2010 Holiday Guitar Gear Gift Guide & Giveaway Winner

Cozy Comforts are part of our 2010 Holiday Gift Guide! C.F. Martin and Audio- Technica Sweatshirt Hoodies and Thermal Tee Shirts, Cotton Rich and Made in the USA. Brown Suede Moccasins by Minnetonka. Weather Meter by Kestrel.

Check out the C.F. Martin 1833 Shop for the BEST Holiday Gifts for the Guitarist in your life.

C.F. Martin Logo Hoodies shown here and in the video come in Small through 3X so snuggle up baby!

Eclectic Sound's 2010 Christmas Holiday Guitar Gear Give-Away is CLOSED! Thank you to all who submitted entries. Congratulations to Jack R. of Indiana, USA who won:

• Kiss Collections Leather Guitar Strap from Planet Waves
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• Kiss Collections Matching Guitar Pick Set (x10) from Planet Waves
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• Two Sets of Martin Acoustic SP Strings, (Light & Medium Gauge)
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• Planet Waves Custom Pro -10 ft Guitar Cable
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• D'Addario Signal 1/4 Male Stereo to XLR Female Adapter
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• PLUS The NEWLY Released Planet Waves Dual Action Capo - Tuner! This Capo -Tuner won BEST IN SHOW at the 2010 Summer NAMM!
  

Enter by telling us "What is your favorite style of music and why?" Simply post your entry in the COMMENTS section of this article. This contest is open to U.S. Residents ONLY. You need to provide a valid email and U.S. shipping address to be eligible. Sorry, Fender Guitar is NOT part of the Give-Away. One WINNER will be chosen on December 15th, 2010, (just in time to place under your tree)! Deadline for entries is MIDNIGHT December 14th, 2010.

May Guitar Gear Give-Away!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!!!!! The winner is
***ANGIE*** Congratulations on being the winner!

ONE winner will receive ALL of these PRIZES in our super drawing to be held on May 1st, 2010!!! Enter by clicking here: COMMENTS or use the link at the bottom of this article. Deadline for entry is April 30th 2010 - 12 midnight. Here's the contest question:

Where is your favorite place to practice playing & why?

This drawing is open to U.S. residents ONLY with a valid shipping and email address.

Planet Waves NEW Tru Strobe Pedal Tuner, hot from the 2010 NAMM Show! Super accurate, adjustable backlight, dropped D tuning and true bypass. The Tru-Strobe will be sent to the winner directly by Planet Waves.







Premium Guitar PRIZES !!!

Planet Waves Dual Action Capo!


Martin Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Strings!







Mighty Bright Pedal Board Light from Farley's Musical Essentials!

Sorry pedals and case not included.


















Planet Waves Lubrikit Friction Remover!

Sorry, Roland Stage Amp not included.








Co-sponsors of Eclectic Sound's 2010 May Guitar Gear Give-Away are:

Planet Waves & D'Addario

C.F. Martin & Co. - Martin Guitars

Farley's Musical Essentials

Check out their banner ads in the left hand column for more gear and reviews!

Unboxing a Martin HD-28!

Unboxing my Martin HD-28 with rosewood back and sides. Catch these tips on preventing damage to guitars shipped in freezing temps so you won't have an unhappy experience when opening the box! See more on Eclectic Sound TV in HD!

Guitar Gear Give-Away!

Congratulations!!! John Montalbano is our Top Winner of C.F. Martin Guitar and Banjo strings PLUS the legendary Planet Waves NS Guitar Capo! Thanks to all who entered...

We all should look for the "freebies" in life these days! C.F. Martin and Planet Waves want you to have a super summer so they are joining with Eclectic Sound for another fantastic guitar gear give-away. You can win everything here except for the $40,000 Martin Guitar! First, let's talk about some of the prizes and how they will benefit your playing.



Planet Waves NS Capo

This is my favorite capo and the only one I use on my Martin guitars. It is so lightweight and compact, I can get it on quickly with nearly one hand. No buzzing and it won't pull your guitar out of tune after using it. A capo is very handy for when let's say the key of G is too high but you don't want to change the chording when you transpose the song to a lower key. Simply place the capo on the fourth fret and play the same G pattern chords only now you will be playing in the key of B. Easy! You'll also find that playing up the neck, the frets are closer together, more so than in 1st position. Capoing can relieve the stress of over stretching your fingers, making playing your guitar much more comfortable.

