We continue to be impressed by the quality of guitars that are manufactured offshore at a low price and The Loar LH-300 archtop is no exception.  The Loar LH-300 archtop guitar is modeled after archtops from the early 20th century (that’s the early 1900’s – in this case the 1920’s – for those like me that have to count) but uses modern manufacturing to keep prices low and quality high.

The Loar LH-300 combines a solid-spruce top with laminated maple back and sides to create a high quality archtop for under $450.

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Sanyo has come up with an idea that in hindsight seems so obvious it’s a wonder why we’re just seeing this innovation now.  The Sayno Pedal Juice is a 9V rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can power an entire pedalboard and then some.   Plus the Pedal Juice comes in a pedalboard friendly enclosure that will fit easily onto anyone’s setup.  It’s also water resistant.

We gave the Sanyo Pedal Juice a test and here’s what we found out using the device.

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Apple has emailed reporters for a special event in San Francisco on September 1st at 10:00 PST.  What’s noteworthy is the invitation came in the form of an acoustic guitar with an Apple logo in the sound hole.  There’s no information from Apple on the nature of the event but we’re hoping for something music related.

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I think it is a little intimidating to start playing guitar as an adult.  For starters, you are starting a little late to get in your 10,000 hours.  Sometimes it isn’t easy to find the right teacher.  In addition, you can’t start playing until you have a guitar to play.  Even when you are ready to choose a guitar, there are 1800 guitar options to consider on Fretbase alone.  I’m writing so that you won’t make the same mistake I did.

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Pickup builder Sheptone is giving away free pickups to selected subscribers of it’s newsletter.  Winners will be chosen monthly and subscribers will get special discounts on Jeff Shepherd’s awesome pickups.

We’ve always been strong advocates of pickup upgrades and think it’s one of the best ways to make an average guitar sounds fantastic.  Sheptone is a manufacturer of guitar pickups and accessories established three years ago for production of high quality, USA made product.  Sheptone has built pickups for include Keith Scott (Bryan Adams), Danny Kortchmar (James Taylor, Carole King, Don Henley), Al di Meola, Brian Kahanek, and Derek Trucks.

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We have been fans of Martin guitar player Ray LaMontagne for awhile.  He hooked us with his first album Trouble (only $5 at the download store) and we have been hooked ever since.  In fact, our article on Ray LaMontagne’s guitar choices was one of the first ever on Fretbase.

We were already pretty excited about LaMontagne’s new album God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise after hearing some songs previewed on YouTube and NPR.  We were even more excited today to learn that the full album (plus a digital booklet!) is available in MP3 format from Amazon at the remarkable price of $3.99 $10.99.

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This month the Smithsonian Channel is broadcasting a series of specials called “Inside the Music” on the “unsung visionaries and change-makers” of modern music.  As part of this series, this month the Smithsonian Channel will be broadcasting “Electrified:  The Guitar Revolution.”  The show will detail the history of the electric guitar which the Smithsonian Channel explains (and which we already knew) is the world’s most popular musical instrument.

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Epiphone has introduced a new humbucker called the ProBucker that will be standard in their Epiphone Les Paul Traditional Pro guitars.  The new ProBucker is based on Gibson’s popular Burstbucker pups that have been standard in Gibson Les Pauls for years.  The new Epiphone ProBuckers featuring unevenly wound coils and Alnico-II magnets that replicate that “Patent Applied for” airy tone.

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“Songwriter Player” was looking for a good acoustic guitar to accompany his male voice.  He now owns a Gibson Songwriter Deluxe Modern Classic.  Read his review to find out what he likes about the guitar and what modifications he made to it to make it even more to his taste.  You can also find out whether “Songwriter Player” considers the Gibson Songwriter Deluxe Modern Classic to be a Taylor and Martin killer.

Gibson Songwriter Deluxe Modern Classic User Review

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A guy walks into the guitar store looking for a Taylor or a Gibson and ends up walking out with a Larrivee L-09-12.  Find out what he thought of it in our latest user review in which you can also learn what he thought about Larrivee’s customer service.

Larrivee L-09-12 User Review

Larrivee L-09-12 Acoustic 12 String

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