Category: Newswire

ABKCO Records and Universal Music Group have joined forces to offer two vinyl box set collections spanning over 40 years of the Rolling Stones’ career. The box sets include 23 original studio albums, two hits collections as well as two rare EPs. They will be released on November 22 in the U.K. and November 23 in the U.S. and Canada. <em>The Rolling Stones 1964-1969</em> and <em>The Rolling Stones 1971-2005 Vinyl Box Sets</em> offer the consumer a wealth of great Rolling Stones music, much of which hasn’t been available on vinyl for a considerable period of time.

<em>The Rolling Stones 1964-1969 Vinyl Box Set</em>, a limited edition numbered box set collection, chronologically encompasses the Stones’ early U.K. releases. The set includes nine re-mastered Rolling Stones studio albums, two remastered EPs, plus two "Big Hits" collections. It’s the first vinyl reissue in decades for <em>The Rolling Stones</em> (EP), <em>The Rolling Stones</em>, <em>Five by Five</em> (EP), <em>The Rolling Stones No. 2</em>, <em>Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass)</em>, and <em>Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2)</em>.

The first five titles in the set are presented in their original mono format affording, for the first time in years, an opportunity for Stones fans to enjoy remastered versions of the tracks "I Can’t Be Satisfied," "Time Is On My Side" (Version 2)</em> and "Down the Road Apiece" as originally released. <em>Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2</em>) is included with its original octagonal cover and artwork intact. <em>Metamorphosis</em> is also included in the set; the album was first released in 1975 but is wholly comprised of tracks recorded from the early-to-late sixties. The inclusion of the band’s original two "Big Hits" collections was mandated by the fact that U.K. album releases in that era most often did not include contemporaneously released hit singles.

Jackson has launched the JS Series guitars, in five classic designs and featuring the company’s compound-radius fingerboard, with 24 frets and trademark sharkfin inlays.

The new JS3 models include:
· JS32R Dinky – Classic Jackson speed, sound and high performance in a model that was one of the original Jackson innovations. Features include two Jackson high-output covered humbucking pickups and double-locking, Floyd-Rose&reg; licensed tremolo system.
· JS32 Kelly – Shaped like a bolt from darkened skies and sounding even hotter, with two Jackson high-output covered humbucking pickups and double-locking, Floyd-Rose licensed tremolo system.
· JS32 King V – The King V demands the loyalty of its subjects, with two Jackson high-output covered humbucking pickups and double-locking, Floyd-Rose&reg; licensed tremolo system.
· JS32 Rhoads – The sleek, offset-V Rhoads is the legendary heart from which the Jackson Bloodline is pumped, and features two Jackson high-output covered humbucking pickups and double-locking, Floyd-Rose&reg; licensed tremolo system.
· JS32 Warrior – Outlandish look. Brutal sound. The aptly named Warrior always emerges victorious. With two Jackson high-output covered humbucking pickups, and double-locking, Floyd-Rose&reg; licensed tremolo system.

"Jackson JS Series guitars have long been favorites of everyone from absolute beginners to well-schooled shredders," said Brian McDonald, Jackson product manager.

Visit jacksonguitars.com.

The Atlantic Quality Design Zerocap VC guitar cable allows a guitarist to dial in the amount of capacitance created by the cable, which provides a palette of tones.

The Zerocap VC system consists of a small device that mounts on the pedalboard and a specially designed cable. The combination of the device and cable allows the cable capacitance to be varied continuously from near zero up to the natural value of the cable. Cables are available from five feet to 50 feet.

The Zerocap VC system does not buffer or amplify guitar signal and does not change the output impedance of the guitar. Learn more at AQDI.com/zvc.htm.

With initial dates for the first leg of John Mellencamp’s No Better Than This Tour starting at the end of this month, a new set of Mellencamp concert appearances that begin in February of next year has just been announced. The tour, designed as a uniquely formatted "evening with," brings Mellencamp’s music to theater-sized venues, a rare opportunity to experience one of America’s most iconic songwriters and performers in an intimate setting, highlighting all phases of his artistry.

The new No Better Than This Tour dates commence in early February in New England and continue on to two stops in Canada before heading south to New York, Washington, Philadelphia and into the Carolinas and Florida.

The tour will feature classic Mellencamp material associated with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee over the course of his 35 year long career as well as the new music from No Better Than This. The album, released by Rounder Records, held the top spot on the Americana Music Chart for five straight weeks and was produced by T Bone Burnett. It was recorded in three historic locations in the American South: Savannah’s First African Baptist Church, Sun Studio in Memphis and Room 414 of San Antonio’s Gunter Hotel where Robert Johnson recorded in 1936. The sessions were documented on a 55-year-old mono tape recorder using just one vintage microphone at each location. Rolling Stone’s review of the album noted, "Mellencamp has never sounded looser or easier on a record," suggesting the artist was "channeling spirits and stepping into period styles. They fit him perfectly." The Americana Music Association honored Mellencamp last month with its Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting, presented by Rosanne Cash.

