Features

It’s reassuring to know that even Jimi Hendrix considered giving up guitar and that the great Chet Atkins believes that your best bet for success is to simply pay your dues.

If you're like me, you sometimes get in a bit of a rut on the fretboard.

Guitar.com recently launched their new legal TAB service, and D’Addario are lending a hand to try and generate participation by giving away free guitar string sets to users.

When I woke up this morning the first thing I said to myself was, "I wish I had some expensive Fender cufflinks".

Gibson have finished the final 10 in their series of top guitar riffs, but should all of these be in the list? Are they all genuine riffs?

Guitar Shop TV is a new online show for guitarists, with much higher production values than your typical YouTube guitar channel.

I just discovered an interesting mini-site today published by Epiphone - "The Vintage Collection" which boasts The World's Largest Collection of Pre 1957 Epiphone instruments.

Les Paul was part Rube Goldberg and part Thomas Edison — a blend of whacky inventor and genius whose impact on the world of music was so deep and profound that he is one of the few creators who has a permanent exhibit on his life and works at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The power rating of a guitar speaker is an indication of how much power it can handle without being damaged thermally or mechanically. It is not an indication of how loud the speaker will sound in comparison to other speakers. Let’s examine the basics of how speakers work, how the power rating is determined and look at things from the perspective of the guitar amplifier so that we can choose guitar speakers that will last a lifetime.

Managing to combine the sounds of ‘80s era first-wave thrash and ‘90s era power metal, Albany, New York’s Addicted to Pain will appeal to a wide variety of heavy metal connoisseurs. Comprised of Leo Curley (vocals,guitar), Bob Horvath (bass), and Gregory Nash (drums), 2010 sees the trio unleashing their first-ever release - a self-titled four-song EP - which is available for purchase via iTunes, as well the group’s official site and myspace page. Recently, Curley talked about his love of the six-string with Guitarsite.

While flicking channels last night I came across an episode of 'The New Inventors', which is a show where 3 new, never before seen inventions are demonstrated and examined by host James O'Loghlin and a 3 member judging panel. The second invention of the episode was a neat little product from Australian man Allan Rice, called The Tremma.

'Our sound encompasses the best parts of our influences,' explains Heaven Below singer/guitarist Patrick Kennison.

Why Tubes? If you’re not an electric guitar player or if you’re just starting out, you might ask why anyone would build anything with tubes.

Whether it is playing guitar, singing, writing, or producing, Greg Hampton certainly has it all covered. Based in Los Angeles, California, Hampton has produced such renowned rock names as Ronnie Wood, Glenn Hughes, Carmine Appice, and Jimi Hendrix’s brother, Leon Hendrix (among countless others), as well as recently producing the much-acclaimed archival Tommy Bolin releases, ‘Whips and Roses I & II.’

As a guitar teacher I am frequently asked a variety of questions about effects by my electric guitar students, such as; What are they? What do they do? Which ones should I get? (etc.) With this article I will cover “pitch shifting” or “modulation effects.”

How many of your guitar skills can you use ‘fluently’ when creating, improvising or playing a guitar solo? I’m not asking about ‘how good you are’, ‘how much you know’, or ‘what you can play’. I’m asking you to think about how well you can ‘use’ the skills you already have to your fullest expressive potential. For most guitar players there is a huge gap between what they can play and what they can play fluently, creatively and expressively.

Few metal drummers have a name as recognizable as Herman ze German Rarebell. And with good reason - after all, it was Rarebell’s drumming that helped propel the Scorpions into one of the 1980’s most successful rock bands (as well as co-penning the all-time classic, “Rock You Like A Hurricane”). And Herman is back once more with his latest album, ‘Take It As it Comes’ (and lead-off single, “Let Me Rock You”), which was recently released via Dark Star Records. Recently, Herman ze German Rarebell’s guitarist, James Duke Jackson, chatted with Guitarsite.

