We reviewed the Elmore Pedal, which makes it possible to start, pause, and go back five seconds in Fret Zealot lessons without taking your hands off of the guitar.
Watch the review here:
Read the review below:
“So right now I’m using the Elmore pedal to control the Fret Zealot guitar lessons and it’s doing two things for me – it’s playing and pausing my video, but it’s also playing and pausing the LED segments on my Fret Zealot system.
So what’s really cool about this is when I’m playing and pausing my my Fret Zealot course, it’s also playing and pausing the LED strip on the guitar. So this button is play and pause and then this button on the left side is your rewind and it just does it you go back in five seconds increments.
I can just pause and I got my chord right here and then when I’m ready to move on I just tap the pedal.
It makes all the difference – you can pause it and it’s like the difference between a minor and a major chord you could play pause go back and check out the different parts of your Fret Zealot lesson. You can go at the pace that you want to go and I have it up here on the desk but you can put it on the floor and it’s just an easy, two buttons so you can play and pause and rewind your video. I paused it, I’ve got my minor chord playing on the guitar and then when I’m ready to go to the major chord that I’m learning here I’ll just press the play button again and then boom, pause.
I’ve got my major chord playing on the guitar now I just use the pedal deposit so I can just rock on that on that major chord as long as I want now until I’m ready to press play again and continue the lesson just like that.
You can use the Elmore pedal with any Fret Zealot course, there’s hundreds of different topics and genres specific songs that you want to learn you could play and pause those song courses as well all with this pedal. It’s a really sweet sync up with the Fred Zealot system you’ve got two devices talking with your computer with the web browser version of the Fret Zealot app you can go full screen and just watch all of those courses while having the individual notes and phrases light up on your guitar and then it all connects back so you can play and pause with the Elmore pedal and that that just kicks up the learning another level or it’s just another way to navigate the ecosystem and learn how to play.”
We reviewed the Yamaha Pacifica 112V, an affordable electric guitar with a lot of history.
Check it out in our store here, available in Black, Natural Finish, Old Violin Sunburst, Sonic Blue, United Blue, and Vintage White.
Here’s the transcript of the review:
Today, I’m going to be showing you the Yamaha Pacifica 112V by Yamaha and it’s the tried and true all-around guitar in my opinion. So I’ll be walking you through what this instrument has to offer for you.
Yamaha released this model of guitar the Pacifica in 1990, and the name sort of is reminiscent of the West Coast makers of Strat style guitars where this style sort of originated in California and on the west coast. So the Pacifica name sort of speaks to that legend of guitar we’re talking about – Strat styles with the bolt on neck and the double horn body and of course the whammy bar with the blocks tremolo and this guitar really captures all of that essence in a super diverse sort of all-arounder style guitar.
The Pacifica 112v features a bolt-on neck construction with 22 frets. The neck is made out of maple on the neck and then the fingerboard is rosewood, so really nice woods being used in this guitar. The body is also alder which is a great body material, so we’ve got a really nice selection of three different woods that are the main composition of the guitar. The joint on the neck is really typical for a Strat-style guitar. Provides you nice access all the way up to that 22nd fret and then we’ve got on the bridge a block style tremolo which is very nice. You can use the whammy bar in a few different ways with this guitar and then above the the nut we’ve got six our typical closed back tuners on the Yamaha.
Fret dressings are nice and I want to draw your attention to the electronics. This guitar has a really versatile pickup configuration. It can give you a lot of great variety for heavier music like rock with the humbucker or cleaned up tones for that sound funky and clean or bright with these two single coil pickups. So this is an HSS where the H is a humbucker and then the next two S’s are for the single coils. So that’s a really nice pickup configuration to have, it gives you a ton of tonal variety to choose from and you control those pickups using this five-way selector switch. There are five positions to choose from the first one all the way up is the neck position and then the next one position number two. It’s one of my favorites, it’s both of the single coils together which gives it a bit more of this “quacky” sound that sounds kind of unique to Strat- style guitars and it also cancels out a little bit of the hum that you get from single coil so this is a very popular position to use.
Position three is the middle pickup alone a nice warm single coil sound. Position number four is the middle pickup along with the humbucker together and then position five is just going to be the humbucker. Now there’s a secret feature of this guitar that is unique to the 112 and up in terms of the different Yamaha Pacificas, and that is the coil top which is controlled by pushing and pulling the toe knob in and out. And what that does is it actually splits up the coil in this humbucker to give you um the full humbucker sound or a single coil style sound so this gives you two options as to how to configure this humbucker and that is toggled by changing pushing and pulling this tone knob. Speaking of the knobs, you’ve got really nice knurled Chrome Dome knobs. I like the style of these knobs a lot and there’s the volume knob right here and then the tone knob here, which is your master volume, master tone and then the pickup um coil tap in the tone position and actually you can hear the change, right?
It sparkles a little bit, like it’s a little bit more um bright and some of the high-end tones come through a little bit more in my opinion, but the with the when you tap that coil like this compared to having it pushed in the down position you get a thicker more humbucker sound.
So right away, you can start to hear a little bit of the variety of sounds you can get out of this guitar, and that’s just using this pickup by itself. You know I like to come up here to the neck pickup too, it’s got a little bit more of a rounder sound very bright as well and then again the one of my favorites that I talked about is these two together the neck plus the middle position.
Smooth as can be, I mean the guitar sounds great. These pickups are actually El Nico 5 magnet pickups, they are the Yamaha El Nico 5 pickups the humbucker and the two single coils. It’s a slight upgrade from what you get with the 012, which is the ceramic pickups. I think these provide a little bit more output, a little bit more clarity in my opinion. El Nico 5 has been the standard for modern pickups for for a while now and it’s nice to see some some good sounding pickups in this guitar.
