Norse Guitar Feeds

Growing up in Clarksdale in the Mississippi Delta, perhaps it was inevitable – or at least highly predictable – that Christone “Kingfish” Ingram would go on to carve a path of blues stardom.

At just 26, Kingfish has cemented himself as a champion of modern blues, honing his six-string chops on the live circuit throughout his teenage years, sharing the stage with the likes of Samantha Fish, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Eric Gales, and with a number of killer blues albums already under his belt.

• READ MORE: Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden is bullish about the future of pop-punk: “You haven’t seen the last pop-punk stadium band”

And as he explains in a new interview with Classic Rock, he owes a great deal of that success to his hometown.

“There’s not much to do in Clarksdale – it’s either music, sports or illegal stuff,” he says. “I chose music because it was around me 24/7. I lived right next to guys who were in a blues band.”

“I was never shy about my love of blues music,” he goes on. “My classmates would ask questions and I’d explain about blues being the root and all other music being its fruit. Maybe I gave them some understanding of what it was…

“Some people think that the blues is ‘my baby left me’ and long guitar solos, but it’s a whole lot deeper than that. Blues is life experience. Blues is pain and anger. But it’s also good times. All across the world, I find people who appreciate that.”

Kingfish recently revealed his latest signature model by Fender, the Delta Day Telecaster Deluxe. Paying homage to his Delta origins, the guitar is the same as his previous Mississippi Night-finished Telecaster Deluxe which arrived in 2022, but now sports a Daphne Blue finish plus a three-ply white Parchment pickguard.

We were lucky enough to catch up with Kingfish back in September, when he broke down his six most influential blues guitar albums of all time.

Highlighting Curtis Mayfield in particular as a “prophet”, singling out his album Super Fly, the soundtrack to the 1973 movie of the same name, Kingfish said: “Curtis Mayfield has to be here. Super Fly is an important album. I always say that Curtis Mayfield was a prophet. History repeats itself and he really prophesied a lot of what we are seeing today for sure man.”

Check out Voodoo Charm, from Kingfish’s latest album Hard Road, below:

The post “There’s not much to do in Clarksdale – it’s either music, sports or illegal stuff”: Christone “Kingfish” Ingram on his formative years as a guitarist in the Mississippi Delta appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

The last time Good Charlotte visited the UK in 2019, they came in with quite a bang. One solitary UK date at London’s 10,000-capacity Alexandra Palace, bringing out Architects frontman Sam Carter for a performance of Leech. Six years later, after somewhat of a hiatus, that ‘go big or go home’ attitude will define their present and future, says guitarist Benji Madden.

• READ MORE: These are the five greatest hardcore and metal breakdowns according to Drain guitarist Cody Chavez

“We’re making emotional decisions,” he begins. “I would really like to create an environment where we don’t have to take a hiatus. We find a pace [that] people understand. We may not do 100 shows, but if we do 15, you’ll know that we really want to be there. Hopefully everything that we do, going forward, feels limited edition.”

Underlining this mindset is their return to the top of the Slam Dunk Festival bill next May, for what will be their only two dates in all of Europe. This comes after they returned from hiatus with August’s stellar eighth album Motel Du Cap, mixing their signature uber-melodic rock with balladry and unexpected collaborations, including US rap icon Wiz Khalifa.

Image: Jen Rosenstein

Diary Of A CEO

‘Hiatus’ is perhaps the wrong word for Benji and his twin brother Joel (vocals), who have been busy running their management company MDDN, working with artists like Architects, Bad Omens and Poppy. “They’ve influenced us as much as we’ve had any influence on them,” Benji tells Guitar.com. “They’re not running the same race as everybody else, and I think we instinctually gravitate to those people.”

When it came to getting the Good Charlotte train up and running once again, Benji’s added experience – professional and personal – meant the band could operate on terms that simply weren’t available to them in their breakout period, being talked into things by people who “wanted commission” and saying yes to everything. “We’ve got our baby back, and we’re not letting anyone touch it.”

That freedom bleeds into Motel Du Cap, which still packs some punch when it comes to guitar riffs. Take the earworms of lead single Rejects, for example, or the ice-cold swagger to Bodies, which Benji credits to production wizards (and MDDN clients) Jordan Fish, formerly of Bring Me The Horizon, and Zakk Cervini.

“That song is literally if you let Jordan Fish join Good Charlotte for a day!” jokes Benji. “One of my favourite songs in Good Charlotte history is Keep Your Hands Off My Girl, and we wanted to find a vibe that was the next version of that element.” Benji actually shares a Suhr Modern T with Zakk, one that has been plastered all over recent albums from Bring Me The Horizon and All Time Low, as well as Motel Du Cap, he reveals.

The album’s daring forays into genres including EDM and country means, on the whole, Benji’s riffs play a less prominent role than in greatest hits like The Anthem and The River. Taking inspiration from Jimi Hendrix, Prince and Tom Petty, Benji explains that he shies away from finding moments to be a “guitar God”, grounded in the belief that his riffs – however present or minimal – must serve the wider purpose of the song.

“Everyone’s got an ego,” he admits, “but if you are serving the song, that guitar part is going to be memorable. If you are a guitar player, your skills go completely to waste if you’re not working with a fucking great songwriter. Your moment to shine will come in these moments of great songs. Serve the execution of that song, and make it a fucking classic.”

Well said, Benji. To conclude our conversation, we asked him who he thinks are the five most important guitar players in pop-punk, a genre in which Good Charlotte have cemented their place in the history books.

Image: Jen Rosenstein

Joe Strummer, The Clash

“I would probably start with Joe Strummer, bringing punk to the mainstream. I’m not an historian, but there was probably a bunch of music his parents liked, and then he got into some bands that are not mainstream. He did his version of it, and mixed those things, and it was The Clash.”

Eric Melvin, NOFX

“I think about NOFX records, and what they [helped] drive in the world of kids starting bands. They were the quintessential beginning of pop-punk – in the form of what we do – and Blink-182.”

Noodles, The Offspring

“In the 90s, again, I think they had a huge effect on a lot of kids starting bands. People sleep on The Offspring, and what they were in America in the ’90s. Again, taking a bunch of these underground punky influences, and whatever he grew up listening to, and putting it into this radio rock – but it’s still pop punk – pushed the genre ahead.”

Tom DeLonge, Blink-182

“No doubt, he took everyone we just mentioned, but added his own artistry to it, and you can see his development. He brings an artistry, and all those guys do – Travis [Barker, drummer] Mark [Hoppus, bassist], they have this incredible mix of elements that make Blink so relatable for so many people.

