Premier Guitar

Trace Elliot® introduces the Trace Elliot Overdrive pedal. Overdrive is by far the most popular category of pedals on the market - and for good reason. With just a simple twist of a knob or push of a button, the colors and character of a player’s tone can completely change leading to endless inspiration and fun. But there is an obstacle for bass players. The lower notes on a bass guitar can often get muddy and lose definition. Thus, extra care needs to be taken in the circuitry and features. Trace Elliot believes they have solved the problem.

As a pioneer in bass amp innovation, Trace Elliot aims to set the standard in all bass overdrive pedals to follow. With true bypass operation, this pedal offers classic full range overdrive specific for bass guitar. The proprietary high overhead soft asymmetrical clipping circuit really contributes to the pedals overall performance creating that vintage, tube-like drive. The pedal has four knobs to help players dial in their tone. The DRIVE controls the amount of overdrive on the signal. The LEVEL control dictates the overall output volume of the pedal. The TONE control is a basic EQ helping players define their overall tone and the BLEND control allows players to mix the clean and overdrive signal. This pedal is also equipped with an internal transformer to give more headroom to the signal ensuring better quality of tone- especially on those lower frequencies.

Alongside the traditional ¼” input and outputs is a separate DRY OUT that helps this pedal standout amongst other overdrives. By offering the player a separate DRY OUT, the player can send the dirty signal to a separate amp while sending the dry signal to either front of house or an effects chain for maximum flexibility in tone. As with all things Trace Elliot, the pedal is built for long lasting durability and performance.

For more information, please visit www.TraceElliot.com

Street: $199.99 USD

Bad Cat Amplifiers has released the new Hot Cat 50, the latest evolution of its flagship high-gain amplifier platform, available in a 1x12 combo or amp head format.

For more than 25 years, the Hot Cat has been Bad Cat’s go-to amplifier for professional players who need powerful clean tones and authoritative high gain in a single, road-ready design. The new Hot Cat 50 builds on that legacy with a redesigned 50-watt power section, expanded EQ flexibility, two fully independent channels, and switchable Lo and Hi gain modes.

“Our goal was to make the cleans bigger and bouncier, like the older Hot Cats, while at the same time making the dirty channel bigger and more visceral than any Hot Cat before. We feel it sets a new benchmark for what a channel-switching amp can be,” said Jon Bingham.

Positioned alongside the company’s Black Cat 30, which focuses on classic, expressive tones, the Hot Cat 50 is designed for players who demand wide dynamic range—from bold, glassy cleans to aggressive crunch and modern high-gain sounds.

The clean channel delivers American-style clarity and headroom in Lo mode, with added bite and bounce in Hi mode for country and roots-rock lead work. The second channel draws inspiration from classic JCM-style circuits, offering punchy 1980s rock tones in Lo mode and tighter, more aggressive gain in Hi mode for modern hard rock and metal.

Additional features include an onboard reverb, effects loop, direct line out, and included two-button footswitch, making the Hot Cat 50 a complete centerpiece for stage or studio rigs.

The Bad Cat Hot Cat 50 combo carries a $2699.99 street price and Hot Cat 50 head is available for $2499.99. For more information, visit badcatamps.com.

KORG announces the new microAUDIO series, the compact yet powerful microAUDIO 22 and microAUDIO 722 audio interfaces for creators working in studios, onstage, or online. Designed to bring studio clarity straight to the desktop, the series arrives to meet the growing demand for high-quality sound in a portable format, giving musicians, streamers, and producers professional results without complexity. The two models deliver this through KORG’s studio-grade engineering, advanced preamp design, and modern creator-focused workflow, ensuring users can capture, shape, and share their sound with confidence.

Compact in form yet generous in capability, the microAUDIO series combines premium sound with a clean and intuitive layout. Both models support 24-bit/192kHz audio and feature balanced inputs and outputs, offering pristine, open sound with striking depth and ample headroom. The preamps are tuned for musical gain with minimal noise, prioritizing clarity while avoiding excess circuitry so every nuance of a performance—whether detailed vocal recording, layered synthesizers, or live performance playback—is faithfully preserved.

Each channel provides mic, line, and Hi-Z connectivity with 48V phantom power, together with assignable processing tools including a Noise Gate and either a Compressor or Limiter designed for smooth, musical gain control with minimal noise. These processors are not limited to input sources, as they can also be applied to audio returning from a connected computer. Front-panel controls keep essential parameters within immediate reach, while zero-latency direct monitoring ensures precise performance feedback. The headphone output can be assigned independently from the main outputs, enabling routing such as click-track-only monitoring or cue listening with DJ applications, and the Stereo Link function allows paired channels to be adjusted simultaneously from a single control. These workflow decisions keep the technical processes streamlined so creative focus remains uninterrupted. These expanded routing and processing capabilities are scheduled to be added in version 1.01 of the microAUDIO firmware, planned for release in February 2026.

Built for modern creation environments, microAUDIO includes a loopback mode that feeds computer audio directly into a livestream or DAW without complicated setup, making it ideal for streaming, sampling, and content capture. USB-C connectivity allows seamless use with smartphones and tablets, supporting mobile production as easily as traditional studio workflows. Whether recording at home, performing live, or streaming online, the series adapts to the demands of today’s creators and delivers consistent, professional sound.

The streamlined microAUDIO 22 focuses on essential performance for beginners, hobbyists, and creators who want high-quality audio in a straightforward interface with no unnecessary complexity. The microAUDIO 722 extends the concept into new creative territory by integrating KORG’s iconic analogue filter from the miniKORG 700S directly into the interface. This transforms the unit from a simple recording device into a hybrid creative tool capable of shaping tone in ways digital processing alone cannot replicate. The filter may be used as a standalone analogue processor or integrated into DAW workflows, and it can bring expressive movement and character to guitars, basses, digital synthesizers, and more. It offers Low-Pass, High-Pass, and Bypass modes, can process both live inputs and computer-based audio, and its MIDI In/Out connectivity allows automation, synchronization with external hardware, and hybrid digital-analog performance setups.

Exclusive to the microAUDIO series, KORG also introduces Filter Ark, a next-generation filter plugin that extends the creative potential of the hardware into the software environment. Filter Ark recreates legendary analog filters from the MS-20, Polysix, miniKORG 700S, and ARP Odyssey while adding new models including physically modeled resonators and vowel-based filters. Up to four filters may be routed in series, parallel, or feedback configurations, with morphable LFOs, sequencers, macros, and scale-aware control enabling expressive sound design that treats filtering as a musical performance tool.

To ensure users can begin creating right out of the box, microAUDIO includes a comprehensive software bundle featuring Ableton Live Lite, Native Instruments Komplete Select, and iZotope Ozone Elements, covering the complete journey from composition and recording through mixing and mastering. Both models provide 2-in/2-out operation with two preamps, two combo microphone/line/Hi-Z inputs, two DC-coupled TRS outputs, a headphone output, and USB-powered operation via USB-C or dedicated DC adapter, with MIDI I/O available on the microAUDIO 722. The microAUDIO 22 measures 150.0 × 128.0 × 68.0 mm and weighs 407 g, while the microAUDIO 722 measures 220.0 × 128.0 × 68.0 mm and weighs 553 g.

The microAUDIO series brings compact design and studio clarity together, giving creators tools that are powerful, musical, and ready for today’s connected creative environments.

For more information, please visit NAMM Booth #6802 or online at www.korg.com.

Street Price:

microAUDIO 22 $199.99 USD

microAUDIO 722 $269.99 USD

Walrus Audio is proud to announce Mantle, a premium preamp and DI for electric bass created in close collaboration with Ian Martin Allison of Scott’s Bass Lessons. Mantle is designed to give players a powerful sonic foundation with studio grade refinement in any setting, whether performing onstage, tracking in the studio, or shaping tone at home.

Mantle features two proprietary custom wound Sapphire Transformers, developed through years of research and refinement by the Walrus engineering team. The input transformer is inspired by classic Neve approaches to deliver strong low-end and midrange presence with clean handling of large signals. The output transformer takes influence from an API 312 output stage to provide quiet, balanced output and rich harmonic character.

The interface is intentionally simple with three large rotary knobs for Bass, Gain, and Treble. Mantle offers sparkling cleans to subtle transformer saturation without unpleasant breakup, and includes an Active or Passive pad to optimize signal headroom. The EQ is flexible and musical, operating as a broad bell boost above noon and switching into high-pass or low-pass filter behavior when cutting below noon. This allows powerful control over sub-lows, mids, and top-end content while remaining intuitive for fast tone shaping.

Additional features include transformer balanced XLR and 1/4 inch outputs that can be used simultaneously. Mantle delivers strong signal integrity and reliable performance whether feeding a console, interface, or bass amp.

Ian shares, “I needed this product to exist. I’m thrilled to say that now it does, and it is absolutely killer.”

Walrus Audio is offering the Mantle Analog Bass Preamp, DI for $749.99. Pre-orders begin today with shipments beginning early Febuary. Experience the Mantle exclusively at walrusaudio.com and authorized dealers worldwide.

Peavey Electronics® announces the Bandit® - Supreme Teal Stripe Preamp pedal. Based off the revered and long out of production Peavey Supreme 160 head, the new pedal delivers the legendary solid state lead channel tones in a compact, easy to use package.

