Styx: The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight Live
EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE STYX: THE GRAND ILLUSION/PIECES OF EIGHT LIVE ~SIMULTANEOUS DVD, BLU-RAY AND DVD/2CD OUT JANUARY 31~ Two of the most beloved albums in the Styx catalog are 1977’s The Grand Illusion and 1978’s Pieces Of Eight. Now, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Styx: The Grand Illusion/Pieces Of Eight Live on DVD, Blu-Ray, and DVD/2CD on January 31. This show was recorded November 9, 2010 at the historic Orpheum Theater in Memphis, Tennessee, on the tour that saw them perform both these albums in their entirety for the first time. This 20-song two-hour and 11-minute presentation features stunning high-definition visuals accenting the complex musical arrangements recorded in DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM Stereo. The staging of these two multi-platinum albums and the fevered response makes this concert a must for all Styx fans. The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight Live also includes the bonus feature “Putting On The Show,” an inside look at the people and equipment needed to stage such a massive spectacle. Continue reading
NAMM 2012: The lowdown on the Marshall Joe Satriani amp
A lot of people want to know what the deal is with the new Marshall Joe Satriani signature amp. It wasn’t unveiled at NAMM like many had hoped, and there’s no release date yet, at least not that I’ve seen anywhere. Well let the Tone King give you the answer!
NAMM 2012: Parker Maxx Fly 7-string
Finally, the Parker 7-string that I always thought should exist, does exist. Parker unveiled this beauty at NAMM, and in person it looked like a pretty well-hewn axe. The particular natural tone and attack of the Parker Fly is something I’ve always thought would translate particularly well to seven strings. Of course, at RRP $5,999 USD it won’t be cheap…
It has a mahogany body reinforced with carbon fiber glass epoxy with a Parker 7 string bridge, a Seymour-Duncan Distortion SH6N pickup in the neck position and a Seymour-Duncan Distortion TB6 in the bridge position. Oh and there are Ghost piezo saddles with a MIDI preamp. Available in dusty black, galaxy grey, and metallic red, all in gloss finish.
NAMM 2012: Fender Custom Shop 1960 Relic Stratocaster Matching Headstock
Check this out from the Fender Custom Shop! Select Alder body, tinted maple neck, rosewood fretboard, large “C” neck shape, 9.5″ Radius, 6105 frets, 1960 Strat pickups, 5-way switch and of course colour matched headstock. MSRP $4,600 USD. Wow.
NAMM 2012: Dean Dimebag ‘Concrete Sledge’ ML
I first wrote about this a few weeks ago but I just got to check it out in person. Dean Dimebag ‘Concrete Sledge’ ML based on the guitar that Dime tuned to Drop D and used to play, you guessed it! Dime’s original had a Washburn neck on a Dean body, with a custom graphic finish covering the whole body. The new Dean version has the finish on the front and back, but not wrapping around the sides like the real deal. They’ve also changed the headstock shape. How do I know?
Cos they had Dime’s actual guitar there. See?
Oooh.
Oh and to the NAMM attendee next to me who saw it and said “Oooh look! A guitar with a KISS sticker on it,” you’re fired from metal.
NAMM 2012: Year Of The Sea Foam Green
One thing that really, really stood out to me at NAMM this year was the prevalence of Sea Foam Green. It’s not quite blue, it’s not quite green, but it’s definitely cool this year. Hell, Steve Vai seems to like this shade so much that it features on his new signature Ibanez Jem70V Premium model and his new Carvin Legacy III amplifier. See?
NAMM 2012: Line 6 DT25
One of my favourite sights at NAMM this year was the sight of the wall of Line 6 amps. Something about the particular colours they’ve chosen and the overall shapes of the cabinets and heads feels very comfortable and homey to me. And seeing a wall of them kicked me into ‘wall of amps on an arena stage’ daydream mode. Couldn’t you just imagine ripping out some blues licks on one of these? This series is the latest evolution of the relationship between Line 6 and legendary amp man Reinhold Bogner.
Line 6 DT25™ Guitar Amplifiers Combine Boutique Tube Design with HD Modeling
–New more portable and affordable family of tube amps from Line 6 and tube-amp legend Reinhold Bogner combine reconfigurable analog components and HD modeling technology to deliver boutique tone, feel and touch response, and multiple amplifier voicings–
ANAHEIM, Calif. – January 19, 2012 – Line 6 (room 212A/B) is showing the DT25 family of amplifiers at Winter NAMM 2012. The portable, new 25W/10W tube amps, which include DT25 112 Combo, DT25 Head, and DT25 112 Extension Cab, deliver boutique sound and performance via a uniquely versatile design by renowned amp designer Reinhold Bogner and advanced HD modeling technology from Line 6.
“DT25 is like four boutique tube amps in one,” remarked Elliot Chenault, Line 6 Product Manager. “Bogner’s innovative design applies reconfigurable analog components to provide incredible sonic flexibility and the rich tone, feel and touch response his amps are known for.”
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I write for Gibson.com, Australian Guitar, Australian Musician, Mixdown Magazine (including my instructional column, 'Unleash Your Inner Rock God,' which has been running since 2007), guitarworld.com, Tone Deaf, Beat and The Brag. I started I Heart Guitar in 2008. I've been playing guitar since I was 8 years old, and I've been writing for magazines since I was 18 (I'm 33 now). I've also worked as a guitar teacher (up to 50 students a week) and a setup tech. I live in Melbourne, Australia. You can check out my guitar playing at Reverbnation or on YouTube.
You can email me at iheartguitarblog@gmail.com