Story of Ibanez Guitars

The founder of Ibanez Guitar is Hoshino Gakki and the headquarters of the guitar brand is in Japan at Nagoya, Aichi. This Japanese musical instrument manufacturing company succeeded in breaking into the competitive market of Europe and USA and acquiring a considerable market share.

The story of the origins of Ibanez guitars can be traced back to 1929 when Salvador Ibanez guitars were being imported by Hoshino Gakki from Spain.

Ibanez Bass Guitars

GSR Series
GAXB Series
EWB Series
EDC Series
EDB Series
EDA Series
DWB Series
BTB Prestige
BTB Series
Blazer
ATK 300
ATK 305 both feature 5 string and 4 string models
AGB 200
AFB 200
Artcore Series
Roadstar series
EX series
ATK series
SDGR series
SRX Soundgear Series
SR Prestige
SR Soundgear series
Roadgear series
Musician series
K 5 Fieldy
Jumpstart series
Jet King series
Ice Man series
GWB series
GSR 205
TR series
S series

Ibanez Acoustic Guitars

SAGE Series
Concord
V Series
Talman Series
PF Series
MASA Series
Mandolin Series
JAMPACK Series
GA Series
EW Series
EP9 Series
DT Series
AW Series (SR 900)
AES Series
AE5LG Series
AE Series

2008 New Ibanez Arrivals

SZR – 22 fret, new edition of the SZ series, SZR520 and SZR720 (with gold hardware and vine inlay)
ORM - Omar Rodriguez Signature - ORM1 (derived from the JTK Series)
NDM - Noodles Signature - NDM2 (derived from the Talman Series)
STM - Sam Totman Signature - STM1 (derived from the IC Series)
E Gen - Herman Li Signature - EGEN18 (derived from the S Series)
Iceman - ICT700 ( IC Series)
SV-Series Prestige – 24 fret, vintage tremolo
S-Series Prestige – 24 fret
Xiphos 7 String - XPT707 (X Series)

Claim to Fame

The popularity of Ibanez Guitars received a big boost when celebrated musicians and rock stars took to using Ibanez Guitars on stage. Some legendary crooners who swear/swore by their Ibanez guitars are Phil Collen, George Benson, Daron Malakian, John Petrucci, Mick Jagger, Joe Satriani, Paul Stanley, Steve Vai, Mark White, Andy Timmons, Paul Gilbert and Marty Friedman among others.

Signature Ibanez Models

Ibanez is also famed for its limited edition signature models like –
GB – George Benson signature model
JEM and Universe – Steve Vai designed guitar
JS – Joe Satriani signature model
17 other signature models like this which were tailor made and customized according to the specifications given by the featured musicians.

Discontinued Signature Models

There are a few, 15, to be specific, discontinued signature models, the most notable being PS 10 Paul Stanley signature model.

To learn more about Ibanez guitars, you can visit their official site, and remember to check out our Ibanez Guitar Store for used and new Ibanez guitars.

Guitar Tabs for Beginners

Most beginners who just learning how to strum on the guitar are filled with and inspired by rose tinted star spangled dreams of wooing the opposite sex with their guitar skills and soulful ballads or impressing and enthralling their audience with a mellifluous rendering of country music or kicking up a storm on stage amidst wildly cheering and screaming friends on the college prom night with the help of acoustic guitars and head banging hard metal rock.

Playing a song properly on your guitar makes one feel good, effects a catharsis and elicits the attentions of otherwise indifferent people.

But to be able to do all these you first have to learn how to play the guitar properly. That means getting acquainted not only with the guitar basics and guitar body parts and constituent parts, but also guitar tabs or tablature for beginners.

Guitar tabs for beginners

Guitar tabs are music notations – an ancient way or language in which music is written down. By looking at this written language consisting of various symbols and signs –with which all musicians are familiar – one can understand a particular song.

These same notations or written language for music will be used by the other music instruments players like those playing the banjo or drums or piano or violin along with the person strumming on the guitar.

The 6 horizontal lines on the guitar tab represent 6 guitar strings. String E which is the thickest is at the bottom followed by A, D, G , B and E high strings – the last one is the skinniest and at the top. That means the more you progress towards the top, the thinner the strings will become.

Next you have to place the fingers on select frets and the latter will be determined by the numbers. For e.g. A 0 indicates open string. The 2nd fret is indicated by 2, the third fret is indicated by 3.

