• Save 10% on a single item at Guitar Center. This coupon is good thru 7/31/10, so you have to use it by the end of Saturday. It’s good for a discount of up to $500 on one item. If you’ve been waiting to pull the trigger on a big ticket item, this might be your time!
• Score a FREE Paiste 10′ 2002 Splash Cymbal. Thru 8/31/10, buy a pair of Paiste Hi Hats or a 16′ or larger cymbal from the Twenty, 2002, RUDE, or Giant Beat series from Musicians Friend or Guitar Center and score a free splash cymbal. Download the rebate form here (PDF).
• Fender Original ’57/’62 Stratocaster Pickup Set for just $83.99! This could be a mistake, but The Perfect Guitar has placed this fantastic sounding set of pickups into their clearance center. The regular selling price is $159.99.
• Buy two Audix OM2 Dynamic Vocal Microphones and get a third microphone for FREE from All Pro Sound. MSRP: $447.00. Your Price: $199.00. Save $248!
• Save 64% on an ESP LTD SURVEYOR-414 4-String Electric Bass Guitar. Musicians Friend has a factory restock that’s on sale for $359.00, a savings of $640.00 off the $999.00 retail price.

Here’s Diego to tell us about how he built this instrument:

Few days ago I started thinking about how I could re-purpose the keyboard of the dismantled piano I keep in the garden, so I thought to build a new instrument by combining it with some other parts I had laying around. I ended up with this mechanical hybrid thing I thought to call “Bassoforte” (bass + pianoforte).

The track I created is a tribute to my Dad who is a big fan of Western comic books and “spaghetti western” films, and because of him I am too.

Vimeo Link

Fender has just announced a new Jazzmaster giveaway. Specifically, they are giving away a Classic Player Jazzmaster Special guitar — a modern take on their original ’58 Jazzmaster model, complete with hotter pickups, a new Adjusto-Matic bridge, a 9.5 fingerboard radius and a neck pocket with increased back-angle for improved stability and sustain.

This guitar retails for $1,100 and is worth every red cent!

Entry Deadline: August 31, 2010

Get It: Click Here to Enter

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Today, up popped a name I recognized: Dolan Geiman. Dolan is not a musician (well, he could be, but not a famous one), but rather a really kick ass artist! I knew the name because I produce the podcast series each year for the Cherry Creek Arts Festival in Denver, and Dolan submitted a very cool video last year (embedded below).

He’s currently got a killer giveaway going on with Fossil, featuring a guitar-themed piece of his artwork. This piece, “Made in the Shade,” is mixed media recycled artwork, and was created with acrylic, silk screen, and found paper collage on recycled wood (48” x 33” x 2”). It’s like hanging a guitar on your wall but way, way cooler. Oh…and it’s valued at $3200!

This is the complete list of items used to make “Made in the Shade:”

1. There are six keys at the top of the guitar. Five of the keys were found in an abandoned post office building in Chicago. The last key was found at a truck stop outside of Denver.

2. The material on the neck of the guitar is a smashed cookie tin from an alleyway in Nashville.

3. The ninth piece of wood on the neck on the guitar came from a house in the French Quarter in New Orleans, post Katrina.

4. Also on the neck of the guitar is a white wooden ruler from abandoned farmhouse near Necedah,Wisconsin.

5. For the flowers, the darker wood is lathe from abandoned houses here in Chicago, and the red wood is from a barn outside of Louisville, Kentucky.

6. The broom handles were acquired from a junkman in Houston,Texas.

7. An old metal conduit came from an abandoned warehouse in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

8. A hickory stick came from my grandma’s farm in Crimora, Virginia.

9. Directly above the “American” text is a round piece of wood I found among a larger pile of wood bleaching in the sun near the Ohio River banks.

10. The “American” text is hand-silkscreened on old apple crate wood that I found in an abandoned Ohio woodshop.

11. The decorative cream-colored molding came from a piece of furniture I found floating down the Mississippi River.

12. The red ruler is from Michigan.

13. The vintage square ruler originated from an abandoned schoolhouse in Iowa.

14. And the gold molding is from a picture frame I found in an abandoned church in Indiana.

Any of us should be proud to hang this in our home…good luck!

Entry Deadline: August 31, 2010
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If you’re a guitarist looking for an all-in-one recording solution, you may want to check out the OPC, which will start shipping in August 2010. The elevator pitch for the OPC is this: You have a fully functional guitar amp with legendary Orange tone. You have a full-on personal computer running Windows 7 and bundled with $860 in recording software. These are both in the same box!

