August 31, 2008 by John.

So you’re thinking of buying a new amp? Oh what a great day when you get to go amp shopping. I frequently have conversations with my clients and students about this subject. I love talking about gear! Here are some ideas to think about when you are considering buying a new amp.
Let’s say that you are an intermediate player. You’ve been playing for a year or two. You have a small practice amp that sounds great in your bedroom or garage, but when you play with a drummer, it’s not loud enough. I would highly recommend getting a 2×12 amp so you’d have enough power to play in any band situation. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term “2×12”, this means that the amp has 2, 12-inch speakers. So of course a 1×12 has one 12-inch speaker and so on. I believe that a 2×12 should be your goal. This will ensure that you have an amp that you will never “outgrow”. Meaning you will never need more power. You may catch the “gear bug” like me and want to add more amps to your collection! But you want to get an amp that will last you forever, or for as long as you want to keep it. My first amp was a Peavey 1×10. It sounded great for practice, but it couldn’t keep pace with a full band. My second amp was a Marshall JCM800 100 watt half stack. My dad bought it for me in 1986 and I still have it to this day. Now when thinking about wattage, I really believe that most 2×12 amps will have plenty of wattage for you. Therefore I won’t get into how much wattage you’ll need for each different situation.
In another article, I’ll talk in more detail about the differences between half-stacks, full-stacks, and 2×12’s and more. For our amp shopping today, we’re going to be looking at 2×12 amps. Now, let’s get back to our amp shopping! I recommend figuring out what your budget is going to be. I suggest $700 and up for a 2×12 amp that’s going to stay with you for a few decades. Find a guitar store near you that has lots of variety in brands and size in new amps, maybe even used amps. Bring your guitar along and play every 2×12 amp that seems cool. By playing your guitar through the amps, you’ll know exactly how it will sound and feel.
Another thing to consider is digital vs. tube amps. If you’re looking to get some built-in effects, you can look at the digital amp companies like Line 6. Standard effects such as reverb, delay, flanger, and more are built in to the amp and can be a nice bonus. I’ve got a Line 6 Flextone II and I love the versatility that it offers. If you want to get a tube amp, you could be looking at a great sounding amp with only a few different tones. That doesn’t mean that you should pass over looking into a great Marshall, Fender or Mesa 2×12. These are the classic amps that the digital amps are “modeling”, or trying to sound like.
After playing through a few great new amps, go home. That’s right. Don’t buy anything quite yet. Let your experience sink in a little. The rest of the week you’ll be thinking of those amps and comparing them in your head. After a couple of repeat visits to the guitar shop, you can narrow down your choices and make a decision. I think it’s better to spend a couple of weeks thinking about it rather than fall into an impulse buy. Remember that you want to buy an amp that you’re going to love for years and years. Good luck!

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August 31, 2008 by John.

So it’s been a little while since I’ve checked in on the blog. Here’s what’s been going on. I just finished filming lessons for the new project. The project, as you might already know is MOLLY! It stands for Monster On Line Lessons for You. The lessons are in the editing stage and will be ready for you to check out really soon. I’ve also got some great friends to endorse the Monster Guitar Method DVD’s. NAMM ’09 plans are being made and we’ll be sure to keep you updated on that as well. Stay tuned for more articles to be posted in the blog section as well. Lots of fun and interesting things are on the way!

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November 30, 2007 by John.

Hey there all monsters and monsterettes! Great news to report - the new website is up and better than ever! It’s got tons of great resources to help you learn how to play guitar and fine tune your playing skills, as well as some cool new stuff. Be sure to check out the resources like the tuner, online metronome (or as we call it “net-ronome” …get it? internet), and fun stuff like podcasts and of course this blog section. Also, if you’ve ever had trouble changing strings on your electric guitar, acoustic guitar or electric guitar with a Floyd Rose bridge, there’s a great new page showing you step-by-step how to do it right! I’ve been getting some requests for more t-shirts and hats. I’ll be reordering some new swag soon. I’ll be sure to post some news when it arrives!

