I know, in my previous post I bashed the Logitech Z-2300 speakers for not being as crisp and clear (and cheap) as the superior Creative GigaWorks T20. In all honesty I do believe the T20s have a better overall sound. However, there is one area where Logitech’s THX 2.1 speakers excel and that is volume. I’m not exactly sure what the specifications are for THX certification, but I think there is a rule in there that says they must maintain a specific level of sound quality at a high volume. The thing I love about these speakers is whether I have them just loud enough to hear or cranked to 11 the sound quality is the same.

I think my one complaint is the size of the subwoofer. Although it’s size is nice for playing games because you get that rumble when things explode and whatnot, I find music sound quality is slightly diminished. Because I have the speakers above the desk and the sub below there is that separation of the sound. Also, because the speaker cables are only a few feet long your are limited with how far you can move the sub.
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I am a band t-shirt buyer. When I like a group, I buy the shirt to show everyone. This is a great gift idea for that music lover in your family.

There are lots of places out there that you can get music related tshirts. A great site for both mainstream and underground bands is JSR Direct. I also suggest checking out Amazon.com and allposters.com

You will have to act soon though, the time left for ordering gifts online is quickly running out!

Well it is December, so I guess it’s ok to start talking about Christmas now. One thing about Christmas is I always get guitar stuff. People know me as a guitar guy and so they know getting me guitar related stuff is always a sure bet.

The good thing about guitars is there is a range of very expensive to very cheap stuff you can get. So I just wanted to go over some of the cheaper items you can buy your guitar playing friend for Christmas. As the title says, these things make great stocking stuffers.

1. Guitar Strings
Guitar strings are always a sure bet. The thing about strings is they wear out and they have to be replaced. Also, it doesn’t matter if buddy has spare guitar strings already, if you buy them they will always get used. There is one key factor though, you MUST make sure you get strings that the person will use. Guitar players can be very specific about what they put on their guitar. So, try and get an old package from strings they have used or better yet, just ask them what kind of strings they like on their guitar.

There are three things you want to know: type, gauge, and brand. The type refers to whether they are steel acoustic, nylong acoustic, or electric strings. The gauge is the thickness and is usually light, medium, or heavy. And the brand could be one of hundreds. These three things are very important. If you get your guitar player a set of heavy strings and they play light strings, they may never put them on their guitar.
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Creative has a great product on their hands with the GigaWorks T20 speakers. To be a serious guitar player one thing is usually true… you have to love music. If you really love music then you’ll want it to sound as good as it can when you listen to it.

Now I know what you are thinking: “they don’t even have a sub”. Well it doesn’t matter. I bought these speakers for my girlfriend’s Mac Mini and they have better sound then my 200-Watt Logitech 2.1 THX-Cirtified Z-2300s. Creative has incorporated this new feature that they call BasXPort which basically puts a sub in both of the two speakers.

From the Creative website:
BasXPort™
Acoustically engineered to enhance the lower mid range tones. This is done by efficiently channeling sound waves from the inner chamber to the soundstage, for fuller, more encompassing sound.

This BasXPort technology means the speakers can produce better bass then possible with a 2.1 setup.
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All of the guitars I have ever owned have been fixed bridge guitars. I have always associated tremolo’s (wammy bars) with people like Eddie Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and John Petrucci. Since that is really not my style of playing, I have never really had much of an interest in using one.

However, lately I have been learning a lot of metal and there are more and more riffs which are hard to play a fixed bridge. Players like Alexi Laiho and the late Dimebag Darrel use them regularly in their leads. As a result I have been thinking about purchasing a guitar that can free me from the shackles of my fixed bridge.

The reintroduction of the Kahler 2300 tremolo was announced in March 2006’s Guitar World Magazine. The 2300 was popular in the 80’s, but as the hair metal music of the 90’s faded and the grunge movement took over, the bridges were in less of a demand. Kahler discontinued the bridge in the 90’s but interest lately has prompted them to reissue it. (more…)