Superstar bassist Kinga Glyk brings everything from funk-fusion virtuosity to booty-moving grooves. With her ’09 Fender Jazz plugged into an Apollo Twin interface, here she plays “That Right There,” from her new album, “Real Life.” Catch our review of the album and an exclusive interview with Kinga in the May issue. Read Now!
Superstar bassist Kinga Glyk brings everything from funk-fusion virtuosity to booty-moving grooves. With her ’09 Fender Jazz plugged into an Apollo Twin interface, here she plays “That Right There,” from her new album, “Real Life.” Catch our review of the album and an exclusive interview with Kinga in the May issue. Read Now!
In the early days of boutique-amp building, there were but a few contenders on the scene. One of the strongest amplifiers in those days was made by Budda. First released in 1995, the company’s Twinmaster presented 18 watts of raw tone that made it a no-brainer buy for many, and it soon found its way […]
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In the mid 1950s, Gibson president Ted McCarty was paying close attention to two new instruments impacting the musical-instruments market – the solidbody electric guitar and the electric bass. Both had been developed by an upstart company called Fender, and Gibson’s original solidbodies, the Les Paul guitar and Electric Bass (VG, February ’06) were introduced […]
Richie Kotzen is one of today’s busiest rock guitarists. In addition to being a long-time solo artist (and possessing an awesome singing voice), he manages his time between the Winery Dogs (with Billy Sheehan on bass, Mike Portnoy on drums) and most recently, Smith/Kotzen, in which he’s teamed with Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith. The […]
Billy Sheehan earned notoriety and commercial success in the ’80s and ’90s as a member of David Lee Roth’s post-Van Halen band and then with the supergroup Mr. Big. He’s kept busy through the years with sessions, solo albums, and work with other bands including the Winery Dogs, Sons of Apollo, and Niacin. It all […]
Ant Phillips was a founding member of Genesis and, along with guitarist/bassist Mike Rutherford, created the signature 12-string acoustic sound that marked the band’s classic albums. Phillips left the group after 1970’s Trespass album to study music, but his ’77 solo debut, The Geese and the Ghost, is regarded as a prog classic. It also […]
Since ditching his spot backing alternative-metal singer Marilyn Manson 10 years ago, superhuman guitarist John 5 has used his skills to spread the gospel of guitar far and wide while artfully dodging the pigeonhole of “rock shredder.” At just 17 years of age, John Lowery moved to Los Angeles from his Michigan home. There, he […]
Magnatone Twilighter Price: $2,249 (12″ combo, list) Info: www.magnatoneusa.com. Magnatone is dead, long live Magnatone! The original Magnatone amp company died in 1969 after several decades of making storied “Golden Voice” amps noted for their “real” vibrato effect. Buddy Holly played his Strat through one, Scotty Moore swore by his, and Neil Young remains a […]
Over the years, there have been instances when one renowned blues-rock guitarist or another found sobriety in the nick of time and got their career back on track. Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, and Stevie Ray Vaughan come to mind, and now we can add Eric Gales to the list. With the release of his latest […]
When you combine some of the finest musicians from the Louisiana area in one band, there will be extreme funkiness. So it’s no surprise that the New Orleans Suspects’ third full-length album is saturated with New Orleans grooves, southern accents, good time music, and superior musicianship. The band consists of bassist Reggie Scanlan (Professor Longhair, […]
Country music icon Dwight Yoakam employs one of the hardest-working bands on the road today. A quintet including Yoakam, they’re keeping alive the outlaw edge of the genre’s past. With a take-no-prisoners approach, axe-man Eugene Edwards delivers a barrage of tasty licks spiced by the occasional Pete Townsend windmill while wearing a smile night after […]
Orangewood. Why not Ironwood or Peachwood? What does the brand name matter compared to the actual guitar? The simple answer is “A lot.” The Berkeley is part of Orangewood’s Topanga all-solid-wood series. It has a dreadnought body, pau ferro back and sides, scalloped braces, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard and bridge, 44-millimeter Tusq nut, and a […]
The lastest from the godfather of fusion guitar harkens back to his ’71 album Barefoot Boy, revisiting the energy, philosophy, and spirit of that period. “Sanpaku” opens the set with Coryell’s take on modal funkiness as a gateway to more harmonically expansive compositions. “Back To Russia” and “If Miles Were Here” showcase seasoned musicianship, authority, […]
Supro’s vintage Ozark guitar is famed as Jimi Hendrix’s first axe. According to legend, his father bought him an off-white ’57 Model 1560S in 1959 from Seattle’s Myers Music for $89. It doesn’t get much more illustrious than that. Fast-forward half a century and change, and the resurrected Supro company – highly regarded for its […]
Sunny War’s latest album, Simple Syrup, digs deep into the complexities of the human experience. As an acoustic fingerstylist who draws inspiration from the world, being quarantined has been a challenge. You’d never know that from her new album, as she shares real stories of injustice and love in a troubled world. The music features […]
Warren Garstecki is a collector who keys on vintage Gibsons with interesting histories, like the HG-22. Introduced in 1929, the “Hawaiian Gibson” was offered in three models, with the HG-20 at the bottom and jumbo-sized HG-24 at the top. All had a round 14-fret neck along with nut and bridge set for traditional “Spanish” play. […]
The Redoubtable “Dot-Neck” Early every guitar conceived or designed by Ted McCarty during his tenure as president of Gibson (1948-’66) is today seen as exemplary of the company’s best work. McCarty, who launched the Les Paul model in 1952, followed with many more ideas that kept Gibson at the forefront of the industry, especially among […]
For a shining moment, the eclectic British quartet Be Bop Deluxe rose above an upheaval in rock and pop in the late ’70s, as fresh hard rock and Southern bands flooded the airwaves along with disco divas and a subversive new sound labeled “punk.” Within the maelstrom, Be Bop Deluxe mixed art concepts, thinking-man’s lyrics, […]
This long-lost relic was recorded before the band’s 1973 debut LP, with guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford (aged 21 and 19), bassist Tom Hamilton, and drummer Joey Kramer fueling the fire behind frontman Steven Tyler. Using Perry’s two-track Wollensak 1280 tape machine, these songs were captured at their basement rehearsal space (in a Boston […]
