Originally published in 2018By Kelcey Alonzo Flamenco is one of the most beautiful and challenging forms of music. For your standard run-of-the-mill flamenco guitarist, there are no amps, no pedals, no special effects—your tone results from fingernails, flesh, and angle of attack on the string. If you listen to Antonio Rey’s New album “Dos Partes […]
By Kelcey Alonzo and Michael Molenda Paul Reed Smith was in another world. He was benevolently agitated and would not stop talking. I was at the 2004 NAMM show, trapped in the curtained-off “staff only” section of the PRS Guitars booth by the tall and quietly charismatic founder of the company. As the Editor in […]
“Stand Up” is featured on Gales’ career-defining new album ‘Crown,’ out today “This is for everyone who has ever felt discriminated against. We should all learn to co-exist for the common good of the human race.” – Eric Gales On his new album ‘Crown,’ out today via Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group, the legendary guitarist Eric Gales opens like […]
By David Still The original Thinline arrived on the scene in 1968 and was revamped in 1972 with the introduction of the 2nd generation model (Thinline II). Several theories exist for the Thinline’s creation- two of which are to create a lighter working guitar for players, or combat the diminishing supply of “light-grade” ash wood […]
By Pat Bianculli In the final scene of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, Steven Spielberg’s 1977 film about man’s first face-to-? er…what might be a face meeting with extra-terrestrials, Richard Dreyfuss, as Roy Neary is boarding the alien ship for his trip into the cosmos. Walking hand in hand with his alien friends into […]
By Steve Rider Master Luthier Damon Mailand has been passed the torch by Bob Benedetto. Personally mentored by Bob, Damon has spent years with the esteemed guitar company and has learned all the elements required to maintain the brand’s identity. The announcement comes at the 50th anniversary of Benedetto Guitars and the team seems confident […]
By Trevor Hanson This is the story of a special guitar, “The Owl,” built for me in 2018-19 by Dan Koentopp. The instrument is unusual; it is worth a look. But perhaps more interesting is the process we used to create it. This article reviews the guitar’s design, construction, and refinement, focusing on how builder […]
By Allison KugelPhotography by Myriam Santos Tommy Lee has something to say about a lot of things. Iconic drummer for the multi-platinum selling mythical rock band Mötley Crüe, solo artist, master of mayhem … philosopher? To have a conversation with Tommy Lee is to be regaled with tales of a life lived to the extreme, […]
Want to help your band take off? Make sure that you work just as hard on the marketing as you do on the lyrics. Explore these tips to help you reach success. You and your band work tirelessly perfecting new lyrics and the right chords for your music. Now it’s time to ensure your hard […]
By Jas Obrecht Equal parts storyteller, fire-and-brimstone preacher, rollin’-and-tumblin’ bluesman, and rock guitar hero, Billy Gibbons has been entertaining friends and fans for a half-century. Offstage, he carries himself with an almost professorial dignity, parsing his phrases carefully as he pulls on his foot-long beard. He laces his conversation with sly innuendos, double entendres, and […]
