By Robert Jones

Whatever sort of music you might be into, there's a strong possibility that the idea of playing it professionally, or as part of a band, has a particular appeal. Lots of people really like the idea of being in a band, and for many, it really is the idea of being in a rock-band which really excites them.

One of the most legendary rock bands of recent years is definitely Guns n' Roses. Their unique sound is partially because of the Axel Rose's amazing voice, and Slash's amazing guitar playing. With millions of fans around the globe, it's no shock that so many would love to be able to play the electric guitar like Slash.

Whether you like playing rock guitar in your free time as a hobby, or perhaps you're serious about your band's success, it always helps to have the right equipment. The best guitar will not only make you look and feel like a true rock star, it might even help you sound a lot more like one too.

Finding the kind of guitar and equipment that's right for you isn't always as easy as it should be. You need a music store that knows musicians, and their rock and roll dreams, and will provide you with the kind of equipment you are looking for, at a cost that's not going to break the bank.

Slash's very own Appetite Les Paul would without doubt be the perfect guitar for anybody with dreams of being a rock star guitarist, but is going to be beyond the budget of most music artists. However, Epiphone have taken the look and style of the well-known Gibson model, and made a model that ought to be just as appealing, if a lot more reasonably priced.

Whatever your or even your band's aspirations, this great looking, fantastic sounding guitar, could be precisely what you're looking for, and also you won't have to have a rock star's budget to get it.

Naturally you are probably going to want to make sure the rest of your equipment is up to the task of making the most out of this awesome guitar. So it may be a good idea to spend money on the right kind of amp at the same time. With a Marshall amp modelled on the precise one Slash himself uses, you will have all you need.

Having the same sort of equipment that Slash uses isn't just possible, but it is also now affordable. But you're going to need to be quick. The slash epiphone les paul will certainly be in demand, and with limited numbers as well as incredible prices, it certainly won't be readily available for long.

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Fender Stratocaster Standard: Review

By Janus Ng

Playing the Fender Stratocaster is perhaps the dream of many electric guitar players and the ultimate expression of modern guitar chic. The American Standard series gives a great, vintage vibe, but it costs close to a grand which is not for every player. For the budget-conscious, the Fender Stratocaster Standard is an option to consider.

The Fender Standard Stratocaster is made in the Mexican-based hi-tech facility owned by Fender. The Standard Strat is a step up from the East-Asian made Squier brand. So owning a Fender Stratocaster Standard is a feasible way to get into the Fender brand which represents high quality instruments.

Sound:

It has a sound very similar to the American strats, but the American series strats can sustain longer, and the lower end strings are brighter and more crystalline, while the sound of the Fender Standard Strat is rounder. Plus it holds distortion and clarity really well. It's perfect for crunchy, driving rock and blues sounds.

The bridge pickup of this Fender Stratocaster Standard gives you that famous, iconic twang; the neck is more of a deep crunch; and the middle and combinations give you everything in between the range. If you play with it using an amp and a pedal, for instance, it can deliver an awesome Hendrix feel.

Playability:

The neck of the Fender Stratocaster Standard is quite fat. It may not be suitable for players with smaller hands. So you may consider buying a guitar with a thinner neck. Also, the wider neck makes soloing a bit difficult and may taking a little getting used to.

Features:

* Body: Alder

* Neck: Maple, modern "C" shaped

* Fingerboard: Rosewood or maple, 9.5-inch radius

* Number of frets: 21 medium jumbo

* Pickups: 3 Standard single-coil Stratocaster pick-ups

* Controls: Master volume, Tone 1 (neck pickup), tone 2 (middle pickup)

* Pickup switching: 5-position blade:

- Position 1: Bridge pickup

- Position 2: Bridge and middle pickup

- Position 3: Middle pickup

- Position 4: Middle and neck pickups

- Position 5: Neck

* Pickguard: 3-ply (parchment)

* Accessories: Gig bag

Overall Review:

This Fender Stratocaster Standard deserves an overall 8, taking all things into consideration. If you want to find a guitar with great sounds, it's a 10. If what you want is good value for your money, it's an 11. However, it does have its limitations, although it sounds great. For instance, it's not for heavy metal, and definitely not for jazz. It can play blues, hard rock with great sound and versatility. Overall it's a great guitar and will be worth your money, whether it's your primary or secondary.

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By Janus Ng

The Fender Telecaster, although has only a simple, dual pick-up and a solid body design, it is considered by many professional players to be one of the great electric guitar development in the 20th century. It has sets trends in the popular music history. The Fender Standard Telecaster, just as what its name says, has set the standard for all other guitars.

The Fender Standard Telecaster is made out of Fender's hi-tech production facility in Mexico. This allows Fender to produce a high quality guitar at an affordable price. The Fender Standard Tele had a few subtle upgrades in 2006. For instance, the edges at the neck were smoothed off, similar to the American made models. Also, the frets were replaced with slightly larger fret wire which is preferred to the skinny frets. In addition, they use a bridge where the strings go through the body of the guitar, rather than fixing to the bridge itself. This improves the tone and sustain of the guitar.

How It Sounds:

For having only 2 single coil pick-ups, this Fender Standard Telecaster has an amazing sound. The neck pick-up sounds classic and clean; the bridge gives that signature telecaster twang; the middle is a bright, rich tone, which can go with any kind of music.

Playability:

This is an intuitive and user-friendly guitar with great playability. Plus it's very comfortable to use. Apparently Fender has really paid attention to what players want, like the fret and nut work and the rolled fret edges. You'll find that it's possible to make a first string whole note bend, without volume loss on the bent note.

