Music is the universal language
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”. - John 3:16
General Interest
“This has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life”: Guitarist Tommy Johansson leaves Sabaton
Swedish power metal outfit Sabaton have announced their split with longtime guitarist Tommy Johansson in a new social media post.
In what looks to be an amicable decision, the band write: “After 7 amazing years in the band, our guitarist, Tommy, has decided to leave Sabaton to pursue his own path. We wish him nothing but the best on his journey. We have been a close family and we will continue to support him in the adventures that await him in the future.”
They add that Johansson has been a member of the band since 2016, and has been a “close friend of Sabaton ever since our first meeting at the end of a concert in 2005. They add that he has contributed to “countless immortal memories”.
As the band explain, Johansson’s departure will not be effective immediately, and he’ll stay on to ensure “all goes smoothly” regarding the transition and handover to their next guitarist.
“While a small part of his large heart will always remain within Sabaton, we all know that he must follow his dreams,” the statement continues. “Even though we will not wake up daily in the tour bus next to him, we are sure that our paths will cross again many times in the future, both on and off the stage. Fly on your wings and strings brother!”
In a statement of his own, Johansson writes: “After seven glorious years of heavy metal, I have decided to step down as the guitarist of Sabaton. This has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life.
“As many of you may know, I do a lot of things outside of Sabaton. I play with another band, perform with various artists, and have a career as a singer that I’ve put aside for years to focus on Sabaton.
“After doing this for seven years, I feel it’s time to start following my heart. This means I will no longer tour with my brothers in Sabaton and will not meet all you lovely Sabaton supporters on the upcoming tours with the band…
“My brothers in Sabaton and the best crew in the world will forever be my second family and I will miss spending time with all these wonderful people. We had so much fun together every day. I’ve come to learn so much about life, about music and about touring that I wouldn’t have learned anywhere else.”
The remaining members of Sabaton include frontman Joakim Brodén, bassist Pär Sundström, guitarist Chris Rörland and drummer Hannes Van Dahl.
Sabaton are known for their unique approach to songwriting, taking historical events – most often related to conflict – and pairing them with distorted guitars and a triumphant power metal style.
To date, the band have released 10 studio albums, two of which – The Great War (2019) and The War to End All Wars (2022) – feature Tommy Johansson.
Sabaton will play a small series of dates in the US in April. For tickets, head to their official website.
The post “This has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life”: Guitarist Tommy Johansson leaves Sabaton appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
NAMM 2024: “It's heavy, thick, and unique. It feels great”: ESP brings Bill Kelliher’s long-awaited double-cut custom model to the masses with LTD Royal Shiva signature guitar
“We are back!” Al Di Meola plays live for the first time since his onstage heart attack, returning to the songs – and the Gibson Les Paul – that first made his name
Watch Joe Bonamassa combat noisy neighbours by playing Smoke on the Water at full blast
Modern problems require modern solutions and Joe Bonamassa’s latest solution to a noisy neighbour problem has, let’s just say, struck a chord with the internet.
“Sunday night and the Houdini private party folks are rocking a bit too hard for Nerdville standards at this hour,” the blues legend wrote in an Instagram post late last night. “So I came up with an extreme solution to a simple problem. With the help of Mr. Skinner and Mr. Dumble.”
Armed with his Les Paul and an impressive Dumble Overdrive Special, JoBo responds to the neighbourly disturbance in a way only a true six-string nerd could – by letting his guitar do the talking, in a language known as Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple.
The move has tickled fans in the comments section, one of whom even said, “I’d pay you to be my neighbour.”
Former Deep Purple vocalist Glenn Hughes also teased: “Hang on a minute. I know that song. You should have called me, I’d have been right over to help with me microphone”
Aside from lessons on combating loud neighbours, Joe Bonamassa also recently revealed how he spots a fake guitar when on the hunt for rare or vintage axes to add to his colossal collection.
According to the guitarist, there are always tell-tale “anomalies” that make fake models easy to spot. “Fakers know the ins and outs, and they always put a little anomaly,” he says. “[They’ll say], ‘Oh, it’s a factory second.’ Who would fake a factory second? Well, they would. When you see a fake ‘59 [Les Paul], it’s always going to be a striking top.”
“One of the tells is if you look at the top, and it’s too convenient, like, ‘Oh my God, it’s one of the flamiest things,’ and it’s priced way under what you think it’s worth – there’s no deals on those,” Bonamassa explains.
