Getting back to Bass-ics

Advantages: Good quality budget guitar
Disadvantages: none really

...I have been hankering for a Bass guitar to fiddle with as a project and when I earned a few extra quid for a private job I started to browse eBay for a likely candidate. I found a Yamaha RBX170 4 string bass on a pick up only deal in Ringwood, a place that I pass through regularly. This bass retails between £120 - £150, putting it in the higher end of the beginners' market. When I collected it, along with the 30 Watt amplifier which I got with it for a very reasonable £73, it was a bit grubby and looked as though it had been used for serving pizza. There were several torn and grubby stickers on it and I feared that I had bought a pup. I got it home and plugged it in. The first thing I noticed was the weight, for a full scale bass guitar it is very light, I can hold it out at arm's length with ease. The range of tones is...

JeffFromPoole 14.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Yamaha RBX170 Bass Guitar

My Gibson SG

Advantages: Great look, great sound and playability. Light
Disadvantages: Quite expensive therefore not for beginners

...Hello I am returning to Ciao after quite a few years! I thought I would start by reviewing what I regard as the best product I have ever purchased! I have been a guitar player over 6 years and play this guitar most days. Any technical words I use I will try to explain for people who do not play the guitar! Price I purchased a wine red Gibson SG Special for £500 about 4 years ago. However the price now seems to be ranging from around £600 to £800 at most online dealers. Therefore it is certainly not an ideal guitar for beginners, make sure you will stick at playing before buying one! Guitar Materials The main body of the guitar (the wide end that you strum) is made from solid Mahogony, as is the neck (the thin part that you play the notes). The fingerboard where you place your fingers to play the notes, is made from...

Ian2001 25.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of Gibson SG Special Electric Guitar

SG Special - a Gibson thoroughbred

Advantages: Real Gibson Quality
Disadvantages: Heart Stopping price tag

...I got the better deal, although I will say that the SG is a real treat to play. Anyone wanting a Gibson who doesn't like the Les Paul style would do very well with one of these. The main difference between the SG and the Les Paul is that the SG has a full double cutaway, meaning that it is easier to reach the highest frets on the fingerboard, that and the lighter body makes the SG ideal for the player who is of slighter build and doesn't want a heavy guitar. Many top players have used the SG to great effect, including Rory Gallagher, the bloke from AC/DC who still, after all these years, dresses like a schoolboy and many others. I like the SG, nearly as much as I like my Les PAul and would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone who is reasonably serious about playing....

JeffFromPoole 19.12.2008 (15.12.2008) · Read review
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Review of Gibson SG Special Electric Guitar

Gibson SG standard...

Advantages: Stunning looks. Amazing sound (Clean + Distorted). Amazingly Light.
Disadvantages: Newer Models can be weak at the neck.

...about 2ft from a wall. (Let me just add that this corridor was immensely wide, probably close to 25ft). The guitar was in its official gibson hard-case and I was holding it upright with the bottom of the case of the floor and I had my hands on the top of the case. Now... Im not quite sure who these people were but they must have been about 16 years old there or there about, but they were running up and down this corridor like lunatics, anyway so they had all this space to be running around, and one of them decides to to try and run in the small gap between me and the wall, and inevitably knocked into me as he forced his way behind us almost knocking me off my feet, I lost grip of my guitar and it fell over. It fell on the front side (the lid) of the case and there was this colossal crunching sound. Rather naively of me I was convinced that...

norm_616 02.12.2009 · Read review
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Review of Gibson SG Standard Electric Guitar

My luvverly cherry red Washburn bass.

Advantages: *
Disadvantages: *

...Having started playing bass with a cheapo Fender Precision copy, after a year I decided it was time to move up to a better make. It was a toss up between a classic jazz bass with all the tuning pegs lined up a la the Fender or one of the newer "Gothic" style ones like this. In true Mr Pink fashion a beer or six was consumed whilst I perused the choices avaliable, finally deciding to take a chance on this beaut and the deed was done! The purchase was made from a firm in South Bend, Indiana, USA (isn't the internet wonderful) for a total of $303, approx £165, of which the actual bass cost $202 around about £110, pretty good considering the going price for this make in the UK is around £150-£200, and it arrived in less than a week so I was very pleased. A quick run through the scales showed that it was tuned up nicely too...

pinkmatchstick 23.02.2006 · Read review
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Review of Washburn XB120, Bass guitar

Seiko SAT100 Guitar and Bass Tuner

Advantages: Economical, Easy to use, Great for beginners, Comes with batteries! Input and output sockets.
Disadvantages: Won't tune cheap acoustics properly.

