Listening to modern-day rock music means listening to musical references from yesteryear. Rock music has a long history stretching back to 1950s rock and roll, which was in turn influenced by blues, country music, gospel, and African American culture. And as much as these early styles of music are still present in modern rock, it’s music from the late 1960s and the 1970s that has had a stronger, more palpable influence on current rock bands.

One of the most obvious similarities between current rock bands and rock bands from the 60s and 70s is the focus on guitar. The guitar has been a central element of rock music since it replaced the piano as the core instrument of 50s rock and roll, but it was in the 60s and 70s that guitar really experienced its Golden Age of innovation. In this period, the guitar became more than just the central element of the band; it became the heart and soul of rock. Virtuosity and guitar soloing reached new levels with the likes of Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, and Jeff Beck.

Guitar innovations by companies such as Gibson, Fender, and Marshall created a classic sound that has continued to define good guitar tone. If anything, the progress of electric guitar technology over the last few decades has often taken the guitar away from this classic sound to something more manufactured, digital, and artificial.

Something which blatantly demonstrates the importance and influence of 60s and 70s rock music on today’s artists is the many revival acts that currently fill the airwaves. The garage rock revival of the early 2000s brought us bands such as The Strokes and The White Stripes — bands which are heavily influenced by musical styles that have already come and gone. Post-punk revival bands such as The Killers and Franz Ferdinand also demonstrate how older genres have influenced the current state of rock. And while revival bands have built onto 60s and 70s rock in new ways, their reference to this Golden Age is so strong and obvious that there is no alternative but to call them “revival bands”.

Perhaps the greatest difference between modern rock bands and the bands of the 60s and 70s is that while there is still a strong focus on the guitar, these days there is much less focus on virtuosity and soloing. Besides hard rock and heavy metal bands, the focus of modern rock music has largely been on creating short, catchy, distorted, power-chord-based music. While it’s true that the current state of rock music is a varied thing, the guitar virtuosity of the 60s and 70s is not matched by many of today’s artists, and most artists and audiences don’t seem to be interested in this happening.

One last thing to remember is that many great bands from the 1960s and 70s are still active and in the charts today. Consider The Who, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Rush, Iggy Pop, and The Rolling Stones. The longevity of these bands isn’t surprising considering their classic sounds, which are highly relevant even today.

- Axel

Rock Music from the 1960s, 70s and Today is a post from: Axebay Used Guitars Blog

And what a life he has lived so far. They say every woman wants him and every man wants to be him. I don’t know why he’s an ugly son of a bitch. Nevertheless, he has lived an extraordinary life and it was of great interest to me to get it all from the horse’s mouth as he so eloquently writes on the back cover of his book, “This is the life. Believe it or not I haven’t forgotten any of it…..”

I find it quite remarkable that Keith Richards had such a normal upbringing, in such a normal loving family, to whom he pays tribute many times throughout his autobiography. In fact he opens and closes the book writing about his family. Actually, I found the chapters about his family quite boring to read as I wanted to get to the good stuff but I think the reader has to understand that Keef was a normal boy raised by good normal people in a normal environment. So what happened to him?

Keef lets it all hang out in this  biographical work. There are no holds barred. I must say that his writing style leaves a lot to be desired albeit he had a ghost writer. Keef writes the way he talks; he rambles, he gets off track as if he was having a conversation. This makes the book slightly harder to read but there is so much juicy stuff in there and so many answers to so many questions that although I found myself getting bogged down on occasion, I read on with anticipation. One of the interesting quirks to his writing was using cameo authors; from his son Marlon to Ronnie Wood to Anita Pallenberg and even Mariane Faithfull recounting little stories that Keef says they could remember better than himself.

Keef does provide a lot of detail: From the drug taking to smuggling his stash between countries and also about being busted several times it’s all in there. The truth about Brian Jones, the problems between he and Mick Jagger and even what really happened when he fell out of the palm tree in Fiji last year, its all in the book.

