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“I can hear Ritchie Blackmore fans crying out!”: Deep Purple’s Simon McBride on switching from tube amps for amp modellers
One by one, it seems the amp purists are falling. Some of rock’s most notable old guard – who tend to prefer tube amps over their modern-day digital counterparts – have been experimenting with amp modellers as of late, and have been mightily impressed with the results.
Take Joe Bonamassa, as a prime example. The blues maestro is an avid collector and lover of vintage gear, so much so that he has two museum-style locations in Nashville and LA – Nerdville East and West, respectively – dedicated to the stuff. But even JoBo recently revealed he’d made the switch to digital, at least partially, after sharing that he’d been using Fender Tone Master amps on tour.
“When I first plugged into it, I realised this s***’s good. I really wanted to dislike it! But I couldn’t,” the guitarist said last month. He also revealed that he was prepared to “take a lot of s**t” for his adoption of digital modelling gear.
Deep Purple guitarist Simon McBride has also made the switch to digital, and like Bonamassa, acknowledges fans who might criticise him for doing so.
“I have a lot of amps, but for most of the Purple stuff I use my live rig, which is the [Neural DSP] Quad Cortex,” he tells Guitarist in a new interview.
“I can hear a lot of Ritchie Blackmore fans crying out, going, ‘No! He’s using digital stuff!’ But it’s brilliant.”
As for why he chose to incorporate a Quad Cortex into his rig in 2025, the decision ultimately came down to a desire to streamline his setup.
“I had to change my sound a bit because you’re dealing with Don Airey, who plays keys, the Hammond and Leslie, and a Marshall head and cabinet,” McBride explains. “He’s in a very similar frequency range to [my] guitar, so I had to figure something out to make the guitar sound more powerful.”
Guitar World notes that McBride asked Engl – who made Steve Morse’s signature amp and gave him his own Artist Edition head – to tweak it and give him more power to occupy his own areas of the frequency spectrum.
“I asked them to tweak it and put a lot more power in the lower mids and low-end. I knew the Leslie and Hammond didn’t have that, so that could be my little space and would cut through but also make me sound powerful when we play a riff together.”
GW notes that while the guitarist doesn’t explicitly say so, he insinuates that his Engl amp has been captured and incorporated into his Quad Cortex.
Many high-profile guitarists have now adopted amp modellers, including James Hetfield, Nita Strauss and Mike McCready.
The post “I can hear Ritchie Blackmore fans crying out!”: Deep Purple’s Simon McBride on switching from tube amps for amp modellers appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats accuse Damon Albarn of being a “pop diva” after he allegedly forced their set to end early
Psychedelic metal band Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats allegedly had their set cut short at Roskilde Festival after Damon Albarn “threw a hissy fit” and accused them of being “too loud”.
This is according to Uncle Acid themselves, who shared a statement on social media after the alleged incident took place, in which they apologised to fans and thanked the festival crew for “trying to intervene”.
Gorillaz were headlining the Danish festival’s Orange stage on Thursday 2 July while Uncle Acid’s played on the Legune stage. Danish media outlet Politiken reports (via NME) that Albarn spoke to the crowd during his set, saying, “Is it supposed to be possible for me to hear the other music so clearly? We can just stop playing and listen to the other thing instead, that’s fine with me.”
Uncle Acid’s statement reads: “Apologies to everyone who came to Roskilde festival hoping to see us play a full set last night. Pop diva Damon Albarn of the novelty cartoon act Gorillaz threw a hissy fit while we played, threatened to storm off stage before finally getting our set shut down because we were ‘too loud’.
“They were the only headliner of the whole weekend who couldn’t cope with playing at the same time as other artists. Unfortunately we only managed 25 minutes of assaulting his precious ears from our stage half a mile away before his goons came over and pulled the plug.”
They conclude, “Despite us being below the festival dB limit and offering to turn down FOH to continue the show, they wanted us off. Thanks to the Roskilde crew and stage manager who tried their best to intervene but it was ultimately out of their hands. Orders from above. p.s to our Danish fans….we love you and we’ll see you next year in Copenhagen.”
While Gorillaz fans in the comments are disputing the claims, Roskilde Festival has provided a statement on the matter to NME. It calls the incident an “extremely unfortunate situation for everyone involved”.
“We are sincerely sorry for the disappointment caused to both our participants and the artists, all of whom had been looking forward to a fantastic experience. The decision was made as a result of a combination of wind conditions and technical factors that adversely affected the sound production. When staging a large outdoor live event, shifts in weather and wind conditions can occasionally create operational challenges.”
It adds, “As the weather forecast indicated that windy conditions would continue Friday, we decided to make a series of adjustments and rotations to the programme. These measures were taken in order to reduce the risk of similar situations and ensure the best possible experience for both our participants and the artists.”
Guitar.com has reached out to representatives of Gorillaz for comment.
The post Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats accuse Damon Albarn of being a “pop diva” after he allegedly forced their set to end early appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“Dreams come true”: Gojira guitarist reacts as Kirk Hammett uses his Jackson signature model onstage with Metallica
It already houses Greeny – the legendary ‘59 Les Paul Standard once owned by Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green – and a host of other now-iconic instruments like his ‘79 Flying V and ESP “Ouija” guitar – but it seems Kirk Hammett’s Metallica guitar arsenal just got a little bit bigger, as he’s added Gojira guitarist Christian Andreu’s newest Pro Plus Series signature model.
Andreu’s new signature arrived back in March, and boasts the unique accolade of the first-ever Jackson Rhoads model to feature an EverTune bridge, the patented design favoured by metal guitarists for rock-solid tuning stability.
It turns out Andreu’s love affair with the Rhoads shape started at just 15, when he saw Kirk Hammett wield the two-pronged design onstage with Metallica. Now, that moment’s come full-circle, after Hammett played Andreu’s own signature model onstage during one of Metallica’s London shows at the weekend.
Metallica hit London Stadium in the British capital this weekend for two back-to-back no-repeat sets to conclude their massive M72 World Tour. Gojira and Knocked Loose were in support.