If you’re a guitar amp spec geek, here’s a rundown of the amp section of the Orange OPC:

• 24 Bit Audio Interface with both guitar and microphone inputs
• 15 watt RMS per channel stereo amplifier (into 4 ohms) with 2 band EQ, – 2 x JBL 6.5” 55 Watt RMS Dual Concentric Speakers both mounted into an optimized cabinet for enhanced cooling and acoustics.
• Portable strong lightweight vinyl covered wooden case with an all aluminum powder-coated chassis featuring the same iconic design as a small Orange Amplifier optimized for personal computer use.
• Direct stereo line to the internal amplifier allows the OPC to be used as an amplifier and speaker for any playback device- from iPods to Microphones

Now, what comes installed on the PC side of the Orange OPC?:

• Installed with Windows 7 Home Premium (x 64 bit)
• Presonus Studio Orange Custom Edition (Professional level recording software offering powerful user friendly music creation and production application for artists of all levels)
• Acoustica Mixcraft – Full Version (Easy to use multi-track studio software to record audio, arrange loops, remix tracks, compose with virtual instruments, score and edit video, and add effects to create stunningly professional compositions.)
• IK Multimedia Amplitube 3 (Full Version of this leading guitar and bass tone gear modelling software. Over 160 ultra-accurately modeled sounds including brand new Custom Orange Amp models. Plug in your guitar; choose your sound and you’re on your way!)
• Toontracks – EZ Drummer Lite (market leading multi-sampled acoustic drum-kit library to create great drums track in just a few clicks )
• Licklibrary – Guitar Tuition Software (Exclusive to OPC, selection of free guitar lessons from one of the world’s largest guitar education brands delivered through a Licklibrary media player )

If you’re interested in more specs, specifically technical info about the PC, check out the Orange OPC product page.

The Orange OPC will sell for $1,499, and will initially be sold direct from Orange UK, Orange USA or from the Orange website. Orange’s Global Distribution network will expand later this year into general computer stores.

For another sneak peak at this amp, check out this Premier Guitar video from Musikmesse 2010:

YouTube Link

The most obvious example to many of us would be rock bands who make the leap form playing clubs to theaters to arenas. When you’re playing a small room, you can play intricate guitar solos and drum fills that would get lost in the reverberation of an building meant to host hockey games. So, as bands play larger rooms, they tend to play less notes, taking advantage of the sound of the rooms they find themselves playing.

This is the easy example that many of us have probably thought about. Byrne runs through some other great examples that may not be as obvious to us. How does the outdoor environment in Africa influence the rich African rhythms? Why did the music of Bach and Mozart differ so much? It may have had quite a bit to do with the rooms they knew they’d be playing their latest pieces in.

Very interesting. I hope you enjoy it!

YouTube Link

Thirteen winners will receive brand new Ovation acoustic guitars. They will be giving away one Ovation Celebrity each week for twelve weeks, and the grand prize winner will score a $5,000 Custom Ovation Adamas acoustic.

Follow the link below to register and watch a video that will take you through everything you need to know.

Get It: Click Here to Enter

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Since that time, I’ve gotten to know Ansir Music founder Jody Michael and have been impressed with the passion he has both for craftsmanship and innovation. In addition to his use of the highest quality tonewoods and electronics, Ansir has one thing going for them that no other guitar or bass builder has: a patented technology that builds your personal playing angle into your instrument.

In a nutshell, here’s how it works: You strap on your guitar or bass and it wants to hang parallel to the ground. Unless you’re one of those people who slings your axe down low, this is not how you play. So, you pull up on the neck to get it in the position you’re comfortable playing in, which is not the instrument’s natural position. This has been happening since the beginning of time and I’m sure most of you have given it little thought.

The solution? Build the exact angle that you play the instrument into the guitar or bass. Simple yet brilliant, right? A truly custom instrument.

So, Jody and I were talking one day and he asked me what we could do to make more people aware of this great feature. What we came up with was a way to give everyone out there a free report that provides them with their personal playing angle. It’s pretty simple. All you have to do is strap on your guitar or bass, hold it in playing position, then have someone take a few measurements. Then Jody will crunch the numbers and email you a personal report. No strings attached, just a cool thing to hang on to that will make you a little more aware of how you interact with your instrument. If you’re interested in one of these reports, instructions and an online form are on the Ansir website.

Click here to get your free personal playing angle report from Ansir Music.

First up, Effects Bay is giving away one of those products that you wish you would have thought of, a StageTrix Pedal Riser. Actually, they’re giving away four of them, plus two 3-packs of Pedal Fasteners. The Pedal Risers simply raise up the second row of effects pedals on your board, giving you easier access to the on/off switch. See? Simple yet genius!

The fastener is simply an industrial strength fastener designed specifically for attaching pedals to pedalboards.

Entry Deadline: July 20, 2010
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Now on to giveaway #2. Jim Dunlop has hooked up I Heart Guitar with seven of their BMF leather guitar straps. If you like black leather and metal (as most guitarists do!), these are the straps for you. They have a definite “rock ‘n’ roll” vibe to them!

Entry Deadline: July 21, 2010
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Bill Mendello, CEO of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, had announced his retirement about a week ago. Certainly big news, but we’d all been waiting for his replacement to be announced to the public. Today, Fender revealed that Larry Thomas, a long-time Guitar Center employee and Chairman & CEO from 1996-2004, will take over the reigns of one of the most-respected guitar companies in the world.

In a released statement, this is what Mendello had to say about the changing of the guard: “I am delighted to be able to pass the leadership of FMIC into the very capable hands of Larry Thomas,” said Mendello. “Larry is a widely-respected person with an incredible amount of experience and valuable insight about music companies and music retailers, large and small. He is one of the true legends in the industry and brings the credentials that will help lead FMIC to even greater future success.”

