Fender Classic Vibe 50s Telecaster Electric Guitar Maple Fretboard 2TS

Contrary to popular belief, electric guitars are an instrument that requires you to master two very different things. One is, of course, the playing technique, but the other is utilizing the hardware of that guitar and that of the amplifier in order to dial in a great tone. If you ask any experienced guitar players out there, they will tell you that accomplishing the latter is an art form. In most cases, they are right. However, you can still find a great tone on an electric guitar using some basic principles. This is exactly what we are going to be talking about today, so if you are new to electric guitars, stay with us as we cover some great tips that will get you. started.

 Prepping The Stage

Before we get any further, it is absolutely imperative that your guitar is properly set up and tuned. This can't be emphasized enough. If your action is out of whack or if your strings are out of key, no amount of tone shaping will give you any decent results. If you know that your guitar needs some intonation adjustments and you are not sure how to do that, we strongly suggest that you either take it down to a shop or learn how to do it yourself. There are numerous tutorials online which will tell you everything you need to know.

 On top of that, if you have an active electronics guitar, make sure that your battery is full. Moving on to the cables, check the health of the solders on each end and inspect the cable in general. This is something you should do occasionally anyway since cables are known to degrade over time. Now that we have got that covered, let's move to the good stuff.

 Different Amplifiers

 Your choice of amplification is one of the major facts that will have an impact on your tone. Dialing in a tone on something like the Blackstar HT-1 is going to be a very different experience than attempting the same on the Line 6 Spider IV. Both are compact combo amps, but one is a tube unit and the other is a modeling amp. With former, you need to be aware of the power as tubes inside the amplifier behave differently at 10% power, 50%  power and 100% power.

 At 10% power, a tube amp's tone will lack in girth and color. That is simply because the tubes are working at a capacity far lower than their intended one. However, if you try to push a 100 Watt tube amp to its comfort zone, which is anywhere between 50% to 90%, you might end up being too loud. With modeling and solid state amps, you don't have this problem as they rely on transistors to do the job previously done by tubes. Why is all of this important?

 Setting The Volume

 The very first thing you will want to do is find a comfortable volume level. This is not to be mistaken with gain levels. Look for the master volume knob, or if that is not available, find the channel specific volume control. Set a tone that is loud enough but not too loud. We don't want you to get hearing damage. Once that is done, it is time to play with the gain. One of the best ways to get to know your amp is to take each knob, including the gain one, and take it through its entire range.

 That means turning the knob from zero value to maximum value. This will give you an idea what that specific knob does and how to utilize it the best. Keep in mind that we haven't touched EQ controls up to this point and they should remain at the neutral, 12 o'clock position. Once you've set the volume and found a level of gain that works best with your guitar, it's time to move on to EQuing.

 EQ

 Most modern amps, even the compact ones, come with a standard three-band EQ. What this means is that you have three knobs, each controlling a specific portion of the frequency range. Lows will dictate the bass in your tone, Mids will take care of the middle frequencies, while trebles control the highs. Moderation is your best friend when trying to find the perfect EQ setup. However, it also depends on the type of music you are playing. For example, one of the simplest EQ configs is to go lows at 9 o'clock position, with mids and highs at 3 o'clock position. This will give you that thick, piercing tone that just gets that distortion or overdrive straight through the mix.

 There is also the ever so popular 'mid scoop' configuration where you add bass and treble frequencies as you see fit, while completely eliminating the mids. Scooping the mids works in specific cases, but not so much in other. One thing you don't want to do is add too much bass. In a band environment, you have a bass player whose sole task is to fill out the lows so you don't have to worry about them. Emphasizing bass as a guitar player is redundant and makes the entire mix sound muddy.

 Guitars

 The most important aspect of configuring tone is to know what your guitar likes and what it doesn't like. To find that out, just follow the steps we have described above. The moment you go too far with gain, specific portions of the EQ spectrum, or anything else, your guitar will let you know.

 Conclusion

 One thing every new guitar player needs to understand is that building a good tone takes time and more importantly, experience. It is not something you can master in a day, nor should you even try to. Have fun exploring the capabilities of your equipment, but always make adjustments in small increments. Doing research on this topic is a sure fire way of avoiding most of the rookie mistakes, and we definitely encourage you to do so. We hope this guide has helped you understand what tone shaping really is and how to get better at it. 

