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Zildjian Cymbals is one of the oldest family run business’ in the world and has,been going since the early 1600s. Frets have been selling Zildjian since we started trading in 1980. The cast bronze series covers every style of drumming from jazz to metal.

The series are A , A Custom, K , K Custom,  Z3,  Oriental, ZBT, ZXT, FX and last but not least ZHT.  They include all sizes from 10″ to “22.

Out of interest  Avedis is actually the family name not Zildjian.  Zildjian was a title given to a member of the Avedis family which loosely translates to “cymbal maker to the king” and this name was used from  around the 20s-30s.

They have the industry’s largest artist roster including Travis Barker,Adrian Young, Tommy Lee, Taylor Hawkins Zak Starkey and Tre Cool.

Zildjian is still the biggest name in cymbals.

Tama hard ware is bomb proof and built to last. The iron cobra pedals and hi hat stands have a reputation unrivalled for quality and durability.

Frets have been selling Tama drums for 32 years.

Ibanez guitars are organised in a variety of series offering a range of options for all styles of music. These are the RG,RGD RGA GIO ,ARZ, ART,S,SA,SAS,and Signature. The RG (Road Gear) series is the oldest and most recognized range available in standard wizard 3 necks or wizard prestige (all made in Japan).RGD is a longer scale option tuned D to D —great for metal. The RGA series is the same as RG but with an arched top. The Gio series covers all the various styles and body shapes but at a lower price point. ARZ & ART are Ibanez’s take on the classic single cut but with hotter active pickups.. S and SA/SAS series are lighter weight slimmed down guitars. Using mahogany for the bodies on this series still provides guitars with resonance and warmth. The Signature series covers all styles and shapes most notably the RG design for Steve Vai/ Munky/ Mick Thomson/Paul Gilbert.. The S series shapes for Satriani. The remium series is the same specification as the Prestige but is not made in Japan thereby keeping the cost down. For years Ibanez have perfected their brilliant Gibraltar series hard tail bridges and edge, edge zero and edge zero 2 tremolos maintaining them at the cutting edge of electric guitar technology.

All Ibanez guitars are rigorously constantly quality checked with each guitar supplied with a swing tag to say who checked it and when. Ibanez is a .modern forward looking company that listens to what people want. For example many years ago the guys from Ibanez Japan came into Fret Music as part of their Circuit visiting all the UK dealers. As part of our feedback we advised them that due to public demand they should provide a hard tail RG. Six months later exhibited at the trade show in LA was a selection of brand new models all based on that conversation Scott from Frets had with the research and development team. Although famous for rock guitars they are as renowned for their quality jazz and semi acoustics, endorsed by George Benson, Pat Metheny and Andy Scofield. With the AGR, AS, AF and AFS series there is a body depth and style to suit all budgets.

Ibanez has to be the world’s leading manufacturer of modern electric guitars but at the same time provide such a diverse range of instruments for literally all styles and genres of music.

It’s not rocket science however you need to adopt a regular procedure to ensure a successful set up.

Before you do anything decide what strings to use. If you are opting for a dtune D or lower you’ll need to put a much heavier set of strings on the guitar. We generally use 11-52 metal core for D,G,C,F,A,D  or a 12-56 for a dropped C,F,Bb,Eb,G,C. For conventional tuning most players still use 9-42 but more have now gone over to 10-46. A compromise is a hybrid set from 9-46. This gives the best of both worlds with a chunky bass but lighter bendable top. If you keep using the same set and gauge of string this process makes life a bit easier as the bridge will be use to the tension of that gauge. If you keep changing gauges and tunings then your always have to set the tremolo to those gauges.

This will almost certainly alter the neck tension. So remove the truss rod cover and check the truss rod is moving freely. While you’re at it (still with the original strings on) check the neck runs true. It should have a very slight amount of convex relief. I run my eye down from the nut end to the bridge along the side of the fingerboard.

This is a good base line, if your changing the string gauge from say, a set of 9’s to a set of 11’s then you will need to check the neck again once you’ve tuned up and sorted the trem out. So if you’re still tuning to standard E with the 11’s then you will need to tighten the truss rod up a quarter turn or two. This is because of the greater tension on the neck compared to the 9’s that the guitar is use to. And obviously if you’re going from a big set of strings down a couple of gauges you will have to loosen the neck off.

