Norse Guitar Feeds

For decades, the Gibson Custom Shop has set the global standard for craftsmanship, authenticity, and artistry in the world of electric guitars. Each instrument is built with uncompromising attention to detail, honoring the legacy of the world’s most iconic players while inspiring the next generation of musicians.

Gibson Custom is proud to announce the release of the Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom Collector’s Edition, an extraordinary, ultra‑limited recreation of the legendary guitarist’s most iconic instrument. Long celebrated as a producer, arranger, songwriter, multi‑instrumentalist, and one of rock’s most distinctive guitar voices, Mick Ronson left an indelible mark on modern music—and his stripped‑finish 1968 Les Paul Custom became a defining part of his sound, style, and legacy. Only 100 of the Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom Collector’s Edition from Gibson Custom are available worldwide at authorized dealers, Gibson Garage locations, and on www.gibson.com.

One of rock music’s most distinctive and quietly influential guitarists, Mick Ronson was far more than David Bowie’s right-hand man during the most transformative years of Bowie’s career. He was a producer, arranger, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and a guitarist whose dramatic, melodic, and unmistakably aggressive style helped define an era. His work as an arranger shaped recordings for artists such as David Bowie, Lou Reed, Pure Prairie League, Ellen Foley, and Roger McGuinn, and he contributed to the arrangement of John Mellencamp’s “Jack & Diane.”

Ronson was instrumental in shaping “Perfect Day” for Lou Reed’s 1972 album Transformer, acting as co-producer, pianist, and string arranger helping shape its glam-infused sound world with a craftsman’s precision and a showman’s flair. His work provided the song’s signature lush, melancholic, and dramatic feel, a sweeping emotional landscape that contrasted beautifully with Reed’s simple, intimate vocal performance. Ronson’s piano on “Perfect Day” is one of his finest and most sublime productions—restrained, elegant, and quietly devastating. His broader contributions to Transformer—from arranging its iconic string parts to playing guitar and piano—were central to the album’s enduring character.

His collaborations with Ian Hunter, his session work with Bob Dylan, Roger Daltrey, and Van Morrison, and his production for artists including Morrissey and Roger McGuinn showcased a rare musical versatility.

Ronson’s own solo career included five studio albums, among them Slaughter on 10th Avenue, which reached the UK Top 10. Yet it is his work with Bowie on The Man Who Sold the World, Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and Aladdin Sane that cemented his place in rock history.

Central to Ronson’s sound was his beloved 1968 Les Paul Custom, an instrument he famously stripped of its original Ebony finish, giving it a raw, distinctive look that became inseparable from his identity. Its tone—shaped by Ronson’s use of a parked wah pedal, fuzz, and echo—was as bold and expressive as his stage presence. Now, Gibson Custom honors that legacy with a faithful recreation that captures the soul, character, and unmistakable aesthetic of Ronson’s original Bowie-era guitar. The Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom Collector’s Edition has been handcrafted with extraordinary attention to detail, using ultra-precise Murphy Lab aging techniques to replicate every nuance of the original instrument’s wear, feel, and sonic personality.

“Mick Ronson is a true musical legend, and his impact—delivered in far too short a time—cannot be overstated. As a writer, producer, singer, and one of the most influential guitarists of his generation, Mick helped shape the very sound of the 1970s through his work with David Bowie, Lou Reed, Mott the Hoople, Elton John, and countless others” says Lee Bartram, Head of Commercial and Marketing EMEA at Gibson. “His solo records and wide-ranging collaborations continued to inspire fans and peers up to his untimely passing in 1993, and they still do today. The world misses Mick Ronson more than it likely knows. Our hope is that this project advances the broader recognition he so richly deserves. For Gibson, it’s an honor and a privilege to help celebrate the legacy he left us.”

This limited-edition model features a mahogany body with a plain maple cap, a mahogany neck carved to an Authentic ’68 Medium C profile, and an ebony fretboard adorned with mother-of-pearl block inlays. The aged gold hardware, including Grover tuners, an ABR-1 bridge, and a heavily worn Stop Bar tailpiece, mirrors the exact look of Ronson’s road-tested guitar. Even the mismatched volume and tone knobs have been faithfully reproduced. The unpotted, aged ’68 Custom humbuckers with Alnico 2 magnets and no covers deliver the aggressive, expressive tone that defined Ronson’s playing, while CTS 500k audio taper potentiometers and Black Beauty capacitors ensure vintage-accurate response. Every Murphy Lab detail—from the stripped top to the precise wear patterns—captures the essence of Ronson’s original instrument.

Only 100 of these exceptional guitars have been built by the expert luthiers of the Gibson Custom Shop and Murphy Lab in Nashville, Tennessee, making this a rare opportunity for collectors and musicians alike. Each guitar ships in a Custom case featuring a reproduction of Mick Ronson’s signature, along with a replica strap and a Certificate of Authenticity booklet that also bears his signature. The Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom Collector’s Edition is more than an instrument; it is a piece of music history, lovingly recreated to honor one of the world’s most iconic and influential guitarists

Outer space awaits in two new pedals from DBA that span pedestrian and bizarre sound worlds.

The Dream Station is like two Death By Audio pedals in one! It’s an instant mood creator, blending DBA-style reverb and delay to plunge your signal into a vivid fantasy hallucination. Three filter settings let you radically shape the tone and character of the effects, opening up a myriad of soundscapes at your fingertips and exploding your sound into super-wide stereo.

From shimmering, lush pads to wild slapback insanity, ping-pong comb filtering, and swirling atmospherics, the Dream Station delivers a full palette of sonic reflection for bending reality and dreams alike. In this compact package, you can create any combination of echo and reverb with the Dream Station’s easy-to-use interface and feel the power of a full-stereo ambience in our smallest reverb ever. With the three filter settings, you can explore different spaces from airy and bright, dark and moody, and full-range digital. And when you really want to go crazy, crank the ECHO F-BACK to blow your bandmates away.

Part of Death By Audio’s Destroyer Series, the Dream Station sports the line’s signature look: a compact footprint, glowing vintage-style LED display, and minimal controls that conceal a world of sonic madness. Each Destroyer pedal delivers a distinct, over-the-top effect in a smaller, stage-friendly box - together forming a family of beautifully chaotic tone machines in stereo.

The Moonbeam Phaser has landed. A stereo, multi-stage phaser like no other, the Moonbeam Phaser lets you completely reshape your sound by choosing between one and six stages of phase shifting for any modulation occasion. With its expansive range of controls, you can instantly explore everything from classic swirling movements to ultra-gooey bends, resonant filtered tremolos, and textures yet to be discovered. Take a trip through the world of tones from beyond the exosphere.

At its core, the Moonbeam Phaser houses two fully analog 6-stage phase shifter engines. You can tap into each stage individually and hear its unique movement as the display morphs through a spectrum of colors that mirror the sound. To unleash the full potential of this unique circuit, we supercharged the FREQ control far beyond the usual range. Drift slowly through 2-minute phase sweeps, dive into liquid swirls, or blast off into ring-modulated frequency shifts. Combined with the DEPTH control, the Moonbeam Phaser opens a vast spectrum of refracted phasing tones- from shimmering rotary-style warbles to deep, resonant bends. And if one phaser wasn’t enough, we’ve packed two phasers in one, letting you bring your guitar, bass, synth, or anything you can imagine into mesmerizing stereo with the click of a stomp.

Part of Death By Audio’s Destroyer Series, the Moonbeam Phaser sports the line’s signature look: a compact footprint, glowing vintage-style LED display, and minimal controls that conceal a world of sonic madness. Each Destroyer pedal delivers a distinct, over-the-top effect in a smaller, stage-friendly box - together forming a family of beautifully chaotic tone machines in stereo.

“Let’s define ‘music’ for a second,” says Deftones guitarist Stephen “Stef” Carpenter. “To me, music is the performance of sound. That sound could be anything, and it becomes musical if I can recreate it. So if there’s a sound I can make, and I can do that with intent every time—to me, that's music.”

This ethos essentially sums up how Carpenter has helped shape Deftones’ densely heavy and alluringly atmospheric music over the past 35 years. Because for Stef, it’s always been less about playing blindingly fast licks or complex riffs and more about coming up with unusual sounds, textures, and chords that enrich and intertwine with the songs that he and his bandmates create together.

“I’m not a technical player,” he says. “I play guitar, and I play it very simplistic; I’m not complicated at all—I leave that for all the players that want to do that. That’s not to say I don’t love math-y, complicated guitar riffs; I absolutely do. It’s just that none of that has been my focus. I absolutely love players that can do phenomenal things. I’m just not interested in doing that myself.