Finding decent beginners’ entry level electric guitar is not as easy as it looks. As a matter of fact, it is probably harder than finding a top tier model that fits you. The main issue with entry level guitars is the fact that you are getting a compromise of some kind.

Manufacturers are racing to find a way that will allow them to produce these guitars at a lower cost, which in turn makes them cheaper to buy. Because of this, there are some things you should definitely consider before making a final choice. Let's discuss some of the most important factors.

Defining Your Budget

Being new to any hobby means that you are probably not going to be looking for the most expensive gear. At this point, you haven't really had much experience with guitars and it's questionable if this is something you will want to get heavily involved with at all. Because of that, sinking a whole lot of money into your first guitar comes across as a very risky move.

One good thing to know is that these days even the cheaper electric guitars are made pretty decent. That wasn't always the case, as older generations probably remember. You don't have to have an extremely large budget in order to find a solid first guitar, that is simply a fact. 

 Electronics - Single Coils or Humbuckers?

The shape and body style of the guitar shouldn't really be a factor. The right thing to do here is to get whatever you find attractive. However, electronics are something that requires a careful approach. You have the choice of either going with single coils or humbuckers. Former is better for jazz, blues and similar genres of music, while humbuckers are better for heavier stuff.

One thing to keep in mind here is that cheaper humbuckers will always be better than cheaper single coils. The reason for this is the inherent nature of single coil pickups. Coil buzz is one side effect of single coil design which even the cutting edge models deal with. The whole issue is only amplified with cheaper pickups of this kind. For that reason, it might be better to go with humbuckers right from the start.

However, it just so happens that one of the most popular and honestly the best starter guitars is a copy of a Stratocaster. The name of the model is Fender Squier Affinity Stratocaster and it represents the best bang for the buck. Squier's Strats were a staple of entry level segment for a long time, but this latest iteration is on a whole different level.

In case you want to take a high road and go down the humbucker path, Epiphone Les Paul Express is always going to be a great option. It's a Les Paul its most basic format, but this thing still brings plenty of heat where necessary. Those who are more attracted to metal will have to dish out a bit more money if they want a metal entry-level axe. Schecter C 6 Deluxe is a perfect example of what this type of guitar looks like.

How To Make Your Entry Level Guitar Sound Better

At one point you might notice that your entry level guitar just doesn't cut it anymore. There are basically two things you can do in order to solve this problem. You can either upgrade your existing one, or you can get a better model. Today we are going to talk about the option number one.

The very first 'upgrade' that will instantly enhance the performance of your guitar is taking it to a shop and getting a proper setup. Any electric guitar is only as good as the sum of its components. However, those components also need to be setup the right way if you want to experience the best possible performance they have to offer.

Taking your guitar down to the shop for some tune up will take care of this. A properly set up guitar will have perfect intonation, a perfect distance of the pickups from the strings, and so on. This is also the cheapest type of upgrade you can do to enhance the tone of your entry level guitar.

In case that is not enough, you can decide to swap out the pickups for something beefier. Thankfully, today you can find a whole variety of great electronics which come at reasonably affordable prices. Not so long ago, swapping pickups meant a whole lot of soldering and similar work. Modern pickup packages come with plug-and-play type connectors which allow you to complete the whole process in less than an hour.

 Are These Upgrades Worth It?

Sometimes they are, sometimes they are not. The biggest issue here is that the tone of a guitar is not only dictated by the set of pickups you have on it. Tonewood, build quality and hardware also play a significant role. Even so, some entry level guitars can benefit from a pickup swap.

Conclusion

If there is one thing you should take away from this piece, it is that entry level guitars are pretty capable these days. If you avoid unknown brands and stick to reputable models, chances are you will be able to use that guitar for many years before it finally hits a performance ceiling. The most important criteria to use when making this decision is to get something you are attracted to. Following this very simple step will make sure that you come back to that guitar every day.

If it excites you, chances are you will want to spend time playing it and learning various techniques. On the other hand, if you get something that you personally don’t find attractive, your playing time will reduce to a bare minimum. Models we have mentioned above are by far some of the best entry- level electric guitars on the market at the moment. No matter which one of them you get, you will find it to be an awesome value for the money.