Now with different tuning and heavier strings the tension on the neck will be different. As you’re not up to standard E the strings are slacker and so will the neck. You will still have to check the neck to make sure you have the proper relief in the neck. But you might not have to do as much work to get it to the right relief.

Next step is to remove the locking plates from the nut and put in a container. I’d like a pound for every one I’ve dropped on the floor so put them somewhere safe. I use a magnetic dish I got from an automotive shop. Then detention the strings, slacken the anchors on the saddles and pull them out and off of the machineheads. Whilst you have the strings off it’s always a good idea to check the saddles are secure and the bolts that hold them down are done up tight. Give the trem a quick dust over with a dry paint brush.

Check the frets and see if they need a polish. With use they do get dull so it’s always a good idea to give them a polish every once in a while. First thing is to protect the fingerboard with some masking tape. Then polish the frets. You can use a block like they use on motorcycles, metal polish with a cloth or with some fine grade wire wool. Once your happy with the result remove the tape and treat the fingerboard with lemon oil. Ideally leave it for a few hours but you can remove it straight away. Make sure its all wiped off the neck and the body before you continue. Now give the rest of the guitar some attention. Polish the body, especially those hard to reach places. Do this now before putting the strings on.

Next fit the strings. Some Ibanez trems let you keep the ball ends on so you can fit them on like a traditional trem. But for the most you will need to cut the ball ends off to fit them into the saddle. See diagram below for best place to cut the string.

Insert the cut string into the saddle and tighten up the locking bolt—then locate onto machine head. Once that’s done you can start to tension the strings up. There is a few different ways of doing this. You can either just tighten the strings up and watch the trem rise, or you can put something under the trem its self in the cavity to hold it in the right place as you tune up. This does make life a bit easier but make sure it’s something you can get back out once you have finished.

Ok, so now comes the tricky part, making sure the trem is level with the body. This can sometimes take no time at all or sometimes can take ages! The way I’ve done it for years is (this sounds simple I know) tune one string at a time, move to the next then go back to the beginning. This maintains the right tension and tuning. Keep doing this until all the strings are in tune. At this point you might have noticed that either trem is lifting above parallel or its dipping into its cavity too much. This is where the springs on the back and the gauge/ tension of the strings come into play. If the trem has started to lift then stop, loosen the strings off slightly, flip the guitar over, take the back cavity plate off and screw the two large screws with the springs attached into the guitar a couple of turns. If it’s dipping too much into the cavity then loosen these screws off a couple of turns. Flip the guitar over again and start the tuning process again. Now it’s just a balancing act between the tuning and the springs in the back. Once you’ve done this a couple of times you should be able to get the trem level. Then you will need to stretch the strings so they don’t get hideously out of tune when you do your first dive bomb or trem flutter. Best way to do this is to tug the string
(like a bow and arrow) at the 12^th fret, tune it up and repeat until you’re confident the slack has been taken out of the string. Now once this is done, again you will have to check the trem to see if it has moved. It shouldn’t too much but you may need to adjust it.

Patience’s is a virtue! This by no means is a quick process. Take your time. Don’t get too stressed with it. It can be done, but if it’s your first time, take a break and go back to it if you’re getting annoyed with it. If the trems still too high once you’ve tightened the springs up as much as you can, you will need to add another spring to help with the tension. This is easily done but you will have to remember too loosen off the springs again.

When you’re satisfied with the tuning and if your guitars not been flung across the room, you need to put the locking nut pads back on and tighten them up. This will make the guitar go slight out of tune again but you have the fine tuners on the bridge to sort that out. Give it a quick wipe down and you’re done!

It’s a lot of effort just to restring it but once you’ve done it a few times it’ll be second nature. It can be very satisfying restringing and sorting out your own guitar but if you do get any problems with them then we are always here to help. Our in house engineer has experience on the road and in the shop doing these types of guitars and trems.

The guitar is available in sunburst or natural. The neck has ivoroid binding making it nice and smooth to play. The body is birch back and sides, a spruce top and a 14 degree set mahogany neck fitted with a 2 way truss rod.