As a former Fender employee, and someone who is not the biggest fan of Guitar Center, I certainly have my opinions about this move (although they may not be what you think). What are yours? Please leave a comment and let me know if you think this is a good or bad move for Fender.

To celebrate, he’s pulled together a ton of great to gear to give away, including an IK Multimedia Software Bundle containing: AmpliTube 3, T-RackS 3 Deluxe & Sonik Synth 2, Mad Professor Forest Green Compressor, TC Electronic PolyTune, Cubisteffects Custom Modded PROCO RAT, and much more.

Entry Deadline: July 16, 2010
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The thing I like about this giveaway is that Brian Porter from Porter Pickups is going to hook the winner up with a set of pups EXACTLY the way he or she wants them. Strat, Tele, Humbucker, whatever you want. Want it overwound? You got it.

Even if you don’t win this contest, check out the Porter website. This guy looks like he build some great gear!

Entry Deadline: June 30, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

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However, if you’re an oh-so-trendy iPhone owner, TC Electronic wants to reward your coolness. They are offering up free PolyTune iPhone apps to the first 25,000 people who download it. UPDATE – They upped this to 50,000 downloads, but the promo is over. The app is now available for $9.99.

I just downloaded a copy for myself and it looks very cool! You can choose between guitar and bass tuning, with multiple drop tuning settings, 10 Hz calibration, and two different display modes. Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, the coolest thing about this tuner is that you can tune all six (or four) strings at once. Just strum and tune!

To take advantage of this offer, you can go to the PolyTune page in the iPhone App Store, or if you want to download it directly to your phone, just search on “polytune.”

Well, you may ask, what are these pedals all about? Here’s a rundown:

Maxon ST-9 Pro+ Super Tube
A salute to the rare and highly collectible “Super Tube Screamer” from the 1980′s, the new Maxon ST-9 Pro+ Super Tube takes the basic design elements of that coveted vintage model and brings them into the 21st century.

Loosely based on Maxon’s classic “808” circuit, the ST-9 Pro+ offers a dedicated midrange control that varies the amount of Midrange boost, creating powerful, fat and heavy distortion sounds akin to a full stack amplifier. A mode switch to select from two different diode types allows the user to fine-tune the ST-9 Pro+ for use with single coils or humbuckers, while switchable 9- or 18-volt operation provides increased dynamic headroom and fuller frequency response.

Check out the Godlyke website for audio samples and a demo video.

SM-9 Pro+ Super Metal
Based on the cult-classic Super Metal pedal from the 1980′s, the new Maxon SM-9 Pro+ packs sufficient firepower to accurately reproduce all the tonal evolutions of metal music over the past 30 years.

The SM-9 Pro+ can create an almost limitless variety of high-gain guitar sounds, from classic 70′s Plexi tones through the “scooped midrange” made famous by the 1980’s thrash pioneers, and on to the huge low-end needed for the extended tunings of today’s extreme metal.

The SM-9 Pro+ features Gain, Level, Scoop, and Edge controls. Gain simultaneously boosts the 1 kHz midrange band by up to 20 dB as Gain is increased. Scoop is a mid-band elimination filter that is variable between 200 Hz – 2 kHz. Edge is a hi-cut shelving filter that cuts hi frequencies from 2 kHz to 15 kHz.

The SM-9 Pro+ also features switchable 9 or 18 volt operation, providing sufficient heardroom with minimal compression to handle today’s high-output pickups and active electronics.

Again, there are sound samples on the Godlyke website.

Entry Deadline: June 30, 2010
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I’ve been posting giveaways for a while now, and this is one of the coolest guitars I’ve seen given away. Oftentimes companies will just team up with Gibson and buy a cheap Epiphone and slap their logo on it, but this one took some time, thought, and cash to pull off!

Some info from Relentless:

Based on the Gibson SG Special, the SG Relentless has a body composed of rich mahogany curves. The fingerboard has been replaced by a piece of AA Ebony with 22 stainless steel frets. It boasts hand-cut Mother of Pearl inlays, rich, multi-layered graphics finished in clear lacquer and buffed to a high gloss, a photo-etched stainless steel scratch plate, Gibson 496R and 500T pickups and a custom selector switch to flick between two settings — Grind and Sacrifice.

Entry Deadline: May 31, 2010
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Please forward this to all your guitar-loving friends.

On April 9, 2007, Josie Alise Greenwood, my 3-year-old grand niece, died of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. As you may imagine, it was devastating to her family. They formed Team Josie, which participates in the annual American Cancer Society Relay for Life and to date have raised nearly $13,000 for the Society. This year, Team Josie is raffling a custom guitar being graciously donated by luthier Jason Schroeder, of Jason Z. Schroeder Guitars, Redding, California. All proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society.

I figure I can do one better than just forward the email to my friends, I can send it out to thousands of caring musicians.

