentals and soloing.

The quality of the tonewoods used in the Martin OMC-28E greatly contribute to it’s appearance and performance. Solid woods are used as they allow the vibration of the strings to ring clean and unstifled as opposed to laminated woods. Solid Sitka Spruce makes up the top. Spruce has historically be the top wood most used by luthiers  for acoustic steel string guitars.
The size and availability of the timber makes Sitka Spruce the number one choice for sound boards.

The OMC-28E uses solid East Indian Rosewood for the back and sides. Tonewoods are chosen for use in the back and sides of an instrument according to how they resonate with the sound board. Rosewood is as pleasing to the eye as it is to the ear.

The Martin OMC-28E fingerboard is solid Black Ebony. The 25 4/10 inch scale meets the headstock at a 1 3/4inch nut. This is something that might matter to the fingerstyle player.
The wider nut width allows those wild flaying digits a little extra work space. The lower end of the fret board and therefore the upper scale register is made more accessible by the cut away on the upper bout, hence the C in OMC.

The electronics on the OMC-28E are covered by the Fishman Elipse Aura pickup system.
The historic Martin guitar contruction meets with space age technology here. The Elipse Aura captures perfectly the sound made by the guitar.
Assorted acoustic images can be applied to the on board sound system through the USB port. The on board panel allows the control of volume, phase switching, pickup-image blend, and anti-feedback.

The Martin OMC-28E is a limited production, stage ready, fingerstyle friendly guitar that will not disappoint.

 

 

Continue reading » · Rating: · Written on: 09-30-10 · Comments Off

Singing Lessons – Preparing For Your First Guitar Lesson

So. You have decided that you’d like to learn how to play the guitar, huh? Excellent decision! In this article, I’ll deal with the basic things you will need to get before you’re ready to begin taking guitar lessons.

The first thing you will need is fairly obvious: a guitar! You ought to truly give some serious thought to what you want in a guitar before you purchase one, however.

You will find 3 major classifications of guitars: acoustic, classical, and electric. Acoustic is pretty much the most flexible, however it may not be what you want.

An acoustic guitar is a steel stringed guitar with a hollow wooden body. As its name suggests, it can be played acoustically, meaning that you do not need an amp to play it. You can make use of an amp with an acoustic guitar, however. Some include pickups already installed inside the guitar – you just plug in a ¼” sound cord and go. These are called acoustic-electric guitars. If you choose a guitar without this feature, you can purchase a soundhole pickup for your guitar for about $60, which allows you to plug your acoustic guitar into an amp.

A Classical guitar is similar to an acoustic guitar, except it has nylon strings and is designed somewhat differently. As its name implies, a classical guitar is ideal for playing classical guitar. You might also want a classical guitar for finger-picking or Spanish music.

An electric guitar is usually a plastic solid body guitar having thin steel strings. It requires an amp to play it. Electric guitars have a unique sound, and are often used with effects pedals to distort or change the sound of the guitar. Electric guitars are central to rock music, and also being essential to numerous other types of modern music.

As soon as you get your guitar, you’ll still require a few other items. If you’re playing an acoustic or electric guitar, you will need some picks. I would suggest you start with Medium picks for most music. You ought to also purchase a capo, which is utilized for changing the key of your guitar. Be sure that it fits your guitar correctly before you buy it though.

With these items, you should be ready for your first guitar lesson.

If you want more information on Music Lessons, don’t read just rehashed articles online to avoid getting ripped off.

Go here: Singing Lessons

Continue reading » · Rating: · Written on: 09-30-10 · Comments Off

Megadeth Albums- Fueled By Revenge

There is no arguing that Megadeth albums occupy an important pedestal in music. The band behind these works is largely credited for being one of the pioneers in the genre of thrash. This is a significant acknowledgement for the group considering the rocky path they have had to go through.

It is appropriate to say that the group’s story officially began with Dave Mustaine. In the nearly three decades that the band has been around, Mustaine has been its constant prime mover and creative force. At one point, the band leader was the lead vocalist, guitarist, lyricist and songwriter all in one.

So what drove Mustaine to stick so adamantly to the group he founded? The initial motivation was really Metallica. Mustaine was able to get a coveted slot in the band that was clearly growing in popularity. Sadly though, Mustaine was so entrenched in drug use that his band mates decided to let him go. This angered Mustaine so much that he swore that he would one day avenge himself.

Mustaine had no doubts that the best way to get back at Metallica was to put up his own band, one that would compile a Megadeth album and generate Megadeth merch that would surpass the quality of Metallica’s own works. The negative force that drove Mustaine onward was so palpable that he chose to use a name and style that would echo mass destruction and death multiplied a thousand times. In the realm of music, this meant making music that sounded so aggressive as to leave people in shock.

Despite the strong drive though, drug use continued to accompany Mustaine in whatever he did. It reportedly even became a standard within the band itself. The band became so plagued with drug use that its members have come and gone in quick succession. The group has had 20 members and most left because of drug use issues. Some may have left for personal reasons but it was clear that the looming destructive power of drugs encompassed most musicians that had a brush with Megadeth.

The preoccupation with drugs has left its mark on the group’s first album Killing is My Business… and Business is Good! which was released in 1985. It was self-produced mainly because they had a small budget which was cut even smaller when they used half of it on drugs. Nonetheless, the work was considered quite good and paved the way for a loyal following.

Despite the enduring influence of drugs, the group went on to compile more albums. Officially, they have 12 albums out. Their first work was followed by a string of successes starting from Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying, So Far, So Good… So What!, Rust in Peace, Countdown to Extinction, Youthanasia, Cryptic Writings, Risk, The World Needs a Hero, The System has Failed, United Abominations and Endgame.

Many songs in various Megadeth albums are almost similar to the predominant style of Metallica, with long instrumental sections and guitar solos. Clearly though, the two bands won’t be fitting into the same black hoodie anytime soon. The themes of many Megadeth songs are more abrasive, disconcerting and even vile and offensive. They are also generally more grounded on social issues than anything that Metallica has ever produced. Songs from the band revolve around such themes as politics, war and social issues like substance abuse and suicide.

Continue reading » · Rating: · Written on: 09-30-10 · Comments Off