As a professor of mechatronics at Massey University in Auckland, New Zealand, Olaf Diegel has used 3-D printers for more than 15 years to prototype new product ideas.

However, 3-D printing technology has recently progressed to the level where Diegel realized he could use the printers to make finished commercial products. That development inspired Diegel, who also plays guitar, to start ODD Guitars, which produces unusual custom guitars with bodies constructed using 3-D printer technology.

ODD’s guitars feature skeletal frameworks with complex designs.

“3-D printing makes it possible to manufacture ‘impossible’ shapes,” Diegel says. “For example, my Spider guitar has a spider web frame with little spiders crawling around the inside. The body is a single piece made of Polyamide, which is an extremely tough and durable form of nylon. I’ve dropped the guitars a few times without damaging them.”

Inside the body frame is a wooden core to which the custom neck, made by Warmoth, attaches, and the core material matches that of the chosen neck material. “Customers can specify mahogany or maple necks and completely customize the electronics. They can also make minor modifications, like having their name, band logo, or other graphics 3-D printed on the back of the instrument at no extra cost. We can even adjust the weight to a player’s preference.”

ODD offers five guitar models — the Atom, Hive, Scarab, Spider and Spider LP — and three bass models — Atom, Hive and Spider LP — which range in price from $3,000 to $3,500. More info about ODD Guitars can be found at odd.org.nz/guitars.html and at cubify.com/products/guitars.

In this week's Monster Licks, I am — once again — pushing the boundaries of the minor pentatonic scale.

The harmonic qualities of this scale really resonate with me. I know this may sound strange because this lick is played at high speed, but for me, the scale never looses its melodic beauty, no matter how fast or slow it’s played.

This is a really important thing to discover for all guitar players and musicians: Find out what sound moves you! My love started with the blues guitar greats. As I progressed as a player, so did my thirst for knowledge. But in my search for new players, techniques and challenges, I always wanted to remain in the tonal core that moved me, and that is the blues-rooted pentatonic sound.

Here is the lick (broken into sections).

Section 1

I start this lick with a legato line on the high E string, moving into a six-string arpeggio, then back into another legato line, this time on the low E. With this arpeggio, I am hitting only one note per string. It is very important to make sure your picking hand and fretting hand are perfectly in sync, so practice slowly and work up a nice even flow before playing quick.

Section 2

This is a series of three-string arpeggios with legato. I use this pattern a lot when creating runs in my solos and improvisation. My goal with this is to create a really free-flowing, smooth-sounding transition between the different boxes of the pentatonic. I suggest trilling one of these shapes before attempting the whole run.

Section 3

This section starts with a six-string arpeggio. This sets up the “over the top” lick where I swing my hand over the fretboard and play two six-string arpeggios. The most important elements to this part are the note I pivot from, or the notes I fret with my left thumb. This enables me to create a smooth transition while I'm switching between techniques. Remember, this is not an important thing to be able to do on the guitar, but it should be looked at as a challenge! Just have some fun with the idea!

Section 4

This section is a series of three-string arpeggios. Take notice of how the pattern is formed. I play the arpeggio, then a three-note line at the end of every arpeggio, the last note of the three being the beginning of the next arpeggio. It sounds a little confusing, but if you follow the transcript along with this description, it will make perfect sense!

Also, focus on the hammers and pulls. They are essential in mastering this sound.

Make sure you experiment with all of these ideas. It's not important to be able to play this lick at my speed; nor is it important to be able to play it at all. What IS important is that you constantly challenge yourself!

I hope you enjoy! Please join me on YouTube right here! Or just contact me at glennproudfoot.com.

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.

Maxine Petrucci likes to call what she does “evolved music."

The former Madam X guitarist [and sister of former Vixen drummer Roxy Petrucci] has taken much of what she's learned from the '80s and '90s to a completely different level. It's a sound and style some may find not suitable for the “commercial” world, but Petrucci says that suits her just fine.

Bassist Billy Sheehan has called Petrucci “a true rarity, a lady who has powerful command of her instrument and her voice.” Rick Derringer cites Petrucci's guitar playing as “masterful” and has referred to her right-hand picking technique as “the hummingbird effect, so fast, it's a blur."

Continuing to forge her own path, Petrucci's third solo album, Back to the Garden, is an eclectic mix of riff and shred, one that will make even the most jaded critic stand up and take notice. Her new band features Imminent Sonic Destruction members Pat Delon (drums) and Bryan Paxton (bass), plus guitarist Rachel May (Broadzilla).

I spoke with Petrucci about Back to the Garden, her time spent with her sister in Madam X and much more.

GUITAR WORLD: Tell me about Back to the Garden.

This is my third solo album, and it's completely different from anything I've done before. I don't have a label, so I have the luxury of doing what I want to do when I feel like doing it. For Back to the Garden, I wrote all of the songs and did all the guitars, bass and vocals. Pat Deleon wrote and played the drum parts, and Gaetano Di Falco illustrated the album cover.

Please tell me about “Assassinate” — the song and the music video.

I wrote that song a few years ago, and it was just the way I felt at the time. I felt that even though I had paid my dues, I still had people against me for being a female lead guitarist and always having to prove myself. It was just like, "Fuck you! This is what I do and you can't stop me." It was about a part of my life. The whole album is actually a little bit of my life mixed in with my opinion of the afterlife. For the video, I brought in Scott Sprague and Haris Cizmic of Blind Spot Productions.

