General Interest

Lamb Of God’s Mark Morton has teamed up with Gibson for the launch of a new signature model, the Les Paul Modern Quilt.

As the name suggests, the AAA quilted maple top is a real standout on this new model, which is set off by a smokey Translucent Ebony Burst Satin finish. Morton’s input doesn’t stop there of course, and its features have been designed with modern metal players in mind.

• READ MORE: Lamb Of God’s Mark Morton picks his favourite non-metal guitar players

The Mark Morton Les Paul Modern Quilt has a mahogany body utilising Gibson’s Ultra Modern Weight Relief for comfort. Its mahogany neck with a SlimTaper profile and Modern Contoured Heel aids upper-fret access, while the ebony fingerboard offers a compound radius and 22 medium jumbo frets. Its aesthetic is complemented by chrome hardware, Grover Rotomatic locking tuners, black rings with chrome trim, and a truss rod cover bearing Morton’s signature.

Tones come of two exclusive Mark Morton signature humbucker pickups, which have been specially handcrafted by the Gibson Pickup Shop to deliver his tonal desires. While this model was in the making, Morton had been taking prototypes of these pickups with him on tour to try them out in his actual work environment.

The rhythm pickup features moderate, Patent Applied For-style windings with a ceramic magnet for clarity and punch, while the lead pickup offers higher-output windings and a ceramic magnet for added presence and power. Both pickups are wired to individual volume and tone controls with Orange Drop capacitors and a three-way selector switch.

“I wanted something that stayed classic to the heritage and the history of the Les Paul, and something that looked heavy metal. The quilt top and the trans black satin finish felt dark and metal to me, but not over the top,” says Morton.

“The 60s style knobs are a cool throwback to the John Sykes model that was done a long time ago. The way it is contoured at the heel allows me to reach the upper registers comfortably, and the ebony fretboard is really fast. This model has a slim taper neck which was very important for me, as it’s the most comfortable neck profile.”

Morton continues, “The pickups are unique to this guitar, it’s a brand new Gibson pickup and I worked closely with Jim DeCola (Master luthier at Gibson), and the Gibson Pickup Shop in designing them. The neck pickup [is] more conservative in terms of its output, which allows me to flip to the neck position and play clean, and roll back the volume to not hit the amp as hard. Switching to the bridge pick up, it’s just a flame thrower; it’s super high output.”

He concludes, “It’s an iconic guitar and an important piece of music history, and for me to be associated with the legacy of the Les Paul is one of the greatest honours of my career. I am thrilled with the process of developing this guitar, and I am immensely thrilled with the outcome.”

The Mark Morton Signature Les Paul Modern Quilt is available now for £2,699. Find out more via Gibson.

The post “It’s a flamethrower”: Mark Morton’s new Signature Les Paul Modern Quilt unites Les Paul heritage with metal-ready specs and aesthetics appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Seymour Duncan, a leading manufacturer of guitar and bass pickups, effects pedals, and pedal amps, is proud to announce The 50th Anniversary Limited Edition JB / Jazz Humbucker Set is now available to order from seymourduncan.com and from authorized Seymour Duncan dealers.

Experience the true origin of the hot-rodded humbucker with the 50th Anniversary Limited Edition JB / Jazz Set. Built with historically accurate parts including butyrate bobbins and rough-cast magnets, this set faithfully replicates the earliest production models. Presented in retro silver packaging and limited to 2026 production only, this is a collectible piece of tone history.

• Authentic recreation of the original JB / Jazz humbuckers
• Limited-edition packaging inspired by early Seymour Duncan designs
• Features a commemorative 50th Anniversary logo on the bottom plate
• Includes butyrate bobbins crafted using our original 1970's mold and true to vintage design specifications
• Proven JB / Jazz versatility from articulate cleans to expressive rock gain
• Available for a limited time in 2026 only, making it a true collector’s item
• DC Resistance: Jazz 7.5k - JB 16.6k - Magnet: Rough Cast Alnico V
• Cable: 1c Braided - Long Leg Bottom Plate
• Available in traditional Black and Zebra

MAP pricing: $258.00

Half a century of legendary tone starts here. In 1976, Seymour Duncan officially launched the company that would revolutionize electric guitar sound, but the story began years earlier in a London workshop where Seymour crafted pickups for rock's most influential players. Among his greatest achievements was a revolutionary humbucker set that would become the foundation of countless iconic recordings. Now, as we celebrate 50 years of innovation and craftsmanship, we're honoring that legacy with something truly special: the 50th Anniversary Limited Edition JB / Jazz Humbucker Set.

These aren't just commemorative pickups. They're the benchmark combination that has defined versatile guitar tone for generations, now crafted with the exact vintage-correct specifications of our earliest production models. When the JB officially went into production, the basic recipe was already set, but those earliest models used butyrate bobbins, long-legged baseplates, single-conductor cable, maple spacers, and rough-cast Alnico V magnets. Over time, practical updates were added for consistency and flexibility, such as modern bobbin materials that better handle vacuum wax potting, precision-ground Alnico V magnets, and short legs. Today's standard production JB / Jazz delivers that same legendary tone with these modern refinements. This special 50th Anniversary set faithfully recreates the original vintage-correct component blueprint while preserving the familiar JB and Jazz voice players already trust, with the legendary clarity and dynamics that earned the combo its status as the industry standard. Whether you're tracking sessions at home or covering everything from blues to hard rock at the club, this is the proven tone that does it all without compromise.

For serious players ready to finish their number one guitar, this is your moment. The JB / Jazz combination remains one of our best-selling humbucker sets because it simply works: rich harmonics, singing sustain, articulate clarity, and everything from warm neck cleans to aggressive bridge drive in one definitive package. Now you can own this iconic pairing in its most collectible form, built exactly as Seymour crafted them in our earliest years. The set arrives in limited edition silver packaging that echoes our original artwork from the company's founding era, while the bottom plate bears our commemorative 50th Anniversary logo. Available exclusively during 2026, this limited production run ensures you're not just upgrading your guitar; you're acquiring a rare celebration of 50 years of uncompromising excellence. Secure this definitive heritage piece for your instrument and connect to 50 years of Seymour Duncan legacy.

Kiesel Guitars has introduced the newest model in the company’s iconic line of custom-built instruments: the Mark 66 now joins the lineup of Kiesel’s premium US-made instruments.

