This took a week of my time to do correctly. I changed a young, existing website from its wonderful name of www.KaizenGuitarist.com to the very good name of www.ShoshinGuitarist.com .
Both Kaizen and Shoshin are Japanese words. Although I am not Japanese, I do admire their cultural beliefs in improving quality every day (Kaizen) and in approaching all learning with a beginner’s mind (Shoshin).
Why I Changed My Website’s Name to Shoshin Guitarist
I originally chose the name www.KaizenGuitarist.com . I loved that name and its concept. It means a guitarist who improves 1% daily. Yes, it’s a Japanese term I learned from my scrum master days when I worked at the insurance company.
I reserved the domain www.KaizenGuitarist.com and then two days later I realized someone made Kaizen Guitars. The large guitar company Ernie Ball makes them for $3500+ . Here’s an announcement of those guitars for NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show in 2022.
Made by Ernie Ball.
Designed by guitarist Tosin Abasi.
After several months of blogging, I decided to eliminate any potential conflict with Ernie Ball, Tosin Abasi, and their new Kaizen guitars. So I changed my website name to www.ShoshinGuitarist.com .
What does Shoshin and Shoshin Guitarist Mean?
What is a Shoshin Guitarist?
What does the Japanese word Shoshin mean?
Shoshin means “Beginner’s Mind” in Japanese and Buddhist thinking. Here is a succinct definition from Wikipedia on the word Shoshin.
What is a Shoshin Guitarist?
He or she is a guitarist who is open to new things, new learnings about guitar. I will venture a guess that even great guitarists have a beginner’s mind open to learning new things about playing Guitar.
BeginnerGuitarist.com was Taken
A lot of cool names for beginner guitarist are already taken on the Internet.
www.BeginnerGuitarist.com – Taken – $69.99 minimum bid
www.NoviceGuitarist.com – Taken – $69.99 minimum bid
www.TyroGuitarist.com – Available
But does anyone really know the meaning of the word Tyro?
www.BoomerGuitarist.com – Taken – $100,000 minimum bid
Yikes.
Shoshin means “Beginner’s Mind”
I chose Shoshin Guitarist as a website name for two major reasons.
Shoshin means “Beginner’s Mind”. It’s a freshness and openness to learning new things.
If a guitarist is open to learning new things, he or she has a beginner’s mind. Whether the guitarist has played 3 weeks, 3 months, 3 years, or a lifetime, if they have a mind open to learning new things they are a Shoshin Guitarist.
Today is January 23, 2024 and I began my Kaizen Guitarist website. I reserved my domain name of www.KaizenGuitarist.com on GoDaddy and set up a simple website. It’s not perfect, but it will get better.
This feels good.
I have no pretentious dreams or plans about the website. I want a “bucket” where I can store my guitar journal. I’ve been keeping one since I began playing guitar on October 5, 2023.
For 3 months I’ve thought of this website and for maybe 1 month I have checked frequently to see that the domain www.KaizenGuitarist.com was available. Today, I just grabbed the domain name.
Ironically, this is the same day I purchased a Journey JF410 acoustic travel guitar from Jay W.
For too long I delayed starting this website. Old thoughts on being perfect prevented me from starting it. I am newly retired. But after 5 years of working at CNA Insurance (love you guys), I became more Agile, hopefully Kaizen. You see, building a website is a bit like playing guitar. You don’t magically become good at websites, neither do you magically become a good guitarist overnight. It grows little by little, you get better, little by little. It’s a Kaizen kind of thing.
Website Plan for KaizenGuitarist
Here are a few ideas (I’m so rusty with WordPress I’ve forgotten how to do bullets):
Guitar Journal. Store my daily Guitar Journal notes in this blog. It’s not because they are great. It’s because it shows how someone fumbles a bit as they learn to play guitar better. Hopefully, you’ll learn from my mistakes.
Learn WordPress a 2nd time. I stopped blogging actively on WordPress perhaps 7-10 years ago. I have a lot to learn.
Learn SEO. Search Engine Optimization is difficult. You can blog forever but if you don’t have good SEO, no one will find you. I hope you find me.
Help beginner guitarists. I am a beginner so I hope to help beginners.
Guest posts from experienced guitarists. Yes, I hope others will post for me. Or, I can at least interview them.
Podcasts. People have said I have a pleasing voice. You can find some of my work on YouTube just by searching for Richard Kraneis. I’d like to interview other guitarists, luthiers, musicians, store owners, music groups, etc.
Build an email list. Yes, that would be good. I haven’t done it in a long time.
Get questions and feedback. Really, I want everyone to hang out with me, say hello, ask questions, give my advice.
Make a bit of money? Yes, nice also. But we either blog for money or fun. Hopefully both. I think if I serve others with good content, a few dollars may come my way.
Become a better guitarist. Yes, that’s the ultimate goal.
So today, Kaizen Guitarist is born as a website. I just want to have fun, learn new things, and keep getting better at guitar. Thanks for visiting www.KaizenGuitarist.com today.
Guitar Teacher: “Email me Your Youtube Recordings”
Everyone has Youtube recordings, don’t they? My new guitar teacher wanted to assess my 1 1/2 years of guitar skills. Luckily I have some recordings on Youtube.
Other people publish their YouTube recordings, I just store them on Youtube as “unpublished”.
So I emailed him some of my Youtube recordings from 3 months to 13 months. See below.
8 months playing guitar. Using a better microphone. You can hear my guitar and my voice, but you can’t see my hands well. Can’t remember the amp. At this point I began
8 months playing guitar. Epiphone LP Special LE, capo on 4th fret, amp unknown (perhaps a Peavey VIP-1).
4. Richard Plays “People are Crazy” by Billy Currington (10 months on guitar). Glarry Semi-Hollow GTL (telecaster?) on perhaps a Peavey VIP-1 amp. Start at 1:30 into video to avoid my intro words.
5. 13 Months of Guitar – Richard plays Deep River Blues on a Glarry Guitar
Playing my Glarry semi-hollow telecaster (cheap and fun). Using my Peavey Vypyr VIP-1 at volume 3. The song comes from the OldTownSFM. No pick, I use my middle finger to strum (I use picks but use my fingernail technique often). Sadly, you can’t see my hands as I play. Skip to 3:15 if you want to miss my intro chat.
Professional Feedback on my 18 Month Guitar Skills
Professional Feedback on My 18 Month Guitar Skills
My guitar teacher and I had a 10 minute chat about my skills.
