Norse Guitar Feeds

By Carlos Martin Schwab

Following the death of Musikmesse (which was more significant than NAMM for many years), several guitar trade shows emerged in Europe. Guitar Summit is the most important one. Let’s take a closer look at it.

Organized by the German magazine Gitarre & Bass since 2017, this fair was designed as a 360° event that combines a trade show with a music festival, workshops, and masterclasses.

Over time, the fair has continued to grow: in its 2025 edition, it welcomed over 11,300 visitors, featured more than 470 international brands spread across the venue’s different levels, and hosted over 100 workshops, masterclasses, and live concerts during the three-day event (September 26–28).

The fair is usually divided into themed areas that help organize the large number of booths. The booths are spread across four floors, including specific areas for electric guitars, acoustic guitars, basses, and the popular “Pedal Show.” In 2025, innovations in digital modeling and the presence of independent luthiers in the Boutique section stood out in particular.

Silent Fair

This trade show describes itself as a “Silent Show.” This concept is one of its cornerstones and sets it apart from traditional music trade shows (such as the former Frankfurt Musikmesse or NAMM), where the constant noise can often be overwhelming. Here’s how it works in practice:

Equipment testing with headphones: The golden rule for exhibitors is that open-volume amplifiers are not allowed at the trade show booths. If you want to test a guitar, bass, or pedal, you do so almost exclusively through high-quality headphones. This allows you to hear the instrument’s true nuances without being distracted by noise from the neighboring booth and lets visitors hold conversations at a normal volume without having to shout.

Silent stages: Even the workshops and demonstrations held in the middle of the exhibition halls use this system. The audience receives wireless headphones as they approach the stage, and the musician plays and speaks through a monitoring system, so that only those wearing headphones can hear the performance. This allows multiple stages to operate simultaneously on the same floor without acoustic interference.

Soundproof rooms: For those who need to feel the sound pressure of a real amplifier, the event offers specific solutions: Ampfinity, a special area where you can test selected amplifiers and speakers using a professional switching system, often in isolated booths, and soundproof cabins installed at some large booths where you can close the door and play at full volume for a few minutes without disturbing others.

Nighttime concerts (the exception): The Silent concept applies primarily to the exhibition area during the day. At night, the event moves to the Mozartsaal, where rock, blues, and metal concerts are held using traditional sound systems at festival volume.

The “Silent” concept aims to protect attendees’ hearing health (preventing tinnitus after 3 days at the show) and ensure that the focus remains on sound quality and technical discussions between manufacturers and musicians.

Musicians I saw there: Andy Timmons, Tosin Abasi, Misha Mansoor, Plini, Alex Skolnik, Mike Dawes, Billy Sheehan, Michael Weikath & Sascha Gerstner (Helloween), Sacha Dunable (Intronaut), Mattias Eklund (Freak Kitchen), John Browne (Monuments). It’s also common to run into Europe’s most popular guitar YouTubers.

Some of the items on display that caught my eye:

Fretlook: Fret markers, neck side markers (glow in the dark) and body decals – fretlook.com

Franck Bichon: Removable shoulder pad for guitar strap – https://bgfrance.com/en/bg-rocks-straps-and-guitar-accessories/461-comfortableremovable-shoulder-pad-for-guitar-straps.html

Dan’s Guitar Store: Precision playing picks – https://www.dansguitarstore.com/precision-guitar-picks-explained

Plick The Pick: Ergonomic picks – plickthepick.it

Tonewood Amp: A device that uses an acoustic guitar’s own body and soundhole to create a range of enhancement effects – tonewoodamp.com

Valeton: GP-5 pedal multi effects processor – valeton.net/product/gp-5

Maytrem: Fully customizable guitar vibrato system that can bend chords in harmony – maytrem.com

More info at guitarsummit.de/?lang=en

Press Release

Source: Song Cage PR

Song Cage – A new browser-based tool gives songwriters one place to capture lyrics, chords, melody, and song structure, with context-aware chord reasoning, a modulation panel that maps the way back home, and built-in tools for breaking writer’s block.

Song Cage, a new browser-based songwriting app, launched this week with a distinctive design philosophy: no generative AI anywhere in the product. Every chord suggestion is deterministic music theory, labeled by its functional role and explained in plain language given the surrounding chords and the melody underneath.

Song Cage is designed for the pre-DAW phase of writing, the space where a songwriter sits with an instrument and a notebook, developing an idea before any recording begins. The app combines four layers (lyrics, chords, melody, and song structure) on a single canvas with two interchangeable views. Sheet view feels like a notepad, letting words flow naturally. Timeline view snaps every word onto a beat grid with syllable-level precision, so prosody can be shaped directly on the grid.

Key features include:

Context-aware chord suggestions. Every suggestion is labeled by its functional role (diatonic, borrowed from a parallel mode, secondary dominant, tritone substitution) and hovering reveals the reasoning for why it works given the surrounding chords and the melody beneath. Named progression patterns such as the Pop progression, 50s progression, and Andalusian cadence are flagged automatically.

Modulation with return routes. The modulation panel includes a Key Map showing harmonic distance to every key, pivot chords for smooth transitions, and full cadential routes (V-I, ii-V-I, tritone substitutions, extended paths). Unique to Song Cage, the panel also surfaces return routes, so the songwriter can take a harmonic journey into a distant key and find the way back home without getting stranded.

Lyric writing tools for writer’s block. A Words panel that follows the cursor offers rhymes grouped by syllable count, slant rhymes, synonyms, a Word Collider that pairs words from two semantic pools via a random bridge word, and semantic drift chains for wandering through an idea space.

Multi-user collaboration. Songs can be shared with up to five editors via email invitation or share link, with background sync across devices.

Guitar-first design. Real chord shapes on a mini fretboard, capo awareness, voicing carousel, and strum preview on every chord block. Piano voicings include voice-leading optimization.

“I built Song Cage for the thing I actually do with an instrument in my lap, before I hit record,” said Steve Canfield, founder and developer of Song Cage. “Nothing in this tool generates music for you. Every suggestion is real theory, and everything is aware of everything else. Change a melody note and the chord rankings reshuffle. Place a chord and the suggestions for the next slot recalculate. The craft stays in the user’s hands; the tool just makes the reference books live in the same canvas as the writing. The UI is designed for quickly getting ideas out without friction.”

A native iOS and Android capture companion, for recording voice memos and sending lyric and chord fragments to an inbox in the desktop app, is in development and expected for release later in 2026.

Song Cage is available at songcage.com. Free and paid tiers are offered, priced in line with comparable songwriting tools.

ABOUT SONG CAGE
Song Cage is a browser-based songwriting canvas for the pre-DAW phase of music writing. Designed and developed by Steve Canfield, it combines lyrics, chords, melody, and song structure on one grid, with built-in writer’s-block tools, context-aware chord reasoning, and multi-user collaboration. Song Cage is the no-AI alternative in a category dominated by generative tools.

Just last year, Mason Stoops was on a manhunt for his stolen vintage gear. Unfortunately, it seems like his misfortune is colouring 2026 too; the Californian guitarist has had two of his most important guitars stolen from the back of his van.

Stoops shares the shocking news across a number of Instagram stories, explaining that his favourite 1965 Fender Jazzmaster and an ultra-rare 1961 Gretsch Corvette are “long gone”. The thief has also swiped a pair of Highland Dynamics Delta 4-7 mini preamplifiers, a 1970s Guyatone Wah-Fuzz and Stoops’ favourite green hat.

• READ MORE: The Real Riot Women: the Gen Xers discovering punk and embracing guitar

The guitarist isn’t taking the loss lying down, however. He’s shared plenty of specific details about each guitar to sabotage any plans of the culprit selling on his gear. “Pretty please keep an eye out for these stolen guitars, last seen in Highland Park Neighbourhood, Los Angeles,” he writes, before sharing a slew of photos of his cherished guitars.

In terms of the Jazzmaster, the guitar is already a pretty unique, thanks to its shellac ‘snake-fly green’ finish. Stoops also notes that it has a Mastery bridge, a broken rhythm switch, as well as a “cute lil’ apple sticker” on the headstock. The serial is 110229, while the neck is stamped with 4OCT64B.

“I used on nearly every record I’ve been part of over the last five plus years,” he adds. “It’s a very good Jazzmaster that I will miss very much.”

Then, there’s the “mega rare” Gretsch Corvette, which Stoops explains was “used extensively on the most recent Mumford & Sons tour”. The guitar has a Fink Instruments steel bridge, as well as a ‘Mason’ branded sticker by the control knobs. The series number is 42736.

Stoops has asked anyone with information to come forward. And he’s being supported on his mission to reunite with his lost guitars; Joe Bonamassa has also shared the news of Stoops’ loss, urging his followers to keep an eye out.

“Los Angeles!” Bonamassa writes. “Let’s help our friend Stoops get his two beloved guitars back. This 65 Fender Jazzmaster and 61 Gretsch Corvette were stolen in the Highland Park area this morning… Please share because time is of the essence.”

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The post “Pretty please keep an eye out for these stolen guitars”: Mason Stoops is on a hunt for a stolen Jazzmaster and Gretsch Corvette following robbery appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Fender’s vintage-inspired Vintera line just got a major overhaul with the introduction of the sprawling new Vintera III Series.

Like the previous Vintera and Vintera II lines, the new lineup captures the sounds, aesthetics and playability of ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s-era instruments, while this time zeroing in more precisely on specific periods and models from within those decades.

“Designed for players seeking true vintage character, the Vintera III Series introduces an all-new philosophy: a targeted focus on iconic moments in Fender history,” the brand says.

• READ MORE: Massive trove of random rock memorabilia – including Eddie Van Halen’s 6th grade history homework – headed for auction

This refined direction, Fender says, marks a “significant evolution” from the previous Vintera and Vintera II lines, this time focusing on “distinct, era-defining designs”.

Each instrument in the range is made with “painstaking attention to detail”, capturing period-correct aesthetics and colours, and implementing carefully reconstructed necks and pickups.

Those faithfully recreated necks include classic V and D shapes of the mid- and late-’50s to the comfortable medium C profiles of the early ‘60s, plus the slimmer C shapes of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.

The pickups in each Vintera III guitar were created by Fender’s in-house engineers, who revisited the brand’s original archives for an accurate, period-correct tone.

Finally, each model is complete with an era-specific headstock, decals, fingerboard inlays, stamps and finishes.

“With the Vintera III Series, we set out to capture the defining moments that shaped Fender’s legacy,” says Max Gutnik, Fender’s Chief Product Officer.

“Rather than broadly representing entire decades, we focused on the most iconic specifications that players continue to seek out today. By zeroing in on these historic designs – from era-correct pickups and neck profiles to period-accurate aesthetics – we’re giving today’s musicians an authentic connection to the instruments that helped define modern music.”

The Vintera III Series is made up of 14 models in total: 10 electric guitars (four Stratocasters, three Telecasters, and a Jaguar, Jazzmaster and Mustang); plus two Jazz Basses, a Precision Bass and a Bass VI. Price-wise, they range between $1,249 and $1499. Take a look at a full list of models on offer below:

• Vintera III Late ‘50s Stratocaster
• Limited Edition Vintera III Late ‘50s Stratocaster
• Vintera III Early ‘60s Stratocaster
• Vintera III Late ‘60s Stratocaster
• Limited Edition Vintera III Early ‘60s Custom Telecaster
• Vintera III Late ‘50s Telecaster
• Vintera III Mid ‘60s Telecaster
• Vintera III Mid ‘60s Jazzmaster
• Vintera III Mid ‘60s Jaguar
• Vintera III Mid ‘60s Mustang
• Vintera III Early ‘60s Jazz Bass
• Vintera III Early ‘70s Jazz Bass
• Vintera III Late ‘60s Precision Bass
• Vintera III Early ‘60s Bass V

Learn more about the all-new Vintera III Series at Fender.