Designed to excel in a variety of musical styles, the versatile Mark 66 is available in a 6-string configuration. Key features include:

• BODY WOOD OPTIONS: Alder, Black Limba, Mahogany, Swamp Ash, 1-Piece Swamp Ash, Walnut, or 1-Piece Roasted Swamp Ash
• NECK SCALE LENGTH: 25.5” or 30”
• FRETBOARD MATERIAL: Over 15 different options
• NUMBER OF FRETS: 22 frets
• NOTABLE PICKUP/ELECTRONICS OPTIONS: Kiesel’s new AP90s or two humbuckers

Like other Kiesel models, the new Mark 66 is available in a wide range of options for unique customization. Players can select their favorite finish, tonewoods, electronics and hardware to create the guitar of their dreams…expertly crafted in Kiesel’s Southern California custom shop.

Kiesel’s new Mark 66 is available for street pricing starting at $1,649. For more information, visit kieselguitars.com.

Ultimate Support Systems has introduced three new gig bags: available for acoustic guitar, electric guitar and electric bass, these new gig bags offer an updated balance of protection, comfort and practicality.

Built from water resistant materials that stand up to the rigors of travel and unexpected weather, each bag is made of 1680D luggage-grade ballistic nylon and features a 15mm padded interior as well as a dedicated neck support. The snug, structured fit prevents unwanted shifting during transport, protecting the guitar’s most vulnerable points from impact or pressure. The ergonomic design also helps distribute weight evenly for maximum comfort and portability.

Additionally, the backpack-style straps make it easy to carry the instrument while juggling other gear like pedals and cables. With two exterior storage pockets, musicians can also stash other accessories, like tuners, strings and sheet music — or any other last-minute stage essentials. There’s enough space to stay organized without adding bulk, striking the perfect balance between sleek and functional.

With streamlined dimensions to best accommodate each model, the new Gig Bags ensure a glove-like fit no matter what. Designed to fit most standard acoustics, the Acoustic Guitar Gig Bag has an interior length of 40.5 inches, a depth of five inches, upper bout of six inches and a lower bout of 15.5 inches. The Electric Guitar Gig Bag has a 38.75-inch interior length, 14.5-inch lower bout, six-inch upper bout and a sleek, two-inch deep profile, tailored to most standard electrics. Finally, the Electric Bass Gig Bag is built for larger-scale instruments, measuring 46.5 inches internally, 14.75 inches across the lower bout and six inches at the upper, while maintaining a slim, two-inch depth for a clean, secure fit.

“For many players, the road to the next gig can be filled with unpredictable conditions, such as sudden downpours, crowded subways and tight load-in spaces,” says Shawn Wells, Market Manager — Sound, ACT Entertainment. “We understand that a great performance starts long before the first note, which is why we are introducing these three new gig bags, designed for musicians living life on the go. From rehearsals and home studios to stages and sessions, Ultimate Support Systems’ new gig bags embody the brand’s long-standing commitment to helping artists perform with durability and comfort that is crafted for real-world use.”

All three versions of Ultimate Support Systems’ new gig bags carry a street price of $99.99. For more information visit: actentertainment.com/ultimate-support-detail/.

Gibson today announces the release of the Mark Morton Les Paul™ Modern Quilt, a bold new signature model designed in collaboration with Mark Morton, the acclaimed guitarist and co-founder of Lamb of God. Known for his ferocious riffs, intricate solos, and genre-defining blend of metal, thrash, and blues influences, Morton has long been celebrated as one of the driving forces behind the new wave of American heavy metal. His new signature Les Paul captures that same fearless musical spirit—delivering precision, power, and uncompromising performance for players who demand the very best. The Mark Morton Les Paul Modern Quilt is available worldwide at Gibson Garage locations, via authorized Gibson Custom dealers, and on Gibson.com.

“I wanted something that stayed classic to the heritage and the history of the Les Paul, and something that looked heavy metal,” says Mark Morton. “The quilt top and the trans black satin finish felt dark and metal to me, but not over the top, it still feels like and looks like a Les Paul. Once we decided on the finish of the top, and the guitar, there’s are all of these different design elements to play with re picking out the hardware and plastics. We tried a bunch of different options, and we paid a lot of attention to how we were going to finalize those little details, and for me it’s a bullseye.

The 60s style knobs are a cool throwback to the John Sykes model that was done a long time ago. The way it is contoured at the heel allows me to reach the upper registers comfortably, and the ebony fretboard is really fast. This model has a slim taper neck which was very important for me, as it’s the most comfortable neck profile.”

Morton continues, “The pickups are unique to this guitar, it’s a brand new Gibson pickup and I worked closely with Jim DeCola (Master luthier at Gibson), and the Gibson Pickup Shop in designing them. They’re both ceramic-based pickups the neck pickup wise more conservative and terms of its output which allows me to flip to the neck position and play clean and roll back the volume and not hit the amp as hard and clean things up quite a bit. Switching to the bridge pick up it’s just a flame thrower, its super high output, and when you’re really swinging at these bridge pickups they give you all the gain you want they really hit hard and you can pull back to get more of a crunch sound.

We went back and forth on these pickups for quite a while trying different prototypes and models. It was a lot of fun developing them and hearing the subtle nuances and different changes. The great thing about it was I was touring a lot, so I’d take prototypes and put them in a guitar and try them onstage. I got to put them through the paces, in an actual work environment.

It’s an iconic guitar and an important piece of music history, and for me to be associated with the legacy of the Les Paul, is one of the greatest honors of my career. I am thrilled with the process of developing this guitar, and I am immensely thrilled with the outcome. These are great guitars, I am so proud to play them, and people are really going to like them.”

Crafted for comfort and expression, the Mark Morton Les Paul Modern Quilt features a AAA quilted maple top paired with a mahogany body utilizing Gibson’s Ultra Modern Weight Relief, offering exceptional resonance with reduced weight for long sets on stage or in the studio. Its mahogany neck with a SlimTaper™ profile and Modern Contoured Heel provides effortless upper-fret access, while the ebony fingerboard boasts a compound radius, 22 medium jumbo frets, and mother-of-pearl trapezoid inlays for a fast, elegant playing experience. Finished in Translucent Ebony Burst Satin, the guitar’s striking aesthetic is complemented by chrome hardware, Grover® Rotomatic® locking tuners, black rings with chrome trim, and a truss rod cover bearing Morton’s signature.

At the heart of the instrument are two exclusive Mark Morton signature humbucker™ pickups, handcrafted by the Gibson Pickup Shop to deliver the guitarist’s unmistakable tone. The rhythm pickup features moderate, Patent Applied For-style windings with a ceramic magnet for clarity and punch, while the lead pickup offers higher-output windings and a ceramic magnet for added presence and power. Both pickups are wired to individual volume and tone controls with Orange Drop® capacitors and a three-way selector switch, giving players a wide dynamic range and exceptional tonal precision.