“As a band, we are all very interested in how it sounds,” he continues. “When it comes to why it sounds that way, we don’t talk about it or go into all those things in any great depth. But the thing I think we would all agree on is that we want the sound; we are all about listening for and hearing the little nuances. We’re very much into all the little nuances of things.”

Those “little nuances”—as well as Carpenter’s gigantic power chords—can be heard throughout Deftones’ catalog, including last year’s Private Music, their 10th album. The band’s first new studio full-length since 2020’s Ohms, the effort, co-produced by the band with Nick Raskulinecz, was released in August, 2025, to massive critical acclaim and commercial success, giving Deftones their first-ever #1 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart. “My mind is a mountain,” the album’s lead single, also became the band’s first song to reach #1 at U.S. radio, topping Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs and Mainstream Rock Airplay charts.

Stef Carpenter’s Gear

Guitars

• ESP LTD SCT-607B Stephen Carpenter Signature 7-string Baritone
• ESP LTD Stephen Carpenter SC-608 Signature 8-string Baritone
• Kiesel Vader 8-string Baritone

Amps, Cabs, Emulators, Routers, & Receivers

• Bogner Uber Ultra
• Bogner 2x12 UberKabs
• Bogner 4x12 UberKabs
• Soldano SLO-100 Super Lead Overdrive
• Fractal Axe-Fx II
• Rivera Mini RockRec Power Attenuator
• Radial JX44 V2 Guitar & Amp Signal Manager
• Shure AD4Q Digital Wireless Receiver

Effects

• Boss FZ-1W Fuzz
• DigiTech Whammy Ricochet Pitch Shift
• Dunlop DVP4 Volume (X) Mini Pedal
• Eventide H9 Harmonizer
• Line 6 Helix
• Pigtronix Gatekeeper Noise Gate
• Strymon BigSky Multidimensional Reverb
• Strymon Mobius Multidimensional Modulation
• Strymon TimeLine Multidimensional Delay
• TC Electronic 2290 Dynamic Digital Delay
• TC Electronic PolyTune 3 Noir
• Voodoo Lab HEX True Bypass Audio Loop Switcher
• Xotic SP Mini Compressor
• ZVEX Fuzz Factory
• ZVEX Machine (custom)

Stef’s signature 7- and 8-string ESP baritone guitars, long a central element of the Deftones sound, lent significant sonic heft to Private Music tracks like “milk of the madonna,” “cut hands,” and “i think about you all the time.” But the album also marked the first time that Stef employed headless Kiesel Vader 8-strings in the studio, which he acquired shortly before the sessions began.

“We have a friend, Chrys Johnson, who’s the A&R person for Kiesel,” Stef explains. “He’s done A&R for other companies as well, so we've known him through other endorsers throughout the years. And he had asked if I was interested in trying a Kiesel. At the time, I had just received one of their guitars from Marc [Okubo] of Veil of Maya; I had randomly asked him about why he switched from Jackson to Kiesel, and I guess he was having some guitars made at the time, so they sent me one of his guitars that he was getting made. I was very shocked and blown away by that—I had never received a guitar from anybody.” Carpenter laughs. “And then I was talking to Chris after that, and he’s like, ‘If there’s anything on the website that you’re interested in, just let me know, and I’ll have something put together.’”

“I absolutely love players that can do phenomenal things. I’m just not interested in doing that myself.”

Stef found himself especially intrigued by the company’s headless Vader model, which was available in 6-, 7-, and 8-string editions. “I wasn’t even seeking out a headless guitar,” he shrugs. “I’d never played one, but there was something about the Vader that really attracted me. And I wasn’t trying to get with a different guitar company; that had never been anything I was ever interested in. But I decided I really wanted a headless guitar, and ESP doesn’t make one.”

Stef continues, “It turned out that Jeff Kiesel was already a huge Deftones fan, and he built me a Vader himself. He’s super dope, just an awesome person, and he’s become a friend. I was moved by their generosity—and, well, it’s a headless guitar!” (Kiesel has since released a limited-edition 8-string Stef Carpenter Signature Model in all-white and all-black iterations, both outfitted with the same Stef Carpenter Signature Fishman Fluence pickups used in his ESP signature models.)

The Kiesels have become an integral part of Stef’s live arsenal as well. “When it comes to performing most of our songs, I can use either my ESPs or my Kiesels to play them,” he says. “It won’t make a difference.” The band’s 2000 effort, White Pony, he says, “is our only record where I have to use my ESPs versus using my Kiesels, because there’s some songs from that where I play the little bits above the nut on the headstock, as well as below the bridge on the strings as they’re going into the body.”

Of course, Stef always brings a veritable platoon of 7- and 8-string guitars with him on the road, due to the various alternate tunings that he began using on the second Deftones record, 1997’s Around the Fur. “Had I not done all that in the past, I could learn all the old songs on the 8-string, which I didn’t start playing until [2010’s] Diamond Eyes,” he says. “But they would be new versions of the songs—they wouldn’t sound the same, and keeping everything consistent is what I go for.

“Every day, I was just shy of crying from pain that was in my right arm; I couldn’t even move it.”

“On this record, I went back to what I was doing on the Koi record [2012’s Koi No Yokan], which is standard 8-string tuning—F#–B–E–A–D–G–B–E—with the top [low] string dropped to E [low to high: E–B–E–A–D–G–B–E]. And I did that because, at the time, I had met Tosin [Abasi] from Animals As Leaders, as well as the guys from Periphery and the Contortionist. They were all amazing dudes and amazing players, and they were all like, ‘We’re playing drop E!’

“So I went to drop E for the Koi record, and I went back to that for this record, because Koi is our record that I enjoy playing the most; I have the most fun playing those songs, physically speaking. But whether it’s the F#-standard tuning or the drop E, they inspire me to do different things on the 8-string; I feel like I can get things out of each one that I can’t get out of the other.”

Stef also switched things up, amplifier-wise, on Private Music. An early adopter of amp modelers, he’s unfortunately had some well-documented difficulties with his digital equipment over the years. “That’s when my struggle began, really, when I left the analog world,” he reflects. “When I initially started using the Fractal Axe-Fx Ultra, I didn’t have any problem with it, because I was just kind of treating it like a preamp. And then I got the Axe-Fx II when they became available. What had really drawn me to them initially was the tone-matching capability; that’s why I got really sucked in. Because, for me, I was like, ‘Oh man, I’m gonna be able to get all the sounds from all the records, so I’ll be able to bring that kind of audio to the live sound, where I can have each song sounding similar to how the record sounds!’ I was so excited about that.”

He continues, “It wasn’t until we got out of the studio, and we started actually living in the real world as a band again, that I started having all the problems with trying to make the digital world sound like it did to me in the analog world. Sitting in front of some recording monitors, you can do that a lot easier, but in the jam room, where we’re actually performing as a band, I did not understand how to make that become a reality, and it never did, the way I had it set up. The thing that I was lacking was just simply the thing that a real amp gives. There’s a certain feeling; you just play on them enough and you’ll feel it. It’s not an audio thing, it’s not something my ears were recognizing. It was just the way it feels, the overall experience. A tube amp is alive, just as you are, but we don’t often recognize—or we take for granted—the fact that there’s this living piece of machinery that’s interacting with you, as well as you with it.”

“I wasn’t even seeking out a headless guitar. I’d never played one, but there was something about the [Kiesel] Vader that really attracted me.”

To reconnect with that feeling, Stef had his collection of high-gain tube heads brought into the studio when it came time to record his parts on Private Music. “I’ve been collecting them over the last 10 years,” he explains. “I didn’t know how they would sound or anything, but I decided I’d at least throw them in the mix and see what happens. I’ve got an entire collection of Bogners; those are my preferred and my favorite, but they weren’t the only ones I brought down. I brought Fryettes, I brought out my Orange amps, my Rivera, my Diezel, my Soldanos. The Soldano SLO-100, man, that amp is amazing! We busted that thing out on many little bits throughout the record.”

The experience of recording with the tube heads inspired Stef to have his live rig entirely rebuilt by Dave Friedman and Greg Dubinovskiy, Stef’s guitar tech, with his Bogner Uber Ultra heads at the center of his setup. “There’s nothing wrong with the digital equipment, whatsoever,” Stef insists. “I mean, for what it does, what it has to offer and what it provides people? That shit’s amazing. But ultimately, I just had so much fun in the studio with the tube amps. My guitar tech, Greg Dubinovskiy, set all my gear up; he was dialing shit in as I tracked. I didn’t turn a knob—I didn’t even plug in,” he laughs. “I was just playing, and enjoying the moment of being there and being able to actually contribute physically.”