They really did a great job of making a guitar that is tried and true to the to the bolt-on style, the Strat style, it gives you all that versatility and familiarity that you want from a Strat style guitar and it really feels great this guitar does a great job of performing at its price point. It doesn’t set you back, you don’t need to take out the second mortgage to to get this guitar. it’s a really affordable but reliable instrument and I think it offers you a lot. I think Yamaha did a really good job again like they always do in my opinion of packing the right features into this guitar and giving the right attention to the quality in the right places – like the wood, the feel of the neck is really smooth and comfortable to play. It’s a c-shaped neck kind of similar to a Strat. It’s um kind of Speedy feeling it’s not overly chunky I think the neck is really really quite nice and sort of easy to to grasp. I think this would be a great guitar to learn on, it’s super comfortable but it also gives you that confidence to play comfortably and when you’re feeling comfortable like that it’s just easier to play like more difficult riffs and kind of push yourself to new places when you’re learning. So I’m finding this guitar super nice as an all-arounder and one that can hit a bunch of different tonal options and give you that comfortable playing experience definitely a strong advocate for the Pacifica you can check it out on FretZealot.com where it’s bundled with the Fret Zealot LED system. So one thing that Yamaha did a great job of as well would be providing this guitar in a variety of unique colors there’s six different colors that this guitar comes in comes in Black, Natural Finish, Old Violin Sunburst, Sonic Blue, United Blue, and Vintage White.”
When you’re purchasing an electric guitar, it’s important to consider pickups.
Many players consider pickups to be the most important feature of a guitar that contributes to its tone. While instrument material, construction, amplifier used and the playing style all effect tone, pickups are known to be responsible for determining the overall sonic response of the instrument. Pickups “pick up” the vibrations of your guitar’s strings and convert them to an electronic signal, which is then amplified by an amplifier or directly recorded. But how does that happen?
Pickups in electric guitars use magnets to create magnetic fields, in which guitar strings vibrate. This alters the magnetic field slightly, producing the electric signal that goes to the amplifier.
Pickups come in different styles, and produce different results. There are three main types of electric guitar pickups.
Single coil
Single coils are pickups that use one magnet for each string and one wire coil which wraps around the group of magnets. The individual magnets are known as pole pieces. . Single coils were brought to market by Gibson in 1935 and they called them “bar pickups” at the time. Single coils are used by many manufacturers and are found on most Fender models such as Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Acoustasonic, and many iconic vintage instruments. Single coil pickups were the first pickup type available in the market, so many vintage electric guitars utilize single coil pickups. Additionally, single coil pickups come in a variety of styles and sizes, but they are most commonly found in the typical elongated oval size. . They sound good for most genres of music, but are distinctively great for surf rock, indie/ alt rock, and country music. However, they can produce a “hum” when background electric noise is transferred back to your amp as the strings vibrate. For this reason, single coil pickups are not great for genres with heavy distortion, like hard rock or metal.
Single coil pickups continue to be a mainstay of modern guitar builders today due to the exceptional clarity and character they provide. The tonal characteristics of these pickups tend to include more high frequencies which contribute to the ‘sparkle’, ‘brightness’ and ‘quack/spank’ characteristics that musicians associate with single coil pickups. Modern guitarists such as John Mayer, Nels Cline (Wilco), J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.) Yngwie Malmsteen and Yvette Young are known for using guitars with single coil pickups.
Humbuckers
Literally designed to “buck the hum”, humbuckers have two magnetic coils which phase cancel each other, preventing the hum you can hear with single coil pickups. The two coil pickups work together and create a warmer tone than single coil, which makes humbucker pickups great for jazz music. They have higher output, making them better for playing with distortion as well.
Humbucking pickups have lots of versatility with the tones that can be achieved. Vintage style humbuckers tend to have fewer windings of wire on each of the coils, which results in a slightly lower output, cleaner, rounder sounding pickup. A classic sound for rock, jazz and more. Many modern humbuckers feature more windings, which makes them higher output or ‘hotter’. Hotter wound pickups became more popular in the 1980’s during the advent of 80s metal. High output humbuckers continue to be the go-to for hard rock and metal musicians today due to their ability to create rich harmonics when using distortion and clarity when playing low chord voicings/ bar chords.
Over the years, humbucking pickups have become the standard option for many guitar manufacturers such as Ibenez and Gibson who use humbuckers as the default option on most of their guitars due to the wide appeal they have. Many artists are known for using humbucking pickups such as Slash, John Pettrucci, Tim Henson (Polyphia), Joe Bonamassa and Paul Gilbert.
P90
P90 pickups are single coil pickups with a wider design and a different magnet setup. The way they’re designed allows for more output and depth than single coil pickups, but not as much as humbuckers. The twangy tone they produce is great for blues,rock, and even punk music where P90s have a long record of being used.
Many P90 pickup designs utilize steel pole-pieces that are positioned between bar magnets instead of individual magnetic pole pieces. Also in some P90 models, the height of the steel pole pieces can be adjusted. P90 pickups are a relatively less popular option compared to humbuckers and single coils, but despite this some consider the P90 to be the ‘ultimate pickup’ due to the desireable middle-ground they cover between the two other options. P90 mitigates the disadvantages of humbucker and single coil pickups because they preserve the tonal clarity and brightness of single coils while providing the ‘fuller’, more substantial/ full sound of a humbucker. These pickups were used by artists such as Rivers Cuomo (Weezer), Matt Bellamy (Muse), Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) and Mick Jones (The Clash).
