To celebrate we’re teaming up with the fine folks at Lâg Guitars for a killer giveaway.
It’s the Tramontane Snake Wood series from Lâg, and it’s a beauty.
Unlike any other acoustic guitar in its class, the Lâg Tramontane features exotic, highly figured Mexican Snake Wood back and sides and a solid AA Sitka Spruce top which produces an ideal, bright sound and a wide dynamic range. Even the rosette is exquisite.
· Solid AA Sitka Spruce top · Mexican Snake Wood back & sides · Mahogany neck; Mozambica Ebony fingerboard & bridge · High gloss finish; Includes custom fitted hardshell case · Dreadnought and Auditorium Cutaway models feature the Fishman INK Body preamp system with Sonicore pickup · Value: MSRP: $1049.99
Happy Spring!!! To celebrate we’re teaming up with the fine folks at Lâg Guitars for a killer giveaway. It’s the Tramontane Snake Wood series from Lâg, and it’s a beauty.
Happy Spring!!!
To celebrate we’re teaming up with the fine folks at Lâg Guitars for a killer giveaway.
It’s the Tramontane Snake Wood series from Lâg, and it’s a beauty.
Unlike any other acoustic guitar in its class, the Lâg Tramontane features exotic, highly figured Mexican Snake Wood back and sides and a solid AA Sitka Spruce top which produces an ideal, bright sound and a wide dynamic range.
· Solid AA Sitka Spruce top · Mexican Snake Wood back & sides · Mahogany neck; Mozambica Ebony fingerboard & bridge · High gloss finish; Includes custom fitted hardshell case · Dreadnought and Auditorium Cutaway models feature the Fishman INK Body preamp system with Sonicore pickup · Value: MSRP: $1049.99
These videos and audio files are bonus content related to the May 2015 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now or at the Guitar World Online Store.
In the previous two String Theory columns (March and April 2015 issues), I introduced a pair of hexatonic (six-note) scales that are comprised of the same six notes and may be thought of as opposing sides of the same musical coin—the dark, serious-sounding E minor hexatonic (E F# G A B D) and its one useful mode, the beautifully bright D major hexatonic (D E F# G A B).
I’d now like to turn you onto another interesting and appealing hexatonic scale that shares five of these scales’ six notes, C Lydian hexatonic.
C Lydian hexatonic is formed by taking E minor hexatonic and raising the fifth, B, one half step, to C, and reorienting all the notes to a C root: C D E F# G A.
FIGURE 1 illustrates this metamorphosis and the close relationship between the two scales’ fingerings in seventh position, with each note’s function indicated, relative to the E and C roots.
Christina Perri will hit the road this fall as the special guest on the second leg of Ed Sheeran’s North American headline tour.
The singer/songwriter will join her label mate Sheeran, kicking off September 3 at Houston, Texas’ BBVA Compass Stadium.
Promoted by AEG Live & The Messina Group (TMG), the month-long trek will continue through September 23.
Tickets for these shows go on sale starting on April 10. For more ticket information and tour updates, please visit www.christinaperri.com/tou
It has been quite a year for Christina Perri since the release of her acclaimed second album Head or Heart. In addition to high profile TV appearances, performances and live events, Perri has been on her biggest worldwide headline tour to date including sold out shows in North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Christina also did a string of dates with OneRepublic as special guest on last summer’s “Native Summer Tour” and joined forces with Demi Lovato for a run of dates on the North American leg of her blockbuster fall tour.
Watch Perri cover Dean Martin’s “I Will”:
“Human,” the acclaimed first single from Head or Heart, was certified RIAA platinum for sales now well in excess of 1 million. Hailed by Billboard as a “delicate alt-pop ballad that should delight supporters of (Perri’s) breakthrough single “Jar of Hearts,” the track proved another colossal hit for Perri, lighting up the Top 10 at multi-format radio outlets nationwide, while also ascending to Top 10 status on the iTunes Store.
