There is a growing perception that music (and writers) have no intrinsic value. I have people all the time encouraging me to give a song away or to come play a show for free.

I have actually had people get offended when I told them I wouldn’t come play somewhere for nothing. They tell me that I will be getting great “exposure” for my music. Meanwhile, they are packing the house and making lots of money on drinks, food and cover charges.

Some believe that songs themselves and songwriters are just "loss leaders" that get people to buy something else. I, for one, am offended when someone wants to use me and my music to make a profit without compensating me in any way.

Just like Walmart might advertise Coke products at below their cost for a week, just to get people to come in and buy other items - they think that songs should be given away to get people to buy concert tickets, t-shirts, food, beer etc.

I want to challenge our community to think of it in a different way. I believe your songs and YOU are the REAL value in the whole equation. Your songs are worth something. Your time is worth something.

In any business, you have to do things in the beginning just to get your name out there, or to let people hear your music. They will never want to buy it if they never get to hear it. I’m not saying that you should never play a show for free, or that you should never give away a song.

I AM saying that YOU help set the perceived value for your music. If it’s ALWAYS free, then that’s what it’s worth. $0.

However, if you give away songs and time strategically, you can gain loyal fans that will buy your music and support you in an ongoing way. To me, that and charity are the only reasons to give my time or my songs away. If I’m playing for a good cause and the money is going to help someone in need, that’s an awesome use of my gifts. Helping a bar make money off of me is not a good cause.

My strategy is this. I give my time away playing for good causes. That gives me all the exposure I need. If other people want me to play, and there’s really nothing that helps my career in regard to the show, I either get paid or I don’t play.

That helps establish a value for my time and my music. And, it actually creates more demand than if I played free shows all over town.

And, I only give away songs for 1) a good cause, 2) to help a new artist, 3) to get people interested enough to by some more of my music.

Don’t buy into the idea that your songs should be given away. That sets the value of your labor and your heart-felt work at zero. Whether or not you have had a cut, your music and your time are worth something! If you don’t believe it, why should anyone else?

Write on!

Marty Dodson

Marty Dodson is a songwriter, corporate trainer and entrepreneur. His songs have been recorded by artists such as Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Joe Cocker, Leon Russell and The Plain White T’s. He once bumped Psy out of the #1 spot on the K-Pop charts but that’s another story for another day. Marty plays Taylor and Batson guitars. Follow him here: www.facebook.com/songtownusa, at www.facebook.com/martydodsonsongwriter and at Twitter @SongTownUSA or visit martydodson.com

Metallica's James Hetfield recently visited Guitar Center in San Francisco (where I tried out, and almost bought, a very nice Gretsch 6120 about 11 years ago).

The guitarist, who sat in the store's "little room," shared stories about his early fears, becoming a musician and rising to fame. He even played some guitar!

All the while, customers shopped in the store with no idea that a member of Metallica was supplying those loud riffs they heard in the background.

In the 13-minute clip, which you can check out below, Hetfield is playing his new ESP Iron Cross signature model in a lovely Snow White finish (Check out the NAMM photo gallery below, which includes photos of the ESP and LTD versions of this model).

For more about the ESP version of this guitar, which was introduced at the 2014 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, last month, visit espguitars.com.

For more about ESP's new NAMM offerings, head here, and check out RELATED CONTENT to the left (under the photo of Hetfield).

Below, check out a clip of Jimi Hendrix's last interview, which was recorded September 11, 1970, by NME’s Keith Allston. The guitarist died a week later at age 27.

When GuitarWorld.com shared this interview several months ago, Hendrix's answers were accompanied only by black-and-white photos and some ugly typeface at the beginning of the clip.

Now, however, the audio clip has been animated by Patrick Smith and re-published to YouTube on February 4. This new version of the video, which is part of PBS Digital Studios'Blank on Blank series, was executive produced by David Gerlach.

It's well known that Hendrix was set on branching out into a new musical phase in his later years, with collaborations with Miles Davis — and even Paul McCartney, apparently— in the planning or near-planning stages.

In the interview, Hendrix is contemplative and not totally sure where he’s bound next. He's also pretty funny, as the following exchange proves:

Do you feel personally that you have enough money to live comfortably without necessarily making more as a sort of professional entertainer?

