GuitarWorld.com's latest readers poll—the first annual Jim Dunlop Effect Pedal Throwdown—has reached Round 2!

For the past month, we've been pitting Dunlop, MXR and Way Huge pedals against each other in a no-holds-barred shootout. Now the competition is guaranteed to get even tougher.

Therefore, we're pulling out all the stomps! Sixteen stompboxes will go head to head — or toe to toe, if you prefer — leading up to the king of Dunlop/MXR/Way Huge pedals.

You can check out the current bracket — with all 32 competing pedals that starting things off in Round 1 — in the Scribd.com window below (Be sure to click on the "full screen" button in the lower-right-hand corner to expand the bracket).

The bracket is updated after (almost) every matchup, and matchups will take place pretty much every day, excluding weekends. Each competing pedal will accompanied by a demo video created by the Jim Dunlop company, and you'll always find a photo gallery of the competing pedals at the bottom of each matchup.

Today's Matchup

In today's matchup (which happens to be the first Round 2 matchup), the Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face goes foot to foot against the Dunlop Joe Bonamassa Fuzz Face. Start voting below!

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS: Yesterday, the Dunlop GCB95F Cry Baby Classic Wah Wah (62.56 percent) crushed the Dunlop CGB95 Cry Baby Wah Wah (37.44 percent) to advance to the next round! To see all the matchups that have taken place so far, head HERE. Thanks for voting!

Meet the Combatants

Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face Distortion Info

Hendrix was the master of fuzz, an artist with many subtle shadings at his command. His love affair with the legendary Fuzz Face pedal began in the early days of the Experience and continued to evolve throughout his brief but blazing career. The Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face is a meticulously faithful reproduction of the 1969-70 Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face that Jimi used on classic albums like Band of Gypsys. Dunlop's engineering department examined hoards of vintage Fuzz Faces, honing in on a few units which possessed that unmistakable Jimi voodoo.

The Hendrix Fuzz Face is built around the toneful BC108 silicon transistor. It is authentic in every detail, a handwired brown circuit board with no solder mask and circuitry carefully matched to the original specs. The look is 100% accurate too, that groovy circular chassis with tooled clones of the original Fuzz Face knobs in the rare and vintage turquoise hammertone finish. A truly playable collectable for any Hendrix or Fuzz Face fanatic.

Dunlop JBF3B Joe Bonamassa Fuzz Face

Hand wired using NOS Russian military germanium transistors, this pedal is voiced specifically for Joe's humbucker-driven tone, adding sustain and thickness for a rich, creamy fuzz. True bypass, with replicas of vintage top hat knobs, and a deep and rich gloss black finish.

Vote Now!

Horse Patrol Sheet1

It takes a lot for a newcomer to stand out in today’s crowded guitar market, but Legator has already proven that it has what it takes to become a competitor.

Despite its relative youthfulness, the guitar maker has developed an impressive list of endorsees, including Matt Bachand of Shadows Fall, Jon Donais of Anthrax and Josh Travis of Glass Cloud, all of whom helped the company develop signature models.

In addition, Legator offers an impressive variety of original electric guitar models, from its metal-approved Ninja Series to its more classic Helio and Opus series. We took a look at Legator’s Helio DCH 300-PRO, the company’s sole semihollow model and one of its most impressive original designs.

Features: The Helio DCH 300-PRO features a symmetrical double-cutaway body shape and is the size of a standard solidbody guitar, but it features a semihollow body design with a center body block. A single large f-hole on the lower bass bout gives the guitar a distinctive look and provides impressive acoustic resonance. The body on our example was made from two slabs of mahogany joined at the center and featuring an attractive flame maple veneer. The mahogany set neck joins the body at a seamless diagonal junction between the 16th and 18th frets, giving the guitar the smooth playability of a neck-through-body design. The neck provides a 24 3/4–inch scale, 24 frets and an ebony fretboard.

The quality of the hardware is quite impressive, particularly the chrome-plated brass T-O-M bridge and the exceptionally smooth but solid Legator tuners. Pickups are a Legator HNH3 dual humbucker at the neck and a HBH3 dual humbucker at the bridge, which both are split to single-coils when the master tone knob is pulled up. The master volume is placed to allow players to adjust it quickly and easily without interrupting playing.

Performance: Although the Helio DCH 300-PRO costs less than a grand, it has the fit, finish and attention to detail of a much more expensive instrument. All of the surfaces, including the frets and fretboard, are smooth and rounded off, and the wide, flat profile of the neck fits very comfortably into the fretting hand.

Plugged in, the guitar sounds as classy and refined as it feels. The pickups deliver bold, aggressive punch with fast, percussive attack that settles into smooth, singing sustain. This is a very expressive, dynamic guitar that can put out everything from fat midrange for blues to crisp crunch for metal.

List Price: $899
Manufacturer: Legator Guitars, legatorguitars.com

Cheat Sheet: The semihollow design features a single large f-hole that provides acoustic-like resonance while resisting feedback at high output volumes.

The versatile Legator humbuckers provide crisp attack and warm sustain along with very impressive single-coil tones when the coil splitter is engaged.