The post Watch Joe Bonamassa combat noisy neighbours by playing Smoke on the Water at full blast appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“I wish it was just one guitar with one set of strings and one tuning”: Joe Satriani shares gear-related challenge on upcoming tours
Joe Satriani has opened up about the challenges he’s faced in terms of getting the right gear for the different tours he has lined up this year.
The virtuoso, who’s got the G3 reunion tour, a co-headlining tour with Steve Vai, as well as the Best of All Worlds tour with Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, and Jason Bonham on his plate, was speaking on Alex Skolnick’s Moods and Modes podcast where he admitted it’s tough juggling the many different setups required for the various shows.
- READ MORE: NAMM 2024: Martin launches remastered X Series guitars featuring new playability enhancements
“The equipment thing is really challenging for me,” Satriani says [via Ultimate Guitar]. “Because I play 10s at E-flat. The G3 jam is going to be at 440 [standard tuning]. So I’ll probably have nine and a half. So nines on some 440 guitars.”
“The Hagar tour is D standard tuning. And I’m still trying to figure out what gauge to play. The other week, for those radio shows, I did a set of 11s. It was a big mistake,” the guitarist explains. “I mean, it helped with the tuning. But getting around the guitar was almost impossible. I didn’t realise it – I was halfway through the show. So I’ll probably try 10-and-a-halfs, 10s or something.”
“But having those three or four guitars, setups, and going through the day, is just driving me insane. I wish it was just one guitar with one set of strings and one tuning.”
“I never thought it would bother me so much. It doesn’t in the studio, but when you’re performing live, having that little bit of the rug pulled out from underneath you is disconcerting. Especially with vibrato and intonation. It’s really odd.”
Satch also shares that he finds the 11s “dark” compared to other string gauges he uses “unless they’re at 440”.
“The scale length is what does it in,” the musician adds. “I think, once you get past, maybe C sharp, the regular Fender scale length still just isn’t long enough. The harmonics are different. The harmonics of each string don’t support each other as well. Like 9s at 440, it’s just kind of beautiful-sounding. Almost every chord works. And you turn more sharp, you go higher, it just gets better and better.”
“If you play a song with a capo at the fifth fret, and you go, ‘Oh my god, this guitar sounds amazing. It’s just all sparkly.’ And so when you go the opposite way, it may match your mood, but it’s actually kind of dark. Not like treble control dark. There’s something about it that’s dark.”
The post “I wish it was just one guitar with one set of strings and one tuning”: Joe Satriani shares gear-related challenge on upcoming tours appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
NAMM 2024: “Keeps a guitarist’s gear safely organized, on display, and at the ready”: The gear furniture trend continues as On-Stage releases a workstation for keeping guitars, amps, pedals and more in one place
Learn to Play “Hotel California”| AG Patreon Song of the Month
‘Mikkel Lives’
On Friday I was at work in a local guitar store doing my regular techin’ and repairs thing. We’ve had a gorgeous left-handed Fiesta Red Fender American Vintage II 61 Stratocaster on the wall for quite a few months, and while rearranging the lefty display, the guitar department manager noticed that the action was super high on that guitar. So I took it to the tech room to give it a little bit of love. It was clear the neck needed a truss rod adjustment after going from winter to summer.
So I removed the strings, popped the neck off and saw this:
‘Mikkel Lives.’
Who was Mikkel? This was clearly written by a Fender factory worker (probably Javier if I’d venture to guess), probably to memorialise somebody who they lost. Was Mikkel a fellow factory worker? A friend? A family member? A pet?
Whoever Mikkel was, Mikkel is now the name of this guitar, and whoever buys it will be told the story and provided with the photo above, and their memory can live on in the music this instrument goes on to play.
The post ‘Mikkel Lives’ appeared first on I Heart Guitar.
Matteo Mancuso's mind-bending technique has taken the guitar world by storm – learn how to increase your fingerpicking speed to nail his extraordinary licks
Solar Guitars expands European production
Solar Guitars, founded by renowned guitarist and online celebrity Ola Englund has launched another instrument from its “Made in Europe”, European Master Series. This model, a bolt on Type AB in Carbon Black with Evertune bridge is the most popular Solar Guitar configuration to be offered from the European made series to date. As with previous European Master Series models, the company again offers players ‘Best in Class’ quality and appointments.
Solar Guitars VP and product developer, Joe Delaney states, “To start the European production program we first focused on innovative new types and shapes like the X and AC models. Now we are adding some inspirations of the brand’s most successful implementations such as this Evertune equipped Carbon Black A Type. The AB6 SVART is an aggressive statement of elegance.”