Strum
When all the numbers are jumbled together inside a square, tumbling on top of one another it indicates that you should play all the notes together simultaneously. This is a strum. And all the notes have to be strummed together.
When you strum together all the notes, you play a chord.

You don’t always play on the guitar with the help of the pick. At times you have to hammer your finger on the strings. This is called hammer on.

Fender Guitars

In 1954 Freddie Tavares, George Fullerton and Leo Fender came up with an innovative electric guitar model called the Fender Stratocaster – Strat for short. The guitar is distinguished by its unique double cutaway design that derives balance while standing from an extended top horn.

The Fender has been a regular at historic musical performances on stage and in recordings along with the Fender Telecaster and the Gibson brigade and dominates the acoustic guitar scenario as an enduring and popular model with a classic industrial design that transcends the barriers of time and music genre.

Construction

The scale is 25.5” long.
The neck joint is the bolt-on type.
It features a double cut, solid body type made of wood like Poplar Wood, Ash Wood, Alder Wood as well as Koa and Mahogany for limited edition guitars.
The neck is usually made of Maple wood while Ebony, Pau Ferro, Rosewood and Maple wood are used to construct the fret board.
Hardware
The bridge is synchronized tremolo.
The pickups feature 2 or 3 single coils.

A Humbucker Bridge pickup comes with a 2 single coil. However the Acoustasonic Strat is an exception in this case. You can avail of HH and HSH pickup configurations in select models.

Fender Guitar Colors

The Standard Series come in Sonic Blue, Arctic White, Midnight Wine, Electron Blue, Brown Sunburst, Chrome Red, Black, Blue Agave, Blizzard Pearl and Navy Blue.

The American Standard Series (2008) is available in Sienna Sunburnt Ash, Candy Cola Alder, Charcoal Frost Metallic, Blizzard Pearl, Olympic White, 3 Color Sunburst And Black.

Honey Blonde, Daphne Blue, 3 Color Sunburst, White Blonde, Flat Black And Midnight Wine are the colors that paint the Highway One Series in multiple hues.

The American Deluxe Series is available in a riot of colors like Vintage White, Cobalt Blue Metallic, Natural, Teal Green Transparent, Lake Placid Blue, 2 Color Sunburst, Butterscotch Blonde, Candy Apple Red, Honey Blonde, Black, Olympic White Pearl, Aged Cherry Burst, Tobacco Sunburst, 3 Color Sunburst, Montego Black Metallic, Chrome Silver And Amber.

Claim to Fame

The Fender Stratocaster models boast of a special Artist Signature Series which are basically tailor made Fender guitars with customized features patronized by legendary crooners such Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, John Mayer, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bob Dylan, David Gilmour, Billy Corgan, Eric Johnson, Mark Knopfler and their likes, thus testifying to the popularity of this guitar brand.
USA, Korea, Japan and Mexico are the countries manufacturing the different models of Fender Stratocasters.

Visit Fender’s Official site, also visit our Fender Store to view a large selection of used and new Fender Guitars for sale.

Buying Guitars on eBay

eBay is one site where you can get hold of a wide array of both used and new acoustic and electric guitars. The collection of guitars featured on eBay is really huge and enviable. If you are lucky enough you might come across great deals on used trade in guitars and factory seconds in top condition offered by select reputed eBay dealers in guitars. However the value of the guitar will depend on its model, make, condition and age.

Some Tips to Keep in Mind While Buying Guitars on eBay

When you decide to purchase an acoustic or any other kind of guitar from a reputed online store like eBay, first you should do your homework on the model of the guitar you are planning to purchase and learn everything necessary about it as thoroughly as possible.

The disadvantage of buying a guitar from an online store like eBay is that it is not possible to physically hold the guitar or feel it or test it before you make the purchase. But to compensate for that, the dealers post pictures and actual photographs of the guitar model along with graphic detailed description of the item.

You may be able to find out more about the guitar model by accessing the home page of the guitar manufacturer’s or luthier’s website where there are bound to be informative articles on the guitar model.

It is best if you can visit a physical store or a friend who has a similar model and strum it for some time to get a feel of it. This will help you to decide whether the model is suitable for you or not.

If you are purchasing a used guitar, make sure to contact the seller, and ask specific questions about the condition of the guitar. Kindly ask the seller to pack the guitar in extra foam and bubble wrap. If the seller lives close to you, ask the seller if you can pick up the guitar or meet at a local place to pick it up.