The Bottom Line: With the looks, feel, and sound of a much more expensive instrument, the Legator Helio DCH 300-PRO offers an incredible value for players looking for a pro-quality semihollow electric guitar.

Pink Floyd's new album, The Endless River, is available pretty much everywhere as of today.

In honor of the release, Pink Floyd have posted the official music video for a track off the new album, "Louder Than Words."

You can check it out below. As always, tell us what you think of it in the comments or on Facebook!

"Louder Than Words" is the only song on the album that features vocals, courtesy of David Gilmour. The video, which was directed by Po Powell, starts off with the album cover before mixing in shots of Gilmour's vocal sessions and archival shots of the band working on the music.

In this Monster Lick Unleashed, I'm using the diminished 7th scale in the key of E.

This is a real technical challenge because I'm switching my fretting hand over the top of the fretboard to play one of the arpeggio sections. This should only be looked at as a technical challenge and nothing more.

Whenever you stretch your metal and physical boundaries, you are growing as a player and musician.

Many of us fall into the trap of practicing the same old stuff over and over again. This is why so many players find they hit a point where they don't get better. This has nothing to do with age or physical limitations; it's because they are not practicing or challenging themselves. They are doing nothing but maintaining.

In no way am I suggesting you must practice eight hours a day. The point is to challenge yourself for no reason other than to improve your skills.

The Lick:

The start of this lick utilizes three-note-per-string legato and string skipping. As I am moving down the the neck, the legato patterns are moving forward (starting with the index finger). When I'm moving back up the neck, the legato patterns are moving backwards (starting with the pinky/little finger). This will help you if you want to expand on this legato idea and create your own runs.

The transition to the "over the top" section starts with a six-string arpeggio. This begins on the ninth fret of the high E and finishes on the 12th fret of the low E. This note is what creates the pivot point to swing your hand over the top. This is, by far, the trickiest part of the lick. It’s important to master this slowly first then take it up to speed. Make sure your thumb is supporting your fretting hand behind the neck, just as if you were fretting the guitar in the normal position. This will give you the strength you need to fret the notes correctly.

The transition back is the same as the first transition. Focus on these sections; they are the key to mastering this technique. The lick finishes with a legato tapping line and then another six-string arpeggio.

As I said above, the important thing is to enjoy the challenge. There are plenty of ideas and techniques here that you can adapt to your own soloing and playing.

I hope you enjoy this Monster Lick Unleashed! Join me on YouTube right here! Contact me through glennproudfoot.com or my Facebook page.

Australia's Glenn Proudfoot has played and toured with major signed bands and artists in Europe and Australia, including progressive rockers Prazsky Vyber. Glenn released his first instrumental solo album, Lick Em, in 2010. It is available on iTunes and at glennproudfoot.com. His latest album — Ineffable— will be out soon and is available for pre-order through glennproudfoot.com and iTunes.

I heard about this film "The 78 Project" and saw the poster with an old record player so I just HAD to see it!

Drove up from Nashville to Memphis to catch it at The Memphis Indie Film Fest and met up with the creators after.

I felt this film's subtle message was "don't get in the way of yourself."

In other words, a good song and performance should work under any circumstance.

You don't need a $3,000 guitar and $10,000 worth of studio gear. In fact, it's the limitations that make for great art.

Check out their story here of recording one-take/no fixes vinyl nationwide!

Scot Sax knows his way around a solid pop song. The Philadelphia musician has been writing them for years, whether it was with his own bands Wanderlust and Feel, or as a purveyor of hits for singers like Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. It was Sax, in fact, who co-wrote the country duo’s Grammy-winning smash “Like We Never Loved At All.” His catchy “I Am the Summertime,” penned while with the band Bachelor Number One, was featured in the blockbuster “American Pie.” And he’s netted countless TV credits, with song placements in shows like “Ghost Whisperer,” “NCIS,” “CSI: NY” and “Keeping up with the Kardashians.” He toured as a guitarist with Sharon Little throughout North America supporting Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising Sand. His filmmaking debut, the documentary "Platinum Rush," is currently being entered into film festivals worldwide and will premiere in 2015. Sax lives in Nashville with his family.

Here’s a driving tale from singer/songwriter Cris Jacobs called “The Devil or Jesse James.”

Jacobs’ gravelly voice and chimey acoustic accompaniment intertwined with some sweet riffs fill out this song nicely.

"Devil or Jesse James" is from the Cris Jacobs Acoustic Sessions from October 2014, a six track sampler that Jacobs is giving away to fans as a thank you for their support on the road all year. The full sampler can be found for free download at Cris' NoiseTrade site http://www.noisetrade.com/crisjacobs.

Jacobs has explored the outer realms of bluegrass, folk, funk, country, blues, soul, and rock with stylistic reverence, adventurous alchemy, and emotional sincerity.

He's been on the road for most of the year in support of his latest album, Songs For Cats And Dogs including national runs with Steve Winwood and Sturgill Simpson and recently peformed at NPR's Mountain Stage who declared, "A gifted songwriter, Jacobs mixes country blues and psychedelic rock."

Listen to Chris Jacobs' wonderful Mountain Stage performance HERE.

