Ethan Stalbaum on SoundBetter

Professional, creative, and top quality guitar parts at an affordable price with quick turnaround.

I am an experienced and highly educated recording, gigging, and touring musician based out of the DFW area of Texas. Top quality studio gear, creativity, great ears, and a passion for "making the song" are all things I bring to the table of any project I'm involved in.

I love to collaborate with other artists, and will go the extra mile to make sure your artistic vision come to fruition with the guitar tracks I supply. Send me your tracks, no matter what stage they're in, and we'll work together to create guitar parts of the highest quality.

Extensive experience with both commercial and complex music (M.M in Jazz Guitar from University of North Texas) has given my personal sound a mixture of Pop, Country, Jazz, and Gospel that I can tailor adjust to fit your project.

Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.

Credits

9 Reviews - 1 Repeat Client

Endorse Ethan Stalbaum

by Aaron Holthus Music
Verified
I hired Ethan to add multiple guitar tracks to my project and he absolutely nailed it! With just a little feedback on the first sample he sent me, he came back with no less than 11 tracks of immaculate guitar goodness from screaming pop solos to funky palm-muted goodness. Thanks Ethan!
by Jose G.
Verified
I was looking for someone to provide some funk, got lucky and found Ethan. He was reliable, provided options to improve the song and most importantly, played those clean, old school, perfect funk guitar lines that I was looking for. Fully recommended!
by Thando B.
Verified
great musician!
by Thando B.
Verified
amazing musician
by Thando B.
Verified
AMAIZNG MUSICIAN!!!
by Thando B.
Verified
amazing musician!
by Steven H.
Verified
Great work. prompt. Thanks for the help.
by Thando B.
Verified
great musician!
by Sara Beth Hooper
Ethan is a top notch guitarist and musician. He had a quick turn around and was very versatile in providing layers and lead lines for my project. His tone is really clean and professional. Looking forward to using him again in the future!

Interview with Ethan Stalbaum

Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both have their place! In the mix, when your song is on the radio, nobody will notice.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: To Make Your Song!
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: That I get to play MUSIC for a living. How crazy is that? I get to do the thing I love most in the world everyday.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That guitar players just want to shred over everything! Don't get me wrong, I love a good face melting solo, but there is a time and a place
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: Typically, what they're looking for their track to sound and feel like. If they have any references, or even emotions they can use to describe what they're looking for.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Feel free to reach out and talk! It doesn't matter what stage you're in, or if you're still unsure about what you want
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: A good acoustic guitar, probably my Collings. A strat A Fender or fender type amp Quality speakers or headphones to listen to music with Cables :) always need more cables
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I attended the University of North Texas for 6 years, earning my Bacholer's and Master's in Jazz Guitar. Since then, I've been a full time musician in the DFW area. All total, about 10 years of professional experience so far, since I was 18. It's been a long journey, I've learned a lot and hope to keep improving!
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Groove orientated, "studio", and tasty!
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Leon Bridges. Sound, style, personality, his music has all of it. He brings a rich heritage to his music with respect to tradition, but also maintains his own thing.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Keep it simple, less is often more.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: It really depends, I hate saying "everything", but it's true! R&B and Funk is what I've found myself typically doing. But I'm equally at home in Country, Jazz, or Rock!
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My versatility. I work full time as a guitarist in multiple genres, and have a strong love for all music. Most of which is Black American groove based, whether that be jazz, funk, or R&B.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Giving songs "lift", groove, and ear candy are all things I strive for. A lot of times, the parts may be mixed down - but should be felt. Felt and not heard, as I sometimes say. If it's a screamin' guitar solo, all the better! Either way, I always try and enhance the artists original vision in whatever way I can.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I like to listen to the song as much as possible beforehand. Get to know it, and really try to hear how guitar will fit in. I've found that parts come out less "noodly" this way and have more purpose. It's all about fitting the song!
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Home studio with a dedicated room. Fully treated, with KRK V6 Speakers. Typically I'll use my 10 driver JH Audio IEM's to get the most detail possible. My guitars are recorded direct, typically. Using either UA gear (pedals or plugins) or the Neural DSP Quad Cortex. With acoustic guitar, I'll record my Collings with an Aston Orgin mic into my UA Neve preamp plugin.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Dann Huff, Paul Jackson, Brent Mason, Tom Bukovac, Prince, and Nile Rogers are all huge studio inspirations to me.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Coming up with, recording, and layering guitar parts to fit the song. I provide options with different feels, tones, etc, to see what excites you most about your song.