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My son recently came to me and asked if he could take piano lessons. I was very impressed, as I had taken lessons when I was his age, and I knew that piano lessons for children were beneficial in a number of ways that went far beyond learning how to play a musical instrument.
I started on the piano when I was about 12 years old, and my instructor was an old lady named Mrs. Winn. When my son came to me and asked if he could take piano lessons, I thought back to what my teacher told me all of those years ago. Piano lessons for children are beneficial for a number of reasons, and I am always grateful for what I learned from my piano teacher.
I had always fancied myself the next Van Cliburn, so I thought this was a great opportunity for me, and then she told me that lessons were good for children in other ways, too.
The most important reason my teacher gave for why piano lessons for children are so beneficial is because children have the opportunity to create something beautiful through hard work. She told me that even if I did not appreciate what I was learning at the time, one day I would.
Well, it is many years later, and I do really appreciate learning how to play the piano.
I asked her what she meant, and she said that learning to play the piano taught children a sense of responsibility and accountability. When I returned the following week, she expected me to know the music, and if I didn’t, I had to tell her why I had not practiced. She said she loved hearing about children playing a musical instrument or participating in a sport, because they were being productive.

Acoustic guitars have been there for centuries and until now, its popularity never diminish. Many people are still fascinated by its music and many music enthusiast begun learning with an acoustic guitar. They are very portable and is often used at camping since it can run without electricity, though there are modern acoustic guitars that needs electricity already. Still, many prefers to use this guitar.

Through out time, the acoustic guitar has has evolve drastically wherein its purpose and design have changed as well. However, the basic acoustic guitar which is made of wood with a hole in the center can still be seen. In addition, some acoustic guitars are now compatible with a guitar amp. Thus, amplifying the soft music of an acoustic guitar won’t be a problem anymore. You just plug it with an guitar amp and viola! Your music can be heard even on open spaces.

For music lovers especially guitars lover, do you know that the Ibanez Guitars has a wide collection of guitars? Whether you are looking for an electric guitar, a bass guitar, hallow guitar or even an acoustic guitar, you can find all of them at Ibanez Guitars. They also carry different equipments and accessories for your guitar. Thus, visiting them will be a one stop shop visit, and you’ll find everything you need. In addition to that, their products are really of good quality and durable. They have been in the business for a long time already thus, there are a lot of people who can attest to you for the Ibanez guitar’s quality. Thus, if you are looking for some acoustic guitars for sale, you don’t have to go to a thrift store unless you really don’t have the money. Just check the products of Ibanez guitars and you are good to go.

Indeed that many are trying to have one of those Epiphone Guitars due to its popularity and of course the high quality of the product. Epiphone Guitars has been around for more than a century in the music and guitar business which proves that until now, they have many followers and supporters. That is also the reason why the prices of the Epiphone guitar is truly high.

Even the prices are high, still many are buying this guitar since they know that the product is of good quality. However, for those who have not enough budget, they always resort to buying a used guitar. Well, there is nothing wrong in buying a used guitar. You just have to be a great observer to spot a guitar of very good quality wherein you might end up buying an Epiphone guitar for a very cheap price.

Before buying any mandolins for sale, it is better to check the different mandolin reviews available. Ask your friend who might happen to have a mandolin as well. Ask the sales man, he may give you a good tip and discount. Check the internet for reviews of the specific mandolin that you plan to buy. Thus, whether you are buying a new mandolin or a used one, it is better to hold for a while until you came up with a suitable decision which are based on facts from the different mandolin users and buyers. Indeed that you can find a cheap mandolin and your pocket won’t get a hole if you buy one, but still, every one of us wants to have a great value for our money. Thus, don’t rush into making harsh decisions.

A Mandolin Instrument is truly an amazing string instrument. Its sound quality is at par and you’ll easily distinguish its unique sound from the other string instruments. Thus, many are trying to learn playing this stuff. If you are one of those and you are planning to buy a mandolin instrument, then I suggest you to go online and scout for prices since you can really find those that sell a mandolin at a very cheap price.

Online shopping is really easy to do, and there are also a lot of items you can choose from. There are used mandolins, brand new mandolins and even a vintage mandolin. All of them are available online and with a few simple click on the mouse, you can pay for it and directly ship at your doorstep. If you are not comfortable shopping online, you can always go down at your favorite musical instrument store and do the transaction in there.