The new AB6 SVART comes with custom molded case and is in stock and available to ship from solar-guitars.com.
The new European Master Series Type AB offers the best of what can be put into an electric guitar including stainless steel frets, Richlite fingerboard, black Tusq nut, Luminlay fret markers, Solar 12th fret logo inlay, Locking tuners and Evertune bridge. The custom wound SA56BEU and SA56NEU Solar Modern humbuckers were painstakingly voiced to perfection by Ola and the Solar product team. With a more modern and aggressive take on the classic Solar Alnico V, our energy was focused to ensure these new European made pickups would be the most perfectly matched set for these new instruments. Each pickup is installed directly into the wood with brass countersinks to create a harmonious tonal marriage between body resonance and electrical output. Schaller Megaswitch, CTS potentiometers with a Push-Pull for coil splits and PureTone output jack complete the electronics package. Each guitar ships in a custom MCAS flight-ready molded case with certificate of authenticity personally signed by Ola Englund.
The post Solar Guitars expands European production appeared first on I Heart Guitar.
Boutique Luthier Jon ‘Sully’ Sullivan Debuts The Astro: An Eye-Catching Retrofuture Set Neck Guitar Built For Shred
Little Elm, TX – January 19, 2024 – Small builder Sully Guitars are back with the Astro – a unique set neck 24 fret model focused on upper fret access & “inspired by beloved moments in classic rock history.” The Astro is a Custom Series model, made to order in the USA in an array of hardware configurations & unique finishes. You may have noticed another Astro recently – longtime Sully artist Perfecto De Castro partnered with Soldano to use the Astro prototype guitar in demo videos for Soldano’s own Astro amplifier. Sully is attending the NAMM show, Astro prototype in tow, at booth 4717-19 as part of the Boutique Guitar Showcase. If you’re attending, you have to try the Astro for yourself to see why Sully’s neck profile, fret work, & attention to detail are the talk of the guitar building community.
“The Astro is a total labor of love. I always wanted to take a swing at this shape, & after a lot of fine tuning it really took on a life of its own. What I love about the Astro, & something that surprised me, is that it’s sort of a musical Rorschach test. When I hand a guitarist an Astro, everyone plays a different riff & tells me a different iconic musician it reminds them of. I think the shape connects with your early musical memories & helps channel them into your own music.”
-Jon Sullivan, President/Founder Sully Guitars
The Sully Guitars Astro
Model Features:
- Shoot Your Playing Into The Stratosphere – Inspired by iconic Rock & Roll heroes, the Astro features a modernized, carefully offset body for comfort & balance.
- Built By Rock & Roll – Sully’s critically-acclaimed neck profile w/ 24 stainless steel frets.
- Playability Comes First – Sully has a strict “no-clunk” rule. The Astro may look oldschool, but its sculpted set neck heel & enhanced upper fret access provide effortless playability.
- No Compromise Construction – Industry-standard components including Hipshot, Floyd Rose, FU-Tone, Fishman Fluence, & more.
- Make It Your Own – The Astro is available for custom order w/ a wide variety of premium timber, hardware, & finish options.
- All USA Custom Series Sully Guitars are built by a small team in Texas, PLEK’d, & include a custom G&G hardshell case w/ COA.
The Sully Guitars Astro starts at $4299 & is available directly at sullyguitars.com.
Jon ‘Sully’ Sullivan builds high performance custom shop instruments in Texas combining modern features, boutique craftsmanship, & a focus on playability. His attention to detail, striking designs, & fast neck profile quickly developed a fanbase among custom shop aficionados, acrobatic shredders, & artists like Michael Sweet & Nikki Sixx. With the 2018 launch of their Conspiracy Series affordable high quality production lineup & multiple collaborations with Grover Jackson, Sully Guitars was solidified as the premier custom shop dedicated to giving every guitar the personal, “small builder” touch. Sully Guitars kicks off 2024 with the NAMM debut of their head-turning Astro model, a set neck 24 fret guitar combining retro aesthetics with modern playability.
The post Boutique Luthier Jon ‘Sully’ Sullivan Debuts The Astro: An Eye-Catching Retrofuture Set Neck Guitar Built For Shred appeared first on I Heart Guitar.
“The broken-in feel of an instrument with plenty of playing miles on it”: Charvel brings relic’d and nitro finishes to its standard range for the first time
Gibson’s new $999 pickups come with a leather case – but what else can you keep in it?
