About our instruments
Information on our instruments and suppliers.Yamaha
Through constant innovation and technological leadership, Yamaha has grown to be the world's largest and most successful maker of quality musical instruments. Yamaha's global network extends across 20 countries and it now has manufacturing facilities in 15 countries. Yamaha musical instruments' range includes:-
Yamaha keyboards
In accordance with its desire to bring the joy of music to as many people as possible, Yamaha pioneered the development of the portable personal keyboard, a product that gives many people their first taste of music making. The range covers the PSR and DGX models right up to the highly acclaimed Tyros 61 key workstation keyboard. Yamaha Keyboards »
Yamaha Pianos
Yamaha hold an enviable reputation around the world for consistently high quality, trouble-free durability and superior musical performance. Professional performing artists rely on Yamaha grand pianos for recording, composition and concert appearances. Yamaha Acoustic Pianos »
Yamaha Disklavier
Able to record, play back and manipulate the music played upon its keys, the Yamaha Disklavier has opened up an exciting new world of musical opportunities. Today, the Disklavier line includes a wide range of upright and grand piano models, incorporating such features as orchestral tone generation, audio instrumental and vocal reproduction, built-in educational features, direct computer connections and Yamaha Silent™ technology. Yamaha Disklavier Pianos »
Yamaha Clavinova
The CLP and CVP range of digital pianos work by playing a realistic sound recorded from a concert grand piano; thus they offer a natural acoustic piano-like sound but without the associated weight and bulk - they also provide the additional benefit of a volume control for the benefit of those less appreciative neighbours! Yamaha Clavinovas »
Yamaha Woodwind
Flutes, Saxophones, Oboes, Clarinets, Bassoons, Recorders & Piccolos
Yamaha Brass
Trumpets, Horns, Trombones, Cornets & Tubas
Gibson
Gibson Electric Guitars
Today's Gibson guitars represent the history as well as the future of the electric guitar. The models whose designs have become classics-the ES-175, ES-335, Flying V, Explorer, Firebird, SGs and the Les Paul - are a testament to Gibson's wide appeal, spanning more than four decades of music styles. Gibson's close relationship with musicians is manifest in endorsement models from King, Atkins and jazz greats Howard Roberts and Herb Ellis, plus new Les Paul models made to the personal specifications of rock stars Jimmy Page and Joe Perry. In 1994, Gibson's Centennial year, the new Nighthawk model won an industry award for design, setting the stage for a second hundred years of Gibson quality and innovation.
Gibson Acoustic Guitars
A Gibson Acoustic sets you apart from the regular crowd with the finest sound, playability, and appearance, which only a Master Built instrument can offer.
Casio
Casio Celviano
The history of the piano spans many centuries and has made famous the likes of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart and yet, in all that time, this instrument has remained remarkably unchanged. Celviano digital pianos, like traditional pianos, have a naturally scaled hammer action - in short, they feel just like a real piano. Unlike a traditional piano, they never need tuning, have numerous different sounds and can even be played in complete silence with that wonder of modern technology, a pair of headphones.
Naturally Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard
Like a traditional acoustic piano, Celviano digital pianos have a naturally scaled hammer action which means that the lower notes have a heavier feel than those further up the keyboard. What's more, the keyboard doesn't use springs and instead recreates the feel of a traditional piano action using a hammer weight in much the same way as an acoustic piano does. The end result is that a Celviano feels just like a real piano.
Stereo-sampled Dual-element ZPI Sound Source
A stereo-sampled dual-element ZPI sound source includes separate waveforms for strong key pressure and light key pressure, which accentuates the differences between the sounds produced by each. Multiple stereo-samples are also taken of tones produced by an acoustic grand, from the low range to the high range. Notes remain natural sounding and realistic from the moment a key is pressed, until the note decays, providing you with sound quality that is virtually identical to that of an acoustic grand piano.
