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'Axemen of Sweden' Documentary Honors Swedish Guitar Heroes — Video

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Simply put, Axemen of Sweden, an upcoming film, is a documentary about Swedish guitar heroes.

The film features appearances by Fredrik Åkesson (Opeth), Kee Marcello (Europe), John Norum (Europe), Mattias IA Eklundh (Freak Kitchen), Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry), Jessica Gardlund and more.

To be honest, we don't know a lot about this just-announced project. However, be sure to stay tuned for details and follow along at axemenofsweden.com and the project's new Facebook page.

Below, check out a few shred=packed trailers for the film, starting off with a clip that features guitarist Jessica Gardlund. Enjoy!

Jessica Gardlund




Fredrik Åkesson (Opeth)



Mattias IA Eklundh



John Norum (Europe)

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Guild Guitars Adds T-50 Archtop Model to Newark St. Lineup

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Guild Guitars is pleased to announce the T-50 Slim, the latest addition to its Newark St. Collection.

The T-50 Slim is the only non-cutaway model within the series, comprised of a variety of reissued classic Guild electric guitars and basses from the 1950s and Sixties.

Based on a mid-1960s T-50 model, the Newark T-50 features an arched spruce top and arched mahogany back, mahogany sides, and a sleek, sunburst finish. The Newark T-50 evokes Guild’s classic vibe with vintage details like Guild’s harp tailpiece, iconic center-raised headstock and ivory binding.

The low output single-coil dog-eared pickup lends a warm, smooth sound suitable for styles ranging from jazz to blues to rock and roll. This thinbody archtop guitar features a 1.9” body depth, which allows for ease of amplification. The T-50 Slim provides today’s guitarists with the distinctive Guild styling and voice that has helped shape popular music since the 1950s.

Street Price: $979.99

For more about Guild Guitars, visit guildguitars.com.

Jeff Beck and Tal Wilkenfeld Play Bass Duet — Video

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OK, this 2009 video is anything but new—and it's aging as I type this!—but it just wound up in my inbox ... and I like it.

It's a brief clip of Jeff Beck and his then-bassist, Tal Wilkenfeld, playing a duet of sorts on Wilkenfeld's bass at New York City's Irving Plaza on April 10, 2009.

It looks like, for the most part, Beck sticks to the E and A strings while Wilkenfeld handles the D and G. However, at one point (early in the piece), Wilkenfeld moves Beck's fingers out of the way as they reach for the same note. By the way, can you identify the classic Beck tune they tackle later in the duet?

While many of you might already be familiar with Beck (Who can forget his legendary 1968 guitar solo on Paul Jones'“The Dog Presides"?), be sure to check out Wilkenfeld, who's an incredibly talented bassist. She started playing with Beck around 2007 and still makes the occasional appearance with the legendary U.K. guitarist.

More recently, she's recorded albums with Steve Lukather, Jackson Browne, Lee Ritenour and Trevor Rabin.

For more about Wilkenfeld, visit talwilkenfeld.com and follow her on Facebook.

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Deleasa Shares a Pair of Live Acoustic Videos — Exclusive

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We are very excited to share a pair of superb acoustic performances from Deleasa.

So nice to these stripped down to the soul of the song arrangements.

And Michael Deleasa agrees. "I was taught the key to a great songs is if it can stand alone with a acoustic guitar and vocal,” he shares.

First up is “Kisses Blow.” A guitar riff or two propel this song forward, interweaving with the cool, rhythmic melody.

The studio version of this song is more funkified, but here we get the full meaning of the sweet lyrics.

“Kisses Blow”

Then we dive right into “Heart of Stone.” This super cool song reminds me of the melody from Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me,” but with a folky twist…at least in this acoustic version.

It’s clear that Michael Deleasa knows how to not only create an excellent turn of phrase both lyrically and melodically, he also knows how to deliver in this intimate setting.

“Heart of Stone”

Having previously toured in direct support to Olly Murs, Jason Castro, and The Jonas Brothers, Deleasa just wrapped up his GranTourismo tour with Nick Thomas (formerly of The Spill Canvas). Reminiscent of Mayer Hawthorne and Allen Stone, Deleasa's influences range from Jamiroquai and Al Green, to A Tribe Called Quest and Flume.

For more information, please visit: http://deleasa.com/

Zakk Wylde and Foo Fighters Play Black Sabbath's "N.I.B."— Video

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What better way to celebrate the birthdays of two major "Guitar World Land" stars—Zakk Wylde and Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl—than to watch them in action, together, just a few days ago.

Below, check out a just-posted, fan-filmed video of Wylde, Grohl and Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins playing Black Sabbath's "N.I.B." at Grohl's "surprise" birthday party last weekend at the Forum in LA.

They do it old-school style, just three pieces, with Wylde on vocals and guitar, Grohl on bass and Hawkins on drums. "N.I.B." originally appeared on Black Sabbath's 1970 debut album, the appropriately titled Black Sabbath.