Indeed, there were points during the creation of Private Music where Stef’s ability to contribute seemed worryingly limited, largely due to the physical and psychological effects of what was finally diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes. “I had no clue what I was going through,” he says. “I’d just been so out of it for the past four or five years—all the things that go with poor diet and poor exercise, that’s what I experienced.

“During the whole writing process, I was just tired, but I was not connecting how I felt to what I was doing,” he recalls. “When we went in to start tracking the music, thankfully we got all of our scratch tracks done, because shortly after that, something had got me all messed up. Like, every day, I was just shy of crying from pain that was in my right arm. I couldn’t even move it. I did what I could to just take care of myself—at least as best as I understood what I was going through. And thankfully, when it was time to actually track my guitar parts, my body was feeling better, and I was able to physically do what I had to do.”

But rather than get to the root of his physical challenges, Steph simply chalked it up to the aging process. “I just thought it was old-man life shit,” the 55-year-old guitarist says now. It was only after experiencing more difficulties while performing with Deftones at Coachella in 2024 (“I was just trying not to fall over,” he says) that his bandmates successfully convinced him to seek medical help.

“I was self-medicating, hoping I was doing the right thing, and always hoping things would get better so I wouldn’t have to do any of that,” he admits. “But unfortunately, you can only kick a can so far down the road before you run out of road.”

“The sounds those [MRI] machines make are so wild. The techs were like, ‘You can listen to music while we’re doing it.’ And I'm like, ‘No—I want to listen to the machine!’”

Now markedly slimmed down after changing his diet, Carpenter seems to be doing much better, both physically and mentally. “I’m very glad I got help,” he says. “Type 2 diabetes was affecting me on a number of levels for a long time, and I’m grateful to have that information now and be able to deal with it. I’m also really grateful to everyone else in the band—their positive energy really carried me through that period of time, and really carried us through the making of the album.”

If there’s a silver lining to Stef’s medical odyssey, it’s that his health challenges may have inspired him to chase some new sounds for the next Deftones record. “I’ve had two MRIs in the last year,” he says, “and each time, I found myself thinking, ‘Man, how can I bring a recorder in here and record it?’”

Carpenter laughs. “The sounds those machines make are so wild. The techs were like, ‘You can listen to music while we’re doing it.’ And I’m like, ‘No—I want to listen to the machine!’”

He may now have his own signature guitar with Schecter, but Aaron Marshall hasn’t forgotten the rig that started it all.

In a new interview with D’Addario, Marshall revisits his early musical journey – including the humble high school setup he claims would “still smoke most rigs these days”.

Like many players, Marshall’s obsession with music came before the instrument itself.

“As a kid, the first thing I fixated on or latched onto was certainly music. Guitar entered the picture after hounding my parents for drums, funny enough, which did happen,” says the Intervals guitarist. “But the pivotal moment was.. our first DVD player.” More specifically, Carlos Santana’s Supernatural Live on DVD.

• READ MORE: “I committed to poverty for that”: Whitesnake’s Joel Hoekstra says you have “a hole in your head” if you get into music for money

“Watching that at home in the living room was kind of a crazy experience,” Marshall recalls. “I was probably blown away by how enamoured my parents were with it, so I actually gave it some attention. And it made me wanna explore music. That was probably the catalyst for my dad taking me to a pawn shop and we got my first acoustic guitar. ‘Oh, okay, well, we’ll start with that. See if you like it. See if you commit.’”

As with many first acoustics, it felt enormous.

“I could barely get my arm over it,” he says. “And did that for a while, and then it became a Stratocaster. I learned everything from Blink-182 to Slipknot on that thing.”

Not long after, Marshall found himself in his first band: “[It] was not too long after discovering the guitar. I’d say ninth grade. I remember a friend who was a drummer who’s a couple grades ahead of me. I guess there weren’t a lot of options… and they wanted someone to come play guitar in their band, and it was like the first time anyone had given me a shot.”

What followed was, in his words, “your quintessential first emo band” – and a rig that still earns his respect.

“The rig was the midnight blue made-in-Mexico Stratocaster into a [Fender] Hot Rod Deluxe with a [Boss] Metal Zone. That’ll still smoke most rigs these days too,” Marshall insists. “I was in like a progressive metal band, kind of like Between the Buried and Me, Protest the Hero. And I did that up until I left those guys and started doing Intervals like 15 years ago.”

Check out the full interview below.

The post Aaron Marshall says his old Strat-Metal Zone setup from ninth grade would “still smoke most rigs these days” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

With an often-cited collection of over 600 instruments, Aerosmith’s Joe Perry is as prolific a guitar collector as he is a riff writer.

And in a new interview with Guitar World, Perry highlights some of his favourites from his collection, including the custom Gibson BB King Lucille he had designed to celebrate his longtime wife, Billie Paulette Montgomery. The guitar – which features a painting of Billie’s face on its lower bout – has attracted considerable attention when he has brought it out on stage over the years.

• READ MORE: “The fact Wolfgang trusted us to come in and not totally ruin the legacy meant a lot”: Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti on recording the new Alter Bridge album at 5150

“I got that in the ‘90s,” Perry explains. “The main reason for that guitar is that I love history, and I was looking back and fascinated by what they call ‘nose art’. Pilots would have artwork on the nose of their planes in World Wars I and II, and it would be pictures of their favourite movie starlet or their wife, and they’d name the plane after them.

“I thought, ‘Why not do that with my guitar?’ That was the main reason I picked that body style – the BB King Lucille body. It doesn’t have F-holes; I wanted something with plenty of room for the artwork.”

The artwork – designed and painted by Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer’s drum tech John Douglas – was inspired by a number of polaroid photos Perry took of Billie, who the guitar came as a massive surprise to when it was first revealed to her.

“She had no idea this was going on!” Perry continues, reflecting on the moment she saw it. “Billie just stood there for a second, and they came out with this guitar case and said, ‘Close your eyes.’ We opened it up, and she turned beet red. 

“Long story short, she wouldn’t come out when I’d put the guitar on; she’d kind of leave the side of the stage because she was so embarrassed about it. She’s not somebody who looks for the spotlight, but she got used to it.”

Perry continues: “Sometimes I would stand out at the end of the ramp, and the girls in the crowd would point to the picture on the guitar and want to know who it was. I’d point to my wedding ring, and they would melt. They thought it was so romantic!”

The guitar wasn’t just a DIY job, though; it came as an official collaborative work between Joe Perry, John Douglas and Gibson.

“I took some pictures of Billie with a polaroid and got the guitar from Gibson, who were in on the plot,” Perry recalls. “I had them paint it pearl white but without the final touches so that John could paint it.

“There’s a picture on the front of the guitar and on the back, and I picked white because I thought the artwork would stand out. Again, I was driven by the visuals. [laughs] After John painted it, it went back to Gibson, and they put the neck and their touches on it and finished it with the electronics… That happened in Nashville, where I got to go to the factory and check out the stuff at the Custom Shop.

The post “Girls in the crowd would want to know who it was. I’d point to my wedding ring and they’d melt!”: Joe Perry on his custom Gibson BB King “Billie” Lucille appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Press Release

Source: National GUITAR Museum

The National GUITAR Museum announced that Ritchie Blackmore, the esteemed guitar legend whose vast career spans more than 60 years, has received its annual “Lifetime Achievement” Award. Blackmore is the sixteenth recipient of the award.

Ritchie Blackmore joins previous award winners including Honeyboy Edwards, Jeff Beck, Bonnie Raitt, Liona Boyd, Jose Feliciano, and B.B. King. Recipients are recognized for a lifetime of contributing to the legacy of the guitar and having a singular historical importance to the development and historical appreciation of the instrument.

Lifetime Achievement Award (photo courtesy of The National GUITAR Museum)

According to HP Newquist, NGM executive director “Most people know Ritchie from being the driving creative force behind two of the defining hard rock bands of all time—Deep Purple and Rainbow. But before starting those bands, he had a long career as a London session musician, performing on records by numerous artists, including The Outlaws. And then—after helping to define hard rock guitar in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s—he formed Blackmore’s Night, incorporating medieval and Renaissance acoustic music into his immense repertoire.”

Said Blackmore, “I’m rather thrown by the magnitude of this honorable award. I am grateful to accept this award and this recognition.”

Blackmore’s guitar playing has inspired countless numbers of musicians to follow in his wake, and very few guitarists can match his lifetime of achievements. His influence is pervasive amongst players in a wide variety of genres, from blues-rock and heavy metal on to neoclassical and pop rock. It is conceivable that every electric guitarist on the planet has learned how to play the riff Blackmore came up with for “Smoke On The Water.”