Learning how to play a musical instrument is one of the most rewarding experiences that a person can go through. Allowing yourself the creative power to emulate the music that you love, to interact with it is one of the most joyful experiences you can have. Nowhere is that more the case then after you learn to play piano. If you learn to play piano, you can almost literally play any song. Here are some reasons why and some tips for you to learn to play piano. If you like music and want to play a musical instrument, I strongly recommend that you learn to play piano. Why? Well, first of all, if you learn to play piano, you can learn how to play almost any other instrument.

One of the best places to see concerts is at Phillips Arena in Atlanta Georiga. Sports teams that reside there are the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Thrashers and the Atlanta Dream. Completed in 1999 the arena has 92 luxury seats and 18,666 club seats and is among the top 100 of worldwide Arena Venues according to Pollstar magazine.

More importantly this arena has housed the who’s who of rock and roll. Name a band, they’ve played there. Even the Rolling Stones amps have been wide open in Phillips Arena.

One of the most memorable is 17 sold out shows by Wide Spread Panic. Yes, I said 17 sold out shows. If you’re in show business that’s winning the superbowl and then some.

Bon Jovi Concert Tickets in Atlanta are on sell now for a sure to be sold out show. It’s one concert on their 2 year, 30 country tour. Be sure to check out Atlanta Concert Tickets website for other fine shows that will be in the Atlanta area.

Online guitar lessons are a great way to learn guitar. Cheaper and more convenient than private studio lessons, the technology is now at a point where the difference in quality is nonexistent and actually has many advantages.

Many guitar instructors are limited to a certain style. With the better online courses the styles and musical genres are practically unlimited. There is no boredom factor involved either. Many students quit guitar lessons if their teacher doesn’t know the songs,artists or type of music they like. The top courses cover all the bases. If you don’t like certain musical styles, don’t play them and go on to something else more interesting.

When I was first starting out as a local musician, I never thought that it was important to copyright my music. I always assumed that music copyrights were for the big, corporate artists who had signed to major labels. Why would someone small like me require a music copyright? If anything, I wanted my songs to be copied and shared.

Can save you a lot of hassle
The important thing about music copyrights is that they allow you to establish ownership of the song. Otherwise, it is difficult to prove that you wrote a song if someone wants to rip it off. This is exactly what happened to me. Because I had no music copyrights, when one of my songs was stolen it was impossible for me to prove it.

General Public License Copyright
Even if you want people to be able to share your songs, it is still a good idea for you to research music copyright laws. There is a thing called the general public license copyright which is perfect if you want to show authorship without limiting people’s access to your music. It allows people to freely copy, trade, and modify your song as long as they give you credit for it.

Protect yourself
Nothing is more crushing to an artist than to have his or her work stolen, after putting all the effort in to having their music recorded. Do what you can to protect yourself against it!

To understand the Isolation Transformer, you must know what is a transformer. A transformer is a device that converts one voltage to another. There are different types of transformers.

And there is another type of transformer that contains two coils. Both these coils are isolated from each other by non-conductiong material called lamination. One coil functions as input (or primary) and the other coil functions as output (secondary). Usually there will be no direct electrical path (connection) between the two coils. The primary coil of a transformer converts (or transforms) the electrical power into magnetic field and the secondary coil in turn converts this magnetic field (inducted by primary coil) into electrical power.
Learn about Isolation Transformer.

Have you ever thought about buying and playing a used “vintage” mandolin? No matter what you call it, vintage mandolins can be a lot of fun to play because they have history. Musical instruments have been prized by their owners throughout history and many have been passed down to generations.

My grandfather gave his accordion to a friend from church, for example, and it always reminds me of my grandfather to see this friend play his accordion.

You do have to be careful when looking for vintage mandolins for sale. They can certainly suffer wear and tear and other damage through the years. Warping, finish peeling, and brittle strings can be some of the common problems. Make sure you get full disclosure before you buy,or you may find out your vintage mandolin makes a better decoration than it does a musical instrument.

If you’re thinking about getting guitar lessons for kids, either as a birthday present, Christmas present, or just because it’s a good thing for them to get a little exposure to music, think about what impact their practicing may have on your family life. Playing the guitar is a fun hobby, but guitars can be loud and noisy. The last thing you want is your son cranking up his guitar amp at 3 in the morning and wailing away while the neighbors (and you!) are trying to sleep.