Using a capo can also add texture to multiple guitars. Many of the earlier folk groups such as the Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul and Mary were said to have used a capo to set one guitar's tone apart from the others. Chet Atkins even used a capo! Ned Steinberger is the genius behind this capo design, hence the "NS" in its name. Works wonderfully on 6 and 12 string guitars. Lightweight aluminum adds virtually no weight to the guitar's neck when in use. Everyone who borrows mine says, "Wow, this is nice!" So here's your chance to win one for yourself. Visit Planet Waves online for more useful capos and guitar accessories: Planet Waves http://www.planetwaves.com

Martin Acoustic SP Light Guitar Strings-MSP4100's

These are the new strings that I had put on at the Martin Guitar Clinic this spring. These are the LIGHT gauge, (.012-.054) premium phosphor bronze

strings. The SP stands for sustained playability and I have to say they live up to their name. These are the strings I am now recording with on my Martin D-16. The lighter strings are a joy adding to greater bending and slides. Plus they are perfect for when too much volume could induce feedback in my sensitive studio condenser mics. With the pickups installed on my D-16, I can get away with more intricate tone because I needn't "drive" the guitar for it to be heard on the recordings. These strings have ultra-high tensile strength steel cores that resist breaking. In fact, I've never yet broken a Martin string. The acoustic bronze electro finish provides greater string life and looks beautiful against the solid spruce top.

Martin Custom Shop

It's great to know that the same strings that are being put on this $40,000 Martin D-100 are on my humble D-16!

During Martin Owner's Club Day we got to stop in at the custom shop and see all kinds of Martin Guitars receiving special details and pearl inlay. Some are in for repairs or after being rescued from neglect and damage. No matter. They all get a new set of premium Martin strings before leaving the shop to sound their absolute best. Take the Martin Factory & Museum Tour yourself! The Martin Owner Club event is being held this year on Friday, July 31st 2009. Get the details under the events listings, CONCERTS-WORKSHOPS-JAMS.

Martin Acoustic SP Guitar Strings-Medium MSP4200's

One of the things that you can do is experiment with different string gauges. These strings offer the same features as the other SP acoustic strings only in a MEDIUM gauge, (.013-.056). If you are playing with lighter strings and you want more "boom" in your bottom end, you might try using heavier strings. These are the stings that I had put on my Martin D-18 in sustainable cherry. These medium strings allow me to drive this dedicated acoustic to greater volumes as my D-18 doesn't have a pickup. The cherry also does not offer the same "boom" of the mahogany or rosewood models but with the right strings, I'm able to definitely be heard. Having a guitar with a different wood construction will also allow you to stand out in the mix. It is said that the cherry is more balanced with a medium or mid range tone. You want to offer something a little different that what everyone else is playing. I really enjoy my D-18 with these medium strings. I even gave a set to my guitar teacher. His guitar sounded like gold once he got them on! Visit C.F. Martin & Co. online: http://www.martinguitar.com

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!!! GIVE-AWAY ENTRY DETAILS!!! So are you ready to win all of these sweet prizes? Two sets of Martin Acoustic Guitar or Banjo strings and the Planet Waves NS Capo can be yours! Answer this question by clicking the COMMENTS link below: "What was the first song you used a capo with?" That's it! Deadline is 12 midnight, July 31st, 2009. Be sure to leave your email address so that we can contact you if you win. Go for it!

Martin's FREE Guitar Clinic!

Photo: Robbie's Music City owner, John, Martin Guitar Luthier, Dave Evans and Dr. M enjoying the Martin Guitar Clinic

Dave Evans putting Martin Acoustic SP medium strings, (Phosphor Bronze) on my D-18 made of sustainable cherry wood. According to Evans, Brazilian rosewood ceased being used as a standard wood to make guitars in 1969.

This was the first Martin Guitar Clinic Robbie's Music Center of Hackettstown has hosted. Based on the long line of jovial customers who turned up despite the driving rain, I would say it was a huge success. Customers with any make of 6 or 12 string guitar received a free set and installation of their choice of light or medium gauge Martin SP Strings. Action adjustments were also done absolutely free of charge.

In this tight economy, you might consider replacing your strings before replacing your guitar. New, quality strings will make a major difference in tone and even playability. Evans also replaced the strings on my Martin D-16GT. Medium SP strings were replaced with lights as I mainly use this guitar in the studio for recording and highly amplified with pickups for stage performances.

Customers also reveled in trying out some of the new & limited edition Martins on the floor that day!

One of the guitars Martin has brought back is the 01 Series. It is a very straightforward instrument but with a price point of under $900.00, it is surely going to be a hot seller. In fact the sample 01 models Evans brought to the clinic that day were all sold out. The store also ran special guitar sales up until 4 pm when the clinic was officially over.



Customer Janet Schuring pictured here owns three Martins including the Backpacker she's holding. She received new strings on all of the Martins she brought in that day.

