Guitar Links


Useful Guitar-Related Web Sites

Guitar Workshop Plus
I've been attending this program regularly since 2003, and it keeps getting better every year. The guest artists are always a great treat, but the real draw to this program is the consistently high-caliber instructors. There's always something new to learn with this week-long intensive program. I try and attend multiple weeks as much as I possibly can, and I can't recommend it enough ...

Doug Marks' Metal Method
Instructional DVDs and an online forum with ongoing discussion among students at all levels and instructors. I finally purchased the complete basic guitar course from this program in 2007, after seeing ads in the usual guitar related magazines for so many years, and the only regret I have is not getting it sooner.

Guitar Player Magazine
A must for anyone wanting to keep up to date with information about guitar players, equipment, techniques, and instruction. I have these going back to early 1976, and I do still refer to the older ones from time to time. Includes Guitar Player TV: Channels

Guitar Techniques Magazine
This is a British publication, which can often be difficult (and expensive!) to obtain in Canada (and North America in general, I imagine), but it is well worth the effort to locate or simply to subscribe. I've read many guitar magazines over the years, and this one by far has the highest percentage of very high quality instructional information in its pages. In fact, instructional material is what this publication specializes in, more than anything else.

Guitar World Magazine
Another guitar magazine I subscribe to. The quality of content with this one has dramatically improved since the incorporation of content from the now defunct (once sister publication) Guitar One magazine. Still not as good as the others, but certainly worth getting. Always includes a selection of transcriptions and some talented columnists.

Guitar Edge Magazine
I recently discovered this one (mid 2009) and have sent a subscription request. It appears to be focussed primarily on song transcriptions, but with a very pleasantly wide variety of musical styles covered. This should help me improve my repertoire, if nothing else.

The Guitar Effects Oriented Web Page
In particular, the Tube Amp FAQ

Two-Stroke Amp Project
The Two-Stroke is a DIY true class-A guitar amplifier profiled in The Guitar Amp Handbook, by Dave Hunter. It seems to be a very interesting amplifier with a very flexible design.

Two Stroke Amp Kits
Sold by Victoria Amps, these kits are a somewhat simplified version of the Two-Stroke amp. At the time I'm writing this, I expect I'll build the version from the book, with parts sourced independantly rather than from a simplified kit.

Tube Amp Network
A site devoted to those who build, collect or just plain love tube amps, tube technology and great guitar tone.

MetroAmp, Amplifier Kits and Parts Online Store
The MetroAmp store is the leading source for Marshall-clone amplifier kits and parts with tech support, forums, and wiki. Their raw components parts kit could be very useful for building several different styles of amps, though.

Building Your Own Tube Amp
Instructional content.

Low Watt Guitar Amp Kits
Guytronix Provides Low Watt Vacuum Tube Guitar Amp Kits and Accessories. Great for Recording or Bedroom Use.

Doberman Music Products
Doberman is a source for music electronics and tube guitar amplifier parts. They sponsor AX84.com and offer kits for many of those projects.

AX84: The Cooperative Tube Guitar Amp Project
Lots of great ideas, schematics, photos, discussion pertaining to building guitar amplifiers.

James Custom Amplifiers
Some of the more interesting (to me, at least) amplifier designs described on AX84 are available here.