Ah, I don’t think so, not the way I’d like to live, because like I want to get up in the morning and just roll over in my bed into an indoor swimming pool and then swim to the breakfast table, come up for air and get maybe a drink of orange juice or something like that. Then just flop over from the chair into the swimming pool, swim into the bathroom and go on and shave and whatever.

Here's something for guitarists of any level, beginner to advanced.

In virtually any rock/metal solo, there's always room for pentatonic licks. Even if you prefer to solo with neoclassical or exotic scales, throwing in the occasional pentatonic lick will beef up your solos and make them more interesting.

As an example, think about Yngwie Malmsteen. He basically defined the neoclassical shred style of guitar playing, but he often incorporates pentatonic patterns into his solos.

For me, as a listener, these would always jump out at me as a pleasant dynamic. Whenever I'm soloing, if I want to inject some energy or excitement I'll always play some sort of repetitive pentatonic pattern (played fast, of course)!

So here are some ideas for you. Some of you might've seen them before, but they're still very effective. In fact, for beginner guitarists, these licks are a great way to start developing speed. Each one is based on a simple pattern I repeat as often as needed, and all of them are based around shape 1 of the pentatonic scale. For this lesson, every lick will be in D minor, but you can move these to any key you wish very easily.

Example 1 is one of the most classic pentatonic rock patterns. It's a pattern of four notes played with a hammer-on and pull-off. Most of the work is done with the fretting hand so you can build speed easily. The key is to relax your fingers so when you execute the legato you don't tense up.

For this lick, I suggest you use only two fingers. Use your first finger anchored on the 10th fret on the high E. Then use your second or third finger to play all the other notes. Mastering this basic lick will open up a lot of other opportunities to play faster licks.

This second example is like the first but alternates the third note of each pattern between the 13th and 15th frets. This wide stretch can be tricky, but it's an example of how you can expand the idea once you have become tired of playing Example 1.

This is very similar to Example 1, using the same notes but in a different order and played differently. For this lick, you should anchor your first finger and follow the picking directions on the tab exactly. In bar 1 I play the basic pattern, then in bar 2 I expand the idea similar to Example 2.

Example 4 is a variation on last weeks 'quick licks' where I've substituted Pentatonic notes for diatonic notes. This is a bit harder but as long you can stretch and stay relaxed your fingers should execute the lick at great speed fairly easily.

Once you've mastered these four ideas, experiment with your own patterns. I'm sure you've seen these before in one form or another, but even if you only have a spare 10 minutes, why not give them a quick review? 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.

This video is bonus content related to the March 2014 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.

The traditional approach to creating high-gain pickups involved overwinding coils around heavy ceramic magnets.

This flame-thrower style of design is terrific for figuratively frying everything in the sonic path, but it noticeably decreases clarity, pick attack and dynamics, sacrificing musicality for the sake of intensity and volume.

Bare Knuckle’s new, hand-wound Juggernaut humbuckers—the signature pickup of Periphery’s virtuoso guitarist, Misha “Bulb” Mansoor—combine power and refinement equally, making them perfect for drop-tuned low notes and delivering the complex midrange and uncompressed pick attack preferred by today’s multi-genre artists.

From the very beginning of my guitar-playing history, picking away at older Metallica songs, I’ve always been drawn to interesting rhythms.

This interest eventually led me from metal into prog-metal (Dream Theater), prog-rock (Rush, Yes) and complex rhythm masters like Tool and Meshuggah.

But it wasn’t until a class in college called Dalcroze Eurthymics that I could really feel these rhythms.

In that class I learned two simple things: how to feel two and how to feel three.

In this post, I’d like to show you how these two simple rhythms can help you tackle any odd meter out there.

Two

What I’m calling “feeling in two” can also be called binary rhythm. This is when the beat of the song is divided into two smaller equal beats.

Binary rhythm is the kind of rhythm typically taught in elementary school music class. A whole note divides into half notes. Half notes divide into quarter notes. Quarter notes divide into eighth notes.

The two feel can be visualized as a metronome ticking, or a ball bouncing up and down. There’s a sense of back and forth, which is counted as "one-and, two-and, three-and, four-and."

Feeling two seems to be the most natural rhythm for a lot of people. It makes sense, given that we have two legs and basically walk in a two rhythm.

