Don Chance Guitar Page

This page is a compilation of sites I have bookmarked over time and other stuff I have added as I began working on this page.  No claim of quality either on this page or any of these links is expressed or implied.  In fact, dubious quality is everywhere on the Internet and maybe even here.

If you have any suggestions, email them to me at dchance@lsu.edu.  However, I may or may not add them, so don't be upset.  I have gotten some interesting emails, including some from professionals.  I would REALLY like to hear if any serious musicians find this page helpful.

Chord Finders

The following are sites that enable you to look up chords.  Unfortunately, these sites are of varying quality.  I rarely find that I can rely on any one site.  I must admit, however, that there is some clever material on here.  Too bad they couldn't all merge into one.

ChordFind Cyberfret
Crossroads Guitar Guitar.to

Tabs

These sites contain a massive collection of songs in which individuals, mostly rank amateurs have provided tabs and/or chords to popular songs.  Like the rest of the Internet, there is no quality control, and I mean that in a big way.  While occasionally you may find that someone has done a good job tabbing or figuring out the chords to a song, the number of mistakes is massive.  Some of these kids cannot even tell the difference in sound between a D and a B minor.  What's even worse is the number of occasions in which some idiot tabs a few measures and then writes something like "I think that's pretty close.  You can get the rest." or "That's all I've got right now.  I'm tired.  I'll try to do the rest later."  Nonetheless, I find myself referring to tab sites often.  If you know the song well enough and if your ear can tell when something doesn't sound quite right, you can usually filter out the trash and use the small amount of material here that's quite good.  Of course, in that regard, even semi-professionals mess up.  I'm reminded of what Paul McCartney said when he saw an advertisement for a guitar school that promised to teach "the special tuning used in Blackbird":  "Well, I'd sure like to know because I play it in standard tuning."

bullet Guitar Tabs
bullet Guitar World
bullet Harmony Central Tabs
bullet Fretplay

In line with this, the digital sheet music sites are generally pretty good.  For anywhere from $2 - $6 a song you can get copyrighted sheet music downloaded to your computer.  Needless to say this stuff is exactly the opposite in quality from the tab sites, though even copyrighted sheet music is not 100% accurate.  Producers of copyrighted sheet music simply pay a fee to the owners of the song and hire someone to transcribe it.  And that someone is not the artist who recorded it (I suspect most recording artists never see the sheet music of their songs.)  It's also interesting to observe that there are multiple copyrighted sheet music versions of a given song, no doubt due to the fact that there are multiple transcriptionists.  Generally all versions contain the piano G clef usually combined with either the F clef, G clef melody, or guitar tabs but rarely do you get all.  So watch what you buy just to be sure you're getting the one you want.  I like Musicnotes.com and I compliment them highly for taking care of me recently with a small customer service problem that was my fault.

Guitars

Listed below are links to over 100 manufacturers of guitars.  Some of these companies are owned by other companies within the same list (e.g., Gretsch is owned by Fender, Epiphone is owned by Gibson) but I list them separately because they have their own web sites and are distinctly different guitars.  (Well, ok, some Epiphones are practically the same as some Gibsons.  Lighten up.)  Some of these companies are small operations that make only custom guitars.  Also, some of these companies make electric guitars as well.  For companies that make only electric, see the list that follows this one. 

If you're an independent luthier or a full-blown factory manufacturer and are not included here, please send me an email and I will add you.

