Guitar / Bass Amplifier Info & Education

The Value of Learning a New Instrument

June 17, 2022

Whether you’re an old salty master or a beginner, there may come a time when you need some new energy to keep you inspired. When that time comes, it’s not a bad idea to pick up a new instrument – preferably one in an entirely different family. There’s a world of good learning a new instrument can do, so it’s worth a shot, even if it’s not easy.

Collaborating with a Band Member Who Moves Away

June 06, 2022

Time was, if a band member moved, that was the end of the band. Serious acts might replace that member, and of course there are plenty of famous examples, but even then, things just aren’t the same. Then again, people moved around less (maybe). Now, the idea of keeping a solid group together for the long haul seems almost impossible. People move around all the time, and many successful live acts keep going by replacing or rotating pieces.

WG5 Wireless Guitar System Review by The Tone King

May 27, 2022

The TONE KING reviews the Carvin Audio WG5 wireless guitar and bass system. The WG5 Wireless Guitar/Bass System is designed to give you the wireless freedom you have been looking for and the simplicity to make your life as a working musician easier. Compact design coupled with an intuitive, easy set up makes going wireless an enjoyable process. The WG5 works with both active and passive instruments.

Finding New Bandmates or Collaborators

May 19, 2022

Whether you’ve been isolating for a couple of years due to the pandemic, or you’ve just always worked alone, now may be a great time to find some new blood to work with. Maybe you’d like to start or refresh a live band, collaborate on some tracks with other producer/musicians, or do a featured performance on an artist’s next hit.

How to Memorize Lyrics Quicker

April 21, 2022

If you’re a singer, nothing messes with your confidence more than flubbed lyrics - but you don’t always have weeks on end to memorize them. So, if you’ve got plenty of songs to put to memory, it helps to have a few pro techniques for memorizing lyrics faster and with more solid accuracy. Here, we’ll go over some tips for making lyrics stick.

5 Tips for Writing Better Lyrics Faster

April 15, 2022

Lyrics are a bane for some musicians – for others they seem to come quickly and easily. But it’s not just God-given talent that makes good lyrics come quickly. There are a few tried and true techniques for speeding up the journey from nothing to something good. Here are our top 5 tips for writing better lyrics faster.

Tips for Playing Better Solos

April 08, 2022

Being a solid backing player is super valuable and will always keep you busy if you’re a working musician, but sometimes you just have to go off, and a killer solo or two can put you in a whole new category.

Accompanying vs. Playing in a Band: Key Differences to Consider

March 31, 2022

As an instrumentalist, the role you play in a given situation isn’t always the same, and the skills you need vary depending on that role. Studio musicians require a different skillset than live players and likewise, accompanists need a different skillset than ensemble players.

Dealing with Bad Gig Scenarios

March 18, 2022

We’ve all been there – the gig from Sheol. The tiny stage with no power, the drunkards yelling “Freebird”, the would-be singer that wants to do a song, venues that don’t pay, the 4-minute sound check. Bad scenarios at gigs are so commonplace there’s a Facebook group dedicated to it - with 17,000 members.

Should Everyone in the Band Get a Solo?

March 18, 2022

There’s nothing like a great solo to create a memorable moment in a show and bring the spotlight squarely down on one person. And what musician doesn’t want a little glory, after all? So, letting your star guitarist wail for a while makes sense. The question is, should everybody in the band get a chance at immortal solo glory?

How to Handle Stage Mishaps

March 04, 2022

Nobody’s perfect, and nowhere is that more evident than during a live performance. Whether it’s a low-key acoustic set or a full-on monster rock show, it’s a guarantee – something will go wrong. That may be half the fun of live music!

One of the keys to mastery on the stage is handling mishaps well, so we’ll go over a few tips for weathering mistakes and other stage guffaws.

What to Do if a Band Member Doesn’t Show Up

February 02, 2022

Making a live act work with multiple players can be tricky, as is evidenced by every band documentary ever made. As a solo act, you only have to worry about getting yourself to the gig. If you happen to not show, you’ll never know the gig didn’t go well! But with four or five members, the chances of an uncomfortable situation quadruple, so it’s a good idea to have a plan in case somebody doesn’t show up.

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