Try out this simple exercise on an E minor chord to get a feel for binary rhythm.

Three

“Feeling in three” can also be called ternary rhythm. In three, each beat of the song is divided into three smaller equal beats.

Ternary rhythm has more of a circular feel to it than the back and forth feeling of binary rhythm. Count "one-and-a, two-and-a, three-and-a, four-and-a," accenting the number each time.

In ternary rhythm the beat is written as a dotted quarter note, divided into three eighth notes.

Here’s another simple exercise designed to give you a basic feel for ternary rhythm.

Building Odd Rhythms

Step one for building odd rhythms is to make sure you can switch back and forth between binary and ternary feel at any time.

Repeat the binary exercise from above four times, and then switch into the ternary exercise while keeping the eighth note the same tempo. When that’s comfortable, try repeating each exercise only twice before switching. Finally, switch back and forth from binary to ternary with each repetition.

If you can switch between these two feels at any time then you can play any odd rhythm out there. Just break down the odd rhythm into twos and threes.

Five is just two plus three, or three plus two. Seven is just three, two, two. Or two, three, two. Or two, two, three.

Come up with your own odd rhythms by combining the binary and ternary rhythms from above. As the rhythm becomes comfortable, try different chord shapes.

For a challenge, give a listen to Dave Brubeck’s “Blue Rondo A La Turk,” and see if you can break the intro down into twos and threes. (Hint: Start off with two, two, two, three).

Image courtesy of James Lee

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.

Just like the headline says, here's a video of Gibson pranking Fender at the 2014 Winter NAMM Show, which took place last month in Anaheim, California.

We'll let you watch the action unfold.

All we'll say is that it involves an empty guitar display in the massive Fender room, a comedian named Jack Vale and a guitar from Gibson's new Double Diamond Series, which we spotted at the NAMM Show.

The clip also gives you an idea of what the Winter NAMM Show — or at least the Fender room — is like. Lots of people, lots of guitars, lots of walking around, shooting iPhone photos!

[[ Head HERE to watch a whole mess of prank-free gear videos from the 2014 Winter NAMM Show! ]] Enjoy!

This video is bonus content related to the March 2014 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.

Over the years, Taylor Guitars has celebrated milestones in its history by releasing anniversary-model instruments, but to mark its 40th anniversary in business, the company has completely redesigned its popular 800 Series guitars.

Taylor had previously used anniversary models to introduce new features and innovations, but the changes, modifications and innovations on the new 800 Series instruments are the company’s most significant and extensive ever.

With Andy Powers taking over from Bob Taylor as the company’s main guitar designer, and with the introduction of David Hoseler’s revamped Expression System, this is nothing less than an entirely new generation of Taylor guitars. As the 814ce is the best-selling model in Taylor’s 800 Series, we decided to check out the new version for this review.

For more information about Taylor's new 800 Series, visit taylorguitars.com.

Rhonda Vincent’s new album, Only Me, debuts at #1 on Billboard Bluegrass Album chart, ending a 4-month reign by Alan Jackson.

In addition, the critically acclaimed album, debuts on four other Billboard charts including: #10 Heatseekers, #36 Top Current Country Albums, #55 Top Country Albums, #60 Indie Albums.

"It's a dream come true!” says Rhonda Vincent. “I was hoping for a #1 CD with Only Me, but never expecting it after only 2 days of sales. This is unbelievable! "

In addition to and endorsement by country superstar Dolly Parton, the media is calling this “the perfect mix of country and bluegrass” (ParcBench).

The album features duets with both Willie Nelson and Daryle Singletary. Nelson said “Rhonda’s voice is beautiful. I am thankful for her letting me be a part of it all,” while Singletary said that he loves singing with Rhonda “cause she makes you bring your A game!!”

