While pickups play a huge role in the sound of an electric guitar, they are not the only pieces that affect tone. In fact, a good deal of the entire guitar can play a role, be it big or small.
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While the guitar itself has evolved throughout the years, the types of finishes used have remained pretty consistent -- nitrocellulose Lacquer, polyurethane, and polyester which are still the standard. Aesthetics aside, does the finish actually affect tone? Guitarists and musical technicians are somewhat split on this issue, with some going as far religiously sticking to one particular type. Keep reading to find out about the major differences between nitro and poly guitar finishes.
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It’s no secret that many iconic British amp designs owe much of their inspiration to classic early Fender models such as the legendary Bassman and Tweed Deluxe. With their new Bassbreaker series, Fender decided to return the favor, using many of the traditional ‘60s British amp features as the core of their base. This new series consists of the Bassbreaker 007 and 15 (available in both heads and combos) along with the 45 head and 18/30 2x12 combo. Today, we’re taking a look at the latter, the Bassbreaker 18/30 combo. Featuring four EL84 tubes, dual-channel functionality, variable wattage and a pair of 12” Celestion speakers, this is not your typical Fender tube combo.
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Founded in 1966 by Bob Heil, Heil Sound is a professional audio company that has managed to flourish for decades thanks in part to their extensive knowledge of the market and forward-thinking microphone designs. In fact, they are so respected in the industry that they remain the only manufacturer to be invited to exhibit their products at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. With that in mind, we decided to take the time to share with our visitors a few of our favorite mics from Heil Sound. If you're serious about your audio gear, you owe it to yourself and your sound to take a closer look the mics below!
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Nitro VS Poly Guitar Finishes, Fender Bassbreaker 18/30 Review And More! https://t.co/dkXZUZyI0F
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Matching Single-coil With Humbucker Guitar Pickups https://t.co/G7jZm8o4MB
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If there's one thing that we guitarists today have that we didn't in the early years of rock, it's that we are spoiled for choice when it comes to aftermarket pickups! With that in mind, we want to shine a light at one of our favorite brands around here that we feel deserves a bit more attention: Van Zandt Pickups. Created by W.L. Van Zandt's in the late '80s after years of growing demand for his custom rewinds, Van Zandt pickups are known for their quality craftsmanship and awesome tones. While W.L. Van Zandt has long since retired, his nephew J.D. continues the tradition will all of the quality and attention to detail that his uncle's pickups are known for. Today, we want to take a look at a few of their outstanding designs. And as an authorized dealer, we guarantee our Van Zandt pickups are brand new and straight from J.D.'s hand in Texas!
If you're in need of a middle position single-coil that was built to deliver the iconic blues sound, only with a bit more kick, look no further than Van Zandt's Blues Model pickup! With a bright yet mellow sound and plenty of midrange that doesn't sacrifice the top end, the Blues Model is blues tone done right. The attack response is sensitive enough to react to even the lightest picks, although you can easily give it all you've got to for a high energy growl with plenty of snap. This particular blues model is reverse wound, meaning when paired with standard wound neck and bridge position pickups, it will help cut down the hum that is sometimes seen in single-coils. Other benefits include the ability to coil split in the 2nd and 4th position of a five-position pickup switch. For true fans of American blues guitar, the tone of you've been looking for is right here. Neck and Bridge Blues models are also available, either individually or as a full set.
If hard rock is more of your cup of tea, we highly recommend the Rock Model Bridge/Neck Strat pickup. Made for heavy metal, rock, and alternative rock, this model pickup is known for its top end emphasis and the ability to give a pleasantly smooth growl when in overdrive. It also works especially well with Tube Screamer-style overdrive pedals. Personally, I love the sound and tones available when matched with Blues Model pickups, specifically, the setup found in the Rock/Blues set; it gives my Strat the ability to go between two iconic sounds depending on what tone I need at the time or mix a bit of both for some pleasantly awesome sounds!