Forget about trying to reach the members of fast-rising metallists 2Cents at their homes, as it appears as though the group is constantly on the road. Comprised of the brother tandem Adam (lead vocals, drums) and Dave O’Rourke (guitar, vocals), and Adair Cobley (guitar) and Jason Wendell (bass), 2Cents has completed two legs of touring with Five Finger Death Punch and Shadows Fall, and during May and June, will be hitting the road with Korn as part of the Jagermeister Music Tour. Additionally, 2Cents has played with other notable bands, including Killswitch Engage, Rise Against, Pennywise, Static X, and Gwar, among many renowned acts. On April 20th, the group released their latest album, ‘Dress to Kill’ (via Eight O Five Records, and produced by Matt Hyde), which showcases the guitar work of Dave O’Rourke and Adair Cobley, who both recently chatted with Guitarsite.

Foghat is often linked to the classic rock genre, due to such anthems as “Slow Ride” and “Fool for the City,” but the band has always had their roots in vintage blues. So it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to longtime fans that Foghat has reconnected with the blues on their latest release, ‘Last Train Home.’ Recorded both in New York at EKO Studios and at Foghat’s own studio, Boogie Motel South, the album combines covers of such blues classics as “So Many Roads, So Many Trains” and “Shake Your Money Maker,” as well as a few new originals. Recently, Foghat guitarist Bryan Bassett chatted with GuitarSite about...guitars!

On their second release overall, ‘Canvas,’ the New Haven, Connecticut-based quartet, Bushwhack - comprised of Frank Sacramone (keyboards), Sean McCusker (bass), Jamie van Dyck (guitars/vocals), and Ben Shanbrom (lead vocals/drums) - have finally introduced vocals to their sound. Starting as a prog-y, all-instrumental band (as evidenced by their 2007 self-titled debut), the group has toughened up their sound considerably on ‘Canvas,’ and focused their sound more towards the harder side of things. Bushwhack’s guitarist, Jamie van Dyck, recently took time out to discuss shop with Guitarsite.

Radial Engineering (a Canadian based company out of Port Coquitlan BC) have created quite the buzz among musicians and audio experts alike for several years now, producing everything from cable assemblies and direct boxes to a full line of guitar pedals all with outstanding sound quality and durability.

Welcome to AFS vol.55 with All Time Low's Alaxander William Gaskarth. ATL is currently on the road as part of the Rock Star Energy Drink AP (Alternative Press) tour line-up, and they are also part of the MTV-U Campus Invasion Music Festivals lineup in support of their current release "So Wrong, It's Right" featuring the smash hit "Dear Maria Count Me In".

One of the toughest metal bands on the scene today has to be Free Reign, who are comprised of three members of the US football team, the Dallas Cowboys - Marc Colombo (vocals/right tackle, #75), Leonard Davis (bass/right guard, #70), and Cory Procter (drums/center and guard, #71) - and are rounded out by up-and-coming shredder Justin Chapman. The group recently released their debut offering, ‘Tragedy,’ via Riot Entertainment, and have already made big fans out of several renowned metalheads, including Zakk Wylde, who praises, "FREE REIGN kick ass! These guys will pound you into submission, check them out now!" Chapman recently discussed the guitar and what it’s like being in a band with some truly hard-hitting gentlemen.

Melodic/symphonic metal is a style that has experienced a noticeable surge in popularity of late, and the latest band that fits snugly in this style is WildeStarr - comprised of guitarist Dave Starr (who originally came to the attention of metalheads as the bassist for such acts as Vicious Rumors and Chastain) and singer London Wilde. The group’s debut album, titled ‘Arrival,’ was issued last year on Furnace Maximus Records, and has racked up some impressive accolades from notable names of the rock world, including current UFO guitarist Vinnie Moore, who raved, "Dave and London open up a big ole can of melodic heavy metal whoop ass on this one. At times the tunes remind me a little of Dream Theater. This CD definitely rocks heavily!" Mr. Starr recently chatted with GuitarSite.

Hammering melodic metal - in the vein of Queensryche, Dream Theater, and Kamelot - is the style that Finland’s Kings of Modesty specialize in, as evidenced their full-length debut, "Hell or Highwater," which will see its US release on May 4th (the album was released earlier in other parts of the world). Comprised of members Jason Flinck (vocals), Samuel Hjelt (guitar), Mikael Hjelt (keyboards), Henrik Tuura (bass), and Raino Simoinen (drums), the group is planning on touring the world once the album drops, and have already supported some top metal names, including dates alongside Michael Schenker last year in Europe. KoM’s guitarist Samuel Hjelt recently talked guitar with Guitarsite.