“In 1981 a tour with Little Feat right after the death of Lowell George, playing 1/2 his own tunes and 1/2 Feat songs. Lot’s of dope an booze, (Phil’s sober for MANY years now). Then, coming back to Los Angeles, “The City of Angels” and a writing job with Warner Bros. Music for 3 years and then A&M Music Publishers for 2 more years.  Lots of famous artists cut his songs from Cher to Benatar, Bonnie Tyler’s “Matter of the Heart”, a duet with Kim Carnes, Lisa Hartman, Ace Freheley from Kiss, Tower of Power, Kix, Steve Perry (Journey), Lou Graham (Foreigner), a song on the soundtrack for the movie “The Wild Life” featuring Sean Penn in his first film role and tons of other amazing projects.”

Phil has been in the trenches creating amazing music for a LONG time.  This has given him a real depth as a human being and as a musician.  He recently designed a pedal that bears his name, and was at NAMM for the launch.  It’s the Animal OD pedal by Rockett Pedals.

Here is Phil at the Taylor Guitars’ booth at NAMM a week ago in California, playing his moving song “Blessing in Disguise” with the legendary Al Perkins.

And here’s Phil from a couple years back, playing his very unique brand of strat-ness.  This is an arrangement of Phil’s from an entire CD of Jimi tunes called “The Jimi Project“.

But perhaps most exciting to us is the fact that Phil is a RAGING fan of our 1961 Wildwood 10 Stratocaster from the Fender Custom Shop.  In this video Phil talks candidly about this very special instrument we hooked him up with.

We are partnering with Phil on a number of levels, and although we can’t yet divulge every detail, we can tell you that we are most honored to be joining forces with Phil to share great music with the world, and indeed our worldwide network of guitar lovers like you.  Please stay tuned!

We wish Phil the best luck and the most passionate inspiration in all his travels.  Over and out!

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First, a little video preview/overview from The Apex directly, so you’ll know how cool this CD is going to be:

And now, a wonderful sneak preview of Shem using the Wildwood Spec Les Paul last week!

And in another clip, he tracks bass with sickening soul and dexterity.  We want you to understand the scope of this guy’s talent.  It’s beyond refreshing to hear a musician that plays with such a huge vocabulary and scope of inspiration.  His command of any instrument is something we are very excited about, and eager to share with you.

We recently caught up with Shem at the Kenny Loggins show in Denver.  Seen here is Scott Bernard, Kenny’s guitar player, Shem Von Schroeck in the Bronco’s T-Shirt, Wildwood’s Steve Mesple, and Greg Koch’s drummer (and Kenny’s) Tom Brechtlein.

Lastly, here is a great recent clip of Shem singing “Every Breath You Take” with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the Rock Tenors program.

We are on the edge of our seats waiting for the launch of THE APEX and their debut CD.  Thanks to Shem for all the years of top notch music and for making us motivated to PRACTICE.

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Joe stopped in to visit our store earlier this year, and here are a couple of great shots of that visit.  In fact, we have an overwhelming amount of video and photographs from this visit and others, too much for one blog post, so please stay tuned for many sequels on this subject!

Here, Wildwood Guitars’ owner Steve Mesple fondles a rare Joe Bonamassa prototype from Gibson Custom and describes some of the nuances of the partnership with Joe and the Gibson Custom Shop:

During Joe’s trip through Wildwood’s neck of the woods, we tagged along as he visited the epic treasure trove of Mike Slubowski, a dear friend and patron of Wildwood and one of the most renowned guitar collectors in the world.  Mike’s frequent visits to the store are in part because he lives nearby but mostly because he shares our affliction with the same extreme strain of guitar addiction.  Here is a great video that took place at Mike’s guitar lair:

Joe and Wildwood’s own Greg Koch have appeared together numerous times on stage, and the day after Joe’s visit to our store and to Mike’s lair, we got to witness one of these epic convergences.  Prior to the show, Joe’s most excellent guitar tech Mike Hickey gave us the rundown on the guitars used on Joe’s tour:

And once these gentlemen were on stage, madness of the best kind ensued.  Here is Joe tearing it up!

