Saturday, December 25, 2010

Fender Frontman 212R Guitar Amplifier

Line 6 Spider IV 120 Modeling Guitar Amplifier

Fender Frontman 25R Electric Guitar Amplifier

PRS SE Custom 24 Electric Guitar 25th Anniversary

Epiphone Les Paul 56 Goldtop Electric Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar

Epiphone DR-100 Acoustic Guitar

Yamaha Gigmaker Guitar Packages

Epiphone Hummingbird Acoustic Guitar

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Fender Frontman 25R Electric Guitar Amplifier

Line 6 Spider IV 120 120-watt 2x10 Modeling Guitar Amplifier

Fender Frontman 212R Electric Guitar Amplifier

Epiphone Hummingbird Acoustic Guitar,Heritage Cherryburst

Martin LXM Little Martin Acoustic Guitar with Gigbag

Yamaha FG700S Folk Acoustic Guitar, Sandburst

Taylor Guitars GS Mini Reduced Scale Grand Symphony Acoustic Guitar

Epiphone DR-100 Acoustic Guitar, Vintage Sunburst

Yamaha Gigmaker Standard Acoustic Guitar Package

PRS SE Custom 24 Electric Guitar, 25th Anniversary, Royal Blue

Epiphone Limited Edition 1956 Les Paul Electric Guitar, Gold Top

Fender American Standard Stratocaster Electric Guitar Candy Cola Maple Fretboard

Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar,Worn Cherry Satin

Gibson Les Paul Traditional Plus Electric Guitar

Friday, December 17, 2010

Great New Slash Album

Rockin Christmas Music‏

Merry Christmas to you! I just got done listening to a really cool Christmas CD by Gary Hoey. This CD covers many traditional Christmas tunes in a really cool kickin rock style.
 
If your into rock guitar, you need to check this out it's awesome, click the link below:

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Clapton New Solo Album

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Guitar icon and three time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Eric Clapton announced today that he will release his 19th solo studio album on September 28, simply titled Clapton. Co-produced by guitarist and long-time collaborator Doyle Bramhall II, the album features an all star cast of musical collaborations starting with the legendary JJ Cale, drummer Jim Keltner, bassist Willie Weeks, and keyboardist Walt Richmond-and the sessions later added guests including Steve Winwood, Wynton Marsalis, Sheryl Crow, Allen Toussaint, and Derek Trucks.

Clapton created a collection that touches on everything from century-old traditional brass bands to little-known country blues to brand-new originals. The result is both relaxed and revelatory, and unlike anything the guitarist has done in his legendary career. "This album wasn't what it was intended to be at all," says Eric Clapton. "It's actually better than it was meant to be because, in a way, I just let it happen. It's an eclectic collection of songs that weren't really on the map-and I like it so much because if it's a surprise to the fans, that's only because it's a surprise to me, as well." For more , visit www.ericclapton.com.

Fender Releases New Blacktop Series Guitars

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Fender's Blacktop guitar series expand the sonic horizon of classic Fender guitars with high-gain humbucking pickups. The series includes the Blacktop Stratocaster HH, Blacktop Telecaster HH, Blacktop Jazzmaster HS and Blacktop Jaguar HH guitars. All feature dual over-wound alnico humbucking pickups that deliver high-gain power and heavy tones (Blacktop Jazzmaster HS has a single humbucking bridge pickup and traditional Jazzmaster single-coil neck pickup), skirted black amp knobs that impart a distinctive Fender look, modern 9.5"-radius fretboard and medium jumbo frets for easy playability, and a gloss polyester finish that looks sharp and withstands aggressive playing.

 In addition to the features above, Blacktop Stratocaster HH features a synchronized tremolo bridge that allows smooth bends with stable intonation, alder body, maple neck, choice of maple or rosewood fretboard, and chrome hardware. Blacktop Telecaster HH also features a reversed chrome control plate putting both control knobs even closer at hand, a hard-tail bridge for solid tuning stability, an alder body, maple neck, choice of maple or rosewood fretboard, and chrome hardware.

Blacktop Jazzmaster HS has a Duncan Designed single-coil Jazzmaster neck pickup for classic Jazzmaster round tone; a Duncan Designed humbucking bridge pickup that delivers high-gain power and thickness; a Jazzmaster tremolo tailpiece for smooth, subtle bending with solid tuning stability; a lean control layout featuring a single three-way toggle switch; alder body; maple neck; rosewood fretboard; and chrome hardware. Blacktop Jaguar HH has the shorter 24" scale the model has always been known for, an Adjusto-Matic bridge with stop tailpiece that takes a lot of punishment while keeping tuning stable, a lean control layout featuring a tonally-convenient single three-way toggle switch, alder body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard and chrome hardware. For more, go to fender.com.

Gibson Releases John Lennon J-160E Limited Editions

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Gibson's 70th Anniversary John Lennon J-160E has a laminated Sitka spruce top with ladder bracing and mahogany back and sides. It is available with a vintage sunburst lacquer finish, a customized soft white, or natural lacquer. Hardware includes vintage-style nickel tuners with keystone buttons, and belly-up rosewood bridge with adjustable saddle. Its neck and headstock are made with the 24.75" scale length. It's carved from a single piece of quarter-sawn mahogany to a comfortable rounded profile, and topped with an Indian rosewood fingerboard, the design incorporates Gibson's lauded 17-degree back-angled headstock, with John Lennon signature inlaid in mother-of-pearl (and abalone on the Imagine model). Learn more at http://www.gibson.com.

Dave Kilminster Pink Floyd

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To Pink Floyd fans, Dave Kilminster is the luckiest guitarist alive. During the last two years, he has toured with Roger Waters, performing the majority of David Gilmour’s guitar and vocal parts throughout presentations of The Dark Side of the Moon and other Pink Floyd classics. The tour saw Kilminster playing to sold-out arenas and stadiums worldwide, as well as Live Earth, which was broadcast to more than two billion people this past July.

Kilminster—who previously worked with prog-rock pioneers such as Keith Emerson, Carl Palmer, and John Wetton—learned of the gig when Waters’ other tour guitarists, Snowy White and Andy Fairweather-Low, were tasked with finding someone capable of handling the majority of Gilmour’s Dark Side chores. A friend of White’s recommended Kilminster, and an audition quickly ensued. But it didn’t go quite as planned.

“I took two guitars to the audition,” says Kilminster, “a ’76 Fender Telecaster with 21 frets, and a Yamaha Pacifica Mike Stern model with 22 frets—which I knew I’d need for the ‘Money’ solo that goes up to the high E. However, halfway through ‘Money,’ I realized I was using the Telecaster, and that I couldn’t play the solo on it. I thought ‘Oh God, this is really bad,’ and I had to stop and swap guitars. And, not being a Pink Floyd fan, I didn’t realize I was supposed to sing the track, too. So, they reminded me, and I had to play the guitar part and sing—which I’d never done before. This is all going on right in front of Roger. On 'Wish You Were Here,’ everything was fine during the introductory solo and chords, but then we came to the bottleneck bit, and I realized I’d left my bottleneck in my jacket. I had to stop the band again and go get it. It was, without a doubt, the worst audition I had ever done. I drove home thinking, ‘You really messed that up, you idiot.’”

Despite the glitches, Waters was impressed, and offered him the gig.

“Dave is an absolute natural for the job he does in my band,” enthuses Waters. “Because of the extraordinary level of his technical ability, he can reproduce the ‘other’ Dave’s parts—including all the well-known solos—with fluency and accuracy, while also bringing his own special flair to them. He is, in many respects, like a virtuoso concert violinist. The notes are written in stone in terms of pitch and time, but the interpretation is all his own. It was always my intention to treat Dark Side as a classical piece, remaining faithful to the original, so Dave’s special skills are an absolute godsend.”

During tour rehearsals, Kilminster discovered his favorite guitars—including his ‘76 Telecaster—weren’t cutting it, necessitating a last-second swap.

“My Telecasters didn’t sound fat enough to stand out in an 11-piece band,” says Kilminster. “I discussed the problem with Paul Cornford, who makes amps for me and Richie Kotzen. He suggested I try a couple of Fender Richie Kotzen Signature Telecasters—which I modified with Seymour Duncan STHR-1 Hot Rails pickups in the bridge position and Lindy Fralin pickups in the neck position. The combination was much more musical to my ears, and gave me the great big, fat, warm sound I needed. Also, instead of a tone control, the Kotzen Telecasters have a series-parallel switch that enables you to get a nice clean, sweet sound, which is useful for many classic Gilmour moments. And while the Kotzen guitars have big, chunky necks and a significant camber—instead of the flatter necks and huge frets I prefer—they had the sound I needed, and that was enough to make me get over the other issues.”