Wylde was born January 14, 1967. Grohl emerged exactly two years later. On this same date in 1858, French emperor Napoleon III escaped an attempt on his life by Felice Orsini, an Italian patriot who was later executed. Go figure!

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The Verbs Cover The Kinks'“Till the End of the Day” — Exclusive Premiere

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Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the exclusive premiere of “Till the End of the Day,” a rocking Kinks cover by the Verbs.

The song is from the band's new album, Cover Story, which will be released February 24 via Jay-Vee Records.

The Verbs were founded by drummer/producer Steve Jordan and Meegan Voss, frontwoman of the Poptarts and CBGB regulars the Antoinettes, plus bassist Willie Weeks (George Harrison, Eric Clapton, David Bowie) and Japanese guitarist Tamio Okuda.

"Meegan and I love the Kinks," Jordan told us. "I had the pleasure of producing a track for Ray Davies in our loft studio in New York. He's written so many great songs. Some should never be touched, but we thought this [1965 tune] is a very underrated classic, let's do it!

"We cut it twice. The first time was cool but a little too clean, so we cut it again with looser approach. We also did it layered. Tamio and I cut the basic, then Pino Palladino put bass on, then Tamio added the solo, Meegan played electrified acoustic guitar, then sang. Then I put two more guitars on myself."

"I used a cheap guitar and amp that was lying around my home studio," Okuda added. "I don’t remember the specific model."

All the songs on Cover Story were hits at some point; the band didn't try to do interpret obscure music, but simply honor their favorites. You can check out the complete track list below the Soundcloud player.

“Even in the jazz tradition, you would cover a popular tune and make it your own," Jordan said. "We played a few of these songs live in Japan on our last tour and the response was fantastic. Most of the audiences hadn't heard these songs before but they just blended seamlessly with our original material. That was the confirmation for me.”

For more about the Verbs, visit theverbs.us.

The Verbs, Cover Story:

“Till the End of the Day” (The Kinks)
“Baby Blue” (Badfinger)
“Black Is Black” (Los Bravos)
“Easy Now” (Eric Clapton)
“United We Stand” (Brotherhood of Man)
“Glad All Over” (The Dave Clark Five)
“I Saw the Light” (Todd Rundgren)
“You Showed Me” (The Byrds/The Turtles)
“Have You Ever Seen the Rain” (Creedance Clearwater Revival)
“I'm Not Lisa” (Jessi Colter)

Guitar World Launches 'Guitar World Lessons' App and Webstore

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Today, Guitar World is kicking off something we're pretty excited about—our new Guitar World Lessonsapp and webstore.

Guitar World Lessons, which is live right now (Go take a look!), provides downloadable video guitar lessons—for purchase—in a host of genres—from blues to metal to bluegrass and jazz (and let's not forget shred!)—at the click of a button.

In fact, Guitar World Lessons offers immediate delivery of hundreds of lessons from the massive and impressive Guitar World catalog.

The Guitar World Lessons app is available now at the iTunes store for the iPhone and iPad. Note that the app download itself is free; instructional guitar and bass lessons can be purchased and downloaded by individual lesson or full download of the instructional product.

The search function allows guitarists to search lessons and products by artist, song, genre or instructor. Some of Guitar World’s best-selling lesson products are featured, including Guitar World Senior Music Editor Jimmy Brown’s Mastering Fretboard Harmony and more.

You can learn from Brown, Paul Gilbert, Dale Turner, Michael Angelo Batio or Guitar World Associate Editor Andy Aledort—and go In Deep with Stevie Ray Vaughan, Play Rock Bass!, Learn Slide Guitar and much more!

We're especially proud of Guitar World Lessons' all-access functionality across platforms. Users can gain access anywhere, anytime by using a single login created when downloading lessons. Access your purchases on your iPhone, iPad or through the web on a personal computer via guitarworldlessons.com.

“Creating a platform for digital delivery of our lessons allows our audience to download and play in real time and makes us available to a new audience of guitar players,” says Guitar World Editor-in-Chief Brad Tolinski.

Each product in the Guitar World Lessons app includes one free lesson to download as a sample of the instructional product. Never has it been easier to demo lessons before making a purchase or purchase lessons and get instant access! There are more than 200 individual lessons available on the platform, and we have plans to double that in 2015.

We at Guitar World invite you to stop waiting and start playing today! Visit guitarworldlessons.com.

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Nita Strauss Lesson: How to Play Alice Cooper's "I'm Eighteen"— Video

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In this new video, former Iron Maidens guitarist Nita Strauss, a new member of the Alice Cooper Band, shows you how to play Cooper's late-1970 hit, "I'm Eighteen" (also commonly known as "Eighteen").

As Strauss points out in the video, which you can check out below, Cooper's original studio version of the song doesn't offer much in the way of a solo section.

As a result, Strauss wrote her own parts and solo section for the tune; essentially, this is what she plays when Cooper and the band perform it live.

Strauss' lovely and talented guest stars in the video are courtesy of Ibanez and Blackstar.

For your viewing pleasure, we've included a fan-filmed 2014 clip of Strauss performing the song with Cooper at the Hollywood Bowl.