The original Teal Stripe Bandit 112/S was released in 1989. The Supreme 160 was the head version. Since its release, the amp head has become a pawn shop gem. Often referred to as the “OG high gain solid state amp”, “the best solid state metal amp”, or simply “the workhorse”, the lead channel provided a novel patented active EQ circuit, known as Bottom, Body, and Edge, along with a patented update to the formidable early ‘80s Saturation circuit, known as SUPERSAT™, that was very responsive and extremely flexible – able to dial in anything between a solid crunch tone to the extreme, brutal tones of death metal all with the reliability of solid-state technology. The biggest drawback to the head was its weight. The Supreme 160 head weighed in at a whopping 60 lbs.! For a head!

Today, Peavey succeeds in achieving those famous tones within the confines of a preamp pedal able to fit on nearly any pedal board. Loaded with PRE and POST gain control supported by GAIN and MIDSHIFT switches, the “must have” SUPERSAT™, the three band active BOTTOM, BODY, and EDGE EQ, the pedal gives players easy access to those desirable tones at a click of a button, at an affordable price. Hardware features include ¼” input and output, internal bipolar supply from a standard 9v supply/battery, power input, and a hard bypass switch with anti-click circuitry.

To learn more, visit Peavey at NAMM Booth 210A or online at www.Peavey.com

Seattle-based effects builder Seward Park Electric has released the Arabica, a new distortion/fuzz pedal that reimagines the legendary harmonic percolator circuit with expanded control and modern versatility—without losing the raw, confrontational character that made the original a cult favorite.

At its core, Arabica stays true to the snarling, harmonically rich DNA of the classic circuit. But where the original offered a single, uncompromising voice, Arabica opens the door to a far wider range of sounds. The pedal’s four-knob control set provides the ability to fine-tune your sound with much greater precision than the original harmonic percolator.

Arabica offers the following features:

• Tone knob: absent from the original design, this knob allows players to shape the pedal’s response with precision, from sharp, bright, and brittle clang reminiscent of Albini–style edge to warmer, fuller textures that push the circuit into entirely new territory while retaining its distinctive character.
• Space knob: a unique, presence-style control that injects a bit of “air” in the sound and is capable of enhancing octaves under the right conditions.
• Loud knob: controls the overall pedal volume.
• Push knob: adjusts the amount of drive hitting the silicon transistors and diodes for a range of clipping levels, from angular breakup to fuzzy distortion.
• 9-volt operation using standard external power supply, no battery compartment.
• True bypass foot switch.

Arabica excels at articulate grit, percussive attack, and complex overtones that cut through a mix, while giving players the ability to dial in just how aggressive or refined that character becomes. Whether you’re chasing familiar abrasive tones or exploring something new with a similar harmonic bite, Arabica delivers a nuanced evolution of a famously uncompromising effect.

Each Arabica pedal is designed and hand-built in Seattle, Washington using carefully selected components and a straightforward, purpose-driven, creative design philosophy that defines Seward Park Electric.

The Arabica carries a street price of $140 and can be purchased directly from Seward Park Electric at sewardparkelectric.bigcartel.com.

America’s most beloved and immature pop-punks Blink 182 set off on their Missionary Impossible Tour last summer, and along the way, they stopped at the Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, Alabama. That’s where PG’s Chris Kies connected with Justin Sweet, guitarist Tom DeLonge’s tech, and Brian Diaz, bassist Mark Hoppus’ tech. They took us backstage for a tour of the guitars and rack equipment that DeLonge and Hoppus brought out with them last year in this new Rig Rundown!

Brought to you by D’Addario.

Laughing Gaff

This Fender Tom DeLonge Starcaster, like the others in DeLonge’s arsenal, was built by Brian Thrasher for Blink’s 2023 tour, and it’s been in service ever since. It’s got a single Seymour Duncan SH-5 Duncan Custom pickup and a lone volume knob. DeLonge runs it with a set of Ernie Ball Paradigm strings (.011–.052) with a wound G.

After receiving the guitar, DeLonge asked Sweet for some gaff tape, which resulted in the stunning look and breathtaking poetry featured here.

Tom DeLonge: The Next Michaelangelo?

Within a day of receiving it, DeLonge also subjected this guitar, nicknamed “Milo,” to an aesthetic overhaul via stickers and some Louvre-worthy Sharpie work.

Tom DeLonge’s Signal Chain

DeLonge has left the Mesas, Marshalls, and Voxes behind for now and uses a Fractal Axe-FX III unit on the road. His main sound is based on a jumpered Marshall plexi amp and a Soldano X88-IR. For clean sounds, DeLonge goes for a hybrid sound of a CA3+ (Custom Audio Amplifiers 3+ SE) and a Fender Deluxe Reverb. The drive sounds are pushed through a model of a Marshall 4x12 cabinet loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s, and the cleans crank through a Vox AC-30 IR. A Rupert Neve Designs 5211 preamp helps bring the tones to life.

Changes are handled by a Fractal FC-12 backstage, and a FC-6 for DeLonge onstage.

Green Ray

Only played a few times on this tour, this Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay bass was used to record Blink’s 1999 breakout record, Enema of the State.

Take Off Your Pants and Jag-et

According to Diaz, Hoppus will message artists he likes on Instagram to ask them to paint his basses, like this commission from Ohio-based artist Burrito Breath. Nicknamed “Stoned Fruit,” this Fender Jaguar bass—now a Limited Edition signature model for Hoppus—carries Hoppus’ now-signature “reversed P” pickup configuration of a set of Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound P-bass pickups.

Mark Hoppus’ Signal Chain

Check out Mark Hoppus’ rack! He rolls with this Neural DSP Quad Cortex unit. His main sound is based off of an Ampeg SVT, and other key modeled sounds include a Keeley Noble Screamer, an Orange Terror amp, and a JHS 424 Gain Stage.

Also in the rack are a Radial JX 44, Fretronics RSW switching system, and a Rupert Neve Designs 5211 preamp.

Ernie Ball StingRay Bass

Neural Quad Cortex

Fender Starcaster

Ernie Ball StingRay Bass
Neural Quad Cortex
Fender Starcaster
Fender Tom DeLonge Starcaster
Seymour Duncan SPB-3
Ernie Ball 2834 Super Slinky Strings
Radial JX44
Rupert Neve Designs 5211
Shure AD4Q
Radial JR5
Blackstar Live Logic 6-button MIDI Footcontroller

C. F. Martin & Co.® is proud to announce the launch of its refreshed Road Series, a redesigned lineup of 20 acoustic-electric guitars—18 of them new or updated—created to guide players along their road to what’s next. The new structure offers a clearer and more intuitive way for musicians to choose the look, tone, and performance features that fit their needs.

Announced just ahead of The 2026 NAMM Show, the refreshed Road Series debuts a reorganized lineup built around two distinct paths:

• Retro: Vintage-inspired models with classic Martin character, traditional body shapes (D and 000), and warm, balanced tone.
• Modern: Contemporary designs featuring bold finishes, cutaway options (DC, OMC, GPC, and SC), fast-playing necks, and stage-ready styling.

To simplify comparisons, each model aligns with one of four updated style levels:

10 Style: Satin body; solid spruce or sapele top; solid sapele back and sides; Martin E1 electronics; inspired by Style 15 guitars.

12 Style: Gloss body; solid spruce top; solid sapele back and sides; Martin E1 electronics; inspired by Style 18 guitars.

13 Style: Gloss body; solid spruce top; solid black walnut or koa fine veneer back and sides; Martin E1 electronics (L.R. Baggs on SC-13E); inspired by Style 28 guitars.

Retro Plus: Gloss body; torrefied solid spruce top; solid mahogany or granadillo back and sides; L.R. Baggs electronics; elevated interpretations of Style 12 and 13 models.

The refreshed Road Series also spans a wide range of body shapes, including 000, OM, Dreadnought, and Grand Performance models, along with expanded Modern offerings featuring cutaways, such as the SC, GPC, OMC, and DC.

This updated structure bridges the gap between the X Series and Standard Series, giving players a clear understanding of where each model fits within the Martin family. The complete lineup will debut at The 2026 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, where industry attendees can experience the guitars firsthand and explore how the new Retro and Modern paths streamline the decision-making process.

With clearer choices and expanded features, the refreshed Road Series provides an inspiring entry point into the Martin lineup and a pathway for players ready to take the next step in their musical journey.

For more information, visit Martinguitar.com.

Dr. Z and EQD meld minds and come up with a most flexible tube preamp that can add life to the output from your amp or at the input of a DAW.

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Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) has introduced Fender Studio as a new brand, unifying PreSonus® Studio One Pro and its renowned recording interfaces together under the Fender name. Starting this year, Studio One Pro becomes Fender Studio Pro, while the Quantum and AudioBox Go lines transition to the Fender Quantum Series and Fender AudioBox Go.

The reimagined Fender Studio Pro environment introduces an updated visual design, native Fender amp and effects plugins - a first for DAWs, a new channel overview for faster mixing workflows, updated samplers and an AI powered audio-to-note conversion tool for layering sounds and inspiring intelligent chord technology for creative songwriting.

For artists, producers and engineers, this move represents more than a name change. It brings together the trusted performance of PreSonus hardware and software with Fender’s deep legacy in tone and musical expression.

New Fender Studio products include:

Fender Studio Pro 8 – The only DAW that comes equipped with new Fender Mustang Native Guitar & Rumble Native Bass Plug-ins which contain 50+ guitar and bass amps, 100+ built-in effects, classic tones and pro presets.