Alberico Hamblin Rainsong
Alvarez Hawkins (Ernie) Ravenworks
Amalio Burguet Herron Recording King
Andersen Highland Strings Redgate (Jim)
Anderson (Robert) Hill Redline
Aria Hodges Reede (Tim)
Arias Hoffman Regal
Artinger Hofner Revival
Avalon Hohner Ribbecke
Ayers Hollingworth Rich (B.C.)
  Hopkins Richter
Babicz (Jeff) Hopkins (Justin) Rickenbacker
Baruke How (John) Rigaud
Barthell Howell and Forsyth Rizzolo
Bashkin Huss and Dalton Robert
Batson   Robinson
Bazzolo Ibanez Rockbridge
Bear Creek   Rogue
Beard Jackson Charval Ryan (Kevin)
Beneteau Jenkins (Chris)  
Bischoff Johnson Sakashta
Blackbird Jones-Kendall Salvi
Blackdog   Samick
Black Forest Kelly (Michael) Sand
Blueberry Kemp (Jeff) Santa Cruz
Blueridge Kingslight Scharpach
Borges Kinnaird  
Boulder Creek Kinscherff Schecter
Bourgeois Kiso Schenk
Bowerman Klebs Schertler
Bozung (Chris) Klein (Edward) Schwartz
Brandt (Greg) Klepper Schoenberg
Breedlove Koll Seagull
Bresnan   Sedgwick (Stephen)
Brunner Konkoly Sexton
Burrell Kramer (Randall) Sheppard (Gerald)
Buscarino Krusa Sierra
  Kubik Simon and Patrick
Campellone Kunkel Smith (Paul Reed)
Carvin   SoloEtte
Century Lacey Sommerville
Cervantes Lakewood Spira (Jack)
Charis Lamancha Stansell
Chasson Langejans Steinberger
Circa LaPatrie Stonebridge
Clarke (Cole) Larrivee  
Collins Laskin (William) Tacoma
Comins L Benito Takamine
Composite Acoustics Leach (Harvey) Tanglewood
Copley Legend Tanner Creek
Cordoba Lehmann Taylor
Cort Lewis (Michael) (R) Taylor
Crafter Line6 Threet
  Lowden (George) Thompson
Dart Lucas Timbercreek
Dean Luna Timberline
DeJonge   Timeless
Different City McAlister Timm
Dominelli M Campellone Tokai
Doolin McCollum Travelerguitar
Dragonfly McElroy Trilogy
Dunn (Michael) McGill True North
Dunwell McKnight  
Durango McPherson Vagabond
  Maingard Vail
Eastman Manual & Patterson Veelah
Eichelbaum Manzer Veillette
Elderly Marler Vines (Tony)
Elferink Martin Voyage-Air
Elliott Maton  
Ellis (Andrew) Matsuda Walden
Ellsbury Megas Walker (John)
Epiphone Micheletti Watts (James)
Ergo Miller (Ken) Weber
Everett Miranda Webber
  Monica's Wechter
Fender Montefiore White (Andrew)
Moonstone Williams (Laurie)
Fernandes Morgan Monroe Wingert (Kathy)
Flammang Muth (R. S.) Wood (Mark)
Fleishman   Wood (B.F.)
Flinthill Nashville Woodsound
Forster (NK) National Worland
Fox (Charles) Navarro (Francisco) Wray
Frameworks Noble (Roy)  
Franklin (Ken)   Yamaha
Freeborn (Charles) Olson Yong (C.H. Jeffrey)
Freeman (David) Oriskany  
Froggy Bottom Osthoff Zemaitis
Fullerton Ovation Zimnicki
Furan (Gregory)    
Fylde (Roger Bucknall) Pantheon  
  Parker  
Gallagher Parkwood  
Galloup Peavey  
Garrison Perlman  
Geiger Perry  
Giannini Petillo  
Gibson Petros  
Gilet Phillips  
Gitane Phoenix Guitar Company  
Godin Pimentel  
Go Poling Guitars  
Goodall Podium  
Gordon Premier  
Graal Proulx  
Gramann (Bob) Prudencio Saez  
Greenfield    
Gretsch Q  
Grimes Queener  
Guild    
Gypsy    
     
     
 

Here are some companies and luthiers that make only electric guitars (to my knowledge):

Burns
Daisy Rock (an interesting concept of guitars made specially for young girls)
Eastwood
ESP
Floyd Rose
Parker
Renaissance (Rick Turner) (the Linsdey Buckingham guitar)
Silvertone
Stewart
Andrew Wright

Strings

I cannot tell you how important strings are.  If I emphasize it, it won't be enough.  You can sit down in a music store with your eyes closed, play a guitar and feel like you love it so much that you have to have it.  You can play another one and it just doesn't feel right. Guess what?  They could be the same guitar.  They just have different strings.  As a rule, lighter strings (called light and even lighter that are called extra light or super light) will be easier to play and give the illusion that the guitar has good action (a small distance between strings and fretboard).  Medium to heavy strings will give the illusion of high action.  Most guitarists, especially beginners, prefer low action.  Don't let this fool you into buying or avoiding a particular guitar.  Try to find out what kind of strings are on it. 

