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Guitar Player
Win tickets to see Dweezil Zappa in San Francisco
Dweezil Zappa is celebrating 50 years of his father Frank’s iconic releases Roxy & Elsewhere and Apostrophe(*). Guitar Player Presents has teamed up with Goldenvoice to welcome the Rox(Postroph)y Return of the Son of… tour to the historic Warfield Theatre in the heart of the City by the Bay on the first Sunday in August.Dweezil Zappa is a Grammy-winning guitarist with over 2,000 concerts performed worldwide. Anyone who’s seen him perform his father’s music will testify that not only does Dweezil do it justice, he has elevated his own virtuosity to such a level that the improvisational sections are as...
David Cassidy on seeing Hendrix, learning from the session guitar greats, and jamming with Paul McCartney and John Lennon
The following interview with David Cassidy was first published on guitarplayer.com in 2012.In the 1970s, David Cassidy was the biggest star in the world, outselling and breaking attendance records held by Elvis and the Beatles. Less known is that Cassidy has always been a total guitar freak. Here, the Partridge Family’s sex symbol reminisces about his coolest guitar moments.“I was fortunate to see so many great bands as a teenager,” says Cassidy. “I saw Hendrix four times. I saw B.B. King at the Whiskey. The Buffalo Springfield played my high school. I saw Cream at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium....
Martin and Reverb unite for an exclusive non-cutaway Grand Performance acoustic
Martin Guitars has teamed up with Reverb for a “truly special” acoustic guitar, the Reverb Select Martin Custom GP Blonde.It’s part of the Reverb Select series, which sees “special limited runs of never-before-built and never-to-be-replicated” guitars made available exclusively on the website. Crucially, the collaborative series gives luthiers a chance to push the boat out with no expense spared.As such, Martin hasn’t held back: A figured Pacific big leaf flamed maple back and sides combine with an Italian Alpine spruce top for a premium tonewood recipe. It offers “a wide tonal range from warm lows to sparkling highs.”The maple provides...
Matteo Mancuso pays homage to his hero, Paul Gilbert, with new track, Paul Position
Young guitar prodigy Matteo Mancsuo, who has fans in many guitar greats including Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, and Dweezil Zappa, has released a brand new song in honor of Paul Gilbert.The aptly named Paul Position is the first solo release from the Sicilian guitarist since his critically acclaimed debut album, The Journey.A tribute to Paul Gilbert’s tasteful shredding style, Gilbert's spirit oozes through the song's licks, but there are plenty of Mancuso's own peer-dazzling tricks on display.He says he penned the song “some days after receiving this wonderful baritone guitar from Bacci.”Bacci Guitars is based in Tuscany, Italy. The firm's...
Joe Satriani’s custom Eddie Van Halen-flavored 3rd Power amp is now available as a plugin – with real amps on the way
The tube amp Joe Satriani has created with 3rd Power to nail Eddie Van Halen’s transitional, 1986-era guitar tone has been made available as a plugin – with physical amps on their way, too.When Sammy Hagar extended the invitation for his former Chickenfoot bandmate to join him, Michael Anthony, and Jason Bonham as part of the a Van Halen-celebrating Best of All Worlds tour, the six-string virtuoso knew a tonal overhaul was necessary.“My live rig doesn’t work,” he admitted earlier this year, “Van Halen is a different animal.”Before he could get to modding guitars, his first move was to link...
David Gilmour explains his preference for vintage guitars, and demos his 1945 Martin D-18
In a recent video, David Gilmour cited his belief that vintage guitars will always sound better than their modern counterparts. Speaking about his beloved 1945 Martin D-18 acoustic guitar as part of a YouTube series that sees the Pink Floyd guitarist detailing the guitars that feature on his forthcoming album, he’s provided evidence for his argument. “No new guitar sounds quite as good as an old one in my experience,” he says with the Martin – that’s “older than me” – in his lap. “I think a guitar like this gets better and better with age, maybe something the glue that's holding it...