How did Madam X get started?

Roxy [Petrucci] and I were originally in an all-girl band called Pantagruel, which later evolved into Black Lace. After that band broke up, we started Madam X with Chris Doliber on bass and another singer. While we were in New York, we saw Bret [Kaiser] singing in his band at a club and knew right away that he was our guy. We got together with him, hit the road for a few years and eventually made our way to Los Angeles.

We got signed by Don Arden [Sharon Osbourne's father] of Jet Records and put out our first album. There's a lot in between, but that's pretty much the story. Things eventually happened at the record company and they closed their doors, leaving us with nothing. Roxy went on to join Vixen, while Chris and I decided to keep plugging Madam X. That's also around the time we hired Sebastian Bach.

How did you hear about him?

An agent in Toronto turned us on to him. I remember we got in contact with him and drove to Toronto to pick him up. We went straight into rehearsals and took it from there.

Do you have a funny story to share about your time with Bach?

He was so young at the time (around 18) and lived at my mom's house for a while. My mom is super-Italian, and one day, her super-Italian brother came over to the house. Sebastian was up in one of the bedrooms singing Whitney Houston and my uncle overheard him and said, "Who's that girl?" I remember we all told him it was a guy and that he was in our band.

Then Sebastian walked into the kitchen wearing shorts and no shirt. He had his hair all teased up and actually looked like a pretty blonde. My uncle goes,"Wow! Who's she?" After we again told him that Sebastian was a boy, he was pissed; mostly because he couldn't believe that he found him attractive [laughs].

Let's talk about your early days playing and what inspired you to rock out.

I started when I was 12 after my father bought me a classical guitar and set me up with lessons. But it wasn't until I saw Fanny, Cradle and the Quatro sisters that I realized girls can really rock. At that time, teachers wouldn't teach me rock music because I was a girl. So I learned from records.

What other projects are you working on?

I've actually just finished recording a song for the Quatro sisters' documentary, Lost Girls, that I'm really excited about.

What’s your current setup like for playing live?

I use PRS and Hamer guitars combined with Peavey Triple X heads and Marshall bottoms. On my board, I have a Cry Baby Wah, Boss Equalizer and tuner, and that’s it. I rely on real raw playing and not some supplied, saturated sound rack.

Do you have any advice for young girls who want to play guitar?

Just being pretty and being able to shred isn't enough. Music is something you have to believe in. You need to live it. It's a feeling you have to make come across to the listener. If it's not reaching them, it's just a waste of time.

Rumor has it there's Madam X music that has never been released. What can you tell me about that?

In 1992, the original band went into the studio and recorded a six-song EP. The music really rocks, but we ended up not doing anything with it. I’ve thought about releasing it, but over the years everyone has been busy doing their own thing. When the time is right and everyone's ready, we'll decide what we want to do with it. I realize there's the whole “age thing” and that playing and doing what I'm doing now is gutsy.

I'm very lucky I'm able to still do things and people are able to hear it. With music, it doesn't matter how old you are. You can't stop rock and roll.

For more about Maxine Petrucci, visit her official website or Facebook page.

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.

The all-new July 2013 issue of Guitar World magazine is available now! This month's cover stars are Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath.

The new issue features Black Sabbath's amazing comeback, and Tony Iommi opens up about his fight with cancer and the struggle to make 13, the group's new record with Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler.

Guitar World's July 2013 issue also features Led Zeppelin's official photographer, Neal Preston, who reveals what went on behind the scenes in Led Zeppelin: Sound and Fury, his new, innovative digital book featuring more than 100 previously unpublished images of the band.

We've also got everybody's favorite guitar virtuoso, Joe Satriani, who lets his imagination and fingers run wild on his new album, Unstoppable Momentum. Satch also reveals the inspiration behind some the new album's key tracks.

Plus, Ghost B.C. on their new album, Infestissumam, Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts, an Anthrax set list, Dear Guitar Hero with Mick Jones and much more!

Gear reviews include new products by Strymon, Ibanez, Bugera, Traynor, Electro-Harmonix and Musicvox. Check out the July 2013 VIDEOS PAGE right here.

Four Songs with Tabs for Guitar and Bass!

• Jason Becker - "Perpetual Burn"
• Black Sabbath - "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
• AC/DC - "Girls Got Rhythm"
• Jason Aldean - "My Kinda Party"

The July 2013 issue of Guitar World is available now for $7.99 at newsstands and the Guitar World Online Store.

Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the exclusive premiere of "I'm No Angel," the latest music video by the Winery Dogs, a new power trio featuring guitarist Richie Kotzen (Mr. Big, Poison), bassist Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big) and drummer Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, Avenged Sevenfold).

The song is from the band's self-titled debut album, which will be released in North America July 23 via Loud & Proud Records. You can see the album's complete track listing below.

The Winery Dogs was self-produced and mixed by Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Stone Sour, Steel Panther).

"I'm No Angel" is the third music video to be released by the new band. You also can find the clips for "Desire" and "Elevate" under RELATED CONTENT to the left.

“I am so excited about the Winery Dogs and am proud and honored to be working with two of the greatest musicians on the planet," Portnoy said.