Even practice sessions during the day can be disruptive to other people trying to watch TV, read, or do homework.

If your kids want to play guitar inside the house, make sure you have rules and designated practice areas or times. This will help keep them accountable to their practicing, and minimize the disruption provided by the guitar playing.

Have you ever thought about playing classical music on your guitar? There are many popular types of music – Spanish classical guitar music is one of my favorite varieties. But you can also play traditional Beethoven or Mozart tunes on the guitar – just don’t expect it to sound exactly the same as it does when you’re listening to the orchestra.

To my mind, classical guitar sounds best on the acoustic guitar. It’s the type of guitar that would have been in use for the last several hundreds of years (or at least closer to those variants) and it has a traditional sound to it that I think the electric guitar specifically tries to avoid.

Of course there is always room for musical creativity, but sometimes it’s best to stick with the classics.

Playing a guitar is a lot of fun. If you have taken guitar lessons, or if you just like to crank up your guitar amp and wail away on your electric guitar, there’s no doubt that it can be a real release to play some music and engage a different part of your brain after a long, tiring or boring day.

What kind of guitar music do you like to play? 80’s pop music like Michael Jackson (my all time favorite) or Madonna? It’s fun to be able to sing along. There’s also death metal music – not my cup of tea, but certainly good for working out your kinks.

Each type of guitar music requires a different style of play. If you are taking guitar lessons, be sure your teacher is familiar with the type of music you are most interested in so you can learn from the best!

Just starting out as a bassist you will need not only a bass guitar, but also the amp, cables, tuner and a gig bag would also be nice. You can go out and find what you want separately but if you do, you will end up paying much more than if you just buy a pack.

A bass guitar package include different things, but all packs include the guitar and amplifier. Some also include the cables, a tuner, gig bag, instructional DVD and more.

Prices range from under $200 to several hundreds of dollars. And, of course the more expensive the better the equipment.

this is perfect for the beginner who wants to start playing right away and who doesn’t even know if he or she wants to continue with the bass. They can get what they need to play without the hassle of havign to shop around and at a decent price. Then if they want to upgrade later, they can.

Learn more about bass packs at www.BassGuitarPackage.us

I have been on a search lately for crystal singing bowls. The perfect one. The right one for me. Because when it comes right down to it, the bowl needs to resonate to me. Because I have to live with it. I have to adore it. I need to meditate with it.

So, where to begin? First I looked all over the internet. Just to gain information. And to do a little shopping. I found out so much. Then I looked at ebay. There are so many options there it’s hard to make a decision.

Finally I went driving around. I found my perfect singing crystal bowl in a little metaphysical shop in Sutter Creek, CA. They had a good assortment of crystal and tibet singing bowls. And I love mine.

Many people use their singing bowls of Tibet to aid in meditation practice. The Tibet singing bowl is used as a tool in meditation. It calms, it soothes, it will take you deeper into meditation. The people from Tibet have used it for centuries for this exact purpose.

It is the tone and ring of the metal bowl that allows peacefulness. When shopping for a singing bowl, you will want to find one that appeals to you. One that sounds good to your ear. Everyone is attracted to a different size and different sound of the bowl.

So do your research and look around first before investing in your singing bowl for meditation. There are lots of places to look these days. I would start first on the internet.

They gave a beautiful twist to many of the Christmas songs I knew and loved. In same cases, you may able to hire byers Christmas carolers for your holiday events. You may find groups of four, much like a barbershop quartet, or you can find a full chorus of Christmas carolers to perform. You may be able to choose what songs you want them to sing, and for how long you want them to perform. They can be the main attraction, or they can be a special touch to a special holiday gathering. For large corporations, this may be a wonderful addition to the holiday bash you throw for your employees.