Each guitar ships in a Modern hardshell case and includes a premium accessory kit, along with a set of Stringjoy® Mark Morton Artist Series Signature Electric Guitar Strings. The result is a signature model built for the intensity of the world’s biggest stages yet refined enough for the most demanding studio sessions.

The Mark Morton Les Paul Modern Quilt stands as a testament to Morton’s artistry and Gibson’s commitment to crafting instruments that inspire. Designed for players who push boundaries, it delivers the power, finesse, and unmistakable character worthy of one of metal’s most influential guitarists.

Lamb of God have announced Into Oblivion, their first full‑length album in four years, arriving March 13 via Epic Records alongside a new music video for the title track. The 10‑song record finds the band fully embracing their status as modern metal veterans—leaning into their roots, sharpening their signature groove, and expanding their sonic reach with a sense of creative freedom. The title track’s video, directed by Tom Flynn and Mike Watts, channels the band’s trademark aggression through psychologically charged lyrics and unrelenting intensity. Guitarist Mark Morton describes the album as a return to unpressured creativity, while vocalist Randy Blythe frames its themes around the accelerating breakdown of the social contract.

Watch the new video for the single “Into Oblivion” HERE.

Ahead of the announcement, Lamb of God previewed the album’s range with two blistering singles: “Sepsis,” a nod to the early 90s Richmond underground that shaped their beginnings, and “Parasocial Christ,” a three‑minute blast of classic Lamb of God energy. Produced and mixed by longtime collaborator Josh Wilbur, Into Oblivion was recorded across locations central to the band’s identity—drums in Richmond, guitars and bass at Morton’s home studio, and Blythe’s vocals at the storied Total Access Recording in Redondo Beach. The result is a record that feels both deliberate and untethered, reaffirming Lamb of God’s place at the forefront of heavy music.

The Lamb of God lead flamethrower has played Gibsons since the '90s and now has a signature model that brings the modern chug and crunch with some contemporary changes to the iconic recipe.

GRAMMY® Award-nominated genre-defying songwriter, producer, podcast host, and guitarist extraordinaire Cory Wong released his new album, Lost In The Wonder, today.

Lost In The Wonder spotlights Wong’s remarkable gifts as a producer, writer, arranger, band leader, and master of modern pop craftsmanship, while of course never losing sight of his trademark guitar virtuosity. The album further affirms Wong’s enduring love of musical collaboration, boasting a truly eclectic range of guest artists, including Taylor Hanson, Devon Gilfillian, Cody Fry, Yam Haus, Louis Cato, Ellis, Elysia Biro, Theo Katzman, and Magic City Hippies.“There are lots of sides to me as an artist,” says Wong.

“A lot of people know me as a guitar guy, or even more specifically, ‘rhythm guitar guy’. That’s an accurate description, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. I see the guitar as just one of the avenues for my music and creativity. It’s been an absolute joy to develop and form a signature sound as a guitarist, but a huge part of my artistry is in my production/writing/arranging/band-leading. I’ve worked on and honed those skills just as much as my guitar playing, so I wanted to make an album that really showcased that side of my creative expression. Does that mean there’s less guitar on this album than on others? No! It’s actually quite the opposite. I feel like some of my best guitar work is done on this album. There’s everything from my classic rhythm guitar sound to multiple layers of orchestrally arranged guitar to blistering solos when the music calls for it.

“I think anyone who’s a great producer/writer/arranger also really likes to collaborate with other people because it gives you different colors and textures to ‘paint’ with. My aim is to showcase different sides of my artistry by putting several collaborators in front of the music and having me build the world that it lives in.”

Lost In The Wonder was heralded with the release of a series of memorable singles, including the hook-heavy and irresistibly catchy “Tongue Tied (Feat. Stephen Day).” This was followed by the crisp yet dreamy mid-tempo title track, the jazzy disco of "Blame It On The Moon," the 80s-esque anthem "One Way Road (Feat. Yam Haus)," the retro banger "Better Than This (Feat. Cody Fry)," and finally last week's masterful soul ballad collaboration with Theo Katzman, "Lisa Never Wanted To Be Famous (Feat. Theo Katzman)." An official music video for "Lisa Never Wanted To Be Famous (Feat. Theo Katzman) is streaming now on YouTube.

LISTEN TO “TONGUE TIED (FEAT. STEPHEN DAY)”

LISTEN TO “LOST IN THE WONDER (FEAT. BENNY SINGS)”

LISTEN TO “BLAME IT ON THE MOON (FEAT. MAGIC CITY HIPPIES)”

LISTEN TO “ONE WAY ROAD (FEAT. YAM HAUS)”

LISTEN TO "BETTER THAN THIS (FEAT. CODY FRY)"

LISTEN TO "LISA NEVER WANTED TO BE FAMOUS (FEAT. THEO KATZMAN)"

WATCH "LISA NEVER WANTED TO BE FAMOUS (FEAT. THEO KATZMAN)" OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

CORY WONG ON TOUR 2026

MARCH

21 – São Paulo, Brazil – Casa Natura

22-30 – São Paulo, Brazil – Dave Koz and Friends at Sea 2026 †

29 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – C Art Media

APRIL

11 – Charlotte, NC – The Spring Mix at The Amp Ballantyne †

15 - Kansas City, MO - The Truman (Devon Gilfillian, Marc Scibilia)

17 - Denver, CO - The Mission Ballroom (Devon Gilfillian, Marc Scibilia)

18 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot (Devon Gilfillian, Marc Scibilia)

20 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom (Devon Gilfillian, Marc Scibilia)

21 - Seattle, WA - The Paramount (Devon Gilfillian, Marc Scibilia)

23 - Sacramento, CA - Channel 24 (Devon Gilfillian, Stephen Day)

24 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield (Devon Gilfillian, Stephen Day)

25 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern (Devon Gilfillian, Stephen Day)

26 - Del Mar, CA - The Sound (Devon Gilfillian, Stephen Day)

27 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl (Devon Gilfillian, Stephen Day)

30 - Houston, TX - White Oak Downstairs (Devon Gilfillian, Stephen Day)

MAY

1 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues (Devon Gilfillian, Stephen Day)

2 - Austin, TX - Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater (Devon Gilfillian, Stephen Day)

7-9 – San José del Cabo, México – Viva El Gonzo †

† Festival Appearance

^ w/ the Royal Conservatory Orchestra

A search has been launched on social media to help track down a missing 12-string guitar that belonged to Brad Delp, frontman of the rock band Boston.

The guitar is a 1976 Taylor 885 12-string acoustic, which the late musician used during the music video for the band’s hit song, More Than A Feeling, and treasured across his career. It was stolen in 2009, just two years after his death.