For more information about Strauss, including more videos, news and other Strauss-isms, visit nitastrauss.com and follow her on Facebook and/or Twitter. As always, enjoy!




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Lesson: Make Notes and Phrases Stand Out by Adding Silence

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The guitar can be a very visual instrument. We've got six strings (usually) and a bunch of frets making this huge grid on the fretboard, on which we strive to recognize and grab shapes.

Unfortunately, this makes it very easily to turn the guitar into a doodle machine. It's just so easy to create continuous sound by stringing together notes.

But just as important to the musicality of our playing is the often forgotten idea of the "rest." It's deceptively simple to add to your playing (You don't have to do anything extra), but it can instantly make you sound more musical and mature as a soloist.

Framing Sound

When I was studying music in college, one thing I remember my professors kept driving home was that you don't just stop when you see a "rest" in music notation. You play silence. It's an intentional thing.

Silence acts as a frame around the sounds you're producing and helps make those sounds feel more profound. Think about what a picture frame does for a photograph. By surrounding the photo with blank space and a square frame, it seems to stand out more.

We can do the same thing with our guitar playing. The next time you're working on a solo or melodic part, see what happens when you leave a little space after the first few notes. Start to think of the melodies you're creating as phrases, with space in between to frame each phrase.

Take a Breath

Another reason leaving space has such an impact is that it helps make you sound more like a singer. We may not want to admit it, but we're really just trying to sound like singers when we solo. This is because the human voice is the most familiar melodic instrument. It's built into us.

Technically you can hold your breath till you pass out and still play guitar, but singing requires breathing. So to sound more like a singer, try making yourself take a breath before playing a melody. Breathe out as you play, and stop playing when you have to take another breath.

By leaving this intentional space, your solo lines will sound more musical and give your listeners more room to breath too. Just remember, you're still playing music when you rest in a solo. You're just playing silence.

Ben Rainey works as a guitar teacher and freelance guitarist in the Pittsburgh area. He's also in charge of music content at Tunessence.com.

One-Armed Guitarist Shreds Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"— Video

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Here's another entry from the "Look what's making the rounds on Facebook at the moment!" file.

It's a (vertically shot, ugh) video of a one-armed guitarist named "Mark" playing a high-quality version of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," outdoors, on a street, somewhere.

The original poster of the video, a Facebook user named Tay Glass, commented, "After speaking with [Mark] for three minutes, he inspired me to achieve my goals no matter what the consequences."

Hopefully, it'll have the same effect on everyone who watches it.

According to Facebook stats, it has been viewed 5,743,664 times.

And please, everyone, remember to film things horizontally! Vertical videos are challenged and weak by default. Seriously, we need to join forces to eliminate vertical videos ... . Anyway, enjoy!

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Matt Sorum Discusses Adopt the Arts Charity, Kings of Chaos and Guns N' Roses

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Matt Sorum is perhaps best known as the drummer for such bands as the Cult, Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver.

But in addition to his musical success stories (that now include Kings of Chaos), the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductee also is an advocate for the arts.

His Adopt the Arts Foundation brings together well-known artists, public figures and the public to save the arts in America’s public schools.

On January 12, Sorum hosted an annual fundraising event for Adopt The Arts that honored Billy Gibbons and Allman Brothers drummer Butch Trucks. The event will also featured performances by a plethora of other guitar greats, including Slash, Edgar Winter, Richie Sambora and Orianthi.

I recently spoke with Sorum and asked him about Adopt the Arts, the importance of music in public schools and much more.

GUITAR WORLD: How did Adopt the Arts get started?

As I’ve gotten more time and a little bit older, I started wanting to do some things to give back. I originally had gotten the idea to do a charity that was based around giving away guitars. I’ve always looked at the guitar as being an instrument that was a no-brainer for people to understand. It’s a common thread of musicians and a universal instrument.

My plan was to travel around while on tour and stop at places like orphanages, shelters and hospitals and bring along a few guitars to give them. It was called Music for Healing and would give people an opportunity to pick up an instrument and get that same feeling we get when we play. It’s very therapeutic. I had gotten an endorsement deal with a few companies and was going to go to Haiti but had issues with getting the guitars into the country. So I wound up having all of these guitars lying around my house.

Then one day I was telling my neighbor about the guitars and she asked me if I could help her. She was a booster at school and said there was no music program. She told me they had a crappy drum set and broken-down piano. The kids had nothing, so I decided to help out. In addition to carpeting and painting the room, I got a deal with Casio, Fender, Line 6 and JBL and furnished the entire classroom. The idea was to start building the future of musicians. That’s when I came up with the idea of getting different celebrities I knew to bring attention to the cause and “adopt” a school. I called it Adopt the Arts.

What can you tell me about your annual fundraiser?

I’ve been so blessed to have friends who have been so helpful that instead of just doing a concert, I decided to honor some of my favorite musicians. I had just been on tour with Billy Gibbons with Kings of Chaos, so I called him and told him I wanted to honor him. Billy’s a legend and one of the pinnacle blues/rock guitarists in the world.