"Richie Kotzen is such an unbelievable talent, as a vocalist, guitarist and songwriter. I think the Winery Dogs will finally get him the attention and recognition that he so richly deserves. What can be said of Billy Sheehan that hasn't been said already? He is one the true pioneers of the instrument and a legend.”

Stay tuned for US tour news, which will be announced soon. For more information on the Winery Dogs, follow them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The Winery Dogs Track Listing:

01. Elevate / 02. Desire / 03. We Are One / 04. I’m No Angel / 05. The Other Side / 06. You Saved Me / 07. Not Hopeless / 08. One More Time / 09. Damaged / 10. Six Feet Deeper / 11. Criminal / 12. The Dying / 13. Regret

Photo: Travis Shinn

Way back in 1996, when Reverend Guitars founder Joe Naylor designed the first Reverend guitar, the philosophy was simple: Design the best guitar you know how to. Make it look cool and sound great, and put it out there and see what happens.

He wasn't too worried about the type of player or style of music they'd be suited for. So it's no wonder Reverend has been widely embraced by players of all genres. When people think of Reverend, quite often several key artists come to mind, such as country/roots legend Pete Anderson, blues slide master Rick Vito or the quirky Unknown Hinson.

But what many players don't realize is that Reverend has a long and admirable history in the heavy rock world — you know, the darker side of Reverend — and now offers more guitars than ever before for players who prefer crunch over twang.

You could say it started getting heavier in the early days of Reverend with the advent of Kid Rock. Mr. Rock and his lead guitar sidekick Kenny Olson employed Reverends on the 1998 rap-rock gem Devil Without a Cause and subsequent world tours, putting the upstart guitar company on the map. And remember, this is pre-country music Kid Rock, back when midgets, explosives, strippers and metal riffs were all part of the program!

Other notable rockers flying the Reverend flag during this era included Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Henning Rümenapp (Guano Apes), Ron Asheton (The Stooges), Michael Lutz (Ted Nugent, Brownsville Station) and regional favorites South Normal. The original semi-hollow/phenolic laminated Reverend design served these players well, but things were about to change — quite radically — and push Reverend further into the rock realm.

Reverend introduced its first solid-body guitars in 2005. The all-wood bodies offered more sustain, clarity and feedback resistance than the original design, immediately upping the appeal to punk rockers, metal heads, shredders and any other purveyors of high gain/high volume.

These new models, sporting monikers such as Jetstream, Charger, Flatroc, Warhawk, Sensei and Volcano, ushered in a new era of hard-rock Reverend users, a diverse list including Dan Auerbach (Black Keys), Bob Balch (Fu Manchu), Jeff Young (Megadeth), Eidan Thorr/Warren Hatfield (Valient Thorr), J. Navarro (Suicide Machines), Scott Sargeant (M.O.D.), Dave Smalley/Sam Williams (Down By Law), Zach Meyers (Shinedown), Bill Kelliher (Mastodon) and many more.

But probably the most significant endorsement was that of Ron Asheton, lead guitarist of proto-punk pioneers the Stooges. Their reunion and tours of the mid 2000s, along with the release of 2007's The Weirdness, put Reverend guitars front and center — in the hands of a bona fide history maker — giving Reverend street cred and worldwide exposure in the heavy rock market.

Ron passed away in 2009, but his memory lives on with the Reverend Ron Asheton Signature guitar, which is still in production, with proceeds going to the Ron Asheton Foundation, which benefits music education and the Humane Society.

While the introduction of the Reverend solid-body opened the door to the rock world, a more recent technological development is sure to solidify Reverend's reputation in the collective skulls of rockers, now and in the future: the Railhammer Pickup.

A radical, patent-pending humbucker from Joe Naylor, the Railhammer is, well, baffling at first glance. Thin rails reside underneath the wound strings, while oversize round poles are positioned beneath the plain strings. But there's a method to the madness, assures Naylor: "The thin rails sense a narrow section of string, producing a tight, clear tone. The large poles sense a wide section of string, producing a fat, thick tone. The biggest drawback with humbuckers is the low strings can sound mushy, and when you re-adjust your amp to tighten that up, then the high strings sound too bright and thin. With the Railhammer, the tonal balance is perfect. They sound great clean or dirty, but with distortion and/or dropped tunings, the clarity is a major advantage. It's a game changer."

In 2012, Reverend launched the first production guitar in the world to use Railhammer pickups, the Sensei RA, which quickly caught on with the heavy-rock crowd. This was shortly followed by the Reeves Gabrels II Signature guitar. Gabrels — lead guitarist in the Cure and a Bowie/Tin Machine alumnus — embraced the design concept. "The Railhammer is something of a breakthrough," he said. "The unwound strings sound fatter; you really notice it as you go up the neck, and the wound strings have incredible definition, even if you palm-mute."

Inspired to push the envelope even further, Reverend rolled out over a dozen new rock-friendly models at Winter NAMM 2013. The successful Sensei and Volcano series were expanded, while the classic Warhawk received a major makeover.

Two brand-new, modern-leaning designs made their debut as well: the stealthy, set-neck Bayonet, and the hot-rodded, bolt-on Kingbolt. The response? Very positive so far, with new artists coming on board such as Alex Bailey/Josh Middleton (Sylosis), Alex Asch/Robert McDonald (Cinema Sleep), Eden Gallup (In Tyler We Trust), Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), to name just a few.