Generally I prefer 12-54s for my acoustics and 11-48s for my electric (these refer to the gauge or thickness of the 1st and 6th strings).  An electric with lighter strings will play well as a rhythm guitar but not as well as a lead guitar.  As a lead, the strings will bend too easily and give a tinnier tone.  Generally you will want something heavier for leads.  Lighter strings will also break more easily, so I recommend keeping a used set around to replace a broken one until you're ready to change the whole set.

(Also, note that when I mention the string gauges 12-54 and 11-48, not all are the same.  So two 12-54s could have different gauges for the inner strings.) 

Of course, many of the large manufacturers such as Fender, Gibson, and Martin make excellent strings.  For some good material on guitar strings, see www.stringitup.com

Black Diamond Drstrings Ernie Ball
Cleartone Dunlop (strings and other) GHS
D'Addario Elixir Dean Markley

There must be as many ways of stringing a guitar as there are guitars.  When I bought my Martin, I tried to string it the way the Martin manual said to do it.  It worked, but frankly it looked like crap, and I was embarrassed at what the guitar technician must have thought when I brought it in for some minor repair work.  I checked out a number of Internet articles on how to string a guitar, and I must admit, nothing beats this one.  It's neat, tight, and simple.

As for how often to change strings, it depends.  When I'm not traveling and can play about an hour a day, I sense my strings losing quality after about a month.  So figure maybe 30-50 hours.  You will know when they're losing their quality.  It will be when you need to tune them more often and it's harder to get them into tune.  Strings need a lot of tuning when first put on because they're still stretching out.  They then reach the optimal point in their lives and need little tuning.  Then they get "over the hill" (like people), and you have to tune them often.  For what it costs, I find that replacing them is worth it at that point.  As for their tuning optimum, I find with a very good guitar and good strings, I can play for a couple of weeks without them getting out of tune.  I do take decent care of my strings, cleaning them regularly, though I don't think it really prolongs their life.  I just don't like playing strings that I can tell are multicolored due to various hues of dirt from my fingers.

While you're thinking about strings, you might want to consider getting some new bridge pins.  The original pins on my Martin did a poor job of fitting into the holes.  Does that matter?  Probably not, but I didn't hesitate to replace them, because bridge pins are cheap and fitting snuggly into holes is all they do in life.

Picks and Picking

OK, there are people for whom getting the right pick is critical.  You might say they are a bit "picky."  Frankly, I am primarily a fingerpicker and I do not use fingerpicks and I do not let my nails grow long to replicate fingerpicks.  I use my bare fingers.  Nonetheless, playing a strumming rhythm with your fingers is not the best way to do it, so yes, I am forced to use picks.  And I use picks with my electric.  But I am most at home using my fingers.  Whatever you feel best with is what you should do.  But I want to emphasize that just because almost all guitarists use picks does not mean you should.  I stress that you give serious consideration to learning how to fingerpick.  There is so much you can do fingerpicking that you cannot do with a pick wedged between your thumb and forefinger.  (Try plucking two non-adjacent strings and you'll know what I mean.)  I hope that made sense.  Sorry, I'm just a bit of a control freak with certain activities.  (For example, I drive only a manual transmission car.)

As for types of picks, there is almost nothing I care less about.  Large, small, medium, etc.  Just get something that feels ok in your hands, if you must use a pick.

Books

OK, I know there are probably more guitar books than there are guitars.  Here are a few of my personal favorites.

bullet Clapton's Guitar:  Watching Wayne Henderson Build the Perfect Instrument by Allen St. John
bullet The Guitar Handbook by Ralph Denyer
bullet The Complete Guitarist by Richard Chapman
bullet Martin Guitars:  An Illustrated Celebration of America's Premier Guitarmaker by Jim Washburn and Richard Johnston
bullet Guitar:  Music, History, Players by Richard Chapman

Magazines

My preference being acoustic, I recommend these.

bullet Acoustic Guitar (my personal favorite so far)
bullet Fingerstyle Guitar
bullet Guitar World Acoustic