“But as a guitarist, I think you can tell he’s a really smart, curious guy. You can tell he’s a really curious guy. He’s a really cerebral person. All the Angels & Airwaves records, but then what he does in Blink, and how it mixes with the other two guys. There’s no doubt he’s one of the most important pop-punk guitar players of all time.”

Billie Joe Armstrong, Green Day

“If I have to go number one, it’s Billie Joe from Green Day. They’ve taken pop-punk all the way from clubs to stadiums and now a bunch of pop-punk bands have done – or will do – stadiums. You haven’t seen the last pop-punk stadium band. Green Day will be the [next] Rolling Stones, as they continue on and play stadiums all over the world.

“Again, it goes back to, ‘How can I become a guitar hero? How can I become a guitar player that’s remembered in time?’ It’s all about the songs. Billie Joe has his own feel, and his own journey, too. That would be the poster child to me, because they are a fixture in the culture of what people love and remember and associate with. That makes him a really important pop-punk guitar player.

“And then I would give myself an honourable mention!”

Motel Du Cap is out now. Good Charlotte will headline Slam Dunk Festival on 23rd and 24th May 2026.

The post Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden is bullish about the future of pop-punk: “You haven’t seen the last pop-punk stadium band” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Stompbox builds synth-like sounds and atmospheres from tone particles

This last year has been, without doubt, the absolute worst of my life. I lost my mum. I lost three other family members. My wife had several hospital visits and an operation. I suffered a bunch of health stuff. Already in treatment for depression and anxiety, the sheer weight of everything I was trying to deal with meant that if I was not at work, I was at home just laying on the sofa staring at the walls. I was bursting into tears at random moments or memories every day. Things got bad. You know the kind of bad I mean. The kind where there were two nights in particular where I almost never came home. 

I’m seeing an amazing therapist now who is really helping me. I feel like I’ve come through the deepest darkest parts of my depression and grief now. A big part of that has been forcing myself to look for the light. Turning off the phone and letting myself get lost in books. Going for long walks and feeding the local birds (I could write a whole article about the birds in the neighbourhood now, the family of magpies who gather around me and sing for peanuts, the spotted dove pair, the crafty Currawongs, the dishevelled little Magpie Lark who flies in circles around my head like I’m in a Loony Toons cartoon and I’ve just been hit in the head with a mallet).

And one of the other things that’s really helped has been setting up a pedalboard in the living room so I can just play with no fuss whenever I feel like it. 

Earlier this year I got a TONEX Pedal by IK Multimedia. I’d already been using TONEX in my recording setup but the depressive funk I’ve been in meant that my computer stuff was no longer all hooked up and my studio space was basically being used as storage. So I brought my monitors out into the living room, popped them either side of the TV an sound bar, plugged in my pedalboard (it stashes nicely out of sight under the TV cabinet) and now I have this little rig that I can immediately hook into when I need it. I have a Line 6 HX One before the TONEX pedal and an Eventide H9 after it, all connected via MIDI into some Hotone controllers so I can do all sorts of fun clever stuff. I spend hours with a guitar in my lap creating presets and fine-tuning tones, downloading tone models and generally just playing guitar for fun again. I love to pop on YouTube or the Retro channel on Aussie streaming service Binge and just play along, no expectations, no pressure, just let my ear take me where it will. 

It’s so healing. 

The one thing that has been able to quiet my mind on my worst days has been that feeling of picking up the guitar and instantly turning into notes. Becoming music. My conscious mind shuts off and I’m just focused on sound and melody. It’s a kind of meditation that takes you outside of yourself in one way and very deep into your subconscious in another. And through it all, I’m starting to regain the urge to write, to get my recording stuff set up again, to play guitar for people, to maybe even put together a band and get out there.

Playing guitar has been a huge part of my healing, alongside the very hard, very intentional work I’m putting in with my therapist to turn these feelings around, and those long walks listeing to music or podcasts or just the sound of nature, and feeding my bird friends which makes me feel engaged in the natural world around me. It’s all important. I don’t know if I would have found my joy in playing guitar again if it wasn’t for that TONEX Pedal sitting on my board (and now I see there’s a TONEX Plug headphone amp unit which is funny cos just last week I posted on Facebook that I wish IK would release one, and while I often have advance knowledge of products due to my work at a guitar store and in the music media, in this case I had no idea). 

Ultimately inspiration is wherever you find it: a new guitar, a new tuning, a new pickup or amp, finding new material to learn. In my case, just having my favourite guitar sounds within easy reach has been really energising, at a time where I needed something to lift me up. I don’t think I’ll ever be over my depression and I’ll never get over all the loss of the past 12 months and especially losing my mum. But I’m trying really hard to remember the good when I’m dragged down by the bad. And playing guitar is really, really good. 

The post How a guitar pedal helped pull me out of a depression pit appeared first on I Heart Guitar.

After more than five decades of electrifying performances, chart-topping hits, and timeless anthems, the iconic rock band JOURNEY is saying goodbye the only way they know how — with a thunderous, full-throttle Final Frontier Tour spanning cities across North America.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers will be touring an all new stage production across North America with their catalog of global chart-topping hits, including "Don't Stop Believin”, "Any Way You Want It", "Faithfully", "Lights" and more in a celebration of legacy, love and the fans who made it all possible. All dates will be A Special Evening With.

Presented by AEG Presents, Journey’s final tour launches February 28, 2026 at Giant Center in Hershey, PA and will span 60 cities across North America including stops in Austin, Atlantic City, Montreal, Vancouver and more before wrapping up the first leg in Laredo, TX. See all dates below.

JOURNEY features founder Neal Schon (lead guitarist), Jonathan Cain (keyboards, backing vocals), Arnel Pineda (lead vocals) Jason Derlatka (keyboards, vocals), Deen Castronovo (drums, vocals) and Todd Jensen (bass). Neal Schon is a 3x Hall of Fame inductee, having been inducted to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Grammy Hall of Fame. Jon Cain is a recipient of two BMI songwriter awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Journey.

“This tour is our heartfelt thank you to the fans who’ve been with us every step of the way — through every song, every era, every high and low,” said Journey founder Neal Schon. “We’re pulling out all the stops with a brand-new production — the hits, the deep cuts, the energy, the spectacle. It’s a full-circle celebration of the music that’s brought us all together.”

