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“I used to ask, ‘What was Hendrix really like?’ All Noel would say was, ‘He was a black blues player who took a lot of acid’”: Eric Bell tells the tale of how he joined forces with Noel Redding, after leaving Thin Lizzy as a self-confessed ‘basket-case’
What kind of maniac brings a Dumble to a guitar retreat – and lets everyone play it? Robben Ford, apparently
What would you do if you were one of the few lucky souls in the world who owned a Dumble amp? Probably not take it to a guitar retreat and let a bunch of strangers plug into it.
Though that’s exactly what Robben Ford did, as session ace Andy Wood reveals in a recent conversation with Rick Beato.
In their chat, Wood recalls the time Ford attended his Woodshed Guitar Experience: a four-day retreat in Crossville, Tennessee that brings together top-tier players and gear-loving guitarists for an immersive, no-frills hangout.
“It’s a four-day weekend. We hard-limit it to a hundred people, and we bring in five or six of the best guitar players on earth,” says Wood [via Guitar World]. Previous guests have included Eric Johnson, Joe Bonamassa, and Andy Timmons, with Paul Gilbert and Mark Lettieri on the upcoming September lineup.
The vibe is intentionally relaxed. Think: late-night jams by the lake and live bands instead of backing tracks (“no iPad garbage,” Wood quips). Just “bad dudes from Tennessee” and 100-watt amps roaring into the night.
Still, nothing quite prepared Wood for what happened in the retreat’s second year, when Robben Ford rolled in.
“He’s a sweetheart and a monster player,” says Wood. “He comes in and I was like, ‘Hey, Robben, what kind of amp do you want me to have backline for you?’ And he goes, ‘I’ll bring an amp.’ He shows up with Dumble #102.”
For the uninitiated, Ford’s Dumble #102 isn’t just rare – it’s the stuff of tone legend. Built by the late Alexander “Howard” Dumble, these mythical tube amps were revered for their rich harmonic character and tight dynamic response. Ford’s own unit ranks among the most iconic, alongside those played by Larry Carlton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
That said, what truly made the moment unforgettable wasn’t the amp itself but rather, Ford’s willingness to share it.
“I’m teaching a class and I have my phone in my pocket and it buzzes like, ‘Hey man, Andy, come down to the stage three and see about Robben’s amp,’” he recalls. “I was like, ‘Oh, somebody poured a beer in it!’ I’m stressing out.”
“I get down there, and Robben’s sitting laidback, chill, smiling, and the campers are playing his amp. And I come over to him like, ‘Brother, you don’t have to do this.’ And he’s so sweet. He’s like, ‘No, man. They were all asking about what it felt like, and what it sounded like, so I figured it’d be best to let them play.’”
“That can never happen with 600 people,” Wood continues. “[But] you put 30 people in a room, that can happen. And that’s what it’s all about.”
The post What kind of maniac brings a Dumble to a guitar retreat – and lets everyone play it? Robben Ford, apparently appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“F**k ICE” guitar pedal launched by Resistor Head to raise funds for immigrant legal aid
Boutique pedal maker Resistor Head has never exactly played it safe when it comes to design, but their new limited-edition drop is as loud politically as it is sonically.
Meet the FUCK ICE overdrive pedal, a fully functional stompbox that doubles as a middle finger to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The release was announced in an Instagram post this week, and the pedal is now available for pre-order via the company’s website. While the guts of the unit are identical to Resistor Head’s existing ACAB pedal (no points for guessing that acronym), this version arrives with new graphics and a clear message.
Priced at $150, or $5 more than the original ACAB, the difference in cost goes to the National Immigrant Justice Center, an organisation that provides immigrants with vital legal assistance.
“That $5 will be donated… to provide immigrants with legal help,” says the brand.
As with the ACAB pedal, FUCK ICE is a clone of the Fulltone OCD, minus the association with Fulltone founder Mike Fuller, who’s been widely criticised for his public comments online. In the words of Resistor Head: “It’s a Fulltone OCD clone, offered for people who don’t want to support Mike Fuller of Fulltone for any of his documented offenses.”
The design blends elements of various OCD iterations (particularly versions 1.4 and 1.7), with some modern upgrades. Those include an internally bypassable output buffer with a trim pot to dial back the high end frequencies to deliver a warmer sound, if desired.
“The original Fulltone OCDs had output impedance issues that caused the tone of the pedal and output volume to change depending on the input impedance of the next activated pedal in the chain. My update eliminates this issue but still enables you to dial in the warmth that buffers can remove,” says the firm.