Tributes pour in for “champion of the blues” John Mayall
Some of the world's biggest and best guitar players have taken to social media to salute John Mayall after it was announced the blues legend had passed away at 90.Though his work with the Bluesbreakers is perhaps best known for launching the career of a litany of household names, a surge of heartfelt tributes have instead remembered the man himself; his talent, and the legacy that he’s left behind, which extends far beyond shining the limelight on others.Mayall produced more than 50 albums across a tireless 60-year career, with A Hard Road (1967), USA Union (1970), and Back To The...
British blues pioneer John Mayall dies at 90
John Mayall, one of the most important players in the history of blues guitar, has died aged 90. The legendary British guitarist was the mastermind behind the Bluesbreakers, helping launch the careers of some of the most prestigious blues and rock musicians to ever grace the stage. Those names include Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor, Jack Bruce, and John McVie. But his talents extended far beyond providing a platform for other luminaries, he was a hugely celebrated songwriter and performer in his own right. Mayall’s family published a statement confirming the news, having passed away surrounded by his family in...
Moby Grape co-founder and guitarist Jerry Miller dies at 81
Jerry Miller, the co-founder and guitarist of Moby Grape, has died at 81.Miller co-wrote some of the band’s biggest hits, including Hey Grandma and 8.05. He also contributed guitar parts to an early version of The Bobby Fuller Four's I Fought the Law, a song that would go on to be re-energized by The Clash 11 years later.The news of Miller’s passing broke via a Facebook fan group, with Miller's partner, Jo Johnson, asking the group's members to “flood the ether with Jerry Miller’s music” and to “play it all day long for me and him.”Born in Tacoma, Washington in...
Epiphone and Yungblud team up for a rare signature SG Junior
British artist Yungblud has become the latest signature Epiphone artist, with the two joining forces for a recreation of his beloved ‘64 SG Junior.The 26-year-old pop-punk and alt-rock guitarist, from Yorkshire, England, has gained fame for his energetic stage presence and voice-of-the-people music.His music has consistently tackled issues close to the hearts of his predominantly Gen Z audience, such as assault, troubled upbringings, and political corruption, which has earned him a fanbase millions strong across the globe. Epiphone, naturally, wishes to ingratiate itself with that growing community.Releasing as a limited edition run, the mahogany body electric guitar has a glued-in,...
Positive Grid announces the full details of its Spark 2 modeler – with AI tone hunting, DSP modeling, and a looper set to feature
Positive Grid has announced the full details of its Spark 2 amp, which aims to change the modeling amp game like its older brother did in 2017. The announcement follows a series of teasers, including confirmation that it will have a looper feature, responding to a frequent critique of the widely-lauded first-generation model. Other key improvements include AI preset recommendations, DSP modeling, and greater power as its makers look to go one better than its best-selling predecessor and mount a challenge to the competition that upped its game in the wake of the Spark’s arrival. The looper is no doubt the...
Dickey Betts initially “hated” having to play Duane Allman's slide parts
With the passing of Allman Brothers Band great Dickey Betts in April, at the age of 80, the rock world lost one of its greatest, and most idiosyncratic, guitar heroes.It was Betts who took the helm of the group following the tragic death of electric guitar dynamo Duane Allman in 1971, serving for years afterward as the band's sole guitarist.Though he did so with incredible creative and commercial success, leading the Allman Brothers in the wake of Duane Allman's passing took a heavy toll on Betts, emotionally and musically.Examining the tumultuous period for the band in his book, Brothers and...
Mackie ShowBox All-in-One Performance Rig review
The all-in-one busker box has become a subgenre in the live sound arena. Mackie makes a range of them, and the new ShowBox takes the concept to the next level. The idea is a bona fide Swiss Army knife that works as everything from a guitar amp to an ensemble PA, with the option of cutting the cord and running guerrilla-style, on battery power.The star of the ShowBox is an ingenious breakaway six-channel mixer. Its feature set includes multiple effects with snapshot recall, amp models, an overdrive, a compressor, a tuner, a looper, Bluetooth, and even onboard recording. ShowBox promises...