In addition, the “Human” companion video – directed by Elliott Sellers (Jason Mraz, Young The Giant, Portugal. The Man) – was an online phenomenon, drawing more than 58 million views and counting at Perri’s official YouTube channel. Additionally, the album features the singles “Burning Gold” and “The Words” not to mention the upbeat fan favorite, “Be My Forever,” the duet that Christina did with Ed Sheeran.
Named iTunes’ “Breakthrough Pop Artist of 2011,” Perri earned critical applause and an increasingly fervent fan following with her extraordinary debut, lovestrong. Highlighted by the 4x-platinum certified smash, “Jar of Hearts,” the album – produced by GRAMMY®-winning producer Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, My Morning Jacket) – entered the SoundScan/Billboard 200 among the top 5 upon its initial 2011 release, while also proving an unqualified international sensation with top 5 success in Australia and Ireland as well as top 10 sales in Canada and the United Kingdom.
Perri followed lovestrong. with the RIAA 4x-platinum certified hit single, “A Thousand Years.” The track was a multi-format radio favorite, with top 10 airplay at Hot AC and top 25 spins at CHR/Top 40 outlets nationwide.
CHRISTINA PERRI DATES
WITH ED SHEERAN
SEPTEMBER
03 Houston, TX BBVA Compass Stadium
05 Dallas, TX Toyota Stadium
08 Orlando, FL Amway Center
09 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena
10 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
12 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
13 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
15 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
16 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
17 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
18 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center
20 Toronto, ON Air Canada Center
22 Washington, DC Verizon Center
23 Washington, DC Verizon Center
"This is 'Cascade,' a chapter from our latest Masters in Mechanics seminar," Grady says. "It explores Eric Johnson’s use of sweeping in pentatonic playing.
"We like to think of Yngwie Malmsteen as the sweep innovator, and of course he is. But Eric is really equally so, even though he approaches it from a totally different perspective.
"Amazingly, these perspectives meet in the middle—the 'rolling threes' picking mechanic is essentially identical to Yngwie’s approach to three note-per-string scale playing, just applied to pentatonic sequences instead.
"The clip we’re examining is from Johnson's landmark 1988 Austin City Limits performance, a tour de force of impossibly precise pentatonic picking."
Enjoy! For more stories and videos by Grady, check out RELATED CONTENT just below the photo of Johnson.
Here's more info about Grady:
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?
Heavy metal has lost all form of legitimacy as musical genre.
I believe it has evolved, or devolved, to the point where it has become something so different from what it once was, that it now is a different genre all together.
People could argue that music trends change constantly with new generations that influence what is popular. However, jazz is still jazz, blues is still blues, but metal is no longer metal. Traditional forms of music such as the ones I mentioned have changed over time, but not as quickly or as drastically as metal. In fact, the only other genre that seems to change so often and with such extremes is pop music.
There are many factors that have caused the change, and the biggest is the over-monopolization of record labels. But that's not what I want to talk about. Recently I decided I no longer want to be known as a metal guitar player. My reasons will hopefully be explained through this blog post. Here are my three biggest issues with heavy metal bands today.
The first is the loss of the blues influence in metal. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe the first time the phrase "heavy metal" was used was to describe Jimi Hendrix in a review in the '60s. Following this, it was used as a marketing phrase by record labels to describe bands in the late '70s. Finally, by the '80s heavy metal had become its own genre and formed numerous sub genres (far too many to list).
I don't want to get into the debate of what is or isn't metal, but the three bands that seem to come up consistently when talking about the origins of metal are Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. All three were blues-influenced hard rock bands, and that is where is metal came from. On a side note: All three bands don't like to refer to themselves as heavy metal.
If you analyze metal music released today, you'll notice the lack of blues influence. The loss of the blues in metal is something that happened gradually over the last 20 years. This is evident when listening to guitar solos from current metal guitarists, which leads to my next problem.
Why do all new metal guitarists sound the same and have a lack of individuality?
Have you noticed all virtuoso metal guitarists try to sound musically intellectual by stating that in addition to metal they are influenced by classical and jazz fusion? It's become such a cliche, but virtually all "'shredders" list these two genres as influences. I would bet that 99 percent of them are only interested in the technical nature of those genres and have absolutely no interest in the musical properties or the actual compositions.