“As its founding member, I carry the Journey torch to this day, wherever I go. The sentiment and spirit of the band will always remain,” Schon added. “While this marks a farewell to one powerful chapter of the Journey we’ve shared, I want everyone to know I’m not done. Music is still burning strong inside me, and there are new creative horizons ahead. This tour is both a thank you and the beginning of what’s next.”

“It’s been an incredible ride,” added Jonathan Cain, “We’ve shared our music with millions and this tour is about gratitude, connection and one last chance to feel that magic together. We wouldn’t want it any other way.”

“I’m honored to be part of this legacy and I’m grateful for having been welcomed with such open arms,” says Arnel Pineda. “Every night on stage has been a dream come true.”

Citi is the official card of the tour and cardmembers will have access to presale tickets in the U.S. beginning Tuesday, November 11 at 10 AM Local time through the Citi Entertainment program (for complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com). The general public on sale is Friday, November 14 at 10 AM Local time.

A limited number of exclusive VIP Packages will be available offering premium reserved tickets, custom merchandise and much more.

Whether you’ve followed them since the vinyl days or just discovered their sound, this is your moment to be part of rock history. Don’t miss the final curtain call.

Tickets and more information can be found at https://journeymusic.com/.

2026 TOUR DATES

Feb 28 - Hershey, PA - GIANT Center

Mar 02 - Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena

Mar 04 - Washington, D.C. - Capital One Arena

Mar 05 - Trenton, NJ - CURE Insurance Arena

Mar 07 - Ottawa, ON - Canadian Tire Centre

Mar 09 - Hamilton, ON - TD Coliseum

Mar 11 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre

Mar 12 - Quebec City, QC - Vidéotron Centre

Mar 14 - Hartford, CT - PeoplesBank Arena

Mar 16 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena

Mar 17 - Indianapolis, IN - Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Mar 19 - Milwaukee, WI - Fiserv Forum

Mar 21 - Memphis, TN - FedExForum

Mar 22 - Lexington, KY - Rupp Arena

Mar 25 - N. Little Rock, AR - Simmons Bank Arena

Mar 26 - Kansas City, MO - T-Mobile Center

Mar 28 - New Orleans, LA - Smoothie King Center

Mar 29 - Bossier City, LA - Brookshire Grocery Arena

Mar 31 - Austin, TX - Moody Center

Apr 03 - Oklahoma City, OK - Paycom Center

Apr 04 - Wichita, KS - INTRUST Bank Arena

Apr 06 - Sioux Falls, SD - Denny Sanford PREMIER Center

Apr 08 - Des Moines, IA - CASEY’S CENTER

Apr 09 - Lincoln, NE - Pinnacle Bank Arena

Apr 12 - Salt Lake City, UT - Delta Center

Apr 14 - Boise, ID - ExtraMile Arena

Apr 15 - Spokane, WA - Spokane Arena

Apr 17 - Vancouver, BC - Pacific Coliseum

Apr 19 - Eugene, OR - MATTHEW KNIGHT ARENA

Apr 21 - Sacramento, CA - Golden 1 Center

Apr 22 - Bakersfield, CA - Dignity Health Arena

Apr 24 - Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center at Fresno State

May 15 - Tampa, FL - Benchmark International Arena

May 16 - Jacksonville, FL - VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

May 18 - Columbia, SC - Colonial Life Arena

May 20 - Charlotte, NC - Spectrum Center

May 21 - Greensboro, NC - First Horizon Coliseum

May 23 - Atlantic City, NJ - Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall

May 27 - State College, PA - Bryce Jordan Center

May 28 - Charlottesville, VA - John Paul Jones Arena

May 30 - Knoxville, TN - Food City Center

May 31 - Savannah, GA - Enmarket Arena

Jun 03 - Hampton, VA - Hampton Coliseum

Jun 04 - Roanoke, VA - Berglund Center Coliseum

Jun 06 - Worcester, MA - DCU Center

Jun 07 - Manchester, NH - SNHU Arena

Jun 10 - Buffalo, NY - KeyBank Center

Jun 11 - Allentown, PA - PPL Center

Jun 13 - Cincinnati, OH - Heritage Bank Center

Jun 14 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena

Jun 17 - Evansville, IN - Ford Center

Jun 18 - Fort Wayne, IN - Allen County War Memorial Coliseum

Jun 20 - Champaign, IL - State Farm Center

Jun 21 - Green Bay, WI - Resch Center

Jun 24 - Moline, IL - Vibrant Arena at the MARK

Jun 25 - Springfield, MO - Great Southern Bank Arena

Jun 27 - Tupelo, MS - Cadence Bank Arena

Jun 28 - Lafayette, LA - CAJUNDOME

Jul 01 - Corpus Christi, TX - Hilliard Center

Jul 02 - Laredo, TX - Sames Auto Arena

Totally Wycked Audio (TWA) has released the Source Code™ next-gen soft-clip overdrive. The TWA Source Code is the ultimate evolution of the iconic Tube Screamer and was designed by Susumu Tamura, the creator of the legendary TS808 circuit.

Drawing upon Tamura’s 50+ years of experience in the field of overdrive design, TWA’s Source Code reimagines the classic TS circuit that so many guitarists love (and some love to hate!) and launches it into the future. Since 2021, Tamura has been carefully analyzing every aspect of his enduring soft-clip circuit to optimize its performance. His newest creation builds upon the strengths of the classic “green box” while offering improvements that enhance the original circuit and expand its capabilities.

In addition to traditional Drive, Tone and Level controls, the US-made Source Code pedal includes a new “Bite” control knob for adjusting the amount of even-order harmonics present in the output signal.

The SC-01 Source Code overdrive features include:

• Next -generation 808-style overdrive designed by Tube Screamer creator Susumu Tamura
• All-new multi-transistor input buffer circuit to preserve original guitar tone accurately
• “Magic IC” OpAmp for increased harmonic content and more amp-like feel
• All-new “Bite” control adjusts amount of even-order harmonics present in the output signal.
• +6 dB boost circuit for increased output level without altering tone
• Drive, Tone & Level controls
• External 9VDC or 9V battery operation
• 18V operation via internal voltage inverter for improved operation & increased headroom
• Top-mounted jacks for easier implementation on pedalboards
• Mechanical True Bypass switching
• Handmade in USA

The TWA Source Code pedal carries a $299 street price. For more information visit www.godlyke.com

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Homes For Our Troops (HFOT) announces its 9th Annual Veterans DayCelebrity Auction, an exciting campaign to raise funds for severely injured post-9/11 Veterans. Thisyear’s event features an incredible lineup of celebrities, musicians, authors, and sports figures led byaward winning journalist, CNN anchor and HFOT National Board Ambassador Jake Tapper, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter and fellow National Board Ambassador Wynonna Judd, and acclaimed actorand filmmaker George Clooney.