Rhonda Vincent is a busy woman! You can catch her on tour in the following cities:

Feb 14, 2014 – Asheville, NC – Bluegrass First Class
Feb 15, 2014 – Kinston, NC – Neuse River Music Fest w/ Gene Watson
Feb 16, 2014 – Newark, OH – Midland Theatre
Feb 21, 2014 – Bremen, GA – Mill Town Music Hall
Feb 22, 2014 – Palatka, FL – Rodeheaver Boys’ Ranch
Feb 23 – Mar 02, 2014 – Country’s Family Reunion/Larry’s Country Diner Caribbean Cruise
Mar 08, 2014 – Fulton, MS – Davis Event Center
Mar 14, 2014 – Hartselle, AL – Hartselle High School Theatre w/ Gene Watson
Mar 15, 2014 – Hurley, VA
Mar 16, 2014 – Appomattox, VA – Appomattox High School Auditorium
Mar 21, 2014 – Kent, OH – The Kent Stage
Mar 22, 2013 – Jim Thorpe, PA – Penn’s Peak
Mar 23, 2014 – Nelsonville, OH – Stuart’s Opera House
Mar 28, 2014 – Wilmington, OH – Roberts Convention Centre
Mar 29, 2014 – Naperville, IL – Great Northern Bluegrass Music Festival
Apr 03, 2014 – Stoughton, WI – Stoughton Opera House
Apr 04, 2014 – Grand Rapids, MN
Apr 11, 2014 – Pitman, NJ – Broadway Theatre of Pitman
Apr 12, 2014 – Decatur, IL
Apr 13, 2014 – Lawrenceburg, IN
Apr 24, 2014 – Burlington, VT – The Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
Apr 25, 2014 – Oneonta, NY – Foothills Performing Arts Center
Apr 26, 2014 – Cumberland, MD – Alleghany High School Auditorium
Apr 27, 2014 – South Pittsburg, TN – National Cornbread Festival
May 02, 2014 – Lincolnton, GA - Little Roy & Lizzy Bluegrass Festival w/ Gene Watson
May 03, 2014 – Princeton, WV – Chuck Mathena Center
May 04, 2014 – Winchester, VA – Apple Blossom Festival
May 08-10, 2014 – Branson, MO – Silver Dollar City
May 15, 2014 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theatre
May 16, 2014 – Gettysburg, PA – Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival
May 17, 2014 – Amelia, VA – Amelia Family Campground
May 22, 2014 – Curryville, MO – Back 40 Bluegrass Park
May 24, 2014 – Tightwad, MO – Truman Lake Opry
May 30, 2014 – Auburn, AL – Bluegrass on the Plains
May 31, 2014 – Columbus, MS
Jun 06, 2014 – Munfordville, KY – Green River Bluegrass Festival
Jun 07, 2014 – Princeton, KY – Pennington Folk Festival
Jun 13, 2014 – Princeton, KY – Pennington Folk Festival
Jun 27, 2014 – Grayson, KY – Rudy Fest
Jun 28, 2014 – Summersville, WV – Music in the Mountains Festival
Jul 02-06, 2014 – Queen City, MO – Sally Mountain Park
Jul 10, 2014 – Savannah, MO – The Dawg Daze of Summer Festival
Jul 12, 2014 – Centre Hall, PA – Remington Ryde Bluegrass Festival
Jul 19-26, 2014 – Country’s Family Reunion/Larry’s Country Diner Alaskan Cruise
Aug 09, 2014 – Greenwich, OH – Buckeye Bluegrass Festival
Aug 14, 2014 – Marion, NC – NC State Bluegrass Festival
Aug 15, 2014 – Gettysburg, PA – Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival
Aug 16, 2014 – Milan, MI – Milan Bluegrass Festival
Aug 29, 2014 – Brunswick, ME – Thomas Point Beach
Aug 30, 2014 – Woodstown, NJ – Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival
Sep 01, 2013 – Paducah, KY to Henderson, KY – American Queen Steamboat
Sep 04, 2014 – Shipshewana, IN
Sep 05, 2014 – Springfield, MO – Missouri State University
Sep 06, 2014 – Claremore, OK – Bluegrass & Chili Festival
Sep 09, 2014 – Henderson, KY to Paducah, KY – American Queen Steamboat
Sep 18, 2014 – Denton, NC – Denton Farm Park
Sep 19, 2014 – Kodak, TN – Dumplin Valley Bluegrass Festival
Sep 20, 2014 – Conway, MO – Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival
Sep 26, 2014 – Manteo, NC – Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival
Sep 27, 2014 – Buena Vista, VA – Nothin’ Fancy Bluegrass Festival
Sep 28, 2014 – Hermitage, TN – Grace Place Church
Sep 30, 2014 – Raleigh, NC – Raleigh Memorial Auditorium w/ Gene Watson
Oct 11, 2014 – Waldron, AR – Turkey Track Bluegrass Festival
Oct 17, 2014 – Farmers Branch, TX – Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival
Oct 18, 2014 – Lanexa, VA – Rockahock Bluegrass Festival
Oct 23, 2014 – Greenwood, SC – Greenwood-Lander Performing Arts
Oct 24, 2014 – Renfro Valley, KY – Renfro Valley Entertainment Center
Oct 25, 2014 – York, PA – TPC Banquet & Conference Center
Oct 25, 2014 – New Hope, PA - New Hope Winery
Nov 01, 2014 – Elkins, WV – American Mountain Theater
Nov 06, 2014 – Palatka, FL – Rodeheaver Boys’ Ranch
Nov 07, 2014 – Rock Hill, SC – Arts Council of York County
Nov 08, 2014 – Springfield, IL – Greater Downstate Bluegrass Festival
Nov 22, 2014 – Federalsburg, MD – A. Curtis Andrew Auction Facility
Nov 29, 2014 – Myrtle Beach, SC – Thanksgiving Bluegrass Festival