Our verdict is a great little guitar to take on holiday and just chuck it in the corner to use when ever the fancy takes you. And Peavey have a unique guarantee commitment of wait for it 5 years!!

The Hampshire  guitar club is a new organisation being organised by Martin Dearlove. The first meeting was held on the 20^th January 2012. They are planning to meet once a month in Eastleigh (the venue to be confirmed)

If you want to become involved email hampshire-guitar-club@googlegroups.com

This is for guitarists of all ages , abilities and styles who share a passion for the instrument. Jam with others look at gear and generally socialise with like minded people.

Visit the shop and you are confronted with a wall of Crafter
guitars.

Fret Music are now the biggest independent retailer of
Crafter. This is not without good reason having invested much of our time and
resources in promoting this superb range of acoustic and electro acoustic
guitars.

They are a highly prestigious name in the guitar industry.
Made in Korea
they also manufacture for some of the other major guitar names, some of who
might come as a surprise.

The quality of craftsmanship and choice of materials is
second to none.

The Crafter range is made up from the following series:

Lite Series

Features solid spruce tops and mahogany back and sides. The
electros are fitted with Crafter preamps that include a tuner. The range comes
in two different finish options. Lite, a satin natural or Hilite a gloss
vintage sunburst.  This a good choice of
guitar at a target price of sub £300.

6 Series

Features a solid sitka
spruce top, mahogany back and sides and binding on the neck and body. This has
an upgraded preamp. Includes a free gig bag. Sitka has improved definition for
fingerpickers.

7 Series

Feature a cedar top with mahogany back and sides. Cedar
creates a warm sound ideal for strumming. Fitted with an LR Baggs preamp
system. A gig bag is included free of charge.

15 Series

Features a cedar top with Dao back and sides. Gives the
warmth of mahogany and the projection of rosewood. Fitted with deluxe tuners
with wood rosette and fingerboard inlay. Great strumming guitar. Includes a
free gig bag.

D.V. Series

This is an all solid acoustic guitar featuring an engleman
spruce top and mahogany back and sides. This is a superb finger picking guitar.
Comes with a free gig bag.

T.V. Series

This is an all solid electro acoustic guitar featuring an
engleman spruce top and mahogany back and sides. This is a superb finger
picking guitar. Complete with an L.R Baggs preamp. Comes with a free gig bag.

Silver Series

Recommended where the budget is a at a sub £200 price. It
features a spruce top and a mahogany body.

FX Series

Crafter’s answer to the Ovation style electro acoustic with
a lyracord plastic back. The guitar is very useful in live situations through a
sound system. Has a quieter acoustic sound property. A gig bag is included.

GLXE 3000 Series

This is the flagship model from Crafter. It’s a stunning
electro with a superb spec fitted with a solid englemann spruce top with either
Indonesian rosewood back and sides or Bubinga. It features wood binding on the
body and neck. The electronics are a top of the range L.R.Baggs preamp system
with nice touches like a high quality Switchcraft jack socket.  Sounds fantastic acoustically or through
amplification. Comes as an outfit with a top quality stitch bound case.

The MIA and other music industry and music education bodies have long been campaigning for the deregulation of live music.

“The current bureaucracy has stifled and prevented live music and we greatly welcome this government announcement” said Paul McManus, Chief Executive of the Music Industries Association, the UK trade body for the musical instrument industry.

Culture Minister John Penrose today announced plans for a wholesale deregulation of entertainment licensing in the UK. Musicians putting on small scale entertainment will no longer need to apply for costly and burdensome licenses under proposals in a consultation by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Since the introduction of the Licensing Act in 2003, live music in small venues saw a decline as regulations, bureaucracy and cost put musicians and their venues off holding small scale events.

In his press release, Tourism Minister John Penrose said:

‘Current entertainment licensing rules are a mess. Pointless bureaucracy and licence fees imposed on community groups trying to put on simple amateur productions and fund-raising events, sap energy and deaden people’s desire to get involved. The Government’s Red Tape Challenge, is leading to deregulation across all sectors of the economy – and in this case it will make it easier for new talent to get started and help pubs to diversify into other activities to help weather the present tough economic climate.’