Guitar Teacher: Do You Use a Metronome?
Guitar teacher: Do you use a metronome?
Shoshin Guitarist (me):
“Kindof…”
“My online guitar lessons from Justin Guitar and Fender provide the correct metronome beat. The online songs just carry me along.
“For my OTSFM (Old Town School of Folk Music Songs) I rarely use a metronome.
So my online playing sounds better than my sheet music playing.”
Guitar Teacher: Use a Metronome
I knew that my lack of metronome usage in my sheet music had been lacking in my first year of practicing guitar.
“I am not good at keeping the beat in my guitar songs.” – Shoshin Guitarist
My guitar teacher’s advice was use the metronome (especially or your sheet music playing). Even record with a metronome. Keep the beat.
Teacher’s Advice: Return to Jamming with Others (Using Sheet Music)
I briefly explained to my new guitar teacher that in 18 months I have learned in 3 major ways:
Online training from Justin Guitar and Fender Play app.
These are programmed courseware where techniques are taught, songs presented, but there is no sheet music.
Three classes at OTSFM (Old Town School of Folk Music). That was a total of 24 one hour group sessions.
Intro Guitar I and II classes.
Intro Bass.
Several times attending Americana Jam at the Old Town School of Folk Music.
It was a bit overwhelming.
Of 15 musicians I was perhaps the 2nd worst. Certainly in the bottom 20% of the class.
He recommended I return to the Americana Jam at OTSFM with this advice: Practice the songs you will jam. You don’t want to “bring the others down” because of your playing.
If you live in Chicago, IL USA. The Old Town School of Folk Music has an Americana Jam every Wednesday from noon to 2 PM. They are of course located on N. Lincoln Avenue in Chicago, IL.
If you live elsewhere, find an in-person jam with sheet music.
Keeping the Beat with Sheet Music is an Essential Guitar Skill
I have watched many Youtube videos discussing intermediate guitar skills.
On many Youtube videos discussing “are you an intermediate guitarist” these 3 points are missed or not discussed.
Always keep the beat with a metronome.
Online courses will carry you along with their beat. That’s too easy.
You need to read sheet music and keep the BPM on your own.
Read sheet music.
If you can’t read sheet music, you are doomed to using guitar riffs for the rest of your life.
Guitar savants don’t need sheet music. But ordinary guitar players need sheet music.
Jam with others (keep the beat and read sheet music).
Yes, we all want to jam with a buddy or with some other people.
But you need to “keep the beat”. Use a metronome until you are good enough to play without it.
Jamming with others means that you get to learn more about guitar with others.
The Shoshin Guitarist and his Metronome
So starting today, when I play sheet music, I am using my metronome.
And if I record with music, I will use the metronome.
All my Internet research indicated the ESP LTD B50 was a passive bass with a battery for EQ for greater tonal control. But my LTD B50 is purely a passive bass; no battery. But I like it. – Shoshin Guitarist
Tennis Elbow Injury, Needed a Lighter Electric Bass
Sadly, I injured my left elbow coming home from bass guitar practice.
My Deltatone bass was in its heavy case, so I am carrying 30 pounds in my left hand.
It’s January 2025, the basement stairs were slippery with a bit of ice/snow. I slipped and caught my balance with my right arm, wrenching it badly. Great, I didn’t fall. But I messed up my right elbow for months.
So I convinced myself I needed a bass lighter than 9 pounds. Guitar players will find any excuse for a new guitar, won’t they?
LTD B50 Initial Impressions at Guitar Store
Matt showed me his used bass section at his guitar store.
Sorry, my budget is $250 max for a used bass. I need a bass that is lighter than my Deltatone. I hurt my right elbow badly. So I kept picking up bass guitars and testing them for their heft and weight.
ESP LTD B50
Matt said: Here’s an ESP LTD B50. It’s light and marked for $250. I’ll give it to you for $160. I tried its weight, balanced it in my lap while sitting down and played it. I liked its sounds.
Ibanez Bass Choices
Sadly I didn’t like the way the Ibanez basses played with and without an amp.
Fender Mustang Bass
I had read about it and now I had a chance to test it. Sadly the scale was just too darn short. It felt like I was playing a guitar. I want to play a bass.
Semi-Hollow Schecter – Beautiful but Neck Dive
It was the lightest of any bass tested. And, it looked pretty. But even standing up I could tell the Schecter had neck dive. No thank you.
So I left the local Chicago used guitar store wanting to do my Internet research on the ESP LTD B50. Yes, it was the cheapest. But for me, it had the best weight, balance, and sounds of the bass guitars under $300.
Jake Wildwood is a down to earth, practical luthier/guitarist on the Internet. He wrote:
“This is a good, practical, gig-worthy, student bass.” – Jake Wildwood
Jake Wildwood’s assessment on the ESP LTD B-50 meant a lot. I went to the local Chicago guitar store the next day (early) to buy the ESP LTD B-50 electric bass.
Jake Wildwood does a great demo of the ESP LTD B-50. Please visit his demo here.
Re-testing and Purchasing the ESP LTD B50
Tested the ESP B50 some more at the used guitar store.
Verified it was a passive bass. Has no EQ. Internet thinks it does.
Did not check truss rod. I do hope it isn’t stripped (that would be sad).
I asked the guitar technician if it had new strings. He responded, “The strings are OK.” Which I think was his code for “the strings were OK and I didn’t change them”.
$160 cash got me the bass and a cheap gig bag that fit it.
Testing the ESP LTD B50 at Home
Same weight but better balanced than my 9 pound Deltatone? Actually, the LTD B50 is a little lighter at 8.2 pounds but it’s better balanced.
Almost guitar like in its balance. Reminded me of a comfortable Fender Mustang Bass that seemed too short in the store. But the scale is a full 34 inches.
The ESP LTD B50 neck is one or two inches longer than my Deltatone bass while the body is about 2 inches shorter. You would think this would case neck dive but it does not. Again, it’s nicely balanced.
With a strap, the LTD B50’s neck tilts up nicely for easier left hand fretting. Much better than my Deltatone bass.
Working high on the neck is much easier than the Deltatone. Why is that? So I found myself experimenting with sounds and chords up the neck. Fun.
The LTD B50 sounds good on my Fender B-Dec 30 watt bass amp. I really do like that amp.
