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Review: Zoom H2 Portable Recorder

For anyone who is looking for high quality field recordings (in stereo), look no further than the Zoom H2 Recorder.  First, the Zoom H2 features a very simple design, good battery life, and excellent sound quality.

When you first pick up the Zoom H2 you may notice that the construction and overall build quality of the Zoom H2 are a bit on the cheap side.  It has an overly plastic feel to it.  By pushing into the device itself the plastic has some give to it.  There are also many seems and again, build quality is not extremely high on the Zoom H2.  It would be difficult to gauge how well the device would handle a fall onto the ground, as we suggest picking up a thrid party case for the Zoom H2.

As far as sound quality and ease of use, however, the Zoom H2 does have extremely high quality sound recordings.  Thus, the bottom line is that if you are looking for the highest quality portable sound recorder for well under $150, there is no device that exists that will give you better sound and moderate features than the Zoom H2.

The built in screen, while small, does have a backlit display which will make recording live concerts or shows in dimly lit environments easy.

The Zoom H2 also features a wide rrange of recording mic configurations and sound quality types.  The Zoom H2 actually has 4 separate mics built into the device and each can be controlled and customized in order to maximize what you are trying to record.

Bottom Line- the Zoom H2 is an affordable way to record sounds while in the field and other than the less than expected build quality of the device, the sound remains quite good.

Guitar App Review: Guitar Jam Tracks by Ninebuzz Software

With the success of the Apple iPod, iPhone, and now iPad, Apple has the richest App marketplace on the planet.  With well over 250,000 live apps, it can be very hard for someone to navigate the market and find good apps.  Let us help you out:  Today we take a look at a fantastic new app  called "Guitar Jam Tracks" by Ninebuzz Software.  Basically, Guitar Jam Tracks is a $.99 cent app that has over an hour worth of acoustic backing tracks for a guitar player to solo over.

We here at GGR downloaded the app and have been playing it for the past few days.  Bottom line- for the asking price of 99 cents this app gives you an incredible value and does make practicing your scales and solos much more fun.

When you launch the app the first thing you will notice is the main screen, which consists of options for selecting any key (A-G) as  well as whether or not you want to solo over a Major or Minor progression.  At the bottom of the screen is a large "play" button with track time listed below.

The ideal situation for using this app is to either play the audio through the iPhone's small speaker, plug the output into your computer and solo over the files, or use a Bose Sound Dock or similarly plug the device into your home stereo.

Sound Quality: 10/10

Upon listening to the tracks we were quite impressed with the audio quality of the acoustic guitars.  It is clear that Ninebuzz took great lengths to have these professionally recorded by an actual guitar player- the tracks sound lush and rich and have subtle changes in chords and rhythm which show that these are not short samples or loops.  Unlike other backing tracks we have come across, what makes Guitar Jam Tracks different is that the audio tracks are not cluttered with other instruments.  Basically, Ninebuzz says that the app is suppose to emulate the function of a guitar teacher, with clean acoustic backing tracks which allow you to hear and improve your solo chops.

One feature we would love to see in a future update of this app would be the inclusion of a drum option or metronome. Drums would allow a player to work on his or her rhythm skills and stick to the beat.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Quick story: As I was demoing this app for review, I had the app playing through my Bose Sound Dock when my wife came home from work.  Basically, the sound of the acoustic guitars was playing cleanly in the background as I worked some of my soloing skills with my Fender Stratocaster.  After my wife walked up the stairs she said to me that it sounded like I was playing with my friend Robert (we jam from time to time) and she thought that he was at our house playing with us.  This story explains well why this app keeps growing on me- the backing tracks are authentic rhythm parts that will in turn give your solos more life.

Gibson-Guitar-Review recommends this app as of July 2010.

Practicing with Guitar Backing Tracks to Improve Solos

We all are looking to practice smarter and better, right?  One of the best ways to practice your soloing technique for guitarists (or any musicians) is  to improvise over backing tracking in all keys (major/minor).