Sunday’s show saw the likes of For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ride the Lightning, Blackened and Enter Sandman, while Friday’s set included Creeping Death, Fade to Black, Master of Puppets and Seek & Destroy, the latter of which Hammett wielded Andreu’s signature model for. Watched fan-filmed footage below:
A starstruck Christian Andreu takes to Instagram in a wholesome new post: “London, you fought fire with fire! Thank you Kirk for using my custom Jackson Rhoads guitar on Seek! Dreams come true.”
Gojira’s own set on the night packed in 11 tracks, including Stranded, Silvera, Amazonia and Mea culpa (Ah! Ça ira!), the song with which the French metallers won a Grammy after performing it during the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
Metallica’s M72 World Tour has now wrapped, but the metal titans will head to Las Vegas for a residency at the Sphere later this year. For a full list of dates, head to the band’s official website.
The post “Dreams come true”: Gojira guitarist reacts as Kirk Hammett uses his Jackson signature model onstage with Metallica appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Wet Leg frontwoman disagrees with guitar’s “loser gatekeepers” who think songs need “20-plus chords” to be good
Wet Leg’s Rhian Teasdale is a big believer that some of the best songs have just two chords, and that music doesn’t need to be overly complicated to be respected.
Looking back on her own journey into music, she’s faced a “demystifying” process after coming up against musicians who feel guitar music in particular should have vast numbers of chords and complex solo arrangements.
Speaking of her own early listening habits, Teasdale’s own interests in guitar music piqued with music that felt fun and even at times a little bit trashy. In an interview with The Cut, she recalls learning songs by Kings Of Leon and revelling in the indie rock era of the 2010s.
“The first song I ever tried to play on guitar was Molly’s Chambers by Kings of Leon — back when the band was super-trashy and fun. It was a real epiphany to learn that you don’t have to be a virtuoso guitarist to enjoy playing music with your friends,” she says.
“It’s been a bit of a journey demystifying music-making for myself. I’m not from a musical household, and I even got kicked out of my GCSE music course because I was too far behind the rest of the class, which is kinda hilarious.
“There are so many loser gatekeepers who want you to believe that you need 20-plus chords in a song for it to be worthy. In reality there are so many bangin’ songs that literally are just two chords.”
She goes on to add, “I was also a big fan of PJ Harvey before I realised that I could make music myself, and Björk. Everyone in the band is a fan of Big Thief. When I started going to gigs and festivals, it was very much that indie rock era: Alt-J, Mystery Jets, the Wave Pictures. I love the Strokes.”
Find out where you can catch the band on tour via the official Wet Leg website.
The post Wet Leg frontwoman disagrees with guitar’s “loser gatekeepers” who think songs need “20-plus chords” to be good appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Taylor Momsen on “powerful and rare” Chris Cornell: “His work speaks to me on a level that nothing else does”
Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless has been reflecting on the genius of Chris Cornell and her love of Soundgarden.
The Pretty Reckless toured with Soundgarden on the last tour with Cornell in 2017, which was cut short due to his sudden passing. Her reflections about his work land after the release of new album Dear God from The Pretty Reckless, in which she explores grief and depression.
Speaking to NME, she says, “I can only speak for me, I can’t speak for the world, but for me all of Chris Cornell’s work speaks to me on a level that nothing else does. When something touches you that way, it’s hard to put into words just exactly why.
“There is just this connection, and it’s like it is speaking to you on a level that is so deep that it feels like a part of you. I’ve listened to his solo work and to Soundgarden so many times, but every time I listen to them, it evokes something different in me.”
She adds, “There is the sheer amount of depth and sensitivity and aggression… [but] also, it’s so smart. It’s musically exquisite and complex — like this never-ending onion where you discover something new about it and about yourself every time you listen to it. I think that is so powerful and so fucking rare. It’s coming from a place that’s so deep and so powerful that it touches your soul.”
Momsen is also asked about the recent news that Soundgarden are hoping to release the final album they worked on with Cornell before his death. According to guitarist Kim Thayil, it had always been a goal for the band to complete the record, and releasing it would feel like a gift to the fans, and to Cornell too.
Momsen says, “Oh, man, I don’t think that’s my place to talk about. But what I will say though is that I love those guys. I’m so excited and proud of them and everything that they are doing, and just stay tuned.”
The news of the project arrived alongside the announcement that Soundgarden were due to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Speaking to Rolling Stone at the time, Thayil said: “Our objective and goal was always to complete that. I probably have OCD enough to not want to leave something unfinished or incomplete like that, so I think the more we can attend to our body of work and our catalogue…
“I think everyone in the band feels that way. I don’t just want to attend to my work, but the collective work, and in this case specifically, the work of Chris.”
The Pretty Reckless’ new album, Dear God, is out now. Find out where to catch them on tour via their official website.
The post Taylor Momsen on “powerful and rare” Chris Cornell: “His work speaks to me on a level that nothing else does” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“It’s the reason why I got into music in the first place” Towa Bird on reclaiming her status as a new generation guitar hero
Gamers of a certain age might remember FIFA 06 for its legendary intro movie, or the faces of a young Wayne Rooney and Brazil legend Ronaldinho gracing the cover. But for a young Towa Bird, the thing that had the most impact was the twanging electric guitar riff of LCD Soundsystem’s Daft Punk Is Playing At My House that blasted from the title screen.
Towa Bird on the Guitar.com Cover. Image: Kristen Jan Wong for Guitar.com
Towa Bird is far from the only one initiated into the world of guitar thanks to a video game soundtrack, but with her its influence was a profound one. Today, the Hong Kong-born, British-Filipino artist is an internet-moulded guitar star, adored by both the music and fashion industries. She opened for Billie Eilish on her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour and appeared as a guitarist on Olivia Rodrigo’s Driving Home 2 U documentary. She’s a regular face for Italian high fashion brand Miu Miu, and has toured with her girlfriend Reneé Rapp.