First things first, the guitar you buy does not defines the genre you play, it’s your music. So it’s a no big deal if you don’t own the guitar which is typically played by rest of the musicians of your music. If you go for something contemporary, you will in fact sound like just another band/musician. For example, metal musicians generally use ESP or B.C. Rich for its thickness etc; whereas rock musicians use fender telecaster/Stratocaster or Gibson les Paul/SG. But of course it doesn’t matter if you understand how to overcome the limitations of your guitar. Yes you heard it right, limitations of guitar. For an example, A Stratocaster produces a huge hum on the neck pickup and emits irritating overtones with extreme or heavy distortion and you really cannot do anything about it. Hence that tone is never or rarely used in studio recordings.

 Majority of musicians use certain guitars for certain genres because of certain limitations. However, with some knowledge you can overcome those limitations by using different heads, different pedals and different recording techniques. For example, I use Epiphone Dot studio, a hollow body guitar to record something as heavy as death metal! But that is another topic for another video. What we are focusing here is the most popular brands and models used by iconic bands associated in certain genres
let’s begin from the legends of Rock and Heavy metal; Gibson and Fender.

Gibson

Gibson Les Paul and Gibson SG; both models are equipped with 2 humbucking pickups and 3 way switch.

• Les Paul has a brighter tone and overtones and this specialty of Les Paul defined the sound of Bands like Guns n Roses, Black label society, Kiss etc.
• However, SG has its own specialty. It has mid focused flat sound, where the distortion sound is in total control with no over the top highs or color. It just has a good old punch and for the same reason bands like Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Grateful Dead used Gibson SG model.

Fender

Fender Stratocaster and Fender telecaster; both models have 3 single coil pickups with 5 way switch.

• Stratocaster has mid focused tone and overtones with lot of personality of its own all thanks to single coiled pickups. This power was harnessed by some iconic bands like Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pink Floyd.
• Telecaster is kind of opposite in sound when compared with Stratocaster. It focuses more on the low mid and upper hi, with flat thin sound. And this awesome sound attracted fans of Bob Dylan, Radiohead and The rolling stones to name a few.

Metal music in general has a few requirements in terms of guitars at least as it is still a new born genre when compared with the others. You just need some extreme distortion which can produce a thick wall of sound, crazy guitar skills, intense speed and of course an epic performing energy and theatric aspects. But again, you cannot just pickup any random guitar and expect that tonal thickness or theatric epicness. For the thick wall of distortion, any guitars that have active pickups are good to go especially EMG or Seymour Duncan Humbuckers and you are done. For theatric aspect pick up an ESP flying V or a sharp colored Jackson and you are good to go. Just stay away from single coiled passive pickups; they are no good for heavy distortion.

 One thing you need to understand is that the guitar alone does not define your sound; the guitar you play is just one part of it. Combination of different heads  or combo amps, your personal selection of pedals or guitar processor and of course the mixing and mastering of your final product; be it live or for studio production. We will cover this topic in another video.

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Excalibur called Stratocaster

Being a guitarist, you can’t argue with a strat, right? No chance. Yea, good ol’ rockin’ n rollin’, shiny red, mellow; thick and heavy strat. Vintage strat, rusty strat, crisp sounding tasty strat..... You get that feel? Do you get that tingling feeling on the tips of your left hand’s fingers? Yea, there is something in it that makes it stand out of all. I really don’t know what that visionary Leo Fender had in his mind when he, Bill Carson and George Fullerton designed this guitar for the first time in 1954, because whatever they did was literally awe-some... Rest in Peace Leo, Bill and George; Rest in Peace.

As you can see (Non-strat players) we stratheads are in passionate love with Stratocaster guitars. And please don’t say “oh, maybe it’s your first guitar... and that’s why you are so attached to it... blah blah blah!” oh lord, please no! No one buys a strat right away. We all go through phases; typically there is a contemporary music phase, then pop phase, then maybe Rock/Metal phase, classic rock/metal phase, then progressive-neo-experimental-ultra-modern-futuristic- avant-garde phase, the euro classical phase eh? (Not in this order! aw come on!). And generally speaking musicians pick up an electric guitar in rock/metal phase. Do you seriously think we would go for vintage- looking strat or we would go for black and red-pointy evil looking one? Yeah, so long story short; one does not simply walk into Strat guitars!