Song Memory/Song Sequencer
Using the Song Memory/Song Sequencer it's possible to record your performance for playing back later, or even add to a previous performance. Why not play a piano duet with yourself? The piano records your performance to its in-built memory, meaning, that it's ready for playing back instantly and it will sound exactly as it did when you played it, with no loss of quality. So whether you're into Bach or Beyonce you can sit back, relax and listen to your favourite performances.
MIDI Compatibility
"Musical Instrument Digital Interface" lets you connect with other MIDI instruments or a PC for remote or synchronized performance and editing. General MIDI is the music data exchange standard for hardware, and software makes it possible to interconnect General MIDI devices, even if they are of different brands
Casio Keyboards »
Casio Celviano Pianos »
Fender / Squier
Founded in 1946, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has been an American icon for over 50 years. In that time, Fender's contribution to the evolving sound of contemporary music has been global and continuous. By introducing the first commercially viable solid body electric guitar, the first electric bass and countless classic amplifiers, Fender musical instruments have left their mark on jazz, blues, country, rock and many other styles of popular music. Fender's Squier line of guitars, basses, amps and pro audio gear, combined with its full line of Fender acoustic instruments, offer a wide range of fretted instruments for the value-conscious musician.
Fender Electric Guitars
The Fender Stratocaster and the Fender Telecaster have dominated rock music for decades and the Fender Stratocaster guitar is quite rightly the biggest-selling electric in the world. One of the most frequently asked questions is "What's the difference between a Mexican and a US Stratocaster?" Fender's two state of the art facilities (One in Corona, California and one in Ensenada, Mexico) have been producing the highest quality instruments that money can buy. Here is an in-depth guide to the production and build details of two of Fender's flagship models: The Standard Series Stratocaster from Ensenada and The American Series Strat from California…:
Fender Standard Series Guitars(Mexico)
Body: 5 to 7-piece alder with maple or birch veneer. Sunburst models have maple veneer Note: due to periodic material availability issues, alder cores are sometimes used
Fender American Series Guitars(U.S)
Body: Current specs: 3-piece alder for solid colours and 3-tone sunburst. White blonde and natural are 2 or 3-piece ash (Non-Veneered) Standard Series Body Routing: 1-humbucking, 2-single coil American Series Body Routing: Current specs: 3-cavity universal rout(hum/sing/hum). Older models have the "swimming pool" rout
Standard Series Body Finish: Polyester (finished in Mexico)
American Series Body Finish: Polyurethane (finished in USA)
Standard Series Neck: 1-piece maple milled in the Corona plant
American Series Neck: 1-piece maple milled in the Corona plant
Standard Series Truss Rod: Standard headstock adjust (single rod).Relies on string tension for concave adjustment
American Series Truss Rod: Bi-Flex headstock adjust. Allows for true concave and convex adjustment
Standard Series Neck Finish: Polyurethane
American Series Neck Finish: Polyurethane
Standard Series Frets: 21 standard frets (small)
American Series Frets: 22 highly detailed Medium Jumbo frets
Standard Series Machine Heads: Imported cast/sealed
American Series Machine Heads: Fender/Schaller cast/sealed
Standard Series Logo: Silver transition logo
American Series Logo: Vintage spaghetti logo
Standard Series String Tree: 1-standard butterfly
American Series String Tree: 1-hardened steel "Easy Glider." Reduces friction thus improving tuning stability.
Standard Series Neck Attachment: Standard 4-bolt
American Series Neck Attachment: 4-bolt "Micro-Tilt." Allows instant string "action" adjustments
Standard Series Pickups: MIM standard single coils with slug pole-pieces and ceramic magnet on bottom of coil. Mid pickup is reverse wound/reverse polarity Pickups:
American Series Pickups: MIA single coils with alnico magnets. Middle pickup is reverse wound/reverse polarity
Standard Series Electronics: CTS Pots, Grigsby switch
American Series Electronics: CTS Pots, Grigsby switch
Standard Series Wiring: Original (no tone control for bridge pickup)
American Series Wiring: "No Load" tone control on Bridge & Mid pickup.Standard 250k tone control (neck pickup)
Standard Series Bridge: Imported standard Synchronized tremolo. 6-mounting screws; stamped saddles
American Series Bridge: MIA 2-Point Synchronized tremolo -mounting screws; hardened stainless steel saddles.