It all feels a long way from when she would sit on livestreams sharing personal coming-out tales, cool viral guitar covers and original songs online to a few hundred followers. So, as Bird fizzles onto our Zoom screen for her Guitar.com cover interview, there’s plenty to celebrate.
Most pressingly, there’s her brand-new second studio album, Gentleman, which has been lauded for its riffy, hot queer tracks in the guise of 60s-meets-70s rock, dipping into riot grrrl territory as well as alt-pop and synth palettes.
Image: Kristen Jan Wong for Guitar.com
“It’s hard to sort of summarise two years,” Bird ponders casually, flicking through album anecdotes – flying between Los Angeles and New York, working with producer Patrick Wimberly (the former member of Chairlift who has credits with MGMT and Blood Orange), finishing writing last November and getting ready to let go of a year-long project.
“It’s really difficult not to attach your entire self-worth and the reception right before I put it out. I was so giddy, like a child, with excitement and joy,” she smiles. Soon after Gentleman dropped, however, Bird was ready to step aside and let fans and critics alike leave their mark on the album. “I knew I needed to anchor myself in this feeling, because I know as soon as it goes out, people put their two cents in and tell me their opinions and the feeling sort of changes,” she explains.
“Being a guitarist, that’s really fucking important to me. It’s the reason why I got into music in the first place”
Poster Girl
Bird’s star began to really rise with her debut album, American Hero, back in 2024 – but she never really imagined that songs like the amped up B.I.L.L.S or the lusty, smirking Drain Me would resonate with an audience so powerfully.
“It’s all truly been really fucking mind-blowing, to be honest,” she reflects. “I had no fantasy of where I would be; I know that a lot of artists grow up being told I’m going to become a pop star or a rock star, but I never felt that way.” That doesn’t mean she lacked ambition. Bird was working hard to build her career long before her solo career took off, most notably playing guitar on tour with Cassyette, before things fell into place.
Image: Kristen Jan Wong for Guitar.com
“I care so deeply about what I do and I put so much effort into it, but I never really had the fantasy element to it,” she explains. “I think that comes from a place of insecurity rather than security, because I never really gave myself the permission to have those big, big dreams.
“Coming from a mixed family, immigrant parents, and there’s a level of realness, and in their culture and that’s what they passed down to me. It’s much more of an American ideology to dream big and wish for what you want, and in the UK that’s not necessarily the case.”
The hard work has won Bird a broad and incredibly active fanbase – one that transcends the usual online guitar audience – and she admits that she perhaps downplayed her guitar artistry as a result.
Image: Kristen Jan Wong for Guitar.com
“With the first record, I had such a deep desire to prove myself,” she says. “I wanted people to take me seriously as an artist and as a singer-songwriter, and move away from the guitarist label. Now, in the second album, I feel much more excited about being a guitarist and that’s really fucking important to me – it’s the reason why I got into music in the first place.”
If her previous music wasn’t about celebrating technique, it still showed something fundamental and important – inspiring connection, resonating with the hum of the guitar, and finding a level of self-acceptance that she continues to build on.
“I definitely feel so much more aligned with who I am and, with the next album, I hope I’ll continue to get even closer,” she says. “I fell in love with this instrument, so I think it would be a disservice to myself and the audience to put that in the background. I think that comes with growing up a bit, becoming more confident in yourself, and remembering who you are.”
“I had no fantasy of where I would be… I never really gave myself the permission to have those big, big dreams”
Chord Theory
To understand how entwined Towa Bird’s artistry is with the guitar, and how she thinks about music, it’s worth noting that she chooses to talk about her musical evolution through her favourite guitar chords.
Back in the day, she proudly told an interviewer of her love of the Emaj7 chord. “I think that is sort of funny!” she reflects now. “It’s like a representation of where I was. The E major seven is a wonderful and colourful chord. It’s an extended chord, so there are more notes in the actual chord itself.
“It’s kind of funny because that’s representative of how I was trying to prove myself. Now, I’ve simplified, so I go for an E power chord, which is essentially the same. It’s basically all of the same notes, minus two, so it’s much more straightforward – it’s the people’s chord!”
Image: Kristen Jan Wong for Guitar.com
When it comes to her instrument of choice, while she’s become synonymous with her black and gold Gibson Firebird, she’s moved into a more semi-hollow direction of late – leaning on the indisputable charms of a cherry red ES-335.
“I’ve been really enjoying using it; it’s a big body,” she explains. “They’re just big and kind of like Beatlesy and like very 60s. The reason why I love it so much is because it’s huge and so resonant because of the acoustic body. You can feel the vibrations against your stomach and chest as you play it.
“It’s more of a holistic experience where you can feel the music. Instead of an extension, it feels much more like an attachment, and has a warm and nice sound. It’s very classic, and one of the oldest electric guitars, so it’s been around for most of popular music history.”
“I fell in love with this instrument, so I think it would be a disservice to myself and the audience to put that in the background”
Security Blanket
Bird’s first brush with guitars came at a young age, during school lessons when she lived in Thailand. In those early days, she persevered because of her dad’s insistence that she had talent, but nowadays the instrument is an extension of her sense of self. “It gives me a sense of security. When I’m on stage, and I don’t have my guitar, I feel fucking naked,” she admits.
There’s a throughline in her life and art, where instrument, identity and sound mesh. Bird had no intentions of becoming “the lesbian Mick Jagger”, but after watching an awe-inspiring Jimi Hendrix documentary (and plenty of old YouTube tutorials), Bird picked up enough tricks. Flipping the script, then, with Gentleman, was playful subversion, bringing her own queer lens to gender.
“When I was growing up, I never really saw myself fitting into any specific box in terms of sexuality or gender identity,” she says. “My androgyny comes from a place of comfort in the same way that a guitar made me feel really comfortable.”
Image: Kristen Jan Wong for Guitar.com
Olivia Rodrigo is a pop artist who is also credited with inducting a new generation of fans to the magic of guitar, and the celebration of music from a bygone age. It’s something that Bird got to experience up close, and has clearly left an impression.
