Rolling off Zep’s ’69 Led Zeppelin II album, “Heartbreaker” opens up with a simple, yet captivating, walking bass line by monster player, Jimmy Page, who later launches into an unaccompanied lead solo that’s been ranked as the #16 greatest solo of all time by Guitar World. And, of course, it never hurt a group to have legendary engineer, Eddie Kramer, in the studio.
HellYeah is a Supergroup comprised of Grammy nominated and chart topping musicians – drummer Vinnie Paul, vocalist Chad Gray, guitarists Greg Tribbett and Tom Maxwell as well and bassist Bob Zilla. As HellYeah they also have an impressive history. Their debut album has sold nearly 400,000 copies in the US and produced two Top 10 Active Rock singles “Alocohaulin Ass” and “You Wouldn’t Know.” Their second CD, Stampede debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200, making it their highest-charted album to date.
Jazz guitarist and inventor, Les Paul, brought us more than his electric “Log” guitar fashioned out of two pickups, and the triptych coupling of a slab of 4 x 4 lumber and the two halves from an Epiphone hollow body guitar. He brought us more than a delightful legacy of jazz, but a mountain of amazing guitar techniques to examine and study. His deep curiosity and rich inventiveness roamed the world of electronics and sound, luring him like sirens to seemingly insurmountable production and recording challenges. Good for us that Mr. Paul’s intense curiosity was welded to an equally tenacious spirited drive.
Few guitarists can claim to have a career as long and storied as French virtuoso Pierre Bensusan. Known mostly for his work in the “DADGAD” tuning, which readers may also know as the favorite acoustic tuning of rock-legend Jimmy Page, Bensusan’s latest release Vividly celebrates his 35th years as a professional performer and is also his 10th solo album, not easy milestones to come by for any genre or in any era.
It’s amazing what can happen on a whim. Just a few days ago I was surfing the web, checking out some guitar videos on YouTube and I came across a great performance by country legend Albert Lee. Seeing the video reminded me of what a stellar player Lee really is and so I decided to head over to his site to see if he was touring in my area this year, hoping to get a chance to see him live. A bit dismayed after finding out that he’ll be spending most of his time in Europe in the near future, and later learning that I had just missed him in Chicago recently, I noticed that there was a contact button on his site, and that’s when things get interesting.
Mention the name Greg Howe to an aficionado of contemporary electric guitar music and aural visions of smooth legato runs, wah-laden solos and funky, syncopated rhythms will run through his or her head. Greg has garnered a well-deserved reputation as a guitar virtuoso with one of the most recognizable voices in the instrumental electric guitar pantheon.
Today’s free officially licensed tab of the day is “Black Dog” by Led Zeppelin
When thinking back to the ‘60s British rock scene, guitar legends such as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix (who first found fame in London before returning to claim America) and Jimmy Page all come to mind. While all of these players deserve the accolades and recognition they have received over the years, there is one man, one player
As Gretsch Musical Instruments approaches its 125th year in business, it is fitting that the man guiding the company’s future is Fred Gretsch. Since he was a boy, Fred has been enamored by the company’s traditions and the excitement that surrounds
Today’s free authentic tab of the day is “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin.