Jacobs is currently on tour with Sturgill Simpson again in the south, playing Oxford, MS tomorrow night before ending the run in his hometown of Baltimore just prior to Thanksgiving. Throughout his musical travels, Jacobs has amassed a dedicated fanbase engaged by the warmth and high quality of his lived-in songs.

“I’ve always just accepted and respected that evolution is part of the creative process,” Jacobs explains. “But I’ve made sure that throughout my work, I’ve always been honest. That’s the end goal, writing music that is meaningful to me.”

Cris Jacobs began his career fronting the acclaimed band and award-winning jam band The Bridge. The sextet released four albums in 10 years, and averaged 200 shows a year.

When the band went on permanent hiatus, Cris continued on following the music. In 2012, he issued his solo debut, Songs For Cats And Dogs, a masterful album featuring poignant songwriting, honey and whiskey soaked vocals, burly riffs, dazzling guitar playing, and bucolic pedal steel guitar.

"Things never go exactly the way you think they will go,” Jacobs says, reflecting back on his multi-faceted career. “I’ve always just followed what I honestly felt, and seeing some of the same faces in the audience year after year, people that have stuck by me through different creative configurations, is a wonderful feeling. When I go home at night, that makes me sleep well, knowing I touched someone."

Jacobs is currently putting the finishing touches on an intriguing album for his sophomore release, which is due in early 2015.

Cris Jacobs Tour Dates:
Nov 11 - Oxford, MS - Proud Larry's*
Nov 12 - Hattiesburg, MS - The Thirsty Hippo*
Nov 14 - San Antonio, TX - Sam's Burger Joint Music Hall*
Nov 15 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada*
Nov 16 - Houston, TX - Fitzgerald's*
Nov 23 - New Orleans, LA - Little Gem Saloon
Nov 26 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live

* w/ Sturgill Simpson

Find out more at crisjacobs.com

The Women’s International Music Network (the WiMN) is thrilled to announce Americana band SHEL as the opening act for the 2015 She Rocks Awards.

Recognizing women who stand out as role models in the music industry, the live awards event takes place on January 23, 2015 at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel during the NAMM Show.

Comprised of four sisters, SHEL turns folk music upside down with infectious rhythms, hypnotic vocals and stunning musicianship. SHEL is an acronym for their names; Sarah on violin, Hannah on keyboards, Eva on mandolin, and Liza on drums, djembe and beatboxing.

Since the 2012 release of the band’s self-titled debut, they have toured across the US and Europe mesmerizing audiences with their ethereal vocal arrangements and energetic performances. SHEL’s songs have been featured in numerous television shows, films, and commercials for brands such as Glade and Splenda. SHEL’s “Hold On” with Gareth Dunlop is featured in Nicholas Sparks’ film, The Best of Me.

“We are so excited to perform at this important event,” remarked Sarah Holbrook of SHEL. “It’s such an honor to be a part of this celebration of women in music.” SHEL is sponsored by Weber Mandolins, who actively support the She Rocks Awards. The band is also endorsed by DPA Microphones, Zildjian, Kurzweill and D’Addario. For that latest on SHEL, visit www.shelmusic.com.

Check them out here:

The WiMN recently announced the 2015 She Rocks Awards honorees. Grammy award-nominated saxophone player and singer/songwriter Mindi Abair; iconic, platinum-selling all-female pop band The Bangles; as well as industry leaders Gayle Beacock, Debbie Cavalier, Amani Duncan, Katie Kailus, Paula Salvatore and Craigie Zildjian will be recognized at this year’s event.

The 2015 She Rocks Awards will be co-hosted by platinum-selling guitarist and solo artist Orianthi and the Women’s International Music Network founder and writer/editor Laura B. Whitmore. Now in its third year, the event pays tribute to women who display leadership and stand out within the music industry, and has become a standard at the NAMM Show.

With featured performances, food and beverages, giveaways, a silent auction, networking opportunities and more, the She Rocks Awards brings together industry professionals, music icons, artists, fans, and media to celebrate women in music. A portion of the proceeds of the event will go to benefit the Girls Rock Camp Alliance.

This event has sold out for the past two years and does not require a NAMM badge to attend. The She Rocks Awards will take place on January 23, 2015 from 6:00pm to 8:30pm in the Pacific Ballroom at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel.

Tickets are on sale now here>>

The She Rocks Awards would like to recognize our sponsors The Gretsch Company, Guitar Center, The Avedis Zildjian Company, C.F. Martin & Co, Weber Mandolins, Fishman, Casio, PRS Guitars, Berklee Online, Roland, International Musician, Making Music Magazine as well as NewBay Media, and their publications Guitar World, Guitar Player, Acoustic Nation, Bass Player, Electronic Musician and Keyboard Magazine.

Find out more about the She Rocks Awards at www.sherocksawards.com

What do you like?

A traditional acoustic? One with a pickup? A funky re-issue? A cool classical?

Whatever you have a hankering for, we’ve found a solid choice for under $500.

What? Yep. Today’s manufacturers have developed some ingenious production techniques in order to bring you these wonderful instruments at an easy on the pocket price.

Looking for your first guitar? A gift for someone special? Or a new option for your guitar arsenal? Check out these twelve acoustics and then try ‘em for yourself.

