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Vai Set to Release New Solo Disc | Vintage Guitar® magazine

Steve Vai will release The Story of Light, a new solo album of original material, on August 14. The 12-song set continues a conceptual narrative arc begun on his 2005 album Real Illusions: Reflections. The Story of Light follows the journey of a man driven mad by grief, intertwining tragedy, revelation, enlightenment, and redemption. Although it is largely instrumental, the album does feature guest vocalists including singer-songwriter Aimee Mann and Beverly McClellan...

Fender Pawn Shop Special Excelsior and Greta Amp Reviews - Premier Guitar

The annals of rock guitar history are filled with tales of resourceful players getting killer sounds with crusty, busted, decrepit, funky off-brand equipment from the dustiest corners of the junk shop. Some such legends have become so, well, legendary, that these castoff gear artifacts have become Excaliburs and Holy Grails in their own right—and a cottage industry of electronic alchemists keen to capture the mojo of everything...

Ibanez GB300 George Benson Signature Guitar Review - Premier Guitar

When George Benson burst on the scene in the mid ’60s with The New Boss Guitar, he ushered in an era of modern jazz guitar that combined an adventurous harmonic spirit, blinding technique, and a no-nonsense tone that has influenced countless jazzers since. Those oft-imitated tones led to a line of signature Ibanez guitars that endured for more than 30 years.

How to Get Gigs onSonicbids - MTT - Music Think Tank

A while ago, I wrote this article about How to Get Better Results From Your Sonicbids Submissions. Since then, there have been a few changes to the site (both for promoters as well as performers). All of the advice from the first article still applies so if you haven’t read it, take a look at it first. Here’s some practical advice for those of you who would like to use Sonicbids to get gigs and what my thoughts are on it (both as an artist as well as a promoter):

Chickenfoot Concert Review - There’s a Party in the Coop Tonight | GuitarInternational.com

“This band is on fire tonight!” yelled Sammy Hagar to the packed crowd and he wasn’t kidding! The band tore into a blistering 90+ minute set with nothing but killer songs and wise cracking jokes at the legendary Beacon Theater in New York City on May 21st. I’ve never been a fan of the term “Super Group,” it always conjures up images of a bunch of musicians from defunct ‘60s and ‘70s bands getting together for a one-off benefit concert.

Playing in the Pit | Gear-Vault

Are you looking for a new outlet for your musical skills? Maybe you’re getting burned out playing weekends in bars but would love to find a short-term gig that fits in well with the rest of your schedule. Have you ever considered doing “pit work”? “Pit work… what’s that?” you ask. Chances are you’ve already seen it in action but maybe you just didn’t know what to call it.

TC Electronic PolyTune Mini | Effects Bay

When the TC Electronic PolyTune came out, it blew up the tuner pedal world. The polytune ability (meaning you can strum all 6 strings and it will show you which strings are flat/sharp) was incredibly innovative. You can strike an individual string and it will go into standard tuning mode. Personally, the polytune is the nicest feature. When you’re playing and you hear something *off* and want to quickly correct the out-of-tune string, it’s a snap to activate the tuner...

MXR Micro Chorus & Micro Flanger - YouTube

MXR MICRO CHORUS & MICRO FLANGER: The MXR design team at Dunlop is very proud to offer these two reissues of the rare and classic "Micro" series. Painstaking detail was taken to recreate both of these pedals which first surfaced in the late 70's and went out of production in the mid-80's. Because certain components that were used to produce the lush and organic modulation in the originals were no longer available...

GuitarPlayer: Oktober Guitars Announces the Wraith Electric

GuitarPlayer: The Wraith’s solid mahogany neck and body are matched with Oktober Blockhead pickups. Standard features include a 24¾" scale length and 12" radius ebony fretboard, inlayed with mother of pearl diamonds.

GuitarPlayer: Megadeth/Rob Zombie Tour Rages On

Metal icons Megadeth are delivering volcanic performances and earning rave reviews on their co-headlining tour with Rob Zombie, which marks the first time the two bands have toured together. The trek kicked off Friday, May 11 in Holmdel, NJ and will include two high-profile rock festival appearances including Rock On The Range and Rocklahoma, where the tour wraps on Saturday, May 26. A list of confirmed dates is below. For additional information on purchasing tickets, visit www.megadeth.com.