Aside from the great cause, this guitar looks AMAZING! If you’re not familiar with Schroeder guitars, do yourself a favor and check out his website. For a $50 donation, your name gets thrown in the drawing to win this fine axe. There are also some great photos on the Team Josie website of the guitar in various stages of production.

To learn more about this cause, the guitar, or to make a donation, please visit josieshope.org.

Also, please help spread the word. At the bottom of this post are a bunch of “Share” buttons. Share this on Facebook, Tweet about it. Email it to your friends. Help support Alan and Team Josie.

Some info on the Banjola, directly from the Gold Tone website:

With a standard 5-string banjo neck and the body of a mandolin (or mandola), the Banjola is a beautiful instrument with exquisite tone and sustain that you won’t find in a standard 5-string banjo.

Entry Deadline: May 23, 2010
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Here’s the skinny on the Epiphone Dove Acoustic Guitar:

Tight, smooth, focused sound is the hallmark of the Epiphone Dove Acoustic Guitar, sister to the Hummingbird. This baby really sings with a solid spruce top and maple back and sides. The Epiphone Dove features a 25-1/2″ scale maple neck, rosewood fingerboard with split parallelogram inlays, dove pickguard, stylized bridge with wing inlays, and chrome hardware.

Epiphone Dove Acoustic Guitar Features:

• Solid spruce top
• Maple body
• Set maple neck
• Rosewood fingerboard with split parallelogram inlays
• Dove pickguard
• Stylized bridge with wing inlays
• Chrome hardware

Entry Deadline: May 31, 2010
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Check out other TED videos on GearPipe

Up for grabs right now is an Electro Harmonix Memory Boy Deluxe analog delay pedal. This is a great pedal from one of the top analog effects builders EVER, and sells for $179.

If you’re not familiar with this pedal, here’s some product info:

The Deluxe Memory Boy is the newest member of the iconic Memory Man family. It carries on the family tradition with new performance aspects that give it unique power and metronomic definition.

Quality IC’s deliver warm and organic tones while the new Tap tempo allows you to always be in perfect sync with the groove. Choose from five note divisions for metronomic variance while staying in sync and always on the mark. The added EFX loop integrates your pedals to follow the groove with tonal dexterity .Use an expression pedal to control your modulations for performance flexibility. The Deluxe Memory Boy is slick, smart and always on time.

Features:

Pure analog IC’s

• Tap Tempo with footswitch control
• 5 selectable note subdivisions
• EFX loop
• Expression pedal with multiple functions
• Multi waveform modulation

Entry Deadline: May 5, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

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This morning I got an email from Brian at Fretbase who let me know they’re giving one of these systems away to one of their readers. Cool…I posted a link on Twitter and Facebook, letting everyone I know who would care about this contest that this unit is up for grabs. Now, I’m telling you. Head to the Fretbase contest page to enter to win one of these wireless systems that sell for $299.

BUT THEN…I realize that Line6 is spreading these things around like candy! If you really want to bolster your chances of winning, you can also head over to I Heart Guitar, The Tone King, Dolphinstreet, and Gear-Vault. There are probably more. If you find another, leave a link in the comments.

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

The lowdown on the Gibson Les Paul Studio Raw Power Electric Guitar:

Gibson USA’s Les Paul Studio Raw Power is a total natural — the Les Paul in its most basic form, yet built like none other before it. While the original Les Paul Standard’s maple top has always set it apart from more common all-mahogany electrics, the Les Paul Studio Raw Power goes all out for maple’s tonal splendors: an all-maple body matches the traditional maple top, for a brighter, more articulate tone, and a maple neck and fingerboard give each note a tight, snappy response. A pair of Gibson’s renowned ’57 Classic pickups, as featured on several high-end Custom Shop models, provides all the clear punch and muscle of those legendary “PAFs.” There’s also a new palette of satin finish colors to choose from: Gold, Yellow, White, Blue/Platinum, Trans Ebony, Olive Green, Natural, Aquamarine and Platinum. All the rest of the basics follow the classic specs you have come to expect from a Les Paul: 22-frets, a volume and control knob for each pickup, one three-way toggle switch, Grover Kluson-style green key tuners, and Gibson’s pioneering Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece. The Les Paul Studio Raw Power from Gibson USA is solid. It’s dependable. And most of all, it’s affordable — without any compromises.

Entry Deadline: April 30, 2010
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For US and Canada customers they are offering $100 cash back on any 2009 Elite series guitar and $70 cash back on any 2009 Deluxe series guitar or bass.

You can head over to the Fernandes website for more details, and to download the rebate form. If you want to check out what’s available, here’s a link to Fernandes guitars & basses at Musicians Friend.

More about the Dean Michael Amott Tyrant Electric Guitar:

• Basswood Top / Body
• 24-3/4″ Scale
• Bolt-On Maple Neck
• Rosewood Fingerboard
• Pearl Dot Inlays
• Grover Tuners
• Black Hardware
• Tune-O-Matic Bridge
• Dean DMT Design Humbucker Pickups

Entry Deadline: April 23, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

Not Feeling Lucky? Buy the Dean Michael Amott Tyrant Electric Guitar from Musicians Friend.