If you have a party for your clients, this will be an excellent touch they will not soon forget. If there are simply no Christmas carolers in your community, and you really miss the tradition, there is nothing stopping you from forming a group on your own. Put an advertisement in the local paper and you will find that there are plenty of people who want to sing with you. You can sing in your community, or you can put on performances for those who might be lonely around the holiday. Christmas carolers may be welcome at nursing homes, and hospitals, but remember to call ahead and ask permission before you show up. [Read More on The Merry Singing of Christmas Carolers Here]

If you have a flair for playing the guitar then you would surely know that there are two types of electric guitar amps: tube driven electric guitar amps and solid state electric guitar amps The question of which is best is a matter of argument I’ve always been a fan of tube driven electric guitar amps, but I have to admit there are solid state amps that give a great sound The sound output of guitar depends on the guitar players Some prefer playing on small, tube driven amps as they need warm, creamy sound and other prefer playing on solid-state amps are in the lo…

Read Full Article Here: Best Quality Electric Guitar Amps

Acoustic electric guitars are not much different from your normal acoustic guitar. The main difference is the addition of a pickup. In an acoustic guitar, there is no built-in pickup. If you want to amplify the signal, you need to either stick a pick up under the bridge, or sit close to the microphone. With an acoustic electric guitar, however, the pickup is built right into the guitar body. This has obvious advantages. It makes it easier to amplify signals since you can just plug in to a guitar cable. It also means that you have less gear to carry around. You don’t have to keep an extra pick up on hand for playing a gig.

Electric Guitar Amps

There are many people who play guitar, but not all of them are going to take it as seriously as those that go on to play for most of their lives. Some think of it as a hobby, and others find that this is something that they can not live without in their lives. Some people start out with acoustic but then move on to the electric guitar. Many people play both. When it is time to use the electric, you have to have a way to amplify the sound. Shopping for electric guitar amps may not seem easy, but there are some simple things that can help you out.

There are full sized electric guitar amps, and then there are the practice size. These vary greatly in sound and capability, but you often want to start out with the practice amp. This is about a foot to a foot and a half square, and has very few options on it. However, this is perfect when someone starts out with the electric guitar. These electric guitar amps are far less expensive than the larger ones you would need for performance, but they do what they need to do and they can do it well. Most keep one later on for home use.

When it comes time to buy the larger and performance based electric guitar amps, you have to take some more time to see what you want to get. There are some types of amps that are better than others, and there are some brands that people prefer. Each of the different brands of electric guitar amps have their own unique sound. Some work better with different types of music, and other times, people just have a preference for a sound no matter what type of music they play.

One of the best things you can do when choosing electric guitar amps is to do your research first. See what others that play your style of music use, and then look for consumer reviews as well. These can cost anywhere from 1000 dollars and up, with the really good ones being very expensive. You don’t want to go about and choose electric guitar amps on a whim without knowing what you are doing. If you do, you could end up with something that does not work for you, and if you resell it, you won’t get back nearly what you put into it money wise.

Caring for your electric guitar amps can mean they last longer and sound better. Be careful when you store them, and make sure you know when the tubes are going bad. At times, something as simple as a fuse could have blown if something is not working, but you may not have any idea what went wrong. Electric guitar amps are very touchy, and as you know very expensive, so find a great dealer or expert to do the repair work for you.
Buy Guitar Online

Learning to play piano can be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding things you’ll ever do. Many people begin piano lessons early in childhood, although it’s never too late. Even if you’re well into adulthood you can still learn how to play a piano and love it! These days, there are lots of options when it comes to learning this instrument. Let’s take a look at the various ways an individual can become skilled in the area of piano playing.

You could go the traditional route and take lessons. Check your newspaper classifieds for piano instruction advertisements.

I have bought many guitars online over the years. I studied Classical Guitar At The Crane School of Music, and played in various bands for the last 15 years or so. To Buy Guitar Online is to truly live on the edge. Really I would prefer to go to the store and play the very guitar I am buying, but sometimes, I have to order. For example, in 2001 I wanted this Parker Fly Classic (now called the mojo) with a certain natural finish I could not find in New York. I went online and eventually found the exact one I wanted in a small store in Tennessee (I forget the website lol) In general though, I would go to a local music store to play the guitar you are buying because the more expensive ones like Gibson, are all basically hand-made and can have different feels,flaws and bonuses, ESPECIALLY acoustic guitars. I really want the Martin D-35, but I would definitely go to a store and play 3 or 4 of them before choosing one, not just picking it out of a catalogue.