The post Fender’s Vintera III Series has landed, with “a targeted focus on iconic moments in Fender history” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Press Release

Source: Guitar International PR

Yesterday’s guitar donation to Guitars 4 Veterans (G4V) was very special. The guitar an all-solid body Gruene Saratoga with Honduran mahogany b/s, Alpine spruce top (aged 15 years), maple binding, natural abalone inlay with a headstock torch donated by Gruene guitars owners – John  and Peggy Byers of San Antonio, Texas.

(L-R) Rick Landers presents a Gruene Saratoga dreadnaught to Robert Grealy| G4V Chapter Coordinator | Washington D.C. Region.

John retired from the U.S. Coast Guard and donating this to G4V’S was chosen to support and honor our military veterans. John had provided a few of his fine guitars to a local veterans’ group before he passed away from cancer.

At the most recent graduation of veterans who successfully completed G4V’s free guitar lessons program, Rick Landers, publisher/editor, Guitar International magazine, served as an intermediary to present the guitar to Robert Grealy, Washington, D.C. Region Coordinator, of the outstanding veterans support organization.

The high end guitar will be sold by the support organization with proceeds to go to buying entry level guitars for the novice guitar playing vets, many disabled and working hard to meet their challenges, and learning to play has been a huge, sometimes life saving success!

CHECK OUT GUITARS 4 VETERANS HERE!

When Rush’s Geddy Lee was 13, he was a pretty innocent young lad – until he met Alex Lifeson. Despite Lee now being in his 70s, he can clearly recall the day Lifeson first introduced him to the world of marijuana… and ultimately sabotaged his gig in a local band.

In a new interview with Prog magazine, Lee laughs when he remembers his first time getting stoned. “[Lifeson] was the one who introduced me to it,” Lee says. “I was playing in this other band whose drummer was a Who freak – he dreamed of being in The Who. Me and Al were hanging out… and he gave me my first joint. I got so fucking stoned.”

• READ MORE: “Twice a night we’ll pick a song to play for him”: Geddy Lee reveals how Rush will pay tribute to Neil Peart on reunion tour

Unfortunately, it was only after getting thoroughly high that the penny dropped – Lee had somewhere to be. “Suddenly I went, ‘Shit, I have to go to rehearsal!’” he says.

Aware that he had been the one to corrupt Lee, tempting him to get stoned in the middle of the day, Lifeson offered to walk with Lee to his rehearsal. “Al came with me, and we were walking in slow motion across the park,” Lee remembers. “I got to the guy’s house, and he looked at me and went: ‘Look at your eyes, man. Are you stoned?’ He was freaking out like you’d expect your parents to freak out.”

“I was like, ‘This is a bummer, man! Al, this guy’s a drag!’” Lee laughs. “I said, ‘I gotta go home. How do I come down from this stuff?’ And [Lifeson] went, ‘You gotta drink Coca Cola. It brings you down.’ So, yeah, we kind of bonded over marijuana.”

While Lee adds that he’s “never touched the stuff since”, it’s a comment clearly made in jest. In the band’s 2010 documentary, Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, Lee admitted that Rush “were pretty high” while recording their 1975 record, Caress of Steel, adding that it clearly “sounds like it” too. He has even gone on record acknowledging that Rush fans are also prone to enjoy getting stoned. During the band’s appearance on Classic Albums series, he proudly labelled Rush crowds  “the most aromatic audience” he knows of.

Lifeson has also been very vocal about his appreciation of marijuana. In fact, he even spoke to High Times in 2012 and revealed that a few Rush tracks were inspired by the ol’ hazy jane – namely the 1976 track Passage to Bangkok, which documents the best places to go to bag high-grade cannabis.

“It’s about a fun little journey to all the good places you could go to have a puff,” Lifeson explained. “We thought it would be kind of fun to write a song about that, and Neil [Peart] did it in a very eloquent way, I think. That song was probably written in a farmhouse, on an acoustic guitar, in front of a little cassette player of some sort. We would record like that and then go down in the basement and rehearse it.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Lifeson reflected on his relationship with the drug. “Do things go better with pot? Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t,” he said. “I find that you can be very imaginative when stoned, you can be very creative – but implementation is sometimes difficult. In the past, there have been times when I’ve been really inspired in writing and came up with things that I would never otherwise think up. But the actual playing can be obstructed a little bit.”

He also recalled how him the band’s legendary drummer, the late Neil Peart, sometimes used to smoke before going out onstage. “In the very, very early days, occasionally – well, more than ‘occasionally’ – Neil and I would smoke a joint before going on,” he admitted. “I mean, this is in the mid-‘70s; I would never, ever do something like that now! I won’’ even have a sip of beer before a show, because I need to be extremely clear-headed.”

Now, the Rush pair are a bit more responsible. And they wont be high onstage during their Fifty Something Tour, which kicks off in Los Angeles on June 7. The group will perform in North America, South America, the UK, and Europe, finishing the tour on April 10, 2027, in Helsinki.

Head to Rush.com for full dates and ticket information.

The post “Alex gave me my first joint, and I got so f**king stoned”: Rush’s Geddy Lee recalls the first time he smoked marijuana at 13 – and he got so high it sabotaged his band rehearsal appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Blood-vessel popping post-hardcore. Sweeping orchestral movements. Technicolour industrial dubstep. Those are just a few of the flavours that hybrid rockers Enter Shikari have worked their way through over the last 25 years – yet, somehow, they’ve still got more tricks up their sleeve. Like… writing, recording and producing an entire record in secret, only to drop it totally out of the blue on a random Friday? That’s a pretty impressive trick, and one the band pulled off last week.

• READ MORE: “We have this responsibility to keep the community fresh and alive” Meet the rising Asian guitar artists you should get excited about in 2026

When we speak to guitarist Rory Clewlow, it’s the calm before the storm. He’s giddily aware of the chaos that will await when Shikari’s seventh studio album, Lose Your Self, drops outta nowhere in a few weeks time – but he’s also optimistic that fans will love it. “Our last album, A Kiss For The Whole World [2023] had such a big build up, and it even reached number one in the UK charts, which was amazing,” he reflects. “But this time we wanted to do something a bit more fun. Keep people on their toes.”

While the release comes as a surprise for fans, the contents certainly will not. With the ferocity of The Prodigy tousling with a bear, this latest instalment is just as frenetic, synthetic and politically charged as ever. From Lose Your Self’s opening slap of big beat drum and bass, to the bare-boned punk rock attitude of Can’t Keep My Hands Clean, it’s a one-stop-shop of all your Shikari essentials. And it’s all tied together by its desperate howl for unity in a divided world.

Together Stronger

The decision to release the record in one chunk is a symbolic reflection of the unifying power it contains. It carries the same vital torch Shikari have waved as far back as 2009’s Common Dreads cut Solidarity, certain that standing together against adversity is the best way to combat prejudice, challenge governing bodies and heal nations.

In order to rile up the masses, Lose Your Self embodies the old Shikari …Meltdown adage: “countries are just lines drawn in the sand with a stick”. The interconnectivity of humanity lies at the core of this record, with the band decrying baselessly divisive rhetoric and emphasising how “we are all one”, a fact that Find Out The Hard Way proudly proclaims with gusto.

As frontman Rou Reynolds quickly chips in to explain, the title is a twist on the phrase ‘lose yourself’, pointedly splitting the tie between ‘your’ and ‘self’ to highlight how society needs to shake its selfish, self-focused mentality to make progress. “‘Lose Yourself’ often simply means “switch off”, “go crazy”, “lose your mind” – Lose Your Self means almost the opposite,” he muses.

“The title encourages you to notice our shared reality, notice how you are connected to others, and to the natural world,” the singer continues. “It drops the idea that you are nothing but a self-interested individual — an idea relentlessly reinforced by our modern system.”

Mass Effect

As a result Lose Your Self is rendered a command. And it’s a command that transcends the group’s records; even in the flesh, their live shows serve as a vital hub of community, allowing people to ‘lose their self’ and become a unified mass of eager, sweaty bodies.

Their tight-knit, impassioned community serves as one of the band’s crowning achievements, and guitarist Clewlow is filled with pride when he reflects on it. “We often hear that Shikari shows feel like a safe space for people, a chance to mix and make loads of friends,” he says. “That’s been a theme throughout our whole career – that sense of unity and community. Seeing that first hand, it makes you viscerally feel the importance of live music.”

It’s exactly why the group kicked off this new era with a show at Manchester’s Satan’s Hollow, a tiny 400-cap venue that allowed them to get up close and personal with their fanbase. In November, they’ll be kicking off their boldest arena tour yet, but each ticket comes with a small levy towards the Music Venue Trust in support of those smaller independent venues.

“The world is becoming so disconnected because of social media, but music venues are a great space for connecting in the real world, realising what we all have in common and building a community,” Clewlow reflects. “It’s crucial for young people to have a place they can go and experience ‘analogue’ things like live music.”

Hard Graft

Of course, this new record is the perfect excuse to lure people out to a live show. From the chunky metallic guitars of Find Out The Hard Way to the climactic Dead In The Water, it’s a total home-run for the Shikari lads. They also wanted to throw in a few features to amplify Lose Your Self’s message of unity – namely Architects’ Sam Carter – but plans fell through.

“We originally asked Sam to be a guest vocalist on Dead In The Water in particular, and he was keen,” Clewlow recalls. “But he ultimately came back and said ‘Oh, dude, I shouldn’t – I’ve been doing too many features recently…’ His vocals would have been perfect, but maybe he can sing on it live later down the line.”

Though, there is somewhat of an elephant in the room. As Shikari continue to pioneer their own realm of politically-charged, future-thinking sound, it’s crucial to remain one step ahead of the curve – and, in the band’s case, that has meant decentralising the humble riff. As Clewlow explains, if a track doesn’t need guitar, there’s no point forcing it into the mix. “

“I’m actually constantly checking myself to make sure that my ego is not getting in the way of making good music,” Clewlow laughs. “In the past I might have protested, but now I can tell what’s best for the song. If that means no guitar, leave it out.”

Shifting Priorities

However, if you can’t hear a guitar on a Shikari track, that doesn’t mean it’s not buried in there. In order to evolve along with his band, Clewlow has learned to adapt his instrument.

“I love keeping up with new technologies, and my Kemper Profiler means that I can play my guitar like a synth,” he explains. “I always use the Kemper’s Formant Shift effect, which changes the form of the sound in a really interesting way. You can get some wild sounds that you’d never, ever guess came from a guitar.”

Take The Flick Of A Switch I, for example. The track has a constant synthetic presence – but it’s actually Clewlow working his Kemper magic. “I use it in almost every song on the album, but that track really stands out,” the guitarist notes, illustrating his point by performing his part acapella.

He nods his head in time, imagining each hit of the EDM-infused beat, while sounding out the thump of his foundational synth layer. “Before the drop, when you can really hear the synth hit, that’s actually me!”

Clewlow jokes about the irony of being a guitarist who “really enjoys not sounding like [he] plays guitar”, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love his instrument. In fact, he’s ridiculously excited by the potential of the guitar, ever fascinated by how versatile it proves to be. And technology is a massive help.

In the past, that came with hoarding countless pedals to explore new sounds. “My setup used to be a Gibson SG Standard, a Peavey 5150, and a crazy pedalboard,” he recalls. “It just kept growing, every year. I’d be tap-dancing around on my pedals like crazy.”

While he does occasionally miss the tap-dancing sessions, a particularly wistful air colouring his tone when he recalls his Boss DD-3T (“it made an almost machine gun stutter, it was so much fun!”), he doesn’t regret shifting his set up to a Fender Telecaster American Ultra and a Kemper Profiler.

The change happened during the recording of 2015’s The Mindsweep, and it has allowed him to explore far more sonic ground with a fraction of the gear. “All the pedals were getting so complicated,” he admits. “I’ve still got the pedals in storage, and I’ve got a load of guitars, but that set up does it for me. I like to keep things minimal, as simple as possible, with the least points of potential failure as possible.”

