After talking about vintage amp schematics it made me think of the days where you could get a Music Man Vintage Amplifier and how they’re somewhat unusual and yet common at the same time to find today.

For those who may not have known about this guitar producer, Music-Man is a company that offers many guitars and other products including amps available for musicians to use and enjoy. They were founded in the 1970’s by Forrest White and Tom Walker, two disgruntled Fender employees, and later purchased by Ernie Ball in the 1980’s. Their logo is characterized by two people playing the guitar, usually found in the top left of the amp speaker cover.

Here are some recent finds for these amps on ebay:

They released amps with two different chassis numbers when owned by Ernie Ball, these being the HD-500 Edition 1 Edition and the HD-500 Edition 2.

Prior to being aquired by Ernie Ball, they designed and sold the following list of amps (listed by Chassis Number):

1600-B
1650-RD
2100-65
2100-75
2100-130
2100-150
2100-B
2165-RD
2100-RD
2165-RP
2100-RP

There are quite a few musicians who have used their guitars and amps (which I’m sure eventually we’ll get around to listing all of them someday sooner or later!)

Their value today can be characterized by a few things

The amps are known well for their reliability, it’s not uncommon to see them in excellent shape some 30 years later after being produced.  Some people choose to identify the amps by their model number, but many models share the same characteristics and features as the chassis. The amps range from their 65 watt series to their 100 watt bass amp series.

But like always, it’s always better to just listen to one to see what you can expect from one:

Have any thoughts on Music Man guitar and bass amps? Share your thoughts below.

So while the collections online leave a yet to be desired, there’s not much we can do about it – while I’d like to post up my own list of them here, I probably couldn’t do that without getting pictures from another site, and that can lead to bigger problems I don’t really want to deal with! (It’s a big no-no to use other people’s images without their consent – and frankly I don’t have the time to individually contact obsolete websites to ask permission) – So, the best thing I can do is reccommend a few books to check out. There’s actually quite a lot of interesting books and while I haven’t read them all, I thought I would share some below that seemed the most interesting.

	Complete Schematics I can’t honestly review this book because it’s not scheduled to be released until January of 2010, but with 650 pages, it looks promising. You can however pre-order it at Amazon.com, which I recommend if you’re serious about this stuff because you’ll probably forget about it come January.
	The Tube Amp Book With 416 pages of new material and two CD-Roms of diagrams, this is almost a complete kit for beginners to get started. While the images could be more accurate and easier to read, this is a good place for beginners to start, especially if Fender is something you’re interested in. See More Details & Read Reviews
	Introduction to Guitar Tone and Effects This isn’t a book about building or repair amps per se – but it does have a great way of explaining how to get different effects and is definitely a good resource for beginners – sometimes just learning about it can help you come up with your own playing style. Also comes with a CD-Rom to listen to the different styles described in the book. Learn More

Can you recommend a good book or resource for vintage amp schematics? Share them in the comments below.

Any guitar strap that has made it and lasted 40+ years is worth mentioning. Anyone who has played guitar regularly for an extended period of time would know that even the highest quality of materials are still prone to wear and tear. It only takes the guitar to fall to the ground once for one to realize the importance of quality and design and making sure it is the right fit for you.

I can’t really find any conclusive history about guitar straps or how they originated or what the first guitar ever manufactured with one included is, but its open to speculation that the need for it rose out of the introduction of solid body electric guitars. Solid body electric guitars can be quite heavy – and when standing up to play a strap seems like a necessity. Who invented the guitar strap would be some interesting trivia to know!

There are many different materials that have been used over the years. Leather has been a long time favorite for many. It’s comfortable and smooth feeling to wear is no doubt part of its popularity. Many manufacturers of the time would stamp their logo onto the leather, which can help some in determining the age of a strap. Leather for the most part is durable and reliable material. However, as mentioned above, after excessive use it is prone to stretching and normal wear and tear. Weaved cloth was quite popular for awhile – in fact I still have the original one that came with my 70’s Yamaha acoustic.

While the value of a vintage guitar strap isn’t a whole lot on its own, unless perhaps it has been associated with a rock and roll piece of history, it is worth looking into if it is included in the sale of the guitar when buying “new” vintage equipment.

As always, you can usually snag a good deal on a guitar strap on sites like ebay. Here’s a look at what is currently available:

Have any thoughts about vintage guitar straps? Share them with us in the comments below.

Finding guitar tabs to play on the web are very easy to do – there are countless free guitar tab sites, or if you’re looking for a song you can’t seem to find anywhere else, you can try sites such as Sheet Music Plus Guitar Tab.

The basics of reading guitar tabs is to understand the lines each represent the strings on the guitar, and the numbers represent the fret.

Example of an A chord:

————- High E String
-2————
-2————
-2————
————-
————- Low E String

You can see how the number two shows that you would place your fingers in the second fret space on your guitar neck.

When you see the numbers all lined up at the same interval, it shows to play them all at the same time, which is usual for playing chords.