For Telecaster player's that yearn for the glorious tones of the '50s and '60s, the True Vintage Telecaster neck pickup was made to deliver exactly that. In fact, the True Vintage is a well-known favorite of company founder W.L. Van Zandt. And from our own tests here at the office, we can't say we disagree with the man! Tone-wise, it has a very mellow flavor with a bit of brightness, perfect for capturing that signature Tele chime. When mixed with the center position, the True Vintage offers both top and bottom end. If you're a Tele man that want's those classic '50s and '60s tones but with a little more oomph, the True Vintage is where it's at. Perfect for Country, Blues, and Rock-a-Billy.
Van Zandt offers more than just guitar pickups. Introducing the Jazz Bass Style Neck, a '50s and '60s style Jazz Bass style neck single-coil that is built to capture the classic sound of Leo Fender's iconic bass, just with a little more output! Not only do we recommend these to vintage Jazz Bass fans, our in-house bass expert swears by this very model! Featuring a bright yet mellow midrange and a rich treble response, the Jazz Bass Style Neck offers a focused tone that is perfect for bass players who seek a more noticeable sound instead of just hanging in the background. We highly suggest this pickup for funk, disco, reggae, blues, progressive rock, heavy metal or jazz fusion bass players. If you're more of a Precision bass type of guy, we recommend checking out Van Zandt's P-Bass Models, made to deliver high-quality vintage P-Bass tones with a bit more output for good measure.
The post Brand Spotlight: Van Zandt Guitar And Bass Pickups appeared first on ProAudioLand Musician News.The Sennheiser e935 is a cardioid vocal microphone specially designed for the rigors of touring and performing under pressure. At $169.95, Sennheiser's mic is targeting the working musician demographic, the same crowded field ruled by the well-known Shure SM58 microphone. And while there are many similarities between this and a lot of other standard vocal stage microphones, the e935 is a mic all its own, especially when it comes to the important subtleties of its sound reproduction. Read on to find out just how well the Sennheiser e935 stacks up against the competition.
Released as part of Sennheiser's Evolution 900 series of microphones, the e935 is built for musicians that require a tough mic for life on the road or constant gigging, one that can take a good beating without dying on them. On that front, the e935 delivers, featuring a rugged metal body and an advanced shock mount design. And while it’s not particularly heavy, coming in at about a pound, the mic feels solid and very well constructed. From our experience, it was able to survive several five-foot drops without as much as a scratch. In fact, you could probably throw this mic against a concrete wall and it will still keep on going (although that is not recommended).
If you take a quick look at e935, it looks like your average vocal stage mic. With a nominal impedance of 350 ohms, the mic is on par with a good majority other stage microphones in this field. Its cardioid pickup pattern helps with feedback reduction, even near speakers and monitors. While all this is standard fare for these type of mics, what sets the e935 apart is its excellent extended frequency response (40 – 18,000 Hz), giving it increased sensitivity and realistic sound reproduction that goes great with vocals. More on that in a bit. Other features include standard XLR-3 connectors and a hum-compensating coil. It also comes with a storage bag and clip.
Loud, clean and clear – this is what you get with an e935. If you’re coming from an SM58, you’ll find the e935 to be a very different mic, much brighter and warmer overall, with better clarity. If you're not a fan of the subdued feel of the SM58, the e935 will be a much better fit. Aside from a difference in tone, notes that would seem to blend into the background with an SM58 will come out sharp and distinct on this mic, meaning flaws in your delivery will not be hidden. While this might be a bit jarring at first, you can retrain yourself and get accustomed to the higher sensitivity of the e935 after a few hours, and it’s well worth the effort. Being a sensitive mic, you'll also need to watch out for noise from excessive handling. Not a huge problem though as this can be corrected with a little self-restraint. Feedback rejection was also very impressive, able to give consistently clean vocals even under particularly loud settings.