Standard Series Strap Buttons: Vintage style
American Series Strap Buttons: Schaller straplock ready (straplocks & embroidered strap included)
Standard Series Case: Optional SKB molded case (guitar can be ordered with case)
American Series Case: SKB standard molded case
Standard Series Assembly/Tune/Test: Mexico
American Series Assembly/Tune/Test: U.S.A.
Fender Electric & Acoustic Guitars »
Squier (by Fender) Guitars and Packs »
Epiphone
Epiphone has always been about more than just making guitars. It has been about making music. It has been about understanding what is inside every musician that makes them want to have to express themselves, And understanding the myriad musical styles, where they are going and how they might develop For over one hundred and twenty-five years Epiphone continually looked for new and better ways to help players take their music farther.
Epiphone Electric Guitars
Epi Stathopoulo, Epiphone's founder and namesake, was always on the forefront of music. He was the first Instrument maker to embrace Jazz music and led the industry away from mandolin and banjo production and into making guitars. At the age of twenty-four Epi obtained his first of many patents that would change fretted Instrument construction forever. The extension truss rod design, the first pick-up with individual pole pieces, and the Tonexpressor - the precursor to the modern day "wah-wah" pedal - were all Epiphone innovations. But perhaps the greatest contribution to guitar making came in 1941 while Les Paul was experimenting in the Epiphone factory. These experiments led to the Les Paul and the first solid-body electric guitar, later to be complemented by such classic models as the SG, Chet Atkins, Explorer and Flying V together with Bass Guitars - Thunderbird and EB-0 / EB-3.
Epiphone Acoustic Guitars
Advanced Jumbos (AJ-100, AJ-200 & AJ-300S) and Super Jumbos (EJ-100, EJ-200 & EJ-300S) form the basis of a wide range of models and options.
Ovation Guitars
In 1966, aeronautical pioneer Charlie Kaman did what few have ever succeeded in doing - he revolutionized the acoustic guitar. Ovation guitars arrived on the scene with their round backs and new ideas. Professional musicians hailed the guitar's performance and purists shook their heads. Ovation guitars first captured the interest of professional musicians who wanted an acoustic guitar with greater projection on stage. The most visible of these guitarists in the late '60s was Glen Campbell. Every week Glen and his Ovation were welcomed into millions of homes around the country, as America tuned into "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour." During this close association with Ovation, Glen asked for an instrument with a built-in pickup so that he could come out from behind a microphone when he played. There had been a number of attempts to make a pick-up for the acoustic guitar, but each attempt had flaws. Glen's guitar-playing friend, Jerry Reed had a classical guitar with an under-saddle pickup that didn't sound half bad. The concept of the pickup was right - piezo crystals under the bridge saddle - but it was made for a nylon string guitar and suffered from tonal and string imbalance problems, accentuated when used on a steel string. Ovation engineers studied this guitar and then set about creating a new pickup of their own. Up until then, playing acoustic on stage either meant standing in front of a microphone, using a magnetic pickup mounted in the soundhole, or using a stick-on "bug" on the soundboard. None of these worked very well particularly if there were drums or electric instruments in the band. The engineers saw that a successful pickup would have to have the right balance sensing top vibration and string vibration. Getting the balance right would give the best acoustic tone and the greatest volume. Their solution became part of the first professionally accepted acoustic/electric guitar ever made. That pickup is still in use today on the acoustic/electric Ovations. The sound is well balanced, the output is very high and the saddle is properly shaped for accurate intonation.