The new generation of metal guitarists is so busy trying to show what they can do technically that they've forgotten that the point of a guitar solo is to make something that is interesting musically and that the listeners will enjoy. My advice to young guitar players is to focus on melody. You will actually stand out and be unique if your solos express emotion rather than just demonstrate your technical prowess.
Finally, the thing that annoys me the most about metal is how ridiculous the majority of the so-called "metal musicians" look and act.
Do you remember the film This Is Spinal Tap? Metal has gone so far beyond that film that I don't believe the majority of musicians can be taken seriously based on how they look and act.
I regularly research new bands online, and after seeing so many band photos and music videos where the musicians are trying to portray a "metal image," I can't help but feel as if it's being forced. If you look at the classic metal bands from the '70s, such as Zeppelin, Purple and Sabbath, they didn't feel the need to dress up or try to act tough. Look at any video of those bands performing live, and all you will see on stage is the musicians and their instruments. Those bands had no gimmicks; it was 100 percent about the music. Only inferior musicians need to make a spectacle out of themselves to sell their music.
My advice to metal bands today would be to focus on being good musicians and making amazing music.
As I mentioned in the beginning, due to the over-monopolization of record labels, it's impossible to get a deal with a big label unless you have a marketing gimmick and are fashionable. The whole industry has become so corporate that you need to fit a certain mold in order get interest. It's a real shame because that's not how metal used to be. Today metal has such strict boundaries on how you must look, act and sound that there's little room for creativity or musicianship.
I didn't even begin to talk about the production used on metal today where bands have sacrificed the feel and soul of their instruments in exchange for a punchy mix.
My goal with this blog post is to provoke discussion. I'm not an authority on the subject. I'm just a fan who loves classic metal bands like Rainbow, early Van Halen, Thin Lizzy, etc.
Cheers!
Will Wallner is a guitarist from England now living in Los Angeles. He is the lead guitarist for White Wizzard (Earache Records) and in 2012 toured Japan, America and Canada. He recently signed a solo deal with Polish record label Metal Mind Productions for the release of his debut album, which features some of the most influential musicians from hard rock/heavy metal. Follow Will on Facebook and Twitter.
If you ask acoustic guitarists what they’re looking for from their guitars, they’ll all tell you the same thing, whether they play folk, country, blues, country-blues, blues-folk, folk-country or even classical.
They all want crushing, brutal distortion that can stun small animals, shock medium-sized ones and plunge large ones into a deep existential crisis.
Today’s acoustic guitarists are really pushing the boundaries of tone, and the guys and gals at Seymour Duncan have figured out that the perfect way to take their sound to the next level was to adapt one of the company's most unique electric guitar pickups to make it better suited to acoustic guitar.
Enter the Acoustic Slug.
With its special soundhole-mount design, the Acoustic Slug has been refined to reduce feedback while taking advantage of the generally bigger mass of acoustic strings to generate even more output.
For more information, visit the Acoustic Slug's page on seymourduncan.com.
The Women’s International Music Network (WiMN) announces acclaimed singer/songwriter Dia Frampton as the headlining act for the official 2015 She Rocks Showcase.
The event takes place during the ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO on Fri., May 1, 2015, at the Tinhorn Flats Saloon & Grill in Hollywood, Calif.
The Showcase, which brings together female artists to perform in front of industry experts, media representatives, artists, publishers and more during one of the most prestigious songwriting events of the year, will culminate with Casio artist Frampton’s vocal prowess and dynamic performance.
Several additional female acts will be selected to perform during the evening from submissions to The WiMN. See more information about submitting here: www.thewimn.com/ascapshowcase.
“We are so excited to have Dia Frampton as our featured performer,” said WiMN Founder Laura B. Whitmore. “She is such a talented musician, and will be a huge inspiration to aspiring female talent performing and attending that night.”
With six number-one singles across Asia as a solo artist, Frampton has established herself as a prolific songwriter, collaborating with distinguished artists from around the world, including Lindsey Stirling, The Crystal Method, M83, and Singto Numchok. Currently, she is working with her band ARCHIS, which pairs her with renowned film composer Joseph Trapanese, the musical mastermind behind Tron, Oblivion, and Insurgent. In February, ARCHIS released a self-titled EP through Nettwerk Music Group. The band is now writing their debut album, to be released later this year. Find out more about Dia Frampton at www.archismusic.com.