Clinics like these are a great way to meet other guitar owners and get some insight on your instruments specific needs. Upon having her Backpacker's strings replaced, Schuring found that the instrument had been drying out in the gigbag. Removal of the strings caused a dried piece of wood to come loose. Repairs were made with a little wood glue and she purchased a humidifier for the instrument to prevent further damage. Another benefit of a Guitar Clinic is being able to try different types of strings that you would not normally use.

Generally, medium strings will allow you to drive your Dreadnought's tone for greater volume and projection. If your guitar has pickups, you may not need that much acoustic volume. Lighter strings might work better depending on your style of playing.

Hear our live Podcast from this Martin Guitar Clinic as Dave Evans discusses the differences of the woods being used in Martin guitars. Listen in at Dr. M's Radio Show: www.doctorm.tumblr.com

Be sure to check our listings below under SHOWS-CONCERTS-JAMS for the next FREE Martin Guitar Clinic on April 18th! We'll also be doing another GUITAR GEAR GIVE-AWAY featuring C.F. Martin, GHS Strings & Planet Waves goodies so check back!

String Time Arrives at C.F. Martin's FREE Guitar Clinics!

PHOTO: Display of Martin Acoustic strings for Studio & Performing. Listen to some Martin Guitar strings in action right now on Dr. M's Radio Show: http://doctorm.tumblr.com/.

My guitar teacher agrees. One of the best things you can do for your guitar's sound and playability is to change the strings frequently. In fact, for optimal performance, your strings should be changed after every 40 hours of playing. If you play a little more than an hour each day, you'll quickly rack up that much time in a month. Still in my experience, nothing makes your guitar sound brand spanking clean like a new set of strings.

Signs of the Times

The good times you've had with your guitar show up as dark patches and discolorations all along the length of the string. Your strings will also have a dull tone and not resonate well. Once they get "patchy", there's not much you can do to remedy the situation except change them. With a bit of forethought, you can extend your strings' playability.

Getting the most life out of your strings means taking a few steps to keep them clean and ringing true. Also keeping the humidity level between 40-45% in your guitar case will also be a great help. This is because over-humidification which often comes with the spring rains, will cause your strings to accelerate in oxidation. That means rust city so be sure to be extra careful when using your guitar at outdoor folk festivals and jams.

See our article here on Spring Guitar Care: http://mariejmiczak.blogspot.com/2009/02/spring-guitar-care.html

Players also should make a habit of washing their hands before picking up their instrument. Corrosive acids and salts in your sweat will transfer from your fingers onto the strings. When you are playing, pass on the salty, greasy chips and other such snacks that may be around. Salt is a true enemy to string life!

GHS makes an excellent line of electric guitar strings and guitar care accessories. To extend the life of your strings, you can use their String Cleaning Cloth. This specially treated cloth is used dry over steel guitar or bass strings to clean and restore tone.

Another product from GHS that I like to use is their Fast Fret. Like the cloth, it is a string cleaner but also benefits the fingerboard. It comes in a stick which just glides along your strings and fingerboard. Wipe off the excess with the cloth that is included and you're ready to play! These products won't damage or stain your guitar's finish and are made in the U.S.A. I keep them handy as they are easy to pack for the studio and the road. Some say it allows them to play faster along the fretboard. I'll take any help I can get but practicing is the only way I've seen to really increase my speed. Visit GHS online for all of their quality products at: www.ghsstrings.com

So there is a lot that you can do to keep the life in your strings and improve their sound along the way. The Martin Guitar Clinics are completely FREE and allow you to meet other musicians and see some new model guitars up close and personal as they usually allow you to play them. You can ask questions and gain some insights on your guitar. You'll also have the opportunity to try a free set of new strings and have them put on by an expert luthier all at no cost. He'll check the action and make suggestions on the best type of strings based on your instrument and playing style. You may have been playing with the wrong strings all these years. You owe it to yourself, (and your audience), to get the right strings on your guitar. Don't miss out on an opportunity like this! See the upcoming dates and locations under our CONCERTS-SHOWS-JAMS header down at the bottom of the page. You may also contact C.F. Martin directly to schedule a free factory and museum tour or for more information about their Free Guitar Clinics. C.F. Martin website: www.martinguitar.com

Photo: Dr. M. & her Martin D-16GT, in solid spruce & mahogany

The Next FREE Martin Guitar Clinic is on Saturday April 11th 2009 in Hackettstown, NJ with master luthier Dave Evans. Get a set of premium Martin Strings installed FREE! See Details under SHOWS-CONCERTS-JAMS
Now that Spring is here, it's jammin' time! Don't sit at home. Come out to the Concerts, Folk Festivals and Jams coming up. (Check the listings in our banner ad section) We'll have more FREE Guitar Gear Give-Aways too!
Up Next!!! Listen in to Dr. M's Radio Show Podcast at: http://doctorm.tumblr.com