“Homes For Our Troops is doing extraordinary work by providing life-changing, adapted homes to severely injured Veterans, helping them reclaim their independence and rebuild their lives,” adds George Clooney. “I’m truly honored to support this amazing cause and to headline this auction as it marks its ninth year.”

Participants can make an impact by bidding on personal Zoom experiences, luxury items, and autographed memorabilia to help Homes For Our Troops continue its critical work of restoring freedom and independence for our nation's most severely injured post-9/11 Veterans.

“For the ninth consecutive year, I’m honored to host the Veterans Day Celebrity Auction for Homes For Our Troops. As a proud National Ambassador, it’s a privilege to help raise vital funds to provide severely injured post-9/11 Veterans with the specially adapted custom homes they need and deeply deserve," says Jake Tapper.

Event Details:

Who: Homes For Our Troops, hosted by Jake Tapper, Wynonna Judd and George Clooney

What: 9th Annual Veterans Day Celebrity Auction to benefit post-9/11 severely injured Veterans

Where: Online at eBay.com/hfot

When: Hosted on eBay, bidding for this special online 10-day event begins on Nov. 11, 2025 at 4pm PST / 7pm EST, and ends on Nov. 21, 2025 at 4pm PST / 7pm EST, at eBay.com/hfot.

This year’s auction features over 100 exclusive items and experiences. A few of the celebrities, comedians, sports teams, authors, and musicians participating include: Ben Stiller, Chris Evans, Dave Matthews Band, Elizabeth Banks, Harlan Coben, Henry Winkler, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, Jon Bon Jovi, Kristen Bell, Paul Rudd, Sarah Silverman, Will Ferrell, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Texas Rangers, plus many more!

"I am privileged to serve as a National Ambassador for Homes For Our Troops and to return as a headliner for the Celebrity Auction. This extraordinary mission plays a vital role in restoring freedom and independence to the injured Veterans who have bravely served our nation. It is both an honor and a responsibility for us as Americans to stand behind them and show our unwavering support,” says Wynonna Judd.

"We are proud to mark the ninth annual Veterans Day Celebrity Auction, led by HFOT National Board Ambassador Jake Tapper. This event represents not only an opportunity to raise critical funds, but also to bring heightened awareness to our mission of supporting severely injured post-9/11 Veterans,” says HFOT President/CEO Brigadier General, USA (Ret) Tom Landwermeyer. “We are sincerely grateful to the many celebrities and public figures who lend their voices and influence, helping us shine a national spotlight on the importance of restoring freedom and independence to those who have sacrificed in service to our country."

Wolfgang Van Halen’s childhood was steeped in rock royalty, but these days he’s the one safeguarding the magic. The 34-year-old musician, who recorded Mammoth’s third album, The End, in the legendary 5150 studio, says protecting the space is now a lifelong responsibility.

“I live in my childhood home now, so the studio’s right there,” the young Van Halen tells Classic Rock. “Yeah, I feel very protective over 5150. It’s what I need to watch and protect, for the rest of my life now.”

The studio, immortalised through countless Van Halen records, has become Wolfgang’s own creative haven. Here, he sings and plays every instrument on Mammoth’s latest release, merging brooding 90s grunge influences with metallic heft and melodic pop sensibilities.

• READ MORE: Wolfgang Van Halen thinks it would be “unfair” to call him a “nepo baby”

But the legacy of his father, Eddie Van Halen, occasionally shines through – most vividly on the album’s title track, which kicks off with a 40-second tapping solo reminiscent of Eddie’s iconic moves in Hot For Teacher.

Wolfgang also keeps intimate reminders of his father close: the words “play play,” written in red and blue on his right arm, were transferred from a Christmas card and serve as a permanent life lesson.

“He was being silly, and he wrote it with both markers to almost make it like a 3D effect,” says Wolfgang. “I just use it as kind of a life lesson, so that if I’m playing guitar I can always see that, just to make sure I keep following it.”

Offstage, the pressures of life in a Van Halen household are still felt. While en route to support Metallica on their 2024 M72 World Tour, Wolfgang says he experienced a panic attack on the plane to Mexico City.

“I’ve never in my life been freezing but completely drenched in sweat,” he recalls. “It fucked me up. It felt like it was forever, but it was probably about a 10-minute thing. In hindsight it’s hilarious, but during, very traumatic.”

“I guess I am my toughest critic,” the musician adds. “Since I was 14, growing up under scrutiny, I think that might have a lot to do with it. I’ve been to therapy, I’m medicated, all of that. It’s just about working through it and being comfortable in yourself – not needing approval from others.”

The post “I feel very protective over 5150. It’s what I need to watch and protect, for the rest of my life now”: Wolfgang Van Halen on his father’s legendary studio appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Musician and YouTuber Rick Beato has interviewed some of the biggest names across music, especially from the world of guitar, and yet despite having the opportunity, he’s never wanted to play any of their instruments himself.

Beato has worked in the music industry since the 1980s, having been a musician himself as well as a producer and educator, to name just a couple of the strings to his bow. His channel, which has over five million subscribers, features interviews with the likes of David Gilmour, Wolfgang Van Halen, Les Claypool, and many more.

• READ MORE: “We’re going on a pedal quest!”: This YouTuber has created a Dungeons & Dragons inspired pedalboard game – and we wanna play…

In an interview with Guitar Player, Beato shares just how magical it is to sit alongside his guitar heroes, not only to pick their brains but to watch them play in person and close up. However, even when some of their most prestigious gear accompanies them, Beato has no desire to get his hands on it himself.

“Never. I try and never touch anyone’s instruments. Even if they do [offer], I’m like, I don’t want [to]. I’ve had people hand me things,” he says. “I had Peter Frampton, the first time I met him, he handed me his black Les Paul and I handed it right back to him. Larry Carlton handed me his [Gibson ES-] 335. I handed it right back to him. ‘I’m not going to play this.’ I’ve had so many people hand me their guitars, and I’m like, ‘No, thank you.’”

According to Beato, it’s because the players impress him the most, not their gear. He’d much rather observe them in all their glory than spend time playing their instruments. As an example, he goes on to talk about one of his recent guests, Neal Schon from Journey.

