If you weren’t lucky enough to see the show in person, don’t worry, a DVD of the Metallica/Slayer/Megadeth/Anthrax show from Bulgaria is going to be released on October 15th. You COULD just get the standard DVD, but then you would be missing out on the sweet stuff included in the limited edition “super deluxe” version.

“The full shows from all four bands will be included in the two-disc set along with behind-the-scenes and interview footage. In addition to the two-DVD set and the corresponding Blu-ray, there will be a limited-edition “super deluxe” box set including the DVD set, five CDs with ALL the music, a 24-page booklet, a poster, photos of each band, and a “Big Four” guitar pick.”

The pick is definitely a collector’s item, and not just because it was done by yours truly. Finally, a rival to the “Pick of Destiny”, though no promises on whether this pick harnesses all the metal powers of the big 4.

So skip a few of those “super deluxe size” upgrades at Jack in the Box and KFC this week and preorder the super deluxe Big 4 DVD. You wont be sorry.

Thanks to Blabbermouth for the info, who has the whole track listing if you’re interested.

Gearwire Editorial Director, Gino Robair, finds inspiration in the new FREEZE Sound Retainer.

Check out the complete review here:

http://www.gearwire.com/electroharmonix-freeze-proreview.html

The guitar strap, it’s the unsung hero of the guitar world. It keeps your guitar in place while you push your lead singer back to his side of the tiny and crowded bar stage. It makes the perfect sling for when your slinging your guitar up and over your shoulder and out from under your side in a moment of true rockstardom. The only thing holding that precious guitar to you is that strap. Might as well have it look cool.

Enter our Lucky 13 straps.

“Lucky 13 was formed out of the inspiration of its surroundings- suburbanite youth on a mission to rebel. It was a counter culture of lowbrow hot rod art, fast music and tattoos. It celebrates everything uniquely American while embracing the individual in all of us.”

For this week’s Facebook Friday Giveaway we’re giving 6 Lucky 13 straps (shown) to 6 lucky people. All you have to do to enter is comment on the comment section below. Please adhere to the official rules section of our site.

Question. Often when I am reading about guitars on the internet I hear about different parts of the guitar, can you give a brief description of the different parts of a guitar?

Answer. Here is a brief description of some of the more commonly misunderstood parts of the guitar.

Headstock

The headstock is the part of a guitar at the end of the neck opposite to the body.

The headstock is generally used for supporting the tuning pegs used to wind the strings. There are many shapes that headstocks can come in depending on the type of guitar.

The headstock usually displays the brand of guitar.

Machine Heads

The machine heads or tuning pegs are found at the headstock.

The machine heads tighten or loosen the strings so the string can be tuned.A basic gear mechanism is used to wind the strings.

Windingátools are available and can be used to rapidly unwind and wind strings for quick changing.

Frets

Are the bars or ridges (usually made of metal) that sit on the fingerboard or neck of a guitar; when the string is depressed by your fingers at the metal bar it will make a note of the desired pitch.

Frets are arranged on guitars to produce specific musical pitches. On the typical guitar or bass each fret represents one semitone or half step.

Fretless guitars do exist.

Bridge
The bridge is found down on the body. The function of the bridge, in addition to simply holding the strings in place, is to transmit their vibrations to the top of the guitar, to the instrument’s soundboard or pickups.

There are many different types of bridge and they can be made from a variety of materials depending upon the type of guitar. For example electric guitars usually have metal bridges and acoustic guitars usually have wooden ones.

From picks and slides to strings and effects pedals, Dunlop creates the tools used by today’s top music makers. Musicians of all styles, from hard rock to country rely on Dunlop gear to express their creativity. Want to experience Dunlop live? It’s easy, just check out any of the artists listed below who are currently on tour:

Gus G. (Ozzy Osbourne)
Coheed and Cambria
Five Finger Death Punch
Aerosmith
Keith Sewell (Lyle Lovett)
Brooks and Dunn
Interpol
The New Familiars
Jeff + Vida
Clay Walker
Stone Sour
Avenged Sevenfold
Slayer
Halestorm
Matt Kennon
Mastodon
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Alice in Chains
Jim Kimball (Reba McEntire)
Buddy Miller
and many, many more.

Over 50,000 people subscribe to the Dunlop Newsletter for the latest news, reviews, interviews and much more. Don’t miss out, subscribe today.

To honor the life of their fallen Drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, Zacky Vengence asked us to make a couple Custom Straps to honor “The Rev”.

Mike and Matt put the ultra-versatile Electro-Harmonix Germanium 4 Big Muff Pi through its paces.

When you first begin learning any instrument it is important to develop a clear picture of what you want to sound like. In other words, having an idea in your head of what style you want to be playing. You can save yourself a lot of time if your playing has a clearly focused goal. For example there is no need to learn metal guitar if your dream is to become a Country music guitarist.

While developing a clear picture of what you sound like is important you should never take that to mean being closed-minded about other styles and their techniques. It is important to try to develop an individual sound, but you should spend at least a portion of your time listening to other types of music.

In your musical life you will probably change styles at some point. This is natural and it is a sign that you are developing as a musician and as a guitarist. Some people begin playing folk music and Bob Dylan songs and end up playing hard rock, and vice-versa. So while you should have an idea about what you want to sound like be open minded about changing.

What do I want to sound like? This can be very difficult or very easy depending on the individual. Some people are inspired to play the guitar like an individual or a band. For these people their style will generally mimic their favorite player. Also if you’re fond of a particular style you can learn the songs and techniques that fit that style.

For people who don’t particularly want to sound like anyone there is a bit more work to do to find and define a style. The best way to do this is to listen to a lot of music and try and play as many different styles as you can and see what you find the most enjoyable and rewarding for you.

Finding a sound that suits you can take some time. For some people this could be years. For others it could be a split second decision that comes from hearing a particular player. For others it may take some serious listening to a lot of different music to decide what they want to sound like.

Once you have decided on your style then it is time to learn how to play like that. The best way to do that is learn songs that are classics in the genre you want to emulate. This means learning a few of the most popular songs from that style and becoming familiar with the techniques used in this kind of song. It is a good idea to learn songs by a few different bands instead of just one. This is so you get exposed to a few different playing styles.

Related to this is using the right kind of guitar for the style you want to play. You don’t need to be too worried about playing the exact same axe as your favorite player. However you should have a guitar that is common with players of the genre you are trying to emulate.

It is a shared belief amongst the entire Jamorama Team that it is never too soon to start writing your own songs. Even if you can only write the most basic songs it is worth trying. You should try and add elements from the songs you have learned. You may find yourself writing stuff that is quite derivative initially, but that’s OK. Just keep working on your playing and trying to get the sound that you hear in your head into your hands and played on the guitar. Don’t get frustrated if you have trouble. Some players spend their entire life trying to get the sound they want. Writing your own music is very rewarding and will give you another direction in your musical life.

You can’t go to 11 all the time. Sometimes you just want to sit back and relax on the porch with a beer and your ol’ beaten and battered acoustic. What better way to start of a nice relaxing weekend with some acoustic strings?

Today’s Facebook Friday Giveaway is a six pack of our Dunlop Acoustic Guitar strings.

“Every set of Dunlop Acoustic Guitar Strings delivers brilliant and rich tone for a dynamic and expressive acoustic experience. The finest wire combined with precise construction produce versatile strings durable enough to withstand hard strummingùand responsive enough for delicate fingerpicking. Chords ring out with great clarity, bass notes growl, and harmonics pop and sing.”

To enter, comment on this post with your favorite acoustic song. Goodluck!