Guitarists

Obviously this is not an extensive list.  There are just too many.  My personal favorites are listed below.  They're not all on the list so much because they're great guitarists (surely debatable on some) but because of what they accomplished with the guitar, i.e., the total package of songwriting, vocals, performance, etc.  I may add some from time to time as I think of them and get more familiar with them.

bullet Lindsey Buckingham (one of the few fingerpicking rock guitarists)
bullet Eric Clapton (needs no justification)
bullet Sharon Isbin (created the first guitar department at the Juilliard school)
bullet B. B. King (needs no justification)
bullet Roger McGuinn (pioneered the 12-string when with the Byrds)
bullet Jimmy Page (needs no justification)
bullet Paul Simon (one of the first acoustic guitarists to be a rock star)
bullet Stephen Stills (his "Suite:  Judy Blue Eyes" is one of the greatest guitar masterpieces of all time)
bullet James Taylor (after Simon, maybe the second acoustic guitarist to be a rock star)
bullet Doc Watson (a constant reminder that you shouldn't have to look at your fingers to play)
bullet Nancy Wilson (of Heart) (Well, ok, I don't know if I really have a reason.  She just looks so hot jumping up and down playing her guitar.  Well, yes, she really is a pretty good guitar player.)

Amplifiers

Of course many manufactures make excellent amps, though most are geared for electric guitars.  The following manufacturers make models specifically for acoustic guitars (though most make them for electrics as well):

Acoustic Image Crate Genz Benz Schertler
Ashdown Fishman Roland UltraSound
Line 6 Acoustic Electric Rsch Soundboard Walker Labs
Hartke (Samson)      

Miscellaneous

Stuff that doesn't fall in the categories above.

Guitar Noise GuitarCenter.com Homespuntapes.com
Guitar.com HarmonyCentral.com Musiciansfriend.com
Shubb capos Kyser Online tuner  
Really cool online tuner Infinite Guitar GuitarNationLive
Guitar Lesson World Italia Straps Chorder.com (Online Guitar Tuner)
Guitar2ner.com FreeMusicStudy Get-Tuned.com
Theguitarlesson.com Guitar Lessons Mobi Sam Ash
Music 1-2-3 123GuitarTuner Pro Audio Land

For anyone interested, feel free to read my product review of the glider capo.

Advice for New Guitarists

I know there are plenty who will disagree, but spare me the lecture.  Read this list all the way through, especially the last item.

bullet Don't start too young.  Small fingers can get easily discouraged.  I think 12 is young enough but don't be afraid to start younger if you or your child is so inclined.
bullet Guitar is a physically demanding instrument:
bullet It can hurt your back, your arms, your chest, your wrists, your elbows, your hands, ..., and especially, your ego.
bullet It will hurt your fingers.  If not, you aren't practicing enough.
bullet Don't spend a lot of money on your first guitar.  You may not take well to guitar.  A fairly inexpensive one is enough to determine if this is just a fancy or something you'll stick with.
bullet Your guitar will get nicks, dents, scratches, you name it.  It's like a car.  You will absolutely hate it when it happens.  But you must realize there is no way you can pick up a finely crafted piece of wood on a regular basis and have it sustain no damage.  Barring a major catastrophe, most guitar damage can be repaired by experts, although at high cost.  Just expect it to happen and don't act like it's the end of life as you know it.  Some people even think certain guitars sound better after damaged.  Check out Willie Nelson's guitar called Trigger.
bullet Get a capo.  I can't say enough about how this little device will improve your range and build confidence in your ability to play a lot of different songs.  (I have more comments on capos in a couple of other places on this site.)
bullet Get an electronic tuner.  People who tell you they don't need one are fooling themselves.  There is no question that tuning is the most important thing you need to learn at the start.  An improperly tuned guitar will either discourage a novice by spitting out disharmonious sounds or will condition the untrained ear to think these sounds are what it's supposed to sound like.
bullet Spend some time learning music theory as it applies to guitar, especially if, like me, you never had any musical training.
bullet Harmonics are overrated.  You don't need them to tune your guitar.  It'll sound the same regardless.  Harmonics are also far too soft to get enough volume.  Nonetheless, they sound pretty cool, so learn how to play them.  When you first hear the "ping" of that twelfth-fret harmonic on the first string, you ear will be pleased.  But that's about it.
bullet Don't ever act like you know more or less or play better or worse than the person you're playing with.  If that person breaks this rule, be confident that some day you'll get revenge when they don't know what A#º7 is and you do.
bullet Keep your left elbow completely free ("right elbow" if you're left handed.)  It should not be leaning on anything.  My worst habit.
bullet Whenever you hear someone say "All the experts use/do/say/believe," take it with a grain of salt.  In fact, I'm inclined to believe just the opposite.  In the music world (actually, in all the world) there are far too many people who act like know-it-alls.  Keep in mind the old saying that goes, "It is easy to repeat something that has been said 1,000 times."  So don't believe everything you read about guitars on the Internet or anywhere else and even on this web site.  Hey, don't even believe everything on this list.  It might not apply to you.

