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HISTORY Bill Collings moved from Ohio to Houston, Texas in the mid-1970s. More interested in guitars and engineering than his pre-med program, he took a job at a machine shop and began building guitars on his kitchen table with just a few hand tools. Coming from a family of engineers, Bill’s experience as a craftsman and his natural curiosity equipped him to experiment and quickly improve his craft. Before long, his instruments were in the hands of local talents Rick Gordon and Lyle Lovett …

HISTORY "The road from my workshop in a historic, haunted Annapolis garret to a state-of-the-art factory was a tough one. Fact is, I always loved working with my hands. Why else would a high school kid sign up for three or four shop classes at a time? My first guitar was built as a challenge to my college music professor for some credits. I got an “A” and decided to pursue my dream of making guitars for a living. There were a lot of late night brainstorms. I was lucky if I finished a …

HISTORY Engineer Ikutaro Kakehashi established Roland in 1972 after leaving his previous venture, Ace Electronics (best known in the U.S. as the maker of the Ace Tone line of combo organs). With some staff from Ace and a substantial amount of Kakehashi's savings, the company designed and put into production its first product, the TR77 drum machine, only 90 days after founding the company. The company moved very quickly after that; the next year, it introduced its first synth, the …

Exploring Guitar Effects Pedals: Tone Shaping, Gain Staging, and Modulation Greetings RFGE Readers! In previous blogs, we’ve talked a lot lately about the organic part of guitars and guitar playing such as the various woods that acoustic and electric guitars are made from.  Now it’s time to get into something much more technical… Guitar pedals and effects!  There’s a whole universe of different effects pedals out there, so today we’re going to talk briefl …

Greetings RFGE Readers!  In our last few blog posts, we’ve discussed the different types of woods used to make acoustic guitars.  Today, we’re going to shift gears and talk about electric guitars and their body woods. The wood used in an electric guitar body plays a vital role in shaping its tone, weight, and aesthetic appeal. Different woods offer unique tonal characteristics, making them ideal for specific styles of music. Here’s a look at some of the most common wo …

Hello, RFGE Readers!  Here we have another question that focuses on one of the topics that folks often ask us about at the shop.  We sell a lot of acoustics from Collings, Taylor, Yamaha, and PRS along with a multitude of used guitars by other makers, and while each manufacturer has their own designs, specs, etc., there is some general knowledge that applies to acoustics no matter who makes them.  In a prior blog post we discussed topwoods for acoustics, which are primarily spruce …

The top wood of an acoustic guitar plays a crucial role in shaping its tone and resonance, and understanding the different types can help you select the perfect instrument for your playing style. The top wood directly affects the guitar’s projection, sustain, and tonal balance, which is why many players give it so much consideration. Among the most popular choices for acoustic guitar tops are spruce, cedar, and mahogany—each offering a unique set of tonal qualities.Spruce is by far the most comm …

Date: Feb 1, 2025Time: 12pm-2pmTicket: Free to attend, Seating will be very limited depending on turnout. This event was so cool the first time, we have invited Dan Ryan back to come and teach another masterclass! Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the most talented musicians in Baltimore. Dan is a genre bending guitarist, composer and arranger and he is among the absolute best guitar players you will see on any stage. His playing is endlessly creative and he is comfortable wi …

     Ever wonder why you buy a guitar from one dealer, used or new, and it plays amazing and then you buy one from another dealer and it feels awful? Or why you always seem to have issues with switches or scratchy pots? I have worked in guitar shops my entire adult life, nearly 16 years and I have the answer for you. They didn't set it up and in some cases they didn't even plug it in. The guitar came into their shop, they snapped a pic, hung it on the wall and when it sold they th …

Depending on the climate where you live your guitars should usually be set up at least once a year. This is as simple as taking your guitar to a professional luthier to make sure that the action is adjusted properly and it plays in tune. Here in the mid-Atlantic we have two extreme climates to deal with each year. The frozen winter which can get down to the single digits and the balmy summer which can get up around 100 degrees with gobs of humidity. Guitars are like people. They generally are c …