• READ MORE: The Genius Of… Boston by Boston

In a post on Facebook shared to the Taylor Guitars Owner Club group page, Delp’s ex-wife Micki writes: “Please help find Brad Delp’s Guitar – this one-of-a-kind 1976 Taylor Custom 885 (12-string, Serial #20173) was built for Boston singer Brad Delp. It was stolen in Los Angeles, California in 2009.

“We have not given up hope yet that it will find its way home someday. As you can imagine, it’s of great sentimental value to our family, Brad has a grandson now and it would mean so much just to see him holding Grampy’s favourite guitar.”

She continues, “He never got to meet his Grampy, but he is totally obsessed with music, writing, singing, producing and even making his own music videos. I would love for him to be able to play it. It may still be inside its black hard case!”

Timothy Dwelle, who is working with Micki and the rest of Delp’s family, hopes they may be able to track down the guitar after Paul McCartney’s Höfner bass was found after 50 years in 2024.

Dwelle tells Guitar World: “Given Los Angeles’ dense network of recording studios, vintage instrument shops, and private collectors, there is a strong possibility the guitar is still in the area, perhaps sitting unrecognised in someone’s attic, a hallway closet, or tucked away in a storage unit.

“Much like the McCartney bass, it’s possible the current owner has no idea they are in possession of a unique piece of the Boston legacy. While it’s the voice behind More Than A Feeling that the world remembers, this guitar was Brad’s personal favourite – the instrument he played at home and carried with him throughout his career.”

Any leads or information should be emailed to B.DelpGuitar@gmail.com, with no questions asked.

The post Family of Boston’s Brad Delp launch search for his More Than A Feeling Taylor 12-string – can you help? appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Julia Steiner describes the song “Just Want You to Know the Truth” as the emotional centerpiece of Ratboys’ new record, Singin’ to an Empty Chair; it’s the “earth’s core of this little planet of songs,” she explains. The Chicago band’s upcoming sixth full-length, releasing on New West Records, took its name from a line in that song. Steiner, the band’s principal vocalist and one half of their twin-guitar configuration, wrote the phrase after literally doing what it suggests during a therapy session.

“It’s exactly what you would think,” Steiner explains. “It’s basically this exercise where you sit in a room with an empty chair and, a person who isn’t physically there, you imagine they’re sitting in the chair, and you speak aloud all of the thoughts and feelings that you might otherwise not feel empowered or ready to share. It can be a really radical thing to do in any context of loss.”

“Looking something in the face can actually be so rewarding and musically satisfying.”—Julia Steiner

When Steiner first tried it, it helped unlock something—a new perspective that revealed the mental and emotional keys of her band’s next work. “Maybe it sounds hippie,” she says with a shrug, “but it worked for me, and I have to imagine that it could be cool for other people to try, too.” Steiner always loved the gut-wrenching vulnerability of Sufjan Stevens; Singin’ to an Empty Chair became her chance to follow in his footsteps. Producer Chris Walla, who spent 17 years playing guitar in Death Cab for Cutie, encouraged “unflinching eye contact” with the things Steiner wanted to write about. “Looking something in the face can actually be so rewarding and musically satisfying,” she says. “Just full steam ahead, leaning into a feeling.”

The songs on Singin’ to an Empty Chair were written across a years-long period; some had been around in demo form since before Ratboys’ previous record, The Window, was released. “We’ve all been keeping up with the story of these songs,” says guitarist Dave Sagan. “It’s kind of like an old group getting back together and picking up where it left off. I feel like that brought us a lot of comfort and joy.”

The music on Singin’ often radiates with those two qualities. Save for a few moments of pandemonium, Ratboys’ distinctly midwestern indie rock feels friendly and cozy, like a mug of tea in a snowstorm. There’s a kind of patience in the slow-building, cinematic opener “Open Up,” which does eventually bloom into fully saturated rock ’n’ roll, in the alt-country sway of “Penny in the Lake,” and especially on the eight-and-a-half-minute “Just Want You to Know the Truth.” But that calmness is upended by the headbanging slacker-rock chorus of “Know You Then,” and the crackling, hyper thrill of “Anywhere,” an ode to an anxious dog. One of the greatest gifts Ratboys have given us is a place where fans of Weezer, Pavement, the Replacements, and Lucinda Williams can hear all of those favorites in one place.

To prepare the record’s 11 songs, Sagan, Steiner, bassist Sean Neumann, and drummer Marcus Nuccio rented a cabin on 20 acres of land in Wisconsin. Perhaps inspired by Steiner’s journey toward honesty, the band embraced directness: If a section sounded like an epic rock part, they called it “the epic rock part.” Walla joined them at the Wisconsin hideaway for some tracking, with the rest mostly completed at the late Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio in Chicago.

“We’ve all been keeping up with the story of these songs. It’s kind of like an old group getting back together and picking up where it left off.”—Dave Sagan

Sagan recorded primarily through his Music Man 212-HD One Thirty, and Steiner used her beloved Fender Hot Rod DeVille. It was broken when she purchased it, and in the course of having it repaired, a friend made a mystery mod that lends extra dirt and attitude. But working at Electrical Audio gave them access to plenty of special gear, like a 1959 Fender Vibrolux (heard on “Burn It Down”), Bob Weston’s Traynor TS-50B, and a Samamp VAC 40 (which Steiner and Sagan call an “MVP guitar amp”). On the percussion side, Nuccio crafted a tambourine staff so he could shake five of them at the same time, and they sometimes tracked on crumpled-up tape for a warped feel.

Julia Steiner’s Gear

Guitars

Nepco V-style custom-built by Ian Williams

Lindert Locomotive T

Steve Albini’s EGC 500 (studio)

’60s Framus Texan

Eastman and Larrivée parlor guitars

Amps

Fender Blues Deville 410

Effects

Paul Cochrane Timmy overdrive

EarthQuaker Devices Tone Job EQ

Boss TU-2 chromatic tuner

Earthquaker Acapulco Gold (studio)

Interfax Harmonic Percolator (studio)

Strings & Picks

Ernie Ball Rock and Roll Classic .010s

No picks “except for super thin 50 mm picks on acoustic overdubs in studio”