My Equipment

Guitars and all Other
  Martin DC16GTE Strings:  Martin Acoustic SP Phosphor Bronze Light 12-54
  Epiphone EJ-200 Strings:  Martin Acoustic SP Phosphor Bronze Light 12-54
  Martin DM12 (12-string with electronics) Strings:  Martin Acoustic SP Phosphor Bronze Light 12-54
  Fender (American) Highway 1 Telecaster Strings:  Dean Markley Signature Series Nickel Steel Electric 11-52
  Gretsch Electromatic G-5135 Corvette Strings:  Dean Markley Signature Series Nickel Steel Electric 11-52
   Epiphone Les Paul Traditional Pro Regular Strings:  Dean Markley Signature Series Nickel Steel Electric 11-52
  Alvarez 5022 Strings:  Martin Acoustic 80/20 Bronze Light 12-54
  Gibson LG-0 Strings:  Martin Acoustic 80/20 Bronze Light 12-54
  Deering Goodtime 2 banjo Strings:  Martin Bluegrass Nickel Wound Medium 10-22
  Morgan Monroe MMS-2 F-style mandolin Strings:  Martin Bluegrass 80/20 Bronze 11-38
Amplifier & Related  
  Marshall ASD100 amp This is actually an acoustic amp, but don't let it fool you.  You can easily play hard rock on it.  It has two clean channels and also connections in the back for external effects plus two XLR connections.  You wouldn't want to, but you could plug an entire band into this.
  Vox AC15VR amp This is my backup amp.
  Vox AC30 headphone amp solely for practice in my office
  Marshall MS-4 Microstack solely for practice in my office
  Line 6 POD X3 effects box I still own this incredibly versatile but unreliable device
  Boss pedals I have the TR-2 (Tremolo), FRV-1 (Fender 63 Reverb), and the OS-2 (Overdrive/Distortion), TU-2 (pedal tuner), and an AB-2 switching pedal so I can connect two guitars. 
Other  
  Shure SM58S microphone The gold star in microphones
  Capos I use to prefer the Kyser quick change, though these will put some wear and tear to the back of the neck and will not last forever due to the spring tension.  I have primarily switched to the Dunlop.  I also use Shubb original capos.  Stay away from the Glider or Third Hand capo; I have these and was very disappointed.  Frankly, I own just about every capo style and probably should write an essay on them.  They each have their own pros and cons.
  Tuner My Seiko is pretty good but I also use an AXL.  Recently, however, I have begun relying on the Guitar Toolkit IPhone app.  In any case, do not trust your ability to tune without an electronic tuner.  And for best results, always plug your instrument directly into the tuner.  For formal practices and performances, I use the BOSS TU-2 pedal tuner.

Other Stuff

My recently formed band is called Capital Gains and consists of four business school professors and an alumnus.  Our web site is www.capitalgainsmusic.com.  I have done some songwriting and here is page that contains some sheet music and recordings.

And Finally

A rare photo from my teen years.  That's me on the right at about age 16 playing a Fender Music Master through a Fender Super Reverb amp (not visible).  I'm not left-handed.  The photographer developed the negative reversed.  But doesn't the left-hand look kind of give it a Jimi Hendrix-Kurt Cobain panache?  Yeah, right.

 

Return to Main Page

Last updated:  February 8, 2012