But it’s all fine and dandy to think about it in the poetic-romantic-artistic way, BUT I AM ALSO AN ENGINEER! HAAA HAAA HAAA HAAAA! (Evil laugh) That means I am going to go into the roots to find out why this guitar is the best; AND I AM GONNA TAKE YOU WITH ME! HAAA HAAA HAAA HAAA (More evil laugh) of course if you read ahead; if not, what can I do anyways? la démocratie (Democracy).

Speaking of ergonomics while speaking about engineering; If a guitar has to have a headstock, I am all for having the tuners on one side (please only on the top!) so I can get to them without doing circus with my left wrist. While Fender wasn’t the first to do this, I am happy he continued with the tradition of the Telecaster, although with a better headstock (yea, strat’s Headstock rocks when compared with tele, GOD! That tele doesn’t hangs on the wall without messing up my nice little hanger).

Now as always, Stratocaster guitars are revered for the innovative design, tonal stability and solid reliability of their tremolo bridges. However, Mr. Fender may had called the tremolo bar as vibrato but almost all vibrato units are based on the ideas the original presented from the Floyd Rose, to the Steinberger TransTrem, they started with the same idea: a metal bar tilts the bridge forward, loosening the strings while springs pull it back into position. While today metal can be machined with laser accuracy and tuning is greatly improved, I would still say that working with a Strat trem for over 12 years has taught me a lot about note expression, keeping it all in tune. To this day, it is a huge benefit to play a guitar without some kind of vibrato system, as I am so used to bending, pulling, and shaking notes as much as I do with my fingers themselves but again, you have that feature, gotta use it...

The Stratocaster had a distinctive voice; thanks in part to its three pickups, the wire-coiled magnets that transmit string vibrations to the amplifier. Most electric guitars at that time had one or two. Three expressive single-coil pickups with 5 way selection! It enabled modifying with various combinations of humbucking pickups and switching configurations. From sparkling to soaring to screaming and beyond, the versatile voice of the Stratocaster remains unequalled.

Let me discuss something about the body. I really appreciate the thoughtful consideration the makers took about guitarist’s comfort. Just compare any contemporary random guitar you want, they all are manufactured symmetric. Well, Strats are not because our sitting/standing position is asymmetric. Stratocaster guitars have a sleek and balanced two-horn design, with well-placed forearm and body contours that make for a comfortable playing experience. Yeah, these minor details make a product a legend. No wonder this guitar is legend.

Another great feature about this guitar is that everything can be customised or replaced whenever you feel like. Want to change the knobs or hardware? There are dozens of companies that make replacements. You can buy a Strat these days, slowly replacing parts on it, and within no time at all, have enough parts left over to build another guitar! The electronics are bolted right on the pickguard, which allows you to change out loaded pickguards easily.

"If you were gonna draw an electric guitar from your mind's eye, most people would draw a Stratocaster as the shape," says Justin Norvell, Fender's Vice President of Marketing. "But the thing that connects people to that guitar and that shape is the music they grew up on."

With these features and that supersonic, solid body shape, you'd think the guitar would have flown out of music stores. But Richard Smith, an author and the curator of the Fender Collection at the Fullerton Museum Centre in California, says it wasn't an easy sell.

"It was so radically different in so many ways," Smith says. "It's important to note that it wasn't really that popular initially."

Stratocasters hit stores in spring 1954, but the first didn't sell until that summer. Leo Fender himself had given early models to country-western swing guitarists for their input. But something new was brewing across the country when the Stratocaster was introduced.

"When rock 'n' roll arrived, the tools for making it already existed," Smith says. "You didn't have to invent a guitar to play rock 'n' roll on, 'cause it already was there."

All of the specs and details of the instrument (and accompanying amplifiers), along with changes in culture and technology surrounding the music industry in the US in the 1950s enabled the Stratocaster to become an incredibly popular guitar. The general design and features of the Stratocaster guitar have remained largely unchanged to this day as it is still produced by the company which bears the Strat creator’s name.