“Honestly, one of the things that I feel about Olivia – while she’s on a different level – we’re sort of doing [things] in tandem,” she says. “I had Kathleen [Hanna] on my record and [Olivia] has Robert Smith, and she did something with David Byrne as well, recently. We’re bringing these legacy artists and bringing it to people who are maybe under 21.”
The Hanna collab in question is the track All Gone, which sees Bird and the Bikini Kill icon revel in skittering drums, power chords and buzzed-up vocals. It’s a demonstration and a reminder that riot grrrl music is thriving and the guitar scene is anyone’s game.
“When we were writing this record, we were sending reference playlists back and forth, and on every single playlist was a Bikini Kill song or one of Kathleen’s records,” Bird recalls. “So when we were looking for collaborations, we thought we should just fucking swing for it and it happened – I got my dream.”
“My androgyny comes from a place of comfort in the same way that a guitar made me feel really comfortable”
Making Gentleman was a long process for Bird – it took nearly 12 months for her to get the music to a place where she felt revived and authentic. You can hear that fresh enthusiasm in the guitars across the album, positively thrumming with hope and panache.
And Towa Bird is in no hurry to plan her next move – the thoughtfulness that has come to epitomise her guitar style playing out in her career, even as she jets around the world from New York to LA, Hong Kong and beyond.
“I’m not really rushing to make a decision. I’m trying to be okay with living in the unknown a little bit,” she says. “I’m doing well as a person and that is a foundation that is going to really help inform my next project. I’m writing from a place of security and joy, instead of desperation and approval seeking. I think a listener can really tell when it’s writing for oneself rather than writing for the world.”
Words: Z. Raza-Sheikh
Photography: Kristen Jan Wong
Location: 503DTLA
The post “It’s the reason why I got into music in the first place” Towa Bird on reclaiming her status as a new generation guitar hero appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Real Spring Reverb In A Tiny Package
Totally Guitars Weekly Update July 3, 2026
July 3, 2026 Due to changing circumstances on the home front, I am moving and purging a lot of stuff. This means over 60 years of musical memories in books and instruments. In honor of July 4, we are encouraging people to learn, or improve their music reading skills. We will be starting a new […]
The post Totally Guitars Weekly Update July 3, 2026 appeared first on On The Beat with Totally Guitars.
New Substack Post - In Search of the Best Finish for a Classical Guitar: Revisted and Revised
Podcast 556: Louis Campbell
Today on the podcast, we are joined by guitarist Louis Campbell, who talks to us about growing up playing traditional music, studying with Martin Simpson, his affinity for using the electric guitar like a piano, and much more.
You can check out his original music via his duo Spafford Campbell: https://www.spaffordcampbell.com
Above photo: York Tillyer
Join us at our 2026 Fretboard Summit in Chicago (August 20-22, 2026) for three days of guitar demos, concerts, workshops and live podcasts with some of our favorite artists.
This year’s Summit has over 80 luthiers and brands, performances by Hand Habits, Deep Sea Diver, Jake Xerxes Fussell, Shane Parish, Michael Daves and Antoine Boyer!
Register here: www.fretboardsummit.org.
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The post Podcast 556: Louis Campbell first appeared on Fretboard Journal.
Olive Jones’ Unplugged Soul | Acoustic Guitar Sessions
Joe Perry is still hoping to buy back a red Höfner guitar that he regrets selling: “I saw a kid holding that guitar out for me to sign it… I regret having lost that”
Aerosmith’s Joe Perry has shared there’s one guitar of sentimental value that he’s hoping to be reunited with, after selling it on a whim and regretting it just a matter of months later.
The guitar, a red Höfner S-style guitar, was played by Perry in the 1990s when he would perform on the 4 July each year for Lake Sunapee locals with a rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner.
Speaking to Guitarist, he says, “I did that for a couple of years with that particular guitar, and as the years went on the guitar ended up getting back with my main collection. I was kinda in one of those moods at the end of the tour, and I had like 400 of these guitars that I never played.
“I said, ‘I gotta get rid of some of these things. It’s time to clean house a little bit.’ I earmarked a few guitars to go and somehow that guitar got on the list. And like three or four months later, I found out that it was gone and was like, ‘Next time, I gotta pay more attention to this. I’m not getting rid of anything else for a while.’”
Strangely enough, it was just a couple of years later that Perry came across the guitar again in a fleeting moment on a bullet train in Japan: “As the bullet train is pulling out 30 or 40 people follow us up there. As the train was moving along, I saw a kid holding that guitar out for me to sign it,” he remembers.
“The train was already moving, slowly pulling out, and the kid was holding it out with a Magic Marker. I’m thinking, ‘Man, I gotta get the kid’s number to see if I could buy it back or trade it for something else,’ because it did have some sentimental value, you know?
“But we were off to the next city, and at that point I didn’t have any ideas about how to get in touch with the guy. I suppose I could have tracked him down through the fan club and tried to figure out who it was, but it was lost.”
Perry is still hoping to get it back somehow. He says, “I’ll buy it back. I’ll trade it for something else, you know? It would be fun to get that back… I regret having lost that.”
The post Joe Perry is still hoping to buy back a red Höfner guitar that he regrets selling: “I saw a kid holding that guitar out for me to sign it… I regret having lost that” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“I felt kind of bad about it”: Kirk Hammett offered Neal Schon’s Les Paul back to him after buying it for “half the price it was worth”
Kirk Hammett once copped a rare Les Paul owned by Journey’s Neal Schon for an uber-low price at an auction, and felt so guilty that he offered it back to him.
The guitar in question was sold via Heritage Auctions back in 2021 as part of a Neal Schon Collection. The model, which sold for $87,500 according to reports, is a 1957 Les Paul Standard fitted with P-90s, which had a rare factory black colour. Despite Hammett’s offer to give it back, it remains in his collection today.
