Rogue Tales (plus win $100 BWS voucher – simplified)
Okay, so I’ve heard from a few of you that the steps to enter were a bit too complicated, so I checked with the folks running the giveaway and they’ve agreed to change the rules: now in order to enter to win a $100 BWS voucher (drawn on December 18, Australian residents over 18 only), simply leave a comment or send me an email telling me, in 25 words or less, which of the Rogue Tales videos on the James Squire YouTube channel.is your favourite and why. Here’s the post again if you missed it, with my favourite (and naturally guitar-based) video up front. Continue reading
REVIEW: Mayones Regius 8
Mayones is a Polish company who have been around for quite a while, but recently they’ve really launched onto the world stage with a daring attitude, a knack for choosing ridiculously beautiful woods, and a willingness to work with a variety of pickup companies in order to effectively operate like a custom shop in terms of letting players choose the voicing of their guitar. The Regius 8 is an 8-string guitar (standard 8-string tuning is F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E, but you are of course welcome to tune it however you like) made with neck-thru construction – that is to say, the neck continues all the way through to the rear strap-pin end of the body. Continue reading
REVIEW: Gibson USA Les Paul Studio 2013 Gold Series
When Gibson first developed the Studio series, it was intended to be an affordable alternative to the top-shelf stuff. But then Gibson’s Epiphone division really stepped up and filled that niche, building affordable Les Pauls, SGs and the like with all the visual bling like binding and full inlays. That took some of the pressure off the Studio in terms of being an affordable Les Paul, and allowed it to become more of a stripped down Les Paul for its own sake: its own model playing by its own rules. So you you can get some pretty interesting guitars under the ‘Studio’ moniker. Guitars like the Gibson USA Les Paul Studio 2013 Gold Series. Continue reading
Periphery Announces New Project – ‘Clear’
Remember a few weeks ago when Periphery’s Mark Holcomb teased about a forthcoming Periphery project during our interview? Well here it is! Clear! Not quite an EP, not quite an album, every band member has written their own track, showcasing their individual writing styles and filtering it through the massive Periphery machine. Here’s what the band had to say about it (and a teaser video at the end):
“Clear is an experiment to explore all of the different writing styles in the band. It’s rare when you have a band where every member is capable of writing and producing music. With each member controlling their own track, this recording enabled us to go down any path we chose in terms of style and sound. Continue reading
Watch Paul Reed Smith’s TED Talk
Paul Reed Smith is an innovator and a really great ambassador for the guitar in general. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to meet him in person, you’d know that he has this really contagious combination of enthusiasm and knowledge. Put a guitar in his hands and he seems to instantly become about 16 years old, and yet if you ask him to explain a design principle or a spec choice, he’s incredibly eloquent. You’ll see a great example of the latter in his TED talk, embedded below (or here if you’d like to open it in another window). Continue reading
Behold! The Ernie Ball Music Man Majesty!
Sterling Ball has just posted the following on the Ernie Ball Music Man forum…
“Its really too early but it has been seen by a few so I wanted the rest of you to see it…the ones who dont spy on me….enjoy….
The guitar is super super light…the ‘carbon fiber’ is not what it seems….it is laser etched maple that is finished to resemble carbon fiber the guys did an amazing job. the access is absolutely crazy good….the ergonomics were the primary deal and it balances really well…. It has a gamechanger in it and is set to just be a switch but as we introduce the gc incrementally you can activate if you choose but it is not manditory. The guitar has been voiced by di marzio and we have done sonic thumbprint matching….I will tell you about it someday. The design and construction techiniques are cutting edge and like I could only have imagined ten years ago. Enjoy” Continue reading
INTERVIEW: Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine
It’s safe to say that metal as we know it simply wouldn’t be the same without Megadeth. The other ‘big four of trash’ bands contributed certain elements to the form – Anthrax brought the humour, Slayer brought the evil and Metallica brought the gruff manliness. But Megadeth contributed intelligence, social awareness and instrumental virtuosity in a consistent and incredibly assured way. Megadeth’s lineups have changed throughout the years but the one constant is Dave Mustaine. In many ways he is Megadeth – he’s the band’s songwriting anchor, and his rhythm guitar style defines the whole band’s approach. Megadeth are returning to Australia for Soundwave 2014, and their performance is sure to be a highlight of the festival. How could it not, with classics such as “Holy Wars …The Punishment Due,” “Hangar 18” and “Symphony Of Destruction” to draw from, as well as material from latest album Super Collider, which sees the band returning to the more melodic vein previously explored in albums like Youthanasia and Cryptic Writings? Continue reading
Rogue Tales – My Guitar Story (plus, win $100 BWS voucher!)