Watch ARCHIS here:
The She Rocks Showcase will take place on Fri., May 1, 2015, from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. in the heart of Hollywood at the Tinhorn Flats Saloon & Grill, located at 1724 Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028, across the street from the ASCAP Expo headquarters at the Loews Hollywood Hotel.
The ASCAP Expo runs April 30 – May 2, 2015. The Showcase will feature free hors d'oeuvres, drink specials, and a Casio PX-350 digital piano giveaway.
The Showcase is sponsored by Casio, Taylor Guitars, 108 Rock Star Guitars and Acoustic Nation. An EXPO badge is not required to attend or participate in the Showcase. To learn more, visit www.thewimn.com/ascapshowcase.
Here's something we recently stumbled upon, since we're always walking around, stumbling upon things.
It's the Voyage-Air folding travel guitar. The company, Voyage-Air, makes acoustic and electric models that fold up so they can fit into their own regular-suitcase-size custom cases.
According to the company:
"At Voyage Air Guitar, we believe every guitar player should be able to take their instrument anywhere—wherever there’s musical needs or inspiration. Bicycling. Hiking. Airline travel. An afternoon at the park. Alone on the beach, composing music to the sound of the wind and the waves. Or the simple joy of a sing-along, with good friends around a campfire.
"We also believe that traveling with a guitar shouldn’t be an obstacle, or require a musician to downgrade their instrument to a miniature size or shape. All Voyage-Air guitars are full-size, performance-level instruments that fold in half for easy portability. Voyage-Air—the future is unfolding."
To be honest, there's not much to say about these guitars since the two videos below do all the talking. We can, however, add that acoustic prices range from $399 to $1,149, and electric prices range from $599 to $899.
Longtime friends Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses and Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam take great pride in announcing the completion of their first ever collaborative album, Sing Into My Mouth.
Scheduled for a joint release this summer (exact date TBD) on Beam's Black Cricket and Bridwell’s Brown Records via Caroline, Sing Into My Mouth is a loving homage to 12 songs that have had indelible influence on both of its creators.
Classics interpreted on Sing Into My Mouth include Talking Heads’ "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)," Sade’s "Bulletproof Soul” and El Perro del Mar’s "God Knows (You Gotta Give to Get)” (the original having recently been featured on HBO’s GIRLS).
The duo also cover deep cuts such as Them Two’s "Am I a Good Man?” (a frequent feature of Band of Horses’ live set) and "There’s No Way Out of Here” originally recorded by ‘70s UK act Unicorn but better known as the lead single from David Gilmour of Pink Floyd’s 1978 solo debut.
“As excited as I was at the prospect of finally working together, I was unsure of the possibility of us both finding the time,” says Bridwell. "Luckily for me, Sam was persistent with the idea of recording some of our favorite tunes that we'd always wanted to cover. This is truly a 'full circle' moment for me… I've always wanted us to sing together and finally I have that dream realized. I couldn't be more excited to continue this project at the upcoming shows to take it even further while playing some of our original songs together."
"Ben and I started our careers together and had been threatening to work with one another for years,” Beam adds. “When we finally conceived of the covers project and carved out some time, it was nostalgic and fun from top to bottom--the process of picking the songs to cover was really reminiscent of more than 15 years ago when we used to mail each other cassettes and CDs of music we were into--and the end of every recording day found us cutting up with friends the way we used to when we'd cross paths in South Carolina. He’s always been one of the funniest people I know."
Sing Into My Mouth was recorded last summer at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville, NC. The complete track list along with the artists whose performances of these songs inspired Ben and Sam are detailed below.
Bridwell and Beam are confirmed to appear together at the Newport Folk festival July 24, at the MoPop Festival in Detroit on July 25, and Osheaga in Montreal July 31. Further live dates will be announced as they are confirmed.