“I’ve watched Neal play a thousand times but you can’t tell what people are doing unless you’re right next to them,” explains Beato. “Like his right hand? I can’t… He showed me how he holds the pick, and how he picks and everything, and he kind of uses it at an angle, but he is so relaxed.”

You can watch Beato’s interview with Schon below:

Find out more about Rick Beato or view more interviews via his official YouTube channel.

The post “Peter Frampton handed me his black Les Paul and I handed it right back to him”: Why Rick Beato refuses to play the guitars of his interview guests appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

John Scofield is undeniably one of the preeminent forces in contemporary jazz guitar. Along with a few of his peers—see Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Mike Stern—he modernized the sound of our instrument and the genre. But there’s much more to Scofield than just jazz.

To break down the deepest of Scofield’s records and talk about the intricacies of his playing, we called up another great, Adam Levy. There’s a great chance you’ve heard Levy alongside artists such as Tracy Chapman or Norah Jones, and his solo discography is deep! Adam has a host of Scofield know-how, so we get right to it.

Thanks to our Sponsor

Learn More! two-rock.com

AFI’s Jade Puget is another guitarist who’s switched over to the world of amp modelling, as he began to feel constrained with his tube amps.

Puget has previously been known to play through Diamond’s NitroX amp heads – powered by six 12AX7 preamp tubes and four EL34s – which he spoke of in a rig rundown back in 2017. These days, his signal runs through a pair of rack-mounted Line 6 Helix units in a stereo configuration, and a computer running Ableton. He has an RJM Mastermind and Effect Gizmo that are programmed to control all of his pedals, the Helix, and Ableton.

AFI released their 12th album, Silver Bleeds The Black Sun…, back in October, and in a newly updated rig walkthrough, Puget has shared why he’s happy to have made the ‘trade off’ between the pros and cons of real life tube amps with modellers and future-forward tech.

• READ MORE: “Not many people want to watch a band stand in front of their amp line”: Metallica guitar tech thinks ditching real amps helped the band improve spectacle of their live shows

Speaking to Premier Guitar in the new video, he explains, “I played tube amps for the better part of 30 years. I just wanted to expand, try something new, and a lot of what I’ve been doing on the recordings have been more getting into sound design and trying to take my tones elsewhere.

“Tube amps are great. They sound amazing, but you’re kind of constrained to whatever that tube amp sounds like, even if it sounds amazing, that’s the sound. And I wanted to really be able to tap into a ton of different sounds,” he shares.

“I’ve been using Helix’s for a while, I’ve been using the Native plugin for a long time, but I thought, you know… My last rig was a Bob Bradshaw rig that I had made in 2002, and it was falling apart. Like, it was held together by chicken wire and duct tape. So, it was just time for a new rig regardless of where I went. [I was] like, I’m going to build this rig myself, because the Bradshaw was a great rig, but I didn’t build it. So, if I build it, I know how it goes together and if something goes wrong, I know how to fix it.”

Asked if there was much of an adjustment period for getting used to a modeller, Puget replies: “Yeah, there is this kind of low mid, beefy thing that’s very difficult to recreate with models, and I spent a lot of time experimenting.

“IRs are important of course when you’re talking about modelling, getting the right IR and getting the right cab, or getting the right amp emulation. It can sound fizzy, it could be weird, it could be thin, but I think after a lot of experimentation and work I’ve figured out something that sounds good. I feel like you’ll always be missing a little bit of that air, but what you get in return is some things that you can’t get with the tube amp. It’s a little bit of a trade-off.”

You can watch the full rundown below:

AFI will play at Sick New World festival in 2026 – you can find out more via the AFI website. Silver Bleeds The Black Sun… is out now.

The post AFI guitarist ditched tube amps because they made him feel “constrained” sonically – does he have a point? appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Is guitar virtuosity about memorising the fretboard, or trusting your instincts? Earlier this year, Jazz-Funk star Cory Wong made headlines insisting that “advanced” players should know the location of every note on the guitar – a view Joe Satriani has publicly supported.

For Yes legend Steve Howe, though, mastery takes a different form. Largely self-taught, Howe treats the fretboard as a guide rather than a rulebook, arguing that when it comes to improvisation, guitarists “just need a bit of the plot”.

• READ MORE: “He gets in big and gets out big”: The ultimate secret of Eric Clapton’s guitar solos, according to his most trusted guitar confidant

Asked whether being self-taught shaped his style in a new interview with Uncut, Howe explains: “I guess it did. But my brain capacity when I was young was all about the hearing and not playing while you look at a piece of paper. It comes through my head, and I put my fingers on the frets, and if I can recognise the tonality, I’m in the zone.”

“That’s why I like improvising so much,” he adds, “because you don’t need very much information to improvise. You just need a bit of the plot.”

Beyond notes, Howe emphasises rhythm as the true backbone of playing.

“The important thing is that notes are fairly meaningless on their own, so the rhythm is important,” he says.

“Two of my sons are drummers – unfortunately, Virgil [Howe’s second son and longtime Yes drummer] passed away – but it runs in the family, and I could have been a drummer; it really interested me. So, I’m pretty fanatical about beats. I feel beats. People talk about time signatures, but I can’t actually think about whether something is in 5/4 or not – I’ve got to feel what it’s like when the part’s in 5/4.”

Whether players should know their fretboard back to back has been the subject of some discussion as of late. After Cory Wong split the guitar world in two with his assertion that players should know every note on their instrument inside out, White Stripes legend Jack White responded hilariously: “Ok it’s a deal; I’ll find the C, but I’m not learning all those other notes!”

The post Yes legend Steve Howe on guitar improvisation: “You don’t need very much information. You just need a bit of the plot” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

There’s no shortage of practice routines floating around the guitar world – from strict metronome drills to hyper-targeted exercises – but sometimes the most effective tips are the ones that push you well past your comfort zone. And according to modern guitar hero Mateus Asato, that might quite literally mean embracing a bit of pain.

Over the weekend, Asato shared an unusual tip on his Instagram Story, urging players to “practice standing up,” wear their strap “as low as possible,” and above all, “‘hurt yourself’ a little bit.”

• READ MORE: John Mayer thinks fretboard radius makes less of a difference on your playing than strap height: “I’ll fight anybody about that”

In the accompanying photo, the guitarist makes sure to practice what he preaches – wearing a Gretsch slung so low it sits nearly mid-thigh.