Playing the ESP LTD B50 the 2nd time
Same weight but better balanced than my 9 pound Deltatone? Actually, the LTD B50 is a little lighter at 8.2 pounds but it’s better balanced.
Today I played the Deltatone bass (2008) for a bit and then went to the ESP LTD B50 (still need a name for it). I am tempted to call it “Lucky” since it came to the guitar store in the AM and I bought it in the PM.
Deltatone compared to ESP LTD B50
Deltatone, Slight Neck Dive. The Deltatone has a bit of neck dive without a strap. Nothing serious, but slight neck dive.
The LTD B50 is better balanced than the Deltatone.
And played sitting down, the ESP LTD 850 just feels lighter, more balanced, than the Deltatone.
Deltatone, higher action. The Deltatone seems harder to depress strings. I know that Paul G. who set it up prefers low action. The Deltatone takes greater strength for my fretting hand 3rd and 4th fingers.
By contrast, the ESP is easier to depress strings.
Playing the ESP LTD B50 the 3rd time
I think the ESP LTD B50 is easier to play than my Deltatone.
I notice this when I am trying to fret with my 3rd finger. With the Deltatone I would fret with the 3rd and 4th finger combined. With the LTD B50, I often can fret simply with the 3rd finger. That’s a good thing.
Playing the ESP LTD B50 Again and Again
I reach for the B50 bass a lot. I think it’s 50/50 between my LTD B50 and my beautiful $50 Huntington Bass (another article one day).
ESP LTD B50 Observations
B50 is lighter than my Deltatone. Just over 8 pounds.
My right elbow is finally recovering from a winter “slip” injury. Using a lighter bass is easier on my elbow.
B50 is comfy.
It fits nicely against my body.
I only play sitting down, but the ESP LTD B50 feels good in my lap.
The neck of the B50 tilts up nicely so I can see it and fret it easily.
B50 is more resonant than my Deltatone or my Huntington Bass.
Many times I will pluck a single string and let it ring out for easily 5 maybe 10 seconds.
I like a resonant bass. I can always silence the string with one of my fingers or a palm.
I subscribe to TommyLeeDepp and receive short videos that are educational to me as a 6 month beginner bassist. Thank you.
Also, how many YouTubers like TommyLeeDepp take the time to thank their YouTube mentors. TommyLeeDepp on YouTube took the time to give credit to and to thank his favorite bassist YouTubers.
Yes, I will actually give you hard to find information on the Deltatone PJ Bass. It’s rare, not valuable, but serviceable.
First, a background story.
Quick Summary: Deltatone PJ Bass
This blog post will go into details. But here’s a short summary.
Deltatone guitars and basses lasted two production years: 2007-2008. A person or company named William C. Stevens of Oakland, CA, USA owned the trademark. I believe the guitars and basses were made in mainland China. In 2009 the Deltatone trademark was not renewed which suggests they ended or re-branded.
Without Internet advertising, about 30 music stores in the U.S. sold these guitars and basses. Illinois had the most retailers followed by California.
I own a Deltatone PJ Bass. Here’s the rest of my Deltatone PJ Bass and its story.
Chris the Contractor Gave me Two Free Guitars
Chris the Contractor came over to finish tiling our kitchen. I asked: “Did you buy your daughter a guitar for high school?”
He said: “No, but I have two guitars for you in my garage.”
Twenty minutes later Chris walks up my front steps with two guitars: a black Dean MLX and a blue bass guitar (Deltatone). He hands me the two guitars.
Chris said: “They’re yours.”
So that’s how I became the owner of two very dusty, dirty guitars. Here’s a link to the Dean MLX free guitar blog post on my website.
Today, we will talk about the Deltatone PJ Bass.
Even dirty and filthy, the Deltatone was playable. I knew it was a “keeper” (worth keeping).
Researching the Deltatone PJ Bass was Difficult
Normal Internet Search Yielded No Information
Google – Nothing
Chat GPT – Nothing
Grok – Nothing
WayBack Machine
I knew it had something but couldn’t find it.
Yahoo Search Worked and Led to the WayBack Machine (Internet Archives)
“deltatone pj bass cobalt” yielded results in Yahoo
Again, if you are researching your Deltatone guitar or bass, go to this page. See below.
My WPJB500 Deltatone Bass was $359.99 in 2008
So now, via a deep Internet search that broadened to Yahoo.com and the WayBack Machine, I know the model name of my bass. The bass itself has no markings. But it is pretty in a subtle way. See below.
Sadly, even Grok.com has Limited Info on the WPJB500 Deltatone Bass
What a horrible model number for this bass.
I just call it the Deltatone. It is a very nice black body with a blue pick guard.
Here is some Deltatone PJ Bass Info Courtesy of Grok.com
Deltatone Guitars and Basses were Sold in About 30 Stores
Deltatone was based out of California, US. But the guitars and basses were made in China.
Deltatone did not seem to advertise on the Internet. Their guitars and basses were sold only in certain music stores.
Although owned by a California firm, Illinois (my home state), had 18 stores selling Deltatones. Illinois was the biggest seller of Deltatone guitars and basses.
Who Owned my Deltatone WPJB500 Bass?
Chris the Contractor who gave me the Deltatone (and Dean MLX guitar) does contractor/rehab work in Chicago’s DePaul University college district. He does work for a landlord who rents to DePaul students. The landlord had the Deltatone and the Dean MLX guitar.
My guess? A student left his/her apartment in a shambles or left without paying and just left his Deltatone and MLX behind. Both the bass and the guitar came from a DePaul apartment building owner.
So a student probably owned my free Deltatone bass and free Dean MLX guitar. Both made around 2007-2008 so it makes perfect sense.
Thanks to Chris the Contractor for giving me a free bass and free guitar.
Paul G. my Guitar Guy Set-Up my Deltatone Bass
Paul G. does my guitars normally. I gave him the Deltatone Bass for a set-up and also the Dean MLX (it needed significant work).
Paul G. cleaned up the Deltatone, cleaned/oiled it, gave it new strings, intonated it, adjusted the pickups higher and lower.
So my “free” Deltatone ended up costing me $50 to Paul G. the guitar guy. But it was worth it.
My Free Deltatone WPJB500 PJ Bass Introduced me to Bass Playing
My Deltatone began my bass journey. A free gift that worked out just fine.
I am moderately deaf but the Deltatone always was fun to play. It’s 9 pounds so it’s a bit heavy for a retired guy with a bad right forearm.
