Few things in life can beat a handful of badass rock licks played on a cool guitar like Nick Perri does here on his Gibson SG. Enjoy, and be sure to read our interview with Nick in the February issue. READ NOW!!
Watch Erin Harpe and her band, the Delta Swingers, playing “Gimme That (Somethin’ Special)” onstage at the New York State Blues Festival. Read more about Erin in the “VG New Gear Yearbook 2019,” sponsored by Sam Ash Music Stores. READ IT NOW!!
In the midst of its scramble to compete with Fender by developing its radical Flying V and Explorer guitars, the Gibson company likely didn’t realize that Leo Fender was similarly trying to loosen its grip on the jazz guitar market of the late 1950s. At the time, Gibson’s grasp on the segment was indeed firm. Its hollow …
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In Episdoe 23 of “Have Guitar Will Travel,” host James Patrick Regan speaks with singer/songwriter/A-list session guitarist Jedd Hughes. A veteran of the Nashville scene, Hughes grew up in Australia before seeking musical stardom in the U.S. Here, he talks about his long, sometimes rocky, but successful road, including backing Patti Loveless, Rodney Crowell, Emmylou …
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Steve Hillage has followed his muse through 40 years making music as a member of the psychedelic band Gong, a solo career, and a partnership with Miquette Giraudy as the dance band System 7. His style includes extensive use of echo, which he “stumbled across” while messing about with his home tape recorder. “My older …
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The Providence Velvet Comp, Red Rock OD, and Phase Force Price: $199 (per piece, list) Contact: www.providence.jp Providence is a Japan-based manufacturer of effects, cables, guitars, pickups, and audio-switching devices. Though an established brand in its home country for almost two decades, its products only recently found their way to the United States, including a …
Acoustic Remedy ClimaStand Price: $899 (walnut) Info: www.acousticremedycases.com Most players have at least one guitar they would like to display in a manner that allows them to enjoy its beauty while keeping it easily accessible. But if you have pets or small children, or live in a dry climate, it’s just not safe to leave …
For those who like their sacred steel music a little less sacred, Robert Randolph and the Family Band’s latest is a revelation. Fusing the energy of a black church revival meeting with the Joe six-pack accessibility of blues-rock, the album is a joyous commercial slam-dunk. Randolph’s debut on Sony Music Masterworks and his fifth album …
Albums by Kentucky Headhunters have a history of making guitar players shake their collective heads at the great sounds made by Greg Martin. The band’s latest, On Safari, is another collection of rock, country, soul, and other sounds that not only offer glorious tones, but songs that emit a sense of spontaneity. “It pretty much …
Frank Gambale has had an amazing career playing the music he loves. From being the go-to guy for sweep-picking, and later replacing Al DiMeola in Return To Forever, Gambale drops jaws wherever he goes, and whether playing straight jazz, instrumental rock, or contemporary fusion, he plays from the heart and head. Gambale’s current project is …
Face it. They may look oh-so-cool, but rarely do you really, truly need that full amp stack. Most gigs for mere mortals these days are in smaller venues where smaller amps do the job just fine, or the amp is being miked through house PA. More than 35 watts is usually overkill, and small amps …
By sound and association, Blackberry Smoke walks a fine stylistic line. A good ol’ rock band when it started rollin’ in Atlanta 15 years ago, its following has more recently grown in front of crowds gathered to see headliners like country superstars Zac Brown Band and Eric Church. So, it sort of made sense that …
Dynamic Amps 2040 series Price: $2,570 (VA Combo) David Carambula’s Dynamic 2040 series of amplifiers consists of three models: Vintage American (VA), Vintage British (VB), and the HG DynaLead. All use class AB single-channel design that can utilize a variety of output tubes, with output reduction, tube rectifier, tube-driven tremolo, spring reverb, welded-aluminum chassis, point-to-point …
The semi-hollowbody electric guitar is one of the most revered axes in the plugged-in universe, offering the playability of a solidbody with the warm, woodier tone of a fat archtop. Yet the term “semi-hollow guitar” is somewhat confusing, as few can agree on a precise definition. There is the classic design of the Gibson ES-335 …
Jack Bruce, an icon of electric bass, died October 25 in Suffolk, England. Best known for his work with Cream in the 1960s, he was born to musician parents in 1943. As a youngster, he underwent formal music training on cello, then shifted to upright bass, and though he fancied jazz and also played guitar …
Though it got most of the looks in the family, Fender’s Jazz Bass is nonetheless the tag-along younger brother to the Precision. Benefitting from the elder’s success, it was designed in response to market demand for something with a brighter, more-aggressive tone. In the process, Fender also made it “sexier” via a streamlined silhouette, so …
The latest album from Colorado’s Big Head Todd and the Monsters, New World Arisin’, delivers what fans have come expect from a band that has spent slightly longer than three decades honing its sound. The most obvious attributes are great songs and blistering lead guitar from namesake Todd Park Mohr. But, Mohr points to a …
Mick Jagger’s famous 1968 statement – “What’s the point in listening to us doing ‘I’m A King Bee’ when you can hear Slim Harpo do it?” – has been a (sometimes) credo for the Rolling Stones. Why indeed? Except for the fact that the Stones have time and again proven they can indeed play the …
Given that Mario Martin credits his guitar-building education to a stint at the Fender Custom Shop, it’s no surprise that his Serpentine is a working player’s instrument: comfortable, light, and versatile, with quality workmanship and an inviting neck. It also explains why he’s inspired by Fender body shapes of old, like the Duo-Sonic. Imagine the …
Riding high after 35 years with an array of original instruments, an impressive artist roster that started early with Pete Townshend and Mark Knopfler, and a line of high-gain amplifiers, Schecter Guitars has come full circle. Established as Schecter Guitar Research by David Schecter in 1976, the company began repairing guitars and selling parts to …
The new episode of “Have Guitar Will Travel” features Robert Berry, renowned bassist in The Greg Kihn Band. A passionate progressive-rock guy, he worked with Steve Howe in GTR, with Carl Palmer and Keith Emerson in the ELP offshoot 3, and has performed with Ambrosia and The Tubes. His band, December People, which includes Sammy Hagar and …
Greg Howe continues to evolve, pushing his artistry into fresh territory. One of the most successful artists on Shrapnel Records, Howe is following his unique vision and has created a catalog built on his unique style and diverse musical interests. With a stack of killer solo records and collaborations with Richie Kotzen, Victor Wooten, Dennis …