GuitarPlayer: Elixir Strings, ESP Guitars, and Blackstar Amplification Announce Gus G Giveaway

Elixir Strings, ESP Guitars, and Blackstar Amplification are celebrating the release of Firewind's new album, Few Against Many, by giving away some of Gus' favorite gear. The sweepstakes will be held online between May 22 and July 22, 2012. Simply sign up on Elixir Strings Facebook page to enter.

gTar: Learn Guitar the Lazy Way? | Fretterverse.com

I remember a few years ago, the folks from Rock Band said they were working on a way to adapt their guitar controllers to be able to teach people how to play guitar. I thought this was a good idea, as the more guitarists we have out there, the better the world would be. But it never came to fruition for whatever reason. I suspect it had mostly to do with the waning interest in the game itself, though I also suspect there is a decline in the number of kids taking up guitar.

The Mor Paul Custom | Fretbase

We have a video from John Way visiting with Dave Zolla of DZMods Studio. Dave Zolla has built the most tricked out Les Paul copy we’ve ever seen. It’s pretty incredible all the body work and electronics Dave has been able to pack into one guitar. It’s the ultimate excessive rock n’ roll guitar. Check out the video.

Caroline Olympia Demo by Carter Gravatt | Effects Bay

Caroline Guitar Company has really been making some big noise in the guitar effects world. We had an opportunity to demo their Wave Cannon a while back and that was a very impressive unit. Shortly after, or very near to that point, Caroline unleashed the Olympia Fuzz, which was originally funded by Kickstarter. We haven’t hard a chance to give this guy a ride yet (hint hint Philippe!), but I came across a very nice demo featuring Carter Gravatt of the band Carbon Leaf.

Dunlop Fuzz Face Shoot Out w/ Jeorge Tripps & James Santiago - YouTube

Presented here courtesy of Dunlop's Jeorge Tripps and James Santiago from Voodoo Labs, is an informal in-depth look into the sounds and features of all the members of the Fuzz Face family currently available from Dunlop Manufacturing.

MXR EVH Flanger & Phase 90 - YouTube

Whether he knew it or not at the time, when Eddie Van Halen exploded on the scene he did nothing less than redefine electric guitar playing. From then till the present, he continues to make historical contributions to the legacy of rock music.

'Cissy Strut' from Oz Noy's 'Twisted Blues Volume 1' Album. Originally by The Meters! - YouTube

The Funky Meters' "Cissy Strut", performed by Oz Noy and 1 incarnation of his Twisted Blues Band. This track is included on "Twisted Blues Vol. 1", to be available for sale on November 15th, 2011!! Players include Oz Noy, Anton Fig, Will Lee, John Medeski & Ralph MacDonald. Produced by Tim Ciancio & E Baby Records. Enjoy!!

Rockin Demo of the Wampler Pinnacle Deluxe Distortion | Effects Bay

I just came across a rockin’ demo of the Wampler Pinnacle Deluxe Distortion. Definitely on my list of pedals to try. Wampler has definitely carved itself a nice niche in the world of quality pedals and the Pinnacle is no exception. This pedal will give you the mild/warm overdrive to over the top high gain fury and is also known for it’s “Brown Sound”. Controls include Modern/Vintage toggle, Tone, Volume, Contour and Gain. Additionally there is a Boost switch on the pedal as well.

Joe Satriani Interview - Satchurated: Live in Montreal | GuitarInternational.com

Guitar God, Innovator, and Virtuoso – those are the first three things that come to mind when I think of Joe Satriani. He is one of the most respected guitarist’s in the world who has forged an amazing solo career selling more that 10 million CDs worldwide and has had played the world to sold out crowds with Greg Kihn, Mick Jagger, “G3” guitar extravaganza, and most recently Chickenfoot.