Speaking at his live show in Dublin for Gibson’s The Collection: Kirk Hammett book tour, Hammett recalls (via MusicRadar), “This guitar used to belong to one of my all-time star heroes, a huge source of inspiration, Neal Schon. I got this in an auction, and I don’t know what was up, but I got this for like half the price that it was worth!”
He continues, “I felt kind of bad about it because I should have paid a fair price, but I paid a price that was lower than it should have been. So, I actually called Neal. I said, ‘Neal, do you want the guitar back?’ And he said, ‘No, man, you keep it. You buy it; you keep it.’
“Neal Schon, he’s such a cool, cool guy. I mean, he’s an amazing guitar player. He lives and breathes music. And to me, he’s just such an inspiration. I see how he conducts his life and how he plays, and his commitment and dedication to music. I was just like, ‘Yeah! That’s what I want to do, too.’ So I’m doing it.”
Watch the full conversation from The Collection live in Dublin below:
You can order The Collection: Kirk Hammett directly from the Gibson website. Find out where to see Metallica live on their M72 world tour.
The post “I felt kind of bad about it”: Kirk Hammett offered Neal Schon’s Les Paul back to him after buying it for “half the price it was worth” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Metallica have donated $100,000 to earthquake relief in Venezuela
Metallica’s charitable organisation, All Within My Hands, has donated $100,000 to earthquake relief in Venezuela, after the country was hit by back-to-back magnitude 7+ quakes last week.
On Wednesday, June 24, the South American country was struck by two massive earthquakes in quick succession, registering 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale. While the extent of the destruction hasn’t yet been fully assessed, over 68,000 people were reported missing within three days of the quakes, and the official death toll currently stands at over 2,500.
As per Blabbermouth, the United Nations reports that up to 6.8 million Venezuelans may be affected – a sizable chunk of the country’s 28.6 million total population. It’s also estimated that almost 60,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed.
Metallica’s $100,000 donation is going to Direct Relief, which is working with regional and local authorities to deliver emergency aid to those affected and support search-and-rescue operations. Direct Relief is also helping organise first-aid supplies, medicines and other healthcare for those affected by the earthquakes.
First established in 2017, Metallica’s non-profit All Within My Hands Foundation has donated millions to various causes around the world, from disaster relief to music education. To date the charity has provided grants of $19 million to education programmes through the Metallica Scholars Initiative, $8.8 million to food aid and $6.2 million to disaster relief.
The foundation notably donated half a million dollars to disaster relief efforts following the massive wildfires in California last year.
Speaking on Metallica’s own podcast – The Metallica Report – in 2024, the band’s frontman James Hetfield spoke about how much it means to him to be able to help people through All Within My Hands.
“There’s not really a better feeling in this world than helping someone else and doing it without telling [people] about it. There is something fantastic about that. It goes against everything that humans are – ‘I need this. You give me that. I need to take this,’” he said.
“Especially growing up in a band that was struggling, fighting for the only towel in the motel, or whatever it is, or ‘there’s a can of food there. I better get mine or else.’
“Just that sparseness mentality and having that key unlock it to be completely the opposite. Out of everything you’ve learned, despite everything I’ve learned, the corniest saying ‘it’s better to give than receive’ is so true.”
Learn more about the All Within My Hands Foundation.
The post Metallica have donated $100,000 to earthquake relief in Venezuela appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“We don’t hate Fender”: LSL Instruments praises Thomann’s lawsuit against Fender and hopes “normality” will return soon in its battle with the guitar giant
Boutique guitar brand LSL Instruments has provided an update on its ongoing legal battle with Fender, reassuring that it doesn’t have any hate for the company.
LSL Instruments was one of a number of brands to receive a cease-and-desist from Fender over alleged infringement on the Stratocaster body shape in recent months. It confirmed in June that it has hired attorney Ron Bienstock as its representative, who famously won a 2009 trademark case against Fender, in response.
Since then, instrument retailer Thomann has revealed that it is suing Fender over its campaign of cease-and-desists, and also confirmed that its sub-brand Harley Benton had received a letter over its guitar designs. While LSL is hoping for a return to normality, a new statement shares its gratitude for Thomann’s push back.
Johny Miller, Director Of Business Development at LSL Instruments, tells Guitar.com, “We have been getting a lot of old and new friends of LSL asking how we are doing through all of this. We are so appreciative of all the genuine concern from the guitar community. It’s kind of crazy. I have been doing this 25 years now. 10 of those years with [founders] Lance and Lisa at LSL, and the other 15 with two other well known brands and a handful of MI retailers.
“In all these years, I have known that there is in fact a ‘guitar community’ out there, but it has never been unified by any means until now. It is truly remarkable to say the least. What an unexpectedly positive outcome to something that started from such a negative beginning,” he says.
“To answer the question. We are stressed but we’re still here. We’re pretty well overwhelmed but very hopeful. Ron Bienstock has been so wonderful to work with and we are in good hands. Ron’s responses and Hans Thomann’s recent involvement have filled us with hope. Thank you Ron and thank you Hans! This stuff takes courage and the whole guitar world should be grateful for you both.”
Miller also confirms that LSL is still building guitars in the meantime, and will be releasing “a few new models” that are “different and unexpected” in the near future.
“I speak plainly here and can not speak for everyone else. We don’t hate Fender. Fender is Fender. We’d love nothing more than for them to exist and do what they do for people that want to own their products to support their legacy. But it has to happen the right way. That’s all we want for ourselves and every other builder out there as well. A chance to survive and have our brands, that we poured our life’s blood into for decades, outlive us. Anyone who is a ‘guitar person’ probably wants the same. We look forward to and hope for normality to return as soon as possible,” he adds.
“We also hope that Fender’s clear path to direct sales and retail locations worldwide is wildly successful. That statement may surprise you, but this would actually put a defining line between boutique guitars and Fender. We could finally be two separate realms with very little shared space. Unity in the boutique realm full of healthy competition and mutual respect, and a complete and total bifurcation between underdogs and giants. Full success on both sides. That sounds lovely doesn’t it? Stay unified guys! Unity prevails!”