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

The guys at audiotuts+ have just assembled a pretty sweet list of 10 great “tuts”about recording electric guitar.

Here’s tip #1, a video guide to recording your guitar in a home studio. You’ll have to head over to audiotuts+ to get #2-9.

Gibson and Musician’s Friend have teamed up to give away a trip for two to Cabo San Lucas, where you and your guest will meet Sammy and enjoy a special 20th Anniversary concert at Cabo Wabo as special guests of Sammy Hagar and Chickenfoot! You’ll also receive an autographed Gibson Sammy Hagar Red Rocker Les Paul and stay at the luxury Casa Dorada Los Cabos Hotel Resort in the heart of Cabo San Lucas!

More about the Gibson Sammy Hagar Red Rocker Les Paul:

Through a career that spans stints with Ronnie Montrose, Van Halen, and his own prominent solo work, Sammy Hagar has been the force behind a total of 60 million record sales and countless righteous riffs, and when the Red Rocker rocks, he chooses to rock Gibson. Now, in celebration of Hagar’s mammoth new band Chickenfoot, and its self-titled debut album, Gibson USA introduces the Sammy Hagar Red Rocker Les Paul, a guitar with legendary appointments and a hot new look designed by the artist himself, all primed to stoke a new era in rock. A super-group comprised of Joe Satriani on lead guitar, Michael Anthony of Van Halen on bass, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on drums, and Hagar on guitar and vocals, Red Rocker is taking the rock world by storm, and the Sammy Hagar Red Rocker Les Paul is the perfect centerpiece for the conquest.

Entry Deadline: April 4, 2010
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To celebrate the release of the new Jett biopic The Runaways, Rolling Stone is giving away a Gibson Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker electric guitar, worth $1,200.

Some info from the Gibson website:

“I got my Melody Maker in 1977,” the legendary Joan Jett says about the guitar she has made one of the most iconic instruments in rock and roll. “It was light and it sounded great. It was the guitar I had in the Runaways and then played on all my hits, like ‘I Love Rock N’ Roll’ and ‘Bad Reputation’ and ‘Do You Wanna Touch Me.’ It’s my baby.” Carefully developed in close cooperation with Jett herself, Gibson’s Joan Jett Double Cutaway Melody Maker features a lightweight, slab mahogany body with a Worn White finish.

Entry Deadline: April 2, 2010
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Not Feeling Lucky? Buy a Gibson Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker from Musicians Friend.

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Here’s what they have to say about this axe:
As taboo as moonshine, this double bound, string through alder body features 3 P90s, with separate volume controls for each, master tone with a passive overdrive, 5-way switch, in a 25 1/5″ scale.

If you’re less into words and more into tone, here’s a demo video from the guys at Gear Guruz.

Entry Deadline: March 30, 2010
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In this podcast episode she tells me that the launch of her own label, Purdy Records, has given her the freedom to play music, record albums, and tour on her own terms. Shannon also tells me about the process of stripping down her rig and reinventing her sound.

“I’ve taken everything from my entire line of stuff and I’m starting bare bones and rebuilding everything again. My PRS’s with my Fervor pickups are the only things I know for sure that I’ll be using on this tour.”

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In this video folk musician and storyteller David Holt plays the banjo and shares photographs and old wisdom from the Appalachian Mountains. He also demonstrates some unusual instruments like the mouth bow — and a surprising electric drum kit he calls “thunderwear.”

Born from a love of tone and a passion for innovation, Taylor Guitars has redefined the possibilities of guitar voicing in its new model, the Baritone 8-String, a hybrid of a six-string baritone and a nine-string guitar. Bob Taylor explains, “We loved the traditional baritone, but missed having some of that upper register. We thought ‘what if we turned it into a ninestring baritone?’ So, we made one. But after deciding it was a little too jangly, we pulled off the [doubled second] string, leaving the third and fourth octave strings. It sounded awesome.”

With a bold, fresh sound, the Baritone 8-String broadens the tonal spectrum, giving players a rich musical palette that promises to uncork new inspiration of musical harmony.

Featuring a Grand Symphony body with a richly hued back and sides of Indian rosewood topped with Sitka spruce, the Baritone 8-String also has mother-of-pearl peghead inlay and delicate diamond-shaped fretboard inlays, a three-ring abalone rosette, and abalone-dotted bridge pins.

And to commemorate this special year, Taylor has inlaid Acoustic Guitar’s 20th Anniversary logo into the headstock.

Premium features of the Baritone 8-String include Indian rosewood binding, a bone nut and saddle, and an all-gloss finish. The guitar is amplified with the Taylor Expression System® pickup and strung with ELIXIR Baritone strings®. This Baritone 8-String guitar is tuned from B to B and features octave strings paired along with the third and fourth (D and A) strings. This feature gives players an extended range of sounds without compromising tonal integrity or playability.

Entry Deadline: March 31, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

Not feeling lucky? Buy the Taylor Baritone 8-String Acoustic Guitar at Guitar Center.