PRS Guitars Announces “Lefty” Custom 24 Limited Edition | GuitarInternational.com

For a limited time only, PRS Guitars’ flagship model – the Custom 24 – will be available to order as a left-handed instrument. A perennial favorite with musicians, such as Orianthi, Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers, and Brad Delson of Linkin Park, the Custom 24 is the original PRS…the guitar Paul Smith took to his first tradeshow in 1985. This limited edition model will give left-handed players the opportunity to own a guitar that is musical, reliable, versatile, and eminently PRS.

SMG Review: Behringer DC-9 Dynamic Compression Pedal

Behringer is an audio equipment company founded in Willich, Germany by Uli Behringer in 1989. The company is owned by Music Group, a holding company chaired by Uli Behringer, which also owns other audio companies such as Midas, Klark Teknik and Bugera, as well as Electronic Manufacturing Services company Eurotec. The first thing that I noticed about the DC-9 was even though the pedal is in a plastic housing, it still felt quite a bit like metal.

The Top 50 Australian Guitarists Of All Time | I Heart Guitar

Australian Guitar magazine has just published their list of the top 50 Aussie guitarists of all time. Check it out here! I write for the mag and I helped compile the list. A bunch of us each listed our picks, the results were tallied up, and I think it’s a pretty fair list – there aren’t really any crazy controversial picks like that recent Spin guitarists list! My criteria for my selections was pretty broad. Individuality, innovation, influence, songwriting… it all added up.

Shaping Rock: How Washburn Helped Make Rock What it is : The Tone King | TheToneKing.com

Yet again, we here at TheToneKing.com started getting into a bit of history. Specifically, we talked about guitar manufacturers that had a monumental impact in music. While many of the heavy hitters like Gibson and Fender inevitably came up, someone blurted out a name that none of us had expected. “What about Washburn?” Suddenly, everyone was quiet.

How to Set Up & Grow Your Music-Teaching Business

If you’re reading this article I assume you are currently a music teacher—or would like to be. And if you want to become a music teacher, we’ll assume that you can already play. However, if you’re still practicing to get to that point, then hopefully this article will be all the incentive you need to reach your goals! Assuming that you can already play rather proficiently in most of the popular styles, the real question is how do you translate your skill into an income?

Effects Loops 101 - Premier Guitar

Effects loops: What are they and why would I want one? Back in the day, I went down to the local music store and bought an Echoplex tape delay, plugged it into my amp, and had a lot of fun. (Ironically, I also dreamed of the day when technology would bring us the “perfect delay”—one without warble and with perfect copies of the input signal. Live and learn.)

1955 Gibson J-200 - Premier Guitar

The “singing cowboy” phenomenon of the 1930s was the main inspiration for the “king of the flattops”—Gibson’s J-200. Cowboy movie idol Ray Whitley approached Gibson in 1937 about having a guitar designed to outdo rival Western crooner Gene Autry and his fancy motherof- pearl adorned Martin D-45. The result was the prototype for the Super Jumbo (soon to be called SJ-200 due to its original $200 price).

Gretsch Rancher Giveaway

Six lucky winners will lasso a brand-new G5022CE Rancher Jumbo Cutaway Electric from the new Gretsch Roots collection. This new Rancher model is a richly resonant modern take on the classic 1950s-era Gretsch acoustic noted for its expansive sound and distinctive triangular sound hole.

10 guitar hero day jobs | MusicRadar.com

It’s easy to forget that Slash was not born in boots and a top hat, nor did Keith Richards appear as a fully-formed rock ‘n’ roll pirate. Rock’s biggest names once held down all sorts of day jobs to make ends meet, here we give you a window into the pre-fame worlds of 10 guitar heroes…

5 Non-traditional Ways to Promote YourMusic - MTT - Music Think Tank

Artists tend to be creative people. We write music, create dazzling visions of art, and express sentiments in the most unique ways. However, when it comes to promoting our art, something else happens. For one reason or the other, most artists fail to express any creativity in their business endeavors.

How To Make A Lot Of Money In The Music Business - Guitar Noise

If you think that it is “wrong” for musicians to want to make money with music, save yourself some time by closing this page right now. Okay…for those of you who are still reading, I will be showing you what you need to know in order to develop a long and successful career in the music business that will give you the ability to make a good living. It is common for most musicians to be skeptical of making a lot of money in the music industry.

