Hands-On Review: Dimebag Dean From Hell/CFH Electric Guitar

When you think of legendary guitarists, it's a safe bet that you most always picture them playing an instrument that's as storied as the players themselves – Hendrix's cream-colored Strat, John Lennon's stripped Casino, Ace Frehley's sunburst Les Paul, Angus Young's SG. Although he played many guitars over the years, when you think of Dimebag Darrell, you no doubt picture him shredding on – and perhaps launching bottle rockets from – the one and only Dean From Hell. With its blue finish, lightning bolt graphics, KISS sticker, and Dimebag's own scrawl on the headstock proclaiming the guitar's name, the Dean From Hell is as much a part of Dime's legacy as his playing.

Gear Review: Jupiter 1600I XO Trumpet

The first thing you notice when you open the Jupiter 1600I XO’s case is its beauty. It is a classic design with a stunning silver plate that would instill a pride of ownership in any player. The bell engraving is a simple cursive XO whose austerity reflects the restraint and good taste that is present throughout this elegant instrument.

A second set of valve buttons, springs and bottom valve caps ship with the 1600I XO. The buttons that come on the instrument have a mother of pearl inlay whereas the extra set are polished silver. The extra valve caps are a little heavier than the ones from the factory and the extra springs offer a lighter action than those that come stock on the horn.

Hands-On Review: Williams Allegro 2 and Overture 2 Digital Pianos

These electronic keyboards deliver surprisingly robust features and satisfying playability at their pain-free price points.

One of the challenges facing wannabe pianists and the parents who usually spring for that first piano is the commitment-versus-cost calculation. While enthusiasm may be running high now, it could fade in the future, leaving you stuck with a pricey piece of furniture taking up valuable living space.

On the other hand, buying a bargain-basement digital keyboard is false economy. Cheesy sounds and feel will turn off both beginners and experienced keyboardists. Unsatisfying performance like this can be a real commitment-killer when it comes to sticking to your resolve to learn piano.

MAPEX SONIClear™ Edge Technology

Mapex rethinks the critical impact of the bearing edge on drum tone with a new approach that will help get your kit in tune fast while offering a broader tonal range.

When one mentions someone having a “sound advantage” over someone else, it means that you clearly have the upper hand. In the case of Mapex, this term has a literal as well as figurative meaning.

All drum shells have a bearing edge—the routed edge on which the drumhead sits, and seats, for tuning. Typical drumheads have an angled rise on the Mylar’s outer perimeter where the head rises from the counter hoop to the playing surface. Historically, this slanted outer perimeter is where most bearing edges make contact with a drumhead. Drummers placing new heads on a drum would experience the head wobbling, more or less, when first placed on the drum before tuning.

Hands-On Review: Lee Oskar Harmonica System

Lee Oskar is one of those legends whose name you may not know, yet you’ve probably heard his harmonica playing. His distinctive harp riffs provided the hook for chart-topping classic hits such as “Cisco Kid” and “Low Rider” with the pioneer funk/jazz group WAR. He’s also recorded many solo albums and his music has been featured in TV commercials. For the last 25 years, a line of harmonicas bearing his name has become a favorite of many players around the globe. Musician’s Friend interviewed Lee Oskar to find out what led him to develop his own harmonica. Lee explained that, as a professional musician, he had played many harmonicas, leading to a lot of frustration that built up over the years.

“Available harmonicas lacked the quality I wanted and needed. I would go to a music store and buy 10 harmonicas and find only one played properly.” By the late 1970s Lee had decided he wanted a better harmonica, so he began working on his own design ideas

Hands-On Review: D’Addario NB Nickel Bronze Strings

We take D’Addario’s latest premium acoustic guitar strings for a test drive on a not-so-premium guitar.

By Stephen Lynch

It’s no secret among guitarists that installing a set of decent quality strings on an old workhorse guitar can often bring out its previously hidden sonic charms. It’s an easy, low-cost upgrade.

I think the same holds true for a modestly priced new guitar—one strung with factory strings. When I was asked to assess the new line of premium D’Addario Nickel Bronze acoustic strings, I grabbed a Fender CD60CE Acoustic-Electric to put that theory to the test. It’s a great guitar at its wallet-friendly price point and I was curious to see how it would respond to having a deluxe set of strings laid on it.

First impressions

A little backstory: I used to play a different brand of electric guitar strings that will go unmentioned here. I liked them well enough, but they always felt like they were on the verge of snapping during serious bends. That led me a couple of months back to try a set of D’Addario’s new NYXLs on my electric. They were a revelation! Searching for a way to describe them, the term that springs to mind is “elastic.”

What I mean in the case of both the NYXLs and the NBs is that they are elastic in the best sense of that word, always returning to form. They have this nice return to pitch after vigorous string bending that I really appreciate. And at the height of bends there isn’t that disturbing sense that the string is about to snap.

The new Nickel Bronze acoustic strings share the same confidence-inspiring core wire as the NYXLs, so I was keen to give them a shot on that Fender CD60CE. You might be thrown off initially by the silvery appearance of the NB wound strings that gives them a look more reminiscent of electric strings. But as I was soon to discover, appearances can be deceiving.

Even response

After stringing the Fender up with an .11 - .52 Custom Light set, my first impression was the evenness of each string’s response—often a weak point among lower priced guitars. The low notes remained articulate, never getting flabby, trebles rang out without brittleness. The overall string-to-string balance and warmth in the mids was impressive. I was able to generate the same projection and volume from note to note without having to adjust my fretting or fingerpicking pressure. The Custom Light set seemed an ideal match for the Fender, bringing out mellow mids while low notes didn’t grow boomy.

When playing single notes, the NBs impart a sense of compression. There was none of that feeling of needing to dig in on certain strings in order to maintain even response across all registers.

 

I was wowed by the evenness of the response across the fretboard.

Switching to chords, the NBs continued to impress. Articulation, especially given the modest cost of the Fender, was pretty astounding. Again, string-to-string definition was crisp without any shrillness. And the NBs hold tune well.

 

The D’Addario Nickel Bronze set imparted warmth to this Fender DC60CE well beyond what you’d expect at its modest price.

The takeaway

If you’re an electric guitar player who has fantasized about getting the same sinuous playing feel from the strings on your acoustic, a set of D’Addario NBs could be a life changer. They’ll give you more of that bendy, electric feel while also letting your acoustic’s native tone shine through.

 

Take a quick trip through the D’Addario time machine—these guys have been at it a while.

The HUB from Musician's Friend

Hands-On Review: Hammond Leslie LS2215 Keyboard Amplifier

We take the latest Leslie for a test drive during a rocking house party.

By Christopher Dean Elliot
Musician’s Friend Copywriter

Once a month I throw a party at my house and invite my musician friends (many of them from Musician’s Friend) to get together and play. One notable guest of honor this time around was the new Leslie LS2215 keyboard amplifier, supplied on loan for the weekend. I am a trumpet player with nominal keyboard abilities, so I invited the best keyboard players I know, Mo Beeks and Gary Swan.