“It will sound terrible. Rusty. A completely new instrument at first. But do it. Have a great weekend,” the post concludes.

Credit: Mateus Asato via Instagram

The post arrives as Asato gears up for a major milestone: his long-awaited debut album, expected in early 2026. Last month, he released its first single, Cryin’, offering fans the first real glimpse of what’s to come.

Describing the record as a snapshot of every phase of his musical life, Asato told Guitar: “The album is definitely a journey through all the sides of Mateus: the Mateus who’s a sideman, Mateus as the Instagram boy, and then the Mateus that got more mature over the years. Who developed a different vision regarding music, regarding how I see guitar.

“There are a couple of solos that I recorded from 2016 to 2019, but in that time my playing has changed – and when I listened to it back, you could tell that things were different… the vibrato, the tones, those little nuances. But I decided to just leave the original take and add new layers of me playing now, so it’s like I’m jamming with myself – that was cool!”

While Mateus Asato is, by most accounts, the quintessential Instagram guitarist, he took a widely publicised hiatus in 2020, citing burnout. “I grabbed all my guitars off the wall, put them in their cases, and I was like, I don’t want to have any contact with any instruments,” Mateus told Guitar.com. “And I went 90 days without touching any instruments, so I had to just go do other things.”

The post “Hurt yourself a bit”: Mateus Asato is one of the world’s best guitar players – and his latest practice tip is certainly unconventional appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

$159/$139, positivegrid.com

By now you surely understand the sketch when it comes to Positive Grid’s all-conquering Spark ecosystem – the once and future amp and effects plugin maker makes affordable and versatile practice and small gig amps that, regardless of how tiny they are, sound outrageously good in the room.

• READ MORE: Positive Grid Spark NEO review – the world’s best practice amp reaches its zenith

The whole concept reached what may have been its zenith in terms of being a quiet and functional practice tool when the Spark NEO headphones dropped earlier this year. Cramming the clever ‘smart amp’ tech into a set of cans that came with their own wireless dongle to ensure zero-latency cable-free home playing.

Now however, the brand has launched another set of headphones – these ones coming in at barely half the price of the original NEO, so what gives?

Image: Press

Positive Grid Spark NEO Core – what is it?

It’s hard not to see the NEO Core as, on some level, a reaction to things happening that are far beyond the ken of music technology companies to control. Eight months ago, the Spark NEO cost $199, and at time of writing they now cost a whopping 25% more at $249.

I can’t say this for sure of course, but I’d wager that price hike has less to do with corporate greed than it does to do with this being a uniquely volatile and difficult moment to be a company that relies on importing electronic devices from China into the USA (though it’s worth noting that the UK price of the NEO has had a smaller but still substantial bump since launch).

Anyway, the fact that these now cost $250 is a problem because $250 is a lot to spend on a practice amp AND a lot of money to spend on some headphones. It doesn’t make the NEO any less great, of course, but it muddies the waters of it as an entry-level option.

The NEO Core then fixes this issue by coming in at a reasonable $159, which in these tariff-heavy times feels like an absolute frigging steal. For those 160 wing-wangs, you get something that looks and feels pretty much identical to the originals.

The cans themselves feel reassuringly weighty without being heavy. The faux-tolex rubberised covers and generous padding on the ear caps and headband make them comfortable and premium to slide on, and under the hood you’ll find the same Spark technology (accessible via the companion app) that offers a wealth of amps, effects and practice options.

What you don’t get, however, is the wireless dongle that came with the NEO. Yep, this baby is analogue-only – something that was an option with the original if you forgot to charge the dongle, but is now your only means of getting sound in out of the box.

Mercifully, bluetooth is still on board for audio and app-related things, so you can use it to stream audio into your cans – it’s just the zero-latency wireless instrument connection you’re missing out on here.

Image: Press

Positive Grid Spark NEO Core – usability and sounds

In many ways, the sounds portion of this test is broadly redundant – I did a quick A/B test with the original NEO cans I still have kicking around here and could not tell a single difference between the two.

And that’s a very good thing because like its bigger brother, the NEO Core manages to sound very much like you’re not playing through headphones at all. There’s midrange punch, high-end clarity, thumping bass response and a sense of roominess about the sound that really does feel like you’re playing through an amplifier – it’s not spatial in the way that Boss’s Waza-Air cans are, but it still sounds way better than running your amp through headphones ever has.

Choosing between your three onboard presets is as simple as clicking the button on the side of the headphones, and you can adjust your overall volume here too. In all the sonic ways that probably matter most of all, there are zero compromises here from the originals.

There is one big compromise, however. I’m not sure if you’ve ever noticed how unwieldy and uncomfortable it is having a guitar cable hanging down from just below your right ear, but reader, it sucks.

It’s easy to forget that even the most expensive pro audio wired headphones don’t tend to have ¼-inch cables – even ones with ¼-inch jacks at the end! They also don’t tend to use the sort of rugged, heavy and substantial jacks that guitar cables do… because all of these things which might be totally normal when plugged into an amp or a pedalboard become profoundly uncomfortable and annoying when they’re hanging off the side of your head.

I don’t know what the solution is here, really – some sort of male-to-female connector cable that has a more headphone-appropriate cable that you can plug your guitar cable into at a level that’s less intrusive?

On the plus side, if you wanted to get around this, you could plug a wireless unit into the jack. It worked fine with the Spark Link I tried, and the added weight of the receiver was minimal compared to the annoyance of the cable – I would imagine other wireless units with lightweight battery-powered receivers would work here too.

The problem with that of course is that the Spark Link costs $149… which means you’d be better off just buying the original NEO and save yourself a lot of hassle.

Image: Press

Positive Grid Spark NEO Core – should I buy one?

On the surface, the Core offers some of the best practice amp sounds you can get for a killer price – there’s no getting away from that equation if the original NEO is beyond your means. This is still a far better sounding solution than pretty much any other $130 practice amp out there.

There’s also no getting away from the fact that the usability is severely impacted to reach this price point however – you’d have to spend a fair amount of time finding the right kind of lightweight cable to render it less annoying, and ever then you still have to contend with something hanging down broadly in the area where you’re likely to be strumming.

But worse things happen at sea, as the old saying goes. If you’re looking for a great sounding route to silent practice at home, this is the best bang for buck option on the market – just be prepared to go cable shopping sometime soon.