Sean Neumann’s Gear

Basse

Fender American Standard Jazz Bass

Amps

Fender Super Bassman head

Fender Studio Bass head

Fender 1x15 cabinets

Effects

Mask Audio Electronics Civil Math

Darkglass Alpha Omega

MXR Carbon Copy

Boss TU-2 chromatic tuner

Picks

Dunlop Tortex 1.0 mm

Dave Sagan’s Gear

Guitars and Basses

Fernandes MIJ Strat copy

1976 Ibanez PF200

Amp

Music Man 212-HD One Thirty

Effects

Foxx Tone Machine fuzz clone

Badcat Siamese Drive overdrive

Electro-Harmonix Freeze

MAE Neck Brace phaser

Earthquaker Space Spiral delay

Earthquaker Ledges reverb

Boss TU-2 chromatic tuner

Benson Storkn Boks (studio)

Electronic Audio Experiments Dude Incredible (studio)

Boss DD-7 (studio)

Strings & Picks

Ernie Ball Rock and Roll Classic .011s

Dunlop Tortex .88 mm picks

Steiner’s main guitar is her Nepco V-style, a Danelectro-inspired 6-string electric built by Ian Williams in Des Moines, Iowa. Williams sourced the necks from a Danelectro factory in Korea, used masonite for the body material, and handwound the lipstick-style pickups himself. Steiner and Sagan also used Albini’s Electric Guitar Company aluminum-neck guitar (“The tuning pegs were so smooth, I felt like I was at a spa,” Steiner recalls with a grin. “It was such a privilege to play that instrument”), and Sagan even played Albini’s 16-string “guitar from hell,” on which each string is tuned to the same note. It makes an appearance on the mid-album meltdown “Light Night Mountains All That.” “The guitar does one thing, but it’s really satisfying, and you can make some very, very scary noises,” Sagan says. Benson’s Storkn Boks pedal, paired with an analog and then a digital delay, also came in handy for the cacophony conjured in “Light Night.” Albini’s iconic Interfax Harmonic Percolator was in the mix, too.

Steiner and Sagan are fans of gear that’s both vintage and “player-grade.” Sagan’s primary instrument is a Japan-made Fernandes Strat copy—he was trying guitars at a store one day, and the Fernandes was the best one he picked up. Another highlight is his Lindert Locomotive T, purchased from Atomic Music in Baltimore. The T-style has tweed finishing on the body that looks like a speaker grille, and a distinct thumbs-up headstock. One gets the sense that Sagan and Steiner could grab any plank of wood off a wall and coax something out of it that would expand Ratboys’ vocabulary.

That ethic of openness to the off-kilter and potentially weird seems, at this point, to be foundational for Ratboys. Steiner captures it perfectly on “Just Want You to Know the Truth,” a song addressed to an unnamed, estranged relation: “It’s not that I don’t miss you or the way it used to be / It’s that I can’t live my life without sayin’ anything.”

Smashing Pumpkins weren’t messing around when they recorded Fuck You (An Ode To No One) for their 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.

Rumour has it that frontman Billy Corgan even drew blood when he recorded the guitar solo, and while he’s not so sure if that really happened, he does remember throwing his guitar at his amp to achieve a “cataclysmic ending”. Very rock ‘n’ roll.

• READ MORE: “A Line 6 Spider III got me where I am today!”: Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Kiki Wong thinks it’s more important to have an expensive guitar than a pricey amp

In an interview in the new issue of Classic Rock magazine – which first appeared in the October issue of Guitar World – Corgan says, “I remember that we had a B-room, this very small production room. I had my cabinet in this really, really small room, about the size of a closet. Even when I would sit and play in the control room, the sound from the cabinet was so loud because it was right there.

“Somehow I got the idea that not only did I want to play the solo in front of the cabinet to get the right kind of feedback and resonant things looping through the guitar, but at the end of the solo I wanted to throw the guitar at the amp to make some sort of statement.”

He explains: “I would throw the guitar at the cabinet, which would knock it completely out of tune. Then I would go back and listen to the take and think: ‘Oh, that sucks. Do it again.’ I’d tune the guitar, go back in and blast it out. I have this memory of killing myself, blasting my head off, and then throwing the guitar at the amp over and over to get the perfect kind of cataclysmic ending. Whether or not my fingers bled, I don’t remember.”

In other exciting news for fans of Corgan, Laney recently unveiled the Supergrace Loudpedal – a floor-based dual-amplifier platform that puts his live rig within reach of any guitarist.

Developed in close collaboration with Corgan, Supergrace captures the core of Corgan’s touring sound, without the towering backline or $100k price tag. At its heart are two of Corgan’s essential amplifier voices: the high-gain Carstens Grace, and the iconic Laney Supergroup.

A 30th anniversary edition of Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness was released on 9 January. Find out more via the Smashing Pumpkins website.

The post “I have this memory of throwing the guitar at the amp over and over to get the perfect cataclysmic ending”: Billy Corgan on the making of his classic Smashing Pumpkins hit appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

In light of Bob Weir’s death last month, artists have posted tributes praising the late Grateful Dead guitarist. From guitar legends like Joe Satriani to contemporary stars like Maggie Rogers, Weir’s influence spanned far and wide – but his collaborative work with John Mayer was particularly impactful.

In an archival 2016 interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Mayer and Weir reflect on how they came to form Dead & Company in 2010. Throughout, Mayer’s respect for Weir is evident. “There has to come a moment where it’s time to play a guitar solo, and I’m just playing the solo [without] wondering what Bob thinks about it!” Mayer joked at the time.

• READ MORE: Paul McCartney reveals he nearly played on a Bob Weir record before his death: “Unfortunately it never came to pass”

Mayer went on to describe his first experience performing with Weir as “the only time [he’d] ever got nauseous with excitement”. However, instead of succumbing to his fanboy nerves, Weir deemed Mayer a worthy collaborator. “The first time I played with John-boy here, I ascertained that this guy can handle the chores,” he praised.

Of course, that first collaboration would be the beginning of a beautiful musical friendship. In fact, Mayer wilfully put his solo career on hold to tour with Dead & Co – and its an experience that utterly transformed his relationship with live music and guitar. “I have so much more connection with my guitar now than I think I ever had,” the younger guitarist explained.

He went on to explain how touring with Weir in Dead & Co “solidifies ‘musician’ over ‘celebrity,’” once again reminding him why he first started learning guitar. “[Performing with Weir] roots me in the thing I love the most… it’s the reason I wanted to be in this band,” he said. “It would be [similar to] an actor saying, ‘I really want to be in a scene with Al Pacino.’”

Rather than stopping there, Mayer also admired how Weir’s work with Grateful Dead created its own “style of music” by combining a slew of different technical styles and sounds. It was a musical collage that pushed him, as he had to “learn the accompanying styles”, which saw him having to learn “another style, and another style, and so on”.

Despite the intimidating amount of learning, Mayer notes that the experience was like being offered a “scholarship” to becoming a master guitarist and well-rounded musician. “If you were a guitar player and you could only learn music from one band, if you learned the Grateful Dead’s music, you would be a far better guitar player than if you picked any other band to learn from,” he insisted.

