Guitar

Speaking of changing the guitar industry.

Grover Jackson is one of the pioneers of modern guitars. If I could go pick up any guitar today, it would be one made by Grover.

Wow. Much respect.

I’ve always wanted to go to Scotland, but I won’t be able to catch this event. If you’re in Edinburgh, stop by and check it out.

David Ellefson and Chris Broderick give you some tips on playing guitar and bass. Ellefson is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.

Zakk is the man!

You have to see this video.

Instead of notes, scales and chords, we’re talking about fretting hand position, picking hand positions, strap-height, stance and how you hold your head, neck and shoulders. All of these things affect what you can do on the guitar.

Great video by Alex Vollmer about how we interact with our guitar. There is a preview video available — you can buy the full video for $5.

Stevie is truly one of the greatest ever.

This looks very interesting. The possibilities go far beyond controlling guitar software.

It translates guitar notes into computer keystrokes.

The beauty of this gorgeous black Les Paul Custom Lite is more than skin deep, and Gibson USA has also packed added versatility into the traditional formula. Two of Gibson’s most popular humbucking pickups from the Modern Classics series offer all the tone that made the Les Paul legendary in the first place, plus added single-coil sounds thanks to the coil-splitting mini-toggle switch added in place of the second tone control.

Definitely cool, but I wonder how they sound.

More than two decades later he found out a dark, but compelling secret about the guitar. It had been stolen and once belonged to a well-known artist in the Austin, Texas, music scene.

It had been handmade by Ted Newman of Austin for alternative country artist Joe Ely, who has toured with The Clash, Lyle Lovett and Guy Clark, among others.

What a great story.

The rare offering of a VOX guitar played by both John Lennon and George Harrison is what rock n’ roll legends are made of. The striking custom guitar built by Mike Bennett and Dickey Denney was gifted to “Magic Alex” Mardas by John Lennon in 1967. Harrison played the guitar while practicing “I am the Walrus” during The Magical Mystery Tour and by Lennon while recording a video session for “Hello, Goodbye.”

I’m downloading this today and giving it a try. You can slowdown a song to make it easier to learn how to play, which a lot of apps do, but the app will also show you the chords and when to change when you load an MP3 file into the app. I also like the feature for solos where you can isolate and mute the solo, which means you can play along with the song.

Taylor announced the dates of its Road Show 2013 events.

Producer and engineer Bobby Owsinski gives his list of the 10 most significant amps. Like he said, we all have our favorites that might not be on the list.

I can’t even imagine using an 8-string guitar.

Launched 55 years ago, in 1958, the ES-335 is undoubtedly a classic, not only of Gibson’s but of all electric guitar designs. What the Les Paul model is to solidbodies, the ES-335 is to semis – beautiful, versatile and coveted by players across all genres.

Some history on one of the great guitars.

If you like the sound of Orange amplifiers, this collection is a must-have.

This video chronicles the reunion between one of the world’s most prized guitars, one of Edward Van Halen’s Diver Down/1984 era Kramer guitars and it’s builder, master guitar builder Paul Unkert.

I want this guitar.

I met the guy that’s building these during NAMM and I like what he’s doing. Go take a look at his ideas and support the project.

Pauline France at Fender.com

There are tons of guitar riffs out there, but only a few have become deeply ingrained and ubiquitous in pop culture. Our Top 10 Instantly Recognizable Guitar Riffs all have something in common: They’re the ones you can’t wait to learn how to play; the ones you catch yourself humming; the ones that are revered worldwide by musicians and non-musicians alike.

There are so many riffs to chose from — Pauline picked some good ones.

Such great stories behind these guitars.

I want this guitar.

A reader emailed me about these this morning and the workmanship in these handmade guitars looks incredible. I also watched the video clip on Bill Wise, the guy who makes them — definitely worthwhile if you have a few minutes.

These guys know what guitar amps are all about. You owe it to yourself to have a listen to these, no matter what type of music you like. Personally, I like the Zé Limited Run.