Martin LX1E

Play what Martin Ambassador Ed Sheeran plays!

While the Martin LX1E is their smallest guitar, it is very big on tone, quality and versatility.

The LX1E acoustic electric model features a solid Sitka spruce top, mahogany high-pressure laminate (HPL) back and sides, and a warm satin finish.

It’s ideal for travel, student practice or for just playing around the house or campfire.

Great Martin Guitar tone in a compact package! This guitar simply ROCKS!

The LX1E lists for $519 MSRP but you can buy it for less than $500. Shop around!

Find out more here>>

Breedlove Pursuit Concert Mahogany

Breedlove’s Pursuit Concert Mahogany is for the musician that is newly committed to pursuing their music career and is ready to share their music with the world.

The popular Concert body’s top is made of solid mahogany, producing tones that are pronounced and warm.

The laminate sapele back and sides create a sound with attributes similar to mahogany.

The asymmetrical headstock is specifically designed to keep the strings in a straight, even line from the nut to the tuning pegs.

The result is even tension, stable tuning, and ease of alternate tuning.

A built in USB port allows for easy interfacing with GarageBand or your favorite recording software.

The Pursuit Mahogany is also available in a dreadnought body shape.

MAP: $499

Find out more here>>

A marvel of scaled-down design, the GS Mini is a fun little acoustic cannon that has taken the world by storm.

Sporting a rich, full voice that belies its compact size, the Mini is ultra-portable, yet just as comfortable to cradle in the comfort of your home, making it the ultimate modern-day parlor guitar.

Featuring the Taylor NT® neck, the Mini comes with either a solid spruce or mahogany top.

Street Price: $499

Find out more here>>

Cordoba C5-CEBK

The Cordoba C5-CEBK is a nylon string guitar with a solid Canadian cedar top, mahogany back and sides and a jet-black finish.

The design is based upon the traditional Spanish classical guitar with the exception of a soft cutaway and a slightly thinner neck.

The Fishman Isys+ 2band pickup system produces a rich and natural sound when amplified — perfect for gigging and recording.

The C5-CEBK has a truss rod built into its neck and is also available with a natural or sunburst finish.

MAP: $419.99

Find out more here>>

Fender Tim Armstrong Hellcat

Based on Tim Armstrong’s beat-up old ’60s Fender® acoustic — on which he writes all of the songs for his legendary punk band, Rancid — the Tim Armstrong Hellcat acoustic is ready to slam.

Armstrong has given his acoustic some modern mojo with pearl acrylic "Hellcat" logos on the third, fifth and seventh frets, with a pair of skulls adorning the twelfth fret.

Other features include a solid mahogany top, scalloped bracing and Fishman®Tim Armstrong Hellcat Acoustic preamp.

Sells for $349.99

Find out more here>>

Ibanez Artwood Series Tenor Guitar

With solid tops, superior hardware and carefully chosen tonewoods, the Artwood Series is respected around the world for the excellent sound they produce as well as the great value they represent.

For 2014, Ibanez looks to classic, turn-of-the-century Americana instruments for inspiration with their new line of historically influenced instruments, the Artwood Vintage Series.

The Tenor Guitar has been around for about 100 years and is considered a “transition instrument” between Dixieland Banjo and 6-string swing guitar.

Recently its popularity has begun to rebound as it is becoming more commonly utilized by contemporary artists. Tuned in 5th’s, it’s considered akin to the violin and mandolin family of instruments and can be played using the same scales and chord shapes.

The Ibanez AVT1NT is a parlor-sized, 4-string Tenor guitar featuring a solid Sitka Spruce top, mahogany back and sides and bone nut and saddle for a well-balanced tone.

It also includes a Mahogany neck, Rosewood bridge and fretboard, black and white multi-rosette and a natural high gloss finish. Chrome, turn-of-the-century, Butterbean open gear tuners complete the vintage vibe while providing modern day tuning stability.

List price: $449.99.

Find out more here>>

The Loar Brownstone LH-204

You don't have to go down to the crossroads to get vintage-style blues sound any longer.

The new LH-204 Brownstone has tone as dark and meaty as the turned earth you can see from your front porch.

You want the blues? The LH-204's got 'em.

Based on the award winning LH-200, the Brownstone has a solid Sitka spruce top, mahogany back, sides and neck and a rosewood fretboard in a classic pre-war body style.

It's finished in brown satin with a vintage-style bound soundhole. The low-key headstock design is a simple gold logo decal that gives a nod to the guitar's rootsy heritage.

With a 1-11/16” bone nut, 25.4” scale and comfortable C profile neck, the tone and vibe of the LH-204 drip with the blues style that many consider to be the foundation of all guitar music since.

Such a deal! Street price $299.99

Find out more here>>

Recording King's Torrefied RP1-16C delivers the benefits of a torrefied top to everyone.

Torrefaction is a specialized process used on Recording King’s Adirondack spruce tops where the wood is heated at a precise temperature in an oxygen-free environment.

The curing reduces impurities and results in weight reduction and increased top stiffness, producing a similar chemical transformation as wood that's been dried for decades.