Added Newquist, “It’s difficult to find any modern guitarist who has incorporated so many diverse styles into their playing—and then fused them all into something recognizably their own over their entire career. Ritchie was one of the first electric guitarists to add classical melodicism to his playing, along with classical speed and finesse. I think that most of the early ’80s guitarists who played lightning fast riffs and claimed to be learning from Bach and Mozart were, in fact, borrowing from Ritchie.”

Ritchie Blackmore joins previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipients:

2010: David Honeyboy Edwards

2011: Roger McGuinn

2012: B.B. King

2013: Vic Flick

2014: Buddy Guy

2015: Tony Iommi

2016: Glen Campbell

2017: Bonnie Raitt

2018: Liona Boyd

2019: Jose Feliciano

2020: Eddie Van Halen (in memoriam)

2021: Al Di Meola

2022: Jeff Beck

2023: Tommy Emmanuel

2024: Alex Lifeson

2025: Ritchie Blackmore

• More on Ritchie Blackmore

https://www.blackmoresnight.com/

• About The National GUITAR Museum

The National GUITAR Museum is the only museum in the world dedicated to the history, evolution, and cultural impact of the guitar. Its touring exhibitions have been featured in more than 60 museums worldwide.

In the coming year, those exhibitions will become the basis of The National GUITAR Museum and its permanent home.

For more information, contact The National GUITAR Museum at director@nationalguitarmuseum.com

Alter Bridge guitarists Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti have reflected on the honour of recording their latest album at Eddie Van Halen’s legendary 5150 Studios.

The band’s self-titled eighth album arrived in January, and saw Kennedy, Tremonti and co enter the hallowed ground of 5150 in Los Angeles, California. And in a new interview with Guitar World, the guitarists reveal how the opportunity came about.

• READ MORE: “The guitar that started it all”: T-Bone Walker’s 1949 Gibson ES-5N is up for sale on Reverb for over $2M

“Wolf was incredibly kind enough to bring that offer up with our manager,” Kennedy says. “We were like, ‘Really?’ We knew the history of all the incredible music that had been made there. Just the fact that he trusted us enough to come in and not totally ruin the legacy really meant a lot. When we all showed up, we were very cognisant of that, and we wanted to honour the situation.

“If you know you’re going into this sacred ground where all these incredible riffs have been constructed and recorded, the last thing you want to do is show up empty-handed. It was definitely fuel for the creative fire.”

Asked whether a Van Halen flavour worked its way into the songs on Alter Bridge, Tremonti says, “We by no means sound like Van Halen in any way or form. But you can feel the spirit of the band and Eddie in that room.”

“The riff for Silent Divide has definitely got an ‘80s vibe. Mark kept comparing it to an old Judas Priest riff, but with the way I keep coming back to that chugging on the low D, I think of a riff like Unchained.

“Those were such important riffs for me. Does it sound like Unchained? No, but there’s definitely that element there.”

“I try to explain to people that 5150 Studios isn’t some sterile environment where they’re cleaning up for the next band to come in. It was pretty much left the way [Van Halen] used it last. Wolfie has a great Neve console in there now, but it’s pretty much the same letters on the kitchen fridge; there’s the 5150 necklace hanging over the door – all the cool stuff that was there when those guys were there.”

Listen to Alter Bridge’s new album below:

The post “The fact Wolfgang trusted us to come in and not totally ruin the legacy meant a lot”: Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti on recording the new Alter Bridge album at 5150 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Things have taken a strange turn in the CKY camp. Last week, bassist Mike Leon announced his departure from the band, citing what he describes as a toxic and increasingly unworkable environment driven by frontman Chad I Ginsburg.

Ginsburg has since publicly disputed the claims, insisting Leon was actually fired for entirely different reasons, including an alleged dislike of touring with dogs.

• READ MORE: “I had the kid in a headlock, and Anthony physically threatened me to let go”: Flea recounts how he met fellow Red Hot Chili Pepper Anthony Kiedis

Taking to Instagram on Friday (20 February), Leon confirmed he would not be joining the band for its upcoming shows. The bassist – formerly of Soulfly – says his stint in CKY began as a dream opportunity but ultimately unravelled behind the scenes.

“I want to let you know that my time with CKY has come to an end. Growing up, I was a huge fan of the band, and getting the opportunity to play with them was a dream come true. I genuinely enjoyed my time there, and it was fun… until it wasn’t.”

“For full transparency, I will not be participating in the band’s upcoming shows,” says Leon. “As unfortunate as this is, given the circumstances, I believe this was the right move to make. The differences regarding logistics and business decisions, primarily driven by the actions of the band’s leader [Ginsburg], created internal issues that made an already stressful environment increasingly difficult to work in.”

The bassist also alleges long-standing issues within the band’s leadership, saying “this unprofessionalism and lack of accountability was known well before I joined, and persisted throughout my time with the band, making day-to-day operations a constant challenge. The love I had for the band blinded me to the red flags my peers and the band’s previous history had warned me about, especially surrounding the frontman, yet I chose to believe things would be different.”

“In all of my years of working in this industry, I have never experienced this level of toxicity from an individual, and it stings extra having been perpetrated by the very band that first inspired me to start my career as a musician,” the statement continues.

“Music should be a source of joy, but the environment became a source of stress that ultimately outweighed the positive aspects of being part of the band I grew up loving. I will continue creating music, and I sincerely thank all of you for your unconditional support.”

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Ginsburg has since responded via Instagram Stories [via Stereogum], flatly rejecting Leon’s version of events.

“I don’t know what Mike Leon is talking about in his post. However, I do know the facts and the facts are, Mike, and you know them too, is that we fired you last night because you hate dogs and you didn’t want to tour with the dogs and you wanted more money and you weren’t happy with anything ever. So unfortunately it’s not working out, Mike. But what you wrote is fucking crazy, dude. Like, prove any of that fucking shit.”

The musician then posted requests for bassists from Nashville to DM their auditions to the band.

The public fallout adds to a turbulent chapter for CKY. In 2024, Alien Ant Farm frontman Dryden Mitchell kicked the band from a tour after Ginsburg reportedly punched him during a backstage altercation.

The post “We fired you last night because you hate dogs”: CKY frontman makes bizarre claim over bassist’s exit appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Getting into music with dreams of dollar signs dancing in your head? Well you might want to think again. Such is the advice of Whitesnake guitar hotshot Joel Hoekstra, who likens the music industry to the “Wild West” – chaotic, unpredictable, and with no guaranteed path to fame or fortune.

Now 55, Hoekstra – who also logs arena miles with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra – says he never imagined a life on the big stage. Raised in the blue-collar suburbs of Chicago, the odds weren’t exactly stacked in his favour.

• READ MORE: Looking for an entry point into baritone guitars? You can’t go wrong with this Harley Benton model for just £299

“We were poor, quite frankly. We had no money. We grew up in a blue-collar area, the suburbs of Chicago, where none of this was supposed to happen for me, like literally none,” he tells Guitar World [via Blabbermouth]. “So, for me to get to the point where, through hard work and, I guess, a bit of luck, you find yourself able to do some great things.”

“And then, in a way, I’m playing with house money, but in a way, I wanna see how far it can all go. So I just keep pushing and hope for the best. But that being said, I know my limitations as a guitar player and I know my fortes, I suppose. I just try to work at music every day and see where it all takes me.”

If there’s a master plan, it’s a simple one: making a living with his instrument.

“I’ve never really had any grand plan beyond being a professional guitar player,” Hoekstra admits. “As funny as that sounds, for the guy that ended up on stage with Whitesnake throwing shapes with the long hair and everything like that, the most important thing for me was to make a living with my guitar. That’s what I set out to do as a kid. And I committed to poverty for that. I went, like, ‘Okay, I’m probably gonna be poor the rest of my life.’”

That willingness to accept instability, Hoekstra stresses, is part of the job description.

“You have to have that ability, I think, to get into music,” says the guitarist. “If you’re getting into music to make money, man, you have a hole in your head, man, ‘cause you could get any other job and work much, much easier hours and have a nice, clear path to do so, where music is like the Wild West, I think. It’s, like, anything can happen at any point in time.”

Still, it’s not all caution tape and tumbleweeds. If the industry is unpredictable, it’s also more accessible than ever. Hoekstra points out that players today are armed with tools he could only dream of when he was starting out: affordable home studios, and direct access to audiences and collaborators across the globe at the click of a button.

“It’s possible through hard work. And I think that should definitely ring true for any younger players out there now,” he says. “Especially with the Internet, the world has shrunk. You can get your music out to anybody, and home recording has gotten to the point where you can make a professional record right there where you are.”