Keep It Simple

As simple as it is, Clewlow insists that the Tele and Kemper combo is a total killer. A few extras sometimes play their part (“I throw in a DigiTech Whammy for good measure,” he grins), but he’s confident in his setup. It’s all he tours with, and it’s never let him down.

Though, he was sceptical about switching to a profiler at first. “It sounds ridiculous now, but when it first came out, I was certain it wouldn’t be as good as a real amp,” he admits. “But when I first profiled my 5150, it was excellent. That’s actually still the main sound I use – I just love the attack, there’s something about it that’s so satisfying.

“But I also love the Peavey 6505 profile, and, paired with my Tele, that’s one of my favourite sounds. It’s great having the option to flick between the Peavey profiles so easily… I’m very satisfied with my wacky Kemper!”

It’s not the first time Clewlow’s scepticism has been proved wrong. Even his switch to a Tele was dubious. “The first guitar I ever bought was a Tele – and I didn’t know anything about guitars at the time,” he explains. “Because of that, I just thought of it as a ‘beginner’ guitar. It was never on my radar for Enter Shikari. When our producer Dan Weller encouraged me to try out a 70s Telecaster during the recording of The Mindsweep, I realised how wrong I’d been.”

Captivated by the Tele’s “gnarly” tone, Clewlow was instantly hooked. “It just gave me so much satisfaction, cranking the game, going for a neck pickup and playing properly heavy stuff,” he smiles. “It was one of those moments where I just realised I wanted to just use this all the time. It’s just a really unique sounding guitar. For me, no other guitar has a more distinctive sound than playing a Tele on a neck pickup.”

Group Effort

Across the entirety of Lose Your Self, Clewlow has plenty of stand-out moments, from the grandiose trilogy of Spaceship Earth tracks, waltzing between orchestral marvel and bounding riffs, to the gritty riffs of Shipwrecked!. However, he’s particularly fond of Dead In The Water, due to how it captures the Shikari family in action.

The track pops in a burst of fan gang vocals recorded at a gig. It’s yet another emblem of Shikari’s community, capturing the sound of their Shikari family nestled into the fabric of the record – and it also serves as a fun reminder of the band’s last jaunt around Japan. “We wanted a gang vocal just before the last chorus hits, so we got the whole of the Japanese audience to shout ‘DEAD!’ – but we did it quite sneakily,” Clewlow explains. “Rou just made a few weird noises into the mic to rile people up, then held the mic out to the crowd so everyone would parrot the noise back each time. One of them was ‘DEAD!’”

Though, Clewlow is most proud of how far the band have come sonically over the years. Back in the day, Shikari’s most ambitious technological feat was strapping torches to the end of their guitars; “it was very ‘futuristic’, like our own lightsabers… very handy for checking your set list between songs,” he laughs. Nowadays, they’re constantly treading new ground, grappling with new synthetic breakdowns and pushing for new sounds.

With such an unpredictable track record, Clewlow isn’t sure what’s next. But he’s always eager to get stuck in. “I think it’s good to explore different palettes – there’s no such thing as a ‘correct guitar part’, for example,” he explains. “There’s a million things you could play, a million ways a track can sound, and they’d all be interesting in their own ways. It’s bad to stress over ‘perfection’, because it limits you.”

“You can’t please everyone, you just need to please yourself and make music you love,” he concludes. “Which sounds like the equivalent of me sitting here saying “live, laugh, love”… but it’s true!”

The post “We wanted to do something a bit more fun. Keep people on their toes” Enter Shikari on surprise dropping their new record, and the importance of real live music appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Musician/composer/arranger Gabe Noel (Sombr, Kendrick Lamar, Harry Styles, Dijon) shares his latest instrument acquisition, an incredibly rare 1930s Rickenbacker tenor guitar with a built-in motorized vibrola system.

He also jams with a player piano, proving that even the quirkiest of vintage instruments can sound great in the right hands.

https://www.gabenoel.com

We’ll share more on Gabe and this instrument in the 60th issue of our print magazine, out later in 2026. Subscribe to get it.

Register today for our 2026 Fretboard Summit in Chicago: https://fretboardsummit.org

It’s three days of concerts, workshops, panel discussions, a lutherie showcase and surprises, just for guitar lovers. The festival takes place August 20-22, 2026 at Chicago’s Old Town School.

Stills and filming by Jim Newberry

The post Gabe Noel & His Rickenbacker Vibrola Tenor Guitar first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

Press Release

Source: The Green Room PR

Diamond-certified superstar Thomas Rhett celebrates his 25th career No. One as “Ain’t A Bad Life” ft. Jordan Davis tops the Mediabase/Country Aircheck chart this week. Written by Thomas Rhett, Ashley Gorley, Blake Pendergrass, John Byron and Mark Trussell, the track “takes on a bright, acoustic sound, injecting a fresh breath of optimism” (Holler), delivering “charm and catchy melodies” (Country Central).

This achievement stands out not only for its sheer volume, but for the remarkable speed and consistency with which he’s dominated the charts in the 14 years since releasing his very first single.I’m really grateful to the fans, country radio, and everyone who’s been on this ride with me—this one means a lot.”

Joining “Beautiful As You” and “After All The Bars Are Closed,” the acclaimed single marks the third No. One from Thomas Rhett’s newest album, ABOUT A WOMAN (Deluxe). The “energized and upbeat” (Forbes) 25-track project born of charismatic craftsmanship, feel-good energy and his beloved awestruck romantic authenticity combine in a creative high-water mark. It also features collaborations with Lanie Gardner, Blake Shelton, Teddy Swims and Tucker Wetmore—showcasing why he continues to be one of Nashville’s most versatile hitmakers.

Thomas Rhett recently announced his return to the road this summer, bringing his “bombastic, good-time energy” (Esquire) to venues across the country on the SOUNDTRACK TO LIFE TOUR. The 20+ city run will feature two special stadium dates this July with longtime friend Niall Horan at GEODIS Park and Hersheypark Stadium. In addition to his headlining tour, Thomas Rhett is appearing with Morgan Wallen on his Still The Problem Tour and will make his highly anticipated return to the U.K. this summer for a three-night run at Wembley Stadium with Luke Combs.

Pairing a laid-back perspective with a vocal drenched in casual country soul, Thomas Rhett has spent just over a decade building one of country music’s most consistent hitmaking careers with more than 16 billion streams and armfuls of awards, including eight ACM Awards—among them “Entertainer of the Year”—two CMA Awards, five GRAMMY® nominations and trophies from the CMT Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards and iHeartRadio Music Awards; he has also received five CMA Triple Play Awards for penning three No. One songs within a 12-month period.

He’s just teamed up with GRAMMY®-nominated global artist and producer Marshmello on their new single “Where We Go” and recently released a fresh take on “Georgia On My Mind” as part of ESPN’s official campaign for the 2026 Masters Tournament. For a full list of upcoming dates and new music updates, visit ThomasRhett.com and follow along on Instagram // Facebook // TikTok // Twitter / X // YouTube.

Japan’s 65-year-old conservative prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, told Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice “you are my god” ahead of the band’s show at Tokyo’s legendary Budokan Hall on Saturday.

Takaichi, who became Japan’s first-ever female prime minister in October last year, played keyboards in a Deep Purple tribute band and drums for a heavy metal group at university. She has reportedly been a fan of the group since grade school, which children in Japan attend until the age of 12, when she purchased their 1972 album, Machine Head.

• READ MORE: Massive trove of random rock memorabilia – including Eddie Van Halen’s 6th grade history homework – headed for auction
  

“I can’t believe Deep Purple are here,” she beamed as she greeted the London metal five piece. “I have the deepest respect for the way you continue to make rock history while embracing new challenges and creating captivating music to this day.”

She added that she hopes the tour will promote cultural exchange between the UK and Japan and that their show will excite fans all over the country.

Meeting the band at Tokyo’s tourism office, she gifted Paice a pair of signed Japanese-made drumsticks, to which Paice told her: “You’re a drummer: we are friends!”.

Deep Purple are in Japan for their on-going world tour, which included a show at Budokan Hall, Tokyo. The legendary arena has welcomed the likes of The Beatles, Bob Dylan and ABBA, who performed their last-ever show at the venue in March 1980.

In 1972, Deep Purple released their Made in Japan live double album to critical acclaim, which included recordings from Budokan Hall, a venue the band have described as one of their favourites to play.

“It’s always a pleasure to come to Japan,” said Paice, “and this time we have an added bonus.”

Takaichi, who enjoyed a 92 per cent approval rating among young Japanese voters as recently as December, has repeatedly flexed her musical background and acumen.

In January, a clip of her drumming K-pop super-group BTS’s track “Dynamite” and the song “Golden” from hit Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters with South Korean president Lee Jae Myung went viral.

Takaichi also made multiple appearances on Babymetal’s Metal Radio, a Tokyo FM show hosted by members of the all-female Japanese metal band Babymetal, prior to her election.

She told them: “When I get irritated by my husband’s choice of words or behaviour, I play the electronic drums after he’s gone to bed. ‘Burn’ by Deep Purple is a staple. I play songs like this to let off steam.”

She repeated the anecdote to Deep Purple, joking: “These days, when I fight with my husband I drum to ‘Burn’ and cast a curse on him.”

Takaichi has been called Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ for her adulation of Margaret Thatcher and her conservative social and economic views. She is also a member of the Nippon Kaigi, a nationalist lobby group, and is considered the protege of the country’s assassinated nationalist ex-prime minister, Shinzo Abe.

The post “You are my god”: Japan’s self-described “rocker” prime minister meets with Deep Purple ahead of Budokan Hall show appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

By: Rick Landers

Images: Courtesy of “The Rambler”

True grit, in the name of Jack Elliott (born Elliott Charles Adnopoz; August 1, 1931, Brooklyn, New York) was on the road when he was fifteen years old to become…a cowboy. The son of a surgeon, Abraham Adnapoz, and school teacher, Florence “Flossie” (Rieger) Adnapoz, his Wild West dream was inspired by “The Singing Cowboy” Gene Autry and his remarkable horse, (Touring) Champion, when Gene’s rodeo showed up at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott with his trusty “steed” – a Martin D-28 with unique inlays & art – photo credit: Dan Dion

Many moons later, Jack would take on the moniker, “Ramblin'” when the legendary folk singer, Odetta, introduced him to her mother, Flora Sanders, who noted how he could carry on with his stories – (“Oh, Jack Elliott, yeah, he can sure ramble on!”) The young Jack, inspired by the Gene Autry rodeo set off for North Carolina hitching rides where he connected with Jim Eskew’s Rodeo, a traveling show that made its way along the East Coast of the United States.

“When he’s learning a song he kind of tries it on like a pair of gloves…He’s got a way of doing things that’s uniquely his own. He makes a song his own. That’s the beauty of it.” – Tom Waits

It didn’t take long – three months – when his father, Abraham, and mother, Florence, tracked him down and brought him back home to finish school. But, during his time with the rodeo he befriended a true cowboy and rodeo clown, poet, Brahmer Rogers, who played guitar, banjo and sang.

Inspired, Jack taught himself how to play guitar and five-string banjo and while back in New York he met the legendary folk musician, Woody Guthrie. Jack and Woody struck up a kinship, with Jack living with the Guthrie’s for a couple of years. Woody was diagnosed in 1952 with Huntington chorea hereditary disease, institutionalized in 1956 and passed away in 1967.  Jack had embraced Woody’s music and the man, and continues to honor him carrying the lyrical extent of Guthrie’s portrayal of America’s fault lines, promise and vision.