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

About the Ibanez RG2228 8 String Electric Guitar:

These are the machines of the gods, with drop dead good looks, sonic lethality and the devastating power and control of a precision double-locking trem. RG Prestige guitars feature flawless Japanese craftsmanship, the finest materials and each is axe perfectly matched with just the right choice of DiMarzio, Duncan, EMG, or IBZ pickups.

Entry Deadline: March 31, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

Not feeling lucky? Buy the Ibanez RG2228 8 String Electric Guitar from Musicians Friend.

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

So…why do Fervor pickups sound so good? In this podcast interview, Geoff tells me that it’s a combination of high-quality materials, an obsessive attention to detail, and years of testing and listening to the pickups that have come off his bench.

“I know my wire is better. I know my magnets are better. I know everything that I put into (my pickups) is better. Plus, I assemble each one by myself, so when you get a pickup, I took the bobbin, I put the magnets in, I sanded it down, I got it ready to wind, and I wound it. When you put the whole picture together, that’s why mine sound better.”

Enough said!

A Fervor for Tone: Podcast Interview with Geoff Moore of Fervor Pickups by GearPipe.com

Want more? Check out GearPipe Podcasts on iTunes!

Gentlemen: I wanted to save this one for myself. I had no plans to share this giveaway with you, as I had visions of this piece of art proudly hanging in my man cave, alongside an animal head and my high school trophies. Unfortunately, someone on my Facebook page decided to post a link. Now that it’s out in public, I might as well share it with you, too.

That said, up for grabs today is a Schecter electric guitar with custom Girls Gone Wild graphics, valued at $1,299.

Entry Deadline: March 30, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

Here’s what’s up for grabs:

1st prize

• 3 sets of Curt Mangan 10 – 46 Electric Guitar strings
• 3 Sets of Curt Mangan 11 – 52 Acoustic Guitar strings
• 1 Ibanez T-shirt
• Tommy Emmanuel – The Mystery CD

2nd prize

• 2 sets of Curt Mangan 10 – 46 Electric Guitar strings
• 2 Sets of Curt Mangan 11 – 52 Acoustic Guitar strings
• 1 Ibanez T-shirt
• Tommy Emmanuel – The Mystery CD

Good luck!

Entry Deadline: March 31, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

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Boutique pedal maker Brian Wampler of Wampler Pedals has just re-released the Underdog Overdrive pedal, not to cash in or to create some sort of marketing buzz, but to help a friend who has been diagnosed with breast cancer and needs help.

Wampler explains “A close friend of mine has breast cancer and has no insurance, no family, and the government will not pay any medical costs for her to get the treatment she needs. Now, I’m not rich by any means, but I had to do something to help her. My wife and I came up with the idea of creating a pink pedal that is rich, dynamic, and very tweakable, and donate ALL the profits to her. Out of that limited run, famed country artist Brad Paisley bought one and loved it. A number of guitarists saw the pedal on Brad’s pedalboard and asked me to build one more for them, so I decided to start building more to keep up with demand. We are still donating all the profits to my friend, Ivy East, who is struggling to pay the doctor bills to combat this terrible disease.”

Great story, and if any of you are in the market for a new overdrive pedal (or simply want to help), you can get more info here or buy the pedal here.

In case you’re not up on the DeLonge Epiphone, here’s the skinny:

The signature Epiphone axe of blink-182′s Tom DeLonge, it’s the perfect weapon to carry into the battlefields of pop punk.

This semi-acoustic monster features a maple/birch body, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard, and a Gibson Dirty Fingers humbucker. This Gibson pickup is an extreme-output unit designed for more of everything with much more clarity and volume than a traditional humbucker and an aggressive, wide response. The Gibson Dirty Fingers pickup comes with a 4-conductor lead and is wax-potted to eliminate unwanted microphonic feedback.

Entry Deadline: March 31, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

Not feeling lucky? Buy the Epiphone Tom DeLonge ES-335 at Guitar Center

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

I little info, my friends?

The 5 string cello banjo, originally used in turn of the century banjo orchestras, has been redefined in this Gold Tone model. Great for classical style, but also may be tuned 1 octave lower in a variety of tunings and played by any banjoist for unique voicings, lead, lines and accompaniments. The 14” body is very loud and the brass tone ring extends its punchy tone. The shortened scale makes fingering easy. It uses nylon high tension classical strings. Includes deluxe archtop hard shell case.

Entry Deadline: March 21, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

Up for grabs is an Orange Tiny Terror all tube amp head worth $699. Some info about this piece of machinery:

All valve, 15 watt portable guitar head. Featuring a unique two stage pre-amp which has a massive tonal range using just three controls. When driven, this little amp has almost as much gain as most four stage lead channels! The Tiny Terror puts a lot of high-priced, boutique amps to shame with its clean crunch to full on overdrive sounds. At mid gain settings this valve head has masses of vintage British character; the Tiny Terror has been built to the same rugged specification as the bigger Orange amps and its portability makes it perfect for gigging around town or rehearsing. The Tiny Terror switches from 15 to 7 watts for studio use and recording. This professional little amplifier is a record producer’s dream and comes complete with a padded travel gig bag.

