This cooks! Brian Setzer!

I’m on a Big Bad Voodoo Daddy ride! Sing along with me now:

Independent musicians are a growing breed. Record labels are signing nowhere near as many musicians as they used to, so people are learning to fend for themselves in the music game. And to be honest, I think that’s a good thing. Before, people would get signed to major record labels, not get their music released, and then got dropped before they even put anything out. Without the type of independent music advice you can get today, they were often left to be bewildered as to what they should be doing next. The current set of musicians, however, have a lot more music business knowledge, so aren’t as easy to be put in that situation.

While musicians are doing well to fend for themselves these days, there’s a lot that haven’t locked on to a certain strategy that’s being used by major record labels very successfully. And what is this new strategy I’m taking about? Well, it’s easy: you’ve got to use email marketing to make the ultimate mailing list! Mailing lists have been serving many different industries for years, but the music industry at grass roots level have never really caught on. While the odd independent musician uses email marketing, the majority don’t, and are losing money because of it.

Mailing lists are great for building a following you can message whenever you want, in the place that matters most to them online: in their email inboxes! Think about it: people cherish their emails because everything goes there! Many people check their emails daily, so if you message them there’s no escaping it.

So what would you email to people? Well, you could email them about when you’re playing out, when you have new music out, or anything else you think they may be interested in.

Email marketing is something I’d recommend any independent musician take up. It’ll push your career in the short and the long run.

A Cajon Drum is a kind of a percussion musical instrument that existed in the eighteenth century or even earlier. Its origin can be traced from the slaves of Africa and Peru which makes it known worldwide as an Afro-Peruvian musical apparatus.

There is also a great possibility that the box-like drum came from the same type of musical instruments that were being used in Angola and Antilles earlier on. These may have been imitated by the Peruvian workers and slaves by using the materials they salvage from wooden crates and drawers.

Another theory on the origins of the drum dates back to when the Spaniards colonized the African territories and banned music. The African slaves notwithstanding the risks it would cause them kept these drums and played with them secretly. The Cajon’s were made to appear like chairs and pieces of furniture so as to conceal their true nature.

The Cajon Box Drum became very famous around 1850 and towards the end of that century. Musicians, particularly the Cajon players, started experimenting with the designs and features of the drum thereby causing different beats and sounds to come out of the instrument. The drum has greatly evolved since then.

This instrument is made up of wood. The front side which is called the head is made up of thin plywood. This is the part where the musician slaps the palm of his hand to make a musical sound. A hole is located on the back of the box in order to release the sound. The musical player sits on the drum and slaps the head of the Cajon situated between his legs.

Other modern versions of the Cajon Drum have features that can adjust the tones and timbres in order to produce a variety of sounds. The percussionist or drummer may also slap the sides of the box with his hands if he wants to create further sounds. These types of drums are now being widely used globally. It has been known for its versatility and style that not only percussionists are playing this instrument nowadays but other musicians as well.

Despite the huge amount of different instrument manufacturers in business today, most players settle on buying the same brands over and over again. There are a great number of really superb instruments which players won’t even consider, simply because they aren’t a mainstream brand. This article aims to change all that by reviewing a Sandberg bass guitar which really does hit all the right notes, the Panther Special.

I want to start off this review by stating that Sandberg basses are not cheap guitars, the majority of their models cost the best part of £1000 and aren’t intended for the casual player. However if you can look past the rather intimidating price tag you will begin to understand exactly why they cost what they do.

The Panther Special uses a blend of different exotic tonal woods. It’s body is made out of maple which is finished off with additional layers of maple and walnut. The Special features a walnut top and uses rosewood for the fretboard. Players who like their necks fast and small will find this bass really agrees with them, the thin neck makes the instrument incredibly comfortable to play and easy to move around on.

The Panther Special Sandberg bass combines its unique blend of tone woods with an incredibly elaborate electronics system to produce a sound which is unlike anything you will find on any other instrument. The guitar features dual power humbuckers; these work in combination with the in-built 3-band EQ to really perfect the tones. Players have the opportunity to use these pickups at the same time; this is great for light passages which require a cleaner and even tone. If you’re into your shrills and slaps then you will definitely make use of the EQ knob, this allows you to adjust the levels to extenuate your slaps.

Right, now here’s the bad news. The Panther Special retails at around £1300; this is a huge investment and bassists really need to be serious about their playing if they considering purchasing one. If you do decide to take the plunge you can rest assured that you’ve bought a completely unique instrument which has its own distinct sound, no other instrument provides the same quirky combination of tone woods and elaborate electronics that the Panther Special does. If you can’t quite meet the price tag of this model but are interested in a Sandberg bass, you may want to check out their basic ranges, these offer superb value for money and excellent tone.