The result is a lightweight, resonant top that produces similar tone to a vintage instrument you've loved and played for years.

These solid torrefied tops are the foundation for the RP1-16C, a 12-fret single 0 cutaway with dreadnought scale.

These guitars benefit from the vintage tone of the torrefied top, but the dreadnought scale gives them additional punch and projection beyond a traditional 0 guitar.

The RP1-16C is the perfect instrument for fingerstyle players thanks to the cutaway and 1-3/4” nut, delivering even, vintage-style tone everywhere on the fretboard.

Street price $499.99

Find out more here>>

Ovation Celebrity Standard Plus CS24P-NBM

The Celebrity Standard Plus series is your first step into the world of Ovation, with select figured tops, beautiful abalone appointments and first-rate sound, features and value.

The Celebrity Standard CS24P-NBM guitar has the classic mid-depth Lyrachord® cutaway body with a handsome burled maple top featuring quartersawn scalloped “X” bracing.

Ovation evaluated earlier bracing patterns extensively to arrive at this remarkable design, which borrows from the past and is voiced for the present with natural tone and optimal response and power.

Together, body and top create the classic Ovation sound, resonating with full projection, remarkable note clarity and balance, and nuanced tonal complexity.

The guitar also features an Ovation Slimline pickup and OP-4BT preamp system with three-band EQ, volume/gain control, onboard tuner and low-battery light.

MSRP is $649.50, but street price is around $449.

Find out more here>>

Epiphone “Inspired by 1964” Texan

The Epiphone “Inspired by 1964” Texan reproduces a vintage classic loved by legends like Paul McCartney, Peter Frampton, and Noel Gallagher of Oasis.

Now featuring a state-of-the-art Shadow NanoFlexTM pickup system with sound-hole mounted controls for volume, High and Low EQ, and phase.

Featuring the same timeless profile of the original including a Solid Spruce top, a Mahogany back, and a Mahogany neck an easy-fit 1960s SlimTaperTM shape.

Available in both Antique Natural and Vintage Cherry finishes.

Street price: $399

Find out more here>>

Washburn WG26SCE

The Tahoe Deluxe Series features one of the most popular and desirable back and side woods, rosewood.

Rosewood imparts a full low end along with strong mids & highs.

A Solid Cedar top supported by quarter sawn scalloped bracing and surrounded by abalone purfling with wood binding make the Deluxe Rosewood series a popular choice for acoustic musicians.

This beauty has a mahogany neck that is topped with a rosewood fingerboard. An under-the-saddle piezo pickup and a Fishman Isys+ Tuner/Preamp System give you the freedom to perform at any venue.

Quality construction features include quartersawn scalloped bracing, rosewood bridge, chrome die-cast tuners, and bone nut and saddle.

Street price: $449

Find out more here>>

The new Yamaha LL6M is the perfect instrument for the player looking for traditional style with real performance.

The model features a Yamaha pre-aged A.R.E. (Acoustic Resonance Enhancement) solid Engelmann Spruce top, Mahogany back and sides and an all-new bracing design that creates warm and rich tones.

Traditional styling and finishes echo Yamaha’s heritage of creating fine acoustic guitars played by legendary musicians.

An all-new 5-ply neck profile feels instantly played-in and effortlessly comfortable.

Yamaha’s Zero Impact pickup system gives high-performance, high-fidelity output without complicated controls or electronics.

MSRP: $820, but we've seen it sell for $499

Find out more here>>

Jackson has announced the latest addition to its Pro Series, the Pro DK2M Dinky Limited Run guitar featured in Yellow Tiger.

The DK2M Pro Series Dinky features an alder body, flat-sawn graphite-reinforced bolt-on maple neck with wrap-around heel, 24-fret compound radius (12"-16") maple fingerboard with offset black dot inlays, black neck and headstock binding, direct mount Seymour Duncan JB Zebra (bridge) and '59 Zebra (neck) humbucking pickups with five-way blade switching, Floyd Rose bridge, black hardware and Dunlop strap locks.

For more information, visit jacksonguitars.com.

In appreciation of Veterans Day, Metallica played the Concert for Valor—a show that honors the courage and sacrifice of veterans, active-duty service members and their families.

Check out footage of "For Whom the Bell Tolls,""Master of Puppets" and "Enter Sandman" from their set below, which begins at the 2:35 mark.

Variety is the spice of life. Musically speaking, I think “spice” translates to a certain amount of dissonance. Dissonance is a tension resulting from the lack of harmony among musical notes.

In this lesson I discuss a few options I use when playing over dominant 7 chords. I’ll take you through a methodical process of using scales that progressively use more and more dissonant notes. It will be this intermingling of consonant and dissonant sounds that will add a lot of interesting elements to your playing and give your solos the contrast that will keep your audience listening.

So you can immediately implement these ideas, I’ll be using only some basic pentatonic and blues scales that you likely already know, as well as a couple of ideas that might not yet be a part of your vocabulary. We’ll use A7 as our key center in these examples.

Note: I highly recommend you find a backing track with a dominant 7th key center to practice these ideas over. This will surely help you internalize how these scales sound and contrast with each other in a musical context. YouTube has a bunch!