The biggest hassle when you try to buy a guitar on eBay is finding the right guitar. There are thousands of guitars, and it’s very easy to get lost on eBay site. We have created a Guitar Auctions Store to help you with browsing eBay Guitar Auctions easily by brand, model, make, category, etc.

Should I Buy a Used Guitar or a Brand New Guitar

It would be better if you consider purchasing a used guitar if it’s your first guitar instead of a new one as it would be less expensive and the wood will become cured. Those who dare to invest in a guitar without actually holding it in their own hands usually know how to repair or refurbish their guitars and so they can take the risk.

While purchasing a used guitar you need to read through the description of details with a lot of care. Also try to peer into the photograph, accompanying the model and try to ascertain if repairs are necessary.

Usually the product description will state if repairs are necessary and it is best to stay away from such a guitar. But if it is a rare model or a limited edition model that is worth the money, then you can of course purchase it and do a few repairs.

Choosing Your First Guitar. Acoustic or Electric?

Most guitarists start learning the guitar with an acoustic guitar. Sometimes, it would be hard for a newbie to decide which type of guitar is best to start with. Here’s some detailed information about acoustic guitars, and guitars in general. I hope this information will help you for choosing your first guitar.

Acoustic Guitars

A guitar where the sound produced by strumming on its strings is projected only by acoustic methods is called an acoustic guitar. The term acoustic guitar is a fine example of a retronym. This term acoustic came into being only after electric guitars were created and attained popularity. The sound in an electric guitar becomes audible through electronic amplification.

The origins of the acoustic guitar which happens to be a stringed musical instrument can be traced back to Spain.

Acoustic Guitar body parts

The acoustic guitar has the following constituent body parts:

• 6 strings running along a neck
• The neck is also called fretted fingerboard
• A sound hole circular in shape
• A flat body with a waist
• The guitar looks like the digit 8 with the bottom very heavy and more bulbous than the top slim portion.
• The top of the fingerboard is fitted with tuning screws.
• The latter fasten the strings.
• The sound board of the acoustic guitar is called its belly.
• The belly holds a bridge that is glued to it.
• The guitar strings are also fastened to the bridge.
• Steel is the usual material with which the acoustic guitar strings are made.

In case of classical guitars however, the bottom 3 strings are constructed out of metal whereas the top 3 strings are constructed out of gut or nylon.

The tuning of the strings is done in the following way –
E
A
D
G
B
E

The backs and sides of acoustic guitars are made of mahogany and rosewood.  The tops are constructed out of cedar or spruce. This should ideally be the case with superior quality acoustic guitars.

Types of acoustic guitars

Endless variety in construction and design is the distinguishing feature of both modern and historical acoustic guitars that separates them from electric guitars. Electric guitars cannot boast of such variety in extremity. Lap steel guitar, steel string acoustic guitar and nylon stringed classical guitar are a few of the more significant varieties of acoustic guitars. Below you will find a complete list of different types of acoustic guitars.

Novelty Guitars

Guitar lute
Banjo guitar
Harp guitar
Russian guitar
Acoustic bass guitar

Steel stringed guitars

Lyre guitar
Lap steel guitar
Battente guitar
Archtop guitar
Resonator guitar - for e.g. the Dobro
12 string guitar
Steel string acoustic guitar – the other names for it are country guitar or folk guitar or western guitar

Nylon or gut stringed guitars

Flamenco guitar
Classical guitar – this one happens to be a nylon strings attached modern edition of the guitar original.
Romantic guitar
Baroque guitar
Renaissance guitar

Story of Gibson Guitars

Gibson Guitar Corporation is arguably the most famous and revered manufacturer of electric and acoustic models. Les Paul Standard – an electric guitar with a solid body is the company’s number one best seller. Gibson is the flagship brand, but it also owns and manufactures sister brands like Kalamazoo, Steinberger, Tobias, Valley Arts, Kramer and Epiphone.

Gibson is not only a guitar manufacturing brand but also makes Slingerland drums, pianos, Dobro, mandolin, banjo and other musical accessories.

In the late 1890s Orville Gibson, after whom the eponymous company is named started making mandolins in Kalamazoo. The same design featuring an identical arched, carved top was incorporated in archtop acoustic guitars. Electric guitars and acoustic guitars featuring flat tops and made by Gibson started making their appearance from 1930s onwards.

