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Tortex Guitar Picks Multipack
by DjentDjent
As guitarists, there are so many different pieces of equipment we can swap around before we find the right setup. Plectrums are definitely one of these, so it's good that there's plenty of different gauges in here!
-My opinions on each plectrum
For my hard rock band, I used to use the 1mm plectrums (blue) for a long ... time, then I decided I prefered the 1.14 (purple). Only recently I switched to the small teardrop Jazz III with the sandpaper grip (which isn't in this pack) as I find it slightly more accurate and it's impossible to drop, but I have plenty of Tortex plectrums, and still find them easily usable.
For acoustic, I find that the Tortex 0.5mm is better than any other plectrum I have tried, the tone it gives is brilliant, without all the nasty attack that a heavier pick would give on an acoustic. I prefer much heavier gauges than in this pack for bass (around 2mm). It all comes down to personal preference, so you could end up with completely different favourites. It's nice to have the option to switch between types as you wish!
Having a few different shapes in the pack would be useful for me to experiment with, but if you like this shape then it's ideal!
-Durability
I used the same plectrum for at least a year and it barely wore down at all. The bright colours mean they're more difficult to lose, although mine still occasionally find a way to disappear forever!
-Price
As Amazon is doing these for £1.85 with free delivery, that's very good value for money. I worked in a music shop for a while and we couldn't profit at that price. My local music shop charges £1 for just one plectrum.
Thanks for reading!
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Fender Standard Stratocaster MN
by loopylindsay
I own three guitars and the Fender Stratocaster is the one I've had longest. I bought it to start learning the guitar with, about 3 years ago. It cost around the £200 mark and came with a small amp, a bag, a tremolo ar, and some plectrums.
The guitar itself has great quality finish and paintwork, the hardware such as jack ... sockets and machine heads are in chrome, and pick up surround and the scratch plate are white. The body is made of alder and the neck is maple with a rosewood finger board. It comes in other colours such as red and black but I chose the blue version, which is quite a dark blue, almost bordering purple.
The guitar strap is comfortable although it does get quite painful on my neck if I wear it too high up. If this is a problem I would suggest a leather strap, rather than the nylon one included with the guitar. The contour tummy cut on the back on the guitar really makes for a comfortable playing experience when holding the guitar, especially when standing up.The neck is also comfortable to play.
The sound of the guitar is very bright, and you get a good range of tones with the 5 way pick up selector. The tremolo is good but it's not as sophisticated or easy to use as a floyd rose system. Overall the sound is great for a starter guitar and I recommend it to people who are just learning, however I moved onto a better model after about a year of playing.
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Gear SCPM-F Capo Flat
by JJJJ
If you're not familiar with the exciting world of guitar accessories, you may well wonder what a 'capo' is. A capo is simply a device which allows you to change the pitch of the chords that you're playing. This is done for a number of reasons, but for beginners it's often so that a song can be transposed into an easier set of chords than ... the natural key.
Capos usually take the form of clamp which closes across the strings of your guitar - the cheaper capos are often made of an elasticated material whilst the pricer ones are predominantly metal. Today i'm taking a look at the Gear SCPM-F, which is available from Amazon marketplace for under a pound (+ £1.50 postage & packaging). The Capo is a hybrid of the aforementioned cheap plastic style and the pricier metal style - but how good is it?
Design and Specification
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First off, it's important to note that the capo will fit all standard widths of guitar neck including acoustic and electric models. Fitting the capo is simple - well, it's simple after you've done it a couple of times! Make sure that the flat rubber bar is in contact with the strings, and then pull the fabric section around the guitar neck and onto one of the notches. In terms of its construction, the product feels *fairly* well made, although for the low price you can excuse the fact that it's only partly metal.
The Capo in Use & Final Word
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Regarding its performance, the capo works especially well - it's one of the better cheap capos that i've used (and i've used some terrible ones in the past!). In terms of the downsides, you will need to remove and re-stretch the product around the guitar's neck every fifteen minutes or so of use (otherwise it can slightly slacken, creating a jangly-type sound when you strum) - however, this isn't that much of an issue, as it only takes a couple of seconds to re-adjust. Overall, the Gear SCPM-F capo is an effective device which is available for a highly respectable price.
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