• Class A Operation
• 2-EL84 2-ECC83
• 7 lbs
• 15/7 Watt Operation
• Two Stage Preamp
• Rugged Metal Chassis

Entry Deadline: March 18, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

When I was in college, the house my band practiced in was broken into and our PA system and our guitarist’s amp was stolen, but the only thing that’s even been taken from me was a splash cymbal. A bummer, but not a huge setback.

On the Fender Front Row blog, the folks from Scottsdale have posted some tips to help you recover your instrument if it’s even stolen. This is pretty simple stuff: write down the serial number, take pictures, file a police report…but sometimes we forget the basics, so this refresher is nice.

Of course, the most important thing is to be extra careful and make sure your gear is safe from sticky fingers to begin with!

Here’s a video from a Bakersfield CA news show reinforcing what Fender is telling us.

via Fender Front Row

Recording him over the phone is not nearly as cool as sitting in Gary Vee’s Wine Library TV studio, though…an honor bestowed on fellow gear blogger Billy Penn from 300Guitars.com. This is cool! Billy definitely holds his own when talking about wine, and even gets a chance to pick and sing a little Johnny Cash. Check it out:

via Wine Library TV

If you’ve never heard of B.Y.O.C, it’s a pretty cool idea! Here’s some info from their website:

BYOC certainly wasn’t the first company to start selling DIY electronics kits for musicians. Or even DIY FX kits specifically for guitarists. But BYOC was the first company to begin selling DIY electronics kits for guitarists that were based on the circuits that guitar players actually wanted. In 2004, BYOC began as a “kitchen table” business with only 3 kits: the Fuzz Face, Tonebender, and Rangemaster, and they came with point to point eyelet boards. Today BYOC leads the way in DIY FX kits for guitarists. With distribution in Canada, Europe, Australia, Great Britain, and Asia, and over 25 thousand kits sold worldwide, BYOC is the gold stand for DIY FX. And our goal has not changed – to bring guitar players a product that is more than just some DIY effects project that merely “works”, but a complete stompbox that will rival or surpass any of the big name boutique pedals on the market today.

Entry Deadline: March 11, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

I downloaded it yesterday, and it’s very cool! You can flip through the entire last six issues right on your phone, which is very cool, and it also pulls in news and videos from their website. And it’s free! Basically, you’re getting a free subscription to Premier Guitar, plus much more. Highly recommended.

You can download it from the App Store or from your phone’s app store, search on “premier guitar.”

I’m incredibly excited to announce the first exclusive gear giveaway here on GearPipe.com. If you follow this site, you know that I’ve been linking to musical instrument giveaways each day on my Facebook Page, but hosting a giveaway just for my readers is way more exciting.

Geoff Moore, a pickup winding guru and the founder of Fervor Pickups has been generous enough to donate a set of his handwound Classic Strat® pickups. True to the name, these pickups will give you that classic Stratocaster® tone. Geoff describes them as “low/medium-output single-coils with a strong but polished, velvety-smooth tone.”

If you’re into pickup specs, here’s the lowdown:

• Sand-cast Alnico rod magnets (similar to those found in ‘50s-vintage pickups)
• Highest-quality copper coil wire
• Carefully cut black vulcanized fiberboard
• Nickel-plated eyelets
• Standard output: neck – 5.8K, middle – 5.6K, bridge – 6.4K

A set of three Fervor Classic Strat pickups sells for $225, so even of you’re rocking a Squier® you can drop these in and get some Custom Shop-quality tone! This giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada who are at least 13 years old. I’ll accept entries through 11:59:59 PM Pacific Time on March 31, 2010. Good luck everyone!

More Info From Fervor:
Discover just how good your guitar can sound
It’s no surprise that most new guitars and replacement pickups sound generic. Mass-produced pickups have a mass-produced tone. To improve their margins, larger manufacturers also tend to skimp on materials. Garbage input, garbage output.

Only hand-wound craftsmanship can produce the tonal complexities of a proper pickup. It’s like the difference between chocolate flavoring and pure chocolate. Played clean, you immediately hear the difference. Add pedals or switch amps, and you have even more tonal possibilities.

Hand-wounds deliver what every guitarist is looking for: a unique voice. As a hand-crafted product, every Fervor pickup is one-of-a-kind, for a voice that’s entirely your own.

Good is in the details
High-quality products depend on high-quality ingredients. We rely on the best suppliers for the best materials. For instance, thicker-gauge copper wire, and lead wire covered in durable cloth—not plastic. Vulcanized rubber bobbins. Magnets that are made in the U.S. Alnico pole pieces for Strats, for that low-volume Strat-y sound.

Consistently good
Although we produce by hand, our manufacturing standards ensure that you get the sound and the quality you expect. Every Fervor pickup is meticulously constructed by one person who is focused on quality, not quantity. We take the time to do it right.

Our distinctive winding patterns produce better tone. We constantly check for tightness and evenness of pattern, making scatter winds where appropriate. Each pickup is carefully inspected (pole piece heights, coils, soldering) and tested to make sure it matches the output we’re seeking.