Then I called Butch Trucks, the drummer from the Allman Brothers Band, and he was over the moon about it. Then I started thinking about guests and the first ones I reached out to were Slash and Duff and they immediately said yes. Then I reached out to Steve Lukather, who is such a great guy and an amazing musician. Then there’s Jimmy Vivino and Edgar Winter. It just kept growing. Just the other day, Richie Sambora and Orianthi called and said they would be there too. It’s an eclectic group of people. Then, of course, we’ve got Billy Gibbons!

What are your thoughts on the importance of music in public schools?

People don’t seem to understand just how important music is. Where else can kids have the opportunity to have communion with other kids? It’s called “harmony." In almost every other aspect in school, you’re competing. Whether it’s trying to get a better test score or on a sports team having to win and try to be better than the other players. It’s always competitive where as music is a team.

And music is not just an extra-curricular activity. Kids learn about history (where the music came from) and rhythm (which teaches them mathematics) as well as art. Music today is not just the old orchestra teacher walking into class and telling the kids what to play.

When I was coming up the Seventies, they still had music in school. Today, the cuts have gotten deeper and deeper and one of the first things to go is music. Here in California, we’re really struggling with that. But if we can stand up and push back, we can make a difference. That’s why being there making a statement is so important. If you show up, things will get done.

What originally got you involved in music?

I would have to say it was Ringo Starr. When I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan's show, he became a metaphor for what I wanted to do. I just gravitated toward it like a kid to a fire truck!

What was the music scene in LA like when you were coming up?

In those days, the Seventies, it was so cool. The Strip was on fire because there was so much action going on. I remember playing this club where Van Halen started. The club had four stages and there would be four bands playing with Van Halen as the headliner. I remember going on stage and then watching them afterwards and just going, “Holy shit! They’re going to be huge!”

Can you tell me how you landed the gig with the Cult?

I was working in LA playing in bands and dabbling in the studio. I had a few records out on labels at the time and had started making a name for myself. Pat Torpey was originally asked to be in the band, but he told them he couldn’t do it because he was putting together his own band [Mr. Big]. But he said, “Why don’t you try Matt Sorum?” So I went down to the audition and wound up getting the gig, and within four days, I was opening for Metallica! I literally got the gig, rehearsed and went right on tour.

What were the early years like for you in Guns N’ Roses?

That was a good period of time. We were all getting along great in those days. Everyone was having fun and got a little crazy at times, but in general it was awesome. Then as we got on the road, that’s when things started falling apart. There was a lot of pressure but it was a good time, right up until the very end.

Can you give me an update on some of your other projects?

In addition to my band, Kings of Chaos, just getting back from Africa, I put out a solo album last year called Matt Sorum’s Fierce Joy. I’m also working on a new project right now that I can’t say the name of—yet.

Have you ever given thought to writing a book about your life and career?

I would love to do one at some point, but if I’m going to do it I want to do it right. Even though it might be a little bit painful for certain people to read [laughs]. I wouldn’t want to write a book if I had to hold back. I would rather just say exactly how I felt from the downbeat. You’ve got to be honest.

To learn more about Adopt the Arts, visit adoptthearts.org. For more about Sorum, visit mattsorum.com.

James Wood is a writer, musician and self-proclaimed metalhead who maintains his own website, GoJimmyGo.net. His articles and interviews are written on a variety of topics with passion and humor. You can follow him on Twitter @JimEWood.

NewBay Media Launches NAMM 2015 Best of Show Awards Program

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Guitar World's parent company, NewBay Media, is excited to announce the first annual Best of Show Winter NAMM 2015 Awards, honoring outstanding products exhibited at the 2015 Winter NAMM Show, January 22-25, in Anaheim, California.

Awards will be given by NewBay Media publications Guitar World, Guitar Aficionado, Guitar Player, Acoustic Nation, Frets, Bass Player, Electronic Musician, Keyboard and Revolver, Mix, ProAudio Review, ProSound News, Sound & Video Contractor magazines.

Winners will be selected by panels of professional users and editors.

All nominated products will be featured in the special Best of Show Winter NAMM 2015 Program Guide, to be distributed in digital edition after the convention.

For more information, step in this general direction.

Platinum Rush Video Blog #11 — Traveling, Broke and Out of Gas

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Traveling, Broke and Out Of Gas.

That's not only their current state of affairs, that's their name!

I caught up with this self-effacing, yet talented, band in Lexington, Ky.

What stood out to me was that despite their clarity on how hard it is to sustain yourself "out there." they see above the struggle.

And what they see is experience and how that experience transforms into fresh inspiration.

The results are in their songs and that's enough fuel to keep them going, discovering and perhaps one day changing their name to "Traveling, Earning a Living and Filling The Tank.

Watch below and check them out at Travelingbroke.com

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.

Tool's Adam Jones: My 10 Favorite Guitarists

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Below, Tool axman Adam Jones lists the 10 guitarists you need to know about.

Robert Fripp (King Crimson)

Fripp’s playing caused me to “wake up” to music when I was younger.