“So I don’t care where you are – if you’re located in a more rural area, if you still have the ambition to reach out to name players and try to expand your name, and obviously things being in the digital domain like they are, you never know where that can take you.”

The post “I committed to poverty for that”: Whitesnake’s Joel Hoekstra says you have “a hole in your head” if you get into music for money appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Canadian pop-punk band Victories revealed that its lead guitarist has lost two fingers following what was described as a “horrible” work accident.

“Hello everyone. Following a horrible accident, our Victories brother and lead guitarist Steph has lost 2 fingers,” the band shared via Instagram.

“Playing guitar and performing is his life,” the post continued. “We simply cannot imagine the pain that he is going through right now. He is, and will always be, a core part of the Victories family. Though he isn’t personally taking messages, please keep him in your thoughts during this very difficult time.”

• READ MORE: “Two weeks before the show, they said he could die. But he wanted to do it so bad”: Sharon Osbourne on Ozzy’s insistence to perform one last time at Back to the Beginning

Fans have since flooded the comments section with support, offering encouragement and well-wishes.

“He is very brave … prayers to him,” one user commented. “Just focus on recovery then hopefully you will find a way back to music somehow. God bless.”

Another added, “I can’t imagine the pain he’s in, both physical and mentally… sending love to him and everybody else.”

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It isn’t clear which fingers Stephane lost, though further details were later shared by the band’s bassist, Christopher, who explains that the accident took place on a construction site, where Stephane works outside of music.

“A little over a week ago, Steph was on a job site, he works in construction, and there was an accident, and he lost two-and-a-half of his fingers,” he says in a video update.

“Had it not been for the quick reaction of his brother Pat, I would be telling a eulogy right now instead of answering questions.”

According to Christopher, the guitarist lost a “tremendous amount of blood” and spent more than a week in intensive care. “He’s lucid. He’s in a lot of pain.”

“We don’t know what his road to recovery is going to look like,” Christopher says. “There is two things he loves in life and it’s his son and playing music and what happened put both of those in jeopardy.”

That said, the band remains determined to keep Stephane’s musical contributions front and centre. Before the accident, the musician had tracked guitar parts for six unreleased songs. Victories plans to release the material in stages across the coming months, with the first having arrived on 13 February.

Christopher also explains that the band’s singer, Marc, will take on Stephane’s parts for upcoming live shows. However, he makes clear that the guitarist’s place in the band remains unchanged: “Stef’s spot is his,” he says.

View this post on Instagram

The post Guitarist from Canadian pop punk band loses two fingers in construction accident appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

For the eco-conscious guitar player, guitar strings pose something of a dilemma. They are, by their very nature, a consumable part of the guitar experience, but it certainly doesn’t feel great tossing a combined 20 feet of nickel or bronze-wrapped steel in the trash every time you need to restring.

Now, string brands like D’Addario have tried to create a solution for this, by placing guitar string recycling bins in participating guitar stores. And depending on where you live you may be able to take your strings to where you recycle your scrap metal. Neither of those is exactly what you’d call a friction-free solution however – but what if there was a way you could upcycle your strings into something fun and unique? Well, enter Chicago-based music store, Fret12.

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Fret12 is a music store that sells a curated collection of guitars, pedals and amps of course, but also a bunch of really interesting other things that transcend the usual kinds of guitar store merch. Yes we’re talking t-shirts here, but also button-ups, candles, art, magazines, coffee… and its most famous creation, the String Thing.

The genius of the String Thing is in its simplicity. It is a hefty lump of black plastic shaped roughly like a human being, with 146 pre-drilled holes running through the arms, legs, head and torso.

The idea is that instead of tossing your used strings, you thread them through and around the string thing, over time converting this non-descript fella into your own unique ‘string mummy’. The idea has become a phenomenon – in addition to selling the String Thing itself, Fret12 sells over 30 different String Thing-related products, including t-shirts, art prints and even guitar straps.

It’s all a damn sight more interesting than those companies that turn recycled guitar strings into necklaces and other human-repelling items of jewellery, so we had to catch up with Fret12 main man, Daniel Tremonti (who happens to be the brother of Creed/Alter Bridge guitarist Mark) to find out how this all happened…

Can you tell us how you came up with the idea for the String Thing?

“Several years ago, I was side-stage at a show talking with a tech who was changing strings. He opened the drawer on his road case and there was a stash of neatly coiled used strings. Each had a piece of gaffer tape labeled with a city and a date – he collected them as mementos from the tour.

“I thought it was cool he didn’t just send them to the landfill, and that they were great collectibles. He gave me a batch, which ended up in my own junk drawer. Some time later, I decided to mummify a random action figure, and the String Thing was born. I really liked the idea of this thing feeding on spent strings from guitar players everywhere – the living dead of guitar strings. It became the mascot for Fret12.”

It’s obviously a fun thing to do, but there’s a sustainability element to it, right?

“I am really into adaptive reuse and upcycling for a couple of reasons: it’s responsible handling of waste, and there’s no substitute for the authentic patina and history of a used item.

“I’ve wrapped a lot of things in strings, from skulls to hands, to photograph for my designs, but nothing captures the magic as much for me as the initial shot of the original String Thing in that mummy stance – that was what I wanted to try to capture if I could figure out how to make it a product.

“Depending on how often you change your strings, it could take a little bit to fully wrap the character, so I wanted to make sure the underlying character looked just as striking with one set of strings or 10. And it had to capture that original pose.”

At what point did you realise that it was something people would want to own themselves?

“People have always gotten a kick out of the String Thing visual and it has been successful across our clothing and content. I knew that if I could figure out how to enable people to wrap their own, there would be a segment of the guitar playing audience that would appreciate and get a kick out of it.

“We’ve had conversations with some big folks in the gear space who have made comments like, ‘this is something every guitar player should own’, so that has been encouraging. We also did a String Thing pedal collaboration with Earthquaker Devices recently that was a hit. We’ve gotten some pretty good traction, and I would say we are just getting to that point where enough people have discovered the String Thing and a real buzz is building.”

Has it been surreal seeing people all over the world upcycle their strings with the String Thing?

“It has, especially because each one is completely unique and you can tell when someone has put some real time and thought into their creation. I really want to see people go wild with it as the army of String Things grows.”

There are so many lame-ass ways to upcycle strings – this is fun, but it still has that sense of preserving a moment in time…

“Absolutely, when I saw those used strings in the tech’s road case, it was the first time I had seen someone making a conscious effort to handle the waste responsibly. I hadn’t really considered it before that, but it got me thinking. There isn’t a lot of research available out there to give us precise figures on how many strings end up in landfills, but there are a lot of strings going in the bin, and hopefully String Thing can play a part in reducing that. Think twice before you pitch those dead strings, or the String Thing cometh!”

The String Thing character has captured the guitar public’s imagination like it has?

“It’s out of left field, and people like disruptive things. I think a lot of the merchandise and accessory graphics used in the guitar space are really on the nose. If you see me design a tee with a winged skull guitar on it, it’s time for me to hang it up. The String Thing is mysterious and a bit of an inside thing for the guitar community. I often wonder what non-guitar players think it’s wrapped with. Do they know it’s guitar strings? We did a String Thing beer collab with Hop Butcher Brewery here in Chicago and it didn’t dawn on me until I saw it in the store that people may have no idea what it is. The guitar space at large doesn’t have a mascot, other than ones tied to manufacturers. Maybe the String Thing can fill that role.”

It doesn’t hurt that the String Thing came from a brand that has such a strong identity as a creative and unique music store, how did that all happen?

“I have had a unique perspective living and working in the music space and most people experience only a small fraction of what it takes to make music, be a great musician and entertainer, and thrive in the music business.

“I’ve always been energized by the behind the scenes and the nomadic nature of music – raw rehearsal spaces, tour buses, road crews, gear, green rooms, and sound checks. I wanted to peel back the curtain on touring and recording musicians and create better access for fans and musicians, while creating products that capture the patina and raw nature of musicianship and touring.

“A community formed that really enjoyed the connection we gave them with the artists through the content we made, but also appreciated what we were doing and the connection with each other. It became less artist-centric and more focused around the shared love of live music and guitar. The folks who have been with us since the beginning are the Army of 12 – you know who you are!”

It definitely feels like a club you want to be a member of…

“Our favorite explanation of Fret12 that we heard from one of our supporters is ‘it’s like a back alley entrance into the music scene.’ At our core, we are huge supporters of live music and guitar, and we promote both every day.

“We create content and experiences that provide that insider access, sell a curated selection of high-quality gear, and handcrafted products to express your love of music in everyday life – art, clothing, and home goods.