Gibson guitar was pushed into the limelight and got its break on stage when a rather well known and trend setting electric guitarist Charlie Christian used the ES 200 and ES 150 in his musical performances.

The period between the late sixties and mid eighties witnessed Gibson’s decadence and steep decline on which the present owners put a brake by buying it out and bringing about a reversal of its misfortunes.

Gibson Electric Guitars

Gibson is most famous for its electric guitars – Gibson Firebird, Gibson Explorer ES 175, Gibson Flying V, Gibson SG, Gibson Les Paul, Gibson ES 335, Gibson ES 150, Gibson ES 125 are some of Gibson’s popular electric guitar models.

Gibson Acoustic Guitars

Gibson also offers a large selection of acoustic guitars. Professional country musicians and rock stars swear by their Gibson acoustic guitars like the J Series.

Gibson Bass Guitars

Gibson’s main claim to fame and reverence is the 6 string guitar, but its bass models are equally popular and best sellers such as; Gibson Grabber, Gibson Ripper, Gibson EB 3 (it is derived from the SG), Gibson EB 0, and Gibson Thunderbird (a derivative of the Firebird).

Claim to Fame

Legendary musicians who patronized Gibson Guitars for their studio recordings and live musical performances are Chet Atkins, Billie Joe Armstrong, Ryan Adams, Jeff Beck, Buckethead, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Johnson, John Lennon, Bob Marley, Paul McCartney, Jeff Martin, Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, Mick Taylor among others.

Gibson’s Headquarters & Factories

Gibson Guitars were at first manufactured in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Then the factory was shifted to Nashville in Tennessee and after a change of ownership, the revered guitar manufacturing company witnessed a spurt in growth and success. Gibson guitars are now manufactured in southern rural belts like Bozeman in Montana and Memphis in Tennessee.

Visit Gibson’s Official Site, and also our Gibson Guitar Store to view Gibson Guitars and get more information.

How To Play The Electric Guitar

The guitar is one of the handy musical instruments. It is not only easy to learn but convenient to bring along unlike the piano or a drum set. Whether it is for a formal occasion like classical concerts or informal gatherings, a guitar is a common sight. The guitar has come a long way in terms of improvements. An electric guitar might have evolved from the need to put in more “power” to the instrument. Listening to rock and metal bands, the guitar has really been placed at the forefront of music making.

An electric guitar is different from the usual guitar in the sense that it can not produce a loud sound without amplification. Other devices are hooked up to the electric guitar for sound modification. These adds to the diversity of sounds that the electric guitar produces making it favorable to use in jazz, blues, rock & role as well as metal music.

Before learning how to play the electric guitar, one has to know the basics of guitar playing. A good grasp of fundamentals will allow faster adaptation. Electric guitars have additional knobs and levers to control the sound it produces.

Electric Guitar Components

• Body - this is the part of the guitar that holds the bridge, pickups, strings, strap holders, tremelo inputs, and volume/tone controls. The body is also usually made of some type of wood and comes in many different colors.
• Strings - usually every guitar has 6 strings. You pluck and pick the strings to produce noise. Each string has a different level of thickness. The thicker the string, the lower the sound and vice versa. Sometimes, the strings can break and you need to get them replaced.
  Bridge/Neck - the part where the strings sit at the body end of the guitar. The bridge may be Tune-O-Matic, Floyd Rose, Hardtail, Bigsby or Tremolo.
• Pickups - the electronic devices that pick up magnetic fluctuations in the area around the pickup which can be disturbed by the string to make sound. They are can be found on the body under the strings.
• Tremelo Inputs - most electric guitars include these, but some require installing to put one on. Located on the body, the tremelo input produces a wavy sound by pressing down on the tremelo bar. Tremelo bars are sort of like sticks you push into the tremelo input.
• Strap Holder - these are little stubs around the edge of the body of the guitar. They are used for keeping your strap on.
• Volume/Tone Controls - are on the body of the guitar. If you mix the settings up a little, you can produce a unique sound. These controls can also be found on an amplifier.
• Headstock - every guitar has a headstock. The headstock is the little piece of wood that sits on top of the fretboard. The headstock holds tuning pegs and the ends of the strings.
• Tuning Pegs - without the tuning pegs, your guitar will sound like a most people who try out for ‘American Idol.’ Bad. Good thing, we have these little guys to tune our guitars with. The tuning pegs are little silver stubs on the side of the headstock.
• Fretboard (frets and fret markers) - this is the neck part of the guitar. It contains frets and fret markers. Frets are little metal ridges along the guitar that you would press the strings on to produce a different note. Fret Markers are indicators of which fret is where on the fretboard. Fret markers can be found on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th, 19th, and 21st fret. The 12th fret has a mark that differs from the rest of the marks on the fretboard. This is because the 12th fret produces the same note as an open string.