“His tone of voice is sharp, focused and piercing. All that and he plays the guitar effortlessly in a fluid flat-picking perfected style. He was a brilliant entertainer…. Most folk musicians waited for you to come to them. Jack went out and grabbed you….. Jack was King of the Folksingers.” – Bob Dylan 

Jack toured the U.K. and Europe with banjoist, Derroll Adams,  and he was signed to Topic Records where he recorded three albums and he landed a gig on U.K.’s television series, Hullabaloo, presented by Geordie folksinger, Rory McEwen. And while in England, Jack became a staple of the English folk and skiffle scene with his interpretive music and ability to captivate audiences with his style and yarn spinnng tales. Tenacious and driven, his musical education included teaching himself various guitar fingerpicking styles, as well as harmonica to better portray songs of  folk, country, blues and bluegrass tunes, and what may today be referred to as traditional Americana.

Back in the States, “The Rambler” was known for his down-to-earth style and his performances of Woody’s songs with Guthrie once saying, “Sounds more like me than I do.”

“Nobody I know—and I mean nobody—has covered more ground and made more friends and sung more songs than the fellow you’re about to meet right now. He’s got a song and a friend for every mile behind him. Say hello to my good buddy, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott.”  – Johnny Cash

Later, Jack took on the role of mentor with a young Bob Dylan (Robert Zimmerman) and would introduce him as his “son”. And Jack would become a sought after entertainer, working with many who are now fellow folk and country music icons: Phil Ochs, Odetta, Johnny Cash, Pete Seeger, and more during an era of what some called, “The Folk Scare”.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jack’s recording history is extensive with his first album, Woody Guthrie’s Blues (1956 – Topic), recorded by music historian, Alan Lomax, in England. The album featured six songs by Guthrie, including such riveting tunes as, “1913 Massacre,” and “Talking Columbia Blues,” a home grown solo project with Jack on vocals, guitar and harmonica.

The next year, a second album, Jack Elliot Sings (1957 – 77 Label), another home recording with music critic, Richie Unterberger, noting “it’s a good no-frills set…” Liner notes were written by Alex Korner, a musician considered, “a founder father of British blues”.

More across the pond albums would follow: Jack Takes then Floor (1958) and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott in London (1959), Ramblin’ Jack Elliott Sings Songs by Woody Guthrie and Jimmie Rodgers (1960) and “Jack Elliott Sings the Songs of Woody Guthrie (1960). Then back in the States in 1962 he released what many consider one of his finest recordings, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott (1962).

“Colorado had a reputation. Smoke a lot of dope, lot of pretty girls. It was a fun place to play, me and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot covered 12 cities in a broken-down RV full of strange characters. It was like Ken Kesey’s bus.” – John Prine

Many more albums would follow and in 1996 he would be the recipient of a Grammy Award for South Coast (South Coast label) – Best Traditional Folk Album, then again in 2010 – Best Traditional Blues Album in 2010 for “A Stranger Here”.

Holstering two Grammy awards and four Grammy nominations, Elliott is respected as a genuine American treasure. And in 1998, President Bill Clinton awarded Jack with the National Medal of the Arts. More recently, Jack’s daughter, Aiyana (Elliott) Partland, filmed, directed and produced, The Ballad of Ramblin’ Jack, that presented perspectives on Elliott’s life and their relationship, attaining an impressive Special Jury Prize from the Sundance Film Festival.  In 2016, he became a recipient of a Folk Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award.

“In giving new life to our most valuable musical traditions, Ramblin’ Jack has himself become an American treasure.” – President Bill Clinton

Jack’s life experience is deep and straddles a panoramic view of American life, and with his drive and artistic curiosity he’s sought and grasped its traditions and its raw and spirited tangled roots. From the mountains of Appalachia and the Rockies, the Atlantic to the shores of the Pacific, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott has lived the hardscrabble life of a road dawg musician, starting from a New York island…

Guitar International is honored to offer its readers our conversation with The Rambler, who was astute, congenial and an engaging conversationalist, as we talked about his guitars, music, musicians, long haul truckers, logging, seafaring, old friends and his next gig: May 22, 2026, at The Freight in Berkeley, California, with his band and friends: Sean Allen, Paul Knight & Kendrick Freemen and Friends: Jason Crosby, Maria Muldaur, Eric & Suzy Thompson, Mike Beck Lowell, ‘Banana’ Levinger, Jessie DeNatale & Kathy Kallick.

TICKETS TO JACK’S MAY 22 FREIGHT SHOW AVAILABLE HERE!

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“Ramblin’” Jack Elliott with his Martin D-28 with custom-unique inlays.

Rick: Let’s start with the projects that you’re working on now. I know that you’ve got a band, and I think you’re going to be playing in California in May.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yes, it’s May twenty-second in Berkeley at the Freight and Salvage, about a hundred miles away, it’s about a three and a half hour drive.

Rick: Are you going to be playing solo or are you going to be with a band?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I’m gonna be with a band.

Rick: Who’s in your band?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: (Lowell) “Banana” Levinger, who used to play with Jesse Colin Young and the Youngbloods, “Come on, everybody, let’s get together and love one another right now.” I never got along with Jesse. First time I met him was in Cambridge. 1965 or so. Made a trip to Woodstock, New York, on two motorcycles. And we had very bad weather, big, heavy, heavy rain and wind.

Rick: Oh, wow.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: And he had to leave his wife in a driveway. Take the rear wheel off. I took Jesse and his rear wheel on the back of my motorcycle. Drove up ahead, found the garage, got the tire fixed, went back, found this wet wife. It was a wet day, everything was wet.

Rick: Yeah, kind of dangerous.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: And we got to Woodstock and then I didn’t see him for about a year. And then we happened to be neighbors, he was playing at a nearby gig on the same street in Oklahoma City with me, and I went down, we had a beer together.

We were politely trying to, uh…converse in a friendly manner, and that worked okay for a short while. And then I didn’t see him again for, like, 10 years. And then, he hired my wife to work for him in his office of his record company, and I’m very grateful to Jesse for having invited us out there because his office was in a very nice location, and we ended up moving into a nice little house nearby. It was nicer than being in town, more country.

Rick: Ridgetop, right?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yeah, it was not far from him. His house on Ridgetop was about 10 miles away from where we found a place to live and rented a nice little house on the bay there. Tomales Bay. Where are you located?

Rick: I’m in Northern Virginia, Reston, Virginia.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I was there once. Just to visit a friend or his parents. (Performed – Herndon-Reston Folk Club – The Tortilla Factory)

Rick: Yeah, we’ve got some pretty good clubs here. Do you know The Birchmere?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I played there one time, with Guy Clark.

Rick: Oh, did you really? Oh, very cool.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yeah, it was a wonderful time. And we were put up by a veterinarian who takes care of lions in the zoo. And he had a biplane, a Stearman. And we were gonna go for a ride with him, but the guy had to be somewhere else.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Rick: So, who else is in your band?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: My bass player is Paul Knight, who’s an excellent bass player, he plays on a guitar sized bass. It’s electrified, but not a solid body, it’s a hollow body, like an acoustic. Bananas’ guitar is a five-string guitar. Never seen one before.

Rick: I once interviewed Roger McGuinn and he had just gotten his 7-string signature model from Martin.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I think that’s a Russian guitar. They play 7-string guitars in Russia. I think that’s the only place they do. There’s gonna be another guitar player who’s a very, very good electric guitar player. And I played with him several times, and a drummer who’s an excellent drummer.

I’ve got several other famous musicians who are playing with me there, too. Maria Mauldar. and Jason Crosby. No relation to David. I didn’t get along with David. He had a lovely boat. A schooner. And I love sailing. I used to visit the schooner and its captain when David was not around.

Rick: That’s funny. Do you know Gordon Bok?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yes, but I haven’t seen Gordon in a long time. Sailed with him in the sloop, Clearwater. He was the mate on the Clearwater. He sings a lot of sea shanties.

Rick: Yeah, I wrote a song about a white whale off the coast of Chile. It’s called “Leviathan”.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: When I was a kid, my next door neighbor, Captain Bob Hinckley was the first mate on the largest ocean liner on the Atlantic between World War I and World War II. The SS Leviathan, which is a fancy word for whale.

And when he was a kid. Oh, like, about 14 years old, he sailed in a whale ship out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, which was one of the largest whaling ports. It was 1912, the last year they ever had a whale ship come out of New Bedford. Charles W. Morgan. It’s the name of the ship.

Rick: It’s an interesting history. This morning I watched The Ballad of Ramblin’ Jack Elliot and I thought your daughter, Aiyana, did a nice job.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I think so too, I enjoyed the movie a lot.

Rick: Yeah, how’d you find the experience of actually doing the filming and being part of that?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott – photo credit: Michael Avedon

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Well, it wasn’t too hard playing Ramblin’ Jack. Because, I got to do it for another movie once before. I’ve starred as Ramblin’ Jack on three different documentaries, one was in Texas. One was in Sausalito, California, mostly about boats and people who love boats. And the other one was the one that Aiyana did, which was very good, and won a prize.

Rick: Oh, cool. Let’s go back several years, and we’re going to cover a little bit of ground that I know you’ve covered several times before. But, I think it was 1951 when you went to Madison Square Garden and you saw Gene Autry.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: No, that was in 1940. I was nine years old.

Rick: Well, there’s a lot of bad information out there, so…

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: There is, there certainly is.

Rick: So, what was your impression of seeing him? I mean, he was a huge.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: As a child, I thought it was wonderful. I had never seen a cowboy. I loved everything about the rodeo. Up to and including Gene and his horse, but…the following year, Roy Rogers was the star. And I liked Roy pretty much too, and his horse, Trigger. But I was beginning to get a lot more fascinated about real cowboys and there’s quite a lot of difference between Gene Autry and the real work of cowboys.

Rick: So, did you ever meet Gene?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I did meet him later, when he was in his 90s, and I was in my 60s. And I shook his hand at a big dinner down in Palm Springs. I was hanging out with an Indian actor friend of mine, American Indian (Floyd Red Crow Westerman) who acted in movies, and sang and had a voice like Johnny Cash. He was in a movie called, Dances With Wolves.

With Gene, I said, “Hello, I saw you when I was nine, and I play a Martin. And he said, “Good!”. And that was it and I realized that I was a little too perspicacious about his old age. And now I’m 94, probably older than he was then. This is thirty years later and Gene’s in heaven, or somewhere nearby.

Rick: That’s sweet to say that. I interviewed Les Paul when he was 94. And he was quite astute and he kept at it until he was 101 years old. He played that week up in New York City at the Iridium, the same week he passed away. But, he had a long, good life. And he was quite astute when he passed away at 101.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: The day after Pete Seeger’s 90th birthday I went to see Les Paul in the Iridium. I went with my manager who was married to a guitar player, Roy Rogers.

Rick: The slide player?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yes. And they’re also acquainted with the movie actor, Roy Rogers, and they visited Roy at his home ranch, when Roy was living. And they have a lot of Roy Rogers type paraphernalia around their house decorations.

Rick: And Gene has a museum, right?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yeah, as a matter of fact, last night I couldn’t think of this trick rider’s name, but when I was 15 I ran away from home and got a job on a traveling rodeo outfit, the J.E. Ranch Rodeo. They hired me as a groom and gave me a string of six horses to take care of in a big tent. We went from Washington, D.C., where I was hired to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

And we sucked up approximately 30 tons of coal dust into the train. And when we unloaded the horses and bulls and cattle from the train in Pittsburgh I had to wash my hands and face, and every half hour on the trip, so I didn’t come out totally blackface. My first job was helping to unload bucking horses out of a boxcar.

Rick: Wow.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: It wasn’t a boxcar, it was what they call a baggage car that had been converted into a cattle car. We were unloading them out of that into a truck and taking them over to the indoor rodeo in Pittsburgh. We were there ten days; it rained a lot. We had a clown on that show called Brahma Rogers. He played a five-string banjo and guitar and sang cowboy and hillbilly songs. They didn’t have Country Western at that time. That was a new name for the music. I was gone for three months. I got a guitar and started to learn how to play.

Rick: Is that the Gretsch you had in the early days?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: No, the first was a cheap guitar made out of cigar boxwood. It was called a Collegiate. It was about 12 dollars. After three months of trying to play on that miserable guitar my fingers were getting like elephant’s feet, because it had very bad action with the strings about half an inch off the fingerboard.

