Jake Kelly

Diary of a Mad Man: Building Your Own Guitar

A good friend of mine, Bruce Howlett, kept a journal while building a guitar from a kit that is a worthwhile read for anyone thinking of following suit. You can read about the adventure,...

You Got a Publishing Contract! Part 2

They are going to want to know what songs you already had recorded. If by chance some band had picked up and recorded one or more your songs and they released them on CD or have them up...

Eubanks Enriches Performing Arts School

As if watching time-lapse photography, the Van Nuys High Performing Arts Magnet constructed a multi-platform performance of their own creation that blossomed in less than 90 minutes under the...

The ZT Lunchbox Amp Review

The saying says big surprises come in small packages, and usually it is applies to diamond rings. But the ZT Amplifier’s Lunchbox amp proves that idiom true for guitarists as well as potential...

Amazing Story: Stolen Amp Returned after 5 Years

Well, it is not a short story…and you already know how it ends: It was a dark stormy night, somewhere to be certain. But in Nashville one night, it was clear, cool and starry. The bus...

The Zoom H2N Field Recorder: Now It's Personal

I usually don’t write reviews in first person, but this time it is personal. Currently I am in four projects, three of which are relatively new. With all the new material I’m learning, I...

If you're not part of the solution...

How was your weekend? Here's a quick synopsis of mine: So, If someone said to me, "Jake, if you drive to Temecula (100 miles from my humble abode) I'll give you twenty-five bucks...

Songwriting: Knowing the basics for your band.

One of the great pleasures in life for songwriters is playing one of their songs with a full band backing them up: hearing the drums emphasize the backbeat and breaking into...

Fishman Rare Earth Humbucking and L.R. Baggs M1a Acoustic Guitar Pickups

A side by side comparison of the Fishman Rare Earth Humbucker and the L.R. Baggs M1a active acoustic guitar soundhole pickups.

You got a Publishing Contract! Part 1

Congratulations, you did it! Somehow you broke through the mucky muck and landed a meeting with a publisher, someone who can actually do something with your songs. This is great for at least...