Fender Quantum LT Audio Interfaces – a new USB-C audio interface available in three models that seamlessly integrates with Fender Studio Pro 8

Fender Motion – A creative controller for the next wave of music makers where unique integration with Fender Studio Pro sparks inspiration, shapes sounds and brings ideas to life. Available spring 2026

“For more than a decade, Studio One Pro has set the standard for modern music production,” said Max Gutnik, Chief Product Officer, FMIC. “Its balance of power, creativity and ease of use has inspired countless artists and shaped how music is made today. With Fender Studio Pro, we are taking those celebrated features and enhancing them with a modernized interface, Fender’s award-winning amp and effects models and new intuitive workflows and capabilities that make creating music faster, more inspiring and more connected than ever.”

Combining Studio One Pro’s celebrated features and trusted performance with a new modernized interface and intuitive workflows, Fender Studio Pro 8 features Fender’s renowned amps and effects models that make creating music faster, more inspiring and connected than ever. Available exclusively in the Fender Studio app and Fender Studio Pro, the Mustang and Rumble Native plugins offer 57 guitar and bass amp models and hundreds of effects for players to find their sound.

From iconic instruments and amplifiers to award-winning digital platforms like Tone Master Pro and Fender Play, Fender remains dedicated to inspiring generations of artists and creators through technology, tone and timeless design. The new Fender Studio brand represents the next evolution of that vision, where tradition and innovation meet in the service of creativity. Anchored by Fender Studio Pro and the Fender Quantum Series Interfaces, this next-generation lineup delivers reliability, premium sound quality and seamless integration across hardware and software, from the studio to the stage. Built for artists, producers and engineers, Fender Studio enhances the creative process and brings ideas to life without disrupting the flow of inspiration.

“Having authentic Fender amps and pedals built straight into the DAW is a game-changer,” said Alissia, GRAMMY®-Nominated Producer of the Year, Bassist and Artist. “Fender Studio Pro delivers true analog warmth with a seamless workflow.”

In this exclusive collaboration filmed at the legendary Power Station at BerkleeNYC, witness the creative process unfold as Nile Rodgers lays down his signature guitar work while Alissia crafts the perfect production. From initial concept to polished production, see how these two masters harness the full power of Fender Studio Pro’s comprehensive music creation tools.

Starting today, all existing PreSonus customers will continue to be served through the new MyFender platform effectively replacing MyPreSonus. This exciting new platform will not only serve software and hardware customers but the wider universe of Fender customers who purchase guitars, amps and effects.

In parallel, the PreSonus brand will continue to serve creators with industry-leading audio solutions like the acclaimed Eris® Monitors, StudioLive® Series III SE Mixers, Air XD Loudspeakers and more. As part of the FMIC family, PreSonus remains committed to its core mission of democratizing music creation and making professional-quality tools accessible to artists at every level. PreSonus customers will continue to receive full support and updates. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements to come in 2026.

FENDER STUDIO SOFTWARE

Fender Studio Pro 8 – Meet Fender Studio Pro, the next evolution of modern music creation. Effortlessly bring ideas to life with a fluid drag-and-drop workflow and a complete collection of inspiring virtual instruments, native plug-ins and authentic Fender Mustang Guitar and Rumble Bass amp models. Every tool is designed to enhance the creative process, helping artists capture ideas quickly, shape them with precision and transform them into professional-quality productions without breaking the flow of inspiration. See sessions with new clarity through Channel and Arrangement Overviews and explore legendary tone through Fender’s built-in amp and effects suite. The redesigned interface keeps production fast and intuitive, while AI-powered Audio-to-Note conversion transforms recordings into editable MIDI notes with a single click. Spark new ideas with Chord Assistant, program drums and chop samples using the updated Sample One and Impact samplers and add spacious dimension with the immersive Studio Verb plug-in. Bring a vision to life with video playback on the Show Page and capture inspiration anywhere through seamless Fender Studio integration (free desktop and mobile companion app). Fender Studio Pro delivers the tools, tones and technology that empower every artist to create without limits.

Pricing:

• Perpetual License ($199.99 USD, £169.99 GBP, €199.99 EUR, $349 AUD, ¥29,800 JPY)
• Pro+ Annual Subscription Plus Perpetual ($179.99 USD, £159.99 GBP, €179.99 EUR, $299 AUD, ¥26,800 JPY)
• Perpetual License Upgrade ($99.99 USD, £89.99 GBP, €99.99 EUR, $169 AUD, ¥14,800 JPY)
• Fender Studio Pro — Upgrade from 6-month Demo: Owners of Fender AudioBox Go, Quantum LT 2 and LT4 can upgrade the 6-month demo to a license for Pro+ Annual Subscription Plus Perpetual ($149.99 USD, £129.99 GBP, €149.99 EUR, $249 AUD, ¥22,350 JPY)
• Monthly Subscription ($19.99 USD, £19.99 GBP, €19.99 EUR, $34 AUD, ¥2,900 JPY)

Fender Studio 1.2 App Update – Available on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Linux, Fender Studio is a free tool available for anyone looking to record, practice or just have fun playing along with Jam Tracks. Compatible with audio interfaces on mobile, tablet and desktop devices, Fender Studio makes it easy for players to capture guitar riffs, vocals and more, with just one tap. Packed with powerful tones, Fender Studio is the only app of its kind with authentic Fender amp models. To help users progress on their journey into digital music production, Fender Studio 1.2 introduces a unique transmit feature that seamlessly sends Fender Studio sessions directly to Fender Studio Pro 8. The new Chord Track allows users to view and edit chords for the included Jam Tracks as well as add to their own sessions and even detect chords from the audio they recorded. Plus, a new Drum Metronome with over 75 grooves can be accessed after registering for free. Additionally, a new in-app purchase unlocks all Fender amps and FX in Fender Studio, alongside a higher track count of 32 tracks.

Pricing:

• Free to download
• Free registration unlocks more Jam Tracks, a higher track limit of 16, more amps and FX and the Drum Metronome
• All Fender amps, FX and a higher track count of 32 are available as an in-app purchase, or as part of an active Fender Studio Pro+ membership

Other software updates include Fender Studio Pro Remote, Fender Studio Hub, Fender Notion and Fender Universal Control.

FENDER STUDIO RECORDING HARDWARE

Fender Quantum LT ($149.99 – $499.99 USD, £129 – £469 GBP, €149 – €549 EUR, $239 – $899.99 AUD, ¥18,500 – ¥62,300 JPY) The Fender Quantum LT Series delivers professional recording results with effortless workflow, combining incredible sound quality, flexible connectivity and seamless integration with Fender Studio Pro in three streamlined, affordable interfaces. Each model includes custom low-latency drivers, MAX-HD microphone preamps with 75 dB of gain, Fender-optimized instrument inputs, balanced outputs, loopback routing and high-power headphone monitoring. Built-in integration with Fender Studio Pro and Universal Control ensures seamless hardware-software operation, allowing creators to fine-tune their direct mixes remotely for near-zero latency performance. Standalone Mixer Mode makes Fender Quantum LT versatile enough for live use, classrooms or portable rigs — while MyFender access simplifies registration, setup and support. For creators who need more, the Fender Quantum LT 16 expands the possibilities with 8 combo mic inputs and 8 additional TRS line inputs, MIDI I/O, DC-coupled outputs for synth and modular setups and an included Fender Studio Pro Perpetual license. With Mic Pre Mode, it even doubles as an 8-channel outboard mic preamp. Together with other key elements of the Fender hardware portfolio, such as Mustang amplifiers and Tone Master Pro, the Quantum LT Series completes a seamlessly connected ecosystem that moves effortlessly from studio to stage.

Fender Quantum HD ($599.99 – $1,099.99 USD, £489 – £889 GBP, €579 – €1,049 EUR, $999 – $1,899 AUD, ¥72,700 – ¥130,500 JPY) The Fender Quantum HD Series is engineered for creators who demand professional-quality recording with precision, power and flexibility. Each interface features high-definition MAX-HD preamps, ultra-low-latency drivers and 32-bit /192 kHz high-performance converters, capturing every nuance of instruments, vocals and full-band recordings with remarkable clarity. Fender instrument inputs ensure guitars and basses translate perfectly to the mix. Auto Gain simplifies setup, while re-amp outputs allow experimentation with amp and pedal setups. DSP monitor mixing and loopback routing streamline podcasting, streaming and tracking workflows. Control all critical functions from Fender Studio Pro or the Universal Control app, including preamp gain, phantom power and channel configuration — keeping focus on performance rather than setup. Fender Quantum HD scales with player’s studio needs: the HD 2 offers a 20 x 24 I/O setup ideal for project studios, while the HD 8 expands to 26 x 30 channels with ADAT expansion for large-scale recording.

Fender AudioBox Go™ ($99.99 USD, £79 GBP, €89 EUR, $159 AUD, ¥11,500 JPY) The Fender AudioBox Go is a compact, versatile 2x2 USB-C audio interface designed for musicians, podcasters and content creators who need professional-quality recording wherever inspiration strikes. With pristine 24-bit/96 kHz converters, a low-noise mic preamp and switchable +48V phantom power, the AudioBox Go captures vocals, instruments and line-level sources with clarity and accuracy. Featuring a dedicated instrument input for guitar or bass, a mic/line combo input for vocals or keyboards, two ¼-inch line outputs to connect to studio monitors and a ¼-inch headphone output, this interface provides everything needed to track and monitor recordings. Bus-powered and ultra-portable, it’s easy to take on the road or integrate into any desktop setup. Compatible with Fender Studio, Fender Studio Pro and most other audio apps, AudioBox Go is ready for recording, mixing and producing music or podcasts right out of the box.