Lifetime guarantee
Because we believe so strongly in our pickups, we have the best guarantee policy in the industry. We’re sure we can satisfy your demand for great sound.

It’s All About The Tone!
If you’ve read all this, you may be saying “fine…but how do they sound?” Check out this video featuring Andrew Autin —lead guitarist for MoJEAUX, one of New Orleans’ hottest live bands— who exclusively uses Fervor pickups in his custom Hembry guitars.

Just For Strats?
If you’re thinking about upgrading the pickups in your axe, Fervor offers more that just the Classic Strat pickups. Geoff also builds three other Stratocaster pickups models, Telecaster® and Broadcaster replacement pickups, and multiple humbucker and P-90 models. Here are some Fervor Pickups photos, but also check out the product section of their website for specs and more info.

If you’re one of those trendy hipsters with a smart phone, you can also access GearPipe on your phone in some cool ways.

First, there is now a free iPhone app in the Apple App Store. It’s not fancy, but it pulls in all of the new GearPipe posts right to your phone, with separate categories for each instrument plus contests and giveaways. Again, it’s totally free, so go to the App Store and download it!

If you’re on an Android equipped phone, a BlackBerry, or if you use an iPhone and would rather access GearPipe through the web browser, I’ve also installed a mobile-specific theme to the site. This detects when you’re coming to the website from a phone and serves up a more streamlined version of GearPipe. This seems to work pretty well, but if you get there and see the regular site, scroll down to the bottom of the page and there should be a switch to toggle between the two versions.

Thanks again for being a GearPipe reader!

Some info about the Line 6 Spider IV 75:

• 75 watts (mono)
• 1×12″ Celestion Custom speaker
• 500+ presets: 300+ hand-crafted presets from 50 world-famous bands and guitarists, almost 200 dialed in presets inspired by the best guitar songs of all time, up to 64 user-created presets
• Artist-created presets hand-crafted by Johnny Marr, Slipknot, Pete Anderson, 311, Meshuggah, Lacuna Coil, As I Lay Dying, Steve Stevens, The Donnas, Minus the Bear, and 40 more guitarists and bands
• Line 6 FBV MkII foot controllers (not included) feature a foot pedal for wah, volume and pitch-shift control; tap tempo; chromatic tuner display; channel switching; USB connectivity for receiving amplifier updates and upgrades; more

Entry Deadline: March 8, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

Not feeling Lucky? Buy this amp at Musicians Friend

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

To tie into that great article, they’re giving away a bunch of signature Pantera gear. The winner of this giveaway will receive:

• An Affliction Pantera signature series T-shirt
• A Dean Dimebag Dimebonics ML electric guitar with case
• A Dunlop MXR DD11 Dime distortion pedal
• A Dunlop DB01 Dimebag Signature wah pedal
• A Seymour Duncan Dimebucker pickup
• A DDrum Vinnie Paul Signature Dragon snare

Entry Deadline: March 6, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

They are giving away an Eastwood Airline Twin Tone, a reissue of the infamous Supro Dual Tone. This is a killer guitar that retails for $2,500. Oh…did I mention that it’s signed by David Bowie? Yes…Ziggy Stardust himself has put his John Hancock on this axe!

Entry Deadline: February 28, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

Flat Stanley is a flat cardboard or paper cutout person that you send off to friends or relatives in far away places who take photos of Stan at famous or interesting locations. I’ve taken my Flat Stanley snowboarding, he’s ridden on the San Fransisco cable cars, and he’s stood on the stage at Red Rocks.

What does this have to do with anything music related? Boutique guitar effects builder CheeseBlocks is running a very fun giveaway right now, with a Flat Stanley-related twist. If you go to their website, you can download an image of Flat Cheesy. Your goal? Get his photo taken in the most creative/famous place you can find, or with the most unique/famous person you can find… or both!

The person with the coolest photo will win a CheeseBlocks prize pack including a Small Wonder booster, a Small Wonder mini button, and a CheeseBlocks Logo Sticker, plus a $50 credit towards any pedal or mod purchase. First-runner up gets a CheeseBlocks logo t-shirt and logo sticker and the second runner up get a logo sticker.

By the way, I’ve heard some great things about CheeseBlocks effects. They have a lot of buzz going right now (you can check out their reviews at Harmony Central), so even if you don’t think you’ll be hanging with the Dalai Lama or visiting the Taj Mahal in the next three weeks, check out their website and see what they have to offer.

Entry Deadline: March 15, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

What is this pedal all about, you may ask? Here’s the lowdown:

Named for it’s brassy sound when played staccato at low gain, the Trumpet Fuzz is a harsh nasty octave up fuzz in classic form. The Attack control alters the gain and sustain. Max out the attack and get a great sustaining octavia type sound with an octave up that comes through even on the bridge pickup (best results achieved with the neck pickup of course). Turn the Attack control down for a broken guitar sound or play it staccato high up on the neck for some trumpet like tones.

I would be remiss is I didn’t mention that this pedal giveaway is courtesy of the good people at Fat Tone Guitars. If you’re not lucky enough to win this pedal, you can also buy one from them for $82.99.

Entry Deadline: March 3, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.