May 16, 2008 Sam Andrew Interview by Mary Shaver and Michael G. Stewart. Sam Andrew. Photo by Michael G. Stewart. Late last year, Big Brother and the Holding Company performed at the campus of Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. D.C. Photographer Michael G. Stewart and I met guitarist Sam Andrew, who talked about the group, […]
May 21, 2008 Kurt Neumann (BoDeans) Interview by Skip Daly. Kurt Neumann. Photo by Morgan Hemphill. The determination and resilience expressed in the lyrics from “Round Here Somewhere” on the BoDeans’ new record, Still (2008, He and He Records), makes for an appropriate anthem for a band that has seen its share of highs and […]
September 2, 2008 Behind the Lens: Randy Jennings by Rick Landers. Randy Jennings. Photo by Jennifer Jennings/2-artists.com. Modern Guitars caught up with photographer Randy Jennings a while back to check out his inventory of rock and other live-music photography. His body of work includes photos of major rock guitarists that have grippped our imaginations over […]
September 30, 2008 Wayne Henderson Inteview by Rick Landers. Wayne Henderson. Photo credit: Michael G. Stewart. Modern Guitars had the good fortune to catch master bluegrass guitarist and guitar builder Wayne Henderson while at a gig in Rockville, Maryland. Henderson has played all around the globe and getting a chance to see him in an […]
I was going to write the next series about a non-guitar related art piece but I changed my mind. About a year ago I was commissioned to build a guitar for a client. When I first accepted the order I wasn’t going to be starting it for awhile so we left the details hanging. As the start date got closer, the client asked about making it an art piece. For me this is the best of all worlds, mix my two great passions, guitars and visual art!
It seems like I’m always starting these columns off by apologizing for it being so long since my last installment, so I figure why change now! Sorry, it’s been so freakin’ long! Okay, now I feel better. I actually finished Number One back in January of this year. Since then I’ve been working my old-man-tail off building the rest of the first batch of P-1s, which I just finished shipping in July. Then I went full bore filling guitar stand orders and a couple of other art commissions that have been outstanding for the past year-ish. WHEW! It’s been a hell of a couple of years!
My apologies for so much time passing since my last installment, but I felt I really needed to concentrate on getting these first guitars done. I am way past my initial time estimates for all of my clients and I’m feeling extremely guilty about it. I’d really like to start out by thanking all of them for their kind support and patience this first year of my new guitar venture. Thanks guys!
To guitar lovers, a new book by Tom Wheeler is an important event and his latest, The Soul of Tone – Celebrating 60 Years of Fender Amps (Hal Leonard), is no exception. But, while the beautifully written and presented 512-page hardbound book is a must-have for every amplifier fan, Fender or otherwise, to many guitarists the inner sanctum of the amp is a bizarre, uninviting landscape that could have sprung from the mind of Tim Burton. Guitar International spoke to Tom Wheeler on December 16, 2007, about what makes the Soul of Tone a celebration the not-so-technically inclined electric guitar enthusiast might want to attend. Which is not to say that Soul of Tone‘s invitation to celebrate wasn’t clear from a reading. The book’s introduction is one of the best examples of guitar-related writing to be found. Wheeler understands his potential audience: people who love the electric guitar, are interested about how fingers, guitars and amplifiers conspire to produce sound and tone, but who find the technical jargon of amplifier mechanics daunting to say the least. Wheeler’s introduction puts the reader’s mind at ease. He is one of us. The difference between the author and the uninitiated is that Wheeler has made the pilgrimage to the strange heartland of amplification and returned to tell the tales of the interesting characters encountered and mysteries revealed. Interview »
You would be hard pressed to find someone more qualified to tell the Gibson electric guitar story than Walter Carter. The author of several well known and respected books about guitars, Carter has been a keen Gibson observer for over 20 years from a unique perspective – as both a company insider and an outside chronicler of the Gibson story. The Gibson Electric Guitar Book (Backbeat Books) succinctly recounts the Gibson saga from the company’s beginning through today. While Carter’s previous 308-page book on Gibson, Gibson Guitars: 100 Years of an American Icon, is a must-have reference and enjoyable read, the new 160-page book condenses the Gibson story down to 60 pages of text without sacrificing important detail or behind-the-scenes color. Interview »
“Bowling Green” John Cephas, who takes his stage name from Bowling Green, Virginia, where he was raised, embodies the soul and spirit of a little-known style of music called the Piedmont blues. Guitar International spoke with Cephas at the 69th National Folk Festival in Richmond, Virginia, on September 14, 2007, before he went on stage with master harmonica player Phil Wiggins, about his style of blues, his guitars and his life-long study and commitment to keeping the Piedmont blues alive. Read »