When playing individual notes, you’ll notice guitar tabs to look more like this:

——2——
–1——3—
x————-
0————-
x————
x————

Letters in Guitar Tabs
Occasionally you will see letters in guitar tabs. Below are the common letters found when reading guitar tabs and what they mean:

h: Hammer On: You will sometimes see this looking like 3h5 – which would mean you would hammer on from the third to the second.

p: Pull Off: A Pull off is often written just like a hammer on, for example 5p3.

b, r: These letters symbolize bends – with b where the begining of the bend starts and r where it ends.

/, \ : These symbols usually represent slides from one fret to another – with the / being an ascending slide and the \ a descending slide.

v, ~: Vibratos: These symbols often show when to use a vibrato.

x: This symbol is for showing to mute a string, though it is not always used – many times a muted string will simply be left blank.

<>: These symbols show when to play harmonics

As you can see, learning how to read guitar tabs can make it easy to learn the correct notes for a song. The most difficult part about reading guitar tabs however is that often they do not give the guitar player any direction on the rhythm to use, which can make it difficult for some beginner guitar players to understand reading guitar tabs, even if they’ve mastered being able to pick out the notes. Eventually though with practice you’ll learn how to listen out for different rhythms and begin being able to pick them up quickly.

Have any other suggestions on how to read guitar tabs? Share them in the comments below!

The first Fender telecaster was developed in the 1940’s and was originally produced in the 1950’s as the Fender Esquire. After having some manufacturing problems with the neck on the Esquires, they made a few changes and released the Telecaster as the Broadcaster. Gretsch Guitars had a problem with that name, saying it copied their Broadkaster line of drums, and so the name Telecaster was born.

Fender Telecasters are typically solid body, 21 fret neck, and feature two single coil pickups, though it is also a popular guitar for customizing so it is entirely possible to find a Telecaster with something else. The pick ups are controlled by a three way selector switch and the guitar has knobs for both volume and tone.

The Telecaster Thinline was introduced in 1968-1969 and is basically the same as a Telecaster, except is is a semi-hollow guitar, making it lighter and hence the name “Thinline”.

The Fender Telecaster Deluxe was produced from 1972-1981 and then later reissued in 2004. Rock and roll dictated the need for a guitar with two wide range humbuck pickups, which is the key difference between the Deluxe and other Telecaster models. The first few years of production, purchasers could optionally request a vibrato bridge similiar to the ones found on Fender Stratocasters, so finding a Telecaster with one is a rare find indeed.

But enough talking, let’s listen to one already!

Below are the most recent listings for vintage Telecasters. You can see they range in price from $1000-$4000 and even just the pick ups and parts alone go for over $200.

Have a vintage Fender Telecaster? Go ahead, brag about it in the comments below!

As always, we here at Vintage Studio Gear think that listening to one in action says more than whatever it is we write about, so let’s listen to a few Grestch guitars in action.

This video shows off the Gretsch Streamliner:

This video below is a demo of a 1964 6120 Chet Atkins:

And here’s Chet Atkins playing live a version of Don McLean’s “Vincent”. Can’t tell what guitar he is playing, but it really makes you realize why his endorsement would bring popularity to the Gretsch guitars:

You may be lucky enough to stumble across a Gretsch at a yard sale or auction, but eBay still seems to be the best place to find them. Below are the most recent listings on eBay:

Do you have a vintage Gretsch guitar? Go ahead and brag a little about it in the comments below.

There is little documentation available on the Marshall JTM45 and what little we could find comes as “officially” as one can get, straight from Marshallamps.com, the official website for Marshall amplifiers.

Models produced in the 1962 feature a smooth black covering with a white grill cloth, leather handle, and silver polished aluminum panels. The rectangular metal logo has red block lettering. Single speaker output was made with either 5881 or 6L6 valves. Cabinets housed Celestion G12 15 speakers and it is believed that serial numbers start at 1004.

1963 models are similiar, with twin speaker outputs, Black knobs, and white engraved panels. The cabinets also are angled as opposed to straight.  In 1964 the valves used wer KT66’s and the g12 15’s were replaced with G12 20’s. Serial numbers begin with the number 2, and some may have gold and black plastic logos. Marshall also started introducing combos in 1964.

In 1965 identifying models and changes to the original amp becomes hazy for everyone, including the company. It was the year the elusive Marshall Bluesbreaker amps (sometimes referred to as JTM45’s super tremelo) were produced.

Marshall JTM45’s are difficult to find and identify, mostly due to poor record keeping by the company as they first got started. However, it is an amp that made history and began the success of one of the most well known and popular amplifier manufacturers today.

But enough confusing history, let’s hear some music!

If you’d like to get your hands on a Marshall JTM45, you might be able to find one on ebay:

Do you own a Marshall JTM45 amp? Share your thoughts on it (or any missing pieces of the history puzzle) below!

Pro-Tools can be a little confusing to understand at first, and we bet it will take you several weeks of using it to understand all the features jammed packed into the software. Our favorite thing about pro-tools is the ease of editing vocals – the quality makes it notably better in this area than others. One thing you’ll want to make sure is that your computer can handle – at least 1 gig of ram is recommended, more if you can so it does not run too slowly.