Fender Motion™ ($269.99 – $349.99 USD, £279 – £369 GBP, €329 – €439 EUR, $499 – $599 AUD, ¥38,700 – ¥46,200 JPY) Fender Motion Controllers put Fender Studio Pro at players’ fingertips, giving instant access to timeline navigation, session controls and an Add button for instruments and effects—so players can record, edit and perform without leaving their instrument or breaking focus. Beyond Studio Pro, Motion’s dynamic FATAR® pads, vibrant illuminated encoders and expressive touch strips elevate any DAW workflow, letting creators improvise with intelligent scales, explore iconic chord progressions and shape sounds in real time. Available spring 2026.

Gibson is proud to announce its partnership with Keith Richards—one of the most influential musicians in history and co-founder of the legendary Rolling Stones. This collaboration introduces two extraordinary instruments: the Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Collector’s Edition, Signed Guitar and Label, and the Keith Richards 1960 ES-355, Signed Label—both handcrafted by Gibson Custom in Nashville, Tennessee, and strictly limited. Developed in close collaboration with Richards himself, these guitars represent a rare opportunity for fans and collectors alike to own a signed replica of one of Keith’s best-loved and most recognizable guitars.

Only 50 of the Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Collector’s Edition, Signed Guitar and Label have been produced and will be available exclusively worldwide on Gibson.com and at the Gibson Garage in Nashville and London. These guitars have been signed both on the f-hole label by Keith Richards and on the back of the headstock. Additionally, 100 of the Keith Richards 1960 ES-355, Signed Label—signed by Keith Richards on the f-hole label only—will be available at Gibson Garage locations, authorized Gibson Custom dealers, and globally on Gibson.com.

For more than six decades, the “Human Riff” has been the heartbeat of The Rolling Stones, inspiring millions of fans and musicians the world over to get out of their seats and rock ’n’ roll. It’s difficult to imagine the landscape of popular music without the monolithic presence of Keith Richards looming over it with impossible cool, godlike nonchalance, and, of course, impeccable taste in guitars. Ask any guitarist which of Keith’s instruments they desire the most, and we’re willing to bet his black 1960 Gibson ES-355 will top the list. Keith first used an ES-355 back in 1969, taking it out on the road and into the studio during the legendary recording sessions for Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St. His black 1960 model has been a staple of every planet-straddling Rolling Stones tour since 1997.

Gibson Custom now proudly introduces two meticulous recreations of the ES-355 that Keith made famous. Handcrafted in the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, Tennessee, these models aren’t just a tribute; they are exact replicas, crafted using advanced 3D scanning, period-correct materials and construction techniques, with Murphy Lab hand-aging to mirror every detail of the original, including its distinctive tone.

“This is my standard-tuning six-string; this is the other side of my thing,” Keith Richards explains, “My six-string stuff has always been, you know, a great Gibson—that’s where I feel the most comfortable. And also with the sound. Put it through just about any amp, and it will sound the way you want it, because this has so much more room for expression.”

Both remarkable instruments from Gibson Custom feature a multi-ply bound body made from three-ply maple/poplar/maple, with red spruce bracing and a maple centerblock for enhanced sustain and reduced feedback, weight-relieved at Keith’s request for greater comfort. The mahogany neck sports a custom Keith Richards profile derived from 3D scans of the original, measuring approximately .801” at the first fret, .905” at the 12th, and 1.625” at the nut. The bound ebony fingerboard includes mother-of-pearl block inlays and Medium Wide fretwire, just like Keith’s original guitar.

Premium hardware consists of a Bigsby® B7 vibrato tailpiece and Grover® Rotomatic® tuners with Milk Bottle buttons, while every metal part, plastic component, and the Ebony nitrocellulose finish has been hand-aged by Murphy Lab artisans to replicate decades of wear. A pair of unpotted Custombucker pickups with Alnico 5 magnets developed especially for this model are wired to CTS® 500k audio taper pots and paper-in-oil capacitors, delivering the unmistakable sound of the original.

Each guitar ships in a Gibson Protector series case with a certificate of authenticity and a replica of the strap Keith Richards uses. This is your chance to own a piece of music history. The Gibson Custom Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Collector’s Edition, Signed Guitar and Label is limited to just 50 units available via Gibson.com and Gibson Garage locations in Nashville and London. The Gibson Custom Keith Richards 1960 ES-355 Collector’s Edition, Signed Label is limited to 100 units and available via authorized Gibson Custom dealers, Gibson.com, and Gibson Garage locations.

Keith Richards is one of popular music’s most iconic figures. Best known as the guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of The Rolling Stones, Richards was born in Dartford, England, in 1943. Since the early 1960s, he has helped to define the sound and attitude of modern rock music with his raw guitar riffs, R&B and blues-driven style, and rebellious persona. Alongside Mick Jagger, Richards co-wrote many of the biggest and best-loved hits in rock history, including such classics as “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Gimme Shelter,” and “Start Me Up.” His distinctive guitar work, often built around open tunings, gave The Rolling Stones their unmistakable edge and signature sound, influencing countless musicians. Richards has remained a creative force and a symbol of rock ’n’ roll’s defiant spirit.

Beyond his music, Richards has become a cultural legend, embodying the archetype of the rock star who seems to defy time. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and continues to perform with The Rolling Stones well into his eighties. His memoir Life (2010) offered candid insights into his artistry, friendships, and notorious lifestyle, cementing his reputation as both a survivor and storyteller. Married to model Patti Hansen since 1983, Richards is a father and grandfather, balancing family life with his career. Today, he stands not only as a musician but as the “Human Riff,” a living testament to rock’s resilience and swagger.

Seymour Duncan, a leading manufacturer of guitar and bass pickups, effects pedals, and pedal amps, is proud to announce that the Slash 3.0 Pickup Set is now available to order from seymourduncan.com and from authorized Seymour Duncan dealers.

Slash 3.0 Pickup Set

A new addition to Slash’s signature sound arsenal, 3.0 adds more punch and aggression while retaining clarity. Built with rough cast Alnico 5 magnets and vintage-inspired construction, it’s a powerful new option for players seeking extra cut without compromise.

• Slash's most aggressive signature humbucker yet, featuring Alnico 5 magnets
• Enhanced output and tighter lows without sacrificing legendary clarity and transparency
• Developed for Slash's SG® and now deployed across multiple guitars in his touring rig
• Available in multiple configurations: single or four-conductor wiring, standard or Trembucker spacing, long and short-leg options
• Hand-built in Santa Barbara, CA

Set MAP pricing starting at $258.00

Single Pickup MAP pricing starting at $129.00

For nearly four decades, Slash has relied on Seymour Duncan pickups to shape the unmistakable sound that defined a generation. From the original Slash model that recreated the legendary Appetite for Destruction tones, to the hotter Slash 2.0 set designed for stadium-sized live performances, Slash’s signature humbuckers have become iconic in their own right. Now, we bring you the Slash 3.0: born from Slash’s need for even more punch and bite while staying true to his tone.

The Slash 3.0 was first conceived at his request for Guns N’ Roses’ performance at the Back to the Beginning tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. Slash needed extra output for his SG® without sacrificing the precision and authenticity he demands from his tone. With the inclusion of Alnico 5 magnets, this new 3.0 design delivers tighter lows, more immediate attack, and added output, while keeping the same transparent character and unmistakable Slash feel. In addition to his SG®, Slash is using 3.0 live in other guitars that benefit from additional output.“The new 3.0 is basically just one more step up,” Slash explains. “You have more output, but still that same clarity and honesty of the sound of the guitar. I've got the best of all worlds now because I have my original Slash pickups that I've been using on most of my guitars forever. But now I have the options of having the 2.0 and the 3.0 for different guitars and different situations where it calls for a bit more kick-ass.”

Hand-built in Santa Barbara with vintage-inspired construction (rough cast Alnico 5 magnets, wood spacers, and traditional appointments) the Slash 3.0 set is vacuum wax-potted and available in multiple configurations: single- or four-conductor wiring, standard or Trembucker spacing, and both long- and short-leg options for modern and vintage guitars alike. Whether you’re outfitting a Les Paul®, an SG®, or a stage-ready superstrat, the Slash 3.0 gives you the choice to add just the right amount of bite without ever losing the soul of your tone.

Les Paul® and SG ® are registered trademarks of Gibson.

RhPf Electronics has released the Shodhana pedal, a balanced overdrive designed for players who value clarity, dynamics, and intuitive control. Its original dual-path architecture lets gain and voicing evolve together without tone stacks or switches, delivering a seamless transition from transparent boost to mid-focused drive with strong touch response and natural mix presence. This original circuit continuously morphs from a transparent, organic MOSFET boost into a focused, articulate overdrive using a single Drive control.

Shodhana features include:

• Dual-path gain architecture: Parallel MOSFET boost and overdrive circuits blend dynamically as Drive increases.

• Single Drive control: Simultaneously adjusts gain and voicing without the need for a separate tone control.

• High-mid focused snap: Strong upper-mid bite and fast attack deliver clear mix presence as gain increases.

• High headroom and wide output range: Suitable for pushing amps, stacking pedals, or maintaining clean dynamics.

• Minimal two-knob layout: Drive and Level only for fast, intuitive operation.