Getting to see Joe feature Greg Koch on stage was equally exciting.  We are so proud of both Joe and Greg for their amazing guitar playing ability being recognized for what it is by the world, but also for being such fine human beings.  Stay tuned for more videos and pictures from the convergence of Wildwood Guitars, Joe Bonamassa, Greg Koch and Mike Slubowski!  We leave you with this fine number featuring Joe and Greg together on stage, at the Paramount Theater in Denver, Colorado.  Thanks for watching!

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If you ask Wildwood Guitars, you’ll be told that Mike is a dear friend, respected expert on the magic of guitars both old and new, a soon-to-be active correspondent writer on our BLOG, and a customer who has purchased 50 (yes, FIFTY) guitars from us over the years.  Or perhaps, in reality, he has ADOPTED these instruments.  We would also tell you that he frequently stops by on a Saturday, with one or more of these “treasures” in his collection in hand, for no other reason than to share the Zeus-like soul of another vintage guitar with those at our store.  Mike is a world-renowned guitar collector, a passionate advocate for music and guitar, and one heck of a nice guy.  He owns a collection of guitars that would make most guitar players drool all over their shirt and shake their head in disbelief – and yet he insists, humbly, that he is simply a “steward” of these priceless treasures for a season, forgoing the empty opportunity for self indulgent chest thumping and shallow materialism in the boasting of his collection.  Mike is more of a guru, a wise sage of the guitar world that understands the soul of these legendary instruments; and understands more than a thing or two about life and human beings in the process. He is “one of us”, not some elite collector greedily snatching up all the good guitars to put in a vault never again to be seen.  He delights in sharing his instruments with those who can appreciate them, or make amazing music with them.  He was all too willing to let Wildwood’s savage guitar necromancer Greg Koch unleash the tone from within his original 1959 Les Paul Junior in this never-before-seen video…

Mike loves to share these instruments, and we have noticed something oddly wonderful about each and every guitar in his collection:  Every single one of them has a thunderous voice, that special “X Factor” we all search for.  Somehow, these instruments FIND Mike and fall at his feet.  Over the next few months we are going to feature MORE videos of Greg’s manhandling of these fine morsels of vintage goodness, as well as tell you a lot more about Mike and his priceless partnership with Wildwood.  We are so honored to have him as our friend and fellow tone seeker along this journey.  Congratulations to Mike for the latest of many great things that have come his way, the launch and unveiling of the prestigious Collector’s Choice #6 Les Paul, modeled after his very own guitar.

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It’s that *one* guitar that seems to make its way around every room in the house naturally.  I was so lucky to receive my 1967 Custom Shop Limited Edition Closet Classic Telecaster (in Firemist Silver Metallic) as an unbelievable Christmas present from my loving family this past year. I will never forget that feeling…like a little kid on Christmas! It is perfect for any occasion – whether in the basement, in the studio, or on the stage…and one cannot acquire a guitar like this at a guitar “superstore!”  I’m grateful for the discriminating tastes and for the high quality standard for excellence that is found at Wildwood Guitars; because we asked for a “player’s instrument” and we sure got a “player!”  Wildwood is the only guitar shop in my book.

David, Boston, MA, USA (pictured above)

Here is a picture of me rocking my PRS Tremonti purchased right there in Louisville at Casselman’s in Downtown Denver.  I love this guitar…it has sustain for days, and it’s great for the metalz!! You guys are the best! 

Tim, Centennial, CO (pictured above)

Here’s a shot of me with my number one axe – 2001 PRS Singlecut. This guitar plays like butter and sounds awesome!! It’s my main gigging guitar and has been for the last couple years. I played a bunch of them at the shop but this one was special.  Tell Steve Mesple that Buddy from Ohio says hi!

Buddy, Ohio, USA (pictured above)

I´m 69 and still rockin´ in Spain, with my ´56 “Wildwood 10″ Blonde Relic.  Best guitar I ever owned in nearly 50 years of playing. (and I´ve had a few).
Frank, Las Palmas, Spain (pictured above)

I love my 513 because of its warm and timeless colour black gold which makes her look like an ancient violin and of course the guitar was a gift by my wife.  Best wishes from Germany!