# # #

Learn more about Rhonda Vincent at www.rhondavincent.com

Check out this video created and posted by the gang at Spin.

In the clip, which was posted in November 2013, Yngwie Malmsteen teaches Spin senior editor — and self-declared guitar novice — David Marchese everything you need to know to shred like a guitar god.

Malmsteen pretty much covers all the bases, going from "bending in tune" to providing pointers on style and showmanship. I love how Marchese says "Good job!" at the end of the video.

Anyway, enjoy!

P.S.: I used to own the same DeArmond guitar Marchese is playing, although mine had Duo Sonic pickups. I sold mine for beer money in 2005. I know no one cares about this detail.

Have you ever wanted to learn the nuances of songwriting and the music business from one of greatest guitarists of all time?

Look no further than the inaugural Vai Academy Song Evolution Camp, which takes place June 23 to 27 in Saratoga Springs, New York.

And yes, that's Vai as in Steve Vai, the virtuoso guitarist, composer and producer. The camp is billed as the entire manual for being an independent musician — condensed into three days of classes.

The focus of the camp will be the evolution of a song. Attendees will learn how a song gets written, recorded, mixed, mastered, distributed and marketed. Camp admission includes lodging, meals, classes, live performances and jam sessions. Attendees who sign up by March 31 will receive a free Ibanez RG guitar, courtesy of Hoshino.

GuitarWorld.com recently spoke to Vai about his Song Evolution Camp. We also discussed his early practice regimen and what he considers to be the highlight of his career.

GUITAR WORLD: What made you decide to host a Song Evolution Camp?

Over the years, I've met and spoken with many young musicians, and what I've discovered is that a majority of them really want to understand the process of what it takes to write a song.

They want to learn about where the inspiration comes from, how to formulate it into a song and how to resonate with other musicians to create something new. There's a wealth of information that will give you clarity on how to capture your ideas and translate what you hear in your head into something that's real in the world. These are key things I believe every musician should understand.

What will a typical day at the camp be like?

Once campers arrive, we'll have a Q&A discussion for a few hours to be followed by three solid days of "curriculum." On day one, I'll talk about finding inspiration, writing songs and the various ways you can come up with ideas, as well as how to work with other people to share them. We'll actually use ideas from campers to build a song and then demo it.

You'll see firsthand the impetus of the song and how to formulate it into something that makes sense. We'll also have professionals on hand who will discuss the vital things you need to know about things like intellectual property rights and publishing.

On the second day, we'll actually record the song. That's where you'll get to see the entire process of recording, layering and how to decorate the stereo landscape. There will also be classes on engineering, producing and some of the aspects of being a producer and mastering.

On the third day, we'll take the finished song that's now been mixed and mastered and explore the various ways of making it available digitally around the world. Finally, we'll talk about how to market the song and the great tools that are available to help the artist have independence. And because I didn't want to exclude the importance of guitar lessons, every night there will also be a jam. We'll have amazing clinics with Vernon Reid, Jeff “Skunk" Baxter and Guthrie Govan.

Besides learning the craft, is there something else you'd like people to take away from the camp?