“As time goes on, I’ll give you more details on the Deltatone WPJB500 PJ bass.” – Shoshin Guitarist
Today is April 16, 2025. I have been practicing electric bass for 6 months. I have been playing guitar for 18 months.
I can choose from 3 of my basses to play. The blue Deltatone, the titanium ESP LTD B50 or the Huntington PJ. I grabbed the Huntington PJ Bass today because it’s just a beautiful $50 bass. Just looks pretty with black body and red fake/real tortoise shell pickguard. And it plays nicely.
Today was special because I tried to jam to guitar songs with the Huntington bass and succeeded. It was fantastic.
The first song I jammed on with bass with Jimi Hendrix’s Hey Joe.
Why did it take me 6 months to Learn How to Jam with my Bass?
I have studied electric bass for 6 months. My contractor gave me a free 2008 blue Deltatone bass, I had it set-up, and I have been playing it since August 2024.
I have used the Fender Play App most every day, I read/skim various bass books, watch YouTube videos just like you do, and took one bass class at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, IL USA.
But no teacher, no video ever taught me how to jam with my bass to a song. Perhaps it’s my fault for not asking a teacher. But as a beginner bassist, or a beginner with anything, the hard part is knowing the right questions to ask and to guide your learning.
My Simple Bass Playing Along with a Track Method
Experienced bassists will laugh at my method. But the problem with studying bass too much by yourself is that you can’t learn things easier with other bassists. So here’s how I put 2 + 2 together.
Use Justin Guitar practice songs (I am a JG subscriber).
The guitar chords are shown on the computer and you can play the riff out loud. I have done this on guitar for about a year with Justin Guitar (look him up on the Internet).
I grabbed my Huntington and played the single bass note for every guitar card. For example this version of the song Hey Joe uses chords E, C and G. The guitar chord fingering might be hard for a beginner. But for a beginner bassist finding notes E, C and G is easy.
“It’s that simple. Follow along with a song as long as you can see the guitar chords and you can easily substitute your bass notes.” – Shoshin Guitarist.
Magically, it all sounded good. For the first time ever, I was meaningfully using my bass to jam to a song.
This is a brief tribute to Matt and Tom at music store on Irving.
I spent an hour in that store today, testing guitars, asking questions. These two men didn’t mind at all.
Covid-19 may have given us bad habits. We think we can work remotely. We think we can learn guitars remotely. Maybe.
This is what I learned today.
The Fender Mustang Bass is Too Short For Me
It’s one thing to read that a bass scale is 30 inches. It’s entirely another thing to hold that bass in your hands and realize it’s like playing a guitar. For me, a 30 inch scale is too short.
And it means the Daisy Rock Retro-H-Bass that I chose not to buy was a good decision. Too darn short.
The Schechter Bass was My Favorite Bass
It was a very light semi-hollow but $500 bass. Reasonably light, made nice sounds with its Precision pickup.
But it had a HEAD DIVE. It was unbalanced due to the semi-hollow body so it’s head dove. I showed it to Matt and he agreed. Head dive.
But I will look at Schechter basses another day.
No More Fender G-Dec Infatuation
Matt and Tom even had a Fender G-Dec at the store. It looked so tiny, I lifted it and it felt tinny to me. Maybe it sounds great but I don’t care. This Fender is a tinny amp.
So I won’t continue my infatuation and search for the Fender G-Dec.
And now, a second visit to a used guitar store.
Guitar Players Get Girls; Bass Players Get Gigs
Words to live by. I don’t need to “get girls”. But I am interested down the road in “getting a gig”. We shall see.
Patrick was trying out a banjo when I struck up a conversation.
Patrick: What do you play?
Richard: Guitar and now bass.
And then he paused, smiled and said:
Guitar get the girls and bass players get gigs. – Patrick at the guitar store.
I smiled. I had read this before but never heard it straight up. If an almost 74 year old ever wants to perform with a group, it will be as a bassist.
More Advice from Patrick the Banjo Player
Richard: Why are learning bass scales so important?
Patrick’s answer didn’t quite make it through my brain.
But he did say, jam to anything. Jaco Pastorius would just find a key and jam to whatever was on the radio. Perhaps I can do something similar.
1.9.2025. An excellent bass amp to replace my slightly rattly Peavey Vypyr VIP-2. $50 cash. Wow.
Sometimes this bass amp is called the Musician’s Friend bass amp on the Internet.
This is My New/Old AXL B60 Bass Amp
This is the Facebook Marketplace Photo that got my attention. You can see the large 15 inch speaker and the 2 inch tweeter in the upper right hand corner.
The AXL B60 Bass Amp is a Mystery Amp on the Internet
There was no YouTube video of this amp in action. So I recorded my AXL B60 Facebook seller named Eugene as he jammed on his bass.
Eugene’s quite good. Here’s Eugene on AXL B60 Bass Amp. (Thanks Eugene for permission to “publish” your YouTube video.)
Neither are there any detailed write-ups on this amp for the Internet. You will find many AXL B60 Bass amp listings if you search via Yahoo for “AXL B60 bass amp” as shown below.
Finally, there is one longer write-up on the AXL B60 bass amp at of all names, Flea Market Music.
Prices seem to range from $50 (my purchase) to $179 currently.
So I hope this blog post will help someone researching this AXL amp.
First Impressions of my AXL Amp
It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Made in China in 2004. So it’s 20 years old. Not a mark on it. Frankly, it looked so good I didn’t examine it totally. Face of amp and sides looked good.
Thank goodness a previous owner put amp caster wheels on it. Like Eugene the Facebook seller said, “These wheels are larger than usual.” Thank goodness.
It’s both loud and warm at the same time. The owner said he was gigging with it with another instrument plugged into it. It held its own in louder venues.
I couldn’t help but smile as Eugene played his bass guitars on this amp.
Eugene’s quite good. Here’s Eugene on AXL B60 Bass Amp. (Thanks Eugene for permission to “publish” your YouTube video.)
Facebook Seller Declared One Known Defect
Eugene is an honest man.
The amp has a Line 1 pop when disconnecting. Workaround? Just use Line 2. I can live with that defect. Doesn’t seem big to me.
Surprise, the AXL B60 Bass Amp amp Guitar Nicely with a Zoom Pedal
I have learned that some bass amps can nicely amplify electric guitars. Not always but sometimes.
I amped my Glarry GTL Semi-Hollow to the AXL B60. It amped but it seemed muddy. Not unsurprising, bass amps are not meant to amp higher pitched guitars.
