Norse Guitar Feeds

The bedroom or the garage: In a game of Family Feud, those humble locations would likely be the top answers for the question “Where do music careers begin?’ I was relegated to the latter for the sake of my parents’ sanity. But nothing stops a career cold like a garage in winter, so an amp that ensures you can sound good while sharing tight quarters is a truly valuable thing. Blackstar Amplification’s Debut Bass 25 fits that bill.

Small for All

The Debut Bass 25’s small-space friendliness starts with its compact footprint. At 14" high and less than 10" deep, it’s unobtrusive to say the least. The control panel, with just volume, low, mid, and high EQ controls as well as a push-button boost, is about as simple as they come. The knobs themselves are smooth and accurate, with the feel of a high-end amplifier. Two 1/8" jacks accommodate headphones and an aux in for running backing tracks. And for additional tone shaping and punch, Blackstar included an OD switch that adds more depth.

Sings at Sensible Volumes

I tried out the Debut 25 using a Bluesman Vintage El Dorado (a passive J-style bass) and a Warwick Streamer I with active pickups. Beginning in more traditional style with the El Dorado, I set the volume relatively low and the EQ controls around the mid-point in their range. Here, I was struck by how fully the sound enveloped me—and by the amp’s ability to preserve the El Dorado’s character with such clarity. By dialing the midrange back a couple notches, and boosting the bass by the same amount, I found a sweet spot that made the El Dorado sing—all at a volume suited for the woodshed.

When the OD switch is engaged, the EQ is still effective and can shape big tones that move from swampy to in-your-face.

Active pickups pair nicely with the Debut 25 too, if the Warwick is any indication. I remained impressed with the range within the EQ controls. With the Warwick, the most pleasing tones came with the high-frequency control kept below halfway—push it much further, and things get a little too crisp for my taste. When the OD switch is engaged, the EQ is still effective and can shape big tones that move from swampy to in-your-face. The amp can also be loud with or without the OD in the mix. More than once, I had to remind myself that the amp only houses an 8" speaker, because when I turned the volume up my floor was quite literally shaking.

The Verdict

I’m glad the Debut 25 found its way to me. I confess, I haven’t plugged into a low-watt practice amp in a very long time, and all I can say is that I wish an amp this small, powerful, and tonally rich had been available when I was starting out. My only gripe might be the absence of a dedicated XLR out, which would extend the amp’s utility in live situations where sound re-enforcement is available. And while its modest $299 price tag is a bit higher than some of its competition, the Debut 25 is anything but ordinary. It offers a wide range of tonal colors, and can hold its own at any volume, whether you’re in the garage, bedroom, or beyond.

High-performance builder Best Damn Cable Co. has added to the company’s product offerings with a durable, pro-quality wireless transmitter cable line.

The new Best Damn Wireless Cables are designed and purpose-built for the gigging musician who needs a wireless transmitter cable that can stand up to the rigors of live performance, night after grueling night.

The Best Damn Wireless Cable boasts reliability, customization, and a lifetime warranty. Featuring options for all the top wireless system models – including Shure, Sennheiser, Line 6, Nux, and AKG – you’ll find the perfect cable for your rig.

Guitarists can get their Best Damn Wireless Cable with an array of options:

• Braided sleeving in 8 different colorways for durability, protection, and customization
• Three standard length options - 1.5 feet, 2 feet and 3 feet long
• Custom lengths available on request
• Straight or Right Angled Neutrik gold plugs
• Neutrik silentPLUG available on request
• Lifetime Warranty against defect and damage

All cables are built by hand, with love, and by musicians and guitarists that understand. The Best Damn Wireless Cable starts at $39.99 + shipping. Check ‘em out at bestdamncables.com.

It’s every artist’s dream to have a song become so huge that they begin to hear it being played everywhere, but sometimes such a level of success can be a blessing and a curse.