Visually, the pedal features professionally UV-printed graphics, topped off with a glossy, raised finish for a premium feel – in case you want a pedal that screams “FUCK ICE” in big bold letters to also look sharp on your board.
Learn more at Resistor Head.
The post “F**k ICE” guitar pedal launched by Resistor Head to raise funds for immigrant legal aid appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
guitarguitar is welcoming applications from those made redundant from PMT
UK music retailer guitarguitar says it is welcoming applications from employees who have been made redundant from PMT, following the chain’s entry into administration last week.
In a new post on social media, the retailer writes: “We were saddened to hear about the recent job losses at PMT. At guitarguitar, we understand how challenging redundancy can be, and we want to offer our support to the hardworking staff affected.”
- READ MORE: “Clone me, you bastards!”: Iced tea with Ozzy Osbourne’s actual DNA now for sale at $450 a pop
It goes on: “If you have recently been made redundant from PMT are are passionate about music, retail or customer service, we encourage you to apply for opportunities with guitarguitar.”
It explains that those affected by redundancy should send an application “whether we have an open role which currently matches your skills and experience or not”.
The retailer says prospective employees should visit the vacancies page on its website, or email a CV to jobs@guitarguitar.co.uk.
“Join our team of employee-owners and continue to share your passion for music,” the statement concludes.
The closure of PMT was a significant loss for the UK music retail industry, as it was the largest brick-and-mortar musical instrument chain in the UK with 11 stores, as well as the fourth largest in terms of revenue. PMT explained that the current retail climate presented challenges that “proved too difficult to overcome”.
The announcement of PMT’s entry into administration was sudden, and all of its stores were closed with immediate effect, with 96 employees being made redundant. 48 people were retained to assist administrators. The retailer’s remaining stock was sold to another UK-based musical instrument operation, Gear4music, to the tune of around £2.4 million.
In the wake of the news, which follows the similar recent closures of GAK and Bax Music, YouTuber KDH offered his opinion that UK musical instrument retail was “heading towards a monopoly”.
“Small retailers close down, and now even the bigger retailers close down because they can’t compete with online prices, well, what’s gonna happen?” He asks. “You’re gonna be left with one or two who might have started out cheap, but then when there’s no competition, raise the prices up.”
The post guitarguitar is welcoming applications from those made redundant from PMT appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“We were all ready to become millionaires after a couple of years... He was great at that age. I couldn’t believe it”: How Gary Moore came to join Skid Row at just 15 years old – and why the guitar legend left
“They understood the sentimentality of these instruments and worked incredibly hard to bring them home”: Heart's stolen instruments have been recovered by the police – with a little help from the public
I've just found the best streaming deal of the summer – get up to 4 free months of Amazon Music Unlimited right now
“Clone me, you bastards!”: Iced tea with Ozzy Osbourne’s actual DNA now for sale at $450 a pop
The Ozzy Osbourne merch machine has entered a truly bizarre phase. Hot on the heels of his upcoming Where’s Ozzy? seek-and-find book, the Black Sabbath icon is now offering fans the chance to own cans of iced tea infused with his actual DNA.
That’s right. In collaboration with canned water brand Liquid Death, Osbourne has unveiled a limited edition run of ten cans dubbed “Infinite Ozzy”. Each one has reportedly been sipped and lovingly contaminated by the Prince of Darkness, before being lab-sealed and signed for good measure.
The price? A modest $450 per can, because nothing says rock ‘n’ roll like highly collectible, semi-hydrated human essence.
“Clone me, you bastards,” Osbourne commands in a statement. And apparently, that’s more than just a punchline.
“Yes, we really got the Prince of Darkness to drink from 10 cans of our low-calorie Iced Tea,” Liquid Death confirms. “And yes, he actually crushed each can himself. In the process, he left behind trace DNA from his saliva that you can now own. He even hand-signed each packaging label.”
The company also declares that “once technology and federal law permit, fans can use this DNA to try to clone Ozzy in the future and enjoy him for hundreds of years to come.”
The release is, of course, timed perfectly – just ahead of Ozzy’s final show with Black Sabbath, which takes place 5 July in Birmingham, England. Whether you drink it, frame it, or cryogenically store it in your garage lab, one thing’s clear: rock memorabilia may never get weirder than this.
Learn more at Liquid Death.