Then I took some lessons from a Cuban gentleman, and he was very nice. And he told me that he knew of a Gretsch guitar that was for sale in the window of a music store down on Third Avenue under the Third Avenue L. That’s an elevated train. And I went there, slightly shopworn from sunburn. And they sold me that Gretsch 75 for $75, and I thought it was worth a lot more. And that I had when I met Woody and was hanging out with Woody Guthrie for three years. And then I met my wife in 1954. We got married, went to Europe in ’55.

We toured around Europe for three years with the Gretsch on a motor scooter, over the Alps in a blizzard. Never hurt that guitar, had a really firm case for it, a hard wooden case. I brought it back and went to the same store where I bought it, the Gretsch and bought a D-28 Martin dreadnaught which was a really nice guitar.

“The Rambler” with his Gretsch 75.

Rick: Yeah, that would have been Brazilian rosewood.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yes. So, I retired the Gretsch temporarily and left it for safekeeping in a closet in the House of Usher where I met June, my first wife. Usher; his mother was a painter and taught painting. And my bride was an art model who modeled for painters. And she modeled for art schools. She was also an actress.

Rick: I noticed on that D-28 that you were playing, it looked like you or somebody had changed the fretboard because of the inlays I saw on it. I’d never seen inlays like that on that D-28.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: That’s right, that was done by a friend I’d met who went by the name Guthrie Thomas, like Dylan Thomas. That wasn’t his real name, of course. He was a cute kid and was really good with Mother of Toilet Seat.

And he said he worked for Martin Guitars, which may have been true, it may not have been true. He was good with Mother of Pearl and he produced a series of little images up and down the neck of things he was fond of. I didn’t give him a list of what things I would like on the guitar. I just left it totally up to him, I think. Maybe I did give him some suggestions, like one was a Kenworth truck with smoke coming out of the smokestack.

Another was a horse. I later got a painter friend of mine in Colorado to paint. She had painted a lot of horses. She’s a horse painter. She’s still alive. I gave her a photograph of a bull rider making a very good ride. She copied it in pencil because the pick guard had come unglued from the guitar and there was a rough, bare wood section with no protection. So, she sanded it smooth and drew a pencil drawing copied from the photograph and filled it in with paint, oil paint. And covered it over with a piece of transparent plastic to it…wouldn’t be injured by the guitar pick and the pick guard is still on the guitar. I still play on that Martin.

Rick: Doesn’t it have a dolphin or fish on the fretboard as well?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I believe there was. I don’t have it here in the house. My bass player, Paul, who is an excellent sound man and knows how to speak to sound, because most sound men are deaf.

Rick: So, you’re going to be playing in May.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yeah, May twenty-second.

Rick: I’ll make sure it’s on there and I’ll put a link in the interview so people can find it to buy tickets.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Oh, that’d be lovely. And it’s one day before my grandsons’ birthday. They’re gonna be 17. They’re catching up with me and they’re about one foot taller than me.

And they’re just babies, but they’re champion volleyball players. They love sports and they’re very good students in high school. They’re graduating this summer.

Rick: That’s a milestone. It’s nice to have grandbabies.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: It certainly is. It’s very nice, very nice! I never went to grandpa, grand parenting school. I don’t know what to do. But, every day I’m learning new tricks.

Rick: Well, that’s part of life, right? You know, things…you keep learning as long as you can and experiencing things. Maybe that’s the purpose of life, you know, to explore and discover new things.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Keep her full, as the sailors say, the square rigger sailors from olden times, you know, clipper ships. Keep her full and steer small.

Rick: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Keep her full and steer small.

Rick: That’s clever and that’s probably true, right?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yeah, not the stuff you see in movies. Because when you do this, you end up having to do this! That’s called steering all over the map.

Rick: Let’s talk, a little bit about songwriting. When you’re writing a song, do you have an idea of what you’re gonna play, or do you noodle around?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I’ve only written three songs and I don’t know how to write a song and I have no idea when or if I can write another one, but I hope I can, and I would love to. I wrote one song that was about a trip to New Orleans where I met a banjo player named Billy Farrer.

Rick: Hmm.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: And he’s like the star of the song. And in fact, he was a very great banjo player. I think my song helped to make him a lot more famous than he would have been. And he appreciated that, and we became good friends.

Rick: So, what was it like living with the Guthrie family?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yeah, well, Arlo was three years old when I moved in with them in 1951, and I was nineteen. I’m 16 years older and I was 19 and Woody was 39 or 40, about 20 years older than me. Yeah, when I was 20, Woody was 40. They lived in a small apartment. The apartment building was owned by the Trump family [smiles], you may have heard of them.

Rick: I have.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: A little-known family in Queens.

Rick: Uh-huh, yep.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: As a cowboy, I never appreciated Queens or Brooklyn. I like some things about New York City though, I like the Empire State Building, I like the Brooklyn Bridge. I love the West Side Highway with all the transatlantic liners that used to come in there and blow their foghorns.  I’ve always been romantically attracted to ships.

Rick: Well, I was thinking about this, this morning, that you’re a romantic. Even as a little boy you left home to become a cowboy; that’s a true romance.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yeah, I was reading books by Will James.

Rick: Uh-huh, yeah.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Somebody turned me on to a book called, Lone Cowboy: My Life Story, by Will James. That was his autobiography. It wasn’t entirely true. Of course, as a naive young kid, I believed everything I read. Later, I found out that Will James was not born in Montana, by the side of the trail. He was born in Montreal.

Rick: Oh, he’s a Canadian.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: And he spoke with a French-Canadian accent. And couldn’t get a job working in Hollywood as a cowboy. Because they thought he didn’t speak like a cowboy with that French accent.

Rick: That’s funny you should mention that. When I was doing some research on you, I  started doing a deep dive on Gene Autry and his best friend ended up being Mr. Haney on the tv series, Green Acres.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I never was much of a film theater goer, film watcher. I met Jack Nicholson one time. And I saw a movie that he made. I had actually gone to see this movie called Five Easy Pieces. And in the end of the movie, he’s hitchhiking up to Canada, and he gets a ride in a very cool red Kenworth log truck. A big one, and I said, “Jack, that was a beautiful log truck!” and he says, “Why, Jack, I didn’t know you were a movie goer.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Rick: So, did you do a lot of hitchhiking when you were young?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: From the time I was about 17 or 18 until I was about 22 or so, I did a lot. In fact, that’s how I learned how to drive a semi. Never had a license, but I’ve driven about 30 semis as a hitchhiker.

Rick: Really?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: The driver gets tired, he says, “Can you drive?” And I said, “Yeah, a little.”

Rick: He wants to sleep!

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: You drive for a couple hours, I need to get some sleep, I’m falling asleep, okay; change drivers. And I started liking it. I’ve never turned one over.

Rick: Well, that’s good.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I’ve never had a wreck of any kind with a semi.

Rick: Yeah, my father used to drive a truck pulling trailers.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Oh, boy.

Rick: Back in the ‘60s…

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yeah. And I’ve driven log trucks, too.The first time I drove a log truck, it was a fully loaded log truck. It wasn’t empty, it was loaded. But it was on a paved road. And I was going slightly downhill along the Skagit River Valley in Oregon, coming off of Mount Baker.

It was just me and my dog and the truck driver. My dog was a good driver. He’s a Husky. Huskies are born drivers, they love to drive, but you shouldn’t teach your dog to drive. You can get in a lot of trouble.

And I think from that first time, you know, like, he was memorizing everything I did. And so, I didn’t teach him, but he learned by watching me.

Rick: That’s funny. That’s a good story.

During the early mid-Sixties, when the Beatles came out and all those British Invasion folks came out. Then they kind of took over the airwaves. Did you have to reinvent what you were doing or did you just keep plugging on, you know, being Ramblin’ Jack Elliott?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: No, I didn’t do anything to change what I was doing. I thought what I was doing was perfect the way it was. And I didn’t need to be influenced in any way by the Beatles. In fact, in the beginning I didn’t realize what an old crotch I am, see, but that was in 1965.

Rick: That’s right, yeah, ’64, ’65, great, right.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: And I had to go to Newport Folk Festival, and I had just recently made friends with a very scary man that I used to always walk on the other side of the street.

Rick: Hmm, okay.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Great songwriter, Tim Hardin.

Rick: Oh yeah, “If I Were A Carpenter”.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: And that became one of my favorite songs. And then I met Tim one day and he had a motorcycle, we’re talking about motorcycles. I found out he’s really a cool guy then.

There was the Newport Folk Festival. It was having difficulty getting tickets. People had to fly in from the West Coast. But, they sent Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, and Mary. A special detail to get us tickets and make sure to get Tim and me on a plane to fly to Newport, Rhode Island, for the Folk Festival.

Rick: Yeah, ’65, wasn’t that when Dylan came out electric?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Uh, no this was ’64, And it was ’65 when he went electric, and I wasn’t in Newport at ’65. I was in England. And the Beatles were getting popular in ’65, and I didn’t know who they were; didn’t know nothing about them. And I was visiting an English friend of mine who was at Newport. Bob Davenport and his wife Tarbi, which is short for Tar Baby.

That was her real name, Tar Baby.

Rick: Really? That’s wild.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: They were watching the Beatles on TV. We stayed overnight at their house. He and I saw the Beatles, and he loved them. And I wasn’t too sure about it. I was more in love with just plain old cowboy music and the Carter family. And Mississippi John Hurt and Big Bill Broonzy and Leadbelly. And anything else was not, not music.

Rick: You had your fix on the style and the genre, as they say.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yeah, I was locked into that. I didn’t even care for Gene Autry at all anymore by that time. I’d outlived him.

Rick: Okay, so when you were in England, who were you listening to in the English scene? I lived in England for a couple years. And then I hitchhiked through Europe and, you know, to Greece. And then I was going to go to Turkey and India, but there were issues between Turkey.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Absolutely. EOKA (National Organization of Cypriot Fighters) was the name of some political group.

Rick: They were fighting or something, I couldn’t even see the Parthenon, because they cordoned it off. And guys are walking around with rifles.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Wow, I was in Greece three times. I love it and I liked the food.

Rick: So, when you were in England, who were people listening to? I know there were Pentangle and Davy Graham, John Martyn.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I knew Davy Graham.

Rick: Did you really? Oh, cool.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yeah, he was a good friend. And I knew his mother. I was like a friend of the family. I’d known him when he was a kid. He wore some kind of a homemade fur suit. Looked like a bear getting out of a subway train.

Rick: I think one of his claims to fame is the instrumental, “Angie”.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I may have heard it, but I’m not familiar.

Rick: Yeah. Yeah, I’d expect if you heard it you’d recognize it.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I knew Rory McEwen and his brother Alex. I knew the guys who started the London Blues and Barrelhouse Club (1957-1961), at Wardour  Street in the Charrington’s Roundhouse Pub in Wardour Street directly across the street from the Windmill theater that had the only naked lady in England.

Rick: I lived in Coventry when I was there and I worked for Virgin Records for a short period and ended up going down to Abbey Road.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I only met one… some of the Beatles one time.

Rick: Yeah?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I had just been to a wedding, Kris and Rita Kristofferson.

Rick: Yeah. Rita Coolidge.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: And the next day they were recording in Hollywood at Sunset Studios and I went to visit them. And, uh, when I got there I walked in from the back parking lot and bumped into Kris and Rita in the hallway. They were having a cigarette, taking a break. And so, they needed to relax for a while, Kris says. “Hey Jack.” I go into Studio A, there’s some people that love you down there. Studio A, okay. I walk down the hall, I open the door and walk in. There’s a room with about 20 people.

And they’re all looking through the window, two people are playing guitars and recording and I don’t recognize anybody, I look into the window and I do recognize one guitar player, David Bromberg. And the other guy is a guitar player from the Beatles, but I didn’t recognize him.