“The String Thing is one of those out of left field products, and we’re always trying to come up with designs, products, and experiences that people aren’t expecting to keep things fun and engaging. In this case, the product helps solve a problem through upcycling and it makes people think differently about their strings – these are a testament to your hard work and commitment to guitar. And it’s a great conversation starter!”

Find out more about the String Thing at fret12.com

The post “I really liked the idea of this thing feeding on spent strings from guitar players everywhere!” how the String Thing made upcycling your guitar strings fun appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Press Release

Source: Mark Pucce Media

Northern California’s blues scene is buzzing as the Carmen Ratti Band featuring Jill Dineen prepares to release their highly anticipated second studio album, Come to Me, on May 8th. The announcement follows the band’s recent signing with MoMojo Records, marking a major milestone in their fast-rising career and signaling their arrival on a broader national and international stage.

Formed in 2018, the Carmen Ratti Band quickly built a reputation for high-energy performances and a distinctive sound blending blues and roots influences.

Their 2021 debut, The Road Back, introduced audiences to their powerful chemistry and earned praise for its authenticity and musicianship. Now, with Come to Me, the group deepens that artistic vision. Recorded once again at Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California with acclaimed producer Kid Andersen, the album captures a band at full creative stride.

“Variety is central to our library,” says Carmen Ratti. “This record mirrors the roots of blues while incorporating soul, gospel, rock blues and funk. These textures honor our influences and show up in many different ways throughout the album.” He points to the gospel-inspired track, “Blessing in the Blues,” co-written with Jill Dineen, as a standout: “It perfectly showcases Jill’s vocal strength, and the final version came across beautifully in Kid’s hands.”

Jill Dineen describes the recording process as deeply collaborative and emotionally resonant. “Carmen and I continue to challenge each other in our songwriting and complement each other in our performance. In the studio, the songs seemed to just flow, with each musician adding new depth and layers to their meaning. This album carries a lot of heart, and I hope it helps create a bit of connection in the world.” Joining Carmen and Jill are Tony “Macaroni” Lufrano (keyboards/backing vocals), Randy Hayes (drums), and Steve Hazlewood (bass).

Since winning recognition from the Golden Gate Blues Society and performing extensively at clubs, festivals, and venues, the band has cultivated a loyal fan base drawn to their authenticity, virtuosity, and emotional intensity. The May release of Come to Me coincides with a summer tour to promote it.

With Come to Me, the Carmen Ratti Band featuring Jill Dineen stands poised to break beyond regional acclaim and establish themselves as one of today’s most exciting modern blues acts.

About the Carmen Ratti Band Featuring Jill Dineen

The Carmen Ratti Band featuring Jill Dineen is a rising force in contemporary blues, earning recognition for electrifying performances, dynamic musicianship, and commanding, emotive vocals. Under guitarist Carmen Ratti’s vision, the group has steadily built a devoted following across Northern California with a sound that fuses traditional blues roots and a fresh modern edge. Their momentum accelerated after winning honors from the Golden Gate Blues Society, confirming their place among the region’s most compelling live acts.

Their debut album, The Road Back, was recorded at the renowned Greaseland Studios with producer Kid Andersen capturing the group’s signature blend of searing guitar work, soulful grooves, and powerhouse vocals. They returned to the same studio in 2025 to record their new album, Come to Me, an original collection showcasing both their musical growth and deep artistic chemistry.

Having performed throughout the Bay Area alongside many of its finest blues artists, Carmen Ratti brings a rich depth of experience to his craft, shaping his signature sound: smoldering guitar work and a diverse repertoire of original songs that keep audiences captivated.

Jill Dineen is a powerhouse vocalist celebrated for her rich tone, soulful vocal delivery, and gripping stage presence, blending contemporary and traditional blues and roots with striking depth and fire.

Raised on her DJ dad’s vast record collection and her mother’s inspirational grit, she was immersed early in sounds spanning big band, soul, jazz, Motown, rock, R&B, and blues—drawing from legends like Otis Redding, Bessie Smith, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Nina Simone, and Janis Joplin to shape a voice that is both well developed and raw. With decades of stage and songwriting experience, Jill delivers an emotive, dynamic sound marked by authenticity, passion, and unmistakable power in every performance. Before joining the band in 2019, she fronted acclaimed projects across the U.S. and shared stages with leading blues artists nationwide.

The band is rounded out by some of the Bay Area’s finest musicians, Tony “Macaroni” Lufrano, Randy Hayes, and Steve Hazlewood. Together, the ensemble delivers performances that are passionate, authentic, and deeply engaging music that moves the body and stirs the soul.

Come to Me Track Listing and Credits – Catalog Number: MMJ-405

Jill Dineen – Vocals
Carmen Ratti – Guitar / Vocals
Steve Hazlewood – Bass
Randy Hayes – Drums
Tony “Macaroni” Lufrano – Organ / Piano / Backing Vocal
Lisa Leuschner Andersen: Background Vocals – Come to Me

Recorded/Mixed/Mastered & Produced by: Christoffer Lund Andersen, Greaseland Studios, San Jose, CA

1. No Delusion – 3:59 (Jill Dineen)
2. Get In Line – 4:29 (David Fulford & Jill Dineen)
3. Come to Me – 4:49 (Carmen Ratti & Jill Dineen)
4. I Can See – 3:52 (Jill Dineen)
5. Riley – 5:54 (Carmen Ratti)
6. Blessing in the Blues – 4:50 (Carmen Ratti & Jill Dineen)
7. Coming Down – 5:50 (Carmen Ratti)
8. About You – 4:54 (Carmen Ratti)
9. Uncle Joe – 4:03 (Carmen Ratti)
10. Pretty Good Man – 4:06 (Jill Dineen)
11. Come to Me – Extended Version – 6:58 (Carmen Ratti & Jill Dineen)

Fender’s Tone Master Pro is currently on offer at Sweetwater, and you can save nearly $80 and get a free IR sampler pack chucked in the mix too.

The Tone Master Pro was launched in 2023, and earned an 8/10 from Guitar.com. It marked Fender’s first entry into the world of multi-effects and floorboard modellers, and followed an online leak. At its launch, the brand hailed it as an “exciting new chapter in digital amplification”.

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With lots of competition in the floorboard modeller market, Fender didn’t take its development lightly, and it arrived after a four-year period of dedicated research and development.

The workstation features over 100 of the world’s most popular amps and effects, including all of Fender’s Tone Master models, the first officially licensed EVH 5150 III Stealth model, and a range of other amps which have been “perfectly replicated” using Fender’s proprietary Tone Master modelling process.

• READ MORE: Fender Vintera II Road Worn 50s Jazzmaster review: “vastly improves the overall Vintera II package”

This process is described as “ultra-accurate” and captures all the detail and sonic nuance from analogue gear and carries it over to digital in full. It includes 6,000 configurable IRs, over 500 preset slots, a full-colour 7-inch graphic touchscreen, and can also be tweaked with the Tone Master Pro desktop editor.

You also get four FX loops and a 60-second looper, full MIDI functionality, third-party IR support, and an XLR mic input. Through Sweetwater only, an Eminence IR sampler pack is included for free.

Learn more in the launch video below:

In other Fender news, it recently partnered with New York specialist guitar store The Music Zoo on a range of Custom Shop 1957 Strats boasting body-matching painted necks and fretboards.

Shop this deal and more at Sweetwater.

The post Get over $75 off the 8/10-rated Fender Tone Master Pro at Sweetwater appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

The Golden Jubilee delivers the punch, feel, and harmonic richness of classic hot-rodded ’80s high-gain amplifiers in a rugged, pedalboard-ready format.

Engineered as a complete gain platform, the Golden Jubilee features two purpose-built, complementary voices: tight, articulate American boutique high-gain and aggressive, saturated British crunch. The channels are designed to operate independently or stack together, providing seamless transitions from defined rhythm tones to saturated, singing lead sounds.

Independent channel controls and intuitive voicing and stacking switches allow players to shape tones quickly without menus or complex switching. The pedal is designed to perform consistently across clean tube amplifiers, solid-state platforms, and digital rigs, delivering reliable amp-like response in any setup.

Key Features:

• Two distinct high-gain voices in one pedal — American boutique distortion and British crunch, voiced to complement and stack
• Complete gain solution — rhythm, lead, and stacked high-gain tones in a single unit
• Independent channel controls with simple voicing switches
• Consistent amp-like feel across tube, solid-state, and digital platforms
• Premium U.S.A. construction built for long-term reliability

The Golden Jubilee is built for players who require professional-level performance, flexibility, and durability in a streamlined format.

