Month: September 2017

The era 1 may be the first acoustic guitar amp offered by Hughes & Kettner, but it comes with 25 years of acoustic amp design experience behind it. That’s because the era 1 was designed in collaboration with Michael Eisenmann, who developed some of the music industry’s first acoustic guitar amps with his company, AER (apparently the model name is a tribute to Eisenmann’s roots). By combining their collective amp-design know-how, Hughes & Kettner and Eisenmann have developed a revolutionary new acoustic guitar amp design that provides incredibly natural acoustic tone, impressively loud output, a full selection of professional features and a surprisingly compact size. FEATURES Measuring less than 14x11x11 (slightly larger than a bookshelf stereo speaker cabinet) and housed in a wood cabinet with a warm cherry finish (a version…

Heralded as “Nashville’s Friendliest Guitar Store,” Carter Vintage has certainly earned that reputation in spades. This 8,000-square-foot shop is not only incredibly inviting (with great benches and private rooms) but the collection of guitars is downright jaw-dropping. During my last visit, I chatted with the staff while Pete Townshend strummed guitars only steps away. Yes, Carter’s is a must-visit. NUMBER OF INSTRUMENTS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP Walter Carter (Owner): Counting amps, around 1,600 pieces. COOLEST INSTRUMENT CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP A 1967 Martin 00-21 with Merle Haggard’s name inlaid on the fingerboard. It’s the guitar on the cover of his 1969 Jimmie Rodgers tribute album, Same Train, a Different Time. FAVORITE INSTRUMENT YOU EVER SOLD The very first cherry sunburst Les Paul Standard. We got it from the original owner…

Recently on Tera Melos’ Instagram, Nick Reinhart posted a shot of his boards from a recent rehearsal. For those of unfamiliar with Tera Melos, you need to check them out – especially if you’re a pedal nerd. Nick works the pedals in unconventional methods, especially when it comes to short loops to create an effect in itself. Definitely give them a look. His pedalboard has changed quite a bit since 2015, so I was stoked to see what’s on.. and what’s off. Also, please note that a couple of the Boss pedals have footswitches from other Boss pedals, confusing things a bit. Pedalboard of Nick Reinhart of Tera Melos Board Right Digitech Whammy Digitech Whammy Ricochet Source Audio Nemesis Delay Pedal SA260 Boss CE-2 Chorus Boss DD-3 Digital Delay Boss…

I just received an interesting message from one of my favorite builders out there – Johnny Balmer of Alchemy Audio in Chicago, IL. Johnny recently had a cool visitor stop by at the shop – David Bryson of Counting Crows. David swung by to pick up a pair of Alchemy Audio modified Boss GE-7 EQ pedals. Johnny took a board shot and sent it over to me. His set up also includes a vintage Les Paul Jr. into a Satellite Amp. Check out the board! Johnny, thanks for sending that over. If you guys are interested in some cool modified pedals or need some custom work/builds, be sure to check out Alchemy Audio!!! David Bryson – Counting Crows – Pedalboard Keeley Compressor C2 Signature Boss GE-7 Equalizer (Alchemy Audio Modified)…

Hartke has announced the arrival of the HD500 Bass Combo, the latest addition to the brand’s popular HD Series. The high-powered, lightweight HD500 Bass Combo packs two 10” Hartke patented HyDrive speakers with rare earth neodymium magnets, a 500-watt Class D amplifier into a sleek enclosure weighing only 35 pounds. The HD500 also features Hartke’s patented HyDrive speakers that transformed speaker technology by blending paper and aluminum materials into a speaker cone that produces an exceptional blend of warmth and attack that can't be attained by traditional all-paper cones. The use of rare earth neodymium magnets helps to maintain lightweight portability without sacrificing any of the legendary Hartke attack. The HD500 includes a selectable Shape control that can be used to activate a specialized preset EQ curve designed to improve…

All Reverend Kingbolts now feature a dark roasted maple neck for both the increased resonance and superb look and feel. The Blackwood Tek fingerboards are an environmentally-aware choice based on wood that is abundant and easily harvestable without sacrificing tone or quality. The Reverend Kingbolt has a sleek body design, a simple yet effective control layout, and a Wilkinson tremolo system that stays in tune without the hassle of a locking nut. The revolutionary Railhammer Hyper Vintage bridge and Hyper Vintage neck pickups take it to another level with their PAF-style tone and a balanced signal due to the rails under the plain strings and slugs under the wound strings. On all Reverend Guitars, there is a Boneite nut and locking tuners, Reverend’s Bass Contour Control, and a dual-action truss…

I wanted to write this post about Metallica’s set up for a couple of reasons. Spoiler alert.. there isn’t a ton of pedals, etc. So why am I bringing this up? I’ve always been fascinated with live set ups. Groups playing dive bars to good bars to theaters to larger venues and finally.. to arenas are faced with a variety of challenges pulling off a show.  Most bands that probably read this site deal with the typical bar stages. You most likely don’t have guitar techs.. but maybe. You have gear and do your best to keep things running, etc. The challenges could be simple as dealing with broken strings, failed cable, etc. As the level of stage and ticket prices go up, so does your responsibility to put on…

Progressive-rock was primarily a “British thing,” exemplified by acts like King Crimson, Genesis, Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. That changed after three Canadians—guitarist Alex Lifeson, bassist Geddy Lee and drummer Neil Peart—pooled their Led Zeppelin, Cream, Who and assorted “Brit-prog” influences and created the “art-rock” power trio Rush. The band formed in 1968 and issued its self-titled debut album in 1974, but it wasn’t until 1981’s Moving Pictures that Rush struck a balance between progressive elements and radio-friendliness with songs like “Limelight” and “Tom Sawyer,” resulting in multi-Platinum commercial success. Today, Rush are one of the biggest-selling bands in history, and their influence can be heard in acts that span musical genres, including Dream Theater, Primus, Metallica, Foo Fighters and Rage Against the Machine. Much of Rush’s unique sonic…

I’m sick of practicing. I’m in a rut. Nothing I do is original. I’ve played this a million times already. I don’t seem to be getting better. Where do “THEY” get all those good ideas, anyway? Welcome back to the “Art of the Practice” series of articles, where we seek to interject your practice with some much-needed variety, novelty and fun. Which is exactly the way it should be. Today we’re going to talk about the simple act of playing instruments other than your guitar. 1. First off, No, it doesn’t matter if you know how to play them or not. Knowing how to play an instrument other than the guitar is not my point at all. If you can play multiple instruments, good for you, straight-A student. The beauty…

Sweep picking is a technique you probably hear about all the time. It’s certainly a widely used concept that many players have adapted to fit into their own playing styles, whether it’s the lightning fast video game-like sweeps or slower arpeggiated lines with a sheer focus on technical efficiency, sweep picking is a technique that’s here to stay. Guitar instructor Robert Baker recently posted a lesson with 5 different ideas on how to conquer sweep picking and how to incorporate it into your own playing right away. He demonstrates key concepts that help to develop sweep picking chops, such as picking direction and breaking down arpeggios into multiple sections, in addition to other tips. You can check out the video below. For more of Robert’s lessons, visit his YouTube channel.…