Clik here to view.
Mixing Magnets in One Pickup
Aggressive on the bass side, sweet on the top. I was talking to Seymour the other day about the types of magnets used in vintage Fender pickups. I knew that Fender used strong, punchy alnico V magnets...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are Your Sinister — or Dextrous?
“Why is everything upside-down?” You know the etymology behind the word “sinister,” don’t you? It’s the Latin word for “left,” which, according to etymologists, became associated with evil, thanks to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Cheap Archtop Upgrade!
Sounds like MONEY! I’ve said it so many times, I feel like the parrot of pickups, but here goes again: These days the weakest links on inexpensive Asian and Mexican guitars are invariably the pickups....
View ArticleClik here to view.
What’s the Deal with Alnico VIII Magnets?
Like this royalty-free clip-art illustration, the Alternative 8 manages to be both aggressive and round. I was talking to some of the Seymour Duncan dudes the other day about pickups models deserving...
View ArticleDoes a Guitar Ever Play You?
The other day I posted a demo for a high-gain pickup, and I’m usually a lower-gain guy. Zyon said in comments that it sounded like Santana. (It sort of did, if you can imagine a clumsy, out-of-tune...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How Nashville High-Stringing Works
“Them’s some mighty skinny strings there, son!” Nashville high-strung tuning is one of the guitar’s great magic tricks. It has a delicious, “secrets of the Guild” quality — you feel like an insider...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Those Times When It’s Good to NOT Play Like Yourself…
I am not any of these people — but I pretended to be them. Can we all agree that it’s a good thing when guitarists and bassists cultivate their own style? Even a jaded old cuss experienced music...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Really Basic Pickup Install Tutorial
I always forget — which end is the hot part? Somewhat embarrassingly, I never got around to changing one of my own pickups until I was knocking on senility’s door recently. I owe part of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Secret is Out…
Last winter I tried an odd experiment: a website where players were encouraged to post their best tone secrets — the kinds of tricks and techniques that are almost too good to share. But in order to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tonefiend Archive
Seymour Duncan’s year-long sponsorship of my blog has drawn to a close. I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone at Seymour Duncan, but it’s tough to know where to start! The warmth with they...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mixing Magnets in One Pickup
Aggressive on the bass side, sweet on the top. I was talking to Seymour the other day about the types of magnets used in vintage Fender pickups. I knew that Fender used strong, punchy alnico V magnets...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are Your Sinister — or Dextrous?
“Why is everything upside-down?” You know the etymology behind the word “sinister,” don’t you? It’s the Latin word for “left,” which, according to etymologists, became associated with evil, thanks to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Cheap Archtop Upgrade!
Sounds like MONEY! I’ve said it so many times, I feel like the parrot of pickups, but here goes again: These days the weakest links on inexpensive Asian and Mexican guitars are invariably the pickups....
View ArticleClik here to view.
What’s the Deal with Alnico VIII Magnets?
Like this royalty-free clip-art illustration, the Alternative 8 manages to be both aggressive and round. I was talking to some of the Seymour Duncan dudes the other day about pickups models deserving...
View ArticleDoes a Guitar Ever Play You?
The other day I posted a demo for a high-gain pickup, and I’m usually a lower-gain guy. Zyon said in comments that it sounded like Santana. (It sort of did, if you can imagine a clumsy, out-of-tune...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How Nashville High-Stringing Works
“Them’s some mighty skinny strings there, son!” Nashville high-strung tuning is one of the guitar’s great magic tricks. It has a delicious, “secrets of the Guild” quality — you feel like an insider...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Those Times When It’s Good to NOT Play Like Yourself…
I am not any of these people — but I pretended to be them. Can we all agree that it’s a good thing when guitarists and bassists cultivate their own style? Even a jaded old cuss experienced music...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Really Basic Pickup Install Tutorial
I always forget — which end is the hot part? Somewhat embarrassingly, I never got around to changing one of my own pickups until I was knocking on senility’s door recently. I owe part of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Secret is Out…
Last winter I tried an odd experiment: a website where players were encouraged to post their best tone secrets — the kinds of tricks and techniques that are almost too good to share. But in order to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tonefiend Archive
Seymour Duncan’s year-long sponsorship of my blog has drawn to a close. I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone at Seymour Duncan, but it’s tough to know where to start! The warmth with they...
View Article