Kilminster—who just released his debut solo CD, Scarlet [Amazon U.K.]—also chose a more Spartan effects approach than Gilmour.

“I had seen the pedalboard Bob Bradshaw built for David, and it looked like you could control a space shuttle with it,” he says. “I thought that was way too complex, and I decided to go with the basics. The MXR EVH 90 Phaser was sonically similar to the sound at the beginning of ‘Breathe,’ so I got one of those. I chose the Boss RT-20 Rotary Ensemble because it faithfully reproduced the wobbly Doppler effect on stuff like ‘Any Colour You Like.’ I also use the Boss BD-2 Blues Driver, because it doesn’t mess too much with the true tone of the guitar. Then, Cornford built a custom footswitch for me so I can switch from the Vintage channels to the high-gain Modern channels on my Hellcat amps, and that’s the sound I use on the big solos on ‘Comfortably Numb,’ ‘Money,’ ‘Time,’ and ‘Have a Cigar.’”

During previous tours with the likes of Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer, Kilminster was used to jamming to his heart’s content. In contrast, the Waters tour was a serious exercise in self-discipline.

“Things are definitely more regimented with Roger,” he says. “Take ‘Have a Cigar,’ for example. It’s challenging, because we’re playing to a click track, and everything is synchronized to visuals, as well as to a sound effect from the original album that plays at the end. That means I have to finish the solo at exactly the same point every night. Getting used to things like that was initially difficult, but I began realizing this isn’t a typical rock gig—it’s almost the same as a Broadway show. And the fact is, no one is paying to hear my version of these tunes. The way I channel my personality into the show is to sometimes hit the notes harder and with more attitude, which can give them more immediacy.”

Unexpectedly, Kilminster ran into Gilmour himself during rehearsals for the Waters tour. Despite the 2005 Live 8 show that saw Waters and Gilmour reunite as Pink Floyd, relations remain frosty between them—a situation that benefits Kilminster for obvious reasons.

“Last year, Roger was rehearsing at Bray Studios in England with us and Nick Mason, and David was next door rehearsing with his band that includes [Pink Floyd keyboardist] Rick Wright,” says Kilminster. “One day, David walks into the canteen, and comes up to me and says, ‘Hi, I’m Dave.’ I say, ‘Me too. I’m your stunt double.’ He replies, ‘That’s cool. It’s not too difficult, is it?’ He seemed like a nice guy, but I’m probably one of the very few people who is happy he and Roger don’t like each other!”

Dave’s Side of the Moon

Here’s a song-by-song breakdown of the gear Kilminster used on Roger Waters’ 2007 tour. Note: All parts not listed are the Fender Richie Kotzen Telecasters played straight into the Cornford Hellcat’s Vintage channel.

  • “In the Flesh?” Boss BD-2 on the intro and outro. Boss CE-5 on verses.
  • “Mother” Takamine 12-string.
  • “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” Boss CE-5 and DD-6.
  • “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part One)” Boss CE-5 and DD-6 on intro and outro. MXR Micro Amp on solo and harmony parts.
  • “Have a Cigar” MXR EVH 90 (Heavy setting). Hellcat Modern channel for outro solo.
  • “Wish You Were Here” Takamine 6-string with Dunlop glass bottleneck for middle and outro solos.
  • “Southampton Dock” Boss CE-5 and DD-6.
  • “The Fletcher Memorial Home” Boss BD-2 for harmony solo.
  • “Perfect Sense (Part I)” Boss CE-5 and DD-6.
  • “Perfect Sense (Part II)” Boss BD-2.
  • “Leaving Beirut” Plays Roger Waters’ Fender Precision bass.
  • “Sheep” Boss CE-5 and DD-6 for middle section. Boss BD-2 and T-Rex Replica for solo.
  • “Speak to Me/Breathe” MXR Phase 90 (Light setting).
  • “Time/Breath Reprise” Hellcat Modern channel and T-Rex Replica on solo. MXR EVH 90 (Light setting) for “Breathe Reprise.”
  • “The Great Gig in the Sky” Boss CE-5 and DD-6.
  • “Money” Hellcat Modern channel for solo.
  • “Us and Them” Boss RT-20 (Slow setting).
  • “Any Colour You Like” Boss RT-20 (Fast setting). Boss BD-2 and RT-20 on solo.
  • “Brain Damage” Boss RT-20 (Slow setting).
  • “Eclipse” Boss RT-20 (Slow setting).
  • “The Happiest Days of Our Lives” Boss BD-2.
  • “Another Brick in the Wall (Part. II)” Boss BD-2 on solo.
  • “Vera/Bring the Boys Back Home” Boss BD-2.
  • “Comfortably Numb” T-Rex Replica on intro, Boss CE-5 and DD-6 on choruses. T-Rex Replica and Boss CE-5 and BD-2 on first solo. Boss CE-5, T-Rex Replica, and Hellcat
    Modern channel on outro solo.


Killer’s Kit

Guitars Fender Richie Kotzen Signature Series Telecasters (2), Takamine 12-string, 2006 Limited Edition Takamine 6-string.
Amps Cornford Hellcat heads (3), Cornford Richie Kotzen 4x12 cabs (3).
Effects MXR Micro Amp, MXR EVH 90, Boss BD-2 Blues Driver, Boss CE-5 Chorus, Boss DD-6 Digital Delay, Boss RT-20 Rotary Ensemble, Boss RV-5 Digital Reverb, T-Rex Replica Digital Delay.
Strings D’Addario EXL110 (.010-.046) and EXL115 (.011-.049) for electrics, D’Addario EJ16 Phosphor Bronze (.012-.053) for acoustic, D’Addario EJ38 Phosphor Bronze (.010-.047) for 12-string.
Picks Jim Dunlop Gator Grip 2mm.

Taylor Guitars GS Mini Now Shipping in Limited Quantities

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Word-of-mouth buzz for the new Taylor GS Mini has been swelling up this summer in anticipation of the guitar’s arrival in stores. The good news is that the Mini has begun shipping in limited quantities. Due to the overwhelming demand, the first shipment might be gone before you make it to your local Taylor dealer, but the company is continuing to ramp up its production numbers each week as they allocate more build slots to their production schedule. In the meantime, be sure to check Taylor's Road Show schedule, as they will be bringing Minis to each event for customers to check out. And feel free to contact your dealer for an update on the next wave of arrivals.For more information, visit www.taylorguitars.com.

Googling "Free MP3s" May Not Be So Free

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The legal risks associated with downloading music from unlicensed websites and services is well established.  What’s sometimes overlooked by consumers are the security and privacy risks.  We’re not experts on the matter, but the computer security firm McAfee is.  The company recently released:  “Digital Music and Movies Report:  The true cost of free entertainment.”  It’s a must read for those surfing the web for music.  The firm’s findings on how often malicious spyware and malware are associated with web searches using terms like “free mp3s,” queries on virtually anything related to Russia and music, and links in banner ads on questionable download sites are useful tips that should help consumers avoid exposing their computers to dangerous digital viruses.  Check it out.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Vintage Vault: Duane Eddy’s 1960 Howard Doubleneck guitar

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THIS FUTURISTIC JETSONS rocket ship of a guitar looks like it’s ready to blast into orbit at any time. It was made in 1960 for instrumental hit-maker Duane Eddy by a Phoenix amplifier guru named Tom “Howard” McCormick. McCormick is known for his unique amplifiers, but little is known about his guitars.

Duane Eddy was and still is the “King of Twang,” and he is most remembered for his Gretsch and Guild signature model guitars. In the late ’50s, however, he used to switch back and forth on stage between his Gretsch 6120 and his Danelectro 6- string bass. McCormick reckoned Duane needed a doubleneck that would do the same thing. Duane recalls that this instrument sounded and looked great, but he rarely used it due to its prohibitive weight.

McCormick made unorthodox amps, and this guitar is in keeping with that tradition. The necks are made of fiberglass with rosewood fretboards, and the backwards- Explorer headstocks predated Robin guitars by two decades. The pickups are super high fidelity, and the dense guitar sustains forever. Other features, such as the inside-out Strat jack mounted on the side, the six oven knobs and five switches, and the hand-milled vibrato are great reminders of an era where the future was so bright, you had to wear shades. Where are the jet packs they promised us?

Little may be known of Tom “Howard” McCormick, but this author hereby declares this guitar as the coolest guitar ever made. May the Twang be with you.

Special thanks to Duane and Deed Eddy and Teisco Del Rey.