GuitarPlayer: John Mayer Launches Interactive Video For 'Shadow Days'

John Mayer's video for new single "Shadow Days" follows him on a journey from Los Angeles to Montana, and now fans can create their own journey in an interactive version of the video. The newly launched site (http://shadowdays.johnmayer.com) utilizes the Google Maps Street View API and SoundCloud to allow users to input their starting and ending locations and set off on a virtual roadtrip set to "Shadow Days."

Lava Cable Clear Connect II Guitar Cable: Redesigned Instrument Cable With Solder-Free Pure Plugs

Plug and play with the new Clear Connect II guitar cable by Lava Cable. Available in a 20-foot length, the Clear Connect II is the company's redesigned cable, enhanced with solder-free Pure Plugs by Abbatron. With the new guitar cable, you will have a the purest signal path possible, according to the manufacturer.

Jamie Holroyd Launches A New Jazz Guitar Resource Website | GuitarInternational.com

In April 2012 launched Jamie Holroyd Guitar, an online teaching website aimed at providing high quality jazz guitar lessons to students across the globe. Although the site has only being online just under one month it has already received more than 2,000 visits from over 60 different countries and just fewer than 200 email subscribers. Jamie Holroyd has written most of the articles, but the site has featured guest posts from acclaimed jazz educator and author Matt Warnock...

Music Man Steve Morse Y2D Guitar Review - iGuitar Magazine - Win This Guitar In Issue 9

http://bit.ly/Enter_SteveMorse_Competition Win this Music Man Steve Morse Y2D Guitar only in iGuitar Magazine. Danny Gill Reviews the Music Man Steve Morse Y2D guitar featured in Issue 9 of iGuitar magazine.

Review - MXR Custom Badass ‘78 Distortion! | GuitarInternational.com

The MXR Custom Badass ‘78 Distortion pedal is the first in a line from MXR that is designed to roar like a huge stack as well as sound like a worn-in vintage tube amp. MXR claim to have hot-rodded this distortion pedal for over-the-top soaring leads and rich saturated rhythms. I think they succeed. This pedal packs quite a punch! It’s pretty easy to use with only three knobs; Output, Tone, and Distortion, you can dial up endless options.

Mark Tremonti Storms the Top 10 on iTunes Rock Singles Chart with You Waste Your Time

PFA Media says that in a chart dominated by voices from NBC’s smash television show The Voice, a new voice has found his way in to the Top 10 on the iTunes Rock Singles Chart. Mark Tremonti, best known for his guitar playing and songwriting with Alter Bridge and Creed, takes the microphone for the first time and unleashes another hit with “You Waste Your Time.”

New BerkleeMobile App Announced | Berklee News

BerkleeMobile helps you keep up with what’s happening at the world’s largest college of contemporary music. The free app connects you to the live music listings at the college’s many venues, plus news, blogs, video, and podcasts highlighting the work of Berklee musicians. Stream music from the five stations on the Berklee Internet Radio Network (BIRN) and stay up-to-date with Berklee on Twitter, all on one app.

Electro-Harmonix Factory Tour! | Effects Bay

One thing I love to watch is factory tours. I wish more builders would post factory tours. I think they’re very interesting to see. It gives a sense of the faces behind what makes the products. The first time I saw a Electro-Harmonix tour-like video, I realized I had a misconception of their business. I pictured a very huge and sterile factory cranking out pedals. But after seeing the tour, it felt like a ‘real’ business that I would see down the road from where I live.

Counterpoint - Part 2 by Tom Serb

Now that we’ve got the basic terminology behind us, on to writing counterpoint melodies. The big breakthrough for Fux was dividing counterpoint lines into what he called “species”. In Fux’ view, there are five species of counterpoint: Note against note Two notes against one note Four notes against one note Offset melodies creating suspensions “Florid” counterpoint, consisting of all the others

Julien’s Auctions and the Les Paul Foundation Announce More Memorabilia and Events

Julien’s Auctions, the world’s premier entertainment and celebrity estate auction house and the Les Paul Foundation have partnered for an auction of extraordinary property and collection of guitars, equipment, musical artifacts and personal effects from the legendary musician, engineer and inventor Les Paul. The auction event will take place on June 8-10, 2012 in honor of what would have been Paul’s 97th birthday.

Custom 77 King for a Day Booster Demo | Effects Bay

Today I’m going to talk about the Custom 77 King for a Day Booster. Custom 77 is a great company making some great products out of France and worth a serious look. We demo’d their Push Me Pull Me Overdrive a little while back and was quite impressed with this pedal. The King for a Day fell in the same category.

Mojotone PAF Clone Style Humbucker - Billy Penn's 300Guitars.com

Let me start off by saying that I’ve been using Mojotone for supplying my shop with guitar and amplifier parts and I’ve been happy with their products and services for many years. I’ve recently discovered that they are now producing a line of their own pickups and the good folks at Mojo asked me to try a few sets and do a written review. I eagerly agreed because I like sampling new gear, especially practical things like pickups.

New site alert: Second Stage Guitars | Fretbase

We recently had a chance to meet Nathan B., the guy behind Second Stage Guitars – a new site dedicated to the buying, selling and trading of guitars. The site launched recently and to help raise awareness among our guitar playing brethren, Nathan is doing a guest post on Fretbase, describing what Second Stage Guitars is all about.

Interview with Zach Harvey of StompRomp.com | Effects Bay

One of the best things about EffectsBay for me is the ability to meet cool builders, musicians and dealers that are passionate at what they do. Frankly, it’s very contagious and inspirational. It pushes and motivates me to ‘do’ things.. and that’s a good thing! Recently, I stumbled across StompRomp.com and was impressed with the gear selection and the vibe of the store in general. Here we have an online presence offering some quality gear for sure, and worthy of checking out.

Breaking The Barline-Phrase Placement | Fretterverse.com: Guitar Blog

Improvising over jazz standards can be a very difficult thing to do. Once you learn all your scales, arpeggios, licks etc., you may find yourself in a rut with what to do with all the harmonic knowledge you have learned. For me, an incredibly important as aspect of improvisation that is overlooked is phrase placement. Where you start and end your phrases can take your solo from a predictable, boring and safe one to a strong assertive and climatic one.

The Top Ten Electric Guitars of All Time

Here are the 10 greatest electric guitars of all time - instruments that shaped the guitar industry and revolutionized music. We have squeezed in all the guitars that made a big difference in rock history and we covered a range of musical styles.

New Gibson 1960 Les Paul Remake - 'The Babe'

The 1960 Les Paul "The Babe" is Gibson Custom's Collector's Choice #3, a remake of an early '60s transitional Les Paul equipped with Bigsby vibrato. The 52 year old well preserved instrument was owned by four owners and currently belongs to blues icon Joe Bonamassa.

Knaggs Guitars on E-Street | GuitarInternational.com

Nils Lofgren, currently on tour with the E-Street Band, received his Knaggs Severn T2 in Golden Natural on Monday, April 9 and apparently fell in love with it at first sight, using the guitar the same night at their show at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Severn will be touring with Nils on E-Street for the rest of the 2012 World Tour.

Dunlop Blog Get Inside the MXR Slash Octave Fuzz

Slash has contributed to some of the best-selling rock albums of all time with his gritty, blues-influenced riffs and epic solos, and he continues to carry the torch for that raw, expressive style to this day. Throughout his career, he’s relied on Cry Baby, MXR, and Tortex picks to achieve that sound, so in anticipation of Slash’s second solo studio album release, Apocalyptic Love, Dunlop created three products that celebrate our long relationship with the guitar hero...

Learn Guitar with StrumSchool.com | Fretterverse.com: Guitar Blog

For those people who want to learn guitar and are completely starting from scratch — I’m talking the people that don’t even know that the guitar has six strings — it can be be difficult to try and figure out exactly where to begin. Surely, youTube, Fretterverse, and plenty of books and DVDs have plenty of information to use, but there aren’t many places where you can actually sit down from the absolute beginning.