Later, when we were to tour with King Crimson, I remember being horrifically nervous to meet him. But he was so gracious and ended up teaching me the two most important things about playing: attitude and discipline.

You can ask Fripp, “What kind of equipment do you use?” and he’ll respond, “That doesn’t matter. It’s all attitude.” His attitude and discipline allow him to explore all the many musical paths you can go down.

Adrian Belew (King Crimson)

People don’t bring up Adrian Belew enough, and I think he’s just as heavy as Fripp. Adrian plays straight from his heart, so some of his lead structures defy the classical approach to scales and teaching.

He’s also really into new technology, but he uses it in a very thought-out and tasteful way.




Trey Gunn (King Crimson)

I know Trey Gunn plays the Chapman stick and the Warr guitar [a seven-to-15-stringed guitar designed for two-handed tapping], but it’s still “guitaring” to me. His left- and right-hand approach is like that of a classical pianist.

He gave me some lessons to improve hand coordination, and I felt like I was learning how to play guitar all over again! [laughs] I still haven’t gotten to the level where I can go back to him and say, “Okay, I’ve got this down. Show me the next thing.”




Buzz Osborne (The Melvins)

Buzz’s playing has those same qualities of attitude and discipline that I learned from Fripp. The Melvins’ style is also so brutal. They rip their guts out every time they play.

Where I do more of a shoe-gazer thing onstage, Buzz will microwave a crowd. Many people don’t recognize the Melvins’ importance, and unfortunately they probably won’t until the band’s dead and gone.




Paul Leary (Butthole Surfers)

Paul Leary’s playing is completely innovative and breaks every rule in music theory and scales. His leads will go in any direction, but they fit so perfectly.

His playing on albums like Locust Abortion Technician is very eclectic. Every song is different, weird and fucking amazing.




Andy Gill (Gang of Four)

That Gang of Four shit kicked my ass! Andy Gill is a completely underrated guitarist. Back in the Seventies I was just a kid playing in bands and trying to shake off the massive classic rock influence that I was under.

Gill’s raw, passionate guitar playing had a very big impact on me. You could feel just how angry he was.




Dr. Know (Bad Brains)

I’d always liked Bad Brains, but I’d never seen them live until I moved to California. They started playing and all of a sudden [singer] H.R. came flying over the drum kit—there must have been a trampoline back there—hit the stage, wiped out and then started singing. It was absolutely amazing.

Dr. Know was way ahead of his time. Who knows what was fueling his fire, but there was definitely fire being fueled!




Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström (Meshuggah)

These guys have taken the Swedish metal genre completely off the path and into an extremely innovative area. I hate to single out Fred, but he’s just great. He has an incredible lead style. But both of those guys are fucking amazing.




Ronald Jones (The Flaming Lips)

Ronald Jones was this completely innovative guitarist that used to play in the Flaming Lips. He used to play with a quarter for a pick, so he could slide it down the strings. I’ve also never seen a guitarist with so many effect pedals. But like the King Crimson guys, Ronald was so good at incorporating new technology tastefully. He’s another guy that played from his heart and not his head.

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Miss May I: "Refuse to Believe" Playthrough Video with Justin Audemkampfe

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In the new video below, Miss May I guitarist Justin Aufdemkampe demonstrates how he plays "Refuse to Believe," a track from the band's latest album, 2014's Rise of the Lion (Rise Records).

The band also have officially announced their upcoming direct-support run with headliners August Burns Red and supporting bands Northlane and ERRA on the Rockstar Energy Drink Frozen Flame Tour.

The tour kicks off January 22 in Baltimore and runs for nearly a month and a half before coming to an end March 8 in Philadelphia. You can check out all their upcoming dates below.

For more about Miss May I, visit missmayimusic.com and mmiriseofthelion.com. Enjoy!

MISS MAY I w/AUGUST BURNS RED, NORTHLANE and More:

1/22 - Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
1/23 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
1/24 - Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
1/25 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues
1/27 - Quebec, QC @ Imperial de Quebec
1/28 - Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
1/29 - Ottawa, ON @ Bronson Centre
1/30 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theatre
1/31 - London, ON @ London Music Hall
2/1 - Detrioit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall
2/3 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
2/4 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
2/5 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
2/6 - Minneapolis, MN @ Mill City Nights
2/7 - Lawrence, KS @ The Granada
2/9 - Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
2/10 - Murray, UT @ Murray Theater
2/12 - Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room
2/13 - Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Ballroom
2/14 - Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
2/15 - Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
2/16 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
2/17 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
2/19 - Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
2/20 - Pomona, CA @ The Glasshouse
2/21 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
2/22 - Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theatre
2/24 - San Antonio, TX @ Backstage Live
2/25 - Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
2/26 - Houston, TX @ House of Blues
2/27 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
2/28 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
3/2 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House Of Blues
3/3 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
3/4 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
3/5 - Charlotte, NC @ Amo’s Southend
3/6 - Norfolk, VA @ The Norva
3/7 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
3/8 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts


Guitar World DVD: Learn '30 Hot Country Licks' in Styles of Brent Mason, Danny Gatton, James Burton and More

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A new Guitar World DVD, 30 Hot Country Licks, is available now at the Guitar World Online Store!