Alongside the diversity of the music, Weir’s passion for his sound was also surely a massive influence on Mayer. Elsewhere in the interview, Weir described his music is “alive”.

“Grateful Dead songs need to live – they need to live, and breathe, and grow, because they they’re they’re living critters, if I may wax hippie-metaphysical for you…” he said. “The characters in those songs are real. They live in some other world, and they come and visit us through the through the musicians, through the artists, who have dedicated their lives to that medium.”

The post “I have so much more connection with my guitar now than I think I ever had”: John Mayer on playing with Dead & Company appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Back in 2012, Jason Isbell realised that he’d never find the solution to his problems at the bottom of a bottle. Following a stint in rehab, the musician swore off booze for good – and made it his personal mission to conjure up a sober record better than anything his drunk counterpart had ever released.

By transforming his sobriety into a game of one-upmanship, Isbell was pushed to pen the best tracks of his career. That’s how 2013’s Southeastern, a record he describes as a “career highlight”, came to be. “I really wanted sobriety to improve my work. It became almost competitive – sober me was competing with drunk me to whoop my own ass at songwriting,” he told Uncut in 2023.

• READ MORE: Jason Isbell thinks his Martin guitars are sort of “like a laptop” – and his justification actually makes sense

“When I was writing before, I’d get up at noon, have coffee, aspirin and some liquor, start writing at one and then at three or four it was time to go to the bar,” he admitted. “With Southeastern I was getting up, making a pot of coffee and working until it was done.”

Without the need to battle a hangover, Isbell’s output increased drastically. He’d work on more tracks in the day, and have more quality tracks to pick and choose between. “That meant that I had 12 great songs instead of just two [on the record],” he explained. “There were Cover Me Up, Elephant and Travelling Alone, but it was an entire record of the best I could do.”

When digging into Southeastern, plenty of tracks see Isbell tackling his boozy demons. For instance, Songs That She Sang In The Shower quite clearly sees him singing “so I pace, and I pray, and I repeat the mantras that might keep me clean for the day”.

Eight years on, Isbell would re-address those early years battling with sobriety with his 400 Unit band. Nearly a decade into his recovery, 2020’s Reunions record saw Isbell appreciating just how far he had come. “There was enough time behind me [and that version of me], so felt comfortable looking at the past on songs like It Gets Easier,” he said.

“I had worried there was risk in romanticising the way my life had been, but now I felt that risk had passed and I was stable,” he continued. “I wanted to look back at my life without romanticising it but also without beating myself around the head.”

In terms of Isbell’s most recent releases, he worked with Martin Guitars at the end of last year on two new signature models, the Jason Isbell 0-17 and the 0-10E Retro acoustics. Both were inspired by his beloved pre-war 0-17 guitar heard across the entirety of his 2025 record, Foxes In The Snow.

The post “Sober me was competing with drunk me to whoop my own ass”: Jason Isbell on why quitting drinking made him a better songwriter appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

David Ellefson has shared his thoughts on the final Megadeth album, and his main critique is that it feels more like a Dave Mustaine solo record.

Ellefson, who these days plays in a number of metal bands, was fired from Megadeth in 2021. Though he says he’s “not on the Megadeth hate train” and is busy focusing on his own work, he believes it doesn’t feel like Megadeth’s retirement, only that of frontman Mustaine.

• READ MORE: Dave Mustaine says he won’t have ex-members on Megadeth’s final tour because some have been “saying bad things in the press”: “Why would I want to play with those guys?”

The final and self-titled album from Megadeth was launched last month, and included their own rendition of Metallica’s Ride The Lightning. Mustaine was let go from Metallica in 1983 but received a writing credit on the song, and has previously said that he wanted to record his version of the song out of respect.

In the latest episode of his own podcast, The David Ellefson Show, Ellefson says he’s rather surprised by it [via Blabbermouth]: “Dave speaks about it now like they were all sitting in the room writing Ride The Lightning together. I wasn’t there, so I don’t know the details of it, but it seems to me if it was really a finished song, it would’ve been on [1983’s] Kill ‘Em All. But it wasn’t. It [came out a year] later. Did Dave have a participation? Yeah, but it seems to me more like that song was sort of put together after he was out of the group.”

He later adds, “I, of all people, am not on the Megadeth hate train. I know the fanbase is divided on this new album. I hear about it. Our singer, Chaz Leon from Kings Of Thrash, he’s a big Megadeth fan, big Dave fan, and he tells me the fanbase is a bit divided on it… I don’t care. I’ve really moved on from Dave, from Megadeth.”

Ellefson goes on to add some praise however, calling Megadeth’s guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari “a great player” and “the story of Megadeth right now”. But overall, he feels that Megadeth is not what it once was.

“I still look at it as Dave’s retirement because I still think of Megadeth as our band,” he shares. “I think it’s a sin to just go off and claim it as his own… I hear it and I go, okay, this is a Dave solo record. This is Dave and his new band, Dave and his new guys.

“It says Megadeth, so obviously it gets all the attention, but realistically, I hear it and to me it just doesn’t sound like Megadeth. It sounds like Dave doing what Dave does, but with a different set of guys. And this is Dave’s retirement.”

You can watch the full episode below:

The post David Ellefson shares his thoughts on the final Megadeth album: “I hear it and go, ‘This is a Dave solo record…’ It doesn’t sound like Megadeth” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

In the age of social media, one perfectly executed shredding clip can transform a guitarist’s life. In the cases of Machine Gun Kelly guitarist Sophie Lloyd and The Smashing Pumpkin’s Kiki Wong, going viral even has the potential to skyrocket some to rockstardom.

However, Rabea Massaad believes that the constant pursuit of success has lead to a rise in “fake” guitar playing in online videos.

“What’s the point in writing something so difficult that you can’t even play all the way through?” he asks. “Miming over the technical stuff because you can’t actually play it, I think that that’s fucking shit.”

• READ MORE: “I don’t want to go hear a bunch of C and D tracks”: Should bands play their biggest hits live? Nikki Sixx thinks so – and here’s why

While he doesn’t name any guitarists, he notes how plenty of online riffers have been exposed recently for “faking what they’re doing and getting a big name off it”, whether that’s earning followers, money or even signature guitars.

Of course, miming your way through a guitar solo has its time and place – top tier guitarists have been miming their way through music video shoots for years. However, the difference is when a social media star is pretending to be performing technical licks “off the cuff” live. “Playing insane guitar parts suggesting that it is in the moment… I think that that’s misleading,” Massaad says.