AXL B60 Works Great with my Zoom G1on Pedal
Just for fun, I ran my Glarry GTL through the Zoom G1on pedal.
Wow, it amped and worked wonderfully for this old guy with moderate hearing loss. Did AXL B60 amp my Zoom pedal perfectly? Maybe not.
But the Zoom G1on, Glarry STL, amped through the AXL B60 surely sounded nice. Lovely fun.
When do I use my AXL B60 Amp?
Normally I use it when nobody is at home but me.
I don’t play it too loud, just loud enough to have a little fun.
Do You Own and Use an AXL B60 Amp ?
Please leave a comment and tell me if you enjoy your amp. Maybe you could share it’s history and how you purchased it. Thanks.
Today I drove 80 miles round trip in Chicago traffic to purchase a Line 6 Spider Jam 75 watt amp in a far south side suburb mobile home community.
Is the Line 6 Spider Jam Any Good?
That’s why some of you came to this website. You want reviews to persuade or dissuade you from buying a Spider Jam. There’s a huge debate about the Spider Jam. Either people love them or hate them.
When I researched my Spider Jam purchase, I found that on different review sites, all reviews were 8+ out of 10 (or 4.4+ out of 5) with hundreds of reviews. So I went for it and arranged to purchase a Spider Jam in the Chicagoland area. Here are the reviews for your reference.
After using this amp for about 4 hours, here are my initial thoughts on the Spider Jam sounds.
If you’re a beginner or advanced beginner, I think the “sounds” of the Spider Jam are fine. This is 2008 technology, not 2025 technology. Initially after my purchase, I had some “buyer’s remorse”. But the more I played the amp, the more I understood its features, the more I liked it and its sounds.
If you’re an intermediate guitarist of 2+ years, if it’s affordable, test the Spider Jam. If you don’t like it, go buy a $500+ amp instead. Don’t worry, be Happy.
As an advanced beginner guitarist of 16 months, this is a good learning amp with jam tracks and drum tracks. The more I play my pentatonic scales to the Spider Jam song tracks, the more I enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I have moderate hearing loss and play with and without hearing aids. – Shoshin Guitarist
Skip to Bottom of Post for a Spider Jam of “Cajun Blues” with Pentatonic Scales
Just to give you a taste of jamming with the Spider Jam amp.
Super Quick Summary on the Spider Jam
This is a long post. So I wanted to do you a courtesy of summarizing my review and feelings on the Spider Jam.
Initial Impression.
The professional guitarist Facebook seller had TWO of these amps for sale. He demonstrated the Spider Jam and it sounded great.
At Home.
It’s stinky. Too bad this guy was a smoker.
Hurray. I can jam with it.
Yikes. This will be a learning curve in utilizing it.
2nd Session.
Display is hard to read it, unless you’re standing up.
Uneven pre-set volume can hurt your hearing if you aren’t careful.
Still not sure on creating my own tone.
Hurray. Jamming with it using the pentatonic scale is a pure joy.
3rd Day.
Hurray, learned how to use Drums feature.
Not so Hurray, this is an amp first designed in 2008 so much of the pre-sets are from the 80’s, 90’s, and the early 00’s. But get used to it.
4th Day. – I AM STARTING TO LIKE MY SPIDER JAM.
This has taken a while. You can’t quite appreciate the Spider Jam until you start exploring its menus.
Getting Better…
…at touring my available pre-sets.
Learned How To,
Create my own sound and Save it (thanks to the manual).
Learned how to turn Guitar Gate/Boost to “ON”…
…this means my guitar is louder during “jams” and cuts through the noise better.
Appreciate that the Jam licks have such good sounds…
…that I’ll just go into them, not use a jam, but use the sound.
Cajun Blues would be an example.
When was the Line 6 Spider Jam Manufactured?
Production run: 2008 to 12/1/2022. Designed with the help of a Reinhold Bogner.
My Celestion speaker has a date stamp of 10/22/2012. So it was assembled on or after that date. Can’t find a way to decipher the Line 6 serial number.
This AI Overview shown below from Google Chrome is very useful.
Initial Impression on the Spider Jam
Clean as a whistle.
Dave the Facebook seller played his guitar with the Spider Jam. If a musician as good as Dave L. owns two of these amps and a whole house of music gear, I think the Line 6 Spider Jam is good enough for me.
100+ Jam Tracks. Delightful. This is a skill I want to develop for 2025.
350 pre-sets. Again, wow.
Loud as heck at half volume. The Celestion 12 and 2 inch tweeter make a lot of noise.
User manual. Great, glad it comes with the purchase.
Jump drive with seller’s own 1200 backing tracks. He once was a DJ and Karaoke guy before Covid 19 tore apart his business (my guess).
Visit Harbor Freight to Purchase a Padded Dolly
The seller was going to screw caster/wheels onto the amp. He decided not to do so.
He advised I buy a dolly at Harbor Freight in his suburb. Good idea. Purchased a 12X22 dolly right away for about $30. 2 or 3 inches off the ground. Great idea.
Initial Impressions of Spider Jam at Home
Bummer. The guy was a smoker. I can smell it, but not too badly.
Bummer. The Seller forgot to include the power cord.
I called him but he didn’t apologize.
He said I should use my spares. I politely said good-bye on the phone.
Learning. It will take a while to learn the Spider Jam.
But I found the pre-sets.
Then I found the jams.
Hopefully I will learn more with the user manual.
Dolly. The amp is hopefully safe from the century floods in Chicago that seem to come every 10 years or so. All my equipment is 2 inches or higher off the ground.
Headphones. Be careful with the pre-sets. They vary in loudness so do NOT put the headphones on your ears. Just put them near your ears and turn volume low to high so you don’t damage your hearing.
Jamming. Hurray. I played a few jam sessions and used my knowledge of scales to jam.
Tone from Scratch? This amp isn’t really designed to easily make a tone from scratch. But it can be done, supposedly. It’s a learning tool more than a pure modeling amp. But I can still take a Spider Jam pre-set, alter it to meet my needs, and save the setting. I hope.
1200 backing tracks. The seller included 1200 backing tracks on a jump drive. He is a guitarist and he was a DJ/Karaoke entrepreneur. I checked his jump drive and the MP3 files are all there. Lots of backing tracks minus guitar leads and vocals. I think I will use them for my Moises app work.