Decisions About the Pickup to Choose
With all the options available it’s important not to overthink the decision about what to use. The good news is that all the styles available offer amazing sounding pickups. Picking an artist, band or genre to base your sound off of is a good way to narrow it down. Some guitars also offer a combination of pickup styles to give a variety of tonal options. Another feature to consider is the output level of the pickup you want. If you are a player that’s more inclined to play hard rock with more distortion, a humbucker or a higher output (hotter) pickup in general would be the standard preference. For musicians who are looking for clarity, brightness and cleaner sounds, lower output pickups are usually preferred. There are really no pickups or guitars that “do it all” which is why it’s such a commonality for guitar players to own multiple guitars. It’s not just because guitars and pickups are so awesome- players need a variety of tools for the musical tasks they take on!
https://fz-wp-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/30195315/humbucker.jpg13542032Kaley Lynchhttps://fz-wp-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/logo.pngKaley Lynch2023-03-31 17:00:202023-03-31 17:00:20What’s the difference between different guitar pickups?
Sometimes, songs that start off as inside jokes end up being gold for bands. Here are some hit songs that made it from “gag” to “gig”.
“Song 2” – Blur
With a distinctive “woo hoo” chorus, “Song 2” is one of British band Blur’s best-known tracks. However, according to Blur lead guitarist Graham Coxon, the track was written as a prank on their record company. Coxon intentionally created an “amateurish” guitar sound for the track. However, label executives loved the song, and it was the second single off of their fifth studio album.
The opening riff for “Sweet Child O’Mine” is one of the most recognizable guitar lines of all time, but G ‘n R lead guitarist Slash came up with the melody as a prank during a jam session. According to a 2005 interview, Slash described the riff as a “circus melody” and was playing it while making faces at drummer Steve Adler. However, his bandmates heard potential in the riff, and within an hour, it was on its way to being “Sweet Child O’ Mine”.
“Loser”- Beck
As a destitute singer/songwriter, Beck would resort to making up ridiculous songs at coffeehouses and clubs to attempt to keep audiences engaged. “Loser” was an extension of those nonsensical songs. He recorded an early version of “Loser” while visiting Rap-A-Lot Records producer Carl Stephenson’s house. He was attempting to imitate Chuck D on the verses, and thought “Man, I’m the worst rapper in the world, I’m a loser” when listening to it back – a sentiment that became the chorus.
The title for Nirvana’s 1991 grunge anthem came from a graffiti scrawl that Kurt Cobain’s friend and Bikini Kill singer Kathleen Hanna put on his wall, “Kurt smells like Teen Spirit”. Hanna meant to make fun of Cobain for wearing his girlfriend’s Teen Spirit deodorant, but Cobain didn’t know what “Teen Spirit” meant and took it as a compliment.
“Fight for Your Right to Party” – The Beastie Boys
“Fight for Your Right” was intended as an ironic parody of “party” songs like Twisted Sister’s “I Wanna Rock”. However, it took on a life of its own and the irony was lost on most listeners. The group eventually stopped playing the track live.
“Left Hand Free” – alt-J
While the 2014 track is one of English band alt-J’s most popular songs, its Southern-rock influenced style diverges from the band’s sound. It was written in about 20 minutes and drummer Thom Green said he deliberately played “as cliche as possible” on the track. The band describes the song as “the least alt-J song possible”.
“Stuck in the Middle with You” – Stealers Wheel
If you’ve ever associated this 1973 track with Bob Dylan, you’re not alone. Scottish band Stealers Wheel performed the track as a parody of Bob Dylan’s style, and it surprised them with its success – even being famously featured in Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 debut film Reservoir Dogs.
https://fz-wp-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/28205011/1604301_Songsthatstartedoffasjokesblogpost-560x315-02_032823.jpg315560Kaley Lynchhttps://fz-wp-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/logo.pngKaley Lynch2023-03-28 20:50:172023-03-28 20:52:12Songs that started off as jokes
This course will teach you Misch’s unique techniques, including jazz chords, unusual rhythms, and use of slides and vibrato.
Background
Misch was born in London in 1995. He began playing violin at age 4, and later learned to play guitar and piano. He studied music technology in secondary school and studied jazz guitar at London’s Trinity Laban Conservatoire. He left after six months to focus on his own music. He had already been releasing music on SoundCloud for two years at this point, and in 2018 he released his debut album, Geography.
Style
Misch’s jazz education is evident in his playing, which is characterized by playing “in the pocket”. His style welds together funk, neo-soul, and R&B, with an emphasis on timing and groove. He alternates between fingerpicking and using a pick as the piece calls for it, and favors jazzy chords like 9th degrees for his tones. He often plays a melody on a single string and slides.
House Music
While Misch has made a name for himself as a guitarist, he has recently started exploring his other musical passion, house music. Misch has dropped some house music tracks under his alias, “Supershy”.
Once you’ve locked down Tom Misch’s signature style, you can find tabs for several of his songs on the Fret Zealot app, including “It Runs Through” and “Movie”.
https://fz-wp-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/28135915/tom-misch-player-study.png288512Kaley Lynchhttps://fz-wp-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/logo.pngKaley Lynch2023-03-28 14:04:132023-03-28 14:05:03Want to play guitar like Tom Misch?
Want to learn to play guitar like Steve Lukather of Toto? Make your vision a reality with the Steve Lukather Player Study.
This course will teach you the guitar virtuoso’s techniques, including fast mixolydian runs, hybrid picking, alternate picking, and more.