Fallen Hero: Stevie Ray Vaughan



AUGUST 27, 2010 MARKS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY
 of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s death. Here are some words of wisdom from the man himself, as excerpted fromGP interviews by Dan Forte (October 1984), and Matt Resnicoff and Joe Gore (February 1990).

ON HIS INFLUENCES
“I got a lot of the fast things I do from Lonnie Mack—just the ideas and the phrasing, like on “Scuttle Buttin’.” That’s dedicated to him. I got a lot of turnarounds from Freddie King.

ON HIS “BACKWARDS” WHAMMY BAR
“I noticed that when Otis Rush used a vibrato bar, he had it mounted on the top [by the bass strings], and he played upside-down. Hendrix had the guitar upside-down, as well, except he strung it regular. It seemed to me that the people who did that the best had it on top, so I moved mine. Sometimes, it does get in the way. I’ve had it tear my sleeve halfway off. It’s pretty tight, with four springs tightened all the way up.”

ON CHANNELING ALBERT KING FOR DAVID BOWIE’S LET’S DANCE ALBUM
“I wanted to see how many places Albert King’s stuff would fit. It always does. I love that man. When that album came out, Albert heard it, and said, ‘Yeah [sneering], I heard you doin’ all my sh*t on there. I’m gonna go up there and do some of yours’ [laughs].”

ON HIS STRINGS
I use a .013, a .015 or .016—depending on what shape my fingers are in—a .019 plain, and then .028, .038, .060 or .056. If I go down to a .018 on the G string, it feels like a rubber band to me. Sometimes, I literally pull the strings off. I can deaden a set of strings completely after one set, because I play them hard.”

ON RHYTHM && GROOVE
“This may be just the twisted way I see things, but it seems that rhythms used to come from things like trains, walking down the street, riding horses, and little simple engines. In this day and age, it’s more jets and conveyor belts, and there ain’t no rhythm there. People aren’t hearing it. The rhythm needs to breathe. Sometimes, the best way to get some punch out of something is to slow down right before you hit it. Kind of like a slingshot. Pow!”

ON PLAYING SOLOS
“I’m just trying to find the most tone I can get. Sometimes, I can find it, and sometimes I want to choke my amp. But then there are the nights when it doesn’t seem that I have anything to do with it. That’s the one you always play for. There have been nights when I start playing chord solos, and I don’t know any of the chords [laughs]. There have been nights when I completely lost it, and by the time it struck me, I wouldn’t even know what song I was playing anymore. Sometimes, it’s effortless, and sometimes it’s a struggle, but the chill bumps are worth it when you get ’em.”

ON HIMSELF
“I don’t consider myself a guitar hero. I just have fun playing guitar.”

The Don Felder 'Hotel California' 1959 Les Paul From Gibson Custom


The 1976 mega-hit single "Hotel California" is named on virtually every reputable list of "greatest guitar solos" that has ever been published. The whole truth is, though, that the entire Hotel California album is rife with scorching guitar work from both newcomer Joe Walsh and Eagles lead guitarist Don Felder – and Felder played all of his solos on one outstanding instrument: a 1959 Les Paul Standard.

Hired by the Eagles in 1974 to help the band make the transition from country-rock to a heavier, rock-based sound, Felder brought it on in spades, and the tone he selected to do the job is unmistakably Les Paul – fat, creamy and singing. In order to bring that sound, feel and look to a select group of players and collectors today, Gibson Custom has introduced the Don Felder "Hotel California" 1959 Les Paul, an instrument created in the image of Felder's original 1959 'Burst in strictly limited quantities. Produced as a three-tiered Limited Edition, with 50 guitars hand-aged by Gibson Custom and personally signed by Don Felder, 100 hand-aged, and a further 150 given Gibson's VOS treatment, each includes a numbered Certificate of Authenticity to record its status for posterity.

0.0000.afelder

Hand-aged examples meticulously reproduce the look of Felder's own '59 Les Paul, while VOS versions present the gently aged look and feel of a vintage instrument. All are made with period-correct specs and components, including a pair of Gibson's most accurate reproduction PAF pickups, and finished in a uniquely tinted and faded "Felder Burst" finish, formulated exclusively for this guitar. As rare and desirable as all 'Bursts are, this limited run recreates one of the greatest, and a big slice of tone history.
 
Like any great Les Paul Standard, the Don Felder "Hotel California" 1959 Les Paul starts with great wood. Gibson Custom selects figured maple for the two-piece top to replicate the look of Felder's own iconic 'Burst, and joins each set to a select, lightweight, solid one-piece mahogany back. Way beyond merely recreating the look of the original instrument, however, this maple/mahogany pairing perpetuates a tonewood match made in heaven: a best-of-both-worlds palette that gives you the perfect blend of maple's clarity, snap and bite, and mahogany's warmth, depth and richness. 

A one-piece mahogany neck is glued in with the preferred long neck tenon for superior resonance and sustain, and carved to match the neck on Felder's own '59 Les Paul Standard. Taking all this tonal goodness to your amp of choice are a pair of BurstBucker pickups, Gibson's most accurate PAF recreations to date. It's all anchored with the rock-solid pairing of a Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece, and topped with a set of vintage Kluson-style green-button tuners. And with a guitar that sounds and feels this good, you want it to look perfect, too. 

To get the Don Felder "Hotel California" 1959 Les Paul just right, Gibson Custom has painstakingly formulated a unique "Felder Burst" finish, which accurately matches the mellowed, sand-hued fade of Felder's own '59 'Burst. Reproduced in nitrocellulose in a hand-executed process that involves several steps, the results are then treated to either meticulous hand-aging by Gibson Custom (150 guitars, 50 of which also will be signed by Don Felder), or Gibson Custom's acclaimed VOS process (150 guitars). 

All told, it's a guitar worthy of its namesakes: one of the greatest guitar albums of all time, and player who laid down the leads that helped to make it so. All guitars come with a black, plush-lined Gibson Custom hardshell case, a Certificate of Authenticity, and full owner's manual and adjustment literature. Each also is covered by Gibson's Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 Customer Service.
 
VOS - Felder Burst - $10,351msrp
Aged - Felder Burst - $14,115 msrp
Aged/Signed - Felder Burst - $17,645 msrp
 
For more information, please visit www.gibson.com.

Pavement Wants You to Play Guitar With Them on Jimmy Fallon

 

Pavement, the legendary indie rock band that reunited earlier this year after an 11-year hiatus, is slated to perform on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” on September 23 -- and they’re looking for an extra guitarist: you.

The band is offering fans the chance to audition to “be in Pavement … just for one day.”

Via the band’s Matador Records label:

Ever wanted to go to a TV taping?  One where Pavement is playing?  Stick around to try and meet the band?  Go backstage?  Watch soundcheck?  Eat their food?  Talk fantasy sports with Malkmus? Ever wanted to, you know, get your lazy ass off the couch and JOIN PAVEMENT?  Then do it, goofball.  Imagine the Twitter potential!

The label is asking aspiring guitarists to submit videos of themselves covering an “approved Pavement song.” Contestants must upload their jangly fretwork on the show’s website by September 8. Fans of the band and the show will then vote, though it’s not clear if the vote will determine who ultimately gets to play with Pave.

Hey, come to think of it, Conan O’Brien plays guitar. I know he’s more of a "Free Bird"-wheeling classic rock guy, but how cool would it be if Coco returned to his old home on “Late Night” as a member of Pavement?

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

OVATION HITS THE ROAD WITH ‘ROUNDBACK REVOLUTION’!

 
Ovation is hitting the streets and creating a revolution at Ovation dealers throughout the US…guaranteed to be a night you won’t want to miss!
Ovation’s ‘Roundback Revolution’ gives roundback loyalists and acoustic fans alike the chance to get to know the brand up close and personal. Reps from our factory will be on hand to present the history of the roundback along with the Ovation innovations that literally changed the shape of music. Perform in our “Acoustic Showcase” and get the chance to win $5000 in gear for you and your band mates. Not only that, but we’ll film your performance and feature it on ovationguitars.com, and send you home with a cool boutique T-shirt and set of Fender strings.

How does a custom Ovation sound? Any way you want it to! Just for showing up, you will be entered into a drawing to win a custom Ovation from our New Hartford, CT workshop ($5000 value). While you’re at it, bring your acoustic for a string change, courtesy of Fender Strings.

The evening will be capped off by sales specials (or as we like to say Roundback Rollbacks), product demos, giveaways and more. In addition, we’ll be showing off one- of-a-kind guitars from our factory vault…all available for sale.

