Events/Festivals

Guitar Player Magazine has announced its first ever, Guitar Superstar Live National Tour.

Reverend will be displaying at the Arlington, TX Guitar Show on October 17-18. Arlington is the world's largest guitar show, and offers a great opportunity to check out thousands of used, vintage and new guitars under one roof. Reverend artist Gary Hutchison will demo the new Double Agent guitar on Saturday night at the Sheraton hotel jam session.

The Museum of Making Music has announced "The Magic and Mystery of Slide Guitar," an exhibition that is the first of its kind to capture the essence and emotion evoked by slide guitar and slide technique.

Gibson Guitar announced the launch of Miami Guitartown, the second installment of such an exhibit in Florida, which will take place throughout the city of Miami.

Guitar Center has announced the next installment of Guitar Center Sessions: An Evening of Dialogue and Insight with Slash. Taking place Wednesday, September 3 at the Guitar Center in Northridge, CA, the evening is free and open to the public, and will include a book signing for 2008 Pop-Culture Book of the Year Reckless Road: Guns N' Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction (Real Deal Media), the definitive visual history of the band’s early days in Hollywood. The evening will be powered by Gibson, Ernie Ball and Real Deal Media.

Sweetwater has declared August "Guitar Month," and to celebrate, they're giving away a phenomenal prize: a Randall Kirk Hammett Limited Edition Half Stack valued at $9,999.

Celebrating their 175th Anniversary this year, Martin Guitars will once again open their factory and museum doors to the Martin Owners Club for the 3rd annual gathering at their acoustic guitar manufacturer's mecca in Nazareth, Pennsylvania on Friday, August 1. Past events have hosted over 500 members and their guests, with this year's attendance to exceed 1,000!

To celebrate the rich five-decade legacy of the ultra-cool Jazzmaster guitar, Fender is hosting a 50th Anniversary Jazzmaster Concert on Friday, Sept. 12, 2008, at New York's famous Knitting Factory nightclub. The event will feature performances by acclaimed Jazzmaster artists Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.), Nels Cline (Wilco), Tom Verlaine (Television) and other special guests.

The 2008 London Guitar Show is only one week away and the line-up in nothing short of Stella. With guitar god himself Joe Satriani, rock's premiere virtuoso guitarists Yngwie Malmsteen and arguably the world’s great bass player, Billy Sheehan all performing guitar fans are in for a treat of epic proportions.

The Icons of Music II Auction recently took place on the 30th of May. The auction was benefitting Music Rising, a campaign co-founded by U2's the Edge, Bob Ezrin and Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz as an effort to replace the musical instruments lost or destroyed in the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Guitar Center will display its iconic "Guitar Center Legends Collection" at its Northridge store, located at 19510 Nordhoff St., on Friday, May 30 thru Sunday, June 1 and at its San Bernardino store, located at 925 E. Hospitality Lane, on Friday, June 20 thru Sunday, June 22.

Parker Guitars will host a factory tour on Friday, May 30, 2008. Attendees will be culled from the online Parker Forum where the idea originated.

Yngwie Malmsteen, one of rock's premiere virtuoso guitarists, is confirmed to play the London Guitar show, part of the London International Music show, on Saturday 14th June.

The London International Music Show has announed that Jamie Humphries will join Guitar icons, Guthrie Govan, Ritchie Kotzen to play the first ever C3 concert at the London International Music Show on Saturday 14 June.

One of the best super groups the world has ever seen takes to the stage on Sunday 15th June at The London International Music Show. Express and OK!

Randall Amplifiers will be co-sponsoring the tenth annual New England Metal and Hardcore Fest April 25-27, 2008 in Worcester, MA. The NEMHF is the largest and most successful metal festival in the United States. Headliners include Megadeth, Dimmu Borgir, Overkill, Shadows Fall, Meshuggah and Ministry.

Now in its twelfth year, the Ernie Ball/Music Man Battle of the Bands competition is back and better than ever, offering North America's best unsigned talent the opportunity to play live on the Vans Warped Tour, perform before a crowd of influential music industry execs and even win a $15k Guitar Center shopping spree and $1k in custom Hurley apparel.

The arts and cultural education organization Manhattan New Music Project has teamed up with Daisy Rock to present a one-day guitar/songwriting instructional clinic taught by GRAMMY-nominated recording artist Lisa Loeb. Fourth and fifth grade girls from PS24k in Brooklyn will have the unique opportunity to share their day with Lisa while honing their musical skills on January 16, 2008.

Premier Guitar Festivals recently announced a series of regional guitar festivals beginning with Boston, September 15- 16, to be held at Boston's Bayside Expo Center. The festival is expected to host more than 10,000 guitar players, collectors, guitar retailers and enthusiasts for a weekend-long event that will connect players, artists, and educators.

The 2007 Southern Ohio Guitar Show will be held at the Ross Co. Fairgrounds in Chillicothe, Ohio on Sunday September 30. The event will allow guitarists and musicians to buy, sell, or trade new and used guitars, amps, pedals, strings, apparel -- practically anything musical related.

The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance recently welcomed bassist Anthony Jackson and guitarist Mike Stern to their school for an exclusive masterclass.

PRS is holding their 1st Annual Experience PRS Open House on September 28 and 29. it officially kicks off on the Friday night with a concert featuring PRS artists such as David Grissom, Mark Tremonti, Miles Kennedy, Chris Henderson, Johnny Hiland, The Grainger Brothers, Derek St. Holmes and Dan Toler.

Sepultura guitarist Andreas Kisser will deliver an exclusive clinic during the The Guitar Institute's Metal Hammer Weekender in London this summer.

This year, Ernie Ball partnered with the 2007 Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival to offer one talented musician the opportunity to play the Festival stage alongside some of today’s most respected artists – and, after countless fans votes and prestigious judge feedback, the results are in!

Guitar Center has announced the winner of King of The Blues '07, the world's largest guitar competition. The grand finale encompassed artists who personify the blues beginning with a rare special performance by Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Hubert Sumlin, and closed with an explosive set by The Black Crowes. Geared towards promoting players with deep passion and commitment to the craft, "King of The Blues" is an annual celebration of a genre that is the root of today's music.