Just ask Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz, who recently revealed that the band’s successful debut single, Mr. Jones, became such a huge hit that he even heard it in a strip club, and it became somewhat of a buzz kill.

• READ MORE: “My dad was a great guitarist but a terrible guitar teacher”: Eddie Van Halen once asked Paul Gilbert to give his son Wolfgang a guitar lesson

The song was released as part of their 1993 debut album, August And Everything After, and speaking to Classic Rock magazine, Duritz says the song was originally written for another band he was in before Counting Crows, but it ended up not being used.

He recalls writing Mr. Jones directly after a wild night in San Francisco’s Mission District with his friend and Himalayans bandmate, Marty Jones. At the time, Jones’ father, who lived in Spain, was over in the US performing.

“He’d become one of the iconic flamenco guitar players in Madrid, and was playing with his old flamenco troupe who he’d played with many years before,” explains Duritz. “There were singers, dancers, musicians, a whole bunch of people who were all part of the scene, and they played this show and it was fucking outrageous.”

He adds, “I remember going home and needing to go to work [on it] right away. I’ve never been one of those people who wrote over chunks of time, I used to just sit down and do it and I’d stick with it until it was done.”

The actual recording of the song became tricky, and Duritz says he must have done “fifty or sixty” vocal takes. Though released as Counting Crows’ first single, they didn’t expect it to become such a huge hit.

“After SNL [Saturday Night Live], it got pretty big on the radio. By that summer, when we were playing, there was a lot of people who wanted to hear Mr. Jones. It seemed like the audience was there for Mr. Jones. But I noticed that more after the fact. I didn’t notice it blowing the record up, I just noticed that once the record blew up, Mr. Jones was really big.

“I remember being in a strip club in New Orleans and Mr. Jones comes on, and I was like: ‘No, no, this is not the vibe. Not to this song!’ I don’t mind getting a dance every now and then, but not to my song,” he says. “That is not okay.”

Counting Crows released their eighth album, Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets! back in May. Head over to their website to view their current tour dates.

The post “No, no! Not to this song!”: Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz recalls the time he heard one of his songs played in a strip club appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Matt Heafy has looked back on the ruthless cliquiness of the metal scene back when Trivium were just starting out in the late ’90s and early 2000s.

According to Heafy, the band faced bullying from other bands that they admired, and physical violence from music fans. These days, he feels things have significantly improved, and with rock and metal having somewhat of a mainstream revival (though for us it never went anywhere), there’s no time like the presence to form a band.

• READ MORE: Why shred guitar died in the ’90s, according to Polyphia’s Tim Henson

Speaking to Metal Hammer in its new print magazine, Heafy – who is a big supporter of rising talent within heavy music – is asked about his thoughts on the state of the heavy music world right now.

“It’s a good time to be playing heavy music, man. It’s a good time to be a younger band, too,” he replies. “You’re not having to deal with as much of the bullshit that we had to deal with: there’s not this intense ostracisation, this intense cliquiness.

“When we were coming around, we were getting glass bottles thrown at our heads, fans waiting for us outside of our van to try to fight us because they didn’t like the kind of music we played, getting bullied to our faces by our favourite bands. That doesn’t happen anymore as much [to young bands].”

Interestingly, Devin Townsend has also spoken of how metal was overlooked and undervalued by the music industry when it first began to blossom, back in an interview with D’Addario in August.

He said, “Metal is a dynamic that I feel was undervalued by the music industry at large because it was tied to the aesthetic of Mötley Crüe and all that shit. Because I was a very sensitive kid and consequently, a very sensitive adult, I do find that it’s visceral in ways that other music isn’t, and it managed to scratch an itch, but as a dynamic, as a texture.”

The post “We were getting bullied to our faces by our favourite bands”: Trivium’s Matt Heafy reveals the ‘intense cliquiness’ of the metal scene when they came up appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

As an amp tech and vintage Fender amp collector for the last 30 years, I’ve been exposed to more guitars and amplifiers than I can possibly remember. But I do remember the best and worst ones. I’d like to share some ups and downs of my encounters with Leo Fender’s amps. I hope these examples inspire you to experiment and find your own joy with vintage Fender amps.

