Slipknot 2013

It seemed so promising. Slipknot booked a Japanese date on OZZFest and announced they will be a part of this year's Download Festival. Previously, members of the band (namely Joey Jordison) have said that once Corey Taylor and Jim Root wrap up their tour cycle with their other project, Stone Sour , which he hoped would be in early 2013, the band would enter the studio to finally work on new material.

But, according to Corey Taylor, it look likes Stone Sour will be busier than planned, and not finished with their touring until 2014 at the earliest.

In an interview with Billboard Magazine, Taylor was asked about any progress with Slipknot in 2013:

"Next year's going to be very, very busy [for Stone Sour]," Taylor notes, which would seem to leave little time for the singer and guitarist Jim Root to focus on Slipknot. But Taylor says that group will play four shows — including OZZFest Japan on May 11 — while a new Slipknot album remains in the offing.

"It's gonna be awhile yet," Taylor reports. "We're throwing demos at each other. Once we all kind of see what the album could be, that`s when we'll go in. I think the worst thing that we could do as a band, and we're different from other bands, the worst thing that we could do is go right in and do something that feels forced, because the fans will see right through that, and we've never done that. So to me it makes more sense to kind of let the album come to us."

Of course, in between all the Stone Sour world tours, Taylor could enter the studio, but it doesn't seem like he's in any hurry. It could be quite a while until we hear from Slipknot again

(Source : Metalinjection.net )

Choosing the Right Guitar

As a guitarist, what is the most important thing to have? Talent? Good looks? Fame? Of course not. It's a guitar, obviously. What is a guitarist without one? But more importantly, what is a guitarist without the right one?
Choosing a guitar is like picking the appropriate clothes to wear. Or a car for a race. You can't just go buy a McLaren F1 to enter the Dakar Rally, or wear studded punk jackets to a wedding party. It's all going to go horribly wrong

1. What's your music style?
It is absolutely important to know what sort of music you want to play before you buy a guitar. If you want to play jazz or slow stuffs, choose a guitar with single coil pickups. Maybe a hollow-body or a silent guitar. If you play rock/metal, pick a guitar with humbucker pickups. Single coils generally produces a softer and smoother tone while humbucker produces harsher tones. You can still play rock with single coils, a lot of people uses a strat style guitar (Which generally uses single coils).




This one is a humbucker, which is basically two single coil pickups 'welded' into one. 





This one is a single coil pickup



2. Choose from a well-known manufacturer
If you buy a guitar with an unknown brand's logo slapped on it, it is really risky. My first guitar was a Caraya Stratocaster. Now, i do see a lot of 'Caraya' in music stores, but i don't know any musicians who uses them. I don't even know where the hell is the company's origin. It was a birthday present from my mother, who understands nothing about guitar. It is quite expensive, about $150 (with 50% discount. Which means originally, it costs $300. You could get something much better with that much money). Luckily it was bloody good. Not the greatest guitar in the world, obviously, but it does the job nicely. Had it for 5 years or so, still feels right.
Again, it is also important to know what music you're playing. If you play rock/metal, brands like Ibanez, Schecter, B.C. Rich, etc. will likely to have the guitar you're looking for.
I have to say, though. Don't overlook the minor brands either. I've explained my Caraya guitar above, haven't I?

Here's some example of some famous brands.

3. Sound and Quality

This is especially important when you're about to buy a second hand guitar. Fiddle around with it for awhile. Turn the pegs to see if it works, or the tremolo (considering it have one). You really don't want your guitar to break down easily do you?

Here's another story. I have an second hand, slightly modified Ibanez RG series which I've bought in late January this year. It costs about $130. In 2 months, the metal hardwares (in which there is quite a lot of it) has started to rust, the bolt that holds the whammy bar has loosened, the ring that holds the jack fell off, the volume knob, not only has it rusted, it has also fell off, and due to a personal mistake, i admit, the bridge has been set higher than before. Still playable, but barely in prime condition.

So, find a guitar made from durable materials. One way to know better is to read customer reviews. Nothing says good or bad like a bunch of owners.

4. Find one that is appealing to you

Appearance can power your motivation to play. Pick a guitar that got your attention. It's also good to get a guitar that looks better than it's price. That rusty, second hand, modified Ibanez RG I've mentioned? I've bought that for the Floyd Rose up/down tremolo and its looks. It's red with black outlines, reversed headstock, and 'SEVEN' inlays on the first to fifth fret (Know how it looks like?). Be careful, though. Appearances may fool you. All mouth no trousers? Don't bother, isn't worth your time.

A similar speciment. Only in much finer conditions. Without the tremolo. And different pickups. And materials... Also, minus the rusts. Born in the same country, though very different.

5. A few more things to think about

1. If it's at the bottom of the price barrel, leave it. You know the saying, "you get what you pay for", or even less.
2. If it promises much for a  low price, leave it. If something sounds to good to be true, it probably is.
3. If a second hand guitar costs much lower than its original price, leave it. Something must've happened to that thing.
4. If most of the reviews says that it's utter sh*t, leave it. You don't say.
5. Test the damn thing before giving the money and taking the guitar home. How else are you gonna know the feel and sound of the guitar?
6. If you feel unsure of it, leave it. Why would you buy something that you're not even sure you want to buy?
7. There is always a good guitar for you, even with low budget. Just... Not very, very, very low budget. All you're gonna find is probably rubbish.\
8. Compare prices and look for discounts. This may save your wallet.

That's it really. How to select a guitar in a nutshell. I know i missed a lot of points (Hopefully, they're not that important.). But hopefully, it's helpful.