Second Day with my Line 6 Spider Jam
More observations on my Spider Jam.
Spider Jam Negatives
Cigarette stink.
The seller said this was a “smokin’ hot deal”.
I can smell the amp every time I sit in front of it.
Yes, he smoked a lot of cigarettes and it stinks a bit. I will need to clean it up and “charcoal” it a bit to reduce its smell.
The User Manual isn’t terribly useful.
Not that helpful, so far.
Display hard to see.
Sitting on my chair, I thought the display had gone blank. Silly me, I need to look at it directly from above. But with my old eyes, I do need to look at it closely to see the display contents.
Not intuitive.
I am learning the Spider Jam and the Fender B-Dec at the same time. It’s not easy.
But I will master it.
Stop/Start Button.
I kept pressing the Stop/Start Button on the front panel and nothing worked. Odd.
Then I pressed the Stop/Start Button on the left edge and it worked. That’s a bit odd but now I understand it.
How to set pre-gain and post-gain?
Still haven’t found the answer.
By contract, my Peavey Vypyr VIP-1 is easy with its controls compared to the Spider Jam.
Learning the Spider Jam
Stop/Start Button.
It didn’t work again and again.
Finally I pressed the left edge of it and it worked fine. Design flaw?
EMI (electro magnetic interference) with the amp.
I turned off my 6 overhead fluorescent/dimmed lights and the amp sounds were improved.
Again, turn off your fluorescent lights.
Jam Songs I can’t hear my guitar.
I turned up my Master Volume.
Most important, turn Channel Volume up to hear your guitar with its own voice during a pre-recorded jam. Still not perfect.
Create your own sound. I can create it but haven’t learned how to save it yet. This setting was a nice sound with my 1980’s Harmony H80T electric start style guitar.
Twang amp, Green.
Bass at noon.
Mid and Treble at 2 PM.
Fun and Positives with the Spider Jam
090 Jam, “Unexcited”.
Using my pentatonic skills for jamming this was a lot of fun.
Headphone jack is on the face of the amp.
I don’t have to search the backside of the amp for the jack.
On my 2nd Test, I Still Like my Spider Jam Amp
It’s the jam tracks. It’s the jam tracks. Yes, I still like it.
And it does have a big sound with a 12″ speaker and 2″ tweeter. The related Line 6 Spider III 75 Watt amp does NOT have the tweeter or the jam tracks.
Third Day with my Line 6 Spider Jam
Seriously, I have had quicker “dates” than learning this Line 6 Spider Jam amp. But I persist in learning it.
Let’s Start with the Positives
Fun Jams with pentatonic scales
089 Cajun Blues
100 Outlaw Country Club
I learned how to use the Drum feature. Fun.
I don’t have to search the backside of the amp for the jack.
A Few Line 6 Spider Jam Negatives on my 3rd Day of Usage
A Dated Amp with Dated James and Tones.
But that’s OK. This Spider Jam was made between 2008 and 2022. Manufacture date unknown.
The amp seems to focus on the 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s for its tones and artists.
Hearing Damage with HeadPhones.
I mentioned this before, now again. The volume on the presets is very uneven. Never ever move from pre-set to preset without having a lower volume. I wonder, are my ears still ringing from a sonic blast on headphones yesterday with the Line 6 Spider Jam.
BE CAREFUL.
START/STOP Button. It sure seems finnicky. Especially when I try to start a song. Do I just press it firmly? Is that the key. The button does seem finnicky or inconsistent.
Trouble Playing with a Jam.
Master Volume controls overall sound.
Channel Volume controls guitar sound.
But today my Jet JS300 didn’t seem to work. Then I plugged in the Glarry, it worked. Then I plugged the Jet JS300, finally it worked.
Still a bit confusing.
Things to Learn on my Spider Jam
I have mastered how to play songs/drums so I can jam along.
Now I need to learn how to easily recall a pre-set.
Still need to learn how to Save one of my pre-sets.
New Idea. Can I plug my bass amp the Fender B-Dec 30 into the Line 6 Spider Jam so I can use a Fender engine with theoretically better speakers?
The Facebook seller who sold me the Spider Jam gave me 1200 backing tracks in MP3 format. I need to utilize those jam tracks in my practice.
Desperate for a Blues Tone I plugged into my Fender B-Dec 30
Guess what, it plays decent guitar in this bass amp. But after all, I am moderately deaf 🙁
People do Seem to have a Love/Hate Relationship for the Spider Jam Sounds
I need to get over what others “think” about an amp they don’t own. I can already see its great “learning” potential for me as a 2nd year guitarist.
Fourth Day with my Line 6 Spider Jam: Making Friends with my Spider Jam
I may need to do a cheat sheet by the amp to remember its usage. I am also learning a Fender B-Dec 30 amp at the same time so it’s a bit like learning French and Spanish at the same time: confusing.
Before I Begin, Take Note of these Smaller Day 4 Discoveries
Use the Gain dial.
Yes, it can give you distortion.
But for me, it gave me greater volume that I liked.
Jam “Song” Guitar Settings are perhaps better than all the fancy pre-sets
Learned how to turn Guitar Gate/Boost to “ON”…
…this means my guitar is louder during “jams” and cuts through the jam better.
Perhaps I should experiment with the gain dial to increase guitar volume when jamming to a Song.
Three Big Things I Improved or Learned on the Spider Jam Today
Improved – I Became Better on Selecting a Pre-set
There are 3 types of pre-sets.
Styles (my favorite)
Artists
User (this is your area to save your sounds).
I believe there are 30.
Learned – How to Create and Save Your Own Setting to the User Pre-Sets
I created a Blues sound with 75% gain and saved it with the name RK_Blues.
Learned – Noise Gate “On” – How to make your Guitar Louder during Songs (jamming) and Make Your Guitar Heard over the Accompaniment
Problem: When pressing the Song button to select and play a song or jam, I couldn’t hear my guitar well enough. Too quiet even with Channel Volume turned up.
Solution: Turning the Noise Gate “On” was the Solution. I hope the setting stays on when I power the Spider Jam up the next time.
Possible Solution: Maybe I should turn the Gain dial “up” or to the right.
5th Day Messing Around with my Spider Jam
Performed Amp Re-set on my Spider Jam
I found instructions, and got lucky.
Turn on the Spider Jam, press the Settings/Tone button for 5-8 seconds.
Observe the display indicating that it is doing a Reset.