Guitar jam tracks, or backing tracks are designed to allow a player to freely practice while feeling like they are inside of a real song.  Where can a person find these tracks?

One good spot for free guitar jam backing tracks happens to be Youtube.com.  Basically, I just did a quick search for "A minor backing track" and found some really good backing tracks that are roughly 3-4 minutes long.  I will admit though, I really want to be able to re-record these tracks onto my computer, solo over them, and listen to my solos so that I can go back and listen to my mistakes and hopefully improve.  However, the audio quality on all of these backing tracks were so low-fi that I have no interest in even going through all that effort to record in this manner.  However, it was still fun to log on and search for "B major blues" and solo over that.  I found that the most popular soloing key is probably "E major blues" and I had fun soloing over this many times.

I did find a few sites which promised to offer free guitar backing tracks but I must admit that I was pretty let down by what I found.

Tips for Good practicing of Guitar Jam Backing tracks:

First, know your scales!  Far too many players think that  they can get by without knowing where the exact notes of scales are found.  This is not a good suggestion and any guitar teacher would tell you that this will result in guitar solos which are stale and redundant.  Basically, you should know all 5 patterns of scales for both major and minor pentatonic at a minimum.  As you get used to where the scales are location, do your best to transpose them onto as many keys as possible.  This way you can go ahead and solo in any key, whether it is a major or minor chord progression.

For the more advanced player, knowing even more detailed types of scales will result in the best playing experience around, as you can customize your playing to different chords and styles of music (jazz, blues, etc.).  When using guitar jam tracks or (backing tracks), you should always try to vary the dynamics of your soloing.  Basically, don't just play fast the entire time.  It is not about how many notes you can play, but how well you select each note and weave it into a melodic masterpiece.

Further try your best to stay away from guitar jam tracks which are loops of short bars which will result in your playing getting old very quickly.  The best case scenario for good guitar jam backing tracks is to pick tracks which are not overly produced, but rather sparse, and allow for you to focus on your own playing.  Some players like to have guitar jam tracks which sound like entire bands, while other people opt to record their own guitar tracks with a single acoustic guitar or electric guitar and jam over that.

Another tip- far too many guitarists who are practicing using guitar jam tracks or backing tracks fail to focus on practicing good rhythm.  Basically, you need to always solo while keeping a good beat.  Thus, if you do get your hands on guitar or even piano backing tracks, it is vital that you figure out what the BPM (beats per minute).  A good steady amount of BPM is between 70-85 BPM for moderate speed and 100+ for a faster progression.  Again, when soling using guitar jam backing tracks do your best to keep good time signature by always tapping your foot or even using a metronome when playing.

Another problem with some guitar jam backing tracks is that the actual progressions being played may deviate from the scales you are playing.  For example, you need to know whether or not the overall chords in your progression work with the various scale modes you are playing.  By not taking these above things into consideration (and sadly, many guitarists never do), you will end up becoming a HACK PLAYER.  A hack is someone who has a very small arsenal of solo or playing techniques which will sound stale and repetative rather quickly.

A great way to also improve rather than simply using guitar jam backing tracks (in a minor, b major, or any mode) is to play along with your favorite artists.  When doing this simply select an album, tune up perfectly to the band, and start soloing away.  For a newer player an excellent way to improve your solo technique is to actually copy (note for note) the solos of some of your favorite artists (whether it is John Mayer or Jimmy Page).  This will show you how a real guitarist varies not only the notes they are playing but the rhythm and dynamic elements as well.

Downloading guitar jam backing tracks is certainly not  the easiest thing to find online; and in some cases this is not even free.  Again, a great free source for guitar jamming back tracks would be youtube.com or through the various other methods listed above.

Martin Backpacker Guitar Sucks?