What interested me the most were his thoughts on song writing: According to Keef, “Great songs write themselves. You’re just being led by the nose, or the ears. The skill is not to interfere with it too much. Ignore intelligence, ignore everything; just follow where it takes you. You really have no say in it, and suddenly there it is.” And this coming from one of the most prolific song writers in history.

The chronology of the autobiography once the Stones start recording is based on the albums. A lot of time is spent writing about “Exile on Main Street” where the stones were recording in the basement of Keith’s house in France. This is where he developed many of his ideas on recording which is a holistic approach. Keith likes to record the whole band together as if they were performing live rather than one instrument at a time. He likes to record the sound of the room and the vibe that the musicians generate together. According to Keef “…. This idea of separation is the total antithesis of rock and roll….. It’s the sound they make together not seperated. This mythical bullshit about stereo and high tech and Dolby, it’s just totally against the whole grain of what music should be…… You can’t get these indefinable things by stripping it apart. The enthusiasm, the spirit, the soul, whatever you want to call it, where’s the microphone for that.”

Keef also goes into great detail about the writing of several songs off each of the albums. He discusses the inspiration for the song and how Mick and he collaborated to put it down. And the tunings. Known for his alternate tunings, Keef discusses these different tunings and the songs that were written and played with such tunings in great depth. He even writes that in some tunings he removes the lower ‘E’ string and just uses five strings on the guitar.

It’s all in there, pretty much everything you wanted to know about the Stones but were too afraid to ask. If you are a fan of the Rolling Stones or a rock ‘n roll history buff this book is a must read. Along with all the information listed above plus tons more there are heaps of photos, song lyrics and even Keef’s recipe for bangers and mash!

So if you haven’t read it yet, do yourself a favor. It’s just been released in paperback so you can pick yourself up a cheap copy.

Axel.

Keith Richards Life is a post from: Axebay Used Guitars Blog

We have all had that annoying hum coming out of our amps whilst rehearsing, playing live or recording. I have listed a few tips to minimize the unwanted noise below.
Leads are the most common cause of buzzing, clicking and humming. Leads break that’s a fact, they either break in the middle or at the end. Either way they will cause you grief. Ensure that you use heavy duty cable for your leads and good jack plugs, the gold ones are the best. Always use straight cables not curly ones, you can’t fix the curly ones if they break.  If you are making the leads yourself ensure you do a good job on the solder.

Guitars are often a cause of that dreaded hum. Ensure the volume and tone pots are clean by exposing the underlying pot and spraying some WD-40 (or some other electrical lubricant) on it.

Also general guitar wiring can cause problems too particularly if there are dry solder joints or bad connections.

Pickups can be an issue as well particularly single coil pickups, which generally have their own hum. You might want to use Fenders noiseless pickups if you want the sound of a single coil or go straight to Gibson’s Humbuckers if you want more grunt. Gibson designed these to actually get rid of the unwanted noise, to buck the hum.

One other issue with guitars is the female jack plug that you plug your lead into, these often become loose or the solder joints become dry there too.
Foot pedals are another cause of unwanted noise. Ensure the batteries are adequately charged or add a power supply to your foot pedals.  For hassle free effects get a digital multi-effect processor. If you are running lots of foot pedals be mindful of the leads and connections between these pedals as this too can cause noise.

Amps can also cause their own problems of unwanted noise so always ensure your valves are not too worn and get your amp checked regularly by a technician. You should ensure the female jack plugs in the amps are not loose as well.
Finally AC power will always give you that low 50 hz hum. There is not much you can do about that. If you are in an area that has particularly dirty (noisy) power you can get a power filter which should suppress most of the noise. I wouldn’t bother with this unless you were recording.
So there you have it. If you follow the tips above you should minimize that unwanted noise and enjoy your playing so much more.

- Axel

Guitar Maintenance Part 3 – Bucking the Hum is a post from: Axebay Used Guitars Blog

We discussed sellouts in the last blog inspired by Mr. Steven Tyler, and let me assure you this is the last inspiration I will get from that traitor. Below I have listed the top ten rock n roll sellouts in descending order. Just keep in mind that rock n roll used to be anti-establishment, revolutionary and just downright outrageous. So many are listed because they sold their soul to corporate society and no longer live the life of a rocker.