Rick: Was that George Harrison or John Lennon?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: George Harrison. And I didn’t know what he looked like. I didn’t know who he was. But, I did recognize this beautiful Swedish film star. I can’t remember her name now, but she was a very famous movie star and there were no seats available. So, she got up and sat down on her boyfriend’s lap next to her and gave me her seat.

Rick: Oh, how sweet!

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I just said, “Thank you, ma’am”… Sat down, because I’m…Don’t know who’s who at all, except Peter Sellers.

Rick: Oh, that was Britt Eklund.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: That’s right, Britt Eklund. Lovely. I’m sitting right next to her, elbow to elbow. I turned around, to see if I can recognize anybody back there, because there’s three or four rows of people back there. And I recognize one person, and he’s winking at me. He’s the drummer from the Beatles.

Rick: Ringo, yeah.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Ringo is winking at me. And then I just turned around and watched the show, and a few seconds later, a New York guy on the inner sanctum opens the door that’s to the engineering room booth. And he says, “There’s too many people in this room!”

That’s a real New York invitation. So I left. Feeling rather rotten about it. But, I bumped into Ringo a few days later at a Willie Nelson concert. I went back to say, “Hi!” to Willie, and I end up with Ringo, with our arms around each other, like we’re old friends taking a photograph. And I was so stunned, I never even thought to ask the photographer if I could have a copy of that photograph…I have never seen it. But, I did meet Ringo again, one time when Phil Ochs died. I was playing in a tribute concert in Madison Square Garden.

Rick: Mm-hmm.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: And, Ringo’s coming down the hallway, and we met head on and he picks me up. He’s very strong, being a drummer. Flips me over his shoulder.

Rick: That’s hilarious.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Now I’m kicking and I’m swatting Ringo on the butt. “Put me down! Put me down! For about 100 feet, and he finally did put me down, but he walked a long ways through the hallway, crowded. All the way backstage at Madison Square Garden.That’s the last time I ever saw Ringo. We were good friends for about 12 minutes.

Rick: Well, that’s still pretty special and probably special for him because I remember seeing the photos of the Beatles early when they were probably the Silver Beatles.They’re all wearing cowboy boots.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Really?

Rick: So, they liked cowboys.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I would have loved to got to know them better. I did meet George Harrison’s widow, and she filmed me. Interviewed me on camera at her house in L.A. She was very nice. I only met her once.

Rick: If I run through…I did this with Les Paul. I started mentioning names, and he would give me quick one-liners of his experiences with them, or what he thought of them. Can I do that with you?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yes.

Rick: Let’s start with Johnny Cash.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I love Johnny Cash! I love him like a brother. In fact, I love him better than I ever loved my brother David. Who was a good cat. My brother was a really cool dude. I’m kind of sad about him now, but we didn’t get to know each other very well.

Rick: Yeah, it is sad.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: After I ran away from home when I was 15 and he was 10.

Rick: How about John Prine? Did you meet John?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I toured with John on three or four occasions. Loved him a lot. We had a lot of laughs. It was always fun. The first time, I was coming from California, I was gonna fly to meet John in Colorado and tour. These ski towns in the summertime, in the Rockies.

And I went to visit a neighbor friend here in Santa Cruz. I was living in Santa Cruz at the time and this woman had what they call the Santa Cruz Costume Bank. If you were gonna have a party and wanted people to dress up like Halloween she would supply you with whatever you wanted to dress up in. And I was visiting her one day, and I was due to go to Colorado the next day.  And she had a friend who I didn’t know. He was a black comedian, a very likable guy and funny. He had just rented a motorhome and he came by and he said, “I just rented a motorhome and I don’t know where to go. I want to go to someplace nice.”

She said, “Jack here is going to Colorado to tour with John Prine, let’s take him there.”

Zoom.

An hour later, we’re going Highway 17. She’s in the kitchen making some snacks for us, standing up on Highway 17. You can’t stand up on Highway 17. Bad curves, bad… They have dangerous wrecks there every week. We ended up in Colorado. And, our first gig was somewhere towards Denver, but it was in the mountains, west of Denver. Our comedian friend ended up performing on stage. Just for the fun of it.

I can’t remember his name, I’ve never seen him again. But, he was funny enough, we loved him. And the audience all found him very funny and it was unexpected, of course, because it wasn’t announced. John was traveling with his manager and a couple of other friends in a van. I had this motorhome. So, we’d take turns swapping over and riding in with each other in different vehicles. And, lots of love and lots of fun.

Another time I opened for John in an old theater in Monterey, California. I just went there to see a new friend of mine who’s really a great singer-songwriter from Houston. Used to be married to Johnny Cash’s daughter, Roseanne Cash. (Rodney Crowell)

Rick: Did you ever meet Townes Van Zandt?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yeah, I toured with Townes on one occasion. And he was traveling in a van with his bass player, and I think I was in my truck. I don’t think I was riding in the same vehicle with Townes. And I liked him a lot.

Rick: He was supposed to be a pretty smart fella.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Awful smart, very, very smart guy and I love that song he did about, “All the Federales say they could have had him any day.”

Rick: Oh, ”Pancho and Lefty!”

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Yeah.

Rick: I had an opportunity to play in Raton, New Mexico. He has a song about the snows of Raton.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Raton. Yeah, it’s right on the border of Colorado.

Rick: That’s right, and so what I really liked about being there and performing there, I actually performed at a cemetery, performed a song about some miners who passed away in 1913 and 1923. Anyway, I was pleased to be able to play.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Wonderful. I can have a visual image of what that looked like going over Raton Pass on I-25. And the first town you get to is, uh, is near Trinidad, and it’s called Lulu. And there was a song Woody Guthrie wrote, a song about some coal miners who were on strike and the company didn’t like that. The miners went into a little cave they dug, about 11 feet deep. And they had their pregnant wives down in there. And the company, all thugs came with guns.

There was some fire. They set fire to all their tents, so they moved down into a cave in the ground. And then some women from Trinidad hauled some potatoes up Wallenberg in a little cart. Sold some potatoes and brought some guns back. And he put a gun in every hand. And the redneck miners, they mowed down them troopers. They did not know that we had these guns. You should have seen them boys, them bull boys run. And that was the end of that, and there was like 31 kids got killed. And there was another song like that, that Woody wrote that was equally sad and bloody, and hard to take, called “The 1913 Massacre”.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Rick: Didn’t he call it the 1913 massacree?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I don’t know. I call it massacre, but he might have called it massacree. Might have called it that. I sang it in a tribute to Woody in Washington, D.C. And they televised it, but they didn’t play that song, they said it was too long. I think it was too sad. They don’t want the audience to suffer too many sad stories, especially about coal mining owners.

Rick: It’s  a coincidence that I wrote a song called “1913 Stag Canyon Number 2, which is about miners who passed away in 1913 and their sons who passed away in 1923. That’s why I was invited to Raton and the Dawson cemetery to perform for about 500 descendants.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Oh, well, bless you! Great. I have a friend who plays guitar, and he lives in a little town, south of L.A., on the beach. He had a little recording studio in the garage and he was working as a television truck coordinator. I could call up a driver and say, “Meet me at Hollywood and Vine with truck T25 at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow.”

And we’re gonna do a shoot, blah, blah, blah. He had a four-wheel drive and he drove me to a poetry gathering in Alpine, Texas. And we stayed with one of my favorites, Cowboy Joel (Joel Nelson), the guy that ran the Alpine gathering and that guy didn’t drink whiskey, but one of my friends taught me earlier, if you’re in Texas and you go visit, you should bring a bottle of whiskey.

So, I brought him a bottle of whiskey. He never opened it, but we had oatmeal breakfast every morning, and he would read us some poetry. And one of his favorite poets was one of my father’s school chumps; gave me a copy of this book of poetry by a guy who lived in Hawaii in a little cabin. He was a retired Merchant Marine sailor. And it was poetry, romantic poetry about having a cabin full of all kinds of trinkets that he gathered around the world when he was a sailor. And he would read us poetry.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott – photo credit: Dan Dion

Rick: Thank you. So, what about Steve Earle?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: I like Steve Earle a lot. I’ve only met him about four or five times, but a great guy. We’ve always liked each other. He sang with me at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival.

Rick: Nice guy, I interviewed him a couple of years ago. What about Odetta?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Odetta was the one who gave me the name, her mother gave me the name Ramblin’.

Rick: Do you have any advice for people, whether they’re young or they’re older, any lessons learned?

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: See, I don’t consider myself a real bona fide music lover. I love some music and I hate some music. But, a music lover, in my mind, is somebody that says, “I love all music.” I think anyone who likes all music is probably deaf.

Rick: And I just want to let you know that I appreciate your legacy, what you’ve done and what you’ve done for American music over the years. I want to thank you.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: It’s very, very lovely to meet you, sir. And I’d love to maybe read a copy of your magazine. I’ve never had the pleasure.

Rick: It’s on-line and it’s free. Lots of interviews of a lot of people you know. It’s a passion of mine. And good luck to you and I hope you have a wonderful life.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: It’s been pretty good so far, thanks a lot. And I’m looking forward to another 100 years. I’m not gonna ride any bulls anymore or any of that stuff, but I really wanted to be a cowboy. Still do.

Rick: Thank you very much, Jack.

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: Wonderful. God bless you. Great to meet you. Thank you so much. I enjoyed it.

BONUS VIDEOs – RAMBLIN’ JACK ELLIOT & FRIENDS

(John Prine – Arlo Guthrie – Jerry Jeff Walker – Beck – Sarah Lee Guthrie)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Despite serving as Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist for 8 years, Gus G wasn’t surprised when he was asked to hand back guitar duties to his predecessor, Zakk Wylde, in 2017. Considering Wylde and Ozzy’s history, he considered their reunion “inevitable” – and, while there was no bad blood, he’s adamant he’ll never accept another gig that feels temporary.

While Gus doesn’t regret his years serving in Ozzy’s band, nowadays he only involves himself with his own band, Firewind, or projects that guarantee a level of job security. Speaking to The Metal Voice, the guitarist explains that, even if it means turning down big opportunities, he never wants to feel “expendable” again.

“It was a conscious decision for me after the Ozzy gig to not join other bands,” he says [via Blabbermouth]. “I’ve had offers to audition [and] potentially join much bigger bands than mine, but I didn’t want to go into that situation again where you are an expendable guy, and you don’t get to call the shots.”

• READ MORE: “Being a hired gun for a band – you’re disposable”: Gus G on why he turned down auditions for Megadeth and Machine Head

He goes on to admit that all work post-Ozzy “is probably gonna be a downgrade anyway”, adding: “if you’re gonna downgrade, you might as well do it on your own terms… And I really enjoy calling my own shots!”

Of course, turning down big offers wasn’t always easy; in the past, he’s revealed in the past that he could have auditioned for Megadeth and Machine Head. However, it was crucial to stick to his guns. “I almost had to prove a point again,” the guitarist reflects. “I had my career pre-Ozzy with Firewind, and then, after Ozzy, I had to start from scratch again… I thought I would just pick it up wherever I left off, but it wasn’t like that.”

“I really had to go out there and play with smaller fees than before, grind for it, invest in it…” he adds. “[But] we’re in a good position now… and I love that freedom of calling the shots, having a great team [where] we can communicate, create our own future and our own opportunities.”

When Wylde was reinstated as Ozzy’s guitarist back in 2017, Gus could have easily kicked up a fuss. However, he’s always sang Ozzy and Wylde’s praises in the press. “I was bummed ‘cause I knew I’d probably never see [Ozzy] or play with him again… [but] it totally made sense,” he told Guitar World last year. “Ozzy and Zakk have so much history together; those guys had to get back at some point. It was inevitable.”

“Ozzy was always in my thoughts, and I hoped he’d get through [his illness],” Gus continues, reflecting on Ozzy’s unfortunate passing last year. “As for Zakk, I bumped into him at a festival in France a couple of years ago and we spoke a bit. He’s always been very nice to me.”

