The search for the ultimate acoustic guitar amplifier: interview with designer Michael Eisenmann

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When acoustic guitar amplifier guru Michael Eisenmann joined forces with Hughes & Kettner to create a brand new acoustic amp, we at Blog Of Tone were excited, curious, and a little bit… apprehensive. What would they come up with? How could Eisenmann improve on his previous designs, which are celebrated by acoustic guitar players worldwide? […]

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Should you record your music at home or in a ‘proper’ studio?

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Technology has given us musicians the freedom to record our masterpieces from home, and for little money. With nothing more than a guitar, amp, microphone, computer and a few connectors, it’s possible to bring whole pieces of good quality music to life from the comfort of your bedroom. What’s more, this home recording lark is […]

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How to get the most out of playing at home without annoying the neighbors

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If you don’t live in a large, secluded house in the country – and most of us these days certainly don’t – then when you play your guitar through your amp at home, chances are that multiple neighbors are going to hear you. Even if you really rock, this can be a bad thing, so […]

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Voodoo Gear and the price of your individual sound

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The constant search for newer, better and more expensive gear is a common thing among guitarists. After all, we’d all sound miles better if we got that amazing new amp, wouldn’t we? Most definitely! But we’d only do it justice if we remortgaged the house and got that late ‘50s guitar to go with it. […]

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How to get killer guitar tones in a live band context

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There’s no easy way to say this, so we’re just going to spit it right out. Guitarists: unless you’re Steve Vai, 90% of the time you spend on stage you will be playing rhythm guitar. It’s not that your guitar is unimportant, because it is. But people have probably come to hear you and your […]

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Combo amp or head and cab combo?

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It’s a common scenario for guitarists: you’ve joined a new band that calls for a new sound, or you simply want to change things up a bit – yes, it’s new amp time! But once you’ve decided which sounds you’re after, there’s another question to answer, and it’s this one: do you want the combo […]

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Case study: how to overcome onstage sound problems at your outdoor gig

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A few weeks ago, we wrote a blog about what you can do to sound great at your outdoor gigs. Not long after that, one of our esteemed colleagues played an open air punk rock festival and was duly beset with onstage problems of axe-smashing proportions (and he swears he reads this thing!). Said colleague […]

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