Ovation’s Roundback Revolution will be at the following locations for September:
 
Wednesday
9/8/2010
Victor Litz Music
www.victorlitz.com
306 E. Diamond Ave
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20877

Thursday
9/9/2010
The Guitar Factory
http://www.myspace.com/theguitarfactory
1062 Union Road
West Seneca, NY 14244-3449
(716) 677-0908

Monday
9/13/2010
Lost Art Vintage
www.lostartvintage.com
Barrington Coffee House
131 Clements Bridge Road
Barrington, NJ 06031

Wednesday
9/15/2010
Firehouse Guitars
www.firehouseguitars.com
3125 28th Street SW 
Grandville, Michigan 49418-1199
(616) 532-3473

Thursday
9/16/2010
Sweetwater Sound
www.sweetwater.com
5501 US Highway 30 West
Fort Wayne, IN 46818
(260) 432-8176

Friday
9/17/2010
Sight && Sound Music
www.sightandsoundmusic.com
900 West McGalliard Road Suite A
Muncie, IN 47303
(765) 289-8526 (Event Location)

Monday
9/20/2010
Music Center, Inc #5365
www.musiccenterinc.com
7700 Greenbay Road
Kenosha, Wisconsin 53142
(262)697-9393 Ext 243

Tuesday
9/21/2010
Warpdrive/Cream City Music #12598
www.creamcitymusic.com
12505 W. Bluemound Road
Brookfield, Wisconsin 53005
(262)860-1800

Thursday
9/23/2010
Uncle Ike's
www.uncleikes.com
2300 John F. Kennedy RD
Dubuque, Iowa 52002
563-556-6052

Friday
9/24/2010
Uptempo Music
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Des-Moines-IA/Uptempo-Music/110492918681
2714 Beaverdale Ave.
Des Moines, Iowa 50310
515-277-0145

Monday
9/27/2010
Supersonic Music
www.supersonicmusic.com
117 SE 6th
Topeka, Kansas  66603-3505
785-235-3786

Tuesday
9/28/2010
SM Hanson Music
www.smhansonmusic.com
335 South Clark
Salina, Kansas 67401
785-825-6273

Thursday
9/30/2010
Railroad Bazaar # 7816 C
www.railroadbazaar.com
4321 University Dr. Suite A
Huntsville, Alabama 35816
(256) 721-2353

For more information, visit www.ovationguitars.com.

Vox Launches Hand-Wired Series

 
Vox Amplification has announced an entirely new lineup of hand-wired AC15 and AC30 amplifiers. Created for the amp enthusiast, the Hand-Wired Series includes innovations to satisfy the versatility a modern player needs. Included are four combo models, plus a head and matching extension cabinet. The ultimate take on the Vox classics, these amplifiers make use of high quality components, an all-tube design, hand-wired turret board construction, and over 50 years of Vox AC15 and AC30 refinements. Finished in fawn-colored vinyl reminiscent of the 1960s AC amplifiers, the birch-ply cabinets feature solid, tight bracing and a natural high frequency diffuser. Matched Ruby Tubes are used throughout for an extended dynamic range. All models provide three 12AX7/ECC83 preamp tubes.
 
The AC30 models are equipped with an EL84 quartet in the power stage and a GZ34 rectifier. Inside the AC15 models, a duet of EL84 tubes drive the power stage, while an EZ81 is used for the rectifier. The 12" speaker choices include the Celestion GM12 Greenback or Celestion AlNiCo Blue. The models in the Vox Hand-Wired Series utilize the traditional Vox two-channel design, offering a Normal and a Top-Boost channel, with High and Low inputs provided for each. A number of important features have been added to allow modern versatility. The Normal channel is equipped with a Bright switch for added brilliance. The Hot/Cool switch (also accessible via the included VFS1 footswitch) allows the Top-Boost channel to achieve even more gain. In true "old-school" fashion, the MV/BYPASS completely bypasses the Master Volume section. Finally, the Output Power (OP) switch will cut the amp's output power in half, making it easier to balance the need for gain against a range of listening levels. A custom-fit dust cover is included with every model. Learn more at voxamps.com

Slash Rocks with "Slash FM"

 
Multi-platinum-selling guitar hero Slash is synonymous with rock n' roll, and now the monster musician is affixing his signature top hat, shades to the digital airwaves with the launch of his own A.P.E. Radio station, "Slash FM." The channel announcement comes on West Hollywood's official "Slash Day"-Thursday, August 26th-which will honor the legendary guitarist and L.A. icon at the third annual Sunset Strip Music Festival. Throughout its limited-time run, beginning with its debut on Thursday, September 2nd, "Slash FM" will broadcast a wealth of exciting content, including selected playlists of some of the guitar god's favorite songs, such as tracks by AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, The Beatles, Soundgarden and Metallica.
 
Of course, songs from Guns N' Roses and Slash's solo work will also be aired, and punctuated with behind-the-scenes stories told by Slash himself. The August 26th tribute event at the House of Blues Sunset Strip will include speeches from Slash's close friends, a presentation from the City of West Hollywood, and live music performances celebrating Slash and his contributions to the legacy of the city's rich music scene. Immediately following the Sunset Strip Music Festival, Slash will embark on a North American tour. Slash's A.P.E. station will be distributed across Clear Channel Radio's "iheartradio" network, which includes hundreds of local radio websites; the popular iheartradio mobile app, which has been downloaded by nearly 9 million people; widgets; and www.slashonline.com.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Nashville Amp Expo


Guitar Player 
was the exclusive media sponsor the Nashville Amp Expo, which took place August 21st and 22nd 2010 at the Hyatt Place Hotel. Here's a quick peek at a few of the products on display.

trace

peaveybudda

In the Peavey room, there was plenty to take in—from older Peavey Custom Shop amps and Budda combo units to the newest member of the family—a Trace Elliot acoustic amplifier, part of a range of revamped acoustic amps hitting stores now. The TA-100, TA-200, and TA-300 models each have two channels, an effects section, six-band graphic EQ and Master control. The TA-400 boasts three channels, two effects sections, an eight-band EQ and Master control. The TA-200 at the show was equipped with four, 5-inch custom Celestion speakers and sat atop is sharp Trace Elliot gig bag, which is included.

egnaterEgnater brought its new compact Tweaker all-tube amp as well as its popular Rebel range to the Nashville Amp Expo. The Tweaker, which began shipping in the Spring, is a 15-watt dynamo running a pair of 6V6 power tubes and a trio of 12AX7 pre-amp tubes. The amp is a gig-hound’s dream combining affordability, light weight and a series of switches that can toggle the amp between vintage and modern voicing, hot and clean gain structure, tight and bright voicing, AC, US and UK tone controls and more. Egnater has received earlier feedback from players asking for more power and a foot-switchable gain control. This has lead to whispers that the company will be adding to the Tweaker family with a rumored two new models in the works and planned for formal unveiling at the Winter NAMM show next January.


 

fuchsFuchs Audio Technology showcased both its amp and pedal lines. The latest to join the amp line is the Mantis—a two-channel high gain beast that comes as either a 50-watt or 100-watt head. Channel One on the Mantis gives you an American-flavored, blues with attitude vibe, while Channel Two offers a scooped mid-range, heavy metal voicing. Both channels have Gain and Master Volume controls along with a three-band EQ. On the pedal front, Fuchs continues to roll out its Plush Pedals Replay delay range with three units currently available - the Replay True High Voltage Tube Delay, The REP-3 Tube Voiced Delay and the Replay Jr. A fourth unit is expected to join the family prior to year-end.

Queensryche Signs to Roadrunner

 
Queensryche has signed a multi-album worldwide deal with Roadrunner/Loud & Proud Records. The band's label debut -their twelfth studio album overall- is tentatively scheduled for a Spring 2011 release. Singer and founder Geoff Tate remains the creative nucleus of the band, which continues to make relevant, against-the-grain hard rock that entices fans, both new and diehard. Queensryche have been - and unquestionably remain- one of the most respected and innovative names in forward-thinking hard rock throughout the course of their nearly 30-year history. Since their inception over 25 years ago, Queensryche have sold over 20 million albums worldwide and have performed in over 22 countries. "We are very happy to be signing with Road Runner/Loud and Proud.
 