Jazz music made its mark in the hearts of Americans ever since the 20th century when people embraced the musicians of the time. However, when the singers came on the scene strong with skills in the art of scatting that is a vocal form of Jazz improvisation, the ability to articulate music expressively, and have that pizzazz to swing to the rhythms effectively makes a Jazz virtuoso. Jazz music bore another gift on the American public to spread to the world during the 1940’s when singers came together to form groups. The sound of acapella harmony of many voices like in a church choir using a juxtaposition of Jazz harmony is ethereal and divine.

In fact, due to the success of such groups as the Mills Brothers, Boswell Sisters, Andrews sisters, and Modernaires during the 1930’s 1940’s made Jazz fans of vocal Jazz music seek more. As a result, record stores stocked up on the music of vocal Jazz music, and it became a tremendous success that made quartets like Manhattan Transfer a household name today.

In addition, America has the largest selection of vocal Jazz music even though there are vocal Jazz ensembles all over the world. These new vocal Jazz groups do not all sing a capella style music that is common to barber shop. Vocal Jazz groups commonly use a Jazz band to accompany them as they perform. Jazz music may not be as strict as classical music, but it is in a class all it’s own. It takes great skill to sing Vocal Jazz as it does with Classical, and many other styles of music. Meaning, everyone cannot be a good jazz soloist, but it doesn’t mean that they cannot sing in the vocal jazz ensemble. Each singer must match in volume, resonance, and key in order to be a worthy member in the vocal Jazz ensemble. Ever singer must be able to sing their parts, and be heard as well as blended into the group. There are times when different people in the vocal Jazz group will be asked to scat to the music, and take the challenges that some complex Jazz music holds with great skill.

For more information, Read Full Article.

The essence of Jazz music is the ethereal atmosphere of the dimensional harmony created by kaleidoscope of chromatic tones. It is the pulsating back beat of syncopating African rhythms through the rumble of the drums, or soft sound of the brush to the snare.

The music is an expression of melody from the depth of the soul conveyed as a gospel in many unique ways. These elements combined with the free impressionistic ambiance of instrumental tones in orchestration as a foundational juxtaposition of 7th, 9th,13th chordal harmony makes this style truly unique. The essence of Jazz music is music that is upbeat, full of pizzazz ,yet laid back with style. One would never guess that this free style of music has a foundation that began with Baroque elements found in Classical music.

For more information, Read Full Article.

Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was born on August 15, 1925 in Montreal, Canada. His father, Daniel Peterson moved to Canada in 1917 where he met and married Kathleen Olivia John, Oscar’s mother.

Oscar’s father, Daniel Peterson, was an avid musician and insisted that his children studied music. At first, Oscar musical career started at the age of five. At that time, he played the trumpet. However, he contracted Tuberculosis the next year and spent the next 14 months in the hospital. Tuberculosis badly damaged is lungs and he could no longer play the trumpet. Therefore, he centered his energy on playing the piano.

Oscar was a quick learner and it became obvious that he had enormous talent. He practiced daily up to 14 hours. Throughout his childhood, he was mostly influenced by classical music. Additionally, all of his teachers were all of classical music background. His father wanted Oscar to become a great classical pianist, but Oscar’s desire was in Jazz. His sister, Daisy was supportive of Oscar and helped him get onto a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation competition. Oscar was the winner of the competition and earned himself a spot on a radio show playing piano weekly.

For more information, please Read Full Article.

Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was born on August 15, 1925 in Montreal, Canada. His father, Daniel Peterson moved to Canada in 1917 where he met and married Kathleen Olivia John, Oscar’s mother.

Oscar’s father, Daniel Peterson, was an avid musician and insisted that his children studied music. At first, Oscar musical career started at the age of five. At that time, he played the trumpet. However, he contracted Tuberculosis the next year and spent the next 14 months in the hospital. Tuberculosis badly damaged is lungs and he could no longer play the trumpet. Therefore, he centered his energy on playing the piano.

Oscar was a quick learner and it became obvious that he had enormous talent. He practiced daily up to 14 hours. Throughout his childhood, he was mostly influenced by classical music. Additionally, all of his teachers were all of classical music background. His father wanted Oscar to become a great classical pianist, but Oscar’s desire was in Jazz. His sister, Daisy was supportive of Oscar and helped him get onto a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation competition. Oscar was the winner of the competition and earned himself a spot on a radio show playing piano weekly.