Despite being in a very crowded field with plenty of established competition, the Sennheiser e935 manages to differentiate itself thanks to its quality construction and distinct frequency response. While its high output and sensitivity mean the e935 will require more disciplined vocals and handling, it’s a small price for powerful, clean and bright vocals that can cut through a mix without a hint of muddiness. If you’ve grown tired of the "industry standard" but want something just as tough at a similar price point, this is the mic for you. All in all, the Sennheiser e935 succeeds in delivering excellent value, robust construction and exceptional performance in one highly recommended package.
SENNHEISER e935 Cardioid Dynamic Handheld Vocal Microphone @ $169.95
The e935 is a cardioid vocal stage microphone specially designed to perform under pressure while cutting through the mix with its high output. Made for the working musician. Excellent sound results guaranteed, day to day, 365 days a year. First choice for rental companies. This mic can handle whatever you can dish out.
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We often get asked by our customers about personal recommendations when it comes to pickups. And it makes sense – players have never had as many choices in high-quality pickups as they do right now. From the big manufacturers to the boutique brands, there is a lot to choose from. With that in mind, I wanted to share with our readers two Suhr pickup series that I find myself always recommending: the DSV and SSV humbuckers. While guitarists that prefer a more modern sound might want to look elsewhere, players that live and die by that classic, vintage humbucker tone will definitely want to take a closer look at these two quality humbucker pickups.
The SSV line is one of Suhr’s most popular humbucker offerings and for good reason. Tonally, they feature the warm nature of vintage pickups but are overwound for a slightly hotter sound. They also offer a particularly sweet midrange response along with that combination of honk and snarl that many players love. And better still, they lack the compression artifacts that normally plague higher output pickups and pair particularly well with higher output single-coils, great for players that want a versatile setup.
Moving on to the next line, the DSV is meant to be an even warmer version of the SSV, and it shows. The best way to describe these humbuckers is smooth, articulate and clear, particularly in the top end. While the DSV line definitely nails down the vintage humbucker sound, it’s a tad bit hotter than you would expect from true old school model. But if you love sustain and creamy, smooth overdrive, I can’t recommend this DSV line enough.
Both the DSV and SSV consist of a neck and bridge option, with the bridge being available in either 50mm or 53mm spacing. There are also multiple styles to available, from the classic all black or white, zebra, and even various plated options. To find out more about both the SSV and DSV humbucking pickups including pricing and style options, make sure to check out the links below.
Suhr SSV Humbucking Bridge (50mm Spacing)
Suhr SSV Humbucking Bridge (53mm Spacing)
Suhr DSV Humbucking Neck Pickup
Suhr DSV Humbucking Bridge (50mm Spacing)
Suhr DSV Humbucking Bridge (53mm Spacing)
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Pickup Recommendations: Suhr DSV And SSV Humbuckers https://t.co/4t9waQfQ7u
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Brand Spotlight: Jackson Electric Guitars https://t.co/R4aCI4DRYe pic.twitter.com/ZGDX9VKv71
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The Maestro Paco de Lucía. What's your favorite performance from the master? 👏
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Love your Fender Stratocaster but want to upgraded the stock tone with the best replacement Strat pickups on the market? Not a problem! As one of the most influential guitars ever made, the Fender Stratocaster has a huge aftermarket pickup scene that offers nearly any Strat tone imaginable. Whether you're looking for something as close to vintage as possible, a set that's hotter than stock or maybe just single-coil pickups that can cancel the hum, we've ranked the very best Stratocaster pickups around.
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Sebastian https://t.co/f4UQjMDmlp
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Favorite @rush song? 💪🤓
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Are Fender Squier Electric Guitars Any Good? https://t.co/tftYRd3yH3
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How To Tell If You Have A Bad Or Blown Guitar Speaker https://t.co/KbTNDPrNMj
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Bass Recording Tips: Mic To Amp Or DI? https://t.co/dvkpvELCFG
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What's your favorite tune from the master Stevie Ray Vaughan? 🎸👇
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