Background
Steve Lukather, the son of a Paramount Studios assistant director and production manager, started playing musical instruments at an early age. He started with keyboards and drums and then taught himself to play guitar at age seven. Lukather got an acoustic guitar and a copy of The Beatles’ “Meet The Beatles” album for that birthday, the latter of which he credits for “changing his life”. During high school, he met the people who would become his future Toto bandmates.
Lukather’s first professional musician job was as a session musician for Boz Scaggs. He helped form Toto in 1976 along with fellow session musicians David Paich, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Porcaro, Bobby Kimball, and David Hungate.
Lukather is the original lead guitarist for the band and has been the sole continuous member of the group since its inception. He also serves as composer, backing and lead vocalist. He has won five GRAMMY Awards, three for his work with Toto.
As a session guitarist, Lukather has worked with prominent artists including Aretha Franklin, Lionel Richie, and Michael Jackson. He has also released eight solo albums.
Style
Lukather’s playing style is described as “melodic and intense”. He utilizes his knowledge of music theory to follow chord charts and changes in a way that’s characteristic of jazz musicians. He counts blues-rock guitarists likeEric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, and Jimmy Page among his influences, as well as Steely Dan.
Gear
Lukather used to utilize an elaborate set of effects pedals in his playing setup, but now plays mostly modification-free other than delay. He has collaborated with EMG on his own Lukather signature “SL20” pickup system, as well as DiMarzio on a set of signature pickups named “Transition”. He endorses Music Man guitars.
Once you’ve mastered Lukather’s signature style, you can find tabs for dozens of Toto songs in the Fret Zealot app including “Rosanna”, “Africa”, and “Georgy Porgy”.
https://fz-wp-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/20200523/lukather-study.png288512Kaley Lynchhttps://fz-wp-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/logo.pngKaley Lynch2023-03-20 20:08:342023-03-21 13:39:12Want to play guitar like Steve Lukather?
If you’re starting out on your guitar journey, a great way to build up your dexterity and technique is by playing songs on just one string. It’s a lot more fun than playing scales and will keep you motivated to learn.
Just because you’re sticking to one string doesn’t mean you have to be confined to playing “Mary Had a Little Lamb” or “Happy Birthday” – many riffs and melodies of popular songs can be played on one string!
Once you’re comfortable playing these songs on one string, most of them can be beefed up with chords or more advanced techniques!
Another One Bites the Dust – Queen
The iconic bass riff for this 1980 hit can also be played on one guitar string.
https://fz-wp-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/20183435/JAS5225-HiRes-scaled.jpg17072560Kaley Lynchhttps://fz-wp-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/logo.pngKaley Lynch2023-03-20 19:05:362023-03-20 19:05:58Songs you can play on one guitar string
Do you want to learn to play like Cory Wong? The Cory Wong Player Study will take you on a deep dive of his funky signature style, including his innovative strum patterns and rhythmic single-note melodies.
Background
Cory Wong was raised in Minneapolis, Minn. His father exposed him to classic rock and jazz music at an early age, and he took piano lessons starting at age nine. Young Wong was inspired by bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Primus, and he decided to take up bass. Wong took both guitar and bass lessons, and started a punk rock band while still in high school.
He decided to play music professionally at age 20 while studying at McNally Smith College of Music. Wong focused on jazz music in the early days of his career, performing in local jazz clubs and releasing two albums with jazz groups. He then started playing the Nashville circuit as a session player and guitarist, where he worked with a plethora of artists. In 2013, Wong met Ann Arbor band Vulfpeck and began touring and recording with the band in 2016. He’s also a member of The Fearless Flyers and has released solo albums.
Style
Wong is a modern funk legend, and is an expert at utilizing his right strumming hand to propel grooves into his music. In his playing, you can hear elements of Prince (natural for someone raised in Minneapolis, as well as some of the complex chords and scales he utilized while playing in jazz clubs.
Variety show
In 2021, Wong added another title to his resume – variety show host. “Cory and the Wongnotes” on YouTube is a musician’s dream – it features a full band, original music, comedy skits, and interviews with experts on topics like gear and music genres.
Once you master Cory Wong’s signature style, you can find tabs for Wong and Vulfpeck in the Fret Zealot app!
https://fz-wp-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/13175602/cory-wong-tudy.png288512Kaley Lynchhttps://fz-wp-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/logo.pngKaley Lynch2023-03-13 17:59:522023-03-13 17:59:52Want to play guitar like Cory Wong?
Hit the gym – for your guitar skills. This course will have your fingers breaking a sweat through arpeggios, octaves, and scales to get you in fighting shape.
Stuck in the pentatonic box? If you love playing rock and blues music but feel uninspired playing the same old licks, this course is for you. It will teach you all the pentatonic shapes, 18 licks, and the patterns, bends, and techniques of guitar greats like Jimi Hendrix and David Gilmour.
If you’re ready for something completely different, try this flamenco guitar course! It will take you through the defining techniques of flamenco guitar, which you can incorporate into your own playing to create a unique sound.
Spice up both rhythm and lead playing with this course, which will help you learn three different inversions of a triad as well as how to construct them.
https://fz-wp-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/09142835/master-your-finger-course.png288512Kaley Lynchhttps://fz-wp-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/logo.pngKaley Lynch2023-03-09 14:41:052023-03-09 14:41:05Five courses that will take your guitar playing to the next level
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REVIEW: Elmore Pedal
/by Kaley LynchWe reviewed the Elmore Pedal, which makes it possible to start, pause, and go back five seconds in Fret Zealot lessons without taking your hands off of the guitar.
Watch the review here:
Read the review below:
“So right now I’m using the Elmore pedal to control the Fret Zealot guitar lessons and it’s doing two things for me – it’s playing and pausing my video, but it’s also playing and pausing the LED segments on my Fret Zealot system.