This is the rock label and a place where they are as excited about our music as we and our fans are," Tate said. "We are excited to welcome Queensryche to the label" stated Loud & Proud President Tom Lipsky. "They have earned global acclaim for their distinctive approach to music and we are confident of a successful partnership with them." Queenryche's 1988-issued album Operation: Mindcrime is universally respected as a classic concept release about rock, revenge and redemption. The album elicited comparisons to The Who's Tommy and Pink Floyd's The Wall and is ultimately regarded as one of the most important and essential hard rock records in the genre's expansive canon. 1990's follow-up, Empire, yielded a #1 single, the Grammy-nominated ballad "Silent Lucidity," which the band performed at the 1992 Grammy Awards accompanied by a supporting orchestra.
 
In 2006, the band released Operation: Mindcrime II, a scorching sequel to their original. The band then hit the road performing both albums Operation: Mindcrime and Operation: Mindcrime II back-to-back in their entirety in an incredible theatrical presentation throughout the year. The final performance was recorded at The Moore Theatre in Seattle that October and the Mindcrime at the Mooredouble CD/DVD release debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Music DVD Chart and eventually reached Gold status. Visit http://www.queensryche.com/ for more information.

Experience Hendrix Tour Returns This Fall

 
Experience Hendrix, the concert tour that has wowed audiences revisiting the music and inspiration of Jimi Hendrix featuring an all-star line up of music greats will be re-launched within a single calendar year. The Experience Hendrix tour crisscrossed the country this past March for a string of sold-out concerts and will return with a new set of U.S. and -- for the first time -- Canadian dates this October and November. Featured artists performing music associated with the legacy of Jimi Hendrix include some of the best known and highly regarded names in contemporary rock and blues including Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Susan Tedeschi, Robert Randolph, Jonny Lang, Steve Vai, Los Lobos' David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas, Eric Johnson, Ernie Isley, Living Colour, Chris Layton of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble and The Slide Brothers a/k/a Chuck and Darick Campbell of Sacred Steel. Fender Musical Instruments Corp. is the tour's lead sponsor as was the case with last spring's Experience Hendrix tour.
 
Participating sponsors also include Dunlop Effects Pedals, Marshall Amplifiers and Mapex Drums. In terms of format, the tour offers multiple opportunities for performers and audiences to witness unique collaborations such as Steve Vai performing with Living Colour, as well as the tour's artists performing their favorite Hendrix signature songs including "Little Wing," "Fire," "Purple Haze," "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," "Crosstown Traffic" and many others. As has been the case with previous Experience Hendrix outings, special guests are expected to sit in at many of the dates, making the concerts all that much more memorable for both new and veteran Hendrix fans. Past special guests have included Paul Rodgers, Joe Satriani, Hubert Sumlin, Buddy Guy, Carlos Santana, Robby Krieger and others. The tour's presence has been made known on national TV with Robert Randolph performing classic Hendrix on the Late Night With Conan O'brien Show and Jonny Lang doing the same on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Anchoring the tour is Billy Cox, the legendary bassist whose relationship with Jim Hendrix and his music dates back to the early 1960s when the two met while serving in the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division. The two bonded over their love of music and would later work together backing R&B acts on the "chitlin' circuit." They reunited when Cox was recruited to be part of the Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsys as well as the ultimate iteration of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, performing at such landmark festivals as Woodstock and the Isle of Wight. Cox, who has been part of all previous Experience Hendrix tours, notes, "It's always a great thrill and honor for me to play Jimi's music for audiences now just as it was in the 1960s.
 
The Experience Hendrix tours have shown how timeless this music really is and is just wonderful that we've continued to get an infusion of new, very enthusiastic artists to participate and are able to offer the most wide-ranging Jimi Hendrix-related repertoire possible." Larry Rodgers of the Arizona Republic echoed Cox's thoughts in his rave review of one of this year's earlier Experience Hendrix shows, "It was encouraging to see fans of all ages, from teens to baby boomers who witnessed Hendrix's career launch firsthand, in the Mesa crowd. The show and that crowd made it clear that Hendrix's magical music will never die." Kenny Wayne Shepherd, a veteran of several Experience Hendrix tours remarked, "Jimi Hendrix's music has really inspired me to push the limits of my own music. He didn't observe any boundaries musically. He was an amazing player and a tremendous showman so I incorporated some of his showmanship in what I do." As far as having been part of the Experience Hendrix touring phenomenon, Shepherd noted, "It touches you on the inside and gets you fired up." The Experience Hendrix Tour is presented by Experience Hendrix, LLC, the Hendrix family-owned company founded by James A. "Al" Hendrix, Jimi's father, entrusted with preserving and protecting the legacy of Jimi Hendrix. Earlier this year, Sony Music Entertainment's Legacy Division and Experience Hendrix entered into a worldwide catalog licensing venture to make all of Jimi's extraordinary music, including classic albums, never before heard archive recordings, and filmed concerts available through all forms of media.
 
The initial release from the alliance was <em>Valleys of Neptune</em> bringing Jimi Hendrix back to the upper reaches of album charts throughout the world. This fall's Experience Hendrix tour dates will be followed by a second wave of Hendrix releases through Legacy including the 4 CD + 1 DVD anthology set <em>West Coast Seattle Boy</em> plus other key catalog titles. Launching in Pittsburgh on October 26, the tour will play nineteen markets over the course of three weeks including Montreal, Toronto, New York, Boston, Atlantic City, Detroit, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and other eastern and mid-western locales.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Jimi Hendrix & George Fullerton Inducted Into Fender Hall Of Fame

 
Fender Musical Instruments Corp. proudly inducted the Fender Hall of Fame class of 2010, which included legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix and longtime Fender employee George Fullerton. The 2010 class was formally inaugurated on Fri., Aug. 13 during the fourth-annual Fender Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony held at the Tempe Center of the Arts. Noted blues guitarist/singer/songwriter, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, performed in honor of Jimi Hendrix using a Fender Custom Shop recreation of the Stratocaster guitar Jimi sacrificed and immortalized in 1967 during the Monterey International Pop Music Festival.

Stevie Ray Vaughan is Gone but His Music Lingers On

 
I'm shocked to see that it has now been a full 20 years since Stevie Ray Vaughan and several others were killed when their helicopter, which they boarded after a sold-out concert, crashed into a hill on Aug. 27, 1990.  But, despite his untimely passing, his contributions to music were never (nor could they ever be) forgotten.

I first became aware Stevie Ray Vaughan -- like I did with so many other artists -- through watching MTV endlessly through the '80s. (This, of course, was back when MTV actually showed music videos, as opposed to the annoying reality shows they shove in our faces today. Do they even make music videos anymore?)

It took me awhile to really appreciate the kind of music he did, but I soon had to see that he clearly was one of the greatest guitar players ever. Even re-watching these videos of his songs after 20 years, his playing is nothing short of brilliant, and he strums that guitar with such amazing confidence that he makes it look almost effortless. I would definitely put Vaughan on a par with Eric Clapton as a guitar god, and many others have even gone out of their way to compare him to Jimi Hendrix. Is the comparison between Stevie Ray and Jimi justified? Absolutely!

Many Vaughan fans are celebrating this sad occasion by remembering him and honoring his unique style of playing the blues. KVUE News in Austin reported that central Texans near and far had come to visit the statue of Vaughan located by Lady Bird Lake to mark the occasion and honor one of the greatest guitar players ever. CBS News reported that Oak Cliff resident Jeff Castro is continuing the annual motorcycle tribute ride and concert he co-founded to commemorate Vaughn's birthday in October, and that many in Texas are still working to get a memorial up for him after all these years. Even John Mayer weighed in on his biggest musical inspirations in his blog:

"Stevie defined my love of blues music and my passion to spend as many waking hours as I could with a guitar in my hands. I never met him and I never saw him play live, but he changed my life forever. Stevie quite literally gave me a career in music."

Flood Gibson USA Guitar Presented to Slash

 
On the heels of a worldwide jaunt across the globe celebrating his first solo album release, legendary guitarist Slash was presented with a very special “first guitar” from the world’s premier musical instrument manufacturer and leader in music technology, Gibson USA. The story of the American icon’s recovery and resurgence from the May 2010 floods in Nashville was presented with strong testament in West Hollywood, California at the Key Club on Monday, August 20, 2010, where Slash was presented with the very first guitar to roll off the production line since the devastating floods hit Music City. The guitar, a Gibson Les Paul Studio, came off the production line in July, 90 days after the flood, and was kept on display at the plant for all employees to view prior to it being given to signature artist Slash.

Gibson Guitar was also an official sponsor of the Sunset Music Festival supporting the rock legend Slash on Thursday, August 26, 2010 during an official citywide proclamation in West Hollywood that declared it officially “Slash Day.” Slash was honored at a special tribute at the House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard for his extraordinary contribution to the rock-and-roll legacy which is the Sunset Strip. Gibson GuitarTown has been installed along the Sunset Strip with a prominent centerpiece of the exhibit being a ten-foot tall Gibson guitar sculpture uniquely themed “Slash.”