Positive Grid Spark NEO Core – alternatives

Asides from the original NEO ($249) and Boss’s impressive but even more pricey Waza-Air ($389) options, there aren’t many headphone-based practice amps worth thinking about really. What there are a lot of however, are impressive plug-and-play micro-amps that offer the ability to plug in a normal set of cans (with a normal cable) into. Prince of these is probably the Fender Mustang Micro Plus ($134) though the Boss Katana Go ($139) and the Blackstar Beam Solo are also very impressive and affordable.

The post Positive Grid Spark NEO Core review: “Great sounds with an unavoidable compromise” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Attack—essentially the rate and intensity with which a note rises in volume from its point of creation—is one of the coolest musical expressions you can mess with. If you play an instrument from the violin family it’s a fundamental part of your vocabulary. It’s used frequently in synthesis to conjure spooky, low-gravity atmospherics, and it’s an essential tool for taking the front end off some psychotic Moog sound that might otherwise explode like a foghorn six inches from your ear.

Guitar players know the potential of this effect well too. Volume swells can drastically recast a guitar line—evoking reverse tape, pedal steel, and deep space. But doing it well is not easy. Even on guitars like the Stratocaster that lend themselves to volume swells by design, it takes technique, practice, and usually a very flexible pinky finger to make it work right. Electro-Harmonix’s Swello, which has origins in the attack filter section of the POG2, can do a lot of that work for you. But it’s capable of more than simple swells, with the ability to generate envelope filter- and wah-like sounds, big synth-style pads that are ripe for looping, and much stranger fare.

Swing in Smoothly

Though they can be mellowing, soft attack and volume swell effects aren’t always subtle. For many players that prize precise, immediate attack, they are anathema. Swello—especially in the sans-filter “green” mode—is great at backgrounding the effect and making it more subliminal. At the lowest attack levels, you can use Swello in a capacity similar to a compressor to soften picking irregularities. At slightly higher but still subtle settings, it imparts a beautiful legato quality to melodic lines—especially enchanting in understated or deeply ambient delay and reverb contexts. At much slower attack rates, it evokes lush pedal steel tones and remarkably natural volume pedal or cello-like effects. There’s a lot of range to explore in the attack control alone.

"Swello ’s capable of more than simple swells, with the ability to generate envelope filter- and wah-like sounds, big synth-style pads that are ripe for looping, and much stranger fare."

While the Swello’s control set is minimal, players without experience in synthesis or in using filters and envelopes with guitar may find them less than intuitive. This isn’t a shortcoming of the EHX design—it’s simply inherent to the complex interplay between filter and attack effects. If you start twisting knobs casually and with no particular intent you can end up with filter and attack combinations that make a guitar sound 30 feet underwater—if not altogether absent. So, it pays to move slowly though these controls, observe the sensitivities in their interactions and pay attention to how very small, incremental changes—as well as where you play on the fretboard—can alter the response and output. Though getting to your destination can be tricky and require patience, there are many surprises to find along the way.

Overtone Organizer

As a player that uses volume swells as both an expressive tool and crutch, I loved Swello’s very natural volume pedal and cello-like effects. But I also own a POG2 and treasure that pedal’s capacity to add -2-octave content to an upswelling tone. That can be a preposterously big sound with reverb (the low synth parts in Vangelis’ Blade Runner opening sequence and the Golden Gate Bridge foghorn at the distance of a couple miles are a couple handy points of reference). And there’s plenty of it here when you get a deep resonant peak, slow attack, and filter modulation working in sync, and hang out on the low strings.

As with the POG2, boosting the high frequencies can make the pedal sound less organic—and at times even a bit cloying. Some settings also introduce digital artifacts, most noticeable in the quackier, mid-forward envelope filter-style tones. These sounds can be fun, but they’re not the Swello’s strong suit (and may disappoint players that demand vintage Mu-Tron authenticity from envelope filters). That said, there are plenty of ways to use high-frequency emphasis for pleasant coloration and to shape the attack, and at many such settings the output is largely free of digital aftertaste.

The Verdict

Swello, as the name suggests, specializes in very cello-like volume swells that sound organic, and enable you to keep your fingers on the strings and your feet away from expression pedals. At less than $150, it’s a great value for the slow-attack effects alone. However, players who explore its compression-like dynamics and the vast, unconventional tones found at atypical filter frequency and modulation settings will discover that the Swello is far more than it appears—truly greater than the sum of its parts.

Our world of guitars is peppered with cliches and theories about what physical attributes make an instrument special. I’ve always gravitated towards electric guitars whose sound not only blooms and holds on to a note or chord, but also leaps from your touch. This can be described as having great dynamic range and punchy transients as well as sustain. Whether we admit it or not, beyond the subjective matter of “good” tone, that’s the thing that we’re all looking for. You might describe it differently—such as calling it liveliness, or resonance, or something else, but it’s what makes a guitar seem “alive.” But how can you build that into a guitar?

Some point to the actual materials used in an instrument’s construction, others say the pickups do the heavy lifting needed to make this happen. I believe that it’s a combination of small details that conspire to either raise the game of a guitar or crush it into mediocrity. Here are a few things that I’ve found that need to be right in order to achieve the spunkiness that you seek—whether you’re building, assembling, or just modifying/accessorizing your guitar.

Builders like Tom Anderson and the late Rick Turner have endorsed the “unplugged test”—if the guitar is loud, balanced, and resonant acoustically, it will usually sound better when amplified. This is fine if you are starting from scratch, but how can you achieve this when you already have a finished guitar?

Get Tight

A snug, vibration-friendly neck pocket (or a carefully designed set neck) can make a guitar feel more like one piece of wood rather than two separate parts. Over the years, builders of bolt-on neck instruments like John Suhr and Grover Jackson have emphasized the neck joint fit itself because the way the neck and body vibrate together matters more than most players realize. I tend to agree. The more you can transfer resonance throughout the entire guitar, the more lively it will be. In a bolt-on guitar, you can remove finish within the joint and glue shim material to tighten the fit. This essentially puts wood to wood so that the entire instrument becomes one—and don’t forget to tighten those screws down tight. This is also a good time to check that the string alignment is correct relative to the edges of the fretboard, which helps playing feel. If you are building a set neck instrument, my opinion is that the larger and tighter the union is the better it will sound.

