Category

Buyers Guides

10/10/2018

What Should I Learn First? Piano Or Keyboard? Why?

Through my career, as a part-time music teacher, I have been asked many times, “which should I learn, keyboard or piano? And why? The keyboard is easier, isn’t it?” Well here goes, firstly I don’t think either is any easier than the other, they both have their elements of difficulty associated with learning the relevant skill of playing that instrument. True they both need coordination of both hands and of course learning the notes of music. But, it’s in the technical understanding, of the purpose of the hands on the... Read More

08/10/2018

What Strings Should I Buy?

Buying a set of strings especially if you don’t know the differences between them can be a fairly confusing process. Strings are thicker gauges and thinner gauges. Different sets of strings are better for specific genres of music. For example, I use Ernie Ball, not even slinky’s which are great for heavy rock and heavy metal as they are heavy gauge strings. The gauge on the strings are 12-56 and you get a lot of tone from the heavy bottom string so all those chugs will sound brutal in your... Read More

05/10/2018

The Yamaha CVP 705

Not only does the CVP-705 feature the incredibly realistic touch of an acoustic grand piano due to its Natural Wood X Keyboard made from wood dried specifically for use in musical instruments, synthetic ivory keytops to prevent fingers from slipping and escapement mechanism much like that of an acoustic piano, but it also boasts an abundance of additional features to make playing a more exciting experience for both beginners and skilled pianists. The touchscreen on the front panel makes choosing from the huge selection of voices, songs and styles incredibly... Read More

03/10/2018

What Guitar Amp Should I Buy?

When it comes to selecting a suitable amplifier for your electric guitar the range of choices can be initially confusing. With so many different amps on the market, how can you be sure that the one you want is going to be suitable for what you need? Well, to make it easier you should ask yourself a few questions: What will I be using it for? Bedroom practice? Home recording? rehearsals or live gigs? Bedroom amps are usually small and compact, easy to use and low in wattage. A popular... Read More

01/10/2018

Which CLP Should You Buy?

When looking for a new digital piano, the options can be overwhelming, but one name that will always appear is Clavinova. The CLP range of Clavinovas is Yamaha’s flagship range of digital pianos, and the current 600 series are their most advanced models yet. Every piano in this series features the voices of a CFX Grand and Bösendorfer Imperial; these are both fantastic pianos that immediately elevate the instrument to a high standard of sound. For the first time, Clavinovas now include a binaural sampling of the CFX. With the... Read More

26/09/2018

Restringing Your Electric Guitar?

Not as hard as it would seem?? Just take it slow and everything will fall into place. As I mentioned previously, get your tools ready, cleaning cloths to hand and if you like, a guitar wrest can be pretty helpful but not essential. Put a towel down on your work surface, even some paper towels just stop the guitar picking up any scratches. Give your guitar a once over at this point, check your jack socket, tighten if necessary, check both of your strap buttons, tighten if necessary. If you’re... Read More

24/09/2018

Yamaha TransAcoustic

The Transacoustic system… yet another outstanding piece of modern day technology by Yamaha! Here at Rimmers Music in Bolton, we currently have the Transacoustic hooked up to a traditional U1 upright piano, one of Yamaha’s flagship acoustic pianos! The Transacoustic system opens up a whole new range of functionalities including a library of fantastic sounds and voices, built-in songs, recording facility and even a headphone output for late night practising! Yamaha has created a brand new way to enjoy such a storied instrument! Transacoustic technology allows for a whole range of sounds... Read More

17/09/2018

Helping To Understand Your Cymbals

It can be very daunting and confusing when you start out drumming when looking at full drum kits with different cymbals and drums coming out the wazoo! So here is a very brief introduction to some of the most popular cymbals used today. First of all, we’ll go through the 3 most popular cymbals seen on most drum kits, The Hi-Hat, Crash and Ride cymbals. The Hi-Hat cymbal is the smaller of the 3 seen on virtually every drum kit and is made up of 2 pieces, a top and... Read More

14/09/2018

What Are The Differences Between Hollow Body And Solid Body Guitars?

When it comes to selecting the instrument that suits you, you’ll want to make sure that you are getting a guitar that will be best suited to the styles you play. Below we go into a little detail about the differences between solid body and hollow body instruments. Let’s start with the obvious; Solid Body is exactly what it says on the tin! A solid piece of wood that only has slots cut into it for the hardware, like pickups and bridges.  Semi-Hollow and Hollow body guitars are as you... Read More

10/09/2018

Which Grand Piano Should I Buy? What Size Should I Go For?

Many people dream of owning a grand piano, for a few different reasons! Let alone to play it. And of course, the question I have been asked many times! Which one, what make, and how much do I need to spend to get a good one? Well, here goes, let’s just get second hand buying out of the way, from a previous blog I wrote, there are lots of things to look out for in buying a second-hand piano, and that blog is well worth a read if that’s the... Read More