Check the User Presets to see if they have eliminated your one and only pre-set.
It worked. This took a bit of software/firmware courage. Hoping that a 13 year old amp would respond to a re-set was a throw of the dice. Luckily it worked. Otherwise I would have been very sad if firmware in amp had changed, badly.
Selecting a Song Will Change your Guitar Tone
Hope so.
This documentation claims it works that way. I’m not so sure. I will need to test it.
But if the Spider Jam changes amp settings for guitar for each Song setting, then could I save that amp sound into my User presets? That would be nice.
7th Day Messing Around with my Spider Jam
Maybe it’s the 7th day of using the Spider Jam. I don’t use it every day. Generally I use it every other day.
Saving a Guitar Tone from a “Song” to User Settings on Spider Jam
Yes, it can be done.
Note: I know of no way to edit a Song guitar tone into the Spider Jam so that this Song guitar tone is permanently altered. This means you cannot change firmware guitar tones.
But, you can definitely take a Song guitar tone that you like, and Save it as a User Setting.
Choose a Song. I chose “Psychedelic”.
Press the right arrow key to LOAD the guitar tone.
This loads the guitar tone for “Psychedelic”.
If you do NOT press the right arrow key to load the guitar tone, you are playing some other guitar tone that you previously had used.
Edit or do NOT Edit the guitar tone to your liking.
Press Save button. I pressed Save and the display displayed a User Setting name.
Re-name the User Setting. This will mean using the dial to select alphanumeric characters. Experiment, you will figure it out.
RK Psyched, that’s what I called the guitar tone.
Press Down Arrow to Save. VERY IMPORTANT.
I failed to do this the first time.
Second time pressing down arrow key (4 way selector on top of amp) did Save the guitar tone.
Hurray, Pentatonic Jamming to Spider Jam Songs
Last night was amazing. I am currently learning pentatonic scales and I tried jamming to the Spider Jam Songs.
Wow, this is why I bought a 13 year old learning amp, the Spider Jam, so I could jam to it.
Play a Spider Jam Song and jam with your pentatonic scales. The song even has a small indicator on the left telling you what key to use. Wonderful.
Note: Perhaps the Positive Grid amps have practice tracks I could use. But I don’t own one. Maybe one day I will get a Positive Grid Mini. But for now, I am learning to play guitar better with the Line 6 Spider Jam.
Never, Ever, Keep Headphones Completely on Your Ears when Changing Spider Jam Guitar Tones
The volume is erratic. Quiet for one guitar tone, horribly loud for the next.
If you are spinning through the Guitar Tone settings you may hurt your hearing for a night, maybe longer. BE CAREFUL.
10th Day Using a G1on Zoom Pedal with my Spider Jam – Hurray
I will admit, I still am not in love with Spider Jam guitar tones. Maybe it’s the interface, maybe it’s me. The tones seem heavily biased towards loud “metal”.
But today I took my Zoom G1on pedal (a cheapie but a goodie) and plugged it into my guitar and then the Spider Jam.
I was instantly happier with the sounds I was producing through the Zoom pedal into the Spider Jam.
I still love the Spider Jam “Songs” for pentatonic jamming, but for just choosing a sound, the Zoom G1on gave me lots of clean sound options. I like cleans a whole lot more than metal. – Shoshin Guitarist
Interesting, the user Line6Tony has been writing about the Spider Jam for 14 years. I am guessing that Line6Tony is a Line6 employee, maybe.
I find the two Excel spreadsheets and two PDFs to be a little confusing after using the Spider Jam for only 1 week. But I believe it will make sense as time moves forward.
Later, a Demo of the Line 6 Spider Jam of “Cajun Blues” with Pentatonic Scales
This is why I like the Spider Jam as a learning amp. And my readers, “learning” amps seem hard to find in the marketplace.
One day I will record something for you. Just not today.
Thanks for Visiting Shoshin Guitarist and my Line 6 Spider Jam Review
Thanks again.
I will add more to this post as I learn more about the Spider Jam.
This is mine. I have been practicing bass for about 4 months. I have practiced guitar for 16 months. I alternate between bass practice or guitar practice. Sometimes I practice both in the same day.
My practice sessions are a minimum of 45 minutes.
I play a 2008 Deltatone bass and normally I use my Fender B-Dec 30 30 watt amp. When no one’s at home, I sometimes use my AXL B60 60 watt bass amp.
My Bass Training Outline
Mine is typed. Even if you think you have memorized your routine, you have not?
Finger Warmup stretches.
Fender Play App module on how to hold neck with your left hand.
Thumb placement especially.
Fretboard finger stretches.
Primarily start at 5th fret and do 5, 6, 7, and 8 with your fingers.
Bridge the frets, don’t cheat with finger placement.
Four Song Warm-Up (as a beginner I have favorites).
“For What it’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield.
“Every Breath you Take” by The Police.
“Jambalaya” by Hank Williams.
“This Must Be The Place” by the Talking Heads.
OTSFM (Old Town School of Folk Music) Bass I Exercises
or Fender Play App, depending on whether or not I am taking classes.
During Practice I Take Notes
Notes for today, February 14, 2025 (Valentine’s Day).
Purchase a suede strap for the bass. I need to hold the neck of bass up high for better finger reach.
Suede straps don’t slip on your neck and shoulders. That will keep the bass neck high as I need it.
Mentor. I wish I had a bass mentor that I could ping with questions?
Perhaps Eugene?
Perhaps Randy the bassist?
“This Must Be The Place” by the Talking Heads (Fender Play App).
Great fast tempo.
It forces me to reaffirm good thumb technique as I fret chords on the neck.
Pivot the Pinkie.
Playing fingers 1, 2, and 3 is relatively easy. I hold the neck high and my finger shapes are more angular with my fretting hand.
Pivot the “towards the fretboard” to bring it closer and easier to position for pinky notes.
OTSFM Page 5.
This is a handout forcing you to practice finger combinations like 1,2,3,4 or 0,2,4,1 and much more.
Use Metronome app for pacing.
Use Metronome.
For page OTSFM page 5 for Bass I, it’s an excellent pacing tool for both rhythm and fretting hand accuracy.
If one person leaves a comment on this blog post, I will consider myself a “happy” guy 🙂
I Played/Imitated Elvis Presley when I was 5 Years Old in 1956
On October 28, 1956, Elvis was on the Ed Sullivan Show on TV and Elvis performed “Hound Dog”. Boomers, do you remember it? “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog…”
Someone handed me a guitar in 1956 and I strummed it badly singing part of the song. That was a happy moment, but then it stopped…
…and my parents took me to music school for accordion (yikes). I wonder what happened to that guitar.