For more information, please Read Full Article.

Born in East St. Louis, IL, Miles Davis was one of the greatest visionaries and most important figures in jazz history. His family was financially secure. He became a local phenomenon and toured with the Billy Eckstein band while attending high school.

He moved to New York under the guise of attending the Julliard School of Music. However, his true intentions were to join musically with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He very quickly soared to high ranks while learning from Bird (Charlie Parker) and Diz (Dizzy Gillespie. He became the trumpet player for Charlie Parker for nearly 3 years. In 1949, his first attempt at leading a group occurred. It was the first of many occurrences in which he would take jazz in a very new direction. With the help of arranger Gil Evans, he orchestrated a nonet (9 members) that played non-traditional instruments in a jazz setting– French Horns and a Tuba.

For more information, Read Full Article.

When you are looking for your first guitar, avoid the very cheap ones. These are actually harder to play and can be hard for even an experienced player. A cheaper made acoustic beginner guitar is just not made well and usually have really high action, meaning there is more space between the strings and the fingerboard than the more expensive guitars. This can make a beginner just give up.
Read more about beginner acoustic guitar

One could argue that over the past 100 years no guitar company has been copied more often then Gibson guitars. Of course they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Ever since Gibson began making guitars in the early 1900s (with their roots going back to the late 1800s), their styles have been copied many times over. So why is it that so many companies copy the look and feel of Gibson guitars?

Well the most obvious reason is that they make guitars that look very cool and play extremely well. Many different artists over the years have endorsed various types of Gibson models, including Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Angus Young, and Slash, among others. In addition, many of their designs have been fairly innovative. The Les Paul is arguably the most well known guitar in the world and its style has been copied many times over by many guitar companies, sometimes even resulting in lawsuits. The Explorer and Flying V models also come to mind as two of the more innovative guitar designs of the last century. buy a guitar online today!

One of the most challenging decisions teenagers have to face is finding the right employment. There are a lot of things to consider in the process and getting information can seem to be pretty overwhelming. Following are some ideas that can help motivated people find jobs for teens that really pay off.

The first thing that you want to do is consider your personality. What things really inspire you? Do you love animals? Are you and artists? Maybe you have a way with people. Perhaps you have a passion for fashion. Choosing jobs for teens begins with a little self assessment.

A shy person may not want to delve into a sales position. These jobs for teens can be a little too overwhelming for the quiet types. There are other options that can help you emerge from your shell but you have to make sure that you are in your element.

For example, if you are a shy teenager who has a real love of art, you may want to look to your local museum for work. This job will inspire you to interact with others, especially considering that this subject is near and dear to your heart. Finding jobs for teens in this realm can be challenging but there are some ways to get a head start.

Check with your guidance counselor. This person has a lot of information to offer. You can schedule a meeting at your high school’s guidance office in little time at all. Your counselor may even have the means to get you an interview with your dream organization. All you have to do is ask.

One of the best places to look for jobs for teens is online. This approach certainly beats the local newspaper and I’ll tell you why. Your paper’s classified advertisements feature job openings but there is typically no section dedicated to students looking for work. You can spend a lot of time getting nothing done by sifting through the newspaper classified section.

Your online search will be much more lucrative. This is mostly because there are sites dedicated to jobs for teens rather than careers in general. Teen job sites are just about everywhere on the Internet and you can be on your way to finding the right position in little time at all.

In fact, you may find that there are many jobs for teens available that interest you. All it takes is some planning and some browsing and you can find a great position that you will truly enjoy.

Also check out the importance of job boards, and how they can help you find a suitable job.

Many people make use of a pick when playing guitar. Simply hold the pick between the thumb and forefinger of your right hand. Draw the pick across the strings you want to play. It’s similar to plucking the string but you use a little bit more pressure than you normally would when strumming with your fingers.
Please read the full artlicle at first acoustic guitar

If you play a member of the brass family, you will find that King musical instruments are a pretty good bet. I am not saying that a king musical instrument is always the best bet, but I have been playing them for a few years, and have been pretty happy with the results.

If you play a member of the brass family, you will find that King musical instruments are a pretty good bet. I am not saying that a king musical instrument is always the best bet, but I have been playing them for a few years, and have been pretty happy with the results.