Gus is set to drop his fifth solo record, Steel Burner, On 24 April.

The post “I didn’t want to go into that situation again where you are an expendable guy”: Gus G on why he turned down all auditions following his stint in Ozzy Osbourne’s band appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

A massive auction of over 1,000 pieces of rock and roll history has gone live, offering items owned and played by the likes of Eddie Van Halen, Eric Clapton and Elvis Presley.

Now open for bidding, the 2026 April Rock & Roll Auction by Backstage Auctions is predicted to fetch upwards of seven figures overall, with a cumulative estimate of up to $1.5 million.

• READ MORE: How Emerald Guitars changed the perception of carbon fibre guitars – and put the player’s needs at the heart of everything
  

There are guitars aplenty, including an Italian-made acoustic Eko Ranger signed by Bob Dylan himself and two formerly owned by Keith Richards: a classic Gibson bearing his felt-tip signature, and a bespoke 2005 Duesenberg Starplayer Outlaw electric guitar custom–made for the Rolling Stone. The guitar, which Richards gave to McLagan as a birthday gift, features rhinestones, skull-shaped knobs and a pearlescent yellow mosaic finish on the body.

In fact, several museum-worthy pieces are up for grabs. There’s the custom 1994 Don Musser acoustic guitar played by Eddie Van Halen, which was a “key component” of Van Halen’s Billboard-topping 1995 album Balance, recorded at 5150 Studios.

The instrument was also used in a couple of tracks on follow-up Van Halen III, namely “Without You” and “New World”.

For the cinematically inclined, there’s Elvis Presley’s iconic sunburst Gibson acoustic which co-starred in his smash-hit 1964 film Viva Las Vegas. The movie, regarded as one of the King’s best, sees him play a race-car driver competing for the affection of Rusty, played by Ann-Margret. It was during filming that the pair first met and began a torrid affair. The couple were even rumoured to have briefly considered elopement.

But the standout of the collection is a stripped woodgrain 1965 Fender Telecaster with a Stratocaster neck, which the auction house describes as a “singular piece of rock and roll history”.

As well as the Stratocaster neck, part of an exchange with mod icon Steve Marriott, the chimeric guitar features a humbucker salvaged from a Gibson SG that Pete Townshend smashed to pieces during one of The Who’s iconic Marquee Club performances. The object was among McLagan’s prized possessions and was his “primary soulmate in his musical journey”.

Other notable pieces for sale include a 1974 black Fender Stratocaster owned and played on-stage by Eric Clapton and a Chinese-style Paiste gong extensively used by Keith Moon until his death in 1976.

Among the wonderfully niche and downright weird items of rock memorabilia is Eddie Van Halen’s 6th grade history homework on the Soviet Union, which earned the legendary guitarist to-be a solid B+ from his teacher Mrs Burton. And it could be yours for $500.

There’s also an “avant-garde” safety-pinned leather thong worn by Fee Waybill of The Tubes going for the same price. Or a purple felt-tip doodle by the late Kurt Cobain, which depicts a stick figure – “presumably himself”, as notes the auction house – about to be hit by a bus is commanding a lean $2,000. The scribble, says Backstage Auctions, “provide[s] insight into his creative mind”.

The collection chiefly comes from the personal archives of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ian McLagan, who passed away in Austin in December 2014. Best known for his work with the seminal English rock bands Small Faces and Faces, McLagan also toured with Bob Dylan and worked as a sideman for the Rolling Stones.

Learn more at Backstage Auctions.

The post Massive trove of random rock memorabilia – including Eddie Van Halen’s 6th grade history homework – headed for auction appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

What’s the secret to eternal youth? Former Van Halen vocalist Sammy Hagar, 78, reckons the answer is simple: stem cell treatment.

Speaking with the Daily Express US ahead of a six-show UK solo tour in July, his first in three decades, Hagar shared that he stays healthy and preserves his powerhouse voice through a regime of regular exercise, daily vitamins and stem cell therapy – an anti-aging treatment that uses specialised cells to repair and regenerate body tissue.

• READ MORE: David Lee Roth made a surprise appearance during Teddy Swims’ Coachella Festival set – and the pair covered Van Halen’s Jump
  

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer explained: “I take things that stop my body from getting stiff – anti-inflammatories and vitamins, nutrition that you need in your body as you get older.

“I do stem cell therapy with an IV. I do it every six months. I put young stem cells in my body. And I feel the difference.”

Hagar first joined Van Halen in 1985 after David Lee Roth’s departure, and played with the band throughout the ’80s and ’90s before departing in 1996.

This means his arrival coincided with some of the band’s most debaucherous years, a lifestyle that had, in part, pushed his predecessor to quit the band at its pinnacle. During the aptly named “Van Hagar” era, Van Halen developed a more anthemic, synth-oriented sound.

Hagar conceded that he was down to party in his Van Halen years: “I was guilty as everyone else.” But, even then, he insisted on putting his health and work first. “I had a job to do. My job was more important than anything.”

He even told his managers to lock him in hotel rooms to remove him from the “undisciplined” partying of his bandmates. “It’s worked for me. I’ve run my life like this from day one. I used to never even drink and do any drugs of any kind.

“People say the most important thing is family, but it’s your job because if you don’t have a job and can’t support your family, then you’re an asshole. A singer cannot get trashed and still pull off shows.”

Hagar would rejoin Van Halen in 2003, before leaving for good two years later.

Hagar vocalist isn’t the only legendary rocker who has turned to stem cell treatment in their older age. The late Ozzy Osbourne publicly used experimental stem cells to manage his Parkinson’s disease. His Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi also enlisted stem cells to repair damaged cartilage in his hand.

The post Sammy Hagar claims he undergoes stem cell treatment to keep him in performing shape: “A singer cannot get trashed and still pull off shows” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Somatics, a field within body work, originated as a product of a cultural movement in the 18th century that focused on physical activity and strength-building. The principal element of somatics, which has gained prominence in the past decades in wellness culture and therapeutic contexts, is soma. On a surface level, soma is the perceived experience of the body, as distinct from the intellectual response to stimuli in your brain. The divide is easy to grasp. Maybe your brain thinks you’re at ease, but your body sends a different message: It’s tense, shaky, locked up. Our bodies can send us messages that our cerebrum might not be able to parse in the moment. The thought can be unsettling, but it can also be empowering and invigorating to acknowledge that the body can communicate in a way that defies conventional logic and easy explanation.

Somatics can help explain why some bands choose to work at volumes that most people consider dangerous. And they’re especially pertinent when discussing Sunn O))). The American duo of guitarists Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley has been making intoxicatingly loud music since 1997, flanked by a fortress of 100-watt Sunn Model T amplifier heads (the band’s name is self-evident) atop towering stacks of speaker cabinets. They’ve been described as drone metal, noise rock, doom, and ambient, and aside from regular collaborations with vocalists like Attila Csihar and select other heavy-music singers, Sunn O)))’s music is largely instrumental.

“That’s our band practice—hiking in the woods.”—Greg Anderson

Their new, self-titled record certainly is, and there is only one type of instrument present: electric guitar. The album’s six tracks, entirely performed by Anderson and O’Malley, unfurl slowly over the course of roughly 80 minutes; in the most complimentary way, these are not thinking songs—this is music that is perceived and experienced more than it is understood.

Even through headphones, the compositions have a palpable, breathtaking sense of mass and space. Guitar may be the only instrument on the record, but it is not the sole source of sound. Throughout the fourth track, “Mindrolling,” we hear running water, recorded in the woods around Bear Creek Studio in Woodinville, Washington. Just northeast of Seattle, a large window in the studio looks out onto the intoxicating perma-green of the Pacific northwest’s forest. You can feel the environment in Sunn O)))’s tracks. The power chords are as towering and knotted as an ancient Douglas fir; the distortion as enveloping and forgiving as the forest floor; the feedback as deep and powerful as the Pacific. This is music to listen to while lying back, spread-eagled, on a cliff face in a hard, thrilling wind.

For Anderson and O’Malley, though, the record is evidence of something else, something just as sacred. “It’s really, to me, a representation of my relationship with Stephen,” says Anderson. “I get a good feeling listening to it.”

Sunn O))), the band’s 10th LP, arrives seven years after Pyroclasts. That seems like a long time to most people, remarks O’Malley, but he considers those years a natural part of “the arc of the creative process.” The new record, he says, is like a flower that emerged over the years. The duo worked with producer Brad Wood, sleeping in a farmhouse on the same property as Bear Creek Studio, which is itself housed in an old barn. Anderson and O’Malley would wake up, have coffee, then hike for a few hours in the forest nearby. After lunch, they’d meet up with Wood in the barn to work.

Anderson lives in Los Angeles, while O’Malley lives in Paris. When pandemic restrictions on concerts began to loosen, they started playing shows as a duo as a way to mitigate risk: Plenty of international tours had been thwarted, at great financial loss, by sudden changes in regional gathering restrictions. But the two-piece shows quickly became more than a logistical necessity. They felt fresh and open, says O’Malley, and he and Anderson were coming up with new ideas based on the limitations of only having two guitars onstage. “The fundamental ideas of the ensemble instrumentation were all there in the distortion,” says O’Malley. “I felt like I could hear it clearer in that abstract distortion and saturation. So we’ve continued on.”

“Whenever we play as a duo, it’s somewhat nostalgic,” says Anderson. “I didn’t know that there was another path forward from that. It turns out there was, and that’s what we were really excited about capturing on the recording—the development of what the duo had become.”

“The fundamental ideas of the ensemble instrumentation were all there in the distortion.”—Stephen O’Malley

Anderson brings up the idea of shoshin, a Zen Buddhist idea that celebrates having a beginner’s mind for all things in life. In the context of the band’s post-pandemic creativity, it suggested embracing the joy he felt in the first days of the project, such that the entire process—playing as a duo onstage and in the studio, focusing only on his friendship with O’Malley—felt like an embodiment of shoshin. The two of them felt joy, but they also felt newness, and explored it. That’s why they decided to create a new album: to document this unexpected expansion.

There was little creative preparation to be done; songs would be captured in the moment as living, breathing things. Both Anderson and O’Malley have Model Ts stashed around the world, from Los Angeles, to Paris, to Amsterdam. The 100-watt heads all have different personalities, insists O’Malley, not least because of the different voltages between American and European power supplies and how the transformers respond. They shipped Anderson’s collection—including Marshalls, Fenders, Hiwatts, Soldanos, Ampegs, Oranges, and, naturally, Sunns—from California to Bear Creek, and rented cabinets in Seattle. Wood placed mics everywhere: on each speaker of the 4x12s, around the room, even outside the room. In another area, smaller combos—including a Fender Champ, Deluxe, and Twin—were used for re-amping and running tape effects on solos. The variety of perspectives allowed Wood to sculpt the mass of distortion and create the record’s cavernous spatial signature.

Anderson relied on an Electro-Harmonix “Civil War” Big Muff, paired with his Pro Co RAT, and the band’s own signature pedal, the EarthQuaker Devices Life, to generate his guitar’s pillowy, bottomless low-end across the record. He likens rediscovering the might of the Big Muff, after all these years, to smoking pot or having sex for the first time. “That’s kind of the shoshin concept, too,” he notes. “Playing with the joy that you had when you first started playing, and trying to get back to that. That can be applied to many different elements, including combining a Big Muff with the RAT circuit.” O’Malley, meanwhile, has used the same ZVEX Super Hard On since 1997. Beginner’s mind, indeed.

Growing up, Anderson remembers seeing the Melvins in their early days, and the physicality of their gigs’ over-the-top volumes moved him. “That’s why I would follow them around like the Grateful Dead,” says Anderson. The same thing happened when he saw My Bloody Valentine in the early ’90s. “Of course you can hear the music, but to feel it in your bones, that was just something special,” he says. “I had a connection there that I got really addicted to. You can’t really get that on a recording, right?”

