Modern Guitar Rigs: The Tone Fanatics Guide to Integrating Amps and Effects (Second Edition)

The definitive guide to building the ultimate rig for your sound.

In my years of playing, I've come across many guitarists who have varying philosophies when it comes to their gear. On one end of the spectrum are players who find a sound and stick with it, doing very little experimentation with other amps and effects. One famous example of this kind of player is Tom Morello, who has basically had the same rig since 1989 or so. On the other end, you have those who love to experiment and constantly seek out new tones and textures. They tinker with their pedalboards endlessly, buy and sell amps frequently and always stay on top of what's new in the world of gear. Wherever you may lie, having the know-how of what makes for the best sound is imperative. Modern Guitar Rigs: The Tone Fanatic's Guide To Integrating Amps And Effects (Second Edition) by Scott Kahn is an invaluable tool to take your sound wherever you want it to go.

Most players start out on their journey with the basics: a decent guitar and amp, and perhaps a pedal or two. But as you grow as a player, you quickly realize that getting the sounds in your head to come through your speakers will require a bit more firepower. There are certainly many routes to take to get there, from stompboxes to modeling amps to rack gear...the list goes on and on. And sure, you can fumble in the dark looking for a lightswitch, but it's much easier to have a comprehensive guide lie Modern Guitar Rigs at your side.

Over the course of 208 pages and an included DVD, Scott Kahn walks you through the myriad ways you can build a guitar rig that will help you achieve your creative goals. Best of all, he does it in a thorough yet easy-to-understand writing style. It's all covered here, from the basics of understanding effects loops to rack gear, multi-amp setups, MIDI foot controllers, line mixers and much more. The details in each chapter get granular, explaining how these pieces of gear interact with your instrument and amplifier and the resulting tones you can expect. And it goes beyond the gear that obviously affects your sound into the things you might not think about like cables, power attenuators, conditioners, wireless systems, rack cases, switching systems...if it's part of the signal chain or simply a practical piece of gear, it's covered in Modern Guitar Rigs.

Another strength of Modern Guitar Rigs is that it's filled with charts and illustrations that give you a visual representation of the concepts being discussed. And Kahn provides plenty of real examples of the gear he's talking about, providing a starting point if you're not sure about what you need.

Modern Guitar Rigs was written in consultation with some of the biggest names in music and their techs, as well as builders, including Alex Lifeson, John Petrucci, Bob Bradshaw, David Friedman and a number of others. What that means is that as detailed and technical as the information in this book can be, at the end of the day it's all very practical information that can be put to use. If you're ready to advance your knowledge of guitar gear beyond "plug and play," Modern Guitar Rigs from Hal Leonard is a great resource to have. At $29.99, it's a small investment in your playing that will benefit you for many years to come.

Modern Guitar Rigs: The Tone Fanatic's Guide To Integrating Amps And Effects (Second Edition)

By Scott Kahn

208 Pages + DVD

Purchase from Hal Leonard