Instrument World

The ukulele is from Hawaiian: ?ukulele ['?uku'lele]; variantly spelled ukelele in the UK), sometimes abbreviated as the uke, is a chordophone classified as a plucked lute; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings.

The ukulele originated in the 19th century as a Hawaiian interpretation of a small guitar-like instrument brought to Hawai?i by Portuguese immigrants. It gained great popularity elsewhere in the United States during the early 20th century, and from there spread internationally.

Tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and construction. Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. (wikipedia)

No band is really complete without the sound of the electric bass guitar, and for her those of you that really love this instrument, Epiphone basses are one of the best choices that you can possibly make. It has a sound that is classic, and it can really add a lot to your overall music whenever you have one of these excellent basses in your hand. There are some choices that you need to make, however, when choosing a Epiphone bass guitar. Here are some of the most important.

The first thing that you need to choose when looking at an Epiphone bass is the style that will best suit the look you’re going for. There are a little over a dozen different styles of basses that are available, each guitar bringing a unique shape, look and sound to the table. The best possible thing that you can do, if you haven’t made up your mind on which Epiphone bass guitar you’re going to choose, is to go into one of the dealers and hold a few of them in your hand. You certainly would want to make sure that any guitar that you own is going to be comfortable for you to play. While you are there, I would recommend that you try out the Les Paul Epiphone bass guitar, along with a couple of the classics, the embassy special and the embassy standard. Don’t sell yourself short, however, as there are plenty of excellent Epiphone bass guitar options for you to choose from.

Another choice that you’re going to have to make when selecting your Epiphone bass guitar is the color. Most of us tend to go for the classic look and a solid color, but there are dozens of different finishes for you to choose from. The easiest way for you to see what is available is to look at the Epiphone bass guitar website, which has them all listed. It is also a good idea if you see these in person, however, as the Internet does not always pass along the colors as it really should. Since the Epiphone bass guitar is going to be an investment, you want to make sure that you invest in it wisely. (epiphonebassguitar)

Paul Gilbert, a longstanding Ibanez endorser, submitted the plans for his new custom guitar to the Ibanez L.A. Custom Shop in 2007.

For this particular model, Paul took a stock photo of the Ibanez "Iceman" model and turned it upside down using image editing software.
He then tweaked the design further, for better playability and balance. This model was to be a radical departure from any of his previous signature models. Soon after Paul received the finished guitar, it quickly made its way on to recordings and stages all over the world.
It was originally called the "Reverse Iceman", but soon took on the nickname of "Fireman" due to its opposite nature to the "Iceman".

In 2008, the Paul Gilbert "Fireman" quickly became a hot topic among fans, creating demand for a production version.

In 2009, Ibanez decided to release a limited number of "Fireman" guitars in tribute to Paul's adventurous creation. (ibanez/Fireman)