...I bought this item for £15 from a specialist guitar shop and I have to say it was well worth every penny! I have an electric guitar, one of which was terribly out of tune. It corrected the tuning perfectly and now my guitar doesn't sound in pain every time I play it. This tuner can be used on acoustic guitars, as well as electric ones, also for bass guitars, but I do not own a bass so I don't know how it performs in that area. Electric guitars can be plugged into the side of the tuner for more precise tuning. It does have a built-in microphone, so connecting it to your guitar isn't completely necessary. Due to the microphone, this allows acoustic guitars to be tuned as well. It has a very simple interface, and as a beginner to the world of guitars, I found it extremely easy to operate. It has a digital display (two AAA batteries are...

shadysladyangela 20.08.2007 (19.07.2007) · Read review
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Review of Seiko SAT100 Guitar and Bass Tuner

SG - Special Guitar, Stunningly Good!

Advantages: Plays well, feels great, sounds fantastic!
Disadvantages: Not cheap, could do with hard case supplying with it.

...Yes, yes I know, yet another geetar review. But a man has to have a hobby and sheep farmers keep a watchful eye on their livestock these days. Anyone want to buy a pair of second hand wellies? Seriously, I've been after a USA built Gibson for some time now and decided to go for the SG Special in faded worn brown. This is the entry level for the legendary model (£645 in this case, though still expensive). Buying guitars online can save a LOT of money but it something of a lottery as you can get a real lemon sometimes. But as we'll see, I hit lucky this time. This parcel arrived at my door and I eagerly opened it to reveal..... well, a real beauty! The faded worn brown of the body and neck wasn't so much worn or faded but rather minimal, unlike some of the over laquered models on offer., to the point where you can still slightly feel...

blankfrank 02.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of Gibson SG Special Electric Guitar

Gibson SG - The Greatest Guitar in The World

Advantages: Fantastic Appearence, Sound, just an amazing guitar
Disadvantages: a bit advanced for secondary guitarists ?

...When i saw Kelly Jones ( Stereophonics ) on stage strumming a cherry red , Gibson SG Classic, the sound so crisp and fine. I had to have it.Not only does the SG look fantastic its one of the best guitars ive ever played.To any guitar enthusiast there is Always some respect for the SG as it is many big artist faviroutes. These include Kelly Jones, Hard FI, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Blur to name a few. I first played on an SG after hours and hours of Stratocasters, Telecasters, Flying V's and Westwoods. All had good points but none made me feel like spending 100's. It needed to feel like id been playing it for years, a soft, fast paced fretboard, a heavy stock head, A stocky base , something i could really FEEL vibrate when i plugged it into the amp.So when i first plugged it in at PMT Oxford and strummed that deep A minor i knew this was...

tichplus 22.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of Gibson SG Classic Limited Edition Electric Guitar

KORG GA-30 Guitar/Bass - Tuner, good buy.

Advantages: Very easy to use, very accurate.
Disadvantages: Quite small, loud noises can interfere with tuning with built in mic.

...This is a must for any musician on the move, or simply someone who needs to tune guitars often. The whole thing is incredibly easy to use, with three clear lights that light up according to the note. To use it, you can either use the built in microphone, and it will pick up the sounds very easily, but can be troublesome if there is too much background noise, things like a tv, even other guitars playing in the background can be fine, but there are times when it becomes difficult. The other way is to simply use your musical cable (same type you use for an amplifier) and plug it into the jack socket in the side of the tuner. It will then pick up anything you play. The small dial alternates between the right and left sides, making it very clear how far you are from hitting the right note. The red lights will turn off and the middle...

Hawiz 17.07.2008 · Read review
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Review of Korg GA-30 Guitar/Bass tuner

Best Beginners Bass Guitar. Period.

Advantages: Great Looking, Smooth Neck, Good Sound.
Disadvantages: No Active Pickups

...I bought this electric bass about a year ago, along with a Fender Rumble amp, as my first proper instrument, and let me say this - I couldn't have been happier with it. First, lets go through some specs. My model is an older style that the one Ibanez now advertise and sell, so mine doesnt have the Phat II EQ Bass Boost control that newer models now come eqipt with. The body is Agathis, which is not a great wood for guitar bodies, but ibanez use it well to get the best out of it. All basses/guitars in this price range use it, as it is the cheapest musical wood. This wood is a relative of true mahogany and gives nearly the same tonal characterists. Warm lows with a fairly strong sustain. The neck is made out of maple, and the finish is just perfect for my tastes. It is very thinly varnished, so you don't get the stickiness...

janestone 22.01.2006 · Read review
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Review of Ibanez GSR200 Electric Bass