Some call it a legendary guitar for travelers, others say that the Backpacker looks like a deformed penis.  Whatever side of the fence you are on, there is one thing that is certain-  Retailing for well under $200, the well made Martin Backpacker travel guitar is one of the best selling alterative guitars ever made.

For those unfamiliar, the Martin Backpacker is an extremely thing guitar that has a body that is nearly as thin as the neck of the guitar.  The neck is standard size and allows a player to practice and fully play with weighing in at a mere 2. 5 lbs.  The guitar has a larger, tapered end that allows for some good sound to pipe out of the sound hole of this instrument.

For those who thing that this guitar is built poorly, think again- the Martin Backpacker features the same quality wood that Martin throws in their high end acoustic guitars, just at a smaller scale.  The guitar has braced, solid tone top with a solid mahogany neck, back, and sides.

In there hands, the Martin Backpacker feels rock solid and is actually  more comfortable to play that one would think.  One problem many have with the thin body of this acoustic is that it can get more tiring to play since you no longer can rest your left arm (assuming you are a right handed player) on the body of the guitar while you are strumming.  This takes a bit of getting used to but is not a huge problem.

One thing is for certain, the sound that comes from this guitar is better than one would expect, thanks to the good engineering from Martin inside this cool instrument.

This is the perfect guitar for traveling (includes a special case and strap).  Also, this guitar is built pretty rugged and will withstand being thrown in the back of your car and sat on by Aunt Matilda.

Overall, another excellent guitar from Martin that certainly doesn't suck.  If you are looking for a small Martin but hate the penis-like look of the Martin Backpacker than you should check out the Martin LXM "Little Martin" guitars that are smaller versions of the standard Martin Dreadnought 0-14 guitars and are still pretty portable.

Slash “Appetite For Destruction” Les Paul

Each Gibson Les Paul guitar has certain distinctive features which make it special.  The Gibson Les Paul Slash "Appetite For Destruction" guitar has been one of the most requested Signature models which has come across Gibson's mail desk.

The Slash "Appetite for Destruction" Les Paul guitar features special trim, electronics, and hardware that will definitely appeal to the Guns N Roses fans in the audience.  The Slash Appetite for Destruction guitar has a price tag just under $3000 bucks and was designed to be a limited run instrument, which will ensure that it holds it's value and increased over time.

The guitar is built from weight-relieved mahogany body capped with a AAA figured maple top, which does have a lighter feel than a Les Paul Standard while still keeping the Les Paul sound.  Every component in this insstrument was designed around the sound Slash achieved around the period of recording "Appetite for Destruction" album.  This is what makes this Les Paul different from the other Signature Les Paul Slash models that exist.

The neck is a special rounded Gibson 60'sfor fast and easy playing even past the 12th fret.  What gives the guitar a true Slash sound is the Seymour Duncan Slash Signature Alnico II Pro pickups.  You will be slashing around in no time. The hardware is actually TonePros "aged" chrome hardware which has a natural feel and worn look.

As for special trim, you will find full quality white binding all over this guitar as well as Trapezoid inlays on the fretboard.

While some argue that this guitar sucks because it is simply just a juiced up Les Paul Standard, the inclusion of some pretty special components detailed above helps this guitar stand out as it's own authentic reproduction of Slash's sound.

While you might be able to have Slash's sound, you still need to practice your solos or you are screwed.

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  • Review: Zoom H2 Portable Recorder
  • Guitar App Review: Guitar Jam Tracks by Ninebuzz Software
  • Practicing with Guitar Backing Tracks to Improve Solos
  • Martin Backpacker Guitar Sucks?
  • Slash “Appetite For Destruction” Les Paul

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• Recent Posts

  • Review: Zoom H2 Portable Recorder
  • Guitar App Review: Guitar Jam Tracks by Ninebuzz Software
  • Practicing with Guitar Backing Tracks to Improve Solos
  • Martin Backpacker Guitar Sucks?
  • Slash “Appetite For Destruction” Les Paul

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