10. Ozzy Osbourne comes in only at number ten because the reality show The Osbournes or rather his involvement with it was more to do with decisions made by his wife Sharon than himself. I don’t think Ozzy has a clue what is going on anyway. When asked his age by Jay Leno on the Tonight Show Ozzy’s answer was “Sharon?”

9. Joe Walsh, who by the way is one of my favorite musicians, appears at number 9 for joining the Eagles. Yes Joe left his anti-establishment, tear out hotel rooms, lifestyle for the more sedate middle of the road country-rock gods the Eagles. Somebody said to me once “I think Joe Walsh wrecked the Eagles.” My response, “ I think the Eagles wrecked Joe Walsh!” Whatever you think, Joe, has left his insanity behind him and adopted the business of the music industry. Sell out.

8. Aerosmith appears at number eight for allowing the Beastie Boys to do a rap cover of Walk This Way. To allow a perfect rock song to be denigrated in such a way should be illegal. And to boot Steven Tyler even sang the chorus on the recording cause no one in the Beastie Boys could sing it. How pathetic.

7. Green Day comes in at number seven for their totally commercial album, American Idiot. Yes I like the band too but you can’t tell me that American Idiot was nothing but a total sellout.

6. Sex Pistols are listed at number six for reforming. Yes just for reforming in the nineties and doing a world tour, obviously without Sid Vicious, although some reported that he made a brief appearance in Johnny Rotten’s ashtray. This was a total sellout and they admit they did it just for the bucks, which goes against everything the band stood for originally. My God they even played well.

5. Gene Simmons appears at number five for his copycat reality TV show Family Jewels. Which was an obvious copy of the The Osbournes and a more obvious sell out. Stick your tongue in that Gene.

4. Mick Jagger comes in at number four for accepting his knighthood. It is atrocious for an anti-establishment leader of the sixties to succumb to political pressure and be knighted. I have no sympathy for him now. And of course this caused a major rift between Mick and Keith Richards, who still remains true to himself, refuses to call Mick sir and stated he would never accept a knighthood himself. Good on ya Keef.

3. Steve Tyler appears at number three for his role in American Idol. You can read all about that on last week’s blog. You might be wondering after my rant last week why he only comes in at number three and not number one. Just wait till you read the next two. Tyler Traitor.

2. John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) And back to the Sex Pistols at number two or at least the front man Johnny Rotten for doing a reality TV show – “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here” This is a bigger sellout than the reformation of the Sex Pistols. To look back at Lydon’s life to listen to his music, read his quotes, watch live footage of his performances and interviews then to see him do a reality TV show. This is possibly the greatest sellout of all time. The guy has no credibility whatsoever.

1. Peter Garrett (Midnight Oil) Ok this is it the ultimate number one sellout of all time. You can’t even argue with this one. I just hope everyone knows who Midnight Oil is if you don’t Google them. Peter Garrett was the front man of this Aussie band. He is such a sellout he gave up the music business to become a politician. Yes that’s right a pollie. He is now the Australian minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth. Talk about the Power and Passion (Midnight Oil song). He might have gained some power but he has certainly lost his passion. Ultimate Sellout.

– Axel

Top Ten Sellouts is a post from: Axebay Used Guitars Blog

Ok folks, it is time to dig out all your Aerosmith cds, lps, sps, DVDs and any other ees and burn them. That’s right get rid of them! Steven Tyler has sold out. The king of cool needs to go back to school. The god of rock needs a huge sock, in his mouth. He is no longer a rock ‘n roller but just a mere judge on a talent show that is destroying the industry that has provided him the extravagant lifestyle that he as afforded for decades.

I could not believe my eyes and ears when I saw an advertisement for the coming seasons American Idol sprouting off about the new judges. I can accept Judge Jenny who was really just a made artist anyway, but Steven Tyler. My god! I used to worship Aerosmith when I was growing up. I am shattered, disturbed, destroyed. Is nothing sacred?