As more impossibly perfect clips circulate, it also raises the standards of guitar playing to unrealistic levels. He notes how this “unobtainable level of technicality that doesn’t really exist in the real world” could have dire consequences on the next generation of guitarists.

To illustrate his point, Massaad imagines a young guitarist watching a perfect viral clip, assuming they “have to reach that level” to be good. Little do they know, Massaad says, the guitarist on their screen hasn’t even “reached that level” of “unobtainable perfection” they’re pretending to perform.

However, that kid might not clock if someone is pretending, leading to them giving up at the first hurdle, thinking “it’s not worth the effort because they’re never going to get that good”.

“It feels shit to basically feel like you’re not good enough, that you have to [re-record something] so many times just to get it right for this one minute clip,” Massaad says. “It’s exhausting.”

As Massaad notes, some of the best guitarists fumble here and there. The imperfections are what add “soul” to your performing. He points to Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt as an example: “There are plenty of live videos out there of him making mistakes and playing bad notes and being a bit sloppy… but it’s cool because he’s performing and he’s loving it.”

“Just embrace the imperfections,” he says. “Some of the best solos and best performances out there have imperfections. It’s part of being human!”

Faking clips for social media has been a hot topic as of late. YouTuber Jacobra Records even released a 40-minute-long video alleging that viral Japanese guitarist Ichika Nito mimes in some of his online performance videos.

Considering Nito is a high-profile guitarist online, with Unprocessed’s Manuel Gardner Fernandes even picking him out as a viral shredder to check out last month, the claims sparked a frenzy online. Fellow YouTuber Charles Berthoud added his own video response musing over the allegations, reflecting on where miming can sometimes be acceptable.

He argues that it all comes down to intention. If you just want to share a track, or show off an interesting riff you wrote, that can be okay. However, if you’re miming and the video is focusing on how impressive your “live performance” is rather than your writing, Berthoud believes it is outright misleading.

“All of this complicated issue just comes down to ‘are you deceiving your audience?’” he says. “There are obvious ways of deceiving your audience, like labelling a video ‘live performance’ even though it’s not actually live.”

However, even if an artist doesn’t try to pretend something is performed ‘live’, they should still consider whether they could actually perform what they’re miming live. “You’ve gotta be very honest with yourself about this [and think] ‘could I play it 90-95% perfect most of the time?’” he says. “If the answer to that question is ‘no’, then I would say maybe don’t post that video, or at least don’t present the video in a way that makes it look like you could.”

The post “Miming over technical stuff cause you can’t actually play it… I think that’s f**king s**t”: Rabea Massaad slams the “endless pursuit of perfection” that grips guitar culture appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Teenage sibling duo The Molotovs have taken the music world by storm over the last year. Despite their young ages, Matt, 17, and Issey, 19, have played more than 600 shows, both in their home town of London and around the world.

• READ MORE: The 12 new guitar albums you should all be excited for in 2026

They’ve shared stages with Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, Blondie and The Libertines, and last summer won support slots with Iggy Pop and The Damned in the US. Back in the UK, they will tour arenas with YUNGBLUD this summer.

“The name comes from the Molotov cocktail, which was used as a weapon of resistance,” Matt begins, likening the moniker to the raw energy they bring to the stage (they’re currently on a huge headline tour of grassroots UK venues) as much as their confrontational lyrics; “Do I frustrate you like chewing gum stuck in your hair?” from the intense Get A Life is just one example that stands out.

“The fact that it’s a ‘cocktail’ also represents all our diverse influences coming together to create our sound,” Matt goes on to explain of their frenetic riffs, which come from his Rickenbacker 330s and Issey’s Rickenbacker 4001.

Of the former he says, “I have a Special Edition Senior from 2003 – it’s a ‘road worn’ series and came with a Bigsby, but I don’t use it… it just goes out of tune too often.” Issey, meanwhile, says her bass of choice has “a great kind of punchy sound; because we’re a three-piece on stage, the bass parts need to seem like guitar riffs themselves, and this bass is perfect for that.” Paul McCartney used one, too, she points out.

The New Wave

The combination of the two – as well as a rapid-fire live drummer – helps them to cross genres and appeal to different generations. “I don’t think we’re really surprised by it,” Matt says of their mixed-age fanbase.

“The older crowd, who were about in the 70s and 80s, remember the energy around punk and new wave and appreciate seeing that same fury and passion carrying on nowadays,” he suggests. “For the young people, it feels like something is really happening for them because it’s the first time they’ve ever seen it.” Taking all of this into account, Matt is confident that “they feel ownership over our group – and that’s exactly the way the gig-going baton is supposed to work”, he attests.

All of his and sister Issey’s hard work has culminated in the creation of their debut album, which has just been released on Marshall’s in-house record label. Rather than sitting down with a specific idea, Matt says the record has come together naturally over the past five years. “I’ve never been writing with an album in mind,” he says. “I was only writing for the band and for me, just songs to play live so that people would take us more seriously as a group.”

Nonetheless, the duo ended up with 11 songs that “summed up the environment I was growing up with”. Issey goes on to say that she wants people to have “a feeling of hope and optimism” when they hear Wasted On Youth. “We want them to feel as though their situation can be changed, that it’s malleable, and that change can come from yourself first.”

Solutions To Your Problems

While she and Matt have high ambitions for the album – they and the label are angling for a top-ten chart position – their goals run deeper than sales and streaming numbers. “We want to re-instill a sense of hope in young people and get them away from drudgery and apathy,” Issey offers…

“A lot of mainstream guitar bands now can be quite insular and more wallowing,” she suggests. “And while we’re still addressing the common problems and frustrations and anxieties of young people in our songs, we want to give them a solution as well, and a kind of way out.”

Despite feeling as though the guitar scene could do with a bit of a jolt, The Molotovs are nothing but positive about the live scene right now. “It’s thriving,” Matt says, adding that some of those who attend their gigs have gone on to pick up a guitar afterwards. “A couple of the old boys have brought their sons along, and they’ve told me they catch their son playing the guitar afterwards trying to learn some of our songs. It’s really nice to see that multi-generational thing.”

Issey goes on to say that the London scene in particular has “a real vibrancy”, suggesting that, post-lockdown, a lot of young people found the time to harness their craft. “Now what you’re seeing is this new wave of bands – this kind of third wave – with a huge surge of talent coming through. And where do The Molotovs fit into all this?

“We’re one of many bands going at it on the live circuit,” she says, “but we’ve managed to break free of just the London circuit and start to move abroad and to the rest of the UK.” Throughout January, The Molotovs have been storming grassroots venues up and down the country, showing their support for DIY.