An A7 chord is best described as an A major triad with a minor 7th. This chord is spelled A-C#-E-G. Overall, its tonality is major, but the minor 7th note in the chord lends itself to some minor approaches as well. Let's dig in …

The A major pentatonic scale could be considered the most consonant match for this chord, as the scale includes the A major triad. While a little vanilla for some, it works perfectly.

To add a just a little dissonance, the A major blues scale can be used. This scale includes all the “right notes” from the major pentatonic scale but adds a minor 3rd to the mix. This minor 3rd doesn’t stand out too much when played briefly as a passing tone, but if you place some focus on it, it will surely grab the listener’s attention before you resolve it to the next note in the scale. With a jam track, try switching from the major pentatonic scale and the major blues scale.

It’s this minor 3rd note that leads us to a very common combo: using the minor pentatonic scale over the dominant 7 chord. The minor pentatonic scale includes the root, 5th and minor 7th of the dominant 7 chord we’re playing over, but the minor 3rd is dissonant when heard against the major 3rd in the chord. It is this dissonance that often leads us to bend the minor third up to the major third pitch, giving us that oh-so bluesy sound we love.

I often think of players like Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix when I hear this being played, but since the minor pentatonic scale is one of the first scales guitar students learn, chances are you are already doing this. With a jam track, try switching from the major pentatonic to the major blues — and now the minor pentatonic scale — and back.

If we want to "up" the amount of dissonance even more, we can start to play the minor blues scale over this chord. Not only do we now have that dissonant minor 3rd from the minor pentatonic scale, but now we also have the tritone to bend the listener’s ears even more. If you simply treat the tritone as a passing tone, it may not be too noticeable, but if you focus on that note, you’ll really start getting the listener’s ears to perk up! With a jam track, try switching from the major pentatonic, to the major blues, minor pentatonic, minor blues and back.

As if this wasn’t enough to mix things up and make your solos more interesting, I also like to include a couple more ideas to achieve that “outside sound” in my solos. The first is what I like to call the “Flatted Root Minor Pentatonic Scale." This scale simply flattens the root (A) in the A minor pentatonic scale. This scale is spelled Ab-C-D-E-G. If there was ever a note to alter to create bit of dissonance, it’s the root! Watch as audience members look up from their smartphones when you lay this scale’s sound on them.

Another easy technique for getting a dissonant “outside” sound is to simply move the minor pentatonic scale up a half step for a brief moment. This side-stepping technique works well during scale runs, just move up one fret half way through your phrase and enjoy the dissonance. Just remember to move back into key, as a little bit of this ‘spice’ goes a long way.

These six sounds should give you plenty of ways to turn the heat up in your solos. Just like cooking with spices, you can dial in a little or a lot according to your taste. I like to rank the scales like my favorite chicken wings:

Major Pentatonic: Mild
Major Blues: Sweet 'n’ Spicy
Minor Pentatonic: Medium
Minor Blues: Hot
Flatted Root Minor Pentatonic: Wild
Side-Step Minor Pentatonic: Blazing!

Jam these scales to a play-along track, mixing them up in a variety of ways. Change it up incrementally for some tasty licks, or implement big contrasts for some really bold flavors.

Guitarist Adrian Galysh is a solo artist and education coordinator for Guitar Center Studios. He's the author of the book Progressive Guitar Warmups and Exercises. For more information, visit him at AdrianGalysh.com.

GuitarWorld.com online readers can enjoy a FREE download of Adrian Galysh's song "Spring (The Return)" by clicking HERE.

Jimi Hendrix: Signature Licks, a book/CD pack by Guitar World's Andy Aledort that's available now at the Guitar World Online Store, offers a unique and thorough examination of 12 of Jimi Hendrix's greatest compositions.

Each song segment is presented with all of the guitar parts fully transcribed, plus accompanying audio on CD, as performed by a full band. All solos, as well as complex rhythm parts, are also performed slowly for easier consumption and understanding.

Performance notes, outlining chord voicings, scale use and unusual techniques are included for each song.

Songs include "Foxey Lady,""Hey Joe,""Little Wing,""Purple Haze" and more.

For more info, head to the Guitar World Online Store.

Robby Krieger’s 1954 Les Paul Custom became a constant writing companion, workhorse, performing partner, muse and musical soul mate all rolled into one right from the time he acquired it used in 1968.

Nicknamed “L.A. Woman” after its use on that classic track by the Doors, it contributed to many unforgettable hits, and remains in Robby’s possession to this day, a tried and true companion to a career that has continually evolved and inspired over decades.

Now, through a close collaboration between Robby and Gibson Custom, a very limited number of hand-crafted replicas of the Robby Krieger 1954 Les Paul Custom will be made available to discerning collectors and players. Full and unrestricted access to the original guitar has yielded Gibson Custom’s luthiers the means of precisely recreating the feel, look and tone of this legendary instrument.

And to take it all over the top the first 50 guitars—hand aged by Gibson—will also be played, approved and signed by Robby himself. A further 100 hand-aged guitars will be produced, with the final 150 of the run treated to Gibson Custom’s proprietary VOS process.