Reverend events/marketing coordinator Penny Haas reflects on the new influx of talent: "It's refreshing to see a new wave of heavy rock players coming to Reverend. And I'm proud to say we've expanded our market without compromising who we are. The new designs are cutting edge, but they're Reverends through and through."

Well put, and kudos to the Rev.

And as a very wise man once said, "Rock on."

Marsh Gooch is a graphic designer and writer from Seattle who has been playing guitar and bass "for an awfully long time." Currently the bassist in King County Queens, he's held marketing positions with ESP Guitars, Ampeg, Line 6 and Reverend Guitars. He rocks to all kinds of music, especially classic and punk rock, and actually prefers the Damned over the Beatles. At least half the time. He can be reached via his web site, marshallgooch.com.

The following content is related to the July 2013 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now, or in our online store.

One of the things I enjoy about metal lead guitar is that most of the time I’m soloing over power chords, which consist of a root note and a perfect fifth above it (for example, an E5 power chord is comprised of the notes E and B above it). With no thirds, sevenths or other notes included in the backing power chords, I have the freedom as a soloist to inject minor or major thirds and sixth and sevenths into my solo lines without them clashing with the chords. In this month’s column, I’d like to focus on two of my favorite scales for soloing that include the above-mentioned intervals: harmonic minor and its fifth mode, Phrygian dominant.

The harmonic minor scale comes from the classical music tradition, and its interval formula is spelled 1 2 f3 4 5 f6 7. FIGURE 1a illustrates the A harmonic minor scale (A B C D E F Gs) played in one octave in fifth position, with each note’s function, or scale degree, indicated below the tab. FIGURE 1b shows the scale played up and down through two and a half octaves, starting in fifth position and gradually moving up to seventh position and back. Practice this scale pattern repeatedly, striving for clear articulation, while memorizing the note sequence and fingering pattern.

The following content is related to the February 13 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now, or in our online store.

I recently had the honor of watching Steve Vai during an unaccompanied soundcheck and was surprised by what I heard. There was something different about his sound, a ballsy low-mid energy that gave his tone the kind of depth and earthy elements it had back in his mid-Eighties Flex-Able/David Lee Roth period. I later learned that the source of this scorching tone is Vai’s new set of DiMarzio Gravity Storm pickups. Whereas his Evolution pickups featured cutting attack, in-your-face presentation and extremely dense upper harmonics, the Gravity Storms are warm and fat, with a kicking low-end edge.

Guitar legend Yngwie Malmsteen performed the National Anthem before last night's Miami Marlins game at Marlins Park.

You can check out the video, which was posted on Malmsteen's official YouTube page, below.

This was the second time Malmsteen performed the National Anthem for the Marlins. The team has even honored the guitarist with a "No. 1" Marlins jersey.

By the way, the Marlins lost to the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-2.

Missed this past weekend's Sasquatch! Music Festival at The Gorge Amphitheatre in Gorge, Washington? Well, don't worry, we've got ya covered.

We'll be posting a few galleries of highlights from the four-day show, which featured an eclectic lineup of indie/folky bands: from Mumford & Sons, Sigur Ros and Vampire Weekend to Elvis Costello, Arctic Monkeys, Red Fang, Edward Sharpe and much, much more.

In the first installment (below), check out shots of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Elvis Costello, Mumford & Sons, Primus, Shovels & Rope, the Tallest Man on Earth ... along with a bunch of concert goers having a blast.

All photos by Robert Delahanty.

Seymour Duncan has introduced the Sentient 7 & 8 String Neck Pickup.

From Seymour Duncan:

When you're a seven-string player, you need a lot from your pickups. You need them to be able to handle the full sonic range, from the lowest of lows to the most screaming highs.

You need them to be adaptable, because seven-stringers tend to explore a wide range of styles, sometimes within a single song. And more than anything, you need them to be articulate: to connect directly to your psyche and then to take your innermost feelings and send them screaming out of your amplifier for your audience to hear.

That's what the Sentient is for.

The Sentient is a neck pickup that pairs equally well with the Pegasus (for prog rock and modern metal) and the Nazgûl (for aggressive metal). It's voiced to capture a blend of vintage PAF and modern tones with enough output to deliver harmonically rich distorted lead tones, but subtle enough to give you deep, detailed cleans. Think of it as combining the best qualities of the '59 Model and the Jazz: clarity, detail, depth, attack and expression.

The Sentient is available for both 7- and 8-string guitars and also comes in an active mount (soapbar sized) version for those who own a guitar that came with active pickups.

For more information, visit seymourduncan.com.

Joe Satriani has announced the complete itinerary for his upcoming North American tour, which will include his first-ever cross-Canada trek.

The tour, which is in support of his Satriani's new album, Unstoppable Momentum, is set to launch August 29 in San Diego. It will crisscross its way across the US and visit many Canadian cities for the first time. The North American tour will end with a show on October 26 in Oakland, California. Be sure to check out the complete itinerary below.

Joining Satriani on the road are Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa, Steve Vai) on keyboards, plus bassist Bryan Beller (Dethklok, Dweezil Zappa) and drummer Marco Minnemann (Adrian Belew, Steve Wilson).

For album, tour and ticket information, visit satriani.com.