If you haven’t done so already, please sign up for the tip of the week. You’ll get some of my angles on approaching your practice. These tips are a lot about the approach to learning how to play guitar, and also give specific ideas on certain techniques etc. When you sign up for the tip of the week, rest assured that I will definitely not give out your email address to spammers!! I do not sell email addresses to anyone! I wouldn’t want anyone giving out or selling my email address to spammers, so I won’t do it to you.

There’s some great testimonials - video and written, from some of my clients and customers. These are people that have learned how to play guitar from me personally, through the Monster Guitar Method DVD’s or through my Elite Performance Coaching. There’s even a clip of me on Dr. 90210! It was a kick doing that gig. Lot’s of fun. Dr. Rey is really a cool guy. Honest!

That’s it for now, more news later!
John

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November 30, 2007 by John.

Great albums. You don’t hear too many truly great complete albums these days. I think the music industry has shifted towards the three minute radio-friendly hit song and away from the art of created musical ideas. Gone are the days of Bohemian Rhapsody (5:54), Stairway to Heaven (8:03) or even Freebird (9:07). These are all timeless classic rock songs and yet it will be difficult to find artists these days getting songs over 3:30 played on the radio.

Here’s a list of some of my favorite complete albums. The kind of album where you don’t want to hit “shuffle” when you listen to them. There’s more, but these are some of my favorites. Do yourself a favor and check out some of these albums. Listen to them from beginning to end, you’ll enjoy the ride!

AC/DC – Back in Black, Highway to Hell
Aerosmith – Get Your Wings, Rocks, Toys in the Attic
Foo Fighters – The Colour and the Shape
Frank Zappa – Joe’s Garage
Judas Priest – Sad Wings of Destiny, Screaming for Vengeance
Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy
Metallica – Master of Puppets
No Doubt – Return of Saturn
Oasis – Be Here Now
Ozzy – Diary of a Madman
Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall
Queen – A Night at the Opera, II
Radiohead – OK Computer
Rainbow – Blackmore’s Rainbow
Rolling Stones – Let it Bleed
Rush – Moving Pictures, 2112, Signals
Stabbing Westward – Darkest Days
Stevie Wonder – Innervisions
Stone Temple Pilots – Purple
Ted Nugent – Tooth, Fang & Claw
U2 – Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree
Van Halen – Van Halen, Van Halen II
ZZ Top – Eliminator

Enjoy them!

John

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November 30, 2007 by John.

Hey there all you monster guitar players! I just want to tell you about something new that’s in development. I’ve created the next line of products that will be available quite soon. Here’s the scoop. If you want to learn how to play guitar online, this is being developed for you! Let me tell you about MOLLY! M.O.L.L.Y. stands for Monster OnLine Lessons for You! These will be downloadable online guitar lessons of all different topics. Feel free to make requests for specific subjects; if there are enough requests for a topic, I’ll do it. It’s that simple. If you want it, you’ll get it! Right now, I’ve got about a dozen great titles to start with. You’re going to love them!
When learning how to play guitar online, you want something that’s going to be comprehensive, easy to follow and loaded with quality content and information. MOLLY! is the answer. I’m so excited to get these lessons up and ready for you to check out. I’ve seen lots of products that try to show you how to play guitar. Students are continuously bringing me DVD’s, books, websites and other things that try to teach you how to play guitar online or how to play guitar in another way – through a book for example. Some are good, some are bad and some are just really confusing! Those of you that are familiar with the Monster Guitar Method DVD series will understand that the MGM method is always clear, fun and loaded with really cool ideas. MOLLY! will be no exception.
Stay tuned and be sure to check in frequently to get the latest info on when our how to play guitar online lessons will be released.

Ciao for now!
John

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October 10, 2007 by John.

Welcome to the Monster Blog! This is where I’ll be posting the latest developments in products, give more news about the latest happenings, and also give you the opportunity to voice your opinions and share ideas. I’ll also post details on special deals and offers for discounted or even FREE stuff! So stay tuned and check back frequently to find out the latest!

- JMD

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