Tickets bought for the newly announced dates include a digital download of No Better Than This. Details regarding how to redeem the album download will be sent via email a few days following purchase to ticket buyers.

As a reflection of the diversity of styles and material that have been a hallmark of Mellencamp’s eclectic career, the concerts are formatted into three segments. These showcase John Mellencamp in an acoustic context, fronting a small combo recalling blues/country and rockabilly roots and with his full rock band. Musicians backing Mellencamp include Michael Wanchic (guitar), Andy York (guitar), Miriam Sturm (violin), John Gunnell (electric and upright bass), Dane Clark (drums) and Troye Kinnett (accordion/keyboards).

Of special note is the fact that the tour’s "opening act," is a documentary film by Kurt Markus entitled It’s About You. Shot on Super8 film over the course of last year’s Bob Dylan-John Mellencamp-Willie Nelson tour of minor league baseball stadiums, it chronicles the creation of No Better Than This while serving as a cinematic ‘think piece’ on the state of the country at the end of the first decade of the 21st Century. Markus, whose still work has put him in the front ranks of contemporary American photographers, has been cited for his extraordinary vision of his work documenting the American West and is the recipient of Life Magazine’s Alfred Eisenstaedt Photography Award. Ticket holders are urged to get to their respective No Better Than This Tour venues on time to be on hand for the film’s start.

Mellencamp noted, "I’m very excited to have the opportunity at this time in my life to go on tour and present these songs in this manner."

Visit mellencamp.com.

Gibson is set to release its new Randy Rhoads 1974 Les Paul Custom, an instrument crafted in the image of Rhoads’ renowned instrument.

The guitar’s body is crafted from a three-piece maple top attached to a three-piece mahogany/maple/mahogany body, just like the great "sandwich" Les Pauls of the early ’70s. It is hand-finished in nitrocellulose with minimum buildup, in an effort to produce a finish that breathes with the guitar and enhances natural resonance. Once this is complete, the guitars’ finishes will be aged in two distinct ways, to present worn finish textures: 100 guitars will be aged by hand, while a further 200 will be aged in Gibson Custom’s VOS process.

The guitar’s neck is a three-piece mahogany laminate and is carved to a "small D Rhoads profile," with a 12"-radius ebony fingerboard and mother-of-pearl block inlays.

Its pickups are Gibson Custom’s new Super ’74 Humbuckers, which use Alnico 3 magnets and are designed to replicate the sound of Gibson humbuckers of the early/mid 1970s. Both are wound with 42 AWG wire and measure approximately 7.4k to 7.6k ohms. Both are wax-potted.

It also uses Schaller M6 tuners, a Tune-o-matic (ABR-1) bridge made from zinc and plated in gold, "stopbar" tailpiece,historically correct amber "speed knobs," "antique bell" truss-rod cover, Schaller GP strap locks, three-ply (black/white/black) plastic pickguard.

Learn more at gibson.com.

the line-up of performers slated to play this fall’s unprecedented second leg Experience Hendrix tour will include Brad Whitford. The Aerosmith guitar great played his first Experience Hendrix tour dates in 2008 and was part of the EH line-up for dates played earlier this year. Whitford has has been an integral part of Aerosmith for the past 39 years and, like the previously announced Experience Hendrix players, has a strong affinity for the musical legacy of Jimi Hendrix as well as a very personal connection to it. "I got to see Hendrix play in ’68 in Boston Garden with Mitch and Noel Redding and it was like, ‘Wow.’ I bought a Fender guitar the very next day," he recalls.

For the forthcoming dates that start October 26 in Pittsburgh, Whitford is joining a line-up of iconic musicians 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, Mato Nanji of Indigenous, Chris Layton of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble and The Slide Brothers a/k/a Chuck and Darick Campbell of Sacred Steel. "Since the first time I heard him, and right up until today, [Hendrix] has been an important influence on me — on all of us," Whitford noted.

The new run of dates for Experience Hendrix, the continuing concert tour that has wowed audiences revisiting the music and inspiration of Jimi Hendrix is the first time the tour will have gone out twice within a single calendar year. The Experience Hendrix tour crisscrossed the country this past March for a string of sold-out concerts and returns with a new set of U.S. and — for the first time — Canadian dates this month and next. 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. Jimi Hendrix was indicted in Fender’s Hall of Fame this past August with EH Tour member Kenny Wayne Shepherd performing at the event held near Fender’s headquarters in Tempe, AZ. Learn more at experiencehendrixtour.com.