Every Robby Krieger 1954 Les Paul Custom is recreated based on hands-on examination, digital scanning, intimate photography, measurement, and study of Robby Krieger’s 1954 Les Paul Custom to insure a playing experience that’s as close to the original as humanly possible.

Notable details include the closely matched dish carve and neck profile carve, the accurate ebony fingerboard with aged pearl block markers, accurate vintage multi-ply binding, after-market Seymour Duncan neck pickup, and painstaking hand aging (150 examples) to match every ding, scuff and check line found in Robby’s guitar. In short, the Robby Krieger 1954 Les Paul Custom puts a guitar that would normally be untouchable into the hands of a limited number of discerning players. Reserve yours now at your authorized Gibson Custom dealer.

For more about this guitar, including photos and specs, visit gibson.com.

In his unwavering pursuit of success, particularly through the challenges of Aerosmith’s early years, Brad Whitford displays a kinship to the ultimate tenacity of the Les Paul design: the time-will-prove qualities and heroic achievements of a guitar that wasn’t fully appreciated until half a decade after it was deleted from the Gibson catalog.

In both cases, time proved that commitment can outwait fleeting opinion, and that talent and craft are ultimately undeniable. The end result: Aerosmith became one of the world’s most important rock’n’roll bands, and the Les Paul became the most significant guitar in rock history.

Brad’s original 1959 Les Paul is an absolute tone-monster, and a guitar of exceptional feel and authentic, road-worn patina—not to mention the long-time favorite playing companion of a major hit-making artist—so when he offered it up for Gibson Custom’s Collector’s Choice series, the opportunity resonated on every level.

Following the side-by-side collaboration between Brad and Gibson Custom’s Nashville luthiers, Collector’s Choice #26 1959 Les Paul “Whitford Burst” captures every nuance of look, tone, and feel of Brad’s original, from its individual neck profile, to the output of its original PAF pickups, to the dents, dings, and finish fade that are all part of its “just right” vintage Burst appearance, this is the closest you could possibly come to owning Brad’s actual ’59 Les Paul, and a truly stunning acquisition for player and collector alike.

Collector’s Choice #26 will be crafted in a strictly limited run of 300 guitars (with qualifying materials ultimately determining the final number), so reserve yours now at your authorized Gibson Custom dealer.

For more about this guitar, visit gibson.com.

Machine Head have premiered their new music video for "Now We Die."

Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments or on Facebook.

The track is from the band's recently released album, Bloodstone & Diamonds.

Although it's certainly not a "must," demo videos that feature big-name guitarists who happen to be great teachers have that extra element of "cool."

Case in point: The guys at TC Electronic have posted this demo video featuring Paul Gilbert.

In the clip below, you can watch Gilbert — with his signature Ibanez guitar and Marshall amps — as he demonstrates the company's Ditto Looper, direct from his home studio in North Hollywood.

Gilbert dives into some AC/DC ("Back in Black"), explains how the Ditto Looper helps him play in time, then jumps back into "Back in Black." At the 2:31 mark, he borrows from Jimmy Page, inserting a phrase from the "Good Times, Bad Times" guitar solo.

Anyway, enjoy! For more about the TC Electronic Ditto Looper (which is only $99.99 at the moment ... just sayin'!), visit tcelectronic.com.

As Into It. Over It.'s Evan Weiss prepares to close out the year on the road with Lemuria this November and December, he's also looking ahead to 2015.

This coming February Into It. Over It. will embark upon an intimate acoustic tour with friends Kevin Devine and Laura Stevenson. Tickets for all dates (listed below) are on sale now via intoitoverit.com/tours.

It may be hard to fathom based on the extensive touring Into It. Over It. has undertaken this past year behind the critically acclaimed album Intersections, but when not on the road Weiss has involved himself in a multitude of separate musical projects (Pet Symmetry, Their / They're / There), and produced records for other artists including You Blew It!'s Keep Doing What You're Doing.

Recently he leant his prolific creativity to a cover of Neko Case's "Deep Red Bells" for Bloodshot Records 20 year anniversary compilation While No One Was Looking, due out November 18th.

Check out Into It. Over It.'s cover of Neko Case's "Deep Red Bells"

Upcoming Tour Dates:
* = With Lemuria
# = With Kevin Devine, Laura Stevenson

NOVEMBER 2014
21 - McAllen, TX - Cine El Rey *
22 - Corpus Christi, TX - The Nasa *
23 - Houston, TX - Fitzgerald's (Upstairs) *
26 - San Antonio, TX - 1011 *
28 - Austin, TX - Red 7 (Inside) * (Fun Fun Fun Nites Show)
29 - Albuquerque, NM - Gasworks *
30 - Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room *

DECEMBER 2014
01 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar *
02 - Santa Ana, CA - Constellation Room *
03 - Fresno, CA - Strummers *
04 - Oakland, CA - New Parish *
05 - Portland, OR - The Alhambra Theatre *
06 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon *
07 - Boise, ID - The Crux *
08 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court *
09 - Denver, CO - Hi Dive *
10 - Lincoln, NE - VEGA *

