For a lot of people, learning to play the guitar is a life-long dream. The introduction of online guitar courses has opened a great opportunity for the masses, making learning the guitar accessible to just about everyone. Choosing the correct guitar lessons is the first step to learn the guitar the right way, and its one of the most difficult ones. Starting out with the wrong program can set you back years. Yes, years.

In order to learn the guitar correctly, you have to first find guidance. With so many websites out there offering “Free” guitar lessons, its almost impossible to know where to start. I hate cliches, but in this instance I’m a afraid that the “You get what you pay for” phrase applies perfectly. Don’t expect to get high quality instruction for free. Let’s be realistic, guitar instructor need to make a living  just like everybody else. They have worked very hard to get to the level they are, and to bring you quality.

If you are willing to trust your learning to one of the many “Free” lessons sites, go ahead, some people need to learn the hard way. Keep in mind that quality is not free. I rather spend a few dollars and do it right the first time around. Having a strong foundation is paramount in any learning experience, and learning the guitar is no exception. Leaving that first step to just chance is the biggest mistake you can make.

We have scoured the web for months trying to find the best guitar course out there. We hit many sites with mixed results. Some had good lessons, but lacked a good user interface. Some were mediocre, but had a very nice layout. After much research we found that Guitar Tricks is the absolute best guitar lessons site on the web.

Guitar Tricks has the best instructors along with the most complete guitar lessons arsenal that we could find. Guitar video lessons that is, one thing that many “Free” sites lacked. It is very important for you to actually see what your guitar instructor is trying to teach you. The guitar is a very expressive instrument, and seeing a professional instructor playing will help your technique develop quicker, and correctly. Their user interface is extremely simple. You have access to thousands of lessons, all neatly organized into style and skill level. You can tell that they put a lot of thought into the creation of this site.

Guitar Tricks has been online since 1998, and that means something. You want to have an experienced group of folks on your side if you are serious about learning the guitar. Don’t do it like I did. I tried to learn the guitar on my own for many years until I realized that you cannot beat having a good guitar instructor. Human beings, by nature, are prone to develop bad habits. Breaking those bad habits is one of the hardest things to do. Believe me, I literally had to re-learn my right hand technique all over after 10 years of playing. Not having an instructor keeping you away from those bad habits, is basically holding you back from reaching your full potential. Do it right, get the guidance you need.

Last but not least is value. You might be asking yourself, “how much is this going to cost?”.  Let me put it this way: There are tons of courses out there that charge $20/month or even more for less than half of what Guitar Tricks has to offer. Guitar Tricks is by far the most cost effective guitar training course we have found. At only $12.95/month, Guitar Tricks is an incredible value. Getting quality for free is a very hard – if not impossible – thing to find these days. But, getting top-notch guitar instruction for pennies a day is possible, thanks to Guitar Tricks.

Click the “Play” button on the video below for an introduction.

If there is one pickup that has been in more metal recordings than any other, that is the EMG 81. I bought my first EMG 81 back in 1989. All of my friends were sticking EMG 81s into any guitar they could find. Cheap Strats, Hondo Flying Vs (ah, memories) and even unbranded Frankenstein creations. I remember a guitar repair guy saying, “you can put an EMG 81 on a broom, and it will sound good”. Hmmm, I don’t know about that.

A lot of people think that the pickup sounds the same no matter what guitar you put it on. I completely disagree. I have used it in many different guitars with very different results. The whole idea that a pickup will sound the same no matter what guitar you put it on is ridiculous. There are several variables that make a pickup sound a certain way. Wood type, construction, and even the bridge type will make a pickup sound a certain way.

The EMG 81 is a metal legend. Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Kreator and a ton of other bands have used EMG 81s almost exclusively throughout their careers. But that is not the only genre this pickup can handle. I have a Strat that has sported an EMG 81 since 1995, and I have played just about everything with it. The punch and definition of the EMG 81 is just uncomparable. And I know, you have to change batteries since it is an active pickup. Thats an minor inconvenience for the sound that you get out of this puppy (no pun intended).

Back in the day we had one color option, black. Now you can get them in a good selection of colors, including Camo! Thanks for that, Zakk. If you haven’t tried an EMG 81 yet, you should do yourself a favor and at least give it a test drive. I don’t think you will be dissapointed.

EMG 81 Active Humbucker Guitar Pickup

This is very clever. A tuner that mounts right on the volume knob. One less piece of equipment to haul around! The N-tune comes for both, Strats, and Les Paul style guitars. Installation is best left for a pro, unless you are very comfortable with electronics.

N-Tune On Board Chromatic Electric Guitar Tuner For Single Coils

I stumbled across this product while searching for a pickguard for a Strat project I have. I think this will give the guitar a very unique look. If you are into rock or metal, this will give an extra set of balls to your traditional Strat. They come in many different pickup configurations and shapes. This pickguards will look awesome when the lights hit them.

Sharp Concepts Standard 11-Hole Pickguard S/S/S Diamond Plate