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Jimmie Vaughan brings the blues and the ballads on latest CD


Musical inspiration for Jimmie Vaughan knows no parameters. He finds it in late bluesman Little Milton as well as sibling pop duo Donny & Marie Osmond.

Those names surfaced when Dallas-born Vaughan began selecting songs for his new CD, Plays Blues, Ballads & Favorites, a jubilant, jukebox-flavored retooling of blues classics, instrumentals and originals. Little Milton provided the creative crux for the project, but Donny & Marie came to mind when Vaughan decided to record "I'm Leaving It Up to You" with Austin blues belter Lou Ann Barton.

"As a kid, I had Little Milton Sings Big Blues," says the 59-year-old longtime Austin resident by phone. "He just recorded a bunch of songs that were popular blues tunes at the time, some old, some current, a lot of classic things. I remember that album because maybe only one was actually his song. So it was just a record for people to enjoy. So I just tried that." "I'm Leaving It Up to You," which had already been covered several times, was an immediate choice.

"I like that song ... I like the original. It has been No. 1 three times that I know of, maybe four. Everybody has done that song, so why don't Lou Ann and I do it? We could do the bluesiest version of that. She said, 'We can't do that. They'll call us the Donny & Marie' of the blues." This is what Jimmie Vaughan's been diligently doing for more than 40 years. He revitalizes the blues. Vaughan won't dilute the blues for commercial gain. He's most adept at taking a pure art form and giving it a retro-cool spin. In his hands, it just sounds modern.

The Fabulous Thunderbirds, which he founded with Kim Wilson in the mid 1970s, certainly brought blues to the masses without ever watering down its sonic impact. Vaughan recorded eight albums with the Fab T-Birds, the now-classic early discs such as 1979's Girls Go Wild and 1981's Butt Rockin' as well as 1986's million-selling Tuff Enuff, which features the Top 10 hit title track.

"A little bit after Kim and I started the band, we were having a good time playing around Austin in clubs," he says. "We became the house band for Clifford Antone's place. We loved that music, and that's what we're going to do. I'm going to be a blues guitar player, and Kim was a blues harmonica player. We were always on the road, always flying somewhere, trying to make a gig and another gig. It became crazy, and I drank too much, burning the candle at both ends, and it caught up with me. After a few years of that I had to get off the bus."

Vaughan's post-Thunderbirds work includes 1990's Family Style, the Grammy-winning duet effort with his late brother, the respected, beloved blues singer-guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. The subject of Stevie Ray is still painful for Vaughan. Next month marks the 20th anniversary of Stevie Ray's death from a helicopter crash. For Vaughan, the memory of his brother remains foremost on his mind.

"It's just a horrible tragedy that doesn't seem real to me still," he says. "I'll never get over it. I had to come around and realize that I'm here, and I have a life and I had a life before he got killed, and there's nothing I could do about it. So I decided to be happy." Happiness for Vaughan now centers on his family life. He's married with twin 6-year-old daughters. He also has two grown children. "I try my best to be around a lot more," he says. "If you want to be happy, you need a balance."

There's another source of constant elation – his guitar. For the kid who grew up in Oak Cliff, the six-string became a passion when he was 13. He was recovering at home from a broken collarbone, a football injury, when his father got him a guitar "to get me out of trouble."

"I was always the kind of kid that drew a lot of pictures, off in dreamland ... and I liked cars. I didn't want to do what people wanted me to do. When I found the guitar, it just felt natural. Within a couple of days, I could play a little bit. It was so much fun that I didn't want to stop," he says. "That's the way it still is. I play every single day. I still try to learn stuff, still finding music that I didn't know about. It was also a way out for me. If I play this guitar and I really get good on it, I can make records. I could have a way out."

Jimmie Vaughan loves retro clothes and vintage cars. He gladly tells us why.

The threads: "There was a time in the late '70s, early '80s when I actually decided I needed to look like I sounded. I like pleated pants. It's very '50s-influenced. I decided to dress that way because it's what I liked and it was different from what anybody else was doing at the time. It made it fun. When you're onstage and you look down and you like your shoes, you play better than if you didn't like your shoes."

The cars: "I've gotten into the hot-rodding and the custom cars, from the '50s and early '60s. I do body work, change the grille, lots of upgrading involved. Over the last 25 years, I've done several cars. We take five, six years to do a car. You find one and drag it home and start tearing it apart. We basically restore it. You go to swap meets and find original pieces. It's fun, and it's the same as the music, take the old and make it new."

Eric Clapton's 'Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010' Coming To Blu-Ray And DVD

 

Often credited as being one of the all-time greatest guitarists and known amongst his peers as one of the all-time greatest collaborators, the ultimate Clapton collaboration took place earlier this year at the Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010 on June 26 at Chicago’s Toyota Park. For one day only, Clapton gathered the past, present and future of guitar music onto one stage for an all-day musical event in front of a crowd of over 27,000. The third Crossroads Guitar Festival was a sold out, 11-hour event with all profits benefiting The Crossroads Centre in Antigua, a treatment and education facility founded by Clapton for chemically dependent persons.

Rhino Entertainment captured every note from that blistering summer day in Chicago and will release over four hours in High Definition on Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010. Fans around the world will have a chance to experience many of the festival’s greatest moments including performances by Clapton, ZZ Top, Steve Winwood, B.B. King, Jeff Beck, Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow, Buddy Guy, John Mayer, Bill Murray and many others as well as behind-the-scenes footage and candid interviews with the performers. Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010 will be available November 9 at retail outlets, including www.rhino.com, for a suggested list price of $34.98 (2-Disc Blu-Ray) and $29.98 (2-Disc DVD). This marks the first ever release of a Crossroads Guitar Festival on Blu-Ray.

“The Crossroads Festival is the realization of a dream for me, to gather a group of amazingly talented musicians to perform on one stage,” said Clapton. “The Crossroads performers are all musicians I admire and respect.”

Peter Gabriel To Kick Off Guitar Center Sessions

 
PeterGabriel-103009.jpgPeter Gabriel is set to appear on the first episode of a new show called Guitar Center Sessions, which will premiere on August 21 at 9:00 PM on DirecTV.

The show will be taped live at the Guitar Center store in Hollywood, California, and will be hosted by radio personality Jason Bentley.

"With Guitar Center Sessions we feel that we've created an opportunity that will inspire and help musicians," said Guitar Center Director of Music and Entertainment Marketing Dustin Hinz.

"For the show it was key that we create an intimate environment where musicians could truly learn from Peter Gabriel - how he works and what inspires him," he said in a press release. "The audience, along with the setting and the amazing music mind of host Jason Bentley, makes this a unique television experience geared towards helping musicians become better at their craft."

Fans can preview Gabriel's performance on the show with a free video of "Here Comes the Flood," which is being offered as a download exclusively through Guitar Center's website.

Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society Interview

“GUITAR: The Instrument that Rocked the World” To Launch In Orlando In June 2011

 

The National GUITAR Museum today announced that its touring exhibition, entitled “GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World,” will launch on June 11, 2011 at the Orlando Science Center in Orlando, Florida.

The 5,000 square foot Touring Exhibition will explore the history and evolution of the guitar—from lutes and lyres to modern high-tech instruments—and show how the instrument became the cultural symbol it is today. The exhibition will feature engaging, entertaining, and educational displays specific to the guitar, including historical artifacts, models, posters, video screens, interactives, and kiosks. Educational displays will feature everything from how vibrating strings create sound on to the electromagnetic properties of an electric guitar—and even address environmental concerns about how the wood used to make guitars has disappeared through the destruction of rain forests.

“The guitar is the most enduring icon in American history,” says HP Newquist, the executive director and founder of The National GUITAR Museum. It has been around longer than baseball, basketball, soft drinks, and sports cars. It’s hard to find anyone who hasn’t been affected by the guitar, whether as players or just fans of all types of music. And while this may be apocryphal,” Newquist adds, “it’s a widely held belief that the two most recognizable man-made shapes on the planet are those of the Coca-Cola bottle and the electric guitar.”

The Touring Exhibition will run in Orlando from June through September 2011. Additional venues are currently being scheduled.

About The National GUITAR Museum

The National GUITAR Museum, LLC (NGM) is the first museum in the United States dedicated to the history, evolution, and cultural impact of the guitar. Its Touring Exhibition, “GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World” will travel to 15 cities over the next five years before becoming the basis of The National GUITAR Museum in its permanent home.