Special Features:

* Model: Fender Telecaster Standard

* Body: Alder

* Neck: One-Piece Maple, Modern C-Shape

* Fingerboard: Maple, 9.5 Radius

* Frets: 21 Medium Jumbo Frets

* Pickups: 2 Standard Tele Single-Coil Pickups (Neck & Bridge)

* Controls: Master Volume and Master Tone

* Bridge: Standard 6-Saddle String-Thru-Body Bridge

* Machine Heads: Fender/Ping Standard Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines

* Pickguard: 3-Ply (Parchment)

* Accessories: Standard Gig Bag

Value:

For the money, this is probably the best bang for the buck. You may hear people say that it can't do heavy rock or metal. However, if you adjust the tone knob and use the neck or the middle pickup, you should be fine.

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By Janus Ng

Fender is recognised for its high quality instruments. Within its wide range guitars, the Fender American Standard Stratocaster is the most iconic, recognized and copied guitar. It has basically set the standards for all other guitars to follow.

The American Standard Strat is everything about a classic guitar, from the nuances to the polished look, which all focus on great qualities of sound and playability.

Finishes: The finish on this strat, whether it's white on black, or candy apply red, is simply perfect. The nuts and tremelo system are buffed to achieve the perfect look.

Design: The tone knobs are designed in such a way that results in no crackle or buzz. The perfect wiring makes switching from one pickup to another easy and smooth. The Fender patented "Delta Tone" system gives each pickup its own quality. And the iconic shape of the Strat makes playing comfortable as it fits perfectly to the body.

Playability: There's nothing like playing the Fender American Standard Stratocater. Even though the les pauls are great strats, you just can't help to appreciate the workmanship of a Fender Strat. The neck is smooth, not overly thin. The height of the strings is just right to give that signature Fender twang. Of course, other than the twang, the Strat is also capable of playing everything form jazz to metal.

Sound: This Stratocaster simply sounds great. It sounds even greater if you have the volume rolled off and play it through a clean, quality amp, with the neck or middle pickups engaged. It also gives a exquisite singing tone. A light tap of the trem will add a bit of nuance and depth to the sound.

Overall: The Fender American Standard Stratocaster costs close to $1,000, which is way more expensive than the Standard series strats. However, the higher cost of the American Standard model includes the Delta tone pickups which are invaluable to how the Strat sounds.

For the budget-conscious players, the Fender Stratocaster Standard is another good option to consider. However, if you can afford it, this American Standard Strat is worth the money you pay. More importantly, it has what is missing in most of the modern guitars: the great tone, which is after all the spirit of a guitar.

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By Brigitte Schneider

Musicians who play guitar need to buy a guitar amp if they want their music to be heard. Aside from the obvious job of boosting the volume level of the instrument, this equipment is also designed to modify specific frequencies and allow the user to add effects that will change the tone.

Amplifiers are available in two different configurations called combination amplifiers and standalone amplifiers. The combo amp, as it is called, is typically a wooden cabinet containing a single speaker or one or two pairs of speakers. The standalone unit is usually referred to as a head and it does not have its own speaker. The head will pass the signal along to a separate speaker cabinet. A head combined with a speaker cabinet is known as a stack.

A speaker cabinet with the back closed will produce a sound that has more low end. Some players prefer an open back for a higher tone. Ordinary speaker cabinets are not built to resonate but this is a desired feature for a guitar amp because it adds to the sound.

One of the biggest debates among players is whether to use a solid state or tube amp. Tubes dominated the music industry until transistors started being used to replace them during the 1970s. Vacuum tube amps are heavier and cost more but many rock and blues guitarists prefer the fuzzy overdrive and warm sound they produce. Tube amps will require periodic maintenance. Tubes are fragile and occasionally they will blow out and have to be replaced.

Electronics are used in a solid sate amplifier. The transistors used are lighter than tubes and also less expensive. These make good touring amps because of their durability and reliability. They can distort the signal at a lower volume compared to tubes.

Modeling amps were invented with the best of both types of amp in mind. They can be set to mimic many different types of amplifiers and give the user total control over the tone. Distortion, chorus, flange and other special effects are built right in and available at the push of a button. Gone are the days when guitar players were forced to lug around bulky electronic boxes that were limited to a single effect.

Every musician is looking for a unique sound and selecting the right guitar amp is a great first step. If enough time is taken to review all the various options there are many rewards to be gained.

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By Darlene Gray

Playing the guitar is almost everybody's fantasy. If you really are determined then you would grab that guitar and find a way to learn how to make sounds that are very pleasing to the ears.

People have different talents and one could be being musically gifted. Normally an average person may take several months to learn playing the guitar, but a gifted person would take him only weeks to figure things out. Still, hard work can beat anything and as long as you keep practicing, you can be a good musician even if you?re not naturally gifted.

Quickly hearing, absorbing and differentiating all the different chords, sounds and tone is what makes a good guitarist. If you really want to learn how to play the guitar read on below to find out how.

The easiest way to learning how to play the guitar is taking guitar lessons. You could hire guitar tutors to teach you the basics of guitar playing. Others just ask help from their friends to teach them.

If you think that taking guitar lessons are too expensive then instructional DVDs are the thing for you. What's good about these tutorials are they are available per skill level; whether you're a beginner, advanced, or expert guitarist it's all there!

Sharpening your sense of hearing is a must if you want to determine tones and sounds. Listening to music should be one of your hobbies if you want to learn music and its instruments. There are many music genres you could choose from but as much as possible be flexible and try listening to them all. By listening to them you could get an overview on what the chords are, the strumming of the strings, and the style used.

Experience is still the best teacher so once you learn the basics, daily practice is required. You won't be able to become better if you just sit and wait for your teacher to teach you the next lesson. Practice will become a part of your life if you truly want to be a good guitarist.

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