So what’s really cool about this is when I’m playing and pausing my my Fret Zealot course, it’s also playing and pausing the LED strip on the guitar. So this button is play and pause and then this button on the left side is your rewind and it just does it you go back in five seconds increments.
I can just pause and I got my chord right here and then when I’m ready to move on I just tap the pedal.
It makes all the difference – you can pause it and it’s like the difference between a minor and a major chord you could play pause go back and check out the different parts of your Fret Zealot lesson. You can go at the pace that you want to go and I have it up here on the desk but you can put it on the floor and it’s just an easy, two buttons so you can play and pause and rewind your video. I paused it, I’ve got my minor chord playing on the guitar and then when I’m ready to go to the major chord that I’m learning here I’ll just press the play button again and then boom, pause.
I’ve got my major chord playing on the guitar now I just use the pedal deposit so I can just rock on that on that major chord as long as I want now until I’m ready to press play again and continue the lesson just like that.
You can use the Elmore pedal with any Fret Zealot course, there’s hundreds of different topics and genres specific songs that you want to learn you could play and pause those song courses as well all with this pedal. It’s a really sweet sync up with the Fred Zealot system you’ve got two devices talking with your computer with the web browser version of the Fret Zealot app you can go full screen and just watch all of those courses while having the individual notes and phrases light up on your guitar and then it all connects back so you can play and pause with the Elmore pedal and that that just kicks up the learning another level or it’s just another way to navigate the ecosystem and learn how to play.”
MORE:
REVIEW: Yamaha Pacifica 112V
REVIEW: Gibson Tribute series – Les Paul and SG
REVIEW: Yamaha Pacifica 112V
/by Kaley LynchWe reviewed the Yamaha Pacifica 112V, an affordable electric guitar with a lot of history.
Check it out in our store here, available in Black, Natural Finish, Old Violin Sunburst, Sonic Blue, United Blue, and Vintage White.
Here’s the transcript of the review:
Today, I’m going to be showing you the Yamaha Pacifica 112V by Yamaha and it’s the tried and true all-around guitar in my opinion. So I’ll be walking you through what this instrument has to offer for you.
Yamaha released this model of guitar the Pacifica in 1990, and the name sort of is reminiscent of the West Coast makers of Strat style guitars where this style sort of originated in California and on the west coast. So the Pacifica name sort of speaks to that legend of guitar we’re talking about – Strat styles with the bolt on neck and the double horn body and of course the whammy bar with the blocks tremolo and this guitar really captures all of that essence in a super diverse sort of all-arounder style guitar.
The Pacifica 112v features a bolt-on neck construction with 22 frets. The neck is made out of maple on the neck and then the fingerboard is rosewood, so really nice woods being used in this guitar. The body is also alder which is a great body material, so we’ve got a really nice selection of three different woods that are the main composition of the guitar. The joint on the neck is really typical for a Strat-style guitar. Provides you nice access all the way up to that 22nd fret and then we’ve got on the bridge a block style tremolo which is very nice. You can use the whammy bar in a few different ways with this guitar and then above the the nut we’ve got six our typical closed back tuners on the Yamaha.
Fret dressings are nice and I want to draw your attention to the electronics. This guitar has a really versatile pickup configuration. It can give you a lot of great variety for heavier music like rock with the humbucker or cleaned up tones for that sound funky and clean or bright with these two single coil pickups. So this is an HSS where the H is a humbucker and then the next two S’s are for the single coils. So that’s a really nice pickup configuration to have, it gives you a ton of tonal variety to choose from and you control those pickups using this five-way selector switch. There are five positions to choose from the first one all the way up is the neck position and then the next one position number two. It’s one of my favorites, it’s both of the single coils together which gives it a bit more of this “quacky” sound that sounds kind of unique to Strat- style guitars and it also cancels out a little bit of the hum that you get from single coil so this is a very popular position to use.
Position three is the middle pickup alone a nice warm single coil sound. Position number four is the middle pickup along with the humbucker together and then position five is just going to be the humbucker. Now there’s a secret feature of this guitar that is unique to the 112 and up in terms of the different Yamaha Pacificas, and that is the coil top which is controlled by pushing and pulling the toe knob in and out. And what that does is it actually splits up the coil in this humbucker to give you um the full humbucker sound or a single coil style sound so this gives you two options as to how to configure this humbucker and that is toggled by changing pushing and pulling this tone knob. Speaking of the knobs, you’ve got really nice knurled Chrome Dome knobs. I like the style of these knobs a lot and there’s the volume knob right here and then the tone knob here, which is your master volume, master tone and then the pickup um coil tap in the tone position and actually you can hear the change, right?
It sparkles a little bit, like it’s a little bit more um bright and some of the high-end tones come through a little bit more in my opinion, but the with the when you tap that coil like this compared to having it pushed in the down position you get a thicker more humbucker sound.
So right away, you can start to hear a little bit of the variety of sounds you can get out of this guitar, and that’s just using this pickup by itself. You know I like to come up here to the neck pickup too, it’s got a little bit more of a rounder sound very bright as well and then again the one of my favorites that I talked about is these two together the neck plus the middle position.
Smooth as can be, I mean the guitar sounds great. These pickups are actually El Nico 5 magnet pickups, they are the Yamaha El Nico 5 pickups the humbucker and the two single coils. It’s a slight upgrade from what you get with the 012, which is the ceramic pickups. I think these provide a little bit more output, a little bit more clarity in my opinion. El Nico 5 has been the standard for modern pickups for for a while now and it’s nice to see some some good sounding pickups in this guitar.