IRON & WINE AND BEN BRIDWELL Sing Into My Mouth
(Black Cricket/Brown Records)
Tracklist:
1 This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (Talking Heads)
2 Done This One Before (Ronnie Lane)
3 Any Day Woman (Bonnie Raitt)
4 You Know Me More Than I Know (John Cale)
5 Bulletproof Soul (Sade)
6 There’s No Way Out of Here (Unicorn)
7 God Knows (You Gotta Give to Get) (El Perro del Mar)
8 The Straight and Narrow (Spiritualized)
9 Magnolia (JJ Cale)
10 Am I a Good Man? (Them Two)
11 Ab’s Song (Marshall Tucker Band)
12 Coyote, My Little Brother (Pete Seeger)
Boss is apparently offering a five-year warranty on all its compact pedals.
Ergo, several employees of Sheehans Music in the U.K. grabbed their coats, scarves and shovels and came up with a series of tests to see just how likely it is that you’ll ever need said warranty.
Below, check out Sheehans' new video, "Boss DS-1 Pedal Review—How durable is it?," which was posted April 1.
You can probably skip the first part of the clip, which shows a man and woman throwing the DS1 around in a park and trying to get it through a basketball hoop (It's nice to see basketball hoops in the U.K., by the way!). Most pedals would easily withstand such treatment (mine certainly do).
Things get a bit more interesting, however, when the shovels and cars come out!
Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the premiere of a new behind-the-scenes video by Lullwater.
Below, you can download "Vendetta Black," the new song Lullwater recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios in El Paso, Texas, with Resident Hero’s Ryan White on vocals.
You also can watch the song's exclusive making-of video, which features the band and White. While touring with Flyleaf in 2014, Lullwater became close with White. The band re-recorded his track, "Vendetta Black," as a collaboration.
"I remember writing 'Vendetta,' having that defiant, passionate violence of the youthful nature of rock and roll," White says. "'Fuck you, this is who I am, and who I always will be. This is what I'll die for.' When performing the song on tour with Lullwater, I felt that feeling again, through them, as we performed it together. It's a lovely time stamp on a great tour, but really, I wanted them to have it because they understood it."
"We wanted to continue recording using analog tape because there's nothing quite like it," says Lullwater's John Strickland of Sonic Ranch Studios. "It has a unique and vintage sound that captures the genuine feel of the musician playing an instrument. The rhythm section was recorded directly to tape, and you can definitely hear it. Its warm, fat sound gave us the backbone of the album."
A mere three days after shutting down Hollywood Boulevard for a special Jimmy Kimmel Live performance, Van Halen performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show earlier today.
The band opened with “Jump” and went right into “Dance the Night Away,” which is available exclusively on Ellen‘s website. You can watch "Jump" below.
“This is the most auspicious way of starting the tour,” David Lee Roth said after DeGeneres walked onstage for an interview.
“We’ve never played American television before, and it was our idea that you couldn’t possibly pick a better audience than this here. This is our Ed Sullivan Show! This is James Brown on The Ed Sullivan Show. This is the Beatles. This is a really big showcase for us.”
The band's new live album, Tokyo Dome Live in Concert, was released Tuesday. It collects performances from the Tokyo stop on the band’s 2012-13 tour. Further reissues are planned for later this year.
These videos and audio files are bonus content related to the May 2015 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now or at the Guitar World Online Store.
PLATINUM AWARD WINNER
Numerous guitarists have played Epiphone Casinos, including Dave Davies, the Edge, Noel Gallagher, Keith Richards and Paul Weller, but the Beatles remain the artists that most guitar players think of first whenever the Casino is mentioned.
However, the meteoric rise of modern blues phenomenon Gary Clark Jr., whose main guitar is also a Casino, suggests that there may be a new contender for “king of the Casino.”
Clark’s use of Casinos on stage and on his incendiary Blak and Blu album has resulted in a surge in demand for the model. So it made perfect sense for Epiphone to introduce the new limited edition Gary Clark Jr. “Blak and Blu” E230TDV Casino.
FEATURES Epiphone currently offers four other different Casino models, but the Gary Clark Jr. “Blak and Blu” Casino is equipped with a variety of notable features that stand out from Epiphone’s other versions.
