Brian May's Handmade Electric Guitar - All the Facts

I have always admired the electric guitar that has been owned and played by Brian May since the 60's. It has a different look compared to the bulk of Strat or Les Paul style guitars presently around, and it sounds fantastic too. So I thought I'd dig a bit deeper to understand more about this fascinating electric guitar.

Frequently known as The Red Special, the majority of keen guitarists will at least know that this unique was hand-built by May and his father Harold from an ancient fire place structure - 18th century to be exact. The guitar was formed from this sizable slab of old oak into the stunning shape we know so well. In my honest opinion this was an extremely balanced and appealing shape, superior to a lot of production guitars that can be spotted in High St music shops.

It appears that the guitar's fretboard was also made of oak as opposed to the ebony, maple or rosewood repeatedly used. The body has a thin mahogany top which covers routed areas, giving this unique instrument's construction a positively semi-acoustic feel. As a contrast, a Les Paul model would have utilised a maple top over a solid mahogany body. A few extra nice touches are the individual positioning of the fretboard's pearl dot markers (created from buttons) and the headstock shape which is closer to the design of a Gibson Flying V headstock than anything on the market today.

Together with the design as well as the construction materials used, utilising three Burns single coil pickups helps give this guitar that 'Brian May' sound (the Vox AC30 also plays a part). The guitar pickups were re-wound by May himself and wax potted in epoxy. Wax potting is the procedure of sealing the pickup's coils to avoid any uninvited microphonic feedback but regularly a mix of beeswax and paraffin does the trick, so this was an interesting and more long term option.

The final area to be given a custom solution was the tremolo system. This was produced out of a hard steel knife and a couple of motorbike springs. Custom made rollers were included to make it possible for the strings to move freely.

If you ever needed confirmation that this electric guitar has a unique sound, just listen to the guitar solo in 'Killer Queen'. Not only was this solo a dream but also you'd recognize that tone anywhere.

The original guitar is still alive and kicking though for safety reasons May often chooses to utilise one of the duplicate versions that his company now make. They might not be the real thing but they are seriously close.

Jim Ward is a keen guitar player and often writes about various aspects of the electric guitar. For a great blog on guitars, guitarists and excellent guitar pickups he recommends visting TubGuitarPickups.co.uk, and for a first class information on building guitars he suggests MyLesPaul.com.

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Japanese Zen Flute Shakuhachi - History, Information and Facts

The shakuhachi is a Japanese end-blown flute. It is the Japanese most well-known woodwind instrument. The shakuhachi flute (or also known as Zen flute) is used by Zen Buddhist as a tool for meditation as well as playing jazz, classical and traditional Japanese folk music. This flute is made from the very bottom of a bamboo tree, but versions now exist in ABS and hardwoods.

Although the bamboo flute is quite simple in appearance, but it is very difficult to play; its unique and magical quality is revealed to the listeners by the purity of its tone. In the hands of a master, the flute produces an extraordinary, subtle, sensual music - prized as being perfect for meditation and relaxation. Its beautiful, soulful sound made it popular in 80's pop music in the English-speaking world.

The name shakuhachi is derived from the term "isshaku hassun" meaning one shaku and eight sun (1.8 Japanese feet). Usually the term shakuhachi refers to the standard size instrument, which is 54.5 cm in length, but it can also refer to many different sizes ranging from 1.3 - 2.5 shaku (39.4 - 75.7 cm) and longer. The shakuhachi is usually made from the root portion of a thick-walled bamboo (known as madake in Japanese).

There are two contrasting styles of making these instruments: the first involves using a style that is similar to the Zen Buddhist monks from the past. There is no filler in this shakuhachi and it is also sometimes called as ji nashi or hocchiku. If you look down the bore of a ji nashi, you can see some nodes of the bamboo protruding. While the second style has a filler made up of a certain mixture of ingredients, possibly including a powder called tonoko, lacquer or urushi and water. This is finished to create a polished surface.

Shakuhachi can be made in one piece (it is called as nobekan) or in two pieces with a middle joint (this also called as nakatsuki). Two of them has no difference in quality, only the two piece is easier to transport and often contains filler. The top part of shakuhachi is called utaguchi - literally 'song mouth', and this contain an insert made of various materials such as buffalo horn, ivory and plastic. Its shape is based on the preference of different schools.

Shakuhachi flute is possibly the simplest non-percussive instrument ever conceived. This instrument has no keys or pads like a western flute, no strings like a violin or guitar, no mechanism inside like organ or piano, no reed like a clarinet or saxophone, it does not even have a mouthpiece like the recorder. Zen flute has only five finger holes, which is fewer than the penny whistle or many other wind instrument. To play a note, your mouth and lips must become part of the instrument. Despite this simple construction, this instrument can produce an inconceivably broad range of musical sounds.

The Zen flute came from China to Japan some time in the 6th century. The instrument was then adopted by a sect of Zen Buddhist monks around the 15th century. During this period, the flutes began to be made from the spiked root section of the bamboo - so the flute could double as a particularly ferocious weapon. That probably explains the flute's long association with the martial arts.

Feng shui bamboo flutes are used to ward off the bad chi whereas the lucky bamboo plants are used to attract wealth.

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Baritones - Learning Important Facts About The Horns

Baritones for music playing, or baritone horns, belong to the brass family of instruments. This horn is commonly found in school, military and marching bands. When baritones are included in orchestra performance, it is oftentimes used in a solo part. The instrument was invented in the late 1700s and at that time it was played by stroking its glass rods with moistened fingers. The new kinds of baritones look like a small tuba. It is about 3ft in height, has three valves, a bell, and a mouthpiece. Sometimes it is mistaken as a euphonium, the two instruments are always compared due to their close similarities in appearance but not in the sound they produce.

The cost of buying a baritone horn will vary on the brand. It can be from several hundreds of dollars up to a few thousands. It will also depend if the instrument is brand new or used. For those who are looking into learning this just for a hobby, there is no immediate need to buy. There are music stores, or even individuals, who provide musical instruments for renting or leasing. In a music store, however, a repair plan may be included in the deal. Those who consider playing professionally though will need to buy a baritone horn. If money is a problem, get a lease plan which allows you to play on a monthly or quarterly basis until the full amount is paid.

Many kids get acquainted with musical instruments from classes in school. It is where they begin to discover the inkling to seriously learn an instrument like the baritone horn. Getting classes in school entails learning within a group so there is less individual focus from teacher to students. Classes are short which results to students' slow development. But the good thing is, when a school teacher take a leave, replacement is always assured. Finding a good baritone teacher in the same area of residence is quite challenging to some. A nearby music store is always a good source of information when looking for musical instrument classes or teachers, they usually have a directory. Teachers may also advertise their services online so use the internet. If all else fails, the last resort is by buying video tutorials or learning them from online on your own.

For serious learners, it is very important to go into one-on-one classes or sessions. There are many free tutorials online that are useful but one can only get the best education by attending classes that have been set and developed to achieve the best in every student. For baritones, or any other musical instrument for that matter, each individual has a different learning curve and getting direct personal instructions based on individual developments is the fastest way to narrow down the areas of improvement. It may cost some amount of money but the returning benefits may not just be monetary, because the joy music can bring is priceless.

Tyler Barnes is an expert musician. His love for music coaxed him to write to share to the people all over the world where, how, and what to look for in a professional musical instrument such as baritones, euphoniums, trombone, electric violas, and a lot more. Visit http://greatmusicalinstruments.net/index.php if you want to know more about Great Musical Instruments that you should try. Enjoy great prices today.

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