The NGM’s board is comprised of individuals drawn from the music, technology, event, and museum communities. Current advisors include guitar greats Steve Vai, Johnny Winter, Steve Howe, Liona Boyd, and Ritchie Blackmore. The Executive Director of the Museum is HP Newquist.

National partners who will be promoting and supporting the Museum and the Touring Exhibition include Channel One, Guitar Center, Guitar Player Magazine, and TrueFire Media.

Gibson To Reproduce Classic Randy Rhoads Les Paul Guitar

 
According to Gibson.com, the 1974 Les Paul Custom guitar that Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads played on the classic albums "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of a Madman" has been one of the most requested reissues ever. Now the Gibson Custom Shop has announced the release of this legendary axe. More information will be made available soon.

Jackson delivered the news at this year's NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) show (which was held January 14-17, 2010 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California) with the announcement of the Randy Rhoads (OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT) "tribute guitar." In collaboration with the Rhoads family, the Jackson Custom Shop built 60 exact replicas of the first Randy Rhoads Jackson guitar, often referred to as the Concorde.

According to TheMusicZoo.com, Randy's tribute model is a direct replica of his original 1980 Jackson asymmetrical V-shaped guitar that he personally designed. He intended to call this body style the Concorde and it is widely regarded as the "first pointy guitar." The original guitar had been kept at the Rhoads family music school since his death, and they say it had not been out of the case in over 20 years.

Gibson Guitar Giveaway Contest

 
Premiere Publishing Group, Inc. (OTCQB:PPBL) is pleased to announce that it has secured an alliance with Gibson Guitar Corp. as the supplier for what will now be a "Gibson Guitar Giveaway Contest" through its "Who the Hell is Dan Bruder" rock comedy web series. The contest will be international in scope and reach potentially millions of people worldwide who have a passion for comedy and a love for playing guitar.

Viewers will simply go to the www.myboldtv.com website, sign up and automatically become eligible to win. This exemplifies Bold Acquisition Group's commitment to create and launch innovative embedded branding and cross-marketing initiatives to promote the website and attain additional sponsorships and advertisers.

Creative Director for www.myboldtv.com Dan Bruder stated, "For the second time in as many months, 'Who the Hell is Dan Bruder,' has exclusively debuted new episodes of the rock comedy web television series to the 15 million viewers of www.relix.com. The strategy of premiering new episodes on relix and directing traffic back to www.myboldtv.com is proving to be successful with consistent, significant increases in traffic to our site. We value our working relationship with relix and look forward to exploring continued ways to work with them and other well-established links to massive amounts of traffic."

NASA Launches Wake Up Contest

 
NASA have launched a contest to pick the two songs which they'll use to wake up astronauts on an upcoming space mission.

Song by The Clash, Foo Fighters and The Beatles are among the list of 40, which the space agency have selected from a batch of previously used tracks.

The Clash's 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go?', Foo Fighters' 'Learn To Fly' and The Beatles' 'Good Day Sunshine' and 'Here Comes the Sun' are all in contention to be played during the STS-133 mission, which is due to begin on November 1.

Other songs on the list include U2's 'Beautiful Day', Metallica's 'Enter Sandman', Elton John's 'Rocket Man' and The Rolling Stones' 'Start Me Up'.

Currently in the lead with 28.5% of the vote is Rush's 'Countdown', followed by Alexander Courage's 'Star Trek Theme' on 28.2% and Steppenwolf's 'Magic Carpet Ride' on 21.7%.

For more information and to vote, visit SongContest.NASA.Gov.

The top 40 songs on NASA's shortlist are as follows:

'Beautiful Day' (U2)
'Big Boy Toys' (Aaron Tippin)
'Blue Sky' (Big Head Todd)
'Bright Side Of The Road' (Van Morrison)
'Countdown' (Rush)
'Drops Of Jupiter' (Train)
'Enter Sandman' (Metallica)
'Fly Away' (Lenny Kravitz)
'Fly Me To The Moon' (Frank Sinatra)
'Free Fallin' (Tom Petty)
'Get Ready' (The Temptations)
'Good Day Sunshine' (The Beatles)
'Here Comes The Sun' (The Beatles)
'Higher Ground' (Stevie Wonder)
'Homeward Bound' (Simon & Garfunkel)
'I Got You (I Feel Good)' (James Brown)
'Imagine' (John Lennon)
'Kryptonite' (3 Doors Down)
'Learn To Fly' (Foo Fighters)
'Learning To Fly' (Tom Petty)
'Magic Carpet Ride' (Steppenwolf)
'Moon River' (Audrey Hepburn)
'Mr. Blue Sky' (Electric Light Orchestra)
'On The Road Again' (Willie Nelson)
'Over The Rainbow' (Israel Kamakawiwo'ole)
'Rendezvous' (Bruce Springsteen)
'Rocket Man' (Elton John)
'Roll With It' (Steve Winwood)
'She Blinded Me With Science' (Thomas Dolby)
'Should I Stay Or Should I Go?' (The Clash)
'So Far Away' (Dire Straits)
'Star Trek Theme Song' (Alexander Courage)
'Start Me Up' (Rolling Stones)
'The Distance' (Cake)
'Theme From The Star Wars Trilogy' (John Williams)
'These Are The Days' (10,000 Maniacs)
'Time For Me To Fly' (REO Speedwagon)
'What A Wonderful World' (Louis Armstrong)
'Where I Come From ' (Alan Jackson)
'Window On The World' (Jimmy Buffett)

Friday, August 27, 2010

Daisy Rock Girl Guitars Donating Instruments

 
Daisy Rock Girl Guitars is donating instruments to the Covenant House California and its musical program, Running Wild in the Night. Founded by Mötley Crüe's bassist Nikki Sixx, the program provides participants a chance to learn, practice, and perform music. The largest non-profit agency serving homeless, trafficked, and at-risk youth in the state, Covenant House California has been impacting the lives of more than 150,000 youths in the Hollywood area since 1988 and the Bay Area since 1998.
 
Open all-year round and 24 hours a day, this agency not only offers those in need a bed and a hot meal, but also hope, education, job training, life skills, medical attention, mental health counseling, and many opportunities to turn their lives around. In addition to the instruments donated, all proceeds from Daisy Rock Girl Guitars' annual charity concert event, Pretty in Punk, will also be given to the Running Wild in the Night music program. For more, visit daisyrock.com and covenanthousecalifornia.org.

Vintage Guitar Mag Needs Your Guitar Photos

 
Vintage Guitar, Inc., publishers of Vintage Guitar mag, is in the final stages of production for The Official Vintage Guitar Price Guide 2011, and is seeking photos to supplement the book. If you have photos of your guitars, amps, basses, effects, mandos, ukes, pedal steel, or lapsteel guitar, and you're willing to send us a photo, please send it to doug@vintageguitar.com.
 
Anyone who sends a usable shot (minimum 1-meg file/1280x960) will be eligible to receive one of five 2011 <em>Guides</em> the magazine is setting aside for this effort, even if your photo doesn't appear. There's no money or photo credit involved (sorry!), but there IS a chance for your piece to be immortalized in print!

Taylor Guitars Road Show

 
Taylor Guitars has announced that the company will once again bring its fan-favorite Road Show to guitar lovers across the country this fall at over 100 in-store locations in North America. Now in its fourth year, the award-winning Road Show brings enthusiasts, Taylor clinicians and experts straight from the company's factory in El Cajon, California together for a lively in-store gathering. At each event, Taylor's Road Show team shares insights on the company's guitar-making process and demonstrates how body shapes and woods affect tone. After the demonstration, players are invited to take part in the "Petting Zoo": an opportunity to pick up and play a variety of different models, as well as rare and custom Build to Order models. Admission to each Road Show is free.
 
The 2010 Fall Road Show schedule will kick off in early September with multiple dates along the West Coast with shows in Oregon and Washington, through the Midwest in Missouri and Nebraska, to be followed by dates in Canada and along the East Coast. Each Road Show attendee will receive a complimentary digital subscription to Premier Guitar magazine and, while supplies last, TaylorWare gear and Elixir strings. Attendees will have the chance to enter to win the grand prize, an opportunity to build their own custom guitar through Taylor's Build to Order program. In 2009, Taylor brought the Road Show to over 170 locations in the United States and Canada, and held over 30 events throughout Europe and Japan.
 
The Taylor Guitars Road Show was awarded the 2008 Supplier Excellence Award from Music Inc. magazine in the category of Events for putting "the excitement of the company's factory tours into retail dealers across the country." For more information on Road Show dates and locations, please visit the official Taylor Guitars Road Show calendar at www.taylorguitars.com.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Win An Ovation Guitar

Here is your chance to win an Ovation guitar!