We must ask the question does anyone create art for art’s sake anymore? Or is it only about the almighty dollar? I know a person has to live but how much is enough. These days most rock ‘n roll stars are little more than prostitutes selling themselves to the highest bidder and losing their dignity in the process. Allowing record executives to dictate terms re-arrange and even rewrite their songs, all for a little money.

A good friend of mine, JJ Harris, used to drum with Australian band The Divinyls in the 80s. When the band went off to New York to record their Temperamental album, producer Mike Chapman (of Suzie Quattro fame) sacked Jeff (JJ Harris) because he had no recording experience. Upon his return to Australia Jeff said to me, “What really gets me is that Mike Chapman is not even in the band and no one in the band said anything.” So not only do these record execs and producers rewrite the band’s songs they even take the liberty of hiring and firing the band’s members and what is even worse than that is that these great rock ‘n rollers let them do it.

I have so much admiration for musicians like Buddy Holly, who punched out his record producer because he wanted to change one of Holly’s songs. And Stevie Ray Vaughan who used to play at music festivals, like Bumbershoot in Seattle on small stages in the street, for next to nothing. And Jim Morrison for being unwilling to change one word of Light My Fire when he performed live on the Ed Sullivan Show, knowing his actions would cost the band any potential of a repeat performance.

But gone are those days, now it’s all about the dollar. Greed is ubiquitous in modern society. We have seen it all but destroy the world’s financial systems as it continues to tear apart the music industry.

So Mr. Tyler thanks for shattering my illusions and destroying my faith in rock gods from the seventies. You should be ashamed of yourself. I hope fellow Aerosmith members are ashamed of you too.

- Axel

Selling Out is a post from: Axebay Used Guitars Blog

The history of rock music is a rich and complex thing. Even the origins of the rock genre are not entirely clear-cut, and the number of sub-genres (and sub-genres of sub-genres) that have developed since the 1950s “Rock and Roll” era deserve a whole series of encyclopedias.

One uncontested fact is that rock and roll evolved in the late 1940s in America, and that it has roots in blues, gospel music, country music, and African American culture. The genre seems to have developed as a result of white and black communities living in closer proximity to each other, which meant they were hearing each others music. This sparked the fermentation period of rock and roll, as it drew influences from older American genres of music to form a new, original, and immediate musical expression for the America of the 1950s.

Some of the first rock and roll records include Bill Haley’s “Rock Around The Clock” in 1954, and Elvis’ “That’s All Right (Mama)” the same year. And while the piano was the central and most important instrument in early rock songs, with the invention of the electric guitar and amplifier, the guitar soon became the most essential instrument for rock bands. Guitarists such as Chuck Berry, Link Wray, and Scotty Moore were especially important early rock and roll guitarists who developed the rock guitar style.

The rock and roll genre hit Britain hard in the late 50s and early 60s, which resulted in the formation of important British bands such as The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, who both broke into the American mainstream soon afterwards.

The arrival of Beatlemania in turn influenced what is often called the “Golden Age of Rock Music”, as important pop, folk, psychedelic, and glam rock bands emerged during the mid-60s to mid-70s.  Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, and David Bowie all changed the face of rock music forever. During this period, rock music was becoming more and more varied, and rock genres continued to develop into more complex and intense forms of music. Most importantly, there was a continued focus on playing the electric guitar in innovative and exciting ways.

During the 1970s, bands like Aerosmith, AC/DC, and Led Zeppelin continued to create increasingly aggressive and guitar-focused music with the development of hard rock and heavy metal. These types of rock bands started to sell out the largest venues, which lead to the coining of the term “Arena Rock”.

Punk rock hit in the mid- to late-70s with bands such as the Sex Pistols and The Clash, while the 80s brought us more heavy metal bands (such as Iron Maiden and Motorhead), glam metal acts (Motley Crue, Queen), and alternative rock (REM, The Smiths, The Cure).

Grunge was perhaps the most significant development of 90s rock, with bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden topping the charts. Later in the decade genre-mixing bands such as Green Day and The Offspring (pop-punk), Silverchair and Bush (post-grunge), and Rage Against the Machine and Korn (nu-metal/rap-rock) developed the rock genre in their own unique ways.