They really did a great job of making a guitar that is tried and true to the to the bolt-on style, the Strat style, it gives you all that versatility and familiarity that you want from a Strat style guitar and it really feels great this guitar does a great job of performing at its price point. It doesn’t set you back, you don’t need to take out the second mortgage to to get this guitar. it’s a really affordable but reliable instrument and I think it offers you a lot. I think Yamaha did a really good job again like they always do in my opinion of packing the right features into this guitar and giving the right attention to the quality in the right places – like the wood, the feel of the neck is really smooth and comfortable to play. It’s a c-shaped neck kind of similar to a Strat. It’s um kind of Speedy feeling it’s not overly chunky I think the neck is really really quite nice and sort of easy to to grasp. I think this would be a great guitar to learn on, it’s super comfortable but it also gives you that confidence to play comfortably and when you’re feeling comfortable like that it’s just easier to play like more difficult riffs and kind of push yourself to new places when you’re learning. So I’m finding this guitar super nice as an all-arounder and one that can hit a bunch of different tonal options and give you that comfortable playing experience definitely a strong advocate for the Pacifica you can check it out on FretZealot.com where it’s bundled with the Fret Zealot LED system. So one thing that Yamaha did a great job of as well would be providing this guitar in a variety of unique colors there’s six different colors that this guitar comes in comes in Black, Natural Finish, Old Violin Sunburst, Sonic Blue, United Blue, and Vintage White.”
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What’s the difference between different guitar pickups?
/by Kaley Lynch, Shane NolanWhen you’re purchasing an electric guitar, it’s important to consider pickups.
Many players consider pickups to be the most important feature of a guitar that contributes to its tone. While instrument material, construction, amplifier used and the playing style all effect tone, pickups are known to be responsible for determining the overall sonic response of the instrument. Pickups “pick up” the vibrations of your guitar’s strings and convert them to an electronic signal, which is then amplified by an amplifier or directly recorded. But how does that happen?
Pickups in electric guitars use magnets to create magnetic fields, in which guitar strings vibrate. This alters the magnetic field slightly, producing the electric signal that goes to the amplifier.
Pickups come in different styles, and produce different results. There are three main types of electric guitar pickups.
Single coil
Single coils are pickups that use one magnet for each string and one wire coil which wraps around the group of magnets. The individual magnets are known as pole pieces. . Single coils were brought to market by Gibson in 1935 and they called them “bar pickups” at the time. Single coils are used by many manufacturers and are found on most Fender models such as Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Acoustasonic, and many iconic vintage instruments. Single coil pickups were the first pickup type available in the market, so many vintage electric guitars utilize single coil pickups. Additionally, single coil pickups come in a variety of styles and sizes, but they are most commonly found in the typical elongated oval size. . They sound good for most genres of music, but are distinctively great for surf rock, indie/ alt rock, and country music. However, they can produce a “hum” when background electric noise is transferred back to your amp as the strings vibrate. For this reason, single coil pickups are not great for genres with heavy distortion, like hard rock or metal.
Single coil pickups continue to be a mainstay of modern guitar builders today due to the exceptional clarity and character they provide. The tonal characteristics of these pickups tend to include more high frequencies which contribute to the ‘sparkle’, ‘brightness’ and ‘quack/spank’ characteristics that musicians associate with single coil pickups. Modern guitarists such as John Mayer, Nels Cline (Wilco), J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.) Yngwie Malmsteen and Yvette Young are known for using guitars with single coil pickups.
Humbuckers
Literally designed to “buck the hum”, humbuckers have two magnetic coils which phase cancel each other, preventing the hum you can hear with single coil pickups. The two coil pickups work together and create a warmer tone than single coil, which makes humbucker pickups great for jazz music. They have higher output, making them better for playing with distortion as well.
Humbucking pickups have lots of versatility with the tones that can be achieved. Vintage style humbuckers tend to have fewer windings of wire on each of the coils, which results in a slightly lower output, cleaner, rounder sounding pickup. A classic sound for rock, jazz and more. Many modern humbuckers feature more windings, which makes them higher output or ‘hotter’. Hotter wound pickups became more popular in the 1980’s during the advent of 80s metal. High output humbuckers continue to be the go-to for hard rock and metal musicians today due to their ability to create rich harmonics when using distortion and clarity when playing low chord voicings/ bar chords.
Over the years, humbucking pickups have become the standard option for many guitar manufacturers such as Ibenez and Gibson who use humbuckers as the default option on most of their guitars due to the wide appeal they have. Many artists are known for using humbucking pickups such as Slash, John Pettrucci, Tim Henson (Polyphia), Joe Bonamassa and Paul Gilbert.
P90
P90 pickups are single coil pickups with a wider design and a different magnet setup. The way they’re designed allows for more output and depth than single coil pickups, but not as much as humbuckers. The twangy tone they produce is great for blues,rock, and even punk music where P90s have a long record of being used.
Many P90 pickup designs utilize steel pole-pieces that are positioned between bar magnets instead of individual magnetic pole pieces. Also in some P90 models, the height of the steel pole pieces can be adjusted.
P90 pickups are a relatively less popular option compared to humbuckers and single coils, but despite this some consider the P90 to be the ‘ultimate pickup’ due to the desireable middle-ground they cover between the two other options. P90 mitigates the disadvantages of humbucker and single coil pickups because they preserve the tonal clarity and brightness of single coils while providing the ‘fuller’, more substantial/ full sound of a humbucker. These pickups were used by artists such as Rivers Cuomo (Weezer), Matt Bellamy (Muse), Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) and Mick Jones (The Clash).
