Tools of the trade

There's nothing worse, is there. You've finally got every member of your band in the same room at the same time (an extraordinary co-ordination feat on your part) only to find that the el cheapo lead you purchased last week is already on the blink, the bass strings on your electric are buzzing and the amp you bought off your cousin is screaming out copious decibels of feedback. Nightmare.
Fact is, cheap stuff isn't great. It can't be - that's why it's cheap. For musician's looking to invest in their first guitar or even take the step up the range for a better quality model, the rule of thumb is that you get what you pay for. Good gear is an absolute essential for any musician and although it may cost you more initially, saves on both money and stress in the long run by providing you with reliable, quality merchandise with the most important factor: decent sound.
Thus, hotpress.com presents to you the definitive run down of the country's most tempting musical emporiums, and a wee taster of the delights they have to offer.
Perfect Pitch in the heart of Dublin 2 specialise in acoustics guitars, stocking a range that includes Epiphone, Tanglewood and Martin. Their main man, Gerry Crowe, recommends the Tanglewood TW 28 acoustic as an excellent sophomore guitar, and for those with priority in performance, the TW 15 NSE features a plug in for amplification. However, if you're looking to invest a little more, you can do no wrong with a Martin - think the American made entry level DX 1 with a solid spruce top.
If distortion and humbuckers are more your drug of choice, look no further than Instrumental on the Quays, D1, who stock a wide variety of spiky electric guitars and coffin cases. Jackson and BC Rich are quite favourable for the rawk end of the spectrum, but ESP, the brand played and endorsed by Metallica, are the most popular, particularly the H 100 model.
With 13 drum kits on display at all times, Instrumental is also tub-thumper heaven, stocking the big four - Pearl, Tama, Sonor and Yamaha. For the semi pro, the Sonor 2001 kit and the Tama Rockstar come highly recommended. And as if that wasn't enough to tempt your palette, they offer interest free finance over six months and take trade-ins too.
The Sound Shop in Drogheda stocks a vast range of guitars and amps, including top brands such as Fender, Gibson and Marshall. The Mexican Fender Stratocaster is one of the most popular electric guitars, providing good all round tone at an affordable price. Gibson's Epiphone line is also a good choice, with it's Les Paul copy particularly popular. Marshall amps are notorious for their association with the greats (Clapton, Townsend, Hendrix), and the new AVT range comes highly recommended, particularly the 100 watt. Another plus to consider is trade in-ability, as the benefit of having a good name on the headstock of your guitar means that it's depreciation is less swift.
At the upper end of the drum scale, the Yamaha Maple Custom professional drum kit is your man. With seven to nine ply in the bass drum and the toms, 24 carat gold lacquered lugs and more resonance than you'd care to dream of, a trip to Danfay on Aungier St with a set of 7A's would pleasure your drummer more than a frollick in the mud with Shakira (irrespective of sticks). For the less financially endowed, Yamaha's Stage custom is a good choice, but remember any guitar you ever buy will automatically cost more for metallic or sunburst finishes, and , of course, if it's left handed. Cymbal wise, the Zildjian ZBT 4 Pro pack is the most popular, containing standard 14” hi hats, a 16” crash and a 20” ride.
For the neglected bass player, try Music Maker on Exchequer St for a little pampering. Flea's favourite, the Musicman Stingray is an active bass with treble controls, humbucking pick up and wide range of sounds making it a decadent desire for those with a little more padding to their wallets. For the rest of us, Warwick are soon to launch a new range of economy line basses featuring the same hardware and pickups as the expensive versions, their Germanic hand made brethren. To amplify, take one 250 watt MAG series 1 x 15 Ashdown amp (designed by the bloke who pioneered Trace Elliot), plug in, and play.
For guitarists, Music Maker also stock broad range of the much lauded Taylor, Takamine and Fender acoustics. For the electric fiend, they also carry the country's biggest selection of US and Mexican strats, teles, obscure 70's re-issues and ridiculously expensive custom shop models, a plethora of BC Rich and Jackson, as well as the full Fender-endorsed economy Squire range.
Again for the drummers, the kick ass DW collector's series will notch you well up into the red, however the semi pro Pearl Export kit, complete with matching wood shell snare drum, is slightly more pocket friendly.
For keyboards, the Roland RS5 comes highly recommended for it's great sound and top quality samples. It can also be hooked up to your computer where it'll spit out up to sixteen sounds at once on separate tracks. The beauty of a digital recording system for four tracks from Boss and Korg could be yours for a mere sliver of the 20,000 the same quality recording would have cost you ten years ago.
Unfortunately, nothing is completely invincible, so in times of re fretting, re wiring, or re attaching, get thee to Eugene McLoughlin's Guitar Workshop in Portobello. A guitar doctor for well over a decade, Eugene has worked with the likes of The Corrs, Hot House Flowers and Paul Brady, and offers all aspects of repair and customization on acoustic, electric and bass guitars. His philosophy for repairs is to get the job done right, so there's one less thing to worry about when playing.