Welcome to a very special edition of The Week In Guitar. Very special, because only one thing matters this week. Welcome in particular to those amongst you with superior taste. Those wearing designer leather jackets, reading leather-bound books and carrying your guitar pickups designer leather hardcases. What’s that? You’re not sure about that last one?
- READ MORE: NAMM 2024: The latest rumours and biggest guitar gear announcements from this year’s show
Well, if you need a refresher on the trends of the day – Gibson has unveiled its latest premium set of pickups, inspired, of course, by the holy grail of late-1950s Patent Applied For humbuckers. They’re limited to 1,000 units, and meticulously made. “Scientific analysis” and specs from the Gibson Archive mean Gibson’s promising the most accurate recreations ever.
To make the whole unboxing experience a little more special, they come with lots of case candy, and a case for said candy. Not just any case, this is a high-quality Lifton presentation case. With this all in mind, it’s safe to guess that these are just a little pricier than the average $200 set of pickups. How much more could they be? $300? $400?
Whatever you just thought, it’s higher than that. It’s $999. For a set of humbuckers. I’ll give you a moment to retrieve your socks, which I presume were just blown clean off.
It’s an undeniably ridiculous price. $999 can buy a lot of things. But, of course, they sold out instantly So instead of offering financial advice to the thousand people who’ve already spent a thousand smackeroonies on two guitar pickups, let’s engage in a little thought exercise: what do you do with the case once you’ve installed the pickups? I mean, you have paid for the case. It would be a disservice to the cow if anything, if you didn’t find some sort of use for it.
Let’s get the most obvious thing out of the way first. You have a guitar already, which presumably already has pickups in it, so once you swap in Gibson’s latest PAFs you can put those old humbuckers back in this case. But this is heinous. An insult, really. I don’t know why I’m even considering it. There’s no way that the pickups you currently have are worth anything near $500 each – this isn’t some carrier bag from Tesco, this is a high-quality Lifton presentation case! This needs to be respected!
To that end, we asked our Instagram followers (very respectful people) what to do with it. Their suggestions were:
- Sandwiches
- Weed
OK. Do you know what? Maybe this was a stupid thought exercise.
The post Gibson’s new $999 pickups come with a leather case – but what else can you keep in it? appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
NAMM 2024: “These effects will bring your amp to the next level”: Vox has issued its first Valvenergy pedals in 4 years – and they’re said to be unlike any other stompboxes on the market
Stratocaster vs Telecaster: What’s the difference between these legendary guitar siblings?
“A stylish and functional way to proudly display gear”: Fender seeks to elevate the humble guitar and amp stand with new line of “gear furniture”
NAMM 2024: “1967 is back!” Vox turns back the clocks with recreations of the first-ever production wah pedals
Podcast 447: Adam Levy and Ethan Sherman’s String Theories Takeover, Pt. 1
It’s a ‘String Theories’ takeover of the Fretboard Journal Podcast!
Adam Levy and Ethan Sherman, the authors behind the excellent new ‘String Theories’ book, are taking over the Fretboard Journal Podcast for four episodes. We’ll hear their personal New Year’s resolutions, talk to some of their favorite musicians, and glean some life hacks and advice from these two professional guitarists and educators. We hope that these installments will offer just the right food for thought and inspiration as we all dive into 2024.
This week’s episode features guest appearances by Molly Miller, James Valentine, and Gregg BelisleChi.
Want your own copy of ‘String Theories?’ Order it here: https://stringtheoriesbook.com/
Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal and get our new 53rd issue with Ben Harper, Joanna Sternberg and much more: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription
Registration is now open to attend our 2024 Fretboard Summit: https://fretboardsummit.org/
If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and consider joining the Fretboard Journal’s new Patreon page.
Thank you to our sponsors: Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar, Peghead Nation (use the promo code FRETBOARD and get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription); and Stringjoy Strings (get 10% off your order with the FRETBOARD discount code). This episode is also sponsored by iZotope. Use the discount code FRET10 to save 10% off of your Izotope order.
The post Podcast 447: Adam Levy and Ethan Sherman’s String Theories Takeover, Pt. 1 first appeared on Fretboard Journal.
“The perfect magnetic combination to unlock the full tonal potential of your Jazz Bass”: Fender’s Cobalt Chrome bass pickups might just be the answer to your 60-cycle hum woes
Updated Acoustic Guitar Song List, 1990 to 2024
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