Decisions About the Pickup to Choose
With all the options available it’s important not to overthink the decision about what to use. The good news is that all the styles available offer amazing sounding pickups. Picking an artist, band or genre to base your sound off of is a good way to narrow it down. Some guitars also offer a combination of pickup styles to give a variety of tonal options. Another feature to consider is the output level of the pickup you want. If you are a player that’s more inclined to play hard rock with more distortion, a humbucker or a higher output (hotter) pickup in general would be the standard preference. For musicians who are looking for clarity, brightness and cleaner sounds, lower output pickups are usually preferred. There are really no pickups or guitars that “do it all” which is why it’s such a commonality for guitar players to own multiple guitars. It’s not just because guitars and pickups are so awesome- players need a variety of tools for the musical tasks they take on!
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Songs that started off as jokes
/by Kaley LynchSometimes, songs that start off as inside jokes end up being gold for bands. Here are some hit songs that made it from “gag” to “gig”.
“Song 2” – Blur
With a distinctive “woo hoo” chorus, “Song 2” is one of British band Blur’s best-known tracks. However, according to Blur lead guitarist Graham Coxon, the track was written as a prank on their record company. Coxon intentionally created an “amateurish” guitar sound for the track. However, label executives loved the song, and it was the second single off of their fifth studio album.
Sweet Child O’Mine – Guns ‘n Roses
The opening riff for “Sweet Child O’Mine” is one of the most recognizable guitar lines of all time, but G ‘n R lead guitarist Slash came up with the melody as a prank during a jam session. According to a 2005 interview, Slash described the riff as a “circus melody” and was playing it while making faces at drummer Steve Adler. However, his bandmates heard potential in the riff, and within an hour, it was on its way to being “Sweet Child O’ Mine”.
“Loser”- Beck
As a destitute singer/songwriter, Beck would resort to making up ridiculous songs at coffeehouses and clubs to attempt to keep audiences engaged. “Loser” was an extension of those nonsensical songs. He recorded an early version of “Loser” while visiting Rap-A-Lot Records producer Carl Stephenson’s house. He was attempting to imitate Chuck D on the verses, and thought “Man, I’m the worst rapper in the world, I’m a loser” when listening to it back – a sentiment that became the chorus.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana
The title for Nirvana’s 1991 grunge anthem came from a graffiti scrawl that Kurt Cobain’s friend and Bikini Kill singer Kathleen Hanna put on his wall, “Kurt smells like Teen Spirit”. Hanna meant to make fun of Cobain for wearing his girlfriend’s Teen Spirit deodorant, but Cobain didn’t know what “Teen Spirit” meant and took it as a compliment.
“Fight for Your Right to Party” – The Beastie Boys
“Fight for Your Right” was intended as an ironic parody of “party” songs like Twisted Sister’s “I Wanna Rock”. However, it took on a life of its own and the irony was lost on most listeners. The group eventually stopped playing the track live.
“Left Hand Free” – alt-J
While the 2014 track is one of English band alt-J’s most popular songs, its Southern-rock influenced style diverges from the band’s sound. It was written in about 20 minutes and drummer Thom Green said he deliberately played “as cliche as possible” on the track. The band describes the song as “the least alt-J song possible”.
“Stuck in the Middle with You” – Stealers Wheel
If you’ve ever associated this 1973 track with Bob Dylan, you’re not alone. Scottish band Stealers Wheel performed the track as a parody of Bob Dylan’s style, and it surprised them with its success – even being famously featured in Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 debut film Reservoir Dogs.
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Want to play guitar like Tom Misch?
/by Kaley LynchWant to play guitar like Tom Misch? Learn the singer/songwriter’s signature style with the Tom Misch Player Study course.
This course will teach you Misch’s unique techniques, including jazz chords, unusual rhythms, and use of slides and vibrato.
Background
Misch was born in London in 1995. He began playing violin at age 4, and later learned to play guitar and piano. He studied music technology in secondary school and studied jazz guitar at London’s Trinity Laban Conservatoire. He left after six months to focus on his own music. He had already been releasing music on SoundCloud for two years at this point, and in 2018 he released his debut album, Geography.
Style
Misch’s jazz education is evident in his playing, which is characterized by playing “in the pocket”. His style welds together funk, neo-soul, and R&B, with an emphasis on timing and groove. He alternates between fingerpicking and using a pick as the piece calls for it, and favors jazzy chords like 9th degrees for his tones. He often plays a melody on a single string and slides.
House Music
While Misch has made a name for himself as a guitarist, he has recently started exploring his other musical passion, house music. Misch has dropped some house music tracks under his alias, “Supershy”.
Once you’ve locked down Tom Misch’s signature style, you can find tabs for several of his songs on the Fret Zealot app, including “It Runs Through” and “Movie”.
Want to play guitar like Steve Lukather?
/by Kaley LynchWant to learn to play guitar like Steve Lukather of Toto? Make your vision a reality with the Steve Lukather Player Study.
This course will teach you the guitar virtuoso’s techniques, including fast mixolydian runs, hybrid picking, alternate picking, and more.
Background
Steve Lukather, the son of a Paramount Studios assistant director and production manager, started playing musical instruments at an early age. He started with keyboards and drums and then taught himself to play guitar at age seven. Lukather got an acoustic guitar and a copy of The Beatles’ “Meet The Beatles” album for that birthday, the latter of which he credits for “changing his life”. During high school, he met the people who would become his future Toto bandmates.
Lukather’s first professional musician job was as a session musician for Boz Scaggs. He helped form Toto in 1976 along with fellow session musicians David Paich, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Porcaro, Bobby Kimball, and David Hungate.