Stay tuned to Guitar.com for further updates on the matter as we get them.
The post “We don’t hate Fender”: LSL Instruments praises Thomann’s lawsuit against Fender and hopes “normality” will return soon in its battle with the guitar giant appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Taylor Ben Harper Gold Label 512e review: “This is a huge amount of fun”
$2,799, £2,699, taylorguitars.com
It’s barely been a year since Taylor’s launched its Gold Label series, but already Andy Powers’ more vintage-inflected take on the Taylor recipe is clearly proving an inspiring canvas – not just for the development of new standard models but increasingly as a starting point for collaborations with artists.
Taylor, as you may be aware, has taken a very considered and restrained approach to signature models over its first five decades, with only occasional offerings for the likes of Richie Sambora, Jason Mraz and Doyle Dykes getting the full artist instrument treatment.
Already, however, Gold Label has spawned one signature guitar – the rather impressive Trey Hensley 510e – and now we have another for a very different kind of musician, Ben Harper. Harper of course, was formerly a Martin signature artist, but in recent years has often been seen playing a slope-shoulder Taylor Grand Pacific 717e dread with an Indian rosewood back and sides, and a Sitka spruce top.
So what do you get the alt-rock superstar guitarist who has everything? Well, let’s find out.
Image: Adam Gasson
Taylor Ben Harper Gold Label 512e – what is it?
The most striking thing to note about this new 512e is that it’s quite a departure from the Builder’s Edition Grand Pacific he’s more commonly associated with. The 512e is the first of the new Grand Concert-sized Gold Label models, and with its torrefied spruce soundboard and solid mahogany back and sides, it’s clearly meant to complement his existing guitars rather than replace them.
The Grand Concert shape is, of course, an iconic bit of Taylor design that has over 40 years of pedigree – it’s no surprise that it has arrived in Gold Label, one way or another. It’s also perhaps not a surprise that Harper was apparently so charmed by it when he first played a non-signature version – his Martin signature model was of the 000-adjacent M size, and there are similar vibes between the two.
The first thing I notice as I open the British Cocoa Bronco Taylor Deluxe hard shell case is that this is a visually striking instrument. Whereas the Gold label line has been an opportunity for Taylor to go nouvelle vintage with an aesthetic inspired by catalogue guitars of the mid-20th century, the Ben Harper Gold Label 512e leans into a Depression era vibe with a simple but effective design language.
Anyone still trumpeting the line that Taylor Guitars lack visual character needs to have one of these waggled in their faces for a bit.
Any torrefaction process will inevitably darken sitka spruce to a caramel colour and this guitar features a beautifully applied edgeburst to make the most of this colouration. This balances nicely with the cream scratch plate, inlays and body binding. The Honduran rosewood fretboard, bridge and peghead veneer lend a lighter shade of pale to the organic, desert-dwelling vibe.
Image: Adam Gasson
Taylor Ben Harper Gold Label 512e – build and playability
This guitar is built around a 24-7/8” scale length and features a neo-tropical mahogany neck carved to Taylor’s standard specifications. As noted in previous reviews, this slim profile is ideal for guitarists who play the instrument with a wrap-around thumb approach to root six barre chords – it’s an immediate and comfortable squeeze.
The knowledge that the guitar features Taylor’s Action Control Neck design will bring peace of mind to many players who find regular action adjustments to be a part of guitar ownership.
The guitar feels balanced in the lap – albeit with the inevitable neck plunge typical of 14-fret smaller-body instruments. There’s no cutaway, but that’s par for the course with the Gold Label series at the time of writing and certainly not a dealbreaker in this case.
Similarly, the Sitka spruce soundboard is braced with Andy Powers’ Fanned V-Class bracing with Tonal Rout. Whether this newer approach will imbue the instrument with a voice that matches the vintage visuals remains to be seen.
Plugged-in duties are taken care of courtesy of Taylor’s new Claria active pickup and preamp, which features a soundhole-mounted control system allowing you to tweak your sound via volume, mid-contour and tone wheels. Once you remember which is which, it’s a simple enough arrangement.
Image: Adam Gasson
Taylor Ben Harper Gold Label 512e – sounds
From seminal albums such as The Will To Live and Both Sides Of The Gun to various live EPs and albums, Ben Harper’s acoustic guitar work is characterised by a delicate balance of nuanced detail and articulation and earthy, warm tones to support his vocals. This is not an easy thing to pull off – especially in a brand-new guitar – but this 510e does a sterling job.
Gentle fingerstyle, with the fingertips only, brings out a breathy, whispery tone that is strong in the fundamentals as I’d expect from a mahogany instrument. The trebles shimmer nicely and the bass… well, it’s what you’d hope for with a smaller-bodied instrument played softly: articulate and supportive rather than dominating.
It’s time to inject some medium vibes with a .70mm tortoiseshell pick – the results are eye-opening as the torrified spruce soundboard works its magic. Gone is the slightly hazy fingerstyle sound, replaced with a treble-heavy and articulate shimmer. This is ideal for arpeggiated lines as well as open-string chords up the neck. The balance here is particularly impressive, and as the top benefits from the extra oomph, the bass perks up considerably too.
This is a huge amount of fun, and I can imagine this voice working extremely well in the studio in front of big fat mics with little need for EQ or compression – even when stacked over multiple tracks.
Image: Adam Gasson
While they might not be the first choice for the solo fingerstyle guitarist, Taylors do tend to love open tunings, and the Harper 512e is no exception. It does the shimmery, 11th chord DADGDAD thing very well indeed and dropping into a low-slung Orkney tuning (CGDGCD) yields a pleasing growl across the whole sonic spectrum, which also works beautifully with a slide.
Plugging straight into my studio desk reveals an immediately usable voice from the Claria active pickup system. This is a relief, and it’s worth taking a proper look here as the Claria pickup is streets ahead of the ES2 pickup that came as standard in Taylor Guitars for many years.