• True bypass switching and standard 9V DC operation
• Top-mounted input and output jacks

Shodhana encourages players to work their instrument rather than fight the pedal. As the upper-mid snap builds with Drive, the guitar’s tone control becomes an intuitive way to dial in exactly how much edge and bite you want, whether using it as a wide-open boost or a focused drive.

Like all RhPf Electronics creations, Shodhana is not a clone, mod, or tweak, but a fully original circuit built from the ground up.

Carrying a street price of $179 USD, Shodhana is available at select retailers and can also be purchased directly from the RhPf Electronics online store at rhpfelectronics.com.

DSM/Humboldt Electronics has announced the introduction of its new Dumblifier Overdrive Special delivering the experience of playing a D-Style amp as it really feels.

For decades, guitarists around the world have dreamed of capturing the magic of the mythical Dumble Overdrive Special. Until now, the only way to approximate this experience has been through digital modeling — solutions that may reproduce the sound but always fall short of replicating what truly makes these amps legendary: the feel under your fingers.

The Dumblifier Overdrive Special breaks that barrier. By using their proven analog amplifier modeling technology, DSM/Humboldt has not only recreated the tone but also the unique compression and touch response that makes every note bloom, sustain, and sing — just like on the original amps.

The Dumblifier offers the following benefits:

Analog accuracy: Unlike digital processors, the Dumblifier responds organically to your playing dynamics, delivering the unmistakable “punchy compression” and smooth sustain that Dumbles are known for.

Beyond boutique limitations: Until now, the few available alternatives were extremely expensive and produced only in limited, made-to-order quantities, never intended for mass availability.

True versatility: Other so-called “Dumble-style” pedals are meant to run in front of amplifiers, so the final tone depends mostly on the amp itself. The Dumblifier, however, goes further — it can operate as a complete analog amp replacement with cab-sim and stereo features, or as a two-channel overdrive pedal in front of any rig. Its TRS outputs with cab-sim bypass make it extraordinarily flexible.

All-in-one solution: With stereo FX loop, stereo reverb, cabinet simulation, and DI outputs, the Dumblifier is equally at home on stage, in the studio, or in your practice setup.

The Dumblifier is the first true analog solution that captures both the sound and the feel of a Dumble. Packed into a pedal format, it offers all the features gigging and recording musicians demand — without the cost or fragility of a boutique tube amp.

Guitarists everywhere crave the legendary Dumble sound. By making it accessible, reliable, and portable, the Dumblifier unlocks that dream for players worldwide.

Dumblifier is available at an MSRP or $599 ($549 MAP). More information is available at: https://www.dsmhumboldt.com.

Acclaimed guitarist and composer Pat Metheny has announced the launch of his new record label, Uniquity Music, alongside the release of his first major studio album in six years, Side-Eye III+. The record marks the first title on the new label, created in partnership with Primary Wave, the parent company of Green Hill Music under the Sun Label Group umbrella, which will also serve as home to reissues of Metheny's entire catalog since 1984 and all future releases.

"My dream for years has been to have a place where all of my work, past and future, could live under a single umbrella - a label of my own," says Metheny. "With the creation of Uniquity Music, that dream has now become a reality. In many ways, I feel like I am just beginning, and I expect the next period to represent the best of where music has led me so far. The new label will feature re-releases of every record I have made since Song X in 1984."

Along with the label's debut comes the February 27th release of Side-Eye III+, the latest evolution of Metheny's Side-Eye project - a concept he first introduced to showcase the next generation of exceptional young musicians who have come onto his radar in recent years. The album features Metheny alongside Chris Fishman on keyboards and Joe Dyson on drums, the trio at the heart of the Side-Eye ensemble that has toured extensively worldwide.

Metheny explains, "Once I got in the studio with the guys, I realized that while the trio concept was perfect for us as a live ensemble, the music I had written was asking for something bigger. That is where the '+' in Side-Eye III+ comes in. I ended up adding fifteen other musicians to the trio — expanding the sonic world of the record far beyond what we had done before."

Recorded in the studio, Side-Eye III+ brings together an additional cast of musicians including bassist Daryl Johns, harpist Brandee Younger, percussionist Luis Conte, and a vocal ensemble led by Mark Kibble of Take 6, creating a richly layered and expansive musical landscape.

“He brought in an incredible group of singers,” Metheny said of Kibble, “and together, we found a sound that has a relationship to the Gospel tradition but I think most people will hear the kinds of harmonies and melodies that identify it as mine right away.”

“Being part of the launch of Uniquity Music while helping usher in SIDE-EYE III+ makes this a special moment for Green Hill,” said Blake Davis, General Manager, Green Hill. “The album showcases Pat’s commitment to collaboration and discovery, and it reflects exactly the kind of thoughtful artistry we’re proud to support. Uniquity creates a home for that spirit to thrive, and we’re thrilled to begin this journey with him.”

Metheny adds, "Musicians often say their new record is their best, and I will take that risk here — this is one of the best records I have ever made.

"Metheny and the Side-Eye III+ band will embark on an extensive world tour throughout 2026.

"There is almost no way to replicate exactly what is on the record with just the trio, nor will that be the explicit goal on this next round,” Metheny says. “But the material on the record can be played a lot of different ways, which is always a good sign. I am already thinking ahead to the next stage of the Side-Eye thing, and the broader palette of this record plus my thoughts about what’s next gave me the idea of bringing in an incredible young bassist from California, Jermaine Paul, and the percussionist and vocalist Leonard Patton, who is a musician I have wanted to include in my thing for years. But the core of the band will remain Chris, Joe, and me — continuing what we have been working on together on the bandstand and in the studio during this really interesting musical time we have shared together."

PAT METHENY: SIDE-EYE III+ WORLDWIDE TOUR DATES

3/2–3 – Jackson, MS – Duling Hall

3/5 – San Antonio, TX – The Charline McCombs Empire Theatre

3/6 – Austin, TX – The Paramount Theatre

3/7 – Houston, TX – Lillie and Roy Cullen Theater at Wortham Theater Center

3/8 – New Orleans, LA – Orpheum Theatre

3/10 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza Live

3/12-13 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – The Parker Playhouse

3/14 – Stuart, FL – The Lyric Theatre

3/15 – Naples, FL – Artis—Naples

3/16 – Clearwater, FL – The Capitol Theatre

3/17 – Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre

3/19 – Charlottesville, VA – The Paramount Theater

3/20 – Richmond, VA – The National

3/22 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium

3/23 – Atlanta, GA – Atlanta Symphony Hall

3/24 – Charlotte, NC – Blumenthal Performing Arts Knight Theater

3/25 – Lexington, KY – Lexington Opera House

3/26 – Knoxville, TN – Big Ears Festival @ Tennessee Theatre

3/27 – Savannah, GA – Savannah Music Festival @ Lucas Theatre

3/29 – Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall

3/30 – Little Rock, AR – Robinson Center

3/31 – Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Performing Arts Center

4/1 – Dallas, TX – The Majestic Theatre

4/3 – St. Louis, MO – The Sheldon Concert Hall

4/4 – Kansas City, MO – Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

4/7 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater

4/8 – Omaha, NE – Kiewit Concert Hall

4/9 – Madison, WI – Wisconsin Union Theater

4/10 – Indianapolis, IN – Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University

4/11 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre

4/12 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater

4/14 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre

4/15 – Newark, OH – Midland Theatre

4/16 – Columbia, MO – Missouri Theatre

4/17 – Chicago, IL – Symphony Center

4/18–19 – Minneapolis, MN – Dakota

4/21 – Ketchum, ID – Argyros Performing Arts Center

4/23–26 – Seattle, WA – Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley

4/27 – Vancouver, BC, Canada – The Centre in Vancouver For Performing Arts

4/28 – Portland, OR – Newmark Theater

4/29 – Eugene, OR – The John G. Shedd Institute For The Arts

5/1 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic

5/2 – Sacramento, CA – Crest Theatre

5/3 – Santa Cruz, CA – Rio Theatre

5/4 – Los Angeles, CA – Walt Disney Concert Hall

5/5 – Santa Barbara, CA – Lobero Theatre

5/7 – Irvine, CA – Irvine Barclay Theatre

5/8 – San Diego, CA – Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay

5/9 – Chandler, AZ – Chandler Center for the Arts

6/6 – Flensburg, Germany – Deutsches Haus

6/7 – Lübeck, Germany – Musik-und Kongresshalle Lübeck

6/8 – Hamburg, Germany – Laeiszhalle

6/9 – Wroclaw, Poland – National Music Forum

6/12 – Katowice, Poland – National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra

6/13 – Warsaw, Poland – Palladium

6/15 – Berlin, Germany – Admiralspalast

6/17 – Munich, Germany – Isarphilharmonie

6/18 – Dortmund, Germany – Konzerhaus Dortmund

6/19 – Freiburg, Germany – Konzerthaus Freidburg

6/20 – Nuremberg, Germany – Serenadenhof

6/21 – Frankfurt, Germany – Jahrhunderthalle Kuppelsaal

6/24 – Zürich, Switzerland – Volkshaus

6/29 – Wien, Austria – Wiener Konzerthaus

7/2 – Udine, Italy – Castello di Udine

7/5 – Rome, Italy – Cavea Auditorium Ennio Morricone

7/6 – Pompei, Italy – Anfiteatro degli scavi

7/7 – Giulianova, Italy – Arena del Porto Turstico

7/9 – Milano, Italy – Teatro degli Arcimboldi

7/18–19 – London, UK – Barbican

7/25 – Donostia, Spain – Kursaal

If the Grammys had a Best Supporting Player category, Will McFarlane would have a collection of little gold icons on his mantle. For more than 40 years, the lean, lanky 6-stringer has been an essential part of the Muscle Shoals recording scene, carrying the torch lit by the famed group of session players called the Swampers, who recorded classics with Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, the Staple Singers, Bob Seger, Cher, Wilson Pickett, and Paul Simon, and set the die for the sound of many of the greatest American-flavored roots-based hits and albums of the ’60s and ’70s.

