Clueless Newbie Questions, Karaokeing recordings. Options

[nickdaum]

My current hard and soft:
Mac G5 dual
M-Audio FireWire Solo
GarageBand
Audacity

I'm not a professional musician and don't intend to be. I just want to start singing and playing guitar Blues on my own as a retirement hobby.
Instead of using loops for the drums and bass backing I would like to use actual recordings of my favorite musicians as karaokes. Is it possible to remove both voice and guitar from a recording? If so how?

Secondary question, a little off topic: I need to buy an electric guitar, not too expensive, possiblly second hand.
As a matter of fact I'll stick to a slow tempo, like Blues does, so I don't need a "fast" guitar. I don't care about the look or the shape since I find them all ugly whether Strato or LesPaul or whatever. I don't care about accessing the highest treble notes.
I care only usability and sound.

What are the specs I should put on my list? Any brand you would recommend?

TIA

Nick

[ronaldl]

Hi Nick,

If you'd like to try MIDI, after downloading Amazing Slow Downer try Sweet MIDI X from the same site. Then go here:

http://blues.mididb.com/

Click on John Lee Hooker or Howling Wolf, then option/click on the MIDI file you want to download. Next, launch Sweet MIDI X, click on MIDI>MIDI Set-up>Quicktime, then open the file you just downloaded and hit play. You'll see all the instruments on different tracks and can mute or turn down the guitars. There are lots of free MIDI files available; I would suggest Googling "blues MIDI files" for more. Part of the beauty of MIDI, by the way, is how easily you can change the key or tempo.

The Jamey Aebersold books do come with play-along audio CD's and are excellent, but I must warn you that they are jazz-oriented. If you don't mind that they're well worth a try.

Re: guitars, there are so many good options. (That's partly why we guitarists tend to become collectaholics.) Although on stage I've mostly favored a strat, I also own a Les Paul and an Ibanez Artist. The main difference sound-wise is single coil vs. humbucking pick-ups (think Stevie Ray vs. Allman Bros.) Also, there's solid body vs. hollow-body (strat or LP vs. Gibson ES-335.) Humbuckers give you a fatter sound, but beyond that it's really personal preference. SRV, Hendrix, Clapton, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray all play(ed) strats. B.B. King plays a hollow-body, while Gary Moore and The Allmans have favored Les Pauls. They all sound great. LP's are very heavy with more sustain, while strats are lighter with contoured bodies that are very comfortable to hold and play. You have to decide what's right for you. Whatever you get, you'll want to make sure you use fairly light gauge strings, e.g. 10-46, because you'll be doing a lot of string-bending playing the blues.

I hope this is of some help.

Ron