Marshall Amplifiers
When music store owner and drum teacher Jim Marshall set to work designing "the world's first rock 'n' roll amp" to realise the musical vision of local guitarists, he was creating a tradition that laid the very foundations of rock music. After playing the sixth prototype of 'Number 1', which would later become the JTM45, Jim said, "That's it! That's going to be the Marshall sound from now on." And so it was: since the 1960s, Marshall amps have been the first choice of the greatest guitarists in rock history
Tips for setting up your Marshall Amp
Impedance Settings
Essentially in any Marshall set-up there are only three possible choices of impedance, 4 Ohms, 8 Ohms or 16 Ohms. If you are using a single cabinet then it is pretty obvious that the amp should be set to the same impedance as that of the cabinet i.e. 4 Ohms for a 4 Ohm cabinet, 8 Ohms for an 8 Ohm cabinet etc. If you are using two cabinets of the same impedance, you divide the impedance of one cabinet by the number of cabinets being used. So for two 8 Ohm cabinets you would set the amp to 4 Ohms, or for two 16 Ohm cabinets you would set the amp to 8 Ohms. In situations where you are using cabinets of different impedance's the most likely configuration would be one 16 Ohm cabinet and one 8 Ohm cabinet, in which case you would set the amp to 4 Ohms. As a rule of thumb if you work on the idea that where using two cabinets of different impedance's you set the amp to half the value of the cabinet used with the lowest impedance, then you won't go far wrong. There really is no mystery to any of the set-ups described above, but it is vital to the correct and safe working of any amplifier to always ensure that the impedance is correctly matched.
Sound
As sound is such a subjective thing and there are so many variables involved, from the weight of your guitar strings through to the type of guitar and strength of pick-ups etc. it is very difficult to give serious advice. Generally if you start with everything at 12 o'clock and adjust from there, then let your own ears do the rest. Obviously, the more you increase the gain, the more intense the distortion becomes. Another important thing to remember is that, particularly on valve amps, the EQ is inter-active so adjusting one control can affect the others in relation. The best thing really is to experiment and don't be afraid of being radical as there is no absolutely right or wrong way to set up a sound. If it sounds good then use it.
Top Ten Tips
Here are the answers to the most commonly asked Marshall service questions. If you follow these simple guidelines you will ensure that you get the longest possible life from your valves (tubes) and maximum performance from your Marshall.
- 1. With any valve (tube) amplifier always switch on the mains switch two minutes before switching on the Standby. This allows the valves (tubes) to reach their full working temperature before use.
- 2. When replacing output valves (tubes) always replace the whole set, preferably with valves (tubes) of the same make.
- 3. Never mix valve (tube) types. So if your amplifier has EL34 power valves (tubes) you must always replace them with EL34s. If it has 5881 or 6L6 valves you must use those.
- 4. Always make sure that the pins on the base of the valve (tube) line up exactly and fit the valve base on the amplifier perfectly.
- 5. If possible always allow the amp to cool down before moving it.
- 6. Always use high quality guitar and speaker leads and check them regularly.
- 7. Never store your amp in damp or overly humid conditions. Garden sheds, greenhouses or garages - not a good idea.
- 8. Always ensure that any cabinets used have sufficient capacity to handle the full power of your amplifier (bearing in mind that an amplifier can give peaks far in excess of its normal rated Wattage).
- 9. Always make sure that the amplifier has the correct impedance selected to match the cabinets being used.
- 10. Always have your amplifier serviced by a qualified technician.
Martin Guitars
For well over a century and a half, the Martin Guitar Company has been continuously producing acoustic instruments that are acknowledged to be the finest in the world. The Martin Guitar Company has, through the years, managed to survive with each succeeding generation from C. F. Martin, Sr.'s Stauffer influenced creations of the 1830s to recent developments introduced by C. F. Martin IV. Continuous operation under family management is a feat bordering on the remarkable, reflecting six generations of dedication to the guitar maker's craft. In or out of the music industry, C. F. Martin has few rivals for sheer staying power. Martin Guitars »