Diehard Eric Johnson fans may have seen this one, but then again maybe not. My buddy Sean (thanks man!) unearthed this gem deep on the Music123.com site – a vid of Eric going through his pedalboard, guitars and amps in the studio, and playing some stupidly amazing stuff.
Page Played ‘You Really Got Me?!’ Here’s part 2, the last part for now, of my deep dive into Ritchie Blackmore’s tone. Below Ritchie first talks about his technique, and then he issues opinions on everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Jeff Beck (all from the same sources as used in part 1).
I know that’s a Steve Vai line, but it applies here: I caught Allan Holdsworth Wednesday night in Teaneck, N.J., my first time seeing him live. I loved it – and I’m a litle surprised I did. I knew going in that Allan was a monster player with a monster band – that’s always fun […]
Meant to post this when the May issue of Guitar Player came out – just found it again. Here’s the Scorpions’ Matthias Jabs – whom I always liked, playing-wise more than tone-wise) – on how he seasoned one of his Les Pauls. And for the record, I did search for a photo pf him playing […]
Strat + Modded 200-Watt Marshall + Boost = Wood Before he got on his Medieval music trip, Ritchie Blackmore’s tone was all wood. I heard a Rainbow tune the other day on Internet radio, and I just sat there wondering how the heck he could get that fat tone out of a Strat’s bridge pickup. […]
With the release of the EVH sneakers, the only piece of EVH gear left to see the light of the day – presumably for now – is the Drop To Hell tailpiece, or D2H. Although a few pics of it have been posted on the Internet, no one’s really sure about the whys and whats […]
Just for kicks, and so you can see how much money some things cost, here are a few examples of mostly-vintage, toneful gear that have sold on eBay recently – meaning if they sold 2 years ago, or a couple of years from now, maybe they would’ve gone for more. And no, I didn’t buy […]
Wow. I caught Jeff Beck at the Scranton, Pa. Cultural Center last night on the first night of what looks like a short U.S. tour, and it was incredible. Just absolutely mind-blowing.
The folks at PremierGuitar.com recently had a good interview with Alex Lifeson, who after using Les Pauls back in the early days of Rush (Alex is a huge Jimmy Page fan), went to Gibson ES-355s, then did the super strat thing for a while, then played PRSs and now is sporting a sweet-looking Les Paul […]
First Ace Frehley was in a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial, and now Gene Simmons is promoting another beverage: Dr. Pepper Cherry. What’s next, Peter Criss helping Dominos sell recession-proof pizza? Paul Stanley singing that at BK “you can have it you-owoo-owoo-owoor way?” Ah, whatever. It’s Friday, it’s fun, it’s Classic rock (sorta). And if you ask […]
Joe: Mike is F-ing Great Following are some hastily transcribed excerpts of MusicRadar.com’s four-part radio interview with Joe Satriani, Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony of Chickenfoot. These are what I consider the most interesting parts – and they are interesting – but if you’re an out-and-out fan, you’ll want to give all four segments a […]
Okay. Prince is a super-talented guy (at least I think he’s a guy). He can play, he can sing and his bands are always tight. Tone-wise, I can’t remember anything that has particularly stuck out about Prince. But I did notice this recent clip of Prince on Jay Leno’s show. He’s playing a Strat with […]
Ed’s Sound: Priceless If you’re a fan of Edward Van Halen, ask yourself this question: How much money would you pay for a pickup that EVH personally designed with Seymour Duncan? Bear in mind that good humbuckers can cost anywhere from $40-$50 made by single-person boutique shops to $75-ish for a Duncan or DiMarizio, to […]
But are they ‘new?’ As we all know by now, in 3 years Jimi Hendrix gave us more music than we ever could have expected. Just in case you thought what’s out there is “it,” looks like that’s not the case. Experience Hendrix, the company set up to administer Jimi’s work, this week signed a […]
The first time I heard Robin Trower, I had the same thought everyone probably did: That guy sounds like Hendrix. Actually, it may have been: That guy ripped off Hendrix! But man, Robin did it well because his tunes sounded so goooooooooood. If you don’t have Bridge of Sighs on CD, you must…go…get…it. Right now! […]
Fair Warning Tone Ain’t All the Same
Got it in my head to figure out which Van Halen song tones – not album tones – I liked the most. Started with Fair Warning, whose balls I just can’t get enough of…which doesn’t sound so good but you get what I mean. Listen to it cranked in my car because that’s the only […]
Pondering VH’s Fair Warning Tone
LOVE the first four Van Halen albums. Always have, always will. Love the rest too, including the Van Hagar years (oops, forgot about VH III…), but those first four vinyl donuts are to me and many others just the nads. The nadliest of nads. They’re a band kicking the world’s butt in every way, and […]
Recently I was ruined yet again by a good amp. This time a bud’s Bogner Shiva, EL34 version. Let’s call him Sean – because that’s his name…. He’d been talking about how awesome it was for a while, and even though I know he has good ears, wasn’t too motivated to go try it. I’d […]
The Gene-EVH-Ace-Joe Perry Connection
Have you picked up “Guitar World Presents 40 Years of Van Halen” yet? Zactly – I didn’t even know it existed until I saw it in a bookstore (remember those? lol). Anyhow, I’m always amazed at how I think I’ve memorized every word ever written about Ed and his gear and then I read something […]
More On the YMI5150 Model-A Guitar
Few weeks ago I posted a brief “review” (outdated word) of Kevin Holbrook’s YMI5150 Model-A guitar. As a brief reminder, what got my attention were the following things: > A good wood combo: swamp ash, maple/rosewood. > An interesting and unique combo of components resulting in a Strat-shaped and -scaled guitar with an ABR bridge […]
Did You Read the Esquire EVH Piece Yet?
We’re going to have to wait yet another week for the interview with Kevin Holbrook of YMI5150 guitars because we have yet another newsworthy event. This time it’s the recent Esquire interview with Edward Van Halen. Now before you EVH fans get to getting your hopes up, let’s bear in mind the same ol’s: 1. […]
Show ‘Review’: Van Halen at the Garden
Took my 10-year-old son to see Van Halen at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 1. I think he was more excited to see them than I was – not that I wasn’t, but this was the mighty Van Halen whose tunes the both of us have copped, jammed to and listened […]