If you read this blog regularly you know that I sometimes run sponsored posts, but only for things that I believe in and am comfortable with (and I turn down a lot of sponsored post proposals because I just don’t gel with the subject matter). So when I was approached to write something about the James Squire ‘Rogue Tale’ campaign, I was all on board. Particularly because I saw this:
Rogue Tales – A Quiet Man of Heavy Metal
Seriously dude! Guitars! Creativity! Art! Passion! I love this stuff! Tim Kill Custom Guitars! Dude!
And that leads to my own rogue tale. Continue reading
INTERVIEW: Periphery’s Mark Holcomb
It seems like just yesterday that Periphery was in Australia – and it pretty much was, if you count ‘March’ as yesterday. Whereas last time around they travelled the country as part of the huge Soundwave festival juggernaut, they’re heading back in January and February for their own tour with like-minded proggy djenty iconoclasts Animals As Leaders. And what better way to prepare for the tour than to have a chat with guitarist Mark Holcomb? I caught up with Mark yesterday ahead of the second-last Periphery gig of the band’s current US tour. And right around the time I’m typing this, they’re onstage playing their very last show before taking some much-needed time off. But it won’t be long before we hear some new Periphery music, as you will see… Continue reading
Win A Lesson With David Kennedy Of Angels & Airwaves
Press Release: TakeLessons (www.takelessons.com), an online marketplace that matches students with the best instructors, today announced a contest that will leverage Google Helpouts, Google’s new marketplace for receiving help over live video. One lucky winner will be given the opportunity of a lifetime: a free, 30-minute online guitar lesson with guitarist David Kennedy from Angels & Airwaves. The randomly selected winner will schedule his or her music lesson with the renowned Southern California musician. As a launch partner with Google Helpouts, TakeLessons will continue to offer music, arts and tutoring listings through the platform. Continue reading
COOL GEAR ALERT: Ibanez KIKO Signature
Now this is cool. Available in made-in-Japan (KIKO100) and Premium (KIKO10P) versions, Ibanez presents a pair of Kiko Loureiro signature models. Each features a unique scoop cutaway at the back of the body on the treble side, original Edge (KIKO100) or Edge-Zero II (KIKO10P) tremolos, Alder bodies with flamed Maple tops, recessed control knobs, tilt-in jacks, and DiMarzio KIKO original pickups. According to the description, “Kiko plays a wide range of music, from metal to jazz fusion, and the pickups were designed to reflect this range of sound. The neck and bridge pickups both humbuckers have medium output and a balanced sound in terms of frequency response. The single-coil middle pickup is more powerful and warmer-sounding than a typical vintage single-coil, in order to balance well with the neck and bridge pickups.” More info here. Continue reading
Two New Perri Ink Custom Guitar Models
Nick Perri’s PERRI INK. Custom Guitars company has done the seemingly impossible: burst out of the gate with a really clear, defined style which they’ve been able to successfully imprint upon everything they do, no matter what style of guitar they apply it to. In other words, in almost no time at all PERRI INK. has made it so that you can spot a PERRI INK. guitar before you even see the name on the headstock. This is especially true of the new Capistrano model, launched simultaneously with the new Mojave. Here’s a press release about the new models, but make sure you check out the video too, alright? Cool. Continue reading
Hi! I'm Peter Hodgson. 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), Blunt, Beat (including their weekly hard rock/metal column Crunch) and The Brag. And I'm Assistant Social Coordinator with Seymour Duncan.
I've been playing guitar since I was 8 years old, and I've been writing for magazines since I was 18. I've also worked as a guitar teacher (up to 50 students a week), a setup tech, a newspaper editor, and I've also dabbled in radio a little bit. I live in Melbourne, Australia, and my hobbies include drinking way too much coffee, and eating way too much Mexican food.
You can check out my guitar playing at Bandcamp or on YouTube, and feel free to email me at iheartguitarblog@gmail.com