McFarlane has been a primary author of the chapters that followed. “After arriving and becoming embedded in the scene, Will became the central lead guitarist for the Muscle Shoals sound,” attests music historian and journalist Rob Bowman, whose Land of a Thousand Sessions: The Complete Muscle Shoals Story 1951–1985 has just been published. And so, McFarlane has recorded and played live with such legends as Bob Dylan, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Pops Staples, Little Milton, Candi Staton, Etta James, Johnny Taylor, and even Toby Keith. His work at the area’s tracking houses for the Jackson, Mississippi-based Malaco label helped define the sound of Southern-tradition-based blues, soul, r&b, and gospel from the ’80s to the early 2000s. And today, among the 6-string cognoscenti, McFarlane is a legend himself.

McFarlane’s days in the Shoals began after he met famed Swampers guitarist Jimmy Johnson at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. He recalls, “A friend, Duncan Cameron, who’d just done an album that Jimmy produced in Muscle Shoals with the Amazing Rhythm Aces, introduced us, and we were in Jimmy’s hotel room. Jimmy said, ‘Well, play me something.’ I had brought a guitar and I played a song I’d written called ‘A Secret Side of You,’ and then he said, ‘Play me something I don’t like.’ We hit it right off, and he asked me if he could fly me to Muscle Shoals to demo that song in a couple weeks.”

The band Johnson assembled for the session was essentially a subset of the Swampers that included bassist David Hood, drummer Roger Hawkins, and keyboardist Clayton Ivey. McFarlane continues, “I played the song for Clayton, and he did a quick numbers chart, which I had never seen, but I totally got it. We played it down quick, Jimmy hit the red light, and we played it through. Afterwards, Jimmy asked, ‘Any confessions?’ I turned to David and said, ‘Do y’all keep first takes around here?’ And he said, ‘All the time.’”

Will McFarlane’s Gear

GUITARS

• 1954 Fender Stratocaster (white refin)
• 1963 Fender Stratocaster (sunburst)
• Gibson ES-335
• Gibson Les Paul Classic
• Reverend Rick Vito Soulshaker
• Strat-style Danocaster
• TMG Custom Relic Tele-style

AMPS

• 1958 Fender Champ
• 1964 Fender Princeton
• 1969 Fender Princeton
• Carr Sportsman
• Carr Rambler
• Tyler 20-20

EFFECTS

• Strymon Flint
• JHS Panther Cub
• JHS Pulp ’N’ Peel
• JHS Moonshine
• JHS Morning Glory
• JHS The Milkman
• JHS Flight Delay
• JHS Phaser
• Harby Centauri
• Keeley C-2 Compressor
• FX Engineering RAF Mirage
• Boss RC-20
• Bad Cat Siamese Drive
• EHX Deluxe Memory Man
• Dunlop Cry Baby
• Ernie Ball Volume Pedal

STRINGS, PICKS, & SLIDES

• D’Addario NYXL (.010s–.046)
• Dunlop Ultex 1.0s
• Jimmy Johnson’s Custom “Swampers” Picks
• Coricidin bottles
• Dunlop Moonshine Ceramic
• Furious Slides Titanium

As luck had it, Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman were making an album in the next studio at Cypress Moon, one of Muscle Shoals’ three historic studios along with Muscle Shoal Sound and FAME (and yes, you can tour all three). They heard the tune and cut it for the LP they were working on, 1980’s McGuinn-Hillman.

“I thought, ‘Wow, this is easy,’” McFarlane says. “I’d worked with [producer] Paul Rothschild on Bonnie Raitt records. Paul was into splicing tape. So we’d take 20 takes of a song sometimes. And I’d come back the next morning and there’d be a pile of two-inch tape on the floor. I went back to LA and I gave everybody notice.”

“I turned to David Hood and said, ‘Do y’all keep first takes around here?’ And he said, ’All the time.’”

Relocating to Muscle Shoals ended McFarlane’s 1974-to-1980 stint in Raitt’s band, but the route he traveled began earlier—perhaps even at birth, in 1952, on a Naval base in Coronado, California. “My mom, who died when I was 5, had perfect pitch and studied music at the University of Texas,” he says. “Apparently, she could turn her back on a piano and if you hit a chord she could tell you all the notes in the chord. So, she left the DNA with me.”

McFarlane comes from a family of military men, but like many musicians of his age, his destiny was changed by the Beatles’ first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. His first guitar was a plywood Regal acoustic, which was soon replaced by a Teisco-style electric, with light-switch pickup selectors, gold-foils, and a baseball-bat neck. The need to upgrade was compelling when he began playing in a band.

“There was an ad in the paper that just said, ‘Gibson guitar and amp, $150.’ I begged my dad to please, please get me this guitar. So we went out to a poacher's cabin in the woods, in the swamp. There were beer cans all over, and alligator jaws. He had a white SG with three gold humbuckers, a teak bridge, and mother-of-pearl inlays, and it said Les Paul Anniversary on the truss rod cover. The amp was a Gibson Falcon.” Unfortunately the Falcon could not compete with drums, so after his father was reassigned to New York, McFarlane eventually replaced it with a black-panel piggyback Bassman.

His chops developed around his love for r&b and Motown, and then blues and soul. And he joined an ambitious band that chased their collective dreams to the West Coast, Colorado, D.C., and Cambridge, Massachusetts. That where’s Dick Waterman, who managed Raitt as well as Son House, John Hurt, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, Fred McDowell, Skip James, and other blues legends, discovered McFarlane playing a small club called Jack’s on Massachusetts Avenue.

“It’s amazing! You’re making 10 bucks a night and all the beer you can drink, and the next thing you know you’re on a sound stage in L.A. with Jackson Brown and David Lindley, and Linda Ronstadt is stopping by to say ‘hi.’”

McFarlane knew who Waterman was and had spotted him sitting at the back of the room over a string of his band’s weekly gigs. One night, Waterman brought Bonnie Raitt along and sat at a front table. By closing time, McFarlane was hired. “It’s amazing,” he recalls. “You’re making 10 bucks a night and all the beer you can drink, and the next thing you know you’re on a sound stage in L.A. with Jackson Brown and David Lindley, and Linda Ronstadt is stopping by to say ‘hi.’”

With the experience of recording and touring with Raitt, and the influence of his heroes Cornell Dupree, Reggie Young, Jessie Ed Davis, and Steve Cropper deep in his trick bag, McFarlane was a snug fit for the Muscle Shoals scene, where that intangible yet palpable quality called “soul” is as central to the region’s music and culture as the Tennessee River.

Just sitting on a couch in his home as we talk, the buttery midrange of the’54 Strat he’s fiddling with sings with a blend of clarity and light hair, emitting a poem of elegant notes that comes effortlessly. It’s this seemingly innate, almost telekinetic ability paired with intention, expertise, and warm positivity that’s made him an MVP.

“After I got here, Jimmy Johnson started to include me in everything,” says McFarlane, who describes himself as a stream-of-consciousness player. “Normally, you can’t just move in and get a lot of work, but Jimmy really was just great. Even when the Swampers were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame, Jimmy said, ‘We couldn’t have done it without our friends.’” So McFarlane was included in the induction, along with keyboardists Spooner Oldham and Clayton Ivey, and guitarist Pete Carr.

“Once, I was asked to do a guide vocal for Little Milton. That was intimidating.”

In particular, McFarlane became a favorite of the old-school blues, soul, and gospel performers signed to Malaco Records, an indie-label powerhouse that sold millions of albums—mostly to a middle-aged-and-up Black audience—in the ’80s and ’90s. Bobby Bland, Little Milton, Denise LaSalle, Shirley Brown, Johnnie Taylor, and many others “greeted me with their arms wide open,” says McFarlane. “I have so many great memories, from making music to shooting pool with Milton and Bobby. Bobby would turn to me before a take and say, ‘Give me those love licks!’ I’m always up for anything in the studio. Once, I was asked to do a guide vocal for Little Milton. That was intimidating.”

The caliber of those artists and their recordings should never be underestimated. “Cutting ‘Last Two Dollars’ with Johnnie Taylor, I thought I was just going to play a rhythm track, but I was the only guitar player when they went, ‘kick us off,’” McFarlane recounts. “I only had my Telecaster plugged straight into the amp, so I flipped it to the front pickup. When you listen to the track, where there’s a rhythm part going, there’s no fills, and no fills where there’s rhythm. It was just one pass, because you could tell when Johnnie was singing that ‘this is the take.’”

He continues, “Listening to Johnnie Taylor in headphones was like listening to Sam Cooke. I don’t think he ever punched in a vocal. Matter of fact, at one point, he got to a session late. We’d already cut three tracks for him. And the producer went, ‘Hey, Johnny, would you go out there and give me a scratch vocal?’” McFarlane laughs. “He just turned around and goes, ‘I don't do scratch vocals.’”