As with its predecessor, the controls are unlabelled, but the volume dial is on its own, closest to the bridge, whereas the mid contour and treble controls sit closer to the fretboard end in that order.
Whereas the volume control is smooth all the way from zero to hero, both EQ dials are notched in the centre, and this default position is a very musical starting point for my amplified explorations. It’s actually quite impressive how much of the acoustic voice of the instrument comes through the speakers, no matter how you attack the note.
Taylor Ben Harper Gold Label 512e – should I buy one?
It is increasingly clear that Taylor has struck gold with their Gold Label Series, and I, for one, will be fascinated to see what comes next – especially as it seems to have opened up a rich new seam of artist collaboration.
As far as the Ben Harper Gold Label 512e is concerned, though, this is a characterful and vibey small-bodied acoustic guitar with a very musical and versatile sound. Add in the impressive new Claria pickup system, and it’s an impressive all-round package.
Image: Adam Gasson
Taylor Ben Harper Gold Label 512e – alternatives
If you want a guitar with similar dimensions but more of a traditional Taylor sound and aesthetic, the new Next Generation 512ce ($2,799/£2,599) has a cutaway and even sports the same impressive Claria pickup system. Martin certainly offers a more conventional fit to the GL’s vintage sensibilities, and the all-mahogany 00-15M ($1,799/£1,849) certainly has a vibe about it, as does the similarly Depression-coded new Gibson L-00 Century 12-Fret ($2,299/£1,999).
The post Taylor Ben Harper Gold Label 512e review: “This is a huge amount of fun” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Martin’s new HD-28 Semiquincentennial is a love letter to 250 years of American history
Martin is marking America’s 250th birthday the best way it knows how: by building a guitar. The company has unveiled the HD-28 Semiquincentennial, a limited-edition model built on one of its most iconic acoustic platforms and infused with pieces of American history.
The release also marks 50 years since the HD-28 first debuted in 1976, America’s Bicentennial year. The guitar has since become one of Martin’s most recognised and beloved rosewood Dreadnoughts.
- READ MORE: Martin celebrates 100 years of its lacquer finishes with a limited all-koa Custom Shop model
Limited to just 250 guitars, the Semiquincentennial model features wood from the legendary Basking Ridge white oak a.k.a Holy Oak, a 600-year-old tree that stood through the Revolutionary War and generations of American history.
According to local lore, George Washington’s troops drilled within view of its branches, while Washington himself is said to have picnicked beneath it with the Marquis de Lafayette. Martin has incorporated wood from the historic oak into the guitar’s endpiece, heelcap, and Liberty Bell headplate inlay.
The patriotic theme continues across the reclaimed Sitka spruce top, which features original artwork by longtime Martin collaborator Robert Goetzl depicting a bald eagle, Independence Hall and a colonial-era American flag.
Credit: Martin
Underneath all of that, though, it’s still very much an HD-28. The guitar packs a Dreadnought body, solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, bold herringbone top inlay, and Golden Era scalloped forward-shifted X-bracing.
It also features a Golden Era Modified Low Oval neck profile, an ebony Golden Era modern belly bridge, bone bridge pins, antique white binding, and a Semiquincentennial star fingerboard design crafted from paua and mother of pearl.
Each guitar also comes strung with Martin Authentic Acoustic Lifespan 2.0 strings and includes a molded hardshell case.
“This is one of those projects where a lot of history comes together,” says Chris Martin IV, the sixth generation leader and current CEO of Martin. “Martin has been part of the American story for nearly 200 years, and our family has its own connection to the Revolution, so celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary feels especially meaningful.”
“It also brings us back to 1976, when Martin marked the Bicentennial and introduced the HD-28. Fifty years later, using that same model as the foundation for this guitar just felt right. It’s a really special way to celebrate the past while creating something that can carry the story forward.”
Learn more at Martin.
The post Martin’s new HD-28 Semiquincentennial is a love letter to 250 years of American history appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Guild revives its “radical” S-300 offset from the ‘70s: “The guitar was viewed as fairly radical when it was introduced”
Guild has resurrected one of the most unconventional offset electric guitars from its ‘70s catalogue. Nearly 50 years after its debut, the S-300 is making a return in the form of the new S-300 Deluxe, complete with two eye-catching metallic finishes and a handful of player-friendly updates.
Originally introduced in 1977, the S-300 never quite achieved the mainstream recognition of some of its contemporaries. But its futuristic offset body, exaggerated contours and unusual electronics earned it a loyal following over the years, turning it into something of a cult favourite among guitar enthusiasts.
“The S-300 was viewed as fairly radical when it was introduced nearly 50 years ago,” says Nick Beach, Product Manager at Fretted Instruments. “The guitar’s offset body had dramatic cutaways and contours that gave it a futuristic look, and its phase switch was also unusual at the time – but since then it has become increasingly popular and collectable.”
“With the new S-300 Deluxe guitar, we’re bringing back a classic with a few key changes to make it even more comfortable and giving players a choice of eye-catching metallic finishes.”
Credit: Guild Guitars
Those finishes come in the form of Neptune Blue Metallic and Vintage Sterling Metallic, both paired with a contoured mahogany body, a Soft U-profile mahogany set neck, an ivory-bound rosewood fingerboard sporting Guild’s Chesterfield block inlays and an oversized vintage-style headstock.
The guitar is sounded by a pair of HB-2+ humbucking pickups with Alnico V magnets, combined with dual Volume and Tone controls and a mini-toggle phase switch, delivering a wide variety of tones ranging from “old-school warmth and punch to cutting-edge crunch and clarity”.
Additional appointments include a 5-ply black pickguard, an Ultimate Angle Tune-o-matic-style bridge, vintage-style Guild compensated tailpiece and Grover G2 open-gear tuners.
The S-300 Deluxe joins the company’s Newark St. Collection, sitting alongside other vintage-inspired models including the Polara Deluxe.
Available now in Neptune Blue Metallic and Vintage Sterling Metallic, the Guild S-300 Deluxe carries a price tag of $799.99.