At the age of 72, I Bought a used Harmony H80T at a Yard Sale
You better believe that made me happy.
Buying Guitars Won’t Make You Happy; Playing Guitars Makes You Happy
Just to be clear, buying a guitar doesn’t make you happy. It’s playing that guitar that makes you happy, or in many cases, “happier”.
Many Reasons Guitars can Make You Happy
Here’s a fast and easy list from me on why guitars make me happy. This is my list, please leave a comment.
Pretty. Even an ugly little guitar has its charm.
Voice. Every guitar in good playing condition has its own voice. If you enjoy sounds, guitars can make you happy.
Music. After 14 months and over 1000 hours of practice and playing guitar, I can now play many songs decently. Actually, I was playing tiny melodies after 1 month and slightly bigger songs with chords after 3 months. Progress.
New People. If you are serious about guitars, play them outside your home, you will definitely meet new people. Playing guitar is a “ticket” to meeting different people from all walks of life. Fun.
Or go to a coffee house and talk to the pianist or the guitar player. Meet a new person, perhaps they will become a friend.
Two Guitars. And yes, two guitars might be even more fun than one guitar. But you need to play them. Just not at the same time 🙂
Meditative. 90 minutes passes pretty quickly when you are playing guitar.
Children and/or Grandchildren. If you’re lucky, your grandkids may sing along with you as you play guitar.
And if you are very lucky, your kids or grandkids will remember their grandpa playing guitar and singing with them. Hope so.
Mental and Physical Exercise. Learning something new every day that is both mental and physical certainly will keep your mind active.
AI on the Internet has Many Reasons Guitars can make you Happy
I do enjoy AI or Artificial Intelligence from Internet searches. Here is the AI search from “can guitars make me happy” shown below.
Richard Takes the Guitar Happiness Checklist Test
Stress Relief and Mood Boost.
I don’t normally feel depressed. But I will admit that I feel happier after strumming “Johnny B. Good” at 168 BPM or beats per minute. Fun.
Dopamine Release.
Yes, I think I do get a dopamine rush after playing one of my guitars seriously for an hour or so.
Improved Cognitive Function.
Maybe. I am 73 years old so I’ll be happy with any good cognitive functioning.
Social Connection.
I need to return to the Americana Jam at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, IL USA. Great people, great place.
When I meet a new person I ask them if they play guitar. The chances are easily 1 out of 3 they play a guitar or an instrument. Or maybe, they talk about their brother who plays an instrument.
Making social connections through guitar stories is one of my new hobbies. Yes, it’s fun.
Enhanced Creativity and Self-Expression.
My self-confidence is pretty good normally. I have led an interesting life that has brought me to today.
Yes, playing/learning guitar gives me a sense of accomplishment. I just wish I could improve my fishing as significantly as I have improved my guitar playing.
Emotional Outlet.
Maybe 🙂
Increased Self-Esteem.
I don’t think I needed a self-esteem boost. But it’s always nice to “get better” at something every day. It is an Agile way of life.
Reduced Blood Pressure.
Gosh, that would be nice. Hope so.
Why Don’t You Take the Guitar Happiness Checklist
Print it out and go over the checklist.
“Remember, owning a guitar isn’t enough. You need to play the guitar at least 20 minutes a day to feel happier.” – The Shoshin Guitarist
Playing a Guitar is the 2nd Thing I do Each Morning
I grab my guitar and practice a few techniques every morning around 7 AM. Nothing long, just 5 to 10 minutes.
My wife complains about it a little bit. But secretly I think she accepts it and I do hear her humming in the house during the day.
Here’s my good morning guitar. It’s a Hohner HW200. It’s nickname is either Florida (it came from Florida) or Sawbuck (it cost $10).
Put Playing Guitars into Your Schedule – It will Make You Happier
I do admit that I am retired. My kids are grown up and I don’t work a regular job anymore. I play guitar, take longer Chicago walks, and try to be a good husband, father, grandfather, and friend. So I may have more time than you do. But you still have time for guitar. Just work it into your schedule.
Say Good Morning to Your Guitar
Yes, as mentioned above, I wake up playing guitar. It’s better than coffee. Just 10 minutes is all I play, then I get some coffee.
Morning with Guitar
My morning routine might be with guitar. I study guitar online with Justin Guitar and sometimes with Fender Play App. I practice strumming every day and focus on playing simple sheet music songs.
Afternoon with Guitar or Bass
This is another time slot for me. I am learning bass guitar solely from the Fender Play App. So far it’s suited me just fine.
Yes, practicing bass out loud or through headphones is fun. I find bass guitar to be almost meditative. So yes, it’s a happy thing.
Evening with Guitar or Bass
Yes, when everyone goes to bed, I noodle around on a guitar or bass. I also do some blogging on this website at the end of the day.
Will 20 Minutes of Guitar Playing Make me Happier?
I would say 20 minutes of guitar playing is a bare minimum for “being happier”. But 20 minutes is a whole lot better than NOT playing guitar at all.
I think 45 minutes of focused practice or play is better for just “happiness”. Improving your guitar playing does make me happier.
Now, if you want to become good at guitar or bass, than you are talking hours of practice every day. I think of of my guitar heroes said this in one of his videos.
“If you want to get good at guitar, put in the hours.” – Dave Simpson.
True Guitar Happiness is Found Jamming on Guitar with a Few Friends
Yes, you can go to a coffeehouse magazine store and listen to a guitarist play the blues and that’s fun.
But “happier guitar playing” comes from jamming with a friend.
I am grateful my buddy Tom G. comes over to play his harmonica while I play guitar. He’s very good, me, I’m an advanced beginner guitarist. But it’s a “happy time”.
But if you want guitar playing to make you happy, get out of your house. Go jamming somewhere. Socialize, play guitar. It’s a good thing.
I think it’s true: Playing Guitar Can Make You “Happier”
Guitar will NOT make you a “Happy Person”. But I can pretty much guarantee that playing guitar, bass, ukelele, musical instruments and hanging out with other musicians will improve your state of mind. Yes, guitars can make you HAPPIER.
In an imperfect world, I would say playing guitar with a smile on your face can make you happier. Try it.