The post “Clone me, you bastards!”: Iced tea with Ozzy Osbourne’s actual DNA now for sale at $450 a pop appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Could you be the next Paul McCartney? The Bootleg Beatles need a new bassist
Do you play bass? Can you rock a bowl cut and nail every note of Come Together? Well, you may want to audition to be the next Paul McCartney for the popular tribute band, The Bootleg Beatles.
Having formed back in 1980, the tribute to the Fab Four have played over 4,500 gigs, and are due to play at Glastonbury festival this June. They’ve even formerly supported Oasis, notably during their famous Knebworth show on 10 August 1996.
The band consists of Stephen Hill as George Harrison, Gordon Elsmore as Ringo Starr, and Paul Canning as John Lennon. Steve White, who has played as McCartney for over 10 years, is due to retire later this year.
On Instagram, they write, “We’re very sad to announce that Steve White, our fab Macca for over 10 years, is retiring from full-time touring with BB’s this autumn. He has been an outstanding contributor to this wonderful BB ‘institution’ and we all wish him well with his future musical projects.”
If you manage to land the role, you’ll be touring with the band from autumn. Anyone with the right skills can apply, but you must have “the look, the voice, bass guitar and keyboard skills”. You’ll also need to be prepared to commit to full-time touring.
In other Macca news, he recently joined Bruce Springsteen at his Liverpool show on 7 June to play The Beatles’ Can’t Buy Me Love. The appearance marked the first time that McCartney has played live in Liverpool since 2018.
If you’d like to apply to The Bootleg Beatles, you’ll need to send a CV, photos, and video/audio clips to auditions@bootlegbeatles.com – you can also find out more about the band via their official website.
The post Could you be the next Paul McCartney? The Bootleg Beatles need a new bassist appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Marcus King and Gibson reunite on a stripped-back ES-345 in Sixties Cherry
Blues-rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Marcus King has teamed up with Gibson on his second signature guitar, the Marcus King ES-345 Sixties Cherry.
Inspired by his treasured 1962 ES-345, affectionately known as Big Red, this latest model is a tribute to the iconic six-string passed down through three generations of King’s family.
Originally introduced as a Custom Shop-only release in 2021, the new ES-345 now joins Gibson’s core Artist model lineup in a streamlined version that reflects King’s personal playing preferences.
Finished in a bold Sixties Cherry, the guitar keeps things simple and focused. Notably absent are a whammy bar and Varitone switch – features found on the original – which were deliberately omitted in favour of “only the features that Marcus finds essential”.
That includes mono wiring, two Custombucker humbuckers, and a fixed Vibrola tailpiece to enhance tuning stability while maintaining the vintage aesthetic. Other classic ES-345 appointments remain, such as the 3-ply maple/poplar/maple body, a solid maple center block for sustain and feedback resistance, and gold hardware throughout – including an ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge and Grover Rotomatic tuners with kidney buttons.
Credit: Gibson
The guitar’s mahogany neck features a rounded profile that averages .875” at the first fret and .975” at the 12th fret, while its Indian rosewood fretboard features acrylic split parallelogram inlays and 22 medium jumbo frets.
A Graph Tech nut and a custom stud anchor cover round out the build. Each guitar also comes shipped in a Gibson hardshell case.
For King, the connection to this model is deeply personal: “The guitar for me as a kid was a release, an escape, a best friend, and a babysitter,” he tells Gibson. “I don’t really like talking about myself, but it being my grandfather’s guitar really helps me feel like I’m able to carry on his legacy. I want to share with everyone else what he shared with me.”
The Gibson Marcus King ES-345 Sixties Cherry is now available for $9,499.
Learn more at Gibson.
The post Marcus King and Gibson reunite on a stripped-back ES-345 in Sixties Cherry appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
EarthQuaker Debuts Dirt Transmitter Fuzz Driver
Podcast 505: Adam Levy Returns
Acclaimed guitarist, educator, songwriter, and all-around-great-human Adam Levy is back on the Fretboard Journal Podcast!
We talk about his new instrumental album, ‘Household.’ We discuss the concept behind this record, his desire to expand his band beyond the trio format; the unorthodox recording process he used to make the album; drummer Griffin Goldsmith (Dawes); and so much more.
It’s a fun chat with one of our favorite musicians.
https://adamlevy.bandcamp.com/album/household
Watch the FJ’s new documentary with Ben Harper here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5crA4bqLv8
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Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com
(Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order)
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https://fretboardsummit.org/ (August 21-23, 2025 in Chicago!)
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The post Podcast 505: Adam Levy Returns first appeared on Fretboard Journal.
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