The Fender Super Reverb

In my 20s, I was all about maximum punch and output. I always went for efficient loudspeakers with a strong attack and a bassy punch. I still regret selling an almost-mint, transitional 1968 Super Reverb loaded with CTS alnico speakers in the late ’90s. It wasn't until 20 long years later that I started to appreciate these speakers after coming across similar amps.

My original amp, which first belonged to my brother, had a beautiful contrast between the brown, naturally aged grille cloth and the silver-sparkling aluminum frame around the speaker baffle. The CTS alnicos with the blue square magnet are famous for their low efficiency and vocal tone, with a dominant upper midrange and great touch sensitivity. They are perfect for that clean, touch-sensitive Mark Knopfler tone. These speakers, found in black-panel Supers and early silver-panels up to around 1970, are definitely worth trying out.

The Trouble with the Bassman

Next up is my complicated relationship with the black-panel Bassman. I had read a lot about it and knew it had a great reputation among both bass and guitar players. I first tried a 1964 Bassman, which was deafeningly loud. I found it almost impossible to dial in a warm tone. I thought the massive 2x12" enclosed cabinet with a pair of punchy Oxford 12T6 speakers was too much for a regular electric guitar. The attack was brutal from the diode-rectified 50-watt power amp with large power and output transformers. I also realized I’m dependent on reverb, which the Bassman lacked.

There wasn’t much I liked about the black-panel Bassman until I came across another model, an AB165, also from late 1964. I inspected the schematics and learned that the AA864 and AB165 circuits were different. The AB165’s “normal” channel uses an extra 12AX7 preamp tube, where both triode gain stages boost the signal. In the AA864, only the “bass” channel uses this preamp tube. This means the AB165 is capable of serious preamp distortion, but only if pushed hard, which still made it too loud.

“The attack was brutal from the diode-rectified 50-watt power amp with large power and output transformers.”

I then hooked up a 1x12" extension cabinet with an 8-ohm Eminence Reignmaker speaker that had a built-in attenuator. The impedance mismatch and attenuated speaker lowered the headroom significantly, allowing me to get heavily cranked tones at moderate levels—even quieter than a Deluxe Reverb, but with more distortion. With an SG plugged directly into the AB165, getting AC/DC tones was no problem. You can also push the AA864 into distortion this way, but it won’t deliver the same amount of preamp distortion.

The Vibrolux Reverb

Since I love Super Reverbs, I’ve owned and played many Vibrolux Reverbs, too. With two 10" speakers instead of four, plus smaller transformers, it’s a little brother to the tall Super Reverb. Its reduced weight and size are a big plus, but at the same time, the fewer speakers represent a risk worth mentioning. I’ve serviced several Vibroluxes with blown speakers, particularly Jensens and Oxfords, which have low wattage ratings. The weak paper cones and smaller coils of these delicate original speakers are easily damaged if you hit them with too much bass and volume from the 35-watt, 6L6-powered Vibrolux.

One time, I installed a 12" Eminence Swamp Thang along with a 10" Celestion Gold in an early-’70s Vibrolux Reverb—the original Utah speakers were too flat and bright for my tastes. I used the original baffle and simply drilled new holes for the 12" speaker screws. Those of you who are familiar with these speakers can imagine how much more powerful and punchy the amp became. The Swamp Thang, in particular, is famous for its chunky and fat tone—never muddy or brittle, no matter what I threw at it with guitars, pedals, and amp settings. When I had this amp, I used heavy .012-gauge strings and tuned down a half-step. The low-end response was impressive when I hit the bass strings and played 12-bar Chuck Berry rock ’n’ roll. I had a lot of fun with this amp, as it easily outperformed larger amps. For low-volume occasions, I simply disengaged the 12" speaker and kept my friendship with bandmates and the audience.