The 2000s have seen the revival of rock genres such as garage rock (The White Stripes, The Vines), post-punk (The Killers, Franz Ferdinand), and the development of metal genres with bands such as Trivium and Wolfmother.

The future of rock music will likely see many more genre revivals and genre-mixing, but we can only hope that rock bands of the future can equal the creative genius of earlier rock acts such as Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and other original groups which changed the course of rock music forever.

- Axel

A Brief History of Rock Music is a post from: Axebay Used Guitars Blog

Welcome back to our guitar maintenance series. This is a part two of the blog on the action of a guitar – Setting the Action.

“Setting the action” is a termed used for altering the distance between the strings and the frets on a guitar. This adjustment can be done four different ways:

• Raising or lowering the bridge or saddle
• Changing the height of the nut
• Adjusting the dip in the neck
• Modifying the height of the frets

In this blog we will only discuss the first two methods above. Neck and fret modifications will be deferred to later blogs.

Fender Strat Bridge

Gibson Tune-O-Matic Bridge

Adjusting the Height of the Bridge -Electric Guitars

For most electric guitars setting the action at the bridge is relatively easy. For bridges based on the Fender Stratocaster model string height can be changed by adjusting the height of the small Allen screws for each string.

A few important points to keep in mind:

· The adjustments should be small.

· After making an adjustment re-tune to concert A440hz pitch and check the action.

· If you are raising the action you should loosen the strings slightly before making adjustments as it will put more tension on the strings and neck.

· If you are lowering the action you should check for fret buzz at every fret after every adjustment. If you are getting fret buzz you should either raise the action a little or you could shave the buzzing frets down. We will cover fret shaving in a later blog.

Adjusting the Height of the Bridge -Acoustic Guitars

Acoustic Bridge

Most acoustic guitars do not have adjustable bridges, rather the bridge is glued firmly into place on the guitar. However, the saddle where the strings actually sit across the bridge can be removed quite easily as it is only held in place by string tension.

So firstly remove all the strings and you should be able to remove the saddle without too much effort. If you are lowering the action you can either file down the underside of the saddle or file down each of the grooves in the saddle. If you are raising the action you can pack shims (small slithers of wood or plastic) under the saddle or you can buy a new saddle.

Adjusting the Height of the Nut – Electric and Acoustic Guitars

Although you can change the action at the bridge, the guitar will not be set up correctly if the strings are too high or low at the nut. To lower the action at the nut you need to make the grooves in the nut a little deeper. Care must be taken when you do this. If you make the grooves too deep the strings will rattle on the frets (fret buzz) and you will have to purchase a new nut and start again. You can use needle files and small saw blades for deepening the grooves in the nut.

Guitar Nut

Some things to remember when lowering the action at the nut:

• You must ensure that the grooves maintain their initial semi-circular shape and size.
  • If you make the grooves too wide the string can slip out.
• The nut should have the same profile as the fingerboard.
  • If the shape of the fingerboard is curved across the frets the nut should have the same shape.
• The grooves should slope down slightly toward the head of the guitar
  • Because the scale length of the string begins at the front of the nut.

To raise the action at the nut it is best to purchase a new nut and carve out the grooves to the appropriate height. Although, you can make temporary adjustments by removing the nut and packing shims under the nut, you are better off to replace the nut.

To remove the nut from the guitar gently tap it sideways with a light hammer and a piece of wood to dampen the impact. Nuts are normally lightly glued into position. Take care with this in order not to damage the neck of the guitar. Oh and by the way take off the strings first.

- Axel

Guitar Maintenance – Part 2.2 Setting the Action is a post from: Axebay Used Guitars Blog

Welcome back to our guitar maintenance series. This is a two part blog on the action of a guitar. In this first post we will define action and inform you how to measure it. Part 2 of this post will teach you how to set the action.

The action of a guitar is defined as its playability. Basically it determines how much pressure you have to apply to the strings to press them down onto the frets.

