Review Of The Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top

!±8± Review Of The Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top

Features

This guitar was made in China and is finished to perfection. The scale is 24.75", and the neck has 22 frets featuring the hallmark trapezoid inlays. The fretboard is rosewood, which seems to bring out the inlays very nicely. The body material of the guitar is a solid and rather heavy block of mahogany. You can feel that the material is well constructed and the weight of the guitar, which is heavier than most, adds to the 'richness' of the finish. The top of the body is book-matched flamed maple; however the same guitar can be bought, which has all the same dimensions and sound, but has a matte finish. This will cost you about £50 less depending on the shop. For me the flame finish is worth it as it looks spectacular. The set neck also consists of mahogany making the guitars materials consistent and professional.

The bridge is the archetypal "tune-o-matic" model, finished in chrome in the same fashion as the tuners. The pickups are a pair of Alnico classic humbuckers, which are good, and suit the guitar, but if you are a semi professional player, or just want an extra kick, a change of pickups could benefit you. There are four controls, two for tone and two for volume. At the time I paid £399 for the guitar which I found to be very reasonable as I have played guitars twice that amount and the impression they gave me did not match that of the Epiphone. You can also get a specific, hard case for this guitar model. Very impressed. 9/10

Sound Quality

I mainly play hard, late 60s rock with a blues edge so lots of chords for the guitar are necessary and this guitar will surely impress when it comes to playing them. My influences include the likes of Cream, the Stones and Slash (for the shredding solos!). This guitar, paired with my Line6 Spider IV amplifier produces all the sounds I want. From rockish distorted tones on the bridge pickup, to great melodic solo's on the neck p/u with the tone turned down gives a great creamy tone. I always have the volume and tone right up on the guitar as it makes the overall sound more whole and helps the strings resonate. I honestly love the way the guitar sounds. Even though Epiphone will never be as good as Gibson, but bearing in mind a Gibson form of this guitar would cost in the range of £900+, this is a very good competitor for a cheaper model. 10/10

Style

I never bought this guitar online, and I never recommend people to, simply because when buying a guitar especially like this one, you want to see it in person. You want to get the guitar with a nice grain which suits your taste and you want to make sure each piece of freshly polished mahogany looks exactly that. You cannot get this guarantee from online. I digress... The finish of this guitar is perfect, the pickups were pretty close and were not at all loose, a very professional job was done indeed. However, I did change the strings when I purchased it as I am a fond lover of Ernie Ball Super Slinky's. The intonation was perfect and the bridge was properly set. I didn't have to touch it. The guitars bridge was also set a nice low height which optimized playability, especially with fast phrases and high fretted sequences, and awkward chord shapes which require lots of finger stretching. However, dependant on taste, they are easily adjustable. What I love about this guitar more than anything was its ability to be played straight out of the box. I needed to make no adjustments and this can only make my life easier. 10/10

Reliability

There's not much to say really other than it can play gigs without any damage as long as you have a good, sturdy strap. The actual strap locks on the guitar are fine; they will not come loose and therefore would hold a good strap well. I wouldn't need a backup guitar if I played a gig because you can rely on this guitar well. The finish hasn't come off or anything of the sort and I have had it for 6 months and played 3 gigs along with regular practice, it is very well made and superbly reliable. 10/10

Overall Experience

For what I do with the guitar, this fits all my needs. The features, sound quality and style all suit me perfectly. From fast solos, to slow blues jams to Spanish bops to western chord progressions, Les Paul has always been the 'upper' class of guitar and ever since I used to watch Slash drill out amazing solos I have wanted one. With this guitar, you can claim a Les Paul without the £1000 price tag. However, playing like Slash will require practice; the guitar won't do all the work. 9/10

Review Of The Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top

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Metronomes and How to Use Them

!±8± Metronomes and How to Use Them

Rhythm is one of the main building blocks of creating music, and without a good sense of rhythm, you just can't be a great musician. We've all heard players that had great sounds or amazing technique, but without a good sense of rhythm, it just doesn't fit together. The right notes must be played at the right time.

Metronomes are very useful tools that when used well, will greatly help your sense of rhythm, and today we have some interesting possibilities. When I first started playing the trumpet, you could buy cheap wind-up metronomes, but they just didn't last very long. Electronic metronomes were very expensive at the time.

Today, we have many good electronic metronomes. Some of the best incorporate both a metronome and a tuner in one component. There is even one out now that has a clip-on attachment that gives a physical vibration for the beat. Unfortunately, many metronomes just sit in the instrument case unused. That definitely won't help.

To get the most benefit, you must use it and use it correctly. First, I believe you should combine it with a good foot tap. There are people that believe you shouldn't tap your foot. I'm not one of them. I've seen too many students make considerable improvement by just adding a steady foot tap to their playing.

Next, you need to add a subdivision of the beat if your metronome allows for that. I would only purchase a metronome that has the ability to subdivide into eighth notes, triplets, and sixteenth notes.

The use of a metronome will greatly improve your playing. Do yourself a favor. Get one and use it every time you play. Remember, a right note at the wrong time is a wrong note.

Metronomes and How to Use Them

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Review of Boss DB-90 'Dr Beat' Metronome

!±8± Review of Boss DB-90 'Dr Beat' Metronome

Metronome plays a vital role in developing rhythm when you learn to play music. Many beginner musicians slow down timing in order to learn the note accurately. However, playing the right note at the right time is crucial and control over your music can be achieved progressively with the use of a digital metronome. Boss DB-90 Dr Beat metronome is loaded with high quality sounds and drum patterns that make practicing more fun. Dr Beat can be used by musicians who play a variety of instruments like keyboard, piano, drums and much more.

With better beats, it is possible to practice music in a much better way. Note mixing function of Boss DB-90 Dr Beat metronome creates different beats by simply adjusting five different note values. The adjustments can be done using front panel sliders, large rotary dial and buttons. Different click sounds can be generated using the digital metronome. One of the most important features is that human voice counting sound can also be generated. Realistic PCM drum patterns are available with DB-90 and hence, accuracy can be greatly enhanced.

Rhythm Coach feature of Boss DB-90 Dr Beat deserves a special mention in metronome review. It is an innovative feature that has four different training modes. Musicians who practice using the virtual rhythm coach can develop endurance, speed and accuracy. There is an onboard microphone with DB 90 that is useful to learn acoustic drums. You can also learn music using Roland V pad.

If you play some kind of instrument, you need Boss DB-90 Dr Beat because it is useful to learn every possible instrument. Drummers can easily connect to the metronome using internal microphone or through Roland V pads. Guitarists don't require any extra gear to plug into the metronome. Monitoring of your practice session can be achieved with the help of headphones. The microphone of the digital metronome is useful to connect any instrument and practice notes at the right times.

Boss DB-90 is not just for practice sessions. The same metronome can be used to deliver music effectively on stage as it has MIDI input. External sequencer can be connected to the metronome more easily. This way, you can use the metronome and keep track of your rhythm even if you perform live on stage. Volume of the tracks can be adjusted easily unlike other metronomes.

Boss DB-90 has LCD display to display information and there are two small LED displays to indicate tempo. The unit automatically turns off when no input is received for one minute. Ten reference tones and fifty metronomes can be stored in the in built memory. Even though battery can be used to supply power to the device, it is better to buy AC adapter because you can save a lot on battery that way.

Boss DB-90 Dr Beat is not a small unit, but it is one of the most useful tools for musicians. If you are serious about learning music and wish to play like a professional, you should take advantage of this metronome.

Review of Boss DB-90 'Dr Beat' Metronome

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