Martin, living in the free state of Bavaria, Germany (pictured above)

This guitar has ruined other guitars for me. It is the lightest, best sounding and best looking guitar I own. And it is the most versatile and reliable, too! I keep taking a backup guitar to gigs but I have not needed it yet. Thanks to Troy for hooking me up with this baby and keep the lefty goodness coming!

Aron Ortega, Hollywood, CA
(pictured above)

Here’s a pic of me with my Wildwood Gibson Les Paul Studio 60′s Tribute. This was taken in July of this year at a central Kansas gig I played with my trio, The Bad Dawgs. I absolutely love this guitar. The craftsmanship, fit and finish are excellent for what I would consider a mid-priced guitar, and I’ll put the playability and tone up against ANYBODY’S guitar. The P90′s are so incredibly versatile…country, rock, funk, blues…this guitar will do it. I even had a friend in a punk/thrash band play it at this same gig while I changed a string on his guitar for him…he loved it! The leader of the other band I play in – a straight-up blues gig – is a total Fender junkie, and even he admits that this Paul is a killer! The guitar is great, plus my experience dealing with Bruce at Wildwood was absolutely first-rate.

Chris “Po’ Boy” Horn, McPherson, Kansas (pictured above)

I have multiple Wildwood guitars but my shell pink Jazzmaster is absolutely my favorite.

Chris Ucis (pictured above)

I love my Gibson Custom Wildwood Spec Les Paul for its unbelievable tone, playability, feel & look!

Andrea C.

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Dave Beegle is a world renowned electric guitarist as well as a critically acclaimed acoustic guitarist, producer and engineer. His website showcases his very diverse and passionate work.  It’s also worth noting that Dave was recently heard saying that if his well loved vintage strat in this picture (that he is inseparable from) ever bit the dust or disappeared, he would most certainly get a Wildwood 10 Strat to replace it.

Dave has been a highly sought after guitarist in the Rocky Mountain region for decades, and his music has reached across the world. Dave was the guitarist and primary composer for the progressive rock trio Fourth Estate, and is credited on countless CD’s as a sideman.

Before we get started with the recording tips, take a moment to listen to Dave’s innovate acoustic “mayhem”.

These “never seen before” videos (below) were shot by our Director of Strategic Marketing (Taylor Mesple) many years back, for a website that was never re-launched (www.Audioracle.com). After a long process Taylor has obtained permission to give Wildwood the opportunity to launch these gems to our dedicated friends in search of great tone. The value of these insights can hardly be estimated. This is guitar recording GOLD! They were before the days of HD technology, but we can’t complain… the educational value overwhelms the technical limitations of the time!  We can call them “vintage” videos, ok?  One video in the series has funky audio but we embrace the whole of what Dave took the time to share with us.  We are appreciative he took time out of his busy schedule to articulate these timeless truths.

We recommend watching them in the order they are posted, in order to gain maximum understanding about the subtleties described.  Dave goes from microphone selection and placement overviews to pedal usage to multitrack layering of guitar parts from both a sonic and an arrangement standpoint.  Buckle your seatbelts and enjoy!

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Walking the aisles with a cordless microphone and all the intentionality of a televangelist, Paul talked about how these acoustic instruments were designed, and how the industry is being ambushed with these ground breaking, innovative guitars.  Paul spoke about how the process of building an acoustic guitar is SUBTRACTIVE – how each ‘thing’ you add to the guitar, glue onto it or otherwise attach to it, hinders the guitar’s natural ability to resonate and produce beautiful tone.  The wood itself is the pure sound source, and Paul’s process strives to let the wood resonate as it instinctively knows how to.

Martin Simpson sang for us and played spellbinding acoustic slide guitar along with more traditional fingerstyle approach.  His stories about his long career as one of England’s top guitarists were received with laughter and gratitude.  His deep wisdom about tunings, songwriting and the soul of a musician reached the room full of fellow players and tone seekers with powerful force.

Tony McManus dazzled us with dry wit and some of the most impressive technical mastery of the acoustic guitar we’ve ever seen.  The room full of acoustic music lovers was noticeably grateful for his trip from Canada for this special night.

