MXK Labs

    Who doesn't like custom guitars? I found a website with an application that allows you to piece together most anything you can image, with parts from popular brands. It's called "Kiskae", it's FREE, and you can find it here: KISEKAE Virtual Image Modeling Software. Follow the link, then scroll down and click the image of the guitar brand you care to customize. There is an optional login to save your creations. You can also use the 'Print Screen' function on your keyboard and use an image editor to crop. If you're having trouble just drop me a comment.

The guitar above is a combination of parts including a Stratocaster body, Telecaster neck, a Telecaster Bass control plate, Squier '51 pickguard, and a left-handed Strat bridge (a nod to Jimi and SRV). You may notice the slight relicing; there are options for that as well.

Have fun! More tone to come.

Nowadays, most readily available, non-custom electric guitars are made in factories. Many of the steps to creating the finished guitar are automated. Although this is a positive aspect in some respects (like price), the reduced human interaction means lowered quality control. That's a long way of saying that 2 seemingly identical guitars, of the same make, model, and color, could be very different from each other. This is why many musicians avoid online dealers and choose to play several guitars in a shop and choose by feel.

Here's what you can do to pick the good ones when you're in the shop. You'll need to perform this test on a guitar that is hanging by the headstock and is not resting on a wall, stand, or anything else. You can just have a friend or shop employee hold it with one hand, by the headstock. With the guitar hanging freely, give the B string a nice pluck. As the string continues to vibrate, grip the bottom of the guitar, beneath the bridge, right near the strap button (on most models). Feel that? The amount of vibration transferred from the strings to the body can equal greater sustain and better use of the tone woods.

Basic rule of thumb here: the more vibration, the 'better' the particular guitar. I only pick it up and play it if the vibrations are good and strong in the body. Try it!

Guitarists, especially electric guitarists, are constantly tweaking tone. Whether it's that new stompbox, a pickup swap, or just a roll of the tone knob, we're always searching for that 'perfect' tone. Hopefully, my tips will help you get there!

Today's tip is simple... really simple. Less can be more, especially in the world of tone-sucking stompboxes and lengthy cable runs. Get yourself an 8' or 10' cable (no longer than 20') and plug your guitar straight into the amp. No frills, no stomps, no long cables.

Once you've done this, take the time you turn all the knobs on the guitar and amp, really learn what they do. I've seen the amp's tone knobs ignored so many times... this is your guitar's voice, you've got to see what your amp can do before loading up on the effects. Don't assume something won't sound good. There are no rules here, turn everything all the way up and everything all the way down and everywhere in between. Many of Eric Clapton's tones with Cream were created on a Marshall amp with every knob cranked to 10, for example.

I encourage you to force yourself to stay off the effects for at least a little while. Find the 'sweet spot' on your amp that lets you use your guitar's volume knob to control the level of drive. Even if you don't particularly enjoy playing this way, it is an invaluable lesson for all players.

We'll continue and learn the effect each of our precious stompboxes and processors have on tone as we add them into the signal chain... but not until next time.