John Paul Jones will be appearing at this year’s Manson’s Guitar Show October 23 and 24.

The show will have a mix of the small guitar companies are rubbing shoulders with large corporates. Also its clinic, demonstration, and performance room will be running throughout the weekend. Martin Barre (Jethro Tull), Walter Trout (Blues Legend), Jerry Donahue (The Hellecasters), Jan Akkerman (Focus), Alex Hutchings, Jas Morris (Guitarist Of The Year Winner), Stuart Clayton (Carl Palmer Band), Chris George, and bass artist Michael Manring.

Visit mansons.co.uk.

The Guitar Sidekick is a neck-mounted clamp system designed to hold a SmartPhone, MediaPlayer, recorder, or tuner. The system enables you to use music/guitar apps for smart mobile devices, such as: video lessons, lyrics teleprompter, audio recorder, metronome, tabs display, and instrument tuner. Compatible with any guitar, it accommodates the iPhone, iPod touch, PSP, iTab, and others. Check it out at castiv.com.

65amps introduced its new Red Line of amplifiers today with a launch party at its headquarters in North Hollywood, CA. Premiering the first model in the series, the London Pro, the event was attended by guitar pros, dealers, and industry press.

Like its brother, the original 65amps London, the low-powered but extremely toneful London Pro tube amp is hand made in the USA, and takes advantage of 65amps’ renowned expertise in small amps with big feel and tone. With the Red Line, 65amps now offers its high quality construction and tone to working guitar players at a more accessible price than the current 65amps Blue Line models.

Powered by 2xEL84s, the 18-Watt tube rectified London Pro offers two distinct channels, the EF86 Colour Channel and the 12AX7 Channel. New on the London Pro, these two channels can be combined for a third, high-gain option. When the channels are combined, the volume and tone knobs on each distinct channel now control the gain and tone for just the tubes on the channel they are assigned, allowing extreme tonal versatility. All channels can be controlled by the included footswitch.

65amps also has included its unique Master Voltage feature, which reduces the voltage and output of the amp in a unique way that enables the amp to be played at extremely low volumes without losing its rich tone and feel. The London Pro is housed in a streamlined head and cabinet design constructed from void free Baltic birch, is equipped with handmade American transformers, and sports a new red badge logo. Available as a head, 2×12 combo or 1×12 combo, the London Pro features Celestion G12H30 speakers.

Lucky guests at the VIP event were also treated to a sneak peak of a new offering in 65amps premier Blue Line. This amp, yet to be named, is a concept that combines three distinct but classic British amp voices in one amplifier. The design is a concept that 65amps co-owners Peter Stroud and Dan Boul have been working on for four years and will be presented in its final form this January at NAMM 2011.

Find out more at 65amps.com.

Martin &amp; Co. announces the expansion of this popular line with five new models that are available in limited quantities beginning today.

The latest models in the Performing Artist Series are the GPCPA2, GPCPA Mahogany, GPCPA3, DCPA3 and the OMCPA3. Each guitar is reasonably-priced for the holidays and features digital electronics and superior playability with the Fishman F1 Aura.

The GPCPA2 is crafted with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides and a solid Sitka spruce top. This model also features an elegant three-piece back and full gloss finish. It offers a very fast and comfortable Performing Artist neck and fingerboard taper with grained ivoroid bindings. The soundhole rosette is adorned with pearl.

Available only in the Grand Performance cutaway body shape, the GPCPA mahogany is the latest entry in Martin’s certified wood lineup. The mahogany has a solid FSC certified Mahogany back, sides and neck and a solid FSC certified European spruce top. Additionally, The Mahogany features full gloss finish along with the best onboard intelligence available today.

The stage-ready and elegant GPCPA3 is a gloss-top model built with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides and a solid Sitka spruce top. Musicians will enjoy the fast and comfortable Performing Artist neck/fingerboard taper and bridge spacing.

Similarly, the DCPA3 is built with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides and a solid Sitka spruce top and comes in a gloss-top Dreadnought model.

As with the previous four models, the OMCPA3,"includes the Fishman F1. It comes adorned elegantly with a gloss-top body and is built with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides and a solid Sitka spruce top.

The Fishman F1 Aura features the stunning realism of award-winning Aura Acoustic Imaging technology in a distinctive and easy to use onboard preamp system. State-of-the-art features include: digital chromatic tuner, volume and blend controls, independent three-band EQ for both pickup and image signals, compressor, phase control and an automatic anti-feedback filter with up to three notches. The heart of the F1 Aura is its ability to replicate the sound of nine different world-class studio microphones. The preamp utilizes low-noise components, 32-bit internal processing and 24-bit audio conversion for an incredibly clean and quiet output.

For more, go to performingartistseries.com.