Selected from Guitar World's Lick of the Day vault, this collection of tasty country-style guitar licks and lessons is presented by an elite group of seasoned guitar pickers and teachers, including Jerry Donahue, Peter Stroud, Lyle Brewer, Guthrie Govan, Keith Wyatt, Dale Turner, Jimmy Brown, Andy Aledort and others.

Learn how to "chicken pick," play Western swing-style phrases, bend strings, make your guitar "weep" like a pedal steel, and more!

With over 60 minutes of instruction you'll learn to play in the styles of:

• Jerry Donahue
• Albert Lee
• Brent Mason
• Danny Gatton
• Merle Travis
• James Burton

... and many others!

It's available now at the Guitar World Online Store for $14.99!

Cracking the Code with Troy Grady: Eric Johnson's Pickslanting Pentatonics

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The cascading waterfall of sound that is Eric Johnson's lead playing has captivated players and listeners for 30 years.

Sonically, it's an almost formless wash of sunshine. In Johnson's ethereal soundscape, all the edges are smoothed away.

Even the distinction between scales and arpeggios seems to blur. His patterns tumble imperceptibly through positions, like falling through clouds. And his limitless supply of sparsely voiced diatonic chord substitutions only enhances the vertigo. And it's the seemingly imperturbable precision of Johnson's right hand that makes it all possible.

And now, armed with a modern understanding of picking mechanics, we can actually begin to understand and recreate Johnson's wondrous style.

The foundational skill of Johnson's lead style is the ability to play two-note-per-string passages at high speed. And of course, the ideal mechanical system for playing this is downward pickslanting.

Wait a minute, downward what?

Getting Straight with the Slant

If you haven't watched Season 2, Episode 1 of Cracking the Code, now might be a good time to do so! Because it turns out the secret to Johnson's picking technique is precisely the same one that powers Yngwie Malmsteen's legendary scalar accuracy. And it is ingenious and easy to replicate.

slant-vs-edge.jpg

By simply rotating the picking hand downward, toward the floor, Johnson and Malmsteen create a subtle but powerful change in the pick's travel.

In this position, called downward pickslanting, downstrokes tend to bury themselves between the strings. But upstrokes are where the magic happens: The pick breaks free of the surrounding strings and pulls away from the guitar's body. This makes the upstroke the ideal time to switch strings, because nothing can get in the way. The pick simply drops down on the next chosen string and continues playing.

The genius of this solution is that the upstroke itself becomes the string-switching movement. There is no longer any need to jump from string to string, and this removes the primary source of sloppiness and mistakes most players face. Once you remove the error-prone process of "stringhopping" from string to string, it becomes dramatically easier to play with great accuracy.

Note also that downward pickslanting is not the same as edge picking. That's a completely different and much more commonly discussed pick angle. And it solves a totally separate problem. Players use the edge of the pick to reduce the resistance of the picking motion against the strings. But pickslanting uses rotation of the hand and/or fingers to change the entire trajectory of the pick's travel. The key is that these two happen simultaneously in Johnson's technique.

Ah Via Pentatonic

In retrospect, this all should have been obvious. Johnson is a one-way pickslanter, and he maintains a pronounced downward pickslant at nearly all times. This pickslant is more aggressive than Malmsteen's, and it's plainly visible, even on standard-definition footage like his 1990 Hot Licks instructional video, Total Electric Guitar. Here's a screen cap of just how clear that is:

ej-dwps.jpg

This pickslant dovetails perfectly with the cornerstone of his lead playing: the pentatonic scale. Thanks to its two-note-per-string design, the pentatonic scale is actually perfectly efficient. By simply starting on a downstroke, and using downward pickslanting, the sequence changes strings cleanly after every upstroke:

Screen Shot 2015-01-14 at 4.55.18 PM.png

As you can see clearly in this closeup footage, captured with our prototype iPhone slow-motion analysis rig, the smoothness and accuracy of the string switching is readily apparent. There is no jumping from string to string whatsoever.

Thanks to downward pickslanting, each upstroke is the string change. And this is true whether you're ascending or descending. The mechanics don't change based on the direction of the lick; once the upstroke is in the air, it can drop down in any direction it chooses, either higher or lower.

Astute observers also will notice that when played descending, with a down-up sequence on each string, the pentatonic scale is an outside picking lick. When played ascending, that same down-up picking sequence becomes inside picking. Of course, it's still the same picking sequence, and because of this, there is no mechanical difference in difficulty between them.

In other words, in a downward pickslanting world like Johnson's, inside and outside picking as concepts have little relevance to actual difficulty. The only thing that matters is making sure that every string change happens after an upstroke.