For more information, visit www.wamplerpedals.com

The newly reopened Regent Sounds guitar shop on Denmark Street is celebrating its rebirth by listing “one of the most valuable and historically important musical instruments in existence” – T-Bone Walker’s legendary 1949 Gibson ES-5N – on Reverb.

Billed as “the guitar that started it all”, the ES-5N was one of only 22 built in 1949, and accompanied the blues legend for almost two decades during the formative years of the electric blues. 

It comes with documented provenance and a unique 77-year history, and thus commands a hefty price tag, with Regent Sounds inviting starting bids in the region of £1.5M.

• READ MORE: Bass used on The Specials Ghost Town expected to fetch £20k at auction

T-Bone Walker is widely regarded as one of the most influential guitarists of all time. That is, because he practically invented electric guitar blues as a concept; many of the tried-and-tested blues licks played by both the genre’s modern and classic players originate with T-Bone Walker.

Think of the world’s most influential guitar players: Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gregg Allman, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards. Well, they were all, in some way or another, influenced by T-Bone Walker.

So the lucky new owner of Walker’s treasured 1949 Gibson ES-5N will need deep pockets, as the rich history of the instrument means it comes with a seven-figure price tag.

The guitar is being sold by Regent Sounds, which reopened in September 2025 following a major restoration project. The sale is part of the shop’s new Rare and Vintage Lounge, a space for high-end instruments.

The ES-5N will be on sale on Reverb until 31 March, and will be on public display at Regent Sounds, 4 Denmark St, London WC2H 8LP. Private appointments for close inspection are available on request.

“This is a rare opportunity to own a piece of music history, T-Bone Walker’s influence on the evolution of blues into modern rock can’t be overstated, and this guitar was a leading character in that story,” says Jim Tuerk, Reverb’s VP of Marketing. 

“Reverb exists to help guitars and other gear get second, third, and fourth lives, and it’s fitting that Regent Sounds – which is legendary in its own right – is the shop to give this guitar its next home.”

“Without T-Bone Walker’s genius and virtuosity, it’s unlikely we would have had the proliferation of rock and roll from artists like the Rolling Stones or Jimi Hendrix, whose footsteps make Regent Sounds such sacred ground for music fans,” adds Tony Bacon, author of ELECTRIC BLUES! T-Bone Walker & The Guitar That Started It All.

“Regent Sounds has always been a mecca for music fans because of our rich history,” says Crispin Weir, co-owner of Regent Sounds. 

“But the recent expansion of the shop across two floors, the opening of the Vintage Lounge, and addition of our soundproof booths mean that we have an even brighter future ahead. The sale of T-Bone’s legendary ‘guitar that started it all’ and tie-up with Reverb are just the beginning.”

Take a look at the listing of T-Bone Walker’s treasured Gibson ES-5N at Reverb.

The post “The guitar that started it all”: T-Bone Walker’s 1949 Gibson ES-5N is up for sale on Reverb for over $2M appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

I love to learn about the history of an instrument when I am tasked with creating something new. Many people are unaware that I make over 45 different types of stringed instruments. When I say that, I’m quick to add that although I make six or more styles of steel-string or classical guitars, these do not count toward that number of 45.

When I research instruments, I am often taken down a historic trail that will tell me about the culture of the instrument. One such instrument led me to learn about the connection between Irish and Mexican culture. Not only do these cultures share the Catholic faith, they both faced colonialism and fought for cultural resilience. There was also a large immigration of Irish people who went to Mexico, especially in the years after the Irish Potato Famine. During the 1846-1848 war between Mexico and the United States, many Irish defected to join the Mexican army, viewing it as a Catholic versus Protestant war. Together, they formed the Battalion of St. Patrick (Batallón de San Patricio).

With that history in mind, I thought I would share my history of building the Irish bouzouki, an instrument I was introduced to by a client who wanted one custom-made. I named the model the “Jeannine,” after my Irish-American mother-in-law. (Did I mention my wife is of Irish descent? Mooneyham … Pretty darn Irish.) Most know the Irish bouzouki in its teardrop form. To give an idea of the size of the instrument, think mandolin, then an octave-mandolin, then a cittern, and then the Irish bouzouki.

However, the instrument did not evolve from the mandolin family. It was the Greek bouzouki that gave rise to the Irish bouzouki. In the 1960s, the Greek trichordo was introduced to the Irish. Originally with a bowl back shape and three courses, it took a different form when a local Irish folk musician changed the bottom course strings to two individual strings and then later brought the instrument to a well-known luthier in Kent, England. There, it received a custom-made four-course, three-piece, partially staved back, giving birth to the Irish bouzouki and its new shape.

The Irish bouzouki has a distinct sound, and once you hear the instrument isolated from other instruments, you can pick it out much more easily in traditional folk, Celtic, or English music. Its distinct clear, bright sound is often described as “jangly,” but for anyone unfamiliar, I describe it more as a bassy drone blended with a mandolin-style tone.

When I was asked to custom-build a bouzouki, I wanted to do something unique and decided to make two models, each slightly different from the other, and very different from the teardrop style most commonly known. I built both with a double Florentine cutaway, Palo Escrito sides and back, Honduran mahogany necks, African ebony fingerboards, and Spanish cedar tops. On one of the models, I wanted to blend visuals that would capture both cultures using lush green inlays and abalone shell around the rosette, while blending in the bright colors in the center of the rosette and on the purfling.

Visual design aside, the tone and sound I was building for was a warmer, softer attack with the mids being highlighted, so it would be neither bass- nor treble-dominant. The bracing style and wood combinations created a rich tone with a unique warmth, and I know my clients were happy with the end result. It is difficult saying goodbye to a new instrument, but the bouzouki was one I especially wish I had more time with, because I enjoyed playing it for the short time I had with it.

Hopefully I will get around to building one of these again, but one of the challenges of building in the old-world technique (as opposed to having others make the instruments for you and just slapping your name on it for the credit) is that there isn’t much time outside of the orders for extra builds.

So for now, somewhere in the world live two custom Delgado “Jeannine” Irish bouzouki models that blend my Mexican heritage with my wife’s Irish heritage and carry my mother-in-law’s name. My “Irexican” (Irish/Mexican) daughter’s wish for you is, “May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light.”

Want to try a baritone guitar but don’t want to splash all your cash right away? Look no further than Thomann, which is currently running a deal on the Harley Benton SC-Custom III Baritone AB.

Now reduced to £299, it makes for a great budget-friendly entry point into the world of baritone guitar for both experienced and beginner players.

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As its name suggests, this guitar is a single cut model, and offers a Les Paul-style body shape at a super affordable price range with a baritone-scale 712 mm (28”) neck, shaped in a comfortable Modern C profile, so you can experiment with heavier riffing and a chunkier sound for less.

• READ MORE: “Always ready to ribbit”: This pedal makes your guitar sound like a frog – because why the hell

This model offers a Meranti body and neck, and features a WSC Tune-O-Matic bridge, along with a graphite nut. It has a rosewood fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo stainless steel frets, and tones are powered by two Tesla TM VR-Nitro Alnico-5 humbuckers.

It has two volume controls and a single tone control with push/pull coil split functionality, plus a three-way toggle switch. It comes in an Army Burst Satin finish that will fit right in any heavy music setting.

As for another bargain Harley Benton find, Thomann is also offering a great price on the Harley Benton DNAfx GiT Pro amp modeller unit. For less than £200, you get 50 amp models, more than 40 effects, and 31 IR cab sims that can be configured and stored as patches in up to 200 memory slots using its colour display. This Pro version is the flagship model in its DNAfx GiT line, which also includes a standard and streamlined core version.

Shop this deal and more at Thomann.

The post Looking for an entry point into baritone guitars? You can’t go wrong with this Harley Benton model for just £299 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Tom Bukovac is not a guitar player. Well, technically, he is—but more so, he’s a musician who plays guitar. He’s someone who always strives to make the best musical choice above all else. Bukovac, a first-call Nashville session guitarist and four-time winner of the Academy of Country Music Guitar Player of the Year award, has played on over 1,200 sessions for artists such as Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, and Sheryl Crow, while also being called upon to tour with heavyweights like Joe Walsh and Vince Gill.

Bukovac has gained legions of fans via his YouTube channel (@501chorusecho) where he regularly posts his Homeskoolin’ lessons. There, he imparts nuggets of musical wisdom with humor via extended segments of playing, proving him to be a seemingly endless font of creativity—with a killer collection of guitars.

Chords Are the Key

One of Bukovac’s superpowers is his profound understanding of chords, which informs both his lead and rhythm playing. Watch how he uses organ-style voicings to play through a blues in G.

