Breaking News: high-profile guitar company owner parts ways with namesake company
I’ve received word that a certain guitar company has allegedly just parted ways one of their owner-operators – a man who the company is actually named after. This will be big news when it gets out there and it’ll be very interesting to see what this gentleman does next. After all, this isn’t the first time he’s left a guitar company that he played a high-profile role in…
More as it develops. Feel free to speculate in the comments section.
Tommy Emmanuel clinic on GuitarTV, Thursday Feb 9
This is a must-see! GuitarTV will be broadcasting Tommy Emmanuel’s clinic and performance from The Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, California on Thursday, February 9th at 4 PM PST. Check this page to see what time you need to tune in, and click here for more info.
During the clinic GuitarTV will activate their “live chat mode” so everyone can connect while Tommy is performing. In the meantime, be sure to register to participate.
Jeff Skunk Baxter with the Roland/Fender G5 VG Stratocaster
GuitarTV has an awesome video of Jeff “Skunk” Baxter showing off the Roland/Fender G5 VG Stratocaster. Check it out here, and read more info about the G5 here. I particularly like the bit where Baxter demonstrates the Strat’s actual and modelled Strat tones.
One thing that’s super-cool about this video for me is that the first time I ever saw a Roland guitar product demoed, it was Baxter with the old VG8 way back in the day. It was the first modelling system to use a hex pickup, at least that I’m aware of, and it’s great to see Baxter showing the latest evolution of the concept about 15 years later.
Check out Guitar TV’s cool new redesign too!
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
Buddy Blaze introduces Vivian Campbell Shredder 25th Anniversary edition
Check this out! Vivian will be at Buddy’s booth (2395) at NAMM on Saturday at 2:30pm to introduce the 25th Anniversary commemorative edition of the Shredder that Buddy built for Vivian back in the 80s. The guitar was featured prominently in Vivian’s Whitesnake days. The Shredder evolved into the legendary Kramer Nightswan. Read my interview with Vivian about the Shredder here.
This will be limited to 25 guitars, with some very special appointments including a Titanium Floyd Rose and a Seymour Duncan Full Shred signed by Seymour himself. Let Buddy and Vivian tell you about it:
And here’s Buddy and Vivian from Buddy’s Shred Shed Facebook page.
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), guitarworld.com, Tone Deaf, 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 Reverbnation or on YouTube, and feel free to email me at iheartguitarblog@gmail.com