FEBRUARY 2015
04 - Washington, DC - Sixth & I Synagogue #
05- New Haven, CT - Center Church on the Green #
06 - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair #
07 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church Sanctuary #
08 - Richmond, VA - The Broadberry #
10 - Durham, NC - Duke Coffeehouse #
11 - Atlanta, GA - Vinyl #
12 - St. Petersburg, FL - Local 662 #
13 - Orlando, FL - The Social #
14 - Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder #
15 - Birmingham, AL - Bottletree #
17 - Nashville, TN - The High Watt #
18 - Newport, KY - Southgate House Revival #
19 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom #
20 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Stache At The Intersection #
21 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall #
22 - Bloomington, IN - The Bishop #

More at www.intoitoverit.com

Although we typically don't share bass-centric lessons and videos (Check out bassplayer.com for your daily dose of bottom end), we think guitarists will appreciate this new solo performance video (posted October 27) by American bassist Grant Stinnett.

In the clip, which you can check out below, Stinnett is playing an impressive and tap-happy original piece called "Born of Fire and Light."

He's playing his signature D-Tuner bass, which is made by Le Fay Basses. It's tuned to C G C G for this tune.

If you like what you see here, you can download Stinnett's album for free at grantstinnett.com.

For more about Stinnett, check out the link above and track down his other videos on YouTube.

Since 2009, Brandon Decker has written, produced and released a trove of mesmerizing music, an expansive palette of folk, gospel, rock and psychedelia recorded under the nom de plume decker.

While hard to pigeonhole, there’s a purposeful duality to decker.’s work: it’s sparse, yet full. Also: intense, romantic, cryptic, hypnotic and raw. decker. will release Patsy on February 17, 2015.

Patsy is the follow up to 2013’s much-hailed “desert gospel masterpiece,” Slider. Recorded at WaveLab Recording Studio (Neko Case, Iron & Wine, DeVotchKa) in Tucson, Patsy veers from quiet shuffles to noisy guitar jams and horn-driven ballads, but never becomes quixotic or difficult.

Backed by a bevy of Tucson-based musicians, the cohesion on Patsy comes first and foremost lyrically. “I knew the album was going to be called Patsy the moment I realized I had to make another album,” says Decker. “I had written a few new songs after swearing I would not make an album this year, and in the midst of writing we got this opportunity to work with Craig at WaveLab. From there it all came together quite quickly. All the songs come from a similar spot.”

On Patsy, that similar spot is decker. embracing the plight of the everyman. The singer touches on socio-economic hardships and political failings; on the title track—an initially pretty acoustic number that veers dynamic and dark—he invokes the image of Lee Harvey Oswald. “Never better over there/never better anywhere” he laments, as the song builds to a repeated refrain of “they shot me down.”

Listen to “Patsy” here:

From an eerie melancholy opening to a foot-stomping midsection and through an extended guitar freakout, the album’s nine-minute musical tour de force “Cellars” actually sums up the album’s theme most succinctly. It’s bitter, but defiant. “I’m not dead but I’m still crawling,” Decker sings. “The walls were made for falling down. I’m not mad but I’m still calling the man who made me shut my mouth.”

As for the duality: the album is bookended (save for a quick intro) by “O.D.B.” and “Ol Dirty Revival,” two themed tracks that lean gospel revival over psychedelic guitar folk. Musical outliers here, in a way similar to Dylan’s “Positively 4th Street,” they fit Decker’s vision of people betrayed by the outer, unknown dwellers of their social, artistic and professional circles. (And yes, the singer was vibing a certain late Wu-Tang rapper.)

decker. plans to tour extensively after Patsy’s release. A popular live act, he and his band have shared the stage with the likes of The Local Natives, Dr. Dog, Deer Tick and Keller Williams.

Find out more at deckermusic.org

Vox, whose AC30 amp was instrumental in the British invasion, has introduced the MINI5 Rhythm, a new portable modeling amp with built-in rhythm patterns.

Now available in ivory, the MINI5 Rhythm IV is a portable, light-weight, battery-powered amp with built-in rhythm functionality. It has been accepted as an industry standard in mini amps.

For more info, visit voxamps.com.

Specifications

• Amp model: 11 types
• Effects: 8 types
• Rhythms: 99 patterns
• Tempo: 40–240 bpm
• Tuner detection range: E1–E6 (41.2 Hz–1318.5 Hz)
• Audio Outputs: Headphones x 1
• Audio Inputs: INPUT x 1, MIC IN x 1, AUX IN x 1,
• Power amp output: Maximum approx. 5 W RMS @4 Ω
• Speaker: 6.5 inch 4Ω
• A/D, D/A conversion: 24 bit
• Sampling frequency: 44.1 kHz
• Power supply: AC Adapter (included), Six AA-size /LR6 alkaline batteries
• Battery life:
Maximum 19.5 hours at 0.1W,
Maximum 17 hours at 1.5W
Maximum 12 hours at 5W
• Current consumption: 160 mA
• Dimensions (W x D x H): 269 x 179 x 267 mm / 10.59 x 7.05 x 10.51 inches
• Weight: 3.5 kg / 7.72 lbs. (not including battery)
• Color Variations: Ivory (MINI5-RM-IV)
• Accessories: AC adapter (DC 12V ), Strap