The Pentatonic Cascade

Now, when you combine the power of the downward pickslanting upstroke with a little sweeping, amazing things start to happen:

Screen Shot 2015-01-14 at 4.57.56 PM.png

This is an example of Johnson's rich pentatonic vocabulary, which I like to call the "cascade," and you can watch the original and my version in the video at the top of this lesson. It combines the power of downward pickslanting with ascending sweeping to create the descending ripple of pentatonic sound that has become Johnson's trademark.

This particular cascade moves from the pentatonic box position down to the mid-neck third pentatonic position. Along the way, we see a variety of Johnson's signature moves: the initial ascending pickup, a single-string legato turnaround, a battery of slides and pull-off position shifts and more. It's a vocabulary that is uniquely his, but also immensely powerful as a tool chest in creating your own pentatonic, downward pickslanting explorations.

You'll note that every alternate-picked string change in the lick is still an upstroke. But now, we've augmented the mechanical formula with sweeping for switching strings after downstrokes. This is the same formula Malmsteen uses, and the results are truly stunning.

Cracking the EJ Code

If you're interested in learning more about Johnson's picking mechanics, we'll be doing exactly that in the very next episode of Cracking the Code, Season 2. That episode, "Eric the Right," is set to roll out soon and includes an extremely detailed pack of more than 30 slow-motion clips and 25 pages of written analysis. That pack is available to our Season Pass holders now, and the episode will arrive shortly.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a sample of some of the amazing and timeless sounds in Johnson's larger repertoire. All of these can be created by following the simple rules we've outlined here. Ah Via Pentatonic, indeed!

Troy Grady is the creator of Cracking the Code, a documentary series with a unique analytical approach to understanding guitar technique. Melding archival footage, in-depth interviews, painstakingly crafted animation and custom soundtrack, it’s a pop-science investigation of an age-old mystery: Why are some players seemingly super-powered?

Additional Content

Gwar's New GWARbar Brings "Intergalactic Junk Food" to the Masses

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With only four hours to spare, Gwar made good on Oderus Urungus' promise to open the GWARbar in 2014 when they smashed down the doors to 217 W. Clay St. Richmond, Virginia, on New Year's Eve 2014.

The ensuing party has yet to die down as Gwar fans, foodies and neighborhood families revel in this new addition to the Virginia restaurant scene.

The GWARbar makes real the longtime fantasy of Gwar to open a restaurant and bar worthy of their name. The project was spurred by Jonathan Staples of James River Distillery and their departed lead singer, Dave Brockie. Along with restaurant partner Travis Croxton, GWARbar's mission is to bring "intergalactic junk food" to citizens of Richmond and visiting Gwar fans from around the universe.

The restaurant's ambience balances beauty and brutality in the band's trademark style, brought to life with the design and construction genius of Barry Griffin at Griffin Customs.

Patrons of GWARbar will enjoy sipping signature drinks out of a specially designed Gwar Tiki mug. Founder and owner, Holden Westland of Southern California's Tiki Farm, the world's largest manufacturer of Tiki mugs, has worked with Gwar to create a Tiki based on the band's characteristic visual style. This Gwar Tiki will be highly collectible, and is available exclusively at the GWARbar.

Michael Derks, Gwar guitarist, and the driving force behind GWARbar, reports, "The thing most people are surprised about is just how damn good the food is.

Head chef Jeremy Dutra (drummer for Richmond's own US Bastards) has made my vision of gourmet junk food rock! With items like our Scumdogs (house-made sausages) and McDuckets (a duck, chicken, cheese and truffle nugget) we are turning your guilty pleasures into gastronomic masterpieces!"

For more info, visit gwar.net and gwarbq.com.

Review: Ernie Ball/Music Man John Petrucci Signature Majesty Guitar — Video

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Electric guitars are often compared to cars, but one important distinction is that car design continues to progress across the board, while guitar design, with a few notable exceptions, seems predominantly stuck in bygone eras.

While only a handful of people still use a 1957 Corvette or 1985 IROC Z as a daily driver, most guitarists are content to play instruments with designs that haven’t changed much, if at all, since the Fifties or Eighties.

The Ernie Ball/Music Man Majesty, designed in collaboration with Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci, is a refreshingly modern instrument that is the electric guitar equivalent of a 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish—a stylish, luxurious, high-performance ax that completely elevates the playing experience.

FEATURES: The Majesty may look like a standard dual-humbucker, tremolo-equipped shred machine, but it boasts an abundance of refinements and versatile features.

In addition to its pair of DiMarzio Illuminator humbuckers, the Majesty is equipped with piezo pickups under the saddles of the floating tremolo bridge that produce acoustic-like tones and textures. The uncomplicated but versatile switching system consists of push pots and a pair of recessed three-position toggle switches that provide instant access to a wide variety of electric and piezo tones, as well as a preamp that boosts gain, and mono or stereo output.

Controls consist of master volume, master tone and piezo volume. Trim pots mounted on the rear of the guitar allow users to adjust the active preamp’s maximum gain boost, mix levels of the magnetic and piezo pickups, and fine tune the piezo pickups’ treble and bass response.