The strings on any guitar are closer to the frets towards the headstock of the guitar and further from the frets the closer you get to the body of the guitar. A guitar with a good action is when you only have to exert only slightly more pressure on the strings as you play up the fretboard. In other words the distance of the strings from the frets is fairly consistent. If a guitar has a bad action it becomes very difficult to play as you move up the fretboard.

When purchasing a guitar you should be mindful of the action of the guitar. Whilst action can be set or adjusted, it is very difficult to achieve good action on a poorly constructed guitar, particularly if the instrument has a fault in the neck. See our article on how to buy a guitar.

Guitarists talk about high and low action. A high action is one where the strings are further from the frets and a low action is one where the strings are closer to the frets. A high or low action does not determine the quality of the action (whether it is good or bad) but is merely a player’s preference.

Many jazz, blues and flamenco guitarists prefer a higher action. Jazz and blues guitarists choose a higher action as it allows them to play with more feel because it gives them more purchase on the strings. Stevie Ray Vaughn was known to use a very high action.

Rock and metal guitarists usually prefer a low action as it allows them to use less pressure on the strings and thus augments the speed of guitar solos. Guitars with lower actions are easier to play than guitars with higher actions.

Guitars with a high actions can be problematic for beginners as the strings are harder to fret (push down on the frets). This can lead the beginner into forming bad playing habits like tensing the left hand and heavy fretting. However, if the action is too low you may incur fret buzz and impair the quality of the tone of the guitar.

Measuring the Action

It is possible to measure the action of a guitar using a feeler gauge or even standard rule, however, the adjustments are so small that most guitarists defer to feel rather than precise measurements. So usually setting the action is more trial and error.

You measure the action at the first fret and the body fret of the guitar. Keep in mind that the action will be slightly higher at the body fret of the guitar as guitar necks are designed to have a slight dip in the middle. The action must be a little higher at the body fret to allow for the loop of the string as it vibrates when fretted low or played open.

Also the action will be a little higher for the lower strings than the higher strings as the lower strings have a wider loop when played.

See the table below for setting a medium action.

If you are going to measure the action with a feeler gauge you should do so with the strings tuned to concert pitch (A 440 Hz). The strings should be loosened whilst adjustments are made to the action but more about that in the next blog.

- Axel

Guitar Maintenance – Part 2.1 Action is a post from: Axebay Used Guitars Blog

"Don't Confuse Your Lubricants"

Basic Guitar Care

This is the first in a series of guitar maintenance blogs. I will try to keep this as general as possible so it refers to acoustic and electric guitars both new and used guitars. I will specify when there are differences.

Storage

Always put your guitar away in its case or on its stand. Don’t leave it lying around where it could be damaged or scratched. Don’t let anyone pick it up and play it, be choosey who can play your guitar. Apart from the fact that most people will de-tune it they could also drop it, scratch or damage it in some other way.

Make sure the guitar is stored in a cool dry place. Humidity and extreme changes in temperature can drastically affect the guitar. As guitars are made from wood and wood expands and contracts with temperature it’s important to try to keep the guitar at a reasonably constant temperature. See our blog on travel tips.

Keep it Clean

Always wipe the guitar down with a soft lint-free cloth after every use. I can’t emphasize this enough. Every time you play your guitar dirt and dead skin from your fingers build up on the neck. This build up not only makes the guitar less comfortable to play but can also effect the intonation of the guitar.

So when you are wiping the guitar down after use pay particular attention to the neck. Wipe the strings down as well. It is also worthwhile to pull the strings apart a little so you can access the fretboard and frets. If you notice some build up on the fretboard or neck try to remove it with your pic or your toothbrush (or maybe someone else’s toothbrush).

Also wipe down the back of the neck and the body of the guitar. This will remove any smudges that could lead to long term stains.

Oil or No Oil

Most guitars can also use a little oil or wood polish every now and then. Not every guitar is suited to chemical or oil products so you should check the manufacturer’s guidelines before applying any oil or wood polish to your guitar.