When you go through this camp, you may find a real attraction and particular clarity for certain aspects of what's being taught. I think one of the things that will be so powerful about this retreat is that it will help people identify with some of the other things in the music business that they really resonate with.

What was your practice regimen like when you were starting out?

A lot of my regimen was based on territories I wanted to cover. Sometimes it might be as mechanical and mundane as practicing an hour of exercises, followed by an hour of scale and then an hour of playing chords. Then afterwards, repeating the process using different exercises and scales. It was the development of technique that I really enjoyed. There was a real interest and reward from doing that and after a while, the reward became addictive.

I was also very fortunate that I never subscribed to the musical consensus of what people thought a guitarist should or shouldn't be. I always moved in a direction that was comfortable for me. There was no pressure to compete with anyone, and I had no expectation of being famous or having to fit in and as a result I started developing my own style.

Did you ever encounter dry spells when practicing?

I never really hit dry spells. There was always a great feeling of freedom whenever I played the guitar. There was never a time where I felt that I didn't want to play. Even today, there's that same pull from the instrument.

Do you ever see yourself working in another "front man" project?

I never rule out anything, but it would have to be an extraordinary situation where the people involved wanted to create something that was new, fresh and artistic. Unless there's something unique and fresh about it, you're really just wasting your potential.

Is there a personal highlight of your career that you treasure above all others?

On a musical level, I suppose the conventional answer would be to say, "Oh, I remember when I played this really big show!" But the real highlight for me is the inception of a fresh, new idea. Whenever I get inspired with a clear vision of an idea, enthusiasm and excitement kicks in. It’s pure creativity. That's the real highlight. For me, deep fulfillment comes from a really exciting idea crossing my mind. One that I know I can bring to life, and then make it happen.

For more information on the Vai Academy Song Evolution Camp, visit vaiacademy.com. For more about Vai, visit vai.com.

Photo: Neil Zlozower

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.

Nashville quintet The Wild Feathers have announced that they will perform an additional headlining show in New York City on May 15th at the Bowery Ballroom, giving those unable to score tickets to tonight's sold-out show at the Mercury Lounge an opportunity to see them.

Tickets go on-sale Friday, February 14th.

The band is currently on the road for a winter headlining tour presented by Filter that runs through SXSW. All dates are below.

The Wild Feathers are touring in support of their self-titled debut album, produced by Jay Joyce (Cage the Elephant, Emmylou Harris).

They have played well over 200 shows, with Gary Clark Jr., Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Dawes, Dwight Yoakam, and ZZ Ward, and stopped at the Austin City Limits festival, San Francisco's Outside Lands, Sasquatch and Hangout Festivals, Milwaukee's Summerfest, Louisville's Forecastle Festival, and Nashville's Live on the Green.

The Wild Feathers performed their acclaimed single "The Ceiling," which the Minneapolis Star Tribune called "perhaps the most elegantly crafted song of the year" on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Conan, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and the track won the Sirius Spectrum Award for Best Song Discovery.

Check it out here:

The Wild Feathers North American Tour Dates:

2/06 New York, NY Mercury Lounge SOLD OUT
2/07 Philadelphia, PA World Café Live
2/09 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall
2/10 Montreal, QC Belmont
2/12 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern
2/13 Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig
2/14 Indianapolis, IN Radio Radio SOLD OUT
2/15 Madison, WI Majestic Theatre
2/16 Chicago, IL Double Door
2/18 St. Paul, MN Turf Club
2/19 Lawrence, KS Granada Theatre
2/21 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre
2/23 Boise, ID Neurolux
2/25 Portland, OR Star Theater
2/26 Seattle, WA The Crocodile
2/27 Vancouver, BC Media Club
3/02 Sacramento, CA Harlows Night Club
3/03 San Francisco, CA The Independent
3/04 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
3/05 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
3/07 Tucson, AZ Club Congress
3/29 Charleston, SC Spring Jam Music Fest
4/03 Charlottesville, VA The Southern
4/05 Rhythm 'n Blooms Knoxville, TN
4/25 Indio, CA Stagecoach
5/15 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom

Find out more at thewildfeathers.com

Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the exclusive premiere of "No Reason," a new song by the Nick Moss Band.

The track is from their new album, Time Ain’t Free. which will be released March 18 via Blue Bella Records.