Brought to you from http://www.zebramusic.com, your web site for rock guitar lessons.

Calling all guitar players!  Want to share your favorite riff or how to play your hero guitar solo?  Have a tuning tip?  Record a video and upload your lesson to Ovation’s video contest. Qualified entrants are eligible to win one of twelve Ovation guitars during the 12-week contest. Weekly entries will be judged on accuracy, video/audio quality and ease of use. At the conclusion of the contest, the entrant with the most votes/views will win a custom-made Adamas guitar from Ovation’s world renowned New Hartford, CT workshop.

Submit your lesson anytime before October 12, 2010 at approximately 11:59 p.m. EST for your chance to win!

 For further information on contest rules and eligibility, visit Ovation Guitars Video Lesson Contest, CLICK HERE. 

About Ovation Guitars:  Ovation guitars are recognized around the world not only for their distinctive round backs, but also for pioneering the first acoustic/electric guitar in 1966.  Through the years, Ovation has continued build guitars with an emphasis on innovation and quality and offers a range of guitars and electronics suited for amateurs to pros.  In 2008, Ovation introduced the first guitar featuring a built in mp3 recorder and player -- making it possible for players of any level to capture musical ideas as they strike.  

 The revered “electric player’s acoustic” can be seen on the stages around the world in the hands of artists including Melissa Etheridge, Nikki Sixx, Yngwie Malmsteen, DJ Ashba, Mick Thomson, Lacuna Coil, Hawthorne Heights among many more.  Visit Ovation online at www.ovationguitars.com.

Touring Guitar Exhibition

This would be pretty neat to check out!

Brought to you from http://www.zebramusic.com, your web site for rock guitar lessons.

The National GUITAR Museum today announced that its touring exhibition, entitled “GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World,” will launch on June 11, 2011 at the Orlando Science Center in Orlando, Florida.

The 5,000 square foot Touring Exhibition will explore the history and evolution of the guitar—from lutes and lyres to modern high-tech instruments—and show how the instrument became the cultural symbol it is today. The exhibition will feature engaging, entertaining, and educational displays specific to the guitar, including historical artifacts, models, posters, video screens, interactives, and kiosks. Educational displays will feature everything from how vibrating strings create sound on to the electromagnetic properties of an electric guitar—and even address environmental concerns about how the wood used to make guitars has disappeared through the destruction of rain forests.

“The guitar is the most enduring icon in American history,” says HP Newquist, the executive director and founder of The National GUITAR Museum (NGM). It has been around longer than baseball, basketball, soft drinks, and sports cars. It’s hard to find anyone who hasn’t been affected by the guitar, whether as players or just fans of all types of music. And while this may be apocryphal,” Newquist adds, “it’s a widely held belief that the two most recognizable man-made shapes on the planet are those of the Coca-Cola bottle and the electric guitar.”

The Touring Exhibition will run in Orlando from June through September 2011. Additional venues are currently being scheduled. 

About The National GUITAR Museum

The National GUITAR Museum, LLC (NGM) is the first museum in the United States dedicated to the history, evolution, and cultural impact of the guitar. Its Touring Exhibition, “GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World” will travel to 15 cities over the next five years before becoming the basis of The National GUITAR Museum in its permanent home.

The NGM’s board is comprised of individuals drawn from the music, technology, event, and museum communities. Current advisors include guitar greats Steve Vai, Johnny Winter, Steve Howe, Liona Boyd, and Ritchie Blackmore. The Executive Director of the Museum is HP Newquist.

National partners who will be promoting and supporting the Museum and the Touring Exhibition include Channel One, Guitar Center, Guitar Player Magazine, and TrueFire Media.

nationalguitarmuseum.com

 

Joe Satriani New Album and Tour

Joe is still one of my favorite guitar players.

Brought to you from http://www.zebramusic.com, your web site for rock guitar lessons.

 In 2002, legendary guitarist Joe Satriani performed the National Anthem for the Opening Day of Major League Baseball’s Oakland A’s.  Now, that historic season opener is being recreated, complete with Satriani’s stirring Anthem rendition, for the brand new Sony Pictures movieMoneyball starring Brad Pitt, based on the 2003 novel Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael M. Lewis.

Satriani will perform the National Anthem as he did on Opening Day back in 2002, keeping director Bennett Miller’s pursuit of authentic recreation.  Filming for Joe’s Anthem scene took place on August 3 in the Oakland Coliseum, site of the A’s home stadium. Moneyball is the story of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane’s successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget, employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players using a modernized, analytical approach and assembling a competitive baseball team, despite Oakland's disadvantaged revenue situation.

Satriani’s 14th studio album, Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards, produced and recorded by Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Metallica) and Satriani, has recently been completed and is set for release on October 5, 2010 through Epic Records.  Joe is joined once again by veteran Satriani bandmate Jeff Campitelli on drums, and newcomers, keyboardist Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa, Steve Vai) and bassist Allen Whitman (Mermen) also adding to the sound. Satriani’s classic sound is accompanied by a surprisingly rich texture of new material as well.  This 11-track album’s first single "Light Years Away" is destined to be a hit, with several other high energy offerings, like “Wormhole Wizards” and “Premonition.”  Satriani’s World Tour promoting Black Swans . . . will begin in this fall, kicking off on October 16 in Dublin, Ireland with the North American dates starting on December 1 in Atlanta, hitting cities such as Chicago, New York, Boston and more (a second January ‘11 leg TBA).

As a special bonus, U.S. residents can pre-order the upcoming album Black Swans and Wormhole Wizardsexclusively through Joe Satriani's website, and receive an autographed copy of the CD, a download of the new single "Light Years Away", and a special code allowing access to tickets for Joe Satriani's North American tour dates before they go on sale to the public (not all North American tour dates apply to this promotion). The ticket pre-sale is powered by Ticketmaster.com. You can visit www.sonymusicdigital.com/joe-satriani for more details on how to pre-order.

In 2009, Satriani joined with former Van Halen front man Sammy Hagar, former bassist Michael Anthony, and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith, to form the stand-out rock collaboration, Chickenfoot. After a highly successful U.S. tour, their self-titled debut album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America with over 500,000 in album shipments.

Over the last two decades, Satriani has traveled the world, playing to sold-out crowds as both a headliner and as founder of the all-star “G3” guitar extravaganza.  As one of the world’s most renowned instrumental artists, Satriani recorded Live in Paris: I Just Wanna Rock!  in 2008 at The Grand Rex Theater in Paris, France. The live two-disc CD and DVD was released in February 2010 through Epic Records and contained  such memorable songs as, “Surfing With The Alien”, “Flying in a Blue Dream”, along with recent hits like “Super Colossal” and “I Just Wanna Rock.”  Of his many solo albums, two have gone platinum and four others went gold, with 15 Grammy nominations between them. 

Special Black Swans Pre-Orders Available thru WWW.SATRIANI.COM.

Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards Tracklisting

1) PREMONITION                                                          7) THE GOLDEN ROOM

2) DREAM SONG                                                          8) TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY

3) PYRRHIC VICTORIA                                                  9) WORMHOLE WIZARDS

4) LIGHT YEARS AWAY                                                10) WIND IN THE TREES

5) SOLITUDE                                                                11) GOD IS CRYING

6) LITTLEWORTH LANE

 

 

JOE SATRIANI – Tour Itinerary (First Leg)


December 1     Center Stage                                       Atlanta, GA

December 2     Pompano Beach Amphitheatre           Pompano Beach, FL

December 3     House of Blues                                     Lake Buena Vista, FL

December 4     Ruth Eckerd Hall                                  Clearwater, FL

December 6     The Palace Theatre                             Greensburg, PA

December 7     Aronoff Center for the Arts                   Cincinnati, OH

December 8     Massey Hall                                         Toronto, Ontario

December 9     House of Blues                                     Boston, MA

December 10   Tower Theatre                                     Upper Darby, PA

December 12   Metropolis                                            Montreal, Quebec

December 13   Nokia Theatre                                      New York, NY

December 14   Nokia Theatre                                      New York, NY

December 15   The Music Center @ Strathmore          North Bethesda, MD

December 16   Fillmore Detroit                                   Detroit, MI

December 17   House of Blues                                     Cleveland, OH

December 19   Chicago Theatre                                  Chicago, IL

December 20   Uptown Theater                                   Kansas City, MO

December 21   Historic Paramount Theatre                 Denver, CO

 
More Dates TBA