Bass guitar web site No Treble is giving away an Ansir Bravura bass guitar.

Here’s what I do know about the Bravura:

• Curly Maple body with a Blood Wood overlay
• 34 scale neck
• Padouck neck wood with Ebony Fret board
• Black Hip Shot Hardware
• Dual Humbucker pick up
• Ansir “Low End” tone system
• Custom fit flight case

Entry Deadline: March 31, 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.

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!

If you haven’t entered to win a set of Fervor Classic Strat Pickups, yet, now’s your chance:

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

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

If you’re a flute player, this is a good one! WWBW is giving away a Sonaré Silhouette Series flute worth $1,740. Some info on this Sonaré Silhouette Series flute:

The Sonaré Silhouette Series flutes are based upon the popular 505 series. The unique black and silver appearance of these flutes is stunning and also a first in the flute world. The Silhouettes incorporate all of the sound expected from a Sonaré. The black nickel plated finish proves to increase the projection while the Sterling silver headjoint underneath prevents the sound from getting bright or shrill. They feature sterling silver, Powell Signature headjoints, handmade in Boston, which are then black nickel plated. The silver-plated keys feature French pointed arms. The body is made by Powell in Boston and is also black nickel plated.

• Sterling Silver Powell Signature headjoint with Black Nickel Plating
• Black Nickel plated body and foot joint
• Silver Plated French Style Keys
• French Pointed Arms
• Case / Cleaning Materials.

Entry Deadline: March 31, 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.

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.

This one is cool! Percussionist Sivamani uses traditional Western and Eastern instruments to create some crazy rhythms, along with a tub of water, corrugated metal, spoons, luggage, our stage props and even a little audience participation. Speaking of the tub of water…if you only want to watch the absolute coolest part of the video, skip ahead to 7:45.

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.

Making Music Magazine is giving away a Roland HD-1 V-Drums Lite Electronic Drum Kit. This kit may be “lite” but it has everything you need to bust out a beat without ticking off your neighbors or big sister.

Some info about the Roland HD-1 V-Drums Lite Electronic Drum Kit:

Roland’s V-Drums are the most popular electronic drums in the world, but not everyone has the room or budget for a full V-Drums kit. Introducing the Roland HD-1. It’s forged from the same technology as its predecessors, but it’s much simpler to use. It’s also incredibly quiet, thanks to the newly re-designed kick pedal, cushioned tom pads, and mesh snare head. The HD-1 electronic drum set is also conveniently compact and stylish-perfect for every home, school, studio, etc.-and it’s priced for drummers on a tight budget. Most of the Roland HD-1’s components are mounted on one stand for easy setup, transport, and a clean look. Just take it out of the box and play.

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

Not Feeling Lucky? Buy the Roland HD-1 V-Drums Lite Electronic Drum Kit 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.

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.

The drum sound gets progressively better, having more to do with the engineer on duty than the recording medium. So, their secret to getting a great drum sound? Honestly, I have no idea. The people at Audiotuts+, however, do know. They’ve just published parts one and two of a three part series called “A Guide to Effective Drum Mixing.” This guide covers basics like setting levels and panning to more complex techniques like gating the kick drum and effectively using overhead mics.

For anyone just getting into recording, or for those of you with a home studio, this is a fantastic, easy to understand guide. It also includes a bunch of sound samples, which is a nice bonus.

Check it out: “A Guide to Effective Drum Mixing” Part 1 and Part 2

If you want even more updates on what’s happening in the world of drums, become a fan of the GearPipe – Drum News & Deals 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.”

There are a handful of prize packages, so let’s get to them. Winners will receive one of the following:

• M-Audio Studiophile AV40 Desktop Speaker System & a copy of STS9’s new Ad Explorata album
• M-Audio Fast Track Recording Interface & a copy of Ad Explorata
• M-Audio Oxygen 25-Key USB MIDI Controller & a copy of Ad Explorata
• $100 Gift Certificate for STS9Store.com & a copy of Ad Explorata
• 3 Runners-up will each receive a copy of Ad Explorata

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

Not feeling Lucky? Buy M-Audio Gear 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.

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!

Get Two Bonus Entries!
After you sign up for this giveaway, I’m going to give you two extra chances to win this set of pickups from Fervor. You get one extra entry for becoming a fan of my Musical Instruments Giveaways Facebook Page, and one for becoming a fan of the Fervor Pickups Facebook Page.

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.