The sleek lines and sexy contours of the Majesty’s body shape aren’t just for show, as the extended bass-cutaway horn delivers outstanding balance and the deep treble cutaway provides completely unobstructed access all the way up to the 24th fret.

The guitar features a neck-through-body design consisting of a basswood body with a maple top and a Honduran mahogany neck with a 25 1/2–inch scale, ebony fretboard and 24 medium jumbo stainless-steel frets. The saddles on the custom floating tremolo are stainless steel as well, and the locking Schaller M6-IND tuners and angled headstock keep the tuning stable even after aggressive tremolo use. Intonation is accurate up and down the neck, thanks to Music Man’s patented compensated nut.

PERFORMANCE: I wasn’t kidding when I compared the Music Man Majesty to the latest Aston Martin Vanquish. The first time I played it was as thrilling as taking a high-performance sports car for a test drive. The guitar is outrageously comfortable in both sitting and standing positions, and the slim neck profile, combined with the neck-through-body construction and deep treble cutaway, makes it easy to play anywhere on the neck. I was particularly surprised by how comfortable it was to play between the 20th and 24th frets, a section of the neck I rarely venture to, as it usually feels cramped and confining.

The Majesty’s crisp, articulate tone starts with its Ernie Ball RPS 10 Slinky strings and ends with its brilliant electronics. Thanks to its basswood, maple and mahogany tone-wood combination, the Majesty’s inherent acoustic tone is quite vibrant, resonant and lively, which results in surprisingly convincing acoustic flattop-style tones when the piezo pickup is engaged.

Those qualities translate exceptionally well to the DiMarzio Illuminator humbuckers as well, which capture dynamic nuances in fine detail. I was particularly surprised by how clean and detailed fast licks sounded on the Majesty, especially when those same licks played on other guitars sound sloppy to me—proof that great tools can result in improved musicianship.

CHEAT SHEET
LIST PRICE $3,500
MANUFACTURER Music Man, music-man.com

Piezo pickups mounted under the stainless-steel saddles of the custom floating tremolo provide natural acoustic tones in addition to traditional humbucker/split-coil tones.

A wide variety of tones are quickly accessible thanks to push knobs and a pair of recessed three-way toggle switches.

THE BOTTOM LINE: With its slim, sexy feel, stealthy good looks and versatile but uncomplicated switching, the Music Man Majesty is the guitar industry equivalent of a modern high-performance supercar.

Additional Content

Review: PRS Guitars SE “Floyd” Custom 24 — Video

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When PRS introduced its SE Series in the late Nineties, SE stood for “Student Edition.”

Somewhere along the way that changed to “Special Edition,” but with the recent expansion of the SE line to 19 different electric guitar models (in addition to SE acoustic guitars, basses and amps), PRS should consider changing the meaning to “Something for Everybody.”

A perfect example of that is the new PRS SE “Floyd” Custom 24.

Introduced at the same time as flagship PRS Series “Floyd” Custom 24 model, the SE version offers an affordable alternative with a similar general vibe and design for players who can’t afford to drop more than three grand on a guitar.

FEATURES: Introduced in 1985, the Custom 24 is one of the greatest classic guitars of the past three decades. While many players love the original design of the PRS Tremolo featured on the Custom 24 all of these years, there is a legion of guitarists who are equally devoted to the Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo.

While the PRS SE Torero model previously came equipped with a Floyd Rose tremolo, this is the first time a classic PRS model has offered a Floyd.

True to the original Custom 24, the SE “Floyd” Custom 24 has a 25-inch-scale neck with 24 frets and a mahogany body with a maple top (although on this version the flame maple is a veneer instead of a solid slab).

Pickups consist of an SE HFS Treble and SE Vintage Bass, and the controls include a three-way blade pickup selector (instead of a five-way switch), master volume control, and master tone control with a push/pull coil-splitting function. The nickel-plated hardware consists of PRS-designed tuners and a Floyd Rose 1000 Series double-locking tremolo.

PERFORMANCE: I strongly feel that, in terms of feel, playability and tone, the SE “Floyd” Custom 24 is better than the early versions of the Custom 24 that PRS made in the Eighties. With its Wide Thin neck profile and Floyd Rose tremolo, the guitar is certainly “shred worthy,” but its looks and tone will equally please vintage-minded players.

Paired with a high-gain amp, the SE humbuckers can produce aggressive metal tones, but the guitar can also go in an entirely different direction through a clean amp setting with the coils split, which delivers bona fide country twang and bluesy bite. This is an impressively versatile instrument that can handle the roles of three or four different models and in most cases outperform them.

CHEAT SHEET
STREET PRICE $879
MANUFACTURER PRS Guitars, prsguitars.com

A Floyd Rose 1000 Series double-locking tremolo is offered as an alternative to the original PRS tremolo featured on the standard PRS Custom 24 models.

The SE HFS Treble, SE Vintage Bass and coil-splitting function provide an impressively versatile range of tones, from metal to country.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you’ve always loved the look, playability and tone of a PRS Custom 24 but couldn’t part with your beloved Floyd Rose, the SE “Floyd” Custom 24 is the guitar of your dreams.

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