Time Ain’t Free marks the 10th album by guitarist Moss, the consummate bandleader, songwriter and groove master.

Moss has performed at blues festivals across the globe and on the stage at Buddy Guy's Legends club in Chicago. “Nick is a favorite at my club," Guy said. "He always works hard to please the audience.” Moss has known no shortage of praise from other guitarists. Even blues ace Ronnie Earl calls Moss his favorite guitarist.

Second guitarist Michael Ledbetter — a descendent of the legendary Lead Belly — makes his Nick Moss Band lead vocal recording debut on the new album, which is nothing less than a powerful gumbo of Chicago soul, funk, blues, jam music and rock and roll.

For more about the Nick Moss Band, visit their official website and Facebook page.

Remember the first time you thought, “That sounds like a Telecaster”?

Or “I bet they’re tuned down”?

Or “Holy reverb — Poison!”?

Those moments represent precious development of your musical ear. Upon acquiring my first octave pedal, I began to hear the effect all over songs I’d listened to many times before; Jimmy Page’s solo on “Fool in the Rain," Metallica’s remake of “Whiskey in the Jar"— and how about Jimi Hendrix’s fuzzy octave-up effect on "Purple Haze"?

Taurus has released Dexter, a polyphonic octave pedal that offers an octave above and below your fundamental note. Assuming you don’t drop the word "polyphonic" into your everyday lingo, it means the pedal uses a 24-bit DSP to allow you to play multiple notes or chords at once without overloading the pedal.

Each octave has its own Level and Range knobs. Level adjusts how much of the effect you want blended with your dry signal. Range adjusts the frequencies that are affected. Think of it as a crossover. Tucked in the left corner is an Output Level knob, which is a master volume knob when the effect is engaged. Choose to use one octave or both octaves at once.

Dexter was easy to get along with; so much so that I had the pedal in my bass pedalboard at a gig hours after receiving it. The lower octave gave my bass more of a synth sound for the pop songs. The higher octave, when used sparingly, can help fill the void when the guitarist drops out on chords and takes a solo.

The Input, Output and Power jacks are on the top of the pedal. Dexter comes with a 12-volt power supply and is true bypass. Also in the box was an assortment of stick-on rubber feet and an instructional manual. Instead of a circular LED, the entire bottom half of the pedal lights up when it’s on and looks really cool in the dark!

Clip 1: I’m picking chords with more of the +1 Octave dialed in to get a 12-string guitar sound.

Clip 2: I have both octaves running at 12 o'clock with plenty of overdrive. It gives me a Digitech Whammy-type effect with the luxury of the -1 octave fattening things up.

Clip 3: A P-bass with both octaves dialed in generously. Very cool if you’re after a Cheap Trick or King’s X bass sound but don’t have an eight- or 12-string bass.

Clip 4: My favorite. Along with some chorus, the +1 octave mimics the overtones of a Hammond B3 organ.

Web: taurus-amp.pl/
U.S. Dealer: osiamo.com
Street Price: $319

You can't believe everything you read on the Internet, but Billy Voight is a gear reviewer, bassist and guitarist from Pennsylvania. He has Hartke bass amps and Walden acoustic guitars to thank for supplying some of the finest gear on his musical journey. Need Billy's help in creating noise for your next project? Drop him a line at thisguyonbass@gmail.com.

The Guitar World gang visited the PRS Guitars booth at the 2014 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California.

Below, check out our exclusive video, which shows off the look and sound of PRS Guitars' new S2 Custom 22 model, which is part of the company's recently expanded S2 Series. The guitar features a maple top with mahogany back, 22 frets, S2 #7 Treble and S2 #7 Bass pickups and a PRS Tremolo.

For more about the S2 Series, check out our official series-announcement story.

To explore the S2 Series from PRS Guitars, visit prsguitars.com/s2series.

[[ Guitar World at NAMM 2014: Gear updates, photo galleries, videos and more! ]]

Two Notes Audio Engineering, manufacturer of the Torpedo range of guitar amp/speaker simulation hardware and software, is now shipping Torpedo Reload.

The Reload, the ultimate guitar and bass tool for studio and live applications, combines multiple routing and processing functions into a single compact, easy-to-use unit.