While the pace of recording in Muscle Shoals has slowed today, the legacy of the music made there and of the people who made it remains undimmed. Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has just inaugurated the comprehensive exhibit Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising, devoted to the art that emerged from what might otherwise be considered an Alabama backwater, compared to other recording capitals. In addition to the sonic results that came from the Shoals, it’s also important to remember that the studios’ foundational work was done in the face of segregation, and, like Stax and Motown recordings and artists, this played an important role in breaking down racial barriers. (You can visit the Country Music Hall of Fame website to eyeball some of Low Rhythm Rising’s artifacts, including Duane Allman’s 1964 Strat and Pop Staples’ 1970 Tele, which he played in the Band’s historic concert film, The Last Waltz.)

McFarlane was the music director for a Nashville concert celebrating the three-year-long exhibit’s debut in November. The show found him onstage with the great soul songwriter Dan Penn (“Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” “I’m Your Puppet’), Spooner Oldham, Bettye LaVette, Candi Staton, Jimmy Hall, John Paul White, and his old friend Clayton Ivey, among others.

McFarlane regularly performs with Hall, the frontman of ’70s soul-rock hitmakers Wet Willie and a touring vocalist with Jeff Beck. The guitarist also co-leads Big Shoes, a Little Feat-inspired band. And he’s recorded about a dozen faith-based albums and singles under his own name. Of course, more sessions are always on the table.

“At this point, I don’t have any delusions of stardom,” McFarlane observes. “But I do have a life full of camaraderie and making great music that I love with my friends and heroes, and being in a rhythm section. I’m grateful for all that.”

Take a Deep Dive into the Shoals

For a definitive look at the formative history of the Muscle Shoals Studio scene and its defining music, look to Rob Bowman’s new book, Land of a Thousand Sessions: The Complete Muscle Shoals Story 1951-1985. At 750 pages, the six-time-Grammy-nominated music journalist and historian spares no details.

The book was a six-year passion project for Bowman, and is buoyed by interviews with nearly 100 key figures, including Jimmy Johnson and Mick Jagger. He also dives into what most would consider the off-brand sessions that happened in the 10 studios covered in the volume’s 34-year span, from prog rock to psychedelic blues. And, of course, the racial climate in which Black and white musicians united in harmony to make some of the finest recordings of all time.

If the Grammys had a Best Supporting Player category, Will McFarlane would have a collection of little gold icons on his mantle. For more than 40 years, the lean, lanky 6-stringer has been an essential part of the Muscle Shoals recording scene, carrying the torch lit by the famed group of session players called the Swampers, who recorded classics with Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, the Staple Singers, Bob Seger, Cher, Wilson Pickett, and Paul Simon, and set the die for the sound of many of the greatest American-flavored roots-based hits and albums of the ’60s and ’70s.

McFarlane has been a primary author of the chapters that followed. “After arriving and becoming embedded in the scene, Will became the central lead guitarist for the Muscle Shoals sound,” attests music historian and journalist Rob Bowman, whose Land of a Thousand Sessions: The Complete Muscle Shoals Story 1951–1985 has just been published. And so, McFarlane has recorded and played live with such legends as Bob Dylan, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Pops Staples, Little Milton, Candi Staton, Etta James, Johnny Taylor, and even Toby Keith. His work at the area’s tracking houses for the Jackson, Mississippi-based Malaco label helped define the sound of Southern-tradition-based blues, soul, r&b, and gospel from the ’80s to the early 2000s. And today, among the 6-string cognoscenti, McFarlane is a legend himself.

McFarlane’s days in the Shoals began after he met famed Swampers guitarist Jimmy Johnson at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. He recalls, “A friend, Duncan Cameron, who’d just done an album that Jimmy produced in Muscle Shoals with the Amazing Rhythm Aces, introduced us, and we were in Jimmy’s hotel room. Jimmy said, ‘Well, play me something.’ I had brought a guitar and I played a song I’d written called ‘A Secret Side of You,’ and then he said, ‘Play me something I don’t like.’ We hit it right off, and he asked me if he could fly me to Muscle Shoals to demo that song in a couple weeks.”

The band Johnson assembled for the session was essentially a subset of the Swampers that included bassist David Hood, drummer Roger Hawkins, and keyboardist Clayton Ivey. McFarlane continues, “I played the song for Clayton, and he did a quick numbers chart, which I had never seen, but I totally got it. We played it down quick, Jimmy hit the red light, and we played it through. Afterwards, Jimmy asked, ‘Any confessions?’ I turned to David and said, ‘Do y’all keep first takes around here?’ And he said, ‘All the time.’”

Will McFarlane’s Gear

GUITARS

• 1954 Fender Stratocaster (white refin)
• 1963 Fender Stratocaster (sunburst)
• Gibson ES-335
• Gibson Les Paul Classic
• Reverend Rick Vito Soulshaker
• Strat-style Danocaster
• TMG Custom Relic Tele-style

AMPS

• 1958 Fender Champ
• 1964 Fender Princeton
• 1969 Fender Princeton
• Carr Sportsman
• Carr Rambler
• Tyler 20-20

EFFECTS

• Strymon Flint
• JHS Panther Cub
• JHS Pulp ’N’ Peel
• JHS Moonshine
• JHS Morning Glory
• JHS The Milkman
• JHS Flight Delay
• JHS Phaser
• Harby Centauri
• Keeley C-2 Compressor
• FX Engineering RAF Mirage
• Boss RC-20
• Bad Cat Siamese Drive
• EHX Deluxe Memory Man
• Dunlop Cry Baby
• Ernie Ball Volume Pedal

STRINGS, PICKS, & SLIDES

• D’Addario NYXL (.010s–.046)
• Dunlop Ultex 1.0s
• Jimmy Johnson’s Custom “Swampers” Picks
• Coricidin bottles
• Dunlop Moonshine Ceramic
• Furious Slides Titanium

As luck had it, Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman were making an album in the next studio at Cypress Moon, one of Muscle Shoals’ three historic studios along with Muscle Shoal Sound and FAME (and yes, you can tour all three). They heard the tune and cut it for the LP they were working on, 1980’s McGuinn-Hillman.

“I thought, ‘Wow, this is easy,’” McFarlane says. “I’d worked with [producer] Paul Rothschild on Bonnie Raitt records. Paul was into splicing tape. So we’d take 20 takes of a song sometimes. And I’d come back the next morning and there’d be a pile of two-inch tape on the floor. I went back to LA and I gave everybody notice.”

“I turned to David Hood and said, ‘Do y’all keep first takes around here?’ And he said, ’All the time.’”

Relocating to Muscle Shoals ended McFarlane’s 1974-to-1980 stint in Raitt’s band, but the route he traveled began earlier—perhaps even at birth, in 1952, on a Naval base in Coronado, California. “My mom, who died when I was 5, had perfect pitch and studied music at the University of Texas,” he says. “Apparently, she could turn her back on a piano and if you hit a chord she could tell you all the notes in the chord. So, she left the DNA with me.”

McFarlane comes from a family of military men, but like many musicians of his age, his destiny was changed by the Beatles’ first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. His first guitar was a plywood Regal acoustic, which was soon replaced by a Teisco-style electric, with light-switch pickup selectors, gold-foils, and a baseball-bat neck. The need to upgrade was compelling when he began playing in a band.

“There was an ad in the paper that just said, ‘Gibson guitar and amp, $150.’ I begged my dad to please, please get me this guitar. So we went out to a poacher's cabin in the woods, in the swamp. There were beer cans all over, and alligator jaws. He had a white SG with three gold humbuckers, a teak bridge, and mother-of-pearl inlays, and it said Les Paul Anniversary on the truss rod cover. The amp was a Gibson Falcon.” Unfortunately the Falcon could not compete with drums, so after his father was reassigned to New York, McFarlane eventually replaced it with a black-panel piggyback Bassman.

His chops developed around his love for r&b and Motown, and then blues and soul. And he joined an ambitious band that chased their collective dreams to the West Coast, Colorado, D.C., and Cambridge, Massachusetts. That where’s Dick Waterman, who managed Raitt as well as Son House, John Hurt, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, Fred McDowell, Skip James, and other blues legends, discovered McFarlane playing a small club called Jack’s on Massachusetts Avenue.

“It’s amazing! You’re making 10 bucks a night and all the beer you can drink, and the next thing you know you’re on a sound stage in L.A. with Jackson Brown and David Lindley, and Linda Ronstadt is stopping by to say ‘hi.’”

McFarlane knew who Waterman was and had spotted him sitting at the back of the room over a string of his band’s weekly gigs. One night, Waterman brought Bonnie Raitt along and sat at a front table. By closing time, McFarlane was hired. “It’s amazing,” he recalls. “You’re making 10 bucks a night and all the beer you can drink, and the next thing you know you’re on a sound stage in L.A. with Jackson Brown and David Lindley, and Linda Ronstadt is stopping by to say ‘hi.’”

With the experience of recording and touring with Raitt, and the influence of his heroes Cornell Dupree, Reggie Young, Jessie Ed Davis, and Steve Cropper deep in his trick bag, McFarlane was a snug fit for the Muscle Shoals scene, where that intangible yet palpable quality called “soul” is as central to the region’s music and culture as the Tennessee River.

Just sitting on a couch in his home as we talk, the buttery midrange of the’54 Strat he’s fiddling with sings with a blend of clarity and light hair, emitting a poem of elegant notes that comes effortlessly. It’s this seemingly innate, almost telekinetic ability paired with intention, expertise, and warm positivity that’s made him an MVP.