Learn more at Guild Guitars.
The post Guild revives its “radical” S-300 offset from the ‘70s: “The guitar was viewed as fairly radical when it was introduced” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Answered: what’s the point of a guitar’s string tree anyway?
String trees are one of those bits of guitar hardware most players have never given a second thought to – that little metal disc or bar pinning the high strings down behind the nut on your Strat. Some guitars have one. Some have two. Some don’t have any at all. And if you ask the average player what it actually does, you’ll usually get a shrug and a vague mumble about “keeping the strings down.”
String trees (also called string retainers or string guides) are about as simple as guitar hardware gets, and they’re routinely ignored until something goes wrong, at which point they get blamed for tuning drift, tone loss, and general bad behavior. Sometimes fairly, sometimes not. So here’s what they actually do, why some guitars need them, and why some don’t.
A Simple Solution to Headstock Design
The whole reason a string tree exists comes down to physics, and the angle at which the string crosses the nut. Once the string crosses the nut on the way to the tuner, it has to angle downward sharply enough to stay seated in its slot. That downward bend – called the break angle – is what keeps the string seated, keeps it ringing cleanly, and keeps it from popping out of the slot when you dig into a bend.
On a Gibson-style headstock with its angled-back design, somewhere in the 14- to 17-degree range depending on era and model, every string gets plenty of break angle and there’s no need for a string tree.
On a flat, Fender-style headstock, things get more complicated. The plane of the headstock sits roughly level with the back of the neck, which means the strings have to drop down to the tuner posts across a much shallower angle. The low E, A and D strings are usually fine – their tuners are close enough to the nut and their posts low enough that they generate adequate break angle naturally. But the G, B and high E strings, depending on layout, often don’t. The break angle of those strings is usually somewhere between 3 and 6 degrees without a string tree.
Image: Adam Gasson
So What Does a String Tree Actually Do?
A string tree is, mechanically, the simplest possible solution to this problem. It pins the offending strings down between the nut and the tuners, forcing them to make the bend the headstock geometry isn’t providing. With the tree in place, those strings sit properly in the nut, ring cleanly, and stay put when you bend.
Without one – and you can try this if you ever pull a tree off – the high E and B will buzz in the slot, lose volume, or in some cases actually skip out of the nut altogether under pressure. This is why Leo Fender added them in the first place. The original 1954 Stratocaster shipped without a string tree, but it didn’t take long for Fender to spot the problem and add a single round retainer for the high E and B. By the late 50s, the little disc-style “butterfly” tree had become standard issue. Telecasters got them too, for exactly the same reason.
Image: Adam Gasson
Why Do Some Guitars Have One Tree and Others Have Two?
Walk through a guitar shop and you’ll notice the variation. A vintage-spec Strat will usually have a single round tree pinning down the high E and B. A ’70s-style Strat or many modern American models often have a second one – usually a bar-style retainer – sitting further down and pulling the D and G strings into line as well.
The reason comes down to tuner post height. Vintage Fender tuners had relatively tall posts, which kept the strings sitting higher above the headstock face. As post heights got shorter on some models, and as headstock geometry shifted with the larger ’70s headstock, the D and G ended up needing their own retainer to maintain consistent break angle across the whole nut.
Fender’s modern answer has been staggered tuners: each post is a slightly different height, getting shorter as you move towards the high strings. With a properly staggered set, you can often get away with a single tree, and in some configurations no tree at all. EVH-style headstocks and a lot of boutique builds use this trick to clean up the look and cut down on friction points.
Tuning Stability
Here’s where string trees earn their reputation as a necessary evil. Every contact point between the bridge and the tuner is a potential source of friction, and the string tree is no exception. When you bend a string or work the trem, the string has to slide back and forth under that retainer. If it sticks – even for a moment – your tuning suffers. You’ll hear it as that familiar pinging sound when a string suddenly releases, and feel it as a guitar that won’t quite settle back to pitch after heavy whammy use.
Today, we have so many aftermarket solutions. Graphite-impregnated retainers, roller string trees, Graph Tech-style synthetic versions, and PTFE-treated trees all aim to reduce that friction. A few drops of nut lubricant under a stock tree will often do most of the same job for free. If you’re a heavy tremolo user on a Strat, this stuff is genuinely worth attending to.
Image: Adam Gasson
Do String Trees Affect Tone?
Strictly speaking, the length of string between the nut and the tuner doesn’t vibrate as part of the speaking length, so the tree itself shouldn’t have any direct tonal influence. But it does affect things indirectly. A string with insufficient break angle over the nut can sound dull, lose sustain, and sit unevenly in volume against its neighbours. The tree doesn’t add anything to the sound – it makes sure the string is doing its job properly, which is a tonal contribution in its own right.
I will admit that I am one of the aforementioned critics of string trees. But after trying to re-engineer a Strat neck myself, I can see why Fender opted to use string trees as a simple solution. Some builders out there, like Lucky Dog, make Fender-style guitars with an added headstock angle. When I’m building Fender-style instruments, I do this too, and prefer a 12 degrees angle, but it does require a lot more attention during the building process than a flat headstock. Simplicity is key, and as long as your tree is well lubricated and smooth, it’s a great solution for mass-produced guitars, and has kept Fender guitars stable and in-tune for decades.
The post Answered: what’s the point of a guitar’s string tree anyway? appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Luthier on Luthier: Marco Bortolozzo
For Episode 115 of the podcast, we’re joined by classical guitarmaker Marco Bortolozzo.
In our conversation, Marco tells us about the mentorship that launched his career, and the story behind his signature Olympic ring rosette, inspired by a 19th-century Spanish guitar. We also discuss his neck joint design, his unique use of shellac records in guitar finishes and much more.
https://www.marcobortolozzo.com/
Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by the Looth Group, Dream Guitars and StewMac.
Want to support Luthier on Luthier? Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive photos and content from Michael and his builds.
The post Luthier on Luthier: Marco Bortolozzo first appeared on Fretboard Journal.
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