From the company:

Torpedo Reload performs four essential modern studio techniques utilized for capturing great guitar and bass tones: RE-ACTTM — a reactive loadbox with 150-watt capacity and multiimpedance selection, a Hi-Z DI for direct connection of your guitar/bass to a DAW or hardware recorder, and REPLAYTM and MATCHTM modes that provide state-of-the-art re-amplifying and level matching capabilities. These functions can be used individually or in any combination.

The first 50 Reload Special Edition units are hand-numbered and include a complementary full license Wall Of Sound III plug-in. WOS III is the perfect companion for Reload, bringing Torpedo’s renowned convolution-based cabinet/mic simulation to all major DAW platforms.

Torpedo Reload is now shipping with a MSRP of $995 and a $849 MAP.

Below, check out Ola Englund's demo of Reload. For more information, visit two-notes.com.

The Descent Reverb is Walrus Audio’s latest venture, and it deeper into the world of modulation effects.

The Descent, a fresh take on recent developments in the sound of reverb, employs dark tones that emulate cavernous depths—resounding and full-bodied with thick, harmonic overtones.

From the company:

The Descent is capable of classic sounds but careens further into the sonic realms of the creative, the strange and the abstract. From vintage Hall Reverb settings to the conceptual Reverse and Shimmer Reverbs, the Descent covers a wide scope of possibilities in ambience.

The additional Dry Signal, +1 and -1 controls are the first of their kind, allowing the user to fully dial in an exact amount of unaffected signal, as well as one octave up and one octave down into the Reverb’s Wet Mix. These controls are active in every mode but uniquely display themselves in the Shimmer mode, allowing for previously unheard-of practicality and application. Walrus Audio steps into the future by allowing players the opportunity to create sounds that have yet to be discovered.

The Descent Reverb is dark blue, with artwork by Nathan Price demonstrating darkness coming to light. Every part in the circuit is made with high¬-fidelity components, as well as industrial grade switches and jacks.

Features:

• Three reverb modes: Hall, Reverse and Shimmer
• Controls include: Dry Mix, Wet Mix, Reverb Time, Diminish, Tweak and control of the signals feeding into the Wet Mix: Dry Signal, -1 (octave down) and +1 (octave up)
• Three savable presets
• 9V DC
• Mono input and stereo outputs, expression control out, remote preset out

The Walrus Audio Descent Reverb carries a retail price of $349 and will be available in February at multiple outlets or at walrusaudio.com.

Los Angeles-based Perri Ink Custom Guitars has announced the debut of the Gypsy custom guitar model.

It represents the company's first original guitar design.

"While I'm very proud of all the guitars we have put out over the last five years, it was definitely time to take the leap and do an original body style," said company owner and co-builder Nick Perri. "I first drew this guitar shape and pickguard on a napkin, and to now be playing it onstage and sharing it with the world is an incredible feeling."

The guitar features a swamp ash body with a real ash wood pickguard. The quarter-sawn maple neck is adorned with a rosewood fingerboard, clay inlays and a reverse headstock.

"[The headstock] not only looks cool, but contributes wonderfully balanced string tension from the low to high E," Perri said. "I grew up playing Firebirds, and there is something very different and special about the way the strings feel with a reverse headstock."

Rounding out the model are trio of Seymour Duncan Antiquity Texas Hot pickups and a Callaham vintage-style tremolo. The guitar comes strung with GHS Boomers and includes either a SKB hard case or MONO M80 soft case.

"It's taken a lifetime of playing, and many years of building to even conceive a guitar like this. I have put everything I know and love about guitars into this model, and I can't wait for people to feel and hear it for themselves" Perri said.

Perri Ink Custom Guitars is a boutique, American-made electric guitar brand founded in 2009 by Perri. Each guitar sold is custom, built to order and made of the finest materials available in the U.S.

A limited number of Gypsy guitars will be built this year. For more information, visit perriinkguitars.com or write to perriinkonline@gmail.com.

Available in both print and digital editions, MARTIN™ - The Journal of Acoustic Guitars is published by C.F. Martin & Co. in January of each year.

MARTIN™ - The Journal of Acoustic Guitars is written exclusively for acoustic guitar enthusiasts, players, dealers, owners and potential buyers.

It includes new product announcements, special edition instruments, developments in the string making area, company news, technical information, and more.

Click here to download your copy.

Find out more at www.martinguitar.com