Audio applications can be very confusing at times. There are several factors that can affect the way that your audio signal sounds in any given environment. If you play one room exclusively, you are usually able to get your equipment to sound its best on a consistent basis. However, if you gig in several different venues, you have probably noticed that it can be very frustrating to balance the need to control feedback compared with achieving required volume levels..

This phenomenon is largely due to the fact that most venues are not designed and constructed with audio applications in mind. This includes clubs, church sanctuaries, and even mega arenas where most large concerts take place. To fight this, many people play "Russian Roulette" with a graphic equalizer to try to attain that perfect sonic zone. Ironically, even if volume and feedback control are achieved, frustration occurs again because too much equalization can sterilize sound quality.

Fortunately, there is a way to deal with this phenomenon and help you get the best sound and highest headroom from your equipment. The term for this is called “Ringing out the System”. While this is not exactly a perfect solution, it is often times the best fix in an even more imperfect audio environment.

Every guitar player I know wants a new or better guitar. Most of us can not afford to go out and buy a new guitar, but there is another option. Make some adjustments and modifications to your existing guitar. In this article I am going to show you a few tricks you can do that are relatively easy and inexpensive for the do-it-yourself type. I have just finished doing some modifications on my stock Fender® Stratocaster® and I am going to show them to you.

Okay, so you’ve banded together some of your friends and have decided that you’d like to make some music, and perhaps even play a few gigs. How you proceed depends largely upon what your long term goals are. If its low key garage band stuff with an occasional party in the mix I say do whatever gives you the most pleasure. But if you have higher aspirations of regular paying gigs, the first thing you are going to need is a plan.

Start with 3 set lists.
1) Songs we all know
2) Songs some of us know
3) Songs we all want to learn.