Joe Satriani’s Unstoppable Momentum Tour Itinerary (* featuring Steve Morse Band as support thru Portland, Maine):

August 29 Balboa Theatre San Diego, CA *
August 30 Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort Las Vegas, NV *
August 31 Orpheum Theatre Los Angeles, CA *
September 1 Talking Stick Resort Ballroom Scottsdale, AZ *
September 2 Kiva Auditorium Albuquerque, NM *
September 4 Historic Paramount Theatre Denver, CO *
September 5 Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center Midland, TX *
September 6 Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie Grand Prairie, TX *
September 7 House of Blues Houston, TX *
September 8 Austin City Limits – Moody Theatre Austin, TX *
September 10 House of Blues New Orleans, LA *
September 11 Ruth Eckerd Hall Clearwater, FL *
September 12 Parker Playhouse Ft. Lauderdale, FL *
September 13 Hard Rock Live Orlando, FL *
September 14 Saenger Theatre Pensacola, FL *
September 15 Symphony Hall Atlanta, GA *
September 17 War Memorial Auditorium Nashville, TN *
September 18 Chicago Theatre Chicago, IL *
September 19 Lakewood Civic Auditorium Lakewood, OH *
September 20 Taft Theatre Cincinnati, OH *
September 21 Wings Stadium Kalamazoo, MI *
September 22 Macomb Music Theatre Mt. Clemens, MI
September 24 Carolina Theatre Durham, NC *
September 25 Warner Theatre Washington, DC *
September 26 Beacon Theatre New York, NY *
September 27 Orpheum Theatre Boston, MA*
September 28 Tower Theatre Upper Darby, PA *
September 29 Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead Munhall, PA *
October 1 Center for the Arts Buffalo, NY *
October 2 Palace Theatre Albany, NY *
October 3 State Theatre Portland, ME *
October 4 Casino New Brunswick New Brunswick, NB
October 5 Rebecca Cohn Auditorium Halifax, NS
October 7 Le Capitole De Quebec Quebec City, QC
October 8 National Arts Centre Southam Hall Ottawa, ON
October 9 St. Denis Theatre Montreal, QC
October 10 Centre in the Square Kitchener, ON
October 11 Massey Hall Toronto, ON
October 14 Burton Cummings Theatre Winnipeg, MB
October 15 TCU Place Saskatoon, SK
October 16 Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium Edmonton, AB
October 17 Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium Calgary, AB
October 19 Vogue Theatre Vancouver, BC
October 21 The Fox Theater Spokane, WA
October 22 Paramount Theatre Seattle, WA
October 23 Historic Elsinore Theatre Salem, OR
October 25 Vina Robles Amphitheatre Paso Robles, CA
October 26 Fox Theater Oakland, CA

Go to satriani.com for individual markets on-sale and ticket information.

Photo: Daniel Robert Dinu

Our recent story about Jimmy Page's five best guitar solos as a member of the Yardbirds got us thinking about another legendary pre-Led Zeppelin recording featuring Page.

This project, however, features all four members of Led Zeppelin — Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham — recording together before there even was a Led Zeppelin.

While still in "New Yardbirds" mode, the four pre-Zeps took part in the August 1968 recording sessions for P.J. Proby’s 1969 album, Three Week Hero.

As Dangerous Minds recently wrote, Page and Jones were successful session musicians at this point, and when Jones got the Proby gig, he invited his fellow New Yardbirds along. The Dangerous Minds story also quotes Jones as saying, “I was committed to doing all the arrangements for the album. As we were talking about rehearsing at the time, I thought it would be a handy source of income. I had to book a band anyway, so I thought I’d book everybody I knew.”

The sessions started August 25, 1968, and led to an album that didn't cause much of a stir when it was released the following April.

“The boys told me they were going over to play in San Francisco and all that, and I said, ‘Look, from what I’ve heard and the way you boys played tonight, not only are you not going to be my backing band, I’m going to say goodbye right now, because I don’t think I’m ever going to see you again'," Proby says in the DM story.

"'That’s how successful you’re going to be. You’re exactly what they want, you play all that psychedelic stuff and everything.' I said, ‘You’re going to go over there and go down so great I don’t think you’re ever going to come home.’ They didn’t ever come back until they changed their name to Led Zeppelin and stayed over there and came back huge huge stars. … I said goodbye that day when I cut that album, and I haven’t seen one of them since.”

Check out some samples from the album (and a non-album B-side) below.

"Jim's Blues"

Is there any doubt this is Led Zeppelin? This is part of the eight-minute medley that closed the album. I admit, this track really "shook me" ... all night long.

“The Day That Lorraine Came Down”

Here's track two from the Proby album, which was released on CD in 1994. It's easy to picture Plant on vocals — not that there's anything wrong with Proby's voice.

"Mery Hopkins Never Had Days Like These"

Here's a non-album B-side from the same sessions. This song is interesting because Proby calls out each member of the band, who then plays a little solo, starting with bassist John Paul Jones. By the way, for a little more info about about the album, check out the Dangerous Minds story and good ol'Wikipedia. (PS: It seems the word "Mery" in the song title is supposed to be spelled like that; it's obviously a fun reference to then-popular Welsh singer Mary Hopkin.)

Damian Fanelli is the online managing editor at Guitar World.

Learn how to play Neil Young's classic track from his 1970 album, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.