Ex. 1 is inspired by his playing here. While he’s thinking G7 for the entirety of the first four bars, note how he employs various three-note chord fragments, including F and C triads—but not to create a chord change. Think of it more as splashing various “colors” over these four bars of G7. For example, the F triad (F–A–C) brings the b7 (F), 9 (A) and 11 (C). These first three examples are played fingerstyle.

Ex. 1

Bukovac often plays solo in his videos. But even when he’s improvising with single notes, he often deftly uses his fret-hand thumb (usually) to play bass notes that imply the chords he’s hearing in his head. Here, he adds just a few subtle thumps to propel the rhythm as he solos.

Ex. 2 explores similar territory. Be sure to palm-mute the bass notes to keep them nice and punchy. Note your fret-hand thumb should fret all of the notes on the 6th string except the final one, where your 3rd finger is a better choice.

Ex. 2

Bukovac is an encyclopedia of chord voicings, and he is remarkably musical in how he composes with them. This video is over seven minutes of inspired, beautiful music. There’s so much here to explore, even if you just randomly skip around.

Ex. 3 is a variation on his intro here—just simple seventh chords, but voiced in a unique way. Note how the melody clearly sings out, being so far from the accompaniment. There are no thirds in any of these chords; you can alternately think of them as power chords with melody notes on top.

Ex. 3

Grab Yer Pick

Bukovac is equally skilled using a pick. In this video, he’s employing hybrid picking—alternately or simultaneously using the pick and fingers.

Ex. 4 begins in the key of E, then borrows from E minor for the final two chords. In measure three, fret the down-stemmed notes with your middle finger, executing the slides with your pinky.

Ex. 4

Now, for something completely different, as Bukovac’s got a wide range of styles in his bag, here he shows his country-style pickin’ prowess.

Throughout his solo, over F7 throughout, Bukovac again keeps things interesting, here by employing different textures. Played with your pick, Ex. 5 travels from triads to dyads to single notes, ending with some death-defying open-string pull-offs. Be sure to pick close to the bridge for those to give ’em extra bite, and don’t forget the slapback echo.

Ex. 5

In the first two bars of the previous example, Bukovac uses Dm and Cm triads over F7. Let’s use some Bukovac-style creativity to see how we can take this knowledge a step further. You likely already know that, when soloing, you can use the D minor pentatonic scale (D–F–G–A–C) over F7 — remember it’s the same as F major pentatonic (F–G–A–C–D). But how about using the C minor pentatonic scale (C–Eb–F–G–Bb) over F7? The rule of thumb is you can play the minor pentatonic scale a fifth above the root of a dominant seventh chord. Ex. 6 demonstrates with a Bukovac-style lick. Note that the C minor pentatonic scale brings into play the F7 chord’s 5 (C), b7 (Eb), root (F) and 9 (G). The phrase colorfully touches upon C Dorian (C–D–Eb–F–G–A–B) by including an A, the 3 of F7 at the end of bar 1, as well as a D, its 13, at the end of bar 2.

Ex. 6

Bukovac is especially expressive in the way he bends. In this video, he’s executing two half-step bends simultaneously, using the pick.

Ex. 7 is a similar phrase, and, of course, these bends need to be in tune. If this proves to be challenging, the thing to do is simply slow things down. Bend by turning your wrist only, keeping your fingers stationery as it turns. If that doesn’t feel comfortable, try pulling both strings towards the floor. Tricky….

Ex. 7

Next, over the same groove, Bukovac uses his pick-hand index and middle fingers to create a melody over an open D-string drone. Ex. 8 explores similar territory; execute the final bend by pulling the 3rd string towards the floor to allow the open 4th string to continue to ring.

Ex. 8

Practice Creativity

Like so many of his longer videos, here, Bukovac—off the top of his head—continually finds new musical ideas, taking time to explore each one.

Ex. 9 is based on another idea from the same video. Note the final two examples are played with the pick.

Ex. 9

As Bukovac does, let’s create a couple of simple variations on Ex. 9, as demonstrated in Ex. 10.

Ex. 10

Finally, inspired by Bukovac’s creativity, try exploring your own by simply taking time to fool around with the previous two examples. Don’t think too much. Just start playing, and you’ll undoubtedly discover some brand-new ideas of your own.

The bass guitar played by Horace Panter on the Specials’ 1981 hit Ghost Town is headed to the auction block, and is expected to fetch up to £20,000.

As auctioneer Gardiner Houlgate explains in a press release, Panter paid £200 for the 1971 blue Fender Precision bass in 1981, and admits he’s “not overly attached” to the instrument, and would rather it go to someone who will play it.

• READ MORE: Trump tariffs rejected by US Supreme Court – what could this mean for the guitar industry?

“It would be nice if it went to someone who’ll play it rather than shut it in a vault. It plays really well,” he says.

The Special’s Ghost Town spent three weeks at Number One in the UK, and 11 weeks in the top 40, and “summed up the depressed mood of Britain at the time”.

After the Specials disbanded in 1981, Horace Pantr used the bass with new wave supergroup General Public, which also featured former members of The Beat, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, and the Clash.

Panter sold the bass in 1988, before re-acquiring it in 2010 to use when the Specials reunited.

“This is a bass guitar that’s going to stir up quite a lot of interest among fans and collectors,” says Gardiner Houlgate auctioneer Luke Hobbs. “Ghost Town is such an evocative track reflecting the social and political unrest of Britain at that time – and Horace Panter’s bass is a big part of it.”

Horace Panter’s 1971 Fender Precision bass will be available for public viewing on Friday 6 March and Monday 9 March from 09:00 – 17:30, and on 10 March, the day of the sale itself.

The auction will take place at Gardiner Houlgate, 9 Leafield Way, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 9SW.

Learn more at Gardiner Houlgate.

The post Bass used on The Specials Ghost Town expected to fetch £20k at auction appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Held in July 2025, Back to the Beginning marked Black Sabbath’s last-ever show, with a who’s who of metal’s elite – including, to name a few, Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira and Lamb of God – gathering at Birmingham’s Villa Park for the heavy metal founders’ swansong.

The event culminated in a short but showstopping set from Black Sabbath, with a frail,  throne-bound Ozzy Osbourne performing War Pigs, N.I.B., Iron Man and Paranoid alongside guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward one last time to a crowd of tens of thousands of heavy metal disciples.

• READ MORE: Yungblud got the Changes gig just 48 hours before Black Sabbath’s farewell show

Ozzy – then 76 – had been battling a number of health conditions for years, including Parkinson’s, which caused worsening mobility in the later years of his life. 

And as his widow and longtime manager Sharon Osbourne explains in a new interview of the Dumb Blonde celebrity podcast, her husband “knew” he didn’t have long to live as preparations reached their peak ahead of Back to the Beginning.

“Two weeks before the show, they said he could probably die, and he did,” Sharon says [via Blabbermouth]. “But he wanted to do it so bad. He needed it. And it’s, like, ‘Whether I die in two weeks or I die in six months, I’m still dying. And I wanna go my way.’ And he did. He went like a rock star.”

Sharon says that the love and tributes to Ozzy Osbourne and his illustrious career at Back to the Beginning were “bittersweet” because they “knew” Ozzy didn’t have much time left.

“Ozzy had sepsis earlier on last year,” she continues. “And very few people ever walk away from that without losing a limb or their life… And as soon as he got sepsis, the kids and I, we knew it was time. And then when we went to England, he went into hospital for a week. And when he came out, they said, ‘You know, Ozzy, this could kill you.’ And he said, ‘I’m doing my show.’ He went out like a king.”

Sharon goes on: “The thing is when you’ve lived your life that way, and it was like, ‘Okay, six months more to go out the way I wanna go out.’ It’s like saying, when you get really old and somebody’s still smoking and they’re, like, 78 years of age, and you’re like, ‘Just let him smoke. Leave him alone. He’s 78. Leave him alone.’

“[Ozzy] went the way he wanted to go. He knew. He knew.”

Sharon also reflects on the moments surrounding Ozzy’s death: “It was so quick. And thank God. I knew when they were trying to revive him, I knew. I’m, like, ‘Don’t. Don’t do it. Leave him.’ “He was done. But again, he went out like a rock star.”

In terms of how she is coping in the wake of Ozzy’s death at the age of 76, Sharon says: “I’m getting there. It’s hard. Jesus, it’s hard, but I’m getting there. I’m gonna keep working and I’m gonna keep doing what I do in my life. And that’s it.”

The post “Two weeks before the show, they said he could die. But he wanted to do it so bad”: Sharon Osbourne on Ozzy’s insistence to perform one last time at Back to the Beginning appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.