The Princeton Reverb

Finally, I have to mention the time I came across a great player’s silver-panel Princeton Reverb that taught me a few tricks I have used countless times. When I bought it, it had an ultra-light Celestion Century Vintage 12" neodymium speaker and a Deluxe Reverb output transformer. This Princeton Reverb was still super portable but played twice as loud as an original silver-panel equivalent. I regret selling this amp, and since then, I’ve had many Princeton Reverbs in my basement that have received the same mods for customers and friends. I’ve yet to hear of anyone who has rolled these amps back to original specs after trying these modifications.

While some guitarists thrive on expanding their technical and theoretical knowledge, others would much rather be without it – as is the case for Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil, whose love of guitar thrives on a lack of technique.

The Biff released a brand new album, Futique, at the end of September. The record went straight to number one, marking their fourth album to reach the top spot in the UK Albums Chart. One element of their success as a band may well lie in Neil’s freeing “creative relationship” with his guitar, as he believes there can be such a thing as knowing too much.

• READ MORE: “The noise of us playing thrash metal upstairs was traumatising the children”: Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil claims the local council tried to shut down a studio he was recording in because of its proximity to a nursery

Speaking to Guitarist for its new print edition, Neil shares some of his view points on gear, and the joy he finds in being curious about his instrument: “We all use gear in different ways, sometimes for things beyond what it may have been designed for. I used to think you needed someone’s rig to sound like them, but actually it’s all about the expression through your fingers,” he says.

“I’m still enthralled by the magic of the guitar, probably because I never conquered the technique side. It’s this box of wonder that I approach as a creative instrument. A lot of songs on this record are in standard tuning, though a couple were standard a step down. I know I’m about to go down a creative period where I start fucking with tunings. I needed a wee break from the guitar before this album.”

The band’s most recent releases prior to Futique were 2020’s A Celebration Of Endings and 2021’s The Myth Of The Happily Ever After. The time off from their last album to now was intentional, as having some time away from guitar also helps Neil to come back to it with a clearer head.

“We’d released two records during the pandemic and my guitar was my companion through that [so] I couldn’t look at my guitar for a year after that; I was scared of it. I felt this responsibility, where I had to write music every time I picked it up. So instead I went away and made some heavy metal music in Empire State Bastard [with Mike Vennart],” he shares.

“As soon as I came home, I picked up the guitar and the songs started to come out. It was playtime again. Being a novice when you are creating is actually a good place to be. You can have too much knowledge. Again, it’s that battle I’m having between being a better player and not ruining the creative relationship I have with my guitar.”

There’s perhaps an element of decision paralysis that may come into play when composing music as an advanced player, in that the number of theoretical options available to you may prove overwhelming and take you out of your creative flow. So is Simon Neil onto something? You be the judge…

Futique is out now. Biffy Clyro are also currently playing a number of live acoustic shows, and will kick off a headline tour in January – you can find out more via their official website.

The post Does a better understanding of technique dim the magic of guitar playing? Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil weighs in… appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Ad feature with Taylor Guitars

Back in January 2025, Taylor’s Gold Label Collection was a bolt from the blue that shook up the perception of America’s most innovative guitar brand. Breaking with 50 years of Taylor sonic and visual ethos, the Gold Label Collection guitars were designed by Andy Powers to represent “a different flavour altogether” for the brand.

“It’s equally good, equally interesting, but probably speaks to a different musician, or a different use case” the man himself told us ahead of the launch. “And so this will be interesting to watch expand. There’s a lot that we can do with this coming in the future.”

Ten months on and Powers and his team have made very good on that prediction – after launching with four 800 Series models, the range has since expanded to offer 22 different combinations of wood, body shape, trim level and finish.

But such a rapid expansion of a concept can be a little dizzying for even the most dedicated of Taylor enthusiasts. With new