Mind the Nut

Most players think of the nut as little more than a spacer for strings, but it’s really an important gatekeeper of resonance. Sure, the slot depth and spacing matter, but a critical thing is how solidly that nut is bonded to the neck. If there’s glue slop under there, you’re leaking tone before the note even leaves the station. I always make sure the mating surfaces are smooth, flat, and fully seated—wood and nut material acting as one. When cutting slots, I file a gentle curve so the string leaves the nut as if it’s flowing downhill towards the tuners for maximum contact without snags. I stop my file exactly at the angle where the string will meet the tuner post—this way the string’s path is straight, clean, and free to slide.

“Sure, the slot depth and spacing matter, but a critical thing is how solidly that nut is bonded to the neck. If there’s glue slop under there, you’re leaking tone before the note even leaves the station.”

Batten Down the Hatches

No matter what kind of bridge you employ, make certain that all of the contact points—both to strings and body—have the maximum amount of contact. On wraparounds, Tune-o-matics, and Stoptails, be sure anchors are tightly set into the body. When installing them I always drill to the exact depth so the anchor presses firmly against the bottom of the hole. The name of the game is stability and vibration transfer.

Balance Tone, Not Output

I know there’s a lot of fine tuning that can be done with pickup to string distance, but the way I do it isn’t for volume balance as much as for tonal variety. On a guitar with two pickups, I always adjust by ear in the middle position, looking for a certain chime that I like. I’ve found that this position is often overlooked in favor of getting more gain from one pickup or the other, but if you get that middle sound right the rest usually takes care of itself, and your guitar will be more versatile as a result.

Because the way a guitar performs is a sum of all the parts, this way of looking at individual areas can eliminate potential weak links in your sound. In the search for a guitar that is alive in your hands and delivers a resonant sound, these small attentions are what can separate a dead plank from a singing instrument. Oh yeah—don’t forget to crank those tuning machines tight, too. That headstock does a lot more than host the logo.

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Musician and Fretboard Journal contributor Paul Burch joins us this week to talk about his just-published debut novel, Meridian Rising. The book, an imagined memoir by Jimmie Rodgers, is filled with insights on the Father of Country Music and some of the unbelievable collaborators he worked with.

We talk about the making of the book, why Rodgers is so fascinating to Paul, Paul’s new album (Cry Love), and so much more.

https://paulburch.com/

Our new, 57th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it.

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org

We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Above photo: Jim Herrington

The post Podcast 524: Paul Burch first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

On November 14, 2025, I’ll be giving a presentation at the Royal College of Music in London. It’s in conjunction with a unique guitar they have on display: Kurt Cobain’s 1959 Martin D-18E, the one he played on MTV Unplugged. To honor the occasion, we’ve built a modern reproduction of that particular guitar for my friend Craig Thatcher to play at the event—because I don’t think they’ll let him play the original. (Yes, that one … the guitar that sold for $6 million at auction in 2020.)

MTV Unplugged: What a good idea that was! And talk about good timing. The 1980s were not a good time to be in the acoustic guitar business. My dad joined the family business in 1955, the year I was born. The mid-’50s were the era of the folk revival. Acoustic music was taking hold in coffeehouses and on college campuses. Thanks to bands like the Kingston Trio, folk music was becoming pop music.

By the early ’60s, demand for Martin guitars outstripped the capacity of our old factory on 10 West North Street in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. My dad convinced my grandfather that we needed a new factory to keep up with the boom. So in 1964 we opened the new plant at 510 Sycamore Street. What else happened in 1964? The British Invasion.

Yes, Bob Dylan went electric, but the acoustic guitar remained a mainstay on many folk-rock songs. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and others drove demand skyward. We couldn’t keep up. These were good times. Politics, the Vietnam War, and the fight for civil rights … it all gave the younger generation reasons to speak out and speak up, and the acoustic guitar became an integral part of that messaging.

By the late 1970s, music was changing. Disco was taking over. The Eagles were the last significant folk-rock supergroup. By the 1980s, it was tough going for acoustic guitars. Several of our smaller competitors closed their shops. Pointy electric guitars were flying off the shelves, thanks to hair metal. The Yamaha DX7 and other digital keyboards were everywhere.

“By the end of the 1990s, our production had increased fivefold compared to the start of the decade.”

Our business struggled. My dad retired and moved to Florida. I had just graduated from college and joined the family business full-time, at a difficult moment. My grandfather passed away in 1986, and at 31, I became CEO. I was scared. My dad had encumbered the company with a crushing level of debt. We were on the verge of bankruptcy. I wasn’t sure exactly what to do, but I was determined to not allow my multi-generational family business to disappear. We cut back expenses and focused on what we did best: flat-top acoustic guitars. One of my dad’s better decisions was to acquire a string company. String sales helped us survive those lean years.

One day, my friend and colleague Dick Boak walked into my office. “I got a call from MTV,” he said. “MTV? The rock video station?” I inquired. “Yes,” he replied. “Why did they call us?” I asked. “They have this idea,” Dick said. “They want to get rockers into the studio and have them play their famous songs on acoustic guitars.” Hmmm. Not a bad idea.

“Why did they call us?” “They weren’t sure if the rockers they were going to ask even had acoustic guitars,” he said. “And they’re going to film some shows in New York. Could they borrow some guitars from us if needed?” I looked at Dick and smiled. He took that as a “yes.”

MTV Unplugged launched in 1989. It started slowly. Initially, few people noticed. But it built momentum. In 1992, Eric Clapton recorded his Unplugged segment at Bray Studios in London, playing his 000-42 Martin. The subsequent album became a phenomenon, garnering multiple Grammys, selling millions of copies, and becoming the best-selling live album of all time.

In 1993, Nirvana performed one of Kurt Cobain’s last televised sets. After his death, MTV Unplugged in New York was released. It sold over 5 million copies and won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance. As the momentum grew, our phones started to ring. And ring. Players were rediscovering how cool it is to hold a wooden box against their body and feel it vibrate as they played their favorite songs. The acoustic guitar was back. Thank you, MTV Unplugged. (Fun fact: Many of the guitars played on MTV Unplugged were actually plugged in!)

What started as a simple TV concept helped usher in a full-fledged acoustic revival. For Martin, it arrived just when we needed it most. By the end of the 1990s, our production had increased fivefold compared to the start of the decade. Sometimes, all it takes is a well-timed idea and a few beautifully-built guitars.

November 7, 2025 This week an unexpected project grabbed me and I had to drop everything and go where it led me. I became obsessed with The Weight by Robbie Robertson and The Band, and particularly a solo guitar version. At first it seemed ridiculous to even attempt, but as it played out I had […]

The post Totally Guitars Weekly Update November 7, 2025 appeared first on On The Beat with Totally Guitars.