These videos and audio files are bonus content related to the May 2015 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now or at the Guitar World Online Store.
PLATINUM AWARD WINNER
During the Fifties and Sixties, Supro established a niche as a more affordable alternative to the guitars and amps available from music industry leaders like Fender and Gibson.
Supro amps were actually built by Valco, which was based in Chicago and also made amps under various other brand names, including Airline, Gretsch, National and Oahu.
Most Supro amp models weren’t quite powerful enough for use on stage and were rarely used in concert by big name acts, although Jimi Hendrix played guitar through a Supro bass amp in clubs with the Isley Brothers, Ike Turner and Little Richard. Starting in the late Sixties many guitarists put Supro amps to good use in the studio for their distinctive and attractive distortion tones. Jimmy Page famously used a Supro combo with a single 12-inch speaker on the first two Led Zeppelin albums.
In 2013, Absara Audio bought the rights to the Supro name and revived the brand with a new line of reissue amps. Working together with master tube amp designer Bruce Zinky, David Koltai (of Pigtronix fame), developed new Supro amps that revive several of the most desirable models from the mid Sixties. The Supro 1624T Dual-Tone, 1690T Coronado and S6420 Thunderbolt are based on the 1964 versions of these models.
What started as a rumor in mid-March was confirmed earlier today.
Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, who is best known for his work with Angra, has officially joined Megadeth.
"I first met Kiko around eight years ago for a cover shoot for Burrn! magazine," wrote Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine on megadeth.com.
"I had no idea who he was, other than the fact he was tremendously talented and that the staff from Burrn! held him in high regard. Since then, I've come to see what a guitar virtuoso he is, and I'm deeply encouraged by his depth and talent.
"Very few Megadeth alumni have had the same feel and ability as Kiko. As Frank Sinatra says, 'the best is yet to come!'"
So ... the Megadeth lineup for the band's next studio album will include Mustaine, Loureiro, bassist David Ellefson and Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler.
In a recent statement, Mustaine called Adler "a tremendous talent" and "an amazing person" who is "going to bring a new level of excitement and energy to Megadeth that the fans are going to lose their minds over."
"I'm coming into this on fire," Adler said in a statement of his own. "There is an incredible amount of respect, but the goal here is to make the very best thrash album we can—not just throw names in the CD booklet or be a 'yes' man. Together, I believe we can do something very special."
Drummer Shawn Drover quit Megadeth in November 2014. Guitarist Chris Broderick announced his departure from the band a few hours later, saying that he was leaving the group "due to artistic and musical differences."
Loureiro's latest album, Sounds of Innocence, was released in 2012. You can watch him in action below.
These videos and audio files are bonus content related to the May 2015 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now or at the Guitar World Online Store.
It’s not uncommon to see four, five or even 10 different distortion effects in many guitarists’ pedal boards these days.
But in addition to weighing a ton and taking up a lot of room on a crowded pedal board, having that many pedals can cost as much as a good amp.
If you wish to explore a wide variety of distortion tones but don’t want to spend a fortune or break your back hauling around a mission control-sized pedal rig, the Decibel Eleven Dirt Clod distortion pedal offers a versatile and affordable alternative with its ability to save ten different presets.
FEATURES In essence, the Decibel Eleven Dirt Clod combines analog distortion circuitry with digital control. The pedal features four simple but versatile controls that allow users to dial in a variety of overdrive and distortion tones.
These videos and audio files are bonus content related to the May 2015 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now or at the Guitar World Online Store.
In the boutique amp world, a 20-watt combo with a single 12-inch speaker usually means either one of two things: it’s either based on one of Fender’s various iterations of their Deluxe model or it’s inspired by Marshall’s model 1973 combo.
The ToneVille Broadway takes a different approach by combining the best of both American and British circuits, providing a wider variety of tones than its streamlined control panel might initially suggest.
The end result is a blazing little powerhouse of an amp that’s equally at home in the studio where guitarists can take full advantage of its tonal versatility or on stage where its impressive volume output and authoritative voice are key.