Part of the reason the band’s new record is self-titled is because it evokes the feeling of Sunn O))) at its most elemental: Anderson and O’Malley, together in a room, making electrifyingly loud compositions with their electric guitars. When the band first began, they weren’t concerned with playing live. Inspired by that mammoth wall of sound, the idea was to simply get in a room with as many amps as they could manage, get high, and play music together. When they caught on to the physical aspect of the project, they began to think about taking it to the realm of live performance. But that’s not an easy thing to do: The logistics of transporting and operating multiple 100-watt stacks are sticky, and even if you figure out how to do it, there are few venues willing to host such a performance. If a club can’t accommodate Sunn’s backline, or if they require acts to abide by a decibel limit, the band won’t play. (Anderson knows their backline is a lot: “It’s a mountain,” he says.) That can cross out certain cities entirely, but it’s non-negotiable. The volume is part of the band.

“I enjoy the aspect of danger, and I feel like a lot of that has been removed from art and music and film,” says Anderson. “I get it, I understand health and safety, but it also sort of bothers me, because then you’re taking that away from people. There are things that can be done to protect yourself. You’ve taken away that choice and that ability for people to experience it. It’s really loud, but it’s not a painful loud. It’s nearly all low end and low frequencies. There’s not that high, ice-pick, piercing sound in what we do. I equate it more to a warm bath. We’re not trying to damage people’s hearing. It’s not this aggressive moment at all. I understand why it could be interpreted that way, but that’s not the case. To me, the music is very soothing, and I’m grateful that people have gotten that and connected with it.

“It is overwhelming, and to be immersed in that, it does have this kind of comical angle to it sometimes,” Anderson continues. “Oftentimes, Stephen and I will laugh and say, ‘This is insane and amazing that we’re in this right now!’ I think that in itself is a reason to celebrate. It has this kind of celebratory atmosphere to it.”

“I enjoy the aspect of danger, and I feel like a lot of that has been removed from art and music and film. I seek out things that have that edge to it.”—Greg Anderson

Greg Anderson’s Gear

Guitar

• 2005 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe goldtop with black DiMarzio P90 Super Distortion pickups

Amps

• Mid-’70s Sunn Model T
• Sunn 2000S
• Sunn 1200S
• Ampeg SVT “Blueline”

Effects

• Pro Co Turbo RAT (with LM308 chip)
• Electro-Harmonix/Sovtek “Civil War” Big Muff Pi
• EarthQuaker Devices White Light
• EarthQuaker Devices Life Pedal
• Aguilar Octamizer
• Ernie Ball VP JR
• 4-way splitter box

Anderson notes that he and O’Malley have always delighted in pushing the boundaries of their own expectations, to the point of deleting them entirely. That attitude is one of the keys to their longevity. “It sounds cliche, but I keep saying it over and over again, and it’s true: It’s about being open to different possibilities and ideas,” Anderson explains. “That’s why we’ve sustained, and that’s why it continues to be interesting. Every single band in my life that I’ve been involved with had an ending point. But Sunn O))) has transcended a lot of that.”

“Over time, each person grows in innumerable ways and transforms, and their tastes transform, their perception transforms,” says O’Malley. “It’s like you’re constantly shedding possible versions of yourself.” When you rewatch a film that you haven’t seen in five years, it might mean something entirely different to you. “I think that’s one of the strengths of our music, and the longevity of it, too: the openness to not only changing things, but changing the point of view of what it is.”

​Stephen O’Malley’s Gear

Guitars

• Travis Bean “Deo Dei” TB1000A
• Electrical Guitar Company DS Ghost

Amps

• Sunn Model T
• Ampeg SVT
• Fender Twin Reverb
• Fender Champ
• Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100
• 1952 Supro combo

Effects

• Keeley-modded Pro Co RAT
• J. Rockett Audio Designs Archer
• Pete Cornish G-2
• Pete Cornish P-2
• “Ram’s Head” Big Muff clone
• OTO BIM
• OTO BAM
• Roland RE-201
• Fulltone Tube Tape Echo
• EarthQuaker Devices Black Ash
• Bright Onion Active Splitter Pedal with Phase Switching
• ZVEX Effects Super Hard On

So what exactly does “openness” mean? For Anderson and O’Malley, it’s throwing out the “rules” for being a band. They don’t practice; soundchecks before shows are the closest thing they have to rehearsals, and Anderson admits that he despises conventional “band practice.” He casts the idea of practice in a different light. For he and O’Malley, it’s not about strapping on their guitars and going over ideas together. While they were in Illinois to attend a celebration of life for longtime creative collaborator Steve Albini, the two of them went swimming in Lake Michigan. Being present together, at the memorial, going for a swim—that was practice. While they worked on the new record, they took plenty of hikes together in the Washington woods. “That’s our band practice,” says Anderson. “Hiking in the woods.” It doesn’t seem like a coincidence that communing with their surroundings, being present in their bodies, is central to their creative relationship.

“If I remove the word ‘band’ from ‘band practice,’ it makes more sense,” says O’Malley. “It’s the practice of being together. Music is about relationships and interaction.”

O’Malley continues. “I’m not saying going swimming gives me riff ideas, but when you’re in the waves, it’s quite immersive. Being in Illinois, to celebrate the life of a great master who also happened to be a friend, and then taking time to have pleasure by engaging with the ancient lake, it’s pretty powerful.”

It wouldn’t be Coachella Festival without a few surprises – and this year was no exception. From the legendary Jack White’s last minute addition to the line-up to Billy Corgan hopping onstage to sing with alt-popstar Sombr, Coachella had some great treats for rock fans this year.

One particular standout came during R&B star Teddy Swims’ set on Friday (10 April). With a stage designed to look like an apartment, surprise guests would sporadically ‘ring the doorbell’, only for Swims to welcome them out to perform a track. While his other guests included singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton and a pop-rocking Jonas Brother, Joe Jonas, one such guest happened to be the iconic Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth.

• READ MORE: The Real Riot Women: the Gen Xers discovering punk and embracing guitar

Swims was clearly honoured to be performing with Roth, considering his grand introduction. “Oh my God – it’s David Lee Roth from the best fucking band of all time, Van Halen!” he yells out into the audience. Then, with Roth by his side, Swims kicked into a hearty version of Van Halen’s timeless track, Jump.

And Roth certainly dressed up for the occasion. At age 71, he’s showing no signs of toning down the showmanship, decked out in an intricately beaded waistcoat, cravat and tight silver and black trousers. Throughout the set, he’s the vision of some kind of futuristic cowboy as he hypes up the crowd with glee.

Though the performance had a minor hiccup, with the pair missing a timing cue, it serves as a testament of how different generations of music can co-exist. Sombr’s performance with The Smashing Pumpkins’ Corgan also had a minor mic malfunction, but their performance of the Pumpkins’ marvellous 1979 went down a treat.

Last year, Olivia Rodrigo had a similar experience when Robert Smith emerged during her Coachella headline set, with the pair duetting their way through The Cure’s Friday I’m in Love and Just Like Heaven.

The post David Lee Roth made a surprise appearance during Teddy Swims’ Coachella Festival set – and the pair covered Van Halen’s Jump appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Teruya Guitars founder Micah Teruya has just completed his most personal build to date. Following a long battle with leukaemia, Teruya’s wife Karrah sadly passed away last August – but the luthier is ensuring that her spirit lives on through this beautiful custom-made electric guitar.

Rather than merely stowing Karrah’s ashes in an urn, Teruya has transformed his wife into something beautiful. The pastel pink Matriarch guitar serves as poignant one-of-a-kind axe in honour of Teruya’s late wife – and it’s even got Karrah’s ashes inlaid on the headstock, and her wedding ring embedded in the fretboard.

• READ MORE: The Real Riot Women: the Gen Xers discovering punk and embracing guitar

While Teruya often documents the entire process of his guitar builds, this project was kept under wraps until the final reveal. However, the craftsman did film the two most meaningful moments, when he is delicately inlaying Karrah’s ashes and her ring. He has shared the clips alongside some of his most cherished videos and memories of his wife. “The process was incredibly painful for me but I wanted to share this with you because of how much it means to me,” he writes on Instagram.

“Having to deal with the technical aspects of building a guitar colliding with the emotional weight of who I lost was unbearable,” he continues. “Often I could only work for 10-30 minutes on this before being physically and emotionally drained.”

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Despite the pain, finishing the Matriarch guitar was a crucial part of processing his grief. “This guitar needed to be finished before I could continue on any other projects – it took me over 6 months to finish,” he admits. “Going through my camera roll for these clips of Karrah brought me to tears several times. She was so magnificent and beautiful. I wish all of you could have gotten to know her, she would have changed your world for the better.”

In another post, Teruya explains why he opted for the Matriarch name. “Karrah was the Matriarch of our family and friends, she dedicated everything in her life to bring all of us closer together…” he writes. “Nobody tells you that you can continue to love someone more even after they leave this life. I built this guitar to honour her life and her legacy in a way that is personal and sacred to me.”

In terms of the wedding ring on the fretboard, he also explains that its positioning holds a special, personal meaning. “Traditionally it would be placed in the 12th fret to mark the octave, however, we were married for 10 years, 11 months and 14 days, therefore I decided to place the ring between the 10th and 11th fret to symbolise how long we had been married,” he explains.

“This was the most painful experience I ever had building an instrument… but now she is in every note I play,” he concludes.

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The post “She is in every note I play”: How a widower used his wife’s ashes and wedding ring to craft the most beautifully poignant custom guitar appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Lyndon Laney – founder of legendary British amp brand Laney Amplification – has died aged 77.

In a statement shared with Guitar.com, the brand confirms Laney’s passing, calling him a “creator, innovator and trusted figure whose passion for the industry was at the heart of his working life”.

Lyndon Laney founded Laney Amplification in 1967 at just 19 years old. The brand would become internationally respected in the decades following, and has helped shape the sound of many high-profile guitar players, including Lyndon Laney’s longtime friend, Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath.

Though perhaps primarily associated with Laney Amplification, Lyndon Laney was a successful industry veteran elsewhere, having developed several ventures which ultimately became what is now the Headstock Group.

• READ MORE: Laney’s new Prism-Mini is a pocket-sized smart amp ready to take on Positive Grid’s Spark GO

The group first expanded into the Pro Audio sector with the acquisition of HH Audio, followed by the development of Headstock Distribution, representing brands like Ibanez, Tama, Zildjian, Vic Firth and DiMarzio.

“Lyndon’s influence extended far beyond business success; he was admired for his warmth, integrity, humour and quiet determination,” Laney Brand Director Lee Wrathe says.

“Lyndon was not only a founder, but also a creator, innovator and trusted figure whose passion for industry was at the heart of his working life. His legacy continues through the business he built and through his son, James Laney, who proudly carries that vision forward.

“He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, colleagues and the wider music community.”

Among those who have paid tribute to Lyndon Laney is Tony Iommi, who says he is “absolutely devastated” at his friend’s passing.

“I’m so sad to say that I lost my very dear friend Lyndon Laney to cancer on Friday,” Iommi writes in a post on X. “I am absolutely devastated. We go back to the late ‘60s when I first met him and I started using his Laney amps. He was a really lovely guy and his great passion was building valve amps. He also loved his cars as I did as well, we had so much in common. 

“We’d sit talking about ideas and what to build into my amplifiers. I am so honoured to have known him and his family. James, his son, has been running the company for some years now and he has carried on the business and has pushed it forward with some brilliant ideas. My deepest condolences go out to Lyndon’s wife Jan and son James.”

I’m so sad to say that I lost my very dear friend Lyndon Laney to Cancer on Friday. I am absolutely devastated. We go back to the late sixties when I first met him and I started using his Laney amps. He was a really lovely guy and his great passion was building valve amps. He… pic.twitter.com/qEXJChknLO

— Tony Iommi (@tonyiommi) April 13, 2026

The post Lyndon Laney, founder of Laney Amplification, has died appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.