As for the future, hers and Matt’s sights are set extremely high. “We’re looking for this album to go into the top ten,” Issey manifests, adding that their main focus will also be live performance. “We’re rooted in that, so we want to constantly increase our audience, meet more people, and play with more bands.”

For Matt, success means two things: growth, and community. “We want to get the gigs bigger, and to be able to spread our message – it’s all about youth, almost like a youth movement.”

“We also want our reputation to get to the point where we can work with other people who are on our same wavelength,” Issey continues, adding that they hope to “build a really good team around us that allows us to execute our creative vision as effectively as possible”. Matt adds: “And we want that team to be on board with the vision as it progresses.”

While there’s no doubt that Matt and Issey know exactly where they want to take the band, it’s also important to look back at the guitarists and bass players who helped shape them:

Steve Cradock

Matt: “It’s just his versatility. He’s played with everyone – Ocean Colour Scene, Paul Weller, Amy Winehouse. The way he rides the toggle switch on his Les Paul Goldtop live is amazing.”

Paul Weller

Matt: “He’s a really good guitarist, not just a songwriter, with a tasteful choice of notes and melodies. He never overdid it; he’s one of those melodic players. The thin Rickenbacker tone in The Jam suited his punky, slashing style perfectly.”

Chet Atkins

Matt: “This is my rogue one. His style is never something I’d play now, but I just really like listening to it.”

Norman Cook (The Housemartins)

Issey: “I love his melodic, quirky basslines that really push the track forward.”

Johnny Marr

Issey: “I love his work with The Smiths—he even wrote a load of Andy Rourke’s incredible basslines. I often play Bigmouth Strikes Again in soundchecks.”

The post The Molotovs want to be the solution to the problem of “insular and wallowing” guitar bands – this is how they’re going to do it appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

One of the many things that Willie Nelson and his trusty Martin nylon-string, Trigger, have in common is their truly unmistakable voices. And Willie’s laid back, behind-the-beat phrasing applies to both. To break it all down, we called on Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel. The two have been friends for a long time, and in 2009 they released the swinging Willie and the Wheel together. Benson tells us about what it’s like to work with Willie, what it’s like to play Trigger, and when he finally got to put his signature on the latter.

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Revoicing flat-top steel-string guitars is something I’ve practiced for decades. In the early days, once I discovered what scalloping was and how it affected tone, I began reaching inside instruments and carving braces in hopes of improving their sound. The problem was that I had no real idea what I was doing, no sense of targets, and certainly no clear understanding of purpose. Fortunately, I didn’t attempt this on many guitars, and never on anything of real value.

As time went on and I began building my own instruments, I developed the ability to tune tops through scalloping or tapering braces. This gave me valuable insight into what to look for when approaching revoicing later in my career. The process became more disciplined; it included setting air resonance, balancing top and back frequencies, and measuring deflections.

But the question remains: Should we even be revoicing guitars at all?

In the violin world, revoicing is standard practice. Instruments are designed to be disassembled and worked on, and re-graduating tops is one of the most common procedures performed on vintage violins, violas, and cellos. These repairs are done routinely, even on valuable vintage instruments, and often multiple times across their lifespans. This tradition also extends to historical pitch change, such as the move from A=340 Hz to A=440 Hz, where instruments had to be physically altered to remain functional. Violin makers are trained from the very beginning to understand instrument revoicing and the practice is widely accepted.

Flat-top steel-strings are different. We now have guitars, pre-war Martins in particular, that are considered the Stradivari of the flat-top world. These instruments already sound extraordinary, and carving on their braces would not only be unnecessary, but destructive. Still, not all guitars share this level of excellence even within vintage Martin examples. Over the years I’ve encountered many instruments that simply missed the mark, where the relationships between air, top, and back resonances were poorly balanced.

Take, for example, a Guild D-40 from the 1980s that recently came into my shop. Guilds of that era were well-built, sometimes even overbuilt. This particular guitar measured an air resonance of 101 Hz, a top resonance of 200 Hz, and a back resonance of 207 Hz. The problem was obvious: The top was so tight at 200 Hz it had restricted musicality, and its frequency nearly sat on top of the back, only separated by 7 Hz. Worse, the air resonance, at 101 Hz, was far too high for a large-body guitar, which typically falls around 95 Hz or lower.

This guitar was crying out for a revoice. My plan was simple: reshape and scallop the accessible braces on the top, drop the top resonance into the 170 Hz range, and allow the air resonance to settle near 95 Hz. Step by step, I carved, restrung, measured, and repeated until the targets were met. The top gradually dropped: first to 190 Hz, then 180 Hz, and finally 173 Hz. The air resonance followed, landing at 95 Hz. The results were dramatic. The instrument opened up, resonances began to couple, and its musicality increased significantly.

Of course, there are caveats. Any revoicing work voids a warranty, and on a new instrument that can be a serious consideration. In this case, the Guild was decades old, had changed hands multiple times, and carried no warranty concerns. More importantly, the guitar was so overbuilt that there was little danger in loosening the top.

So, what are the ethics of revoicing? Should you attempt it? The answer is clear: Unless you thoroughly understand resonance, frequency targets, deflection values, and how they interact, you should not. For those with the training and experience, however, revoicing can transform a lifeless guitar into something inspiring and enjoyable to play.

In restoration, the golden rule is to enter and exit an instrument without leaving a trace. But sometimes, as with this Guild, the only way forward is to make meaningful change. Done carefully, with respect for the instrument and for the physics of sound, revoicing is not only ethical; it can be a gift to both the guitar and its player.

Fralin Pickups has introduced a line of prewired control harnesses for upgrading your Gibson® Les Paul®, Les Paul Special, or Les Paul Studio.

Each premium prewired harness is built with Emerson® Premier Pro pots, plus USA-made foil-and-oil capacitors, for a smoother taper, consistent control response, and rock-solid reliability. Dial in your setup exactly how you want it—choose your wiring style, capacitor value, and optional push-pull mods—then drop it into your guitar with minimal soldering and maximum confidence.

Key features include:

• Build it your way: Customize your harness to your exact specs—wiring type, cap value, and more.
• Emerson® Premier Pro Pots: Chosen for an exceptionally smooth taper and dependable performance.
• Optional CTS® Push-Pull Pots: Add coil splits, phase options, series/parallel, or other wiring mods (depending on your pickup setup).
• Quick, clean install: Designed for a drop-in fit with minimal soldering required.
• Optional prewired toggle switch: Add a prewired switch to complete the harness and simplify installation even further.

Each Fralin prewired Les Paul harness carries a street price is $150.00. For more information visit fralinpickups.com.