Learn More About M-Audio Pro Tools M-Powered 7.4

CakeWalk: Cakewalk is another big name in audio recording software, and the company recently has catered not only to professionals but also to those with their own home studios releasing several different versions of their software in all budget ranges. Cakewalk Sonar 8 Producer Edition is their current top of the line software, and features everything you could want in recording software, including the ability to record and create your own drum loops or midi files. The good news is, if you don’t mind sacrificing a few features, you can get many of the Cakewalk Home Studio older version software for less than $100.

Propellerhead Reason 4.0: If you’re aspirations as a musician include playing with midi files, creating loops, and digital sound effects, Reason is the software for you. It allows you to create drum loops, music loops, and offers over 2000 possible instruments to play with.

There’s really very little you can’t create with this software – from piano and guitar loops to adding awesome effects through their numerous phasers and amps. You can set tempos, change audio levels, and play with all of their virtual mixers. You could easily be a one man band with Reason.

At $400 the price is a little steep, but if you love making synthesized sounds and drum loops, many people would say it is well worth it. The interface is a little tricky to understand – you can expect it to take a solid week of reading manuals, tips online, and playing around with it. You’ll also need a separate software for editing the music, since Reason pretty much is designed for making loops and midi-files and doesn’t allow you to add vocals or live instrument recordings.

Learn More About Propellerhead Reason 4.0

There’s also a few 100% free audio recording software programs available to download worth mentioning:

Audacity: If you’re running Windows, audacity is the best you can get for free. Simply plug-in your mic and start recording tracks. You can then add numerous effects such as reverb, phasers, and others. The main drawbacks of Audacity is that fine-tune editing can be tricky, as it can be tough to make sure your edits are staying in time with the music. For the beginner though, it can be a great way to finally record your music, convert to mp3 and share with the world. Download here.

Garage Band: If you’re a Mac User, you probably already have GarageBand pre-installed, though if not you can get it directly for free from C-Net or Apple. It features the ability to record as well as a few pre-set synths and voices you can play around with. Editing is slightly better in GarageBand compared to Audacity, mainly because it has guides you can use to make sure you stay in time.

Have any thoughts on the Audio Recording Software we’ve mentioned above? Do you use something different you’d like to share your review on? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Collecting Martin guitars can be somewhat of a pricey habit, but if you enjoy acoustic guitars, then Martin is one of THE names when it comes to acoustic guitars. Martin, which was established in 1833 and is a company based in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, has been making guitars for a long time.

With over 175 years of making guitars and over 1,000,000 guitars produced, naming and describing each and every model created would take A LOT of time. Fortunately Martin was one of the few guitar companies smart enough to use a serial number system that makes dating a Martin guitar pretty simple – you can view their chart on how to date a Martin guitar here. Guitar models also include letters which specify certain styles – for example “R” means Rosewood, “A” means Ash, etc. etc.

Most Martin’s feature 12 or 14 fret necks and are generally easy to play and deliver clear tones. The neck size and fret distance make them very comfortable to play compared to other acoustic guitars.

To see vintage Martin guitars from various years and makes and models, check out the listings on eBay below:

Have a vintage Martin guitar already? Tell us about it in the comments below!

The aluminum neck guitars include the 250, 350, 450, and 650, the DMZ series, XL series, XK series, the Gene Simmons Axe, The Challenger, The Duke, and the Stagemaster.

Other models include the Kramer Baretta I,II,III, Kramer Classic, Kramer Condor, Kramer Liberty, Kramer Pacer, Kramer Pacer Carrera, Kramer Pacer Custom I,II, Kramer Pacer Deluxe, Kramer Pacer Imperial, Kramer Pacer Special, Kramer Pioneer Bass, Kramer Proaxe, Kramer Stagemaster, Kramer Sustainer, Kramer Triax and Enterprize, Kramer Vanguard, and the Kramer Voyager. Most of these models were assembled in the U.S.

Kramer also had several overseas models, which include the Kramer Focus Series, the Kramer Forum Series, Kramer JK, LK, MK Series, Kramer Aerostar, Kramer Ferrington, Kramer Gorky Park Model, Kramer Imperial, Kramer KS400, Kramer Metallist, Kramer Regent, Kramer Showster, Kramer Starfighter, and the Kramer Striker.

Kramer also has a few signature models, which are the Floyd Rose Model, Kramer Elliot Easton Model, Kramer Nightswan, Kramer Richie Sambora Model, and the Kramer Ripley.

The Musicyo series offers many of the traditional features found in Kramer vintage guitars but are manufactured by Gibson Guitars corporation.

Kramer vintage guitars can be difficult to locate since during their time of production they were not the popular guitar brand out there. However, today they are a nice addition to any collection and cater especially well to any musician who is looking for that classic hard rock sound.

Below is a video which offers an example demo of a 1985 Kramer Baretta.

You can take a look at some great pictures and reminisce and/or find some great deals on ebay for Kramer Vintage Guitars:

Do you have any Kramer Vintage Guitars? What do you like or dislike about them? Share your comments about them with us in the comments section below!