PART ONE (Tuning/Intro)

PART TWO (Verse)

PART THREE (Bridge)

PART FOUR (Arpeggiation)

PART FIVE (Solo)

PART SIX (Outro)

The following content is related to the July 2013 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now, or in our online store.

Two of the most important and effective elements in creating expressive improvisations are the incorporation of dynamics and groove. Dynamics—the use of variations in volume and articulation that can span from quiet, delicate and gentle to loud, forceful and aggressive—and groove—the way in which a player chooses to place the notes against the backbeat—are both key aspects of musicality that come into play.

Awareness of one’s rhythmic pacing, or time, and the way in which it connects with a rhythm section is among the most important aspects of ensemble playing. It’s very beneficial to record yourself both when practicing and when playing with other musicians. When you listen back, you’ll be able to listen more objectively and hear if you’re playing in the pocket or if you’re rushing or slowing down, and this will serve to heighten your awareness to your groove overall.

PART ONE

PART TWO

Below, Guitar World picks the 10 essential country shred guitar songs. Enjoy!

Joe Maphis, “Flying Fingers”
Flying Fingers

The link between blazing acoustic bluegrass and electrified country shred began with Joe Maphis and his furious flatpicking on songs like “Flying Fingers,” which he recorded in 1956.

Maphis played both the six-string track and overdubbed octave-guitar unison track using both necks of his custom Mosrite double-neck guitar. During the Fifties, Maphis frequently performed on the Town Hall/Ranch Party television program, shredding the strings along with guests that included Ricky Nelson and a 12-year-old Larry Collins.

[[ For an interview with Brad Paisley, check out the May 2013 issue of Guitar World. The issue also includes features on 10 Pieces of Gear Essential to Modern Country Guitar Tone and more! Check out the issue at the Guitar World Online Store. ]]

Phil Baugh, “Country Guitar”
Live Wire

Phil Baugh’s original Country Guitar album released in 1965 features numerous dazzling instrumentals, like “The Finger,” but the centerpiece is the title track where he performs uncanny imitations of several guitarists, including Chet Atkins, Billy Byrd, Hank Garland, Les Paul and Merle Travis, who all are worthy of inclusion on this list.

Baugh played on Merle Haggard’s early Bakersfield singles during the Sixties and during the Seventies moved to Nashville, where he played on sessions for countless hit records.

Jimmy Bryant, “Down Yonder”
Fastest Guitar in the Country

Jimmy Bryant (guitar) and Speedy West (pedal steel) recorded incredible instrumental duets during the Fifties that still sound amazing, but Bryant also released some great, overlooked albums on his own during the Sixties.

“Down Yonder” from the aptly titled Fastest Guitar in the Country album downplays his usual jazzy flourishes in favor of genuine country twang played in Bryant’s inimitable lightning fast style. Bonus points for the ultra-cool Voxmobile on the cover, which Batmobile and Dragula designer George Barris built for Bryant.

Albert Lee, “Fun Ranch Boogie”
Gagged But Not Bound

“Country Boy,” which Lee first recorded with Head Hands & Feet in 1971, has become his signature tune, but this song also provides fine examples of Lee’s ultra-precise banjo-style hybrid picking and tasteful melodic sensibilities.

“Albert Lee always sounds like Albert Lee,” Brad Paisley says in the May 2013 issue of Guitar World. “His style has evolved into more of a Strat-based sound using the bridge and middle pickup than the twangy Tele tone he used to play.”

Steve Morse, “John Deere Letter”
>Out Standing in Their Field

Morse has usually included at least one bona fide country shred tune on his albums going all the way back to his recordings with the Dixie Dregs in the Seventies (“Gina Lola Breakdown” and “Pride O’ the Farm” being great examples).

This song from his latest Steve Morse Band effort proves that his hyperspeed chicken pickin’ keeps getting better.

Hellecasters, “Orange Blossom Special”
The Return of the Hellecasters

Emerging toward the tail end of the shred phenomenon in the early Nineties, this all-star guitar trio consisting of Jerry Donahue, John Jorgenson and Will Ray showed that country boys could not only play as well as the rockers, but they could also do it with a lot more style, originality, humor and panache.

“It’s hard to beat the Hellecasters,” Paisley says. “John Jorgenson is my number-one favorite guitarist. He’s what I’m trying to be.”

Michael Lee Firkins, “Big Red”
Chapter Eleven

Most of the tracks that Firkins recorded in the Nineties fit perfectly with the Shrapnel label’s then-current roster of metal/fusion players, but this Nebraska born-and-bred player couldn’t resist revealing his country and bluegrass chops on occasion.

This track is one of his more straight-up country jams, with clean tone as sharp as a Bowie knife.

Johnny Hiland, “Barnyard Breakdown”
All Fired Up

One of the most impressive guitarists to emerge on the Nashville scene in recent years, Hiland can be heard tearing it up with Hank Williams III, on sessions with Toby Keith, Randy Travis and others, and even in downtown Nashville’s Lower Broadway honky-tonks.

Hiland can play any style of music better than most, but when it comes to country he’s simply untouchable.

Brad Paisley, “Cluster Pluck”
Play—The Guitar Album

This instrumental jam featuring Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, Albert Lee, John Jorgenson, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert and Steve Wariner provides a great introduction to almost every current country shredder you should know.

“Those guys are all my influences,” Paisley says. “Nobody really outplays anybody else, but when James put on his fingerpicks and did all those bends, double bends and weird arpeggios, I knew that everybody in the room wanted to be him.”