Brian May on the trials and tribulations of building the Red Special
In the rock world, Queen's Brian May has stood out over the last half century not only for his unique brand of guitar heroism – it can be argued that no guitarist on the planet can quite match his flair for the dramatic – but for his homemade Red Special electric guitar.May famously built the original with his father while in his teens, crafting its neck with wood from an antique fireplace. Impressively, May and his father even originally built the guitar's pickups themselves, though on that front they faced some headwinds.“We made the original pickups, which sounded pretty good...
“These two models offer well-considered features, and cut a fresh figure in a crowded field”: ToneLounge's Shoreline TVL and 2TV models smoothly blend the old and the new
When you consider all the shapes and configurations of electric guitars that have hit the market since Leo Fender introduced the first mass-production solidbody 74 years ago, it seems quite a feat when a maker launches a new design that looks original, yet somehow fits right in. ToneLounge Guitars has managed to do just that with a fresh range of guitars from Brian Swerdfeger, a designer with a long history in the business.Swerdfeger has spent decades in the deep end of the guitar pool, working for Taylor Guitars and most recently as head of R&D for Fender. He’s seen the...
Robert Cray on Animal House, and the origins of the Blues Brothers
The following interview with Robert Cray was first published on guitarplayer.com in 2005.“It’s a classic now, but back when the movie Animal House was shot, nobody had any idea it was going to be so big,” says Robert Cray. “My band and I were living in Eugene, Oregon, at that time, and some lady came up and asked me if I wanted to be in a film. I sarcastically said, ‘Yeah, right.’ But, sure enough, she called back a few months later to ask if I could make rehearsals.“They needed black guys to play the members of Otis Day’s band,...
Blackstar keeps it simple with the tube-powered, American-voiced, and vintage-inspired TV-10A combo amp
Blackstar’s new 1x12” combo, the TV-10A, aims to put Fender tweed tube amp flavors into an amp that, although powered by tubes, still delivers plenty of modern features. An in-built digital reverb and a cabinet-emulated output stand chief among those modern facets, with the British amp builder looking to craft a ‘best of both worlds’ combo amp. Featuring a 12AX7 preamp and 6L6 tube power section, as well as an ECC83 tube, Blackstar says the TV-10A “pays homage to classic American amplifiers” by delivering a “dynamic playing experience.” Tonally, the amp is said to “effortlessly transition between glassy clean tones and crunchy overdrives.”...
Steve Howe says writing on keyboards let him get experimental on his new solo album, Guitarscape
Yes and former Asia guitarist Steve Howe has announced the details of his latest solo album, Guitarscape, which he says sits a little outside his usual canon. The follow-up to last year’s Motif Volume 2, the 14-track album has been described as a “guitar masterclass” by its creator, who has partnered with his son and drummer, Dylan Howe, for the LP. “We get on great and he seems to know what to play around my guitar, it’s almost instinctive,” he says of their familial relationship. “Dylan and I fit together really beautifully. We’ve had the chance to do this together, so it’s...
Positive Grid’s Spark 2 will have a looper feature – fixing a flaw of the hugely successful first-gen modeler
Positive Grid has announced that the launch of the second generation of its popular Spark modeling amp is imminent, and will, after countless fan requests, feature a looper.The amp received rave reviews upon its release in 2022 thanks in part to a sister app delivering more than 10,000 BIAS-FX-powered tones, but the lack of a built-in looper proved a sticking point for many players and would-be buyers.In truth, the Spark was a game-changer for the home modeling amps game and helped promote Positive Grid from startup hopefuls to big-table players. A smart interface, oodles of tone-tweaking possibilities, and other innovative...
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