FEATURES The ToneVille Broadway is driven by a pair of EL84 power tubes, three 12AX7 preamp tubes and a 5V4 NOS rectifier (a NOS Mullard GZ-34 is also available as an option).
Louisa Wendorff has been singing since she was seven years old.
In June of 2014 she released Arrow, which climbed to #2 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart, and #1 on Billboard’s HeatSeekers chart.
However, you probably most recognize her for her YouTube mashup of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space/Style.”
Launched on December 23, 2014 it went viral when Taylor Swift shared it with one word, “OBSESSED.” Now, with more than 21 million views, it earned Louisa and Devin Dawson a live spot on the E! News Red Carpet at this years Grammy’s.
Here the folks at Bedell caught up with Louisa and share their conversation.
Bedell: Do you have one word to sum up the last six months?
Louisa Wendorff: magic.
Your video “Blank Space/Style” has had amazing success and even got you a live performance on the Red Carpet at the Grammy’s! How was that?
It was completely amazing! I was so grateful to have been apart of such an incredible day and am still in awe that that even happened!
How do you come up with the mashups you do? Do you do the arrangements for them?
I get inspiration for each one in different ways, and yes I arrange them myself. If I feel like a mashup is close but hit a creative block, I have a few friends I reach out to for input.
When you launch an original like “Every Little Thing,” which is beautiful by the way, do you get nervous that people won’t respond as well to your original work as they do your covers?
Yes, that can be a huge fear of mine. My goal has always been to be an artist singing my own songs. While it’s been completely fabulous getting a fast pass to where I am now, I don’t want to be known as a cover artist. So I definitely get nervous that my fans will only like my covers. But when it comes down to it, I’m not worried. I have an amazing team in place and have been working day in and out for as long as I can remember, so I’m just excited to see when it all goes from here.
When did you pick up playing the guitar?
I started playing the guitar when I was a sophomore in high school, so a little over 4 years ago.
Parlors are gaining in popularity – why does that body shape appeal to you?
I am absolutely obsessed with the parlor shape. It is small just like me so I truly feel like we are just made for each other. Its Louisa sized!
You spent quite a bit of time “stalking” the Earthsong Parlor. What was it about that guitar that spoke to you?
Stalking is a very accurate word, haha. From the 1st to the 7th time I came to visit my beloved Earthsong, the tone, color of the wood, and size were the definition of perfection to me. Every time I played it in the store and now wherever I go, it just feels right. A sense of peace just comes over me when I play.
And now it seems it’s taken a life of its own. Many people name their guitars…yours is Baby B. But it has it’s own Instagram page @BabyBedell?
Yes it does! Those who know me, know I’m a goof, and having a page for my guitar is so fun . I mean, why not! People make pages for their cats and dogs all the time. And Baby B has it’s own cute little personality so how I could I not? ;)
Any new videos on the horizon we can look forward to?
Yes! I am planning on releasing a new mashup sometime in April.
Vermont-based news channel WPTZ (where my late-Nineties girlfriend used to work!) recently published a feature on the Alpaca carbon fiber travel guitar, a "special guitar made to withstand the elements."
As always, we thought we'd share!
"It can actually be put in the water, and then taken out and played, and be done again the next day. It is impervious to water," Alpaca Guitar Co. founder and designer Chris Duncan told WPTZ.
Duncan says it can also stand up to extreme temperatures that would destroy a wooden guitar. The Alpaca can also take bumps, whacks and various impacts.
"We don't really know to what extent. We don't drop them on purpose any more. So, we know they will take a blow," Duncan said.
Company literature adds that the Alpaca is a go-anywhere "adventure guitar." It is made (in Vermont, of course) of carbon fiber, flax fabric and bio-derived resins. This combination produces a lightweight and strong instrument with a resonant sound.
"The Alpaca will handle anything a good adventure brings; dirt, water, bumps and bruises. An embedded daisy chain on the back provides a strong universal attachment to any of your outdoor gear," the company says.
For more about Alpaca guitars, watch the video below and visit alpacaguitar.com. For the WPTZ story, which features WPTZ's own video, head here.