Marty Stuart, “Hollywood Boogie”
Nashville, Volume 1: Tear the Woodpile Down

The incredible Kenny Vaughan and legendary Marty Stuart go head-to-head on this blazing instrumental that pays tribute to the Fifties recordings of Joe Maphis and Jimmy Bryant while adding their own modern flourishes.

Playing Clarence White’s iconic Telecaster, Stuart’s tone remains the ultimate definition of “twang.”

NOTE: In the video below, the action begins around 1:10, so you might want to skip ahead.

A couple of months ago, I started a studio diary documenting the process of recording a new album with White Wizzard. I covered everything from pre-production to instrument tracking.

Now I will discuss the final stages of music production — mixing and mastering.

After tracking all the instruments and vocals, the next step is to mix everything into a single stereo track. Sometimes a band may hire a separate mixing engineer and attend the mixing sessions. However, with the advances in technology, it's become very common for bands to mix with an engineer via email, depending on their budget. The band will send the individual tracks, then the engineer will mix and email the band with "mix references."

The band and engineer will then email back and forth until they are happy with the mix. With White Wizzard, we tracked with our producer in another state and after tracking, returned home. He then mixed the songs and emailed us the mixes so we could suggest edits. This took about a month to complete.

The process of mixing is very complicated and an art in itself. On a basic level, every track will be treated with different amounts of equalization (EQ), compression, reverb and effects. Then the volume will be adjusted to balance with the other instruments. For those who own recording software, you will know a lot more about the process. The main goal is to create a mix of instruments that works well and enhances the song to its full potential.

When every track is mixed, the final stage of the audio production is the mastering. As with the mixing, this is a complicated process that requires a separate mastering engineer. With mastering, you take each mix and sequence them to the correct order in which they should appear on the album. Each track will receive additional precessing, such as EQ, and compression and all the track volumes will be adjusted to a uniform level.

With the final master, your album is ready to be produced into a sellable product. Our album will be available on CD and vinyl as well as MP3. It was a great experience to record my first album with the band, and I am very satisfied with the results. If you read my previous studio diary, you will know I tracked all my guitars at my home studio; I even provided a video demonstrating my setup.

Now, with the finished mixes, I wanted to show you how I take my recorded DI guitar signal then re-amp through a Marshall JCM 800 and how it sounds mixed into the actual song.

To finish, here is a full track from the album, which will be released June 25 in the US via Century Media/Earache Records. Soon I will make some lessons demonstrating how to play some of the solos from the album. Cheers!

Will Wallner is a guitarist from England who now lives in Los Angeles. He recently signed a solo deal with Polish record label Metal Mind Productions for the release of his debut album, which features influential musicians from hard rock and heavy metal. He also is the lead guitarist for White Wizzard (Earache Records) and toured Japan, the US and Canada in 2012. Follow Will on Facebook and Twitter.

There are tribute bands that perform as a full-time profession and convert it into a profitable business, even as their goal remains to pay homage to the original bands. Then there are bands that do the same thing but keep in local and fairly underground.

Southern California’s premiere Metallica tribute band, Damage Inc., falls into the latter category. This band has been going strong for more than four years, playing shows in and around Orange County at places ranging from the House of Blues to weekend swap meets.

Right from the beginning, their motive has been to honor their favorite band. Invariably, their shows have been free, and they still are.

They recently got chosen to be on AXS TV’s World’s Greatest Tribute Bands series. They took the stage at West Hollywood’s Roxy Theater on May 20 to show their wares to the packed house — plus the millions of people hooked onto the live broadcast.

Unlike at the Doors tribute show I reviewed a few weeks back, the crowd for Damage Inc. didn't need encouragement or prompting from AXS TV hostess Katie Daryl. Damage Inc. have a fan following that’s already loud enough to be appropriate for such an occasion. Their fans had gathered in huge numbers, many of them making the drive from OC to Hollywood, and they were all waiting to witness the band’s 60 minutes in the spotlight.

Despite the fact that this band isn’t the full-time profession of any of the members — including vocalist/guitarist Christopher Knight, his brother and bassist Kevin Knight, guitarist Chris Brightwell and drummer Tone DeCorte — their A-to-Z mastery of Metallica’s material has always amazed me, and this was their chance to revel in a celebration of their passion.

Even though they get into several of Metallica’s "deep cuts" in their regular shows, they kept the set list extremely standard at this show, keeping in mind the prospect of playing to their largest audience ever and being sensitive to the tastes of the mainstream Metallica fan. They busted out "Enter Sandman,""Wherever I May Roam" and "Fuel" to start and settled into a nice groove thereafter.

Other than the fact that Chris Knight happens to resemble James Hetfield, Damage Inc. don't focus on the appearance aspect of Metallica as much as they do on the music. They were able to nail every single part of the older material, including the nuances the original band brings to their live shows, which also showed how thoroughly Damage Inc. have studied Metallica over the years.

The performance was faultless, and each member expressed the on-stage mannerisms required to pay a fitting tribute to Metallica. Chris Brightwell and his Kirk Hammett signature guitar seemed a match made in heaven, as he gelled brilliantly with his three bandmates. The fans loved every minute of it and — rather surprisingly — followed the protocol of "no moshing."