Lukather is the original lead guitarist for the band and has been the sole continuous member of the group since its inception. He also serves as composer, backing and lead vocalist. He has won five GRAMMY Awards, three for his work with Toto.
As a session guitarist, Lukather has worked with prominent artists including Aretha Franklin, Lionel Richie, and Michael Jackson. He has also released eight solo albums.
Style
Lukather’s playing style is described as “melodic and intense”. He utilizes his knowledge of music theory to follow chord charts and changes in a way that’s characteristic of jazz musicians. He counts blues-rock guitarists like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, and Jimmy Page among his influences, as well as Steely Dan.
Gear
Lukather used to utilize an elaborate set of effects pedals in his playing setup, but now plays mostly modification-free other than delay. He has collaborated with EMG on his own Lukather signature “SL20” pickup system, as well as DiMarzio on a set of signature pickups named “Transition”. He endorses Music Man guitars.
Once you’ve mastered Lukather’s signature style, you can find tabs for dozens of Toto songs in the Fret Zealot app including “Rosanna”, “Africa”, and “Georgy Porgy”.
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Songs you can play on one guitar string
/by Kaley LynchIf you’re starting out on your guitar journey, a great way to build up your dexterity and technique is by playing songs on just one string. It’s a lot more fun than playing scales and will keep you motivated to learn.
Just because you’re sticking to one string doesn’t mean you have to be confined to playing “Mary Had a Little Lamb” or “Happy Birthday” – many riffs and melodies of popular songs can be played on one string!
Once you’re comfortable playing these songs on one string, most of them can be beefed up with chords or more advanced techniques!
Another One Bites the Dust – Queen
The iconic bass riff for this 1980 hit can also be played on one guitar string.
Thunderstruck – AC/DC
Angus Young’s guitar riff for this 1990 classic is one of the most memorable guitar lines of all time, but it can be played on just one string!
My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion
No pennywhistle needed. The theme song for 1997 blockbuster “Titanic” can be played on just the high “E” string.
Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple
Possibly one of the best-known one string songs of all time, you can learn this whole riff on the low E string and double it when you’re ready.
Running Down a Dream – Tom Petty
The riff of this 1989 hit can be played on one string, making it perfect for beginners. The chords are also fairly simple.
Seven Nation Army – White Stripes
The bass riff of “Seven Nation Army” is one of the best-known basslines of all time, but it can also be played on the “A” string.
Satisfaction – Rolling Stones
This 1965 hit will be “satisfying” to learn – the riff can be played on one string and the rhythm part consists of three simple chords!
Misirlou – Dick Dale
This surf rock classic can be played on just one string, as long as you can pick fast enough!
Sunshine of Your Love – Cream
This memorable riff can be played on just the D string.
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Fret Zealot’s Spring Break Playlist
/by Kaley LynchThere’s nothing like the first few days of spring! The Fret Zealot team made a playlist of songs that remind us of spring to get you ready.
Want to play guitar like Cory Wong?
/by Kaley LynchDo you want to learn to play like Cory Wong? The Cory Wong Player Study will take you on a deep dive of his funky signature style, including his innovative strum patterns and rhythmic single-note melodies.
Background
Cory Wong was raised in Minneapolis, Minn. His father exposed him to classic rock and jazz music at an early age, and he took piano lessons starting at age nine. Young Wong was inspired by bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Primus, and he decided to take up bass. Wong took both guitar and bass lessons, and started a punk rock band while still in high school.
He decided to play music professionally at age 20 while studying at McNally Smith College of Music. Wong focused on jazz music in the early days of his career, performing in local jazz clubs and releasing two albums with jazz groups. He then started playing the Nashville circuit as a session player and guitarist, where he worked with a plethora of artists. In 2013, Wong met Ann Arbor band Vulfpeck and began touring and recording with the band in 2016. He’s also a member of The Fearless Flyers and has released solo albums.
Style
Wong is a modern funk legend, and is an expert at utilizing his right strumming hand to propel grooves into his music. In his playing, you can hear elements of Prince (natural for someone raised in Minneapolis, as well as some of the complex chords and scales he utilized while playing in jazz clubs.
Variety show
In 2021, Wong added another title to his resume – variety show host. “Cory and the Wongnotes” on YouTube is a musician’s dream – it features a full band, original music, comedy skits, and interviews with experts on topics like gear and music genres.
Once you master Cory Wong’s signature style, you can find tabs for Wong and Vulfpeck in the Fret Zealot app!
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Five courses that will take your guitar playing to the next level
/by Kaley LynchYou’ve memorized all of the chords, familiarized yourself with the scales, and built up a repertoire of songs. Now what?
These five advanced-level courses in the Fret Zealot app will help you level up, from good to Guitar God.
Master Your Fingers – Guitar Gym
Hit the gym – for your guitar skills. This course will have your fingers breaking a sweat through arpeggios, octaves, and scales to get you in fighting shape.
Pure Pentatonic Power: Rock and Blues Lead Guitar Course
Stuck in the pentatonic box? If you love playing rock and blues music but feel uninspired playing the same old licks, this course is for you. It will teach you all the pentatonic shapes, 18 licks, and the patterns, bends, and techniques of guitar greats like Jimi Hendrix and David Gilmour.
Flamenco Guitar
If you’re ready for something completely different, try this flamenco guitar course! It will take you through the defining techniques of flamenco guitar, which you can incorporate into your own playing to create a unique sound.
Triads for Guitar on Strings 1, 2, and 3
Spice up both rhythm and lead playing with this course, which will help you learn three different inversions of a triad as well as how to construct them.
Making the Modes Easy! Pro Lead Guitar Course
What are modes? This course explains them all, as well as how to use them for playing rock music.
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