Choosing the Right Electric Guitar

For first-time buyers of an electric guitar, here are some tips for choosing the right one for you:

1. Evaluate the particular situation. Do you need one to practice and then use later on for performances? Do you want to play solo or with some other people as in a band?
2. Determine the specific application for the electric guitar. Do you want to invest in a branded guitar even if you are a beginner? If you are going to do some traveling, a lightweight electric guitar would be the best one for you.
3. Know the sound that you want. It is important that you have to “test run” the electric guitar. If you are unsure of your experience in guitars then bring along someone who knows about sound quality.
4. Identify the budget for your purchase. Electric guitars and the accessories that need to come with it are expensive. You may be overwhelmed by the vast choices that you have. So patience is needed. You can actually do some research first before buying the guitar.
5. Consult a reliable person before purchase to determine quality and level of performance. There are also internet resources that you can read about a particular electric guitar brand or component.
6. Include in the budget and purchase the training items and resources to help you get started on playing the electric guitar. This can be extra strings, picks, a tuner or a stand.
7. Once you have chosen which electric guitar you will purchase, test the guitar. See if you are comfortable with it.

What It Takes To Become a Great Electric Guitar Player

Nowadays, everyone wants to be the next Jimi Hendrix or Eddie Van Halen. To be a good electric guitar player needs innate ability to learn about how to play the electric guitar inside out. One has to express his own style of playing as well as be able to play a variety of music with it.

There are no shortcuts in becoming a good electric guitar player. This will take months or even years of constant practice until a unique technique will be mastered and have a confidence level to be in line with the great electric guitar players of our time.

There are abilities that are critical to the development of any player that truly wants to become not only an excellent guitarist, but also an excellent musician:

• Technique
  A lot of people just follow what other players are doing. What they do not know is the “technique” that underlies great electric guitar playing. The internet has vast resources for guitar tabs that can start a beginner
• Tuning
  The beginner guitarist must be able to tune his guitar and maintain this. A guitarist that tunes and is sensitive to his guitar tune is a good one. There are training videos on the web as well as those that can be bought online. Mastering the art of tuning the electric guitar is one aspect that the budding electric guitar player should have in mind.
• Musicianship
  Natural talent is one thing that a guitar player has. The love for music and the skill to make music is not a reason not to practice. The player must have discipline to practice as much as possible in order to perfect the electric guitar playing.
• Creativity / Flexibility
  An important aspect for great guitar playing is creativity in relation to flexibility. With much practice, the guitar player will be able to develop a technique and embed uniqueness into his guitar playing. Flexibility here means that the guitar player can adjust to any situation at all times. He can manipulate his electric guitar in any way that he chooses.
• Ear Training
  They say musicians have an ‘ear’ for music. They can recognize every bit of sound or instrument that they hear and can even make out the notes. The guitar player must also have this ability. This can be achieved by listening to lots of different kinds of music and maybe filtering to listen to the guitar accompaniment. While doing the player must observe the technique.
• Stage Presence / Confidence
  The guitar player should be able to exude confidence in his playing. This confidence is brought about by knowing what the guitar piece from beginning to end. This is brought about by practice.
• Practice, practice, practice
  This is the ONLY sure way to become a great guitar player.

How To Get Started with Electric Guitar

The electric guitar and other requirements have already been bought and the energy to start with the lessons are bursting from within you. Next thing to do is look for resources for guitar training.

There are options that you can resort to. You can study with a professional or even enrol in a course for guitar playing or you can self-study.

The listings below will be able to give you resources where to start for guitar lessons, training videos, guitar forums and schools.