I use wood oil on most of my guitars about once per month or more often if needed. Sometimes you can see when a guitar neck is looking fairly dry. You can notice discoloration in the neck, almost a faded look. This is an indication that the neck needs some wood oil.

A good time to oil a guitar neck is when you are changing strings or just before you change strings. Do not remove all the strings before you oil the neck. Apply a little polish as you remove each string in turn.

Tune It

Keep the guitar in tune. When a guitar is tuned to concert pitch (A 440 Hz) it keeps a certain pressure on the neck. If the pressure is too low or too high the neck can go out (change its shape). So keep it in tune to ensure the neck pressure remains constant.

Change Strings

Change strings regularly. How often you change strings is entirely up to you. Most professional guitarists change their strings every day or at least before every gig. How often you change your strings depends on how often you play.

Over time strings lose their tone and may become rusty if left for a long time. You should change your stings at least every 6 to 8 weeks even if you don’t play very often. Also the use of a product like Finger Ease will lengthen the life of your strings as well as soften the calluses on your fingertips. See our blog Love Your Strings  for more information about strings.

So things to remember for basic guitar maintenance:

1. Store your guitar properly after use.
2. Try to keep your guitar in a reasonably constant temperature.
3. Wipe down the guitar after every use
4. Use wood oil occasionally on the guitar.
5. Change strings regularly.
6. Use a product such as Finger Ease for your strings 

Stay tuned for more blogs in the Guitar Maintenance Series.

- Axel

Guitar Maintenance Series – Part 1 Basic Care is a post from: Axebay Used Guitars Blog

What “Idol” has done to the music industry

Our popular music industry is now at such a low-ebb that the major focus is on mainstream/crossover shows such as American Idol, leaving true original talent to only be marketed via independent music companies or by self promotion on the web.

The nature of these shows goes against any original ideas or artist development. Judges and therefore music producers are only looking for a short term quick buck, instantly marketable to masses, in a music style that in past decades was called “bubble gum” music.

Imagine serious heavy weight artists (before they were famous) going on to American idol…..

For Example:

Jimi Hendrix performing “Purple Haze”….

Randy (What’s up dog) Jackson would say…

“Dude, listen up. Ok man what are you doin’, dog? I don’t know, I don’t know. Pitchy! Pitchy! Pitchy! Lose the guitar. It wasn’t good for me man. I didn’t get it.”

Ellen (And my last hit single was?) Degeneres would say….

“Okay that was pretty good but maybe you should smile a little more. And I really think you should clean yourself up a little, sweetie. You know get a haircut, have a shave and sober up. The show was good though, I really like what you can do with your teeth.”

Cara (I can sing better than you) DioGuardi says…

“I have to agree with Randy the pitch was all over the place. What are you doing? I’m sorry but I see you more in a Jack Johnson vein. You should listen to him. And you don’t need that guitar…guitar solos are sooooo yesterday. But I like you; you seem like a nice guy.”

Simon (I am making so much money out of this show) Cowell says …

“I have to say that this was just self indulgent rubbish. I’m sorry it’s a fact. You are not a rock star my friend and shouldn’t act like one. Do you really think you can sing? Come on, you’re kidding yourself and wasting my time. This is nothing like what I want … I mean record producers today are looking for. You will never get anywhere and never be anything. People don’t want to hear music like that. I am sorry but that’s a fact. No one is interested in your music but I guess you’re not good enough to cover a song. Sorry.”

 As long as shows like this are our main source of popular music, good original music and artists with a fresh approach will never get the attention they deserve when the main criteria for success is sounding like someone else, looking good and being demographically acceptable on TV.

It seems talent is not an issue anymore, only how much money the record companies and television industry make from an artist. And let me tell you they are making an absolute fortune from American Idol.

Thank God we didn’t have American Idol in sixties, seventies or eighties then we may never have heard of people like Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Sammy Hagar, Phil Lynnott, Neil Young, Ted Nugent and other rock legends.

Could you imagine what the judges would say to Bob Dylan if he appeared on American Idol?

 Illy

How Low Can The Music Industry Go? is a post from: Axebay Used Guitars Blog