“After I got here, Jimmy Johnson started to include me in everything,” says McFarlane, who describes himself as a stream-of-consciousness player. “Normally, you can’t just move in and get a lot of work, but Jimmy really was just great. Even when the Swampers were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame, Jimmy said, ‘We couldn’t have done it without our friends.’” So McFarlane was included in the induction, along with keyboardists Spooner Oldham and Clayton Ivey, and guitarist Pete Carr.

“Once, I was asked to do a guide vocal for Little Milton. That was intimidating.”

In particular, McFarlane became a favorite of the old-school blues, soul, and gospel performers signed to Malaco Records, an indie-label powerhouse that sold millions of albums—mostly to a middle-aged-and-up Black audience—in the ’80s and ’90s. Bobby Bland, Little Milton, Denise LaSalle, Shirley Brown, Johnnie Taylor, and many others “greeted me with their arms wide open,” says McFarlane. “I have so many great memories, from making music to shooting pool with Milton and Bobby. Bobby would turn to me before a take and say, ‘Give me those love licks!’ I’m always up for anything in the studio. Once, I was asked to do a guide vocal for Little Milton. That was intimidating.”

The caliber of those artists and their recordings should never be underestimated. “Cutting ‘Last Two Dollars’ with Johnnie Taylor, I thought I was just going to play a rhythm track, but I was the only guitar player when they went, ‘kick us off,’” McFarlane recounts. “I only had my Telecaster plugged straight into the amp, so I flipped it to the front pickup. When you listen to the track, where there’s a rhythm part going, there’s no fills, and no fills where there’s rhythm. It was just one pass, because you could tell when Johnnie was singing that ‘this is the take.’”

He continues, “Listening to Johnnie Taylor in headphones was like listening to Sam Cooke. I don’t think he ever punched in a vocal. Matter of fact, at one point, he got to a session late. We’d already cut three tracks for him. And the producer went, ‘Hey, Johnny, would you go out there and give me a scratch vocal?’” McFarlane laughs. “He just turned around and goes, ‘I don't do scratch vocals.’”

While the pace of recording in Muscle Shoals has slowed today, the legacy of the music made there and of the people who made it remains undimmed. Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has just inaugurated the comprehensive exhibit Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising, devoted to the art that emerged from what might otherwise be considered an Alabama backwater, compared to other recording capitals. In addition to the sonic results that came from the Shoals, it’s also important to remember that the studios’ foundational work was done in the face of segregation, and, like Stax and Motown recordings and artists, this played an important role in breaking down racial barriers. (You can visit the Country Music Hall of Fame website to eyeball some of Low Rhythm Rising’s artifacts, including Duane Allman’s 1964 Strat and Pop Staples’ 1970 Tele, which he played in the Band’s historic concert film, The Last Waltz.)

McFarlane was the music director for a Nashville concert celebrating the three-year-long exhibit’s debut in November. The show found him onstage with the great soul songwriter Dan Penn (“Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” “I’m Your Puppet’), Spooner Oldham, Bettye LaVette, Candi Staton, Jimmy Hall, John Paul White, and his old friend Clayton Ivey, among others.

McFarlane regularly performs with Hall, the frontman of ’70s soul-rock hitmakers Wet Willie and a touring vocalist with Jeff Beck. The guitarist also co-leads Big Shoes, a Little Feat-inspired band. And he’s recorded about a dozen faith-based albums and singles under his own name. Of course, more sessions are always on the table.

“At this point, I don’t have any delusions of stardom,” McFarlane observes. “But I do have a life full of camaraderie and making great music that I love with my friends and heroes, and being in a rhythm section. I’m grateful for all that.”

Take a Deep Dive into the Shoals

For a definitive look at the formative history of the Muscle Shoals Studio scene and its defining music, look to Rob Bowman’s new book, Land of a Thousand Sessions: The Complete Muscle Shoals Story 1951-1985. At 750 pages, the six-time-Grammy-nominated music journalist and historian spares no details.

The book was a six-year passion project for Bowman, and is buoyed by interviews with nearly 100 key figures, including Jimmy Johnson and Mick Jagger. He also dives into what most would consider the off-brand sessions that happened in the 10 studios covered in the volume’s 34-year span, from prog rock to psychedelic blues. And, of course, the racial climate in which Black and white musicians united in harmony to make some of the finest recordings of all time.

The constant drumbeat of AI reporting, of which this column is ironically a part, vacillates between heaven and hell, utopia and dystopia, and everything in between. For those guitarists and songwriters who choose to ignore this important subject, I recommend watching Rick Beato’s YouTube video titled “I'm Sorry...This New Artist Completely Sucks” for a quick overview on where things stand in this last quarter of 2025. While the current state-of-the-art capabilities are advancing at an incredible pace, I can’t help but look backwards for clues as to how instructive or destructive this whole thing might be. The question at hand is not only whether this technology will bury us in crap music, but what it means to be a musician or a songwriter.

The most knee-jerk fear is that AI music will eliminate the need for musicians and instruments—or, for that matter, recording studios as we know them. Naysayers point to the growing percentage of computer generated music now flooding streaming platforms and predict that this content will eventually drown out practicing musicians. It’s already hard enough to get your music noticed, and even harder to generate a living wage by monetizing your output. This isn’t a new trend for bands, who have seen recording sales drop. At the same time, streaming income is so low that live gigs and merch are their biggest sources of revenue. The worry is that AI supercharges this slide into bankruptcy by creating a flooded zone of music that propagates at a magnitude beyond what “real” musicians can offer. In this scenario, a rising tide doesn’t float all boats.

Alongside my romantic relationship with the past, I have long embraced technology in a lot of areas of my life and work. I don’t see that CNC woodworking equipment can’t exist peacefully right beside my chisels and gouges. I enjoy my FLAC files as much as my vinyl. A digital device allows me to program bass and drums accompaniments on the fly to play along with. Guitarists that I admire for their creativity and sound routinely employ emulation electronics to provide an enormous palette of vintage and modern tones. Their music doesn’t suffer for bypassing the tweed Harvard and properly placed ribbon mic. So, in a way, I see the AI music tools as progeny to my first fuzz pedal, or digital recording software.

“What if music became so easy to make—and so ubiquitous—that most people lost interest in creating it?”

Still, this new frontier feels different. No knowledge of music or poetic word-craft is in order. Barely a reason to express human emotion or thought need be involved—only prompts. If musicians alone had access to this new software for making music, we might not fear the reaper. The difference now is that the democratization of creation is the Trojan horse in our musical Troy.

So what are the next steps? Despite the fact that huge crowds are content to pay money to be bombarded with sound generated by a DJ with a laptop, live gigs are still a viable outlet for musicians. Although it’s hard to break even, let alone profit, on ticket sales for small- and medium-sized gigs, the connection to a fanbase along with merch sales is still essential. It will be some time before AI generated “artists” can routinely be holograms on a concert stage, but I see this as a possibility. If you think that audience acceptance of this is fantasy, read up on the current rise of AI romantic relationships—weird stuff.

The thought occurred that maybe a reset is in order, and this is the cycle at work. What if music became so easy to make—and so ubiquitous—that most people lost interest in creating it? If you can’t make money or become famous due to the sheer enormity of competing content, what would be the incentive? Would people dabbling with AI music move on to the next influencer fad and leave the playing field barren? Could we return to a place where only those of us who have to play music are left? Or are we doomed to be engulfed in a kind of algorithmic elevator music dressed up as the next big thing?

My hope is that musicians who are compelled to create art will survive because it’s in their blood, and real music will triumph in the end. The visceral feeling of a guitar vibrating against your body will endure. Maybe this is all wishful thinking from an irrelevant geezer guitarist, but at least we can dream—which is the whole point, isn’t it?

Bob Weir, the guitarist and singer who co-founded the Grateful Dead and spent more than half a century carrying forward the band's improvisational spirit, died Saturday after battling cancer and underlying lung issues. He was 78.

Weir's family confirmed his death in a statement posted to social media, revealing that he had been diagnosed with cancer in July and began treatment just weeks before Dead & Company performed three nights at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park—shows that marked 60 years since the Grateful Dead's formation and became Weir's final performances.

"He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer as only Bobby could," the statement read. "Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung issues."

Born in San Francisco in 1947, Weir crossed paths with banjo player Jerry Garcia as a teenager at Dana Morgan's Music Store, an encounter that led to the formation of the Grateful Dead. For three decades, his rhythm guitar work and songwriting helped define the band's sound and improvisational approach. After Garcia's death in 1995, Weir kept the Dead's legacy alive through groups including the Other Ones, Furthur, and Dead & Company, the latter featuring guitarist John Mayer.

Weir remained an evolving artist to the end. When I spoke with him last year just prior to Dead & Company's second Sphere residency, he described himself as perpetually changing. "I always do that," he said. "I wake up in the morning and I'm kind of different. You take all those mornings that I woke up kind of different and you add 'em together, and after a while, you start amounting to a different guy."

For the same story, Mayer, reflecting on a decade of performing alongside Weir, spoke of the profound impact of his musical approach. "The thing I've learned from Bob is to let it breathe," he said. "And that's changed my playing a lot."

"Bobby's final months reflected the same spirit that defined his life," his family wrote on social media. "Those [Golden Gate Park] performances, emotional, soulful, and full of light, were not farewells, but gifts. Another act of resilience."

In this lesson, Shawn Persinger shows us how to understand the essential elements of chords and use them to build riffs.