Granted, the set list was an overload of Metallica’s popular songs, but Damage Inc. compelled everyone to enjoy the show regardless. I'd like to thank them for not including "Sad But True" and "The Memory Remains" in the set.

All in all, it was a tremendous performance by Damage Inc., completely deserving of the national TV spot.

For more about the band, visit their official website and Facebook page.

Set List:

01. Enter Sandman
02. Wherever I May Roam
03. Fuel
04. Master Of Puppets
05. One
06. Fade To Black
07. For Whom The Bell Tolls
08. Seek And Destroy
09. Creeping Death

Andrew Bansal is a writer who has been running his own website, Metal Assault, since early 2010, and has been prolific in covering the hard rock and heavy metal scene by posting interviews, news, reviews and pictures on his website — with the help of a small group of people. He briefly moved away from the Los Angeles scene and explored metal in India, but he is now back in LA continuing from where he left off.

“I’m just now starting to get somewhere.”

That’s Sam Bush in reference to his seventh solo album, Circles Around Me. With so much history — co-founder of the New Grass Revival, in-demand studio and live musician, fiddle champion, Grammy winner and much more — was he really only feeling that way within the past few years?

“I tend to rejuvenate every so often,” he says. “I do different projects and move in different circles. I started out in high school playing my mandolin and being progressive that way, and I do feel comfortable as a singer and player, sure.”

GUITAR WORLD: You’ve been making music pretty much your entire life. What has changed and what has stayed same?

Hopefully, the writing is getting better. It’s hard to know, but it’s interesting to me that some people say the last one I made is the most bluegrass I’ve done, and some say it might be the most progressive. I’ve dabbled in reggae, rock and roll, South African, jazz, rock, I played with Jean-Luc Ponty on a record. If anything has helped my growth, it’s playing with my band. We gel together so well and we can now make a sound together that’s very comfortable as players onstage.

Do you still have to woodshed or are the gigs enough?

I do 80 or so shows a year, I play on sessions, but I never feel like I’m playing enough. I always like to play more. I play mandolin and sometimes practice guitar, and if I’m singing, I play guitar. I tend to work on finger exercises and callous-building with the mandolin to keep my hands ready to play.

With such a wealth of material, how do you select your set list?

I have a bank of tunes for different situations. There’s a circle of excitement between a band and an audience, and it’s up to us to start it. If we get a good connection going with the audience, they feel that too.

Have musicians lost the great art of jamming?

It still goes on, especially in this genre. Plus, when the time allotment is there, I like to end my set by getting a cluster jam onstage and getting all the musicians onstage. So really, in the acoustic world I’m in, we jam and have fun with different groups. If you pay attention, there’s something you can learn from every musician you hear, even if only a couple of licks appeal to you. When you play in different musical situations, you can only improve. It’s up to you whether you incorporate what you learn or not. The interaction with other musicians keeps things fresh.

Is there is a tendency within the industry to underestimate the tastes of the general public?

I keep aware of the fact that I need an audience with open ears. I played at the Ozarks for a very young audience and they are not concerned if it’s bluegrass or what it is. We play a good variety of music within one show, so really, I tend to give the audience a lot of credit that they are educated in a lot of different styles of music. Either it feels good to you and the audience or it does not. I have a bank of tunes, and in certain situations there’s a circle of excitement, but it’s up to us to start it. If we get a good connection going with the audience, they feel that too.

But sometimes it takes a whole different audience for music to get recognized. Bluegrass and acoustic music — it was not lost on me that a film comes along like O Brother, Where Art Thou and uses that music and makes it part of the story. Bonnie and Clyde used music by Flatt and Scruggs. Deliverance had “Dueling Banjos,” and that song was on the radar on rock and roll radio stations. Audiences like hearing the sounds when they can get exposed to them.

You credit your band as key to your musical growth. Your name is out front, but clearly they’re integral to your sound.

They are the most important part of my sound. A band is the exciting part of playing live. I have no interest in playing by myself. The joy of music is the interaction with other musicians. I play rhythm when they take solos. We’re together; they’re not a backup band. I think it starts with trusting each other musically. I respect them totally.

We all want to get up there and do our best. Some days are better than others, but I’m proud that everybody always puts their best foot forward. We urge each other on. When one of us plays a phrase they hadn’t played before, or you notice how well someone is playing, it’s joyful and it makes you want to join in.

Read more of Sam Bush’s interview right here.

— Alison Richter

Alison Richter interviews artists, producers, engineers and other music industry professionals for print and online publications. Read more of her interviews right here.

Black Sabbath's new album, 13, which won't be released until June 11, is streaming for free in its entirety at iTunes as of 4 p.m. EST today.

The album is also already available as an iTunes pre-order. You can listen to it — and/or buy it — at this location.

Also, fans who pre-order the standard or deluxe edition (which happens to include three bonus tracks), will immediately receive a download of the album’s first single, “God is Dead?”

The album will be released June 11 on Vertigo (worldwide) and Vertigo/Republic in the US.

Next month, look for Black Sabbath to launch a 20-city North American concert tour in support of 13. Kicking off July 25 in Houston, the tour will include shows in Holmdel, New Jersey; Los Angeles; Philadelphia; Boston and more before wrapping up September 3.

The July 2013 issue of Guitar World, featuring our interview with Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, is available now for $7.99 at newsstands and the Guitar World Online Store.