Top Ten Sites That Teach How to Play the Electric Guitar

1. http://www.jamplay.com/guitar-lessons/lesson-samples.html
2. http://www.zentao.com/guitar/guitar-lessons.html
3. http://www.supersonic.net/guitar/lessons.htm
4. http://www.guitarplayer.com/lessons
5. http://www.madguitarlicks.com/
6. http://www.electric-guitars-guide.com/how-to-play-electric-guitar.html
7. http://www.cyberfret.com/
8. http://www.guitarists.net/
9. http://www.guitarplayerworld.com/Guitar_Lessons.html
10. http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/270_electric-guitar-basics.htm

Top 10 Video Tutorials that Teach you Play the Electric Guitar

1. http://www.e-chords.com/videos.asp?order=top
2. http://www.jamplay.com/guitar-lessons/full/blues-and-scales-82.html
3. http://www.videoguitarlessons.com/
4. http://www.livevideo.com/video/5CFE4FFA0F434F63A551AF4E253C30CE/guitar-lessons-online.aspx
5. http://www.guitargrind.com/file/438-electric-guitar-lesson-guitarist-tips.html
6. http://playaguitarforfree.com/2008/09/19/acdc-video-guitar-lesson-angus-young/
7. http://www.vguitarlessons.com/?gclid=CMK3xb3NlZYCFQH4egodRVaSEQ
8. http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/
9. http://www.guitarcamera.com/video.asp?video=41
10. http://www.guitartricks.com/freeguitarlessons.php

Top 10 Free Tab Resources to Get you Started with Electric Guitars:

1. http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/
One of the largest free guitar tabs online. With a database of over 20,000 tabs and a growing membership, this site is a good resource for tabs and chords. Updates are made daily so expect something fresh and new on this site.
2. http://www.heartwoodguitar.com/chords.htm
This resource is straightforward with no frills on the presentation of chords and tabs. A good sizable listing can be expected from this site.
3. http://www.911tabs.com/guitar_tabs/
The site’s search engine for thousands of tabs is a good feature. Unlike other sites, finding a tab is easy. Tabs are updated as fast and as usual as possible.
4. http://www.guitaretab.com/
Click on the song listed and you can have access to the tab along with an audio sound of help you start on the guitar playing. The listing are mostly popular songs that is sometimes a ‘most’ when one is learning how to play an electric guitar.
5. http://www.tabpower.com/
TabPower has one of the largest collection of tabs online. The search engine is quite effective and listings present those that any guitar player would like to get hold of.

6. http://metaltabs.com/
The site has tabs from popular metal bands like FUBAR, OXL, etc. and they are adding more bands. Anyone who is into metal electric guitar playing will find this site most useful. Beginner players can practice knowing that the tabs are from those who made the music.
7. http://www.tabspider.net/
Although lacking in the aesthetics, the site has a good number of tabs for everyone to use. The resource has an index of over a 100,000 tabs. Search engine is effective and fast. Definitely, this is a good resource.
8. http://www.lyrics-p.com/
The site has a sizeable number of chords and tabs. The resource is good for beginner guitar players.
9. http://www.rockmagic.net/
The resource has a listing for the more popular rock bands. Organization of the site is efficient and at one glance you can see the choices that you have. The site has tabs and chords on a per band per song list.
10. http://www.alltabs.com/
This free resource is available for everyone. Featured are tabs for the more common songs which is always an entry point for a beginner electric guitar player. From these simple and easy to learn tabs, a player can proceed to the more advanced selections.

Top 10 Guitar Schools in the US

1. Musicians Institute – Hollywood, CA
2. American Institute of Guitar – New York, NY
3. Manhattan School of Music – New York, NY
4. LA Music Academy – Pasadena, CA
5. Georgetown University – Washington, DC
6. The Boston Conservatory - Boston, MA
7. Johns Hopkins University, Peabody Institute - Baltimore, MA
8. American Institute of Guitar – New York, NY
9. The Wilmington Music School – Wilmington, OH
10. Austin Guitar School – Austin, TX
or you can go to http://www.guitarschools.com/ for a complete listing for all US states.

Top Electric Guitar Forums

1. http://www.guitarists.net/index.php
2. http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=41
3. http://www.fretplay.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=203&func=showcat&catid=17
4. http://www.guitardogs.com/message-board-forum/forum-18.html
5. http://www.tubefreaks.net/modern-guitars/
6. http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=26
7. http://www.washburn.com/forum/default.asp
8. http://www.talkbass.com/
9. http://www.ultimateguitarforum.com/forum/
10. http://www.musiciansplaza.com/