The event was well attended by professional and hobbyist photographers, taking a wide range of great shots of the event.  It was gratifying to see everyone responding so viscerally to the power of acoustic music and the magic of great tone.  The Wildwood video team was on site filming and recording the audio of the event so stay tuned for more in-depth coverage of this special event in the future.  We have some great segments in the oven for you!

Thanks again to all who came to this event, and a heartfelt thank-you to Paul, Martin and Tony for sharing their expertise and passion with us.  Explore our PRS Collection Series Acoustic Guitars here.

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Warlord of guitar malfeasance and sonic demagoguery, Greg Koch, here unleashes an exquisite collection of savage exclamations, catch phrases and adages. All caught before, during and after the filming of Wildwood videos, these clips are sure to keep you laughing, shaking your head and wondering, “great googly moogly, what is WRONG with this man?” Come and feast.  Click on the titles of phrases you want to hear, take and eat, then repeat!

**LEGAL DISCLAIMER:   Wildwood Guitars is not responsible for accidents that happen while listening to the clips on this page, including, but not limited to:  coffee shooting out of nose onto computer keyboard, family members or office mates looking at you like you are crazy, malnutrition due to skipping your lunch break, getting hiccups from excessive laughter, watering eyes, pain in abdominal muscles, accidentally poking self in eye while using dramatic hand gestures, or children waking up in the next room from a sound sleep to “savagery needed to be engaged”…

Come and feast.

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I first met Tim Pierce at the NAMM show in Anaheim, CA back in 1998.  He was playing in a pick-up band of top players – a John Molo drum extravaganza for one of the drum manufacturers that had rented a big stage for the night.  Oteil Burbridge was playing bass.  Delmar Brown was playing keyboards.  I was a big John Molo fan ever since I had opened a show for Bruce Hornsby while John was still drumming for him.  But Tim Pierce blew me away that night more than anyone else on stage.  I recognized his name from the Toy Matinee CD that was a giant inspiration for me as a budding writer, producer and mixing engineer.  Like many players mentioned in CD liner notes before the days of Facebook and Google, his name carried a mystique and I was eager to learn more.  Now I was putting a face with the epic guitar work that was featured in the music of Toy Matinee, alongside Pat Leonard and Kevin Gilbert.  I was 23 at the time.

I remember giving one of my first CD’s (a 5 song EP) to Tim and hoped he’d listen to it someday.  I was surprised when a month later, Tim called and told me that he really liked my music and would be open to recording with me on future releases.  I was incredibly flattered and honored.  This began a chain of life changing events that led to the recording of my first full length CD “Victory Land” that featured Tim on guitar, Abe Laboriel, Jr. on drums, Mel Brown on bass and other epic studio legends.  Tim was warm and approachable, unlike many of the ‘big names’ in the LA world I had encountered as a young musician.

Tim Pierce was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and moved to Los Angeles in the early 80′s.  Producer Keith Olsen introduced Tim to Rick Springfield and a lot of other artists and he quickly became one of the most in-demand studio musicians in LA.  Tim is an extremely versatile guitar player that cover’s many different playing styles. Tim has now recorded with Crowded House, Christina Aguilera, Seal, Colbie Caillat, Avril Lavigne, Tracy Chapman, Joe Cocker, Ricky Martin, Meat Loaf, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Rob Thomas, Madonna, Toy Matinee, Don Henley, Santana, Rascal Flatts, Chris Isaak, Jewel, Faith Hill, Celine Dion, Dave Matthews Band, John Legend, Gavin Degraw, Mika, Carolina Liar, Goo Goo Dolls, Uncle Kracker, Josh Groban, Mylie Cyrus, Demi Lovato, David Cook, Adam Lambert, Daniel Powter, Chris Allen, Shinedown, and many more.  This stunning array of styles showcases Tim’s amazing versatility, while never straying from his core identity on the guitar which is extreme tastefulness, great tone, and a lot of passion and wisdom.

Recording with Tim back in 2002 was an incredible learning experience and a great deal of fun.  His tech brought out amazing guitar after amazing guitar from Tim’s back room, put fresh strings on them while Tim and I discussed the next part to be overdubbed, and by the time Tim and I had a clear vision for the next layer to add, his tech had the instrument ready to go, perfectly in tune and would hand it to Tim right about the time I pressed “record” on the now forgotten ADAT BRC remote control.  His command of sounds and amplifiers and his massive pedal boards were impressive, and his playing was clear, clean and without extraneous noise as it went to tape.  A lot has changed since 2002 – recording on ADATS is a thing of the past and Tim is now using Pro Tools.  New innovations in the guitar world have evolved his collection of instruments and pedals, and Tim has continued to forge ahead as an innovative, in-demand studio musician.  But many things have stayed the same.  Tim’s affinity for vintage, classic tones, enhanced by modern technology and ergonomics.  Tim likes light guitars and frets that are not worn out, but demands exceptional expressiveness and personality from his many guitars.

It is for all these reasons that I asked Tim to embrace, and dare I say fall in love with a Wildwood 10 guitar.  I just knew that he of all people would understand Wildwood’s vision for a guitar that had the soul of a vintage instrument and the ergonomics of a brand spanking new ‘modern’ creation.  Tim was a fan and frequent user of Tyler, Anderson and Grosh guitars, and I knew a Wildwood 10 Telecaster would be right up his alley.  Wildwood 10′s are our unique and exclusive collaboration with the Fender Custom Shop.  Through years of listening to our most discerning customers describe their “dream” guitar, and our own desires for guitar perfection, we worked closely with Fender Custom to create these stunning beauties.

Now that I am heading up the marketing efforts for Wildwood, it’s a real honor to be able to reach out to long time allies like Tim to further the enjoyment of these instruments across the world.  The quest for great tone is one that is a group effort, a team effort.  As expected, Tim loved the guitar I sent him!  He was kind enough to put on film some of his insights into the guitar, and now we are excited to share Tim’s thoughts with you.  Tim, we wish you the best in all your future musical endeavors, and are excited to be working alongside you in your endless quest for great tone.  Thanks for hanging with us!

Taylor Mesple´
Director of Strategic Marketing
Wildwood Guitars

Here Tim discusses the unique magic of the Wildwood 10 Dealer Select ’59 Telecaster Custom from the Fender Custom Shop.  Check these fine instruments out here.

In this second video for Wildwood Guitars, Tim checks out the guitar at Oceanway Recording with the legendary Allen Sides at the console.   Allen was trying out some new microphones and wanted something juicy to throw at the mics.  Tim and the Wildwood 10 was an easy choice!

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Many of our guitar aficionados across the world have asked just how much coffee it takes to produce the kind of wizardry these videos encapsulate.  Let’s just say that owner Steve Mesple is almost always busy bringing another round of the “nectar of the Gods” to our resident guitar warlord/necromancer.  Sometimes it’s necessary for Greg’s 2 hands to remain on the guitar during emergency caffeination.

There are even Wildwood exclusive acoustic guitars amongst the bunch…  including the Gibson Montana Wildwood New Vintage guitars,  available in Hummingbirds, J-45s, Southern Jumbos, SJ-200s and J-185′s.   All of these models are available in three versions – the Wildwood New Vintage with gloss finish and aged bone nut and saddle, the Wildwood New Vintage all hide glue in gloss finish with aged bone nut and saddle, and the Exotic Wildwood New Vintage with similar specs and extraordinary Indian Rosewood back and sides. For more information on these Wildwood creations please click here.  We feel these are some of the finest sounding Gibson acoustics, and we are honored to have them here at Wildwood.  They reflect our highest aspirations for an acoustic guitar, refined by years of listening to our knowledgeable customers who have been seeking the perfect tonal ingredients.

When it’s all said and done, it’s great fun to be surrounded by incredible musical instruments, lots of strong coffee, and musical geniuses like Greg and all the other wonderful artists featured in our videos.  Stay tuned for more “behind the scenes” updates and features stories here at the new Wildwood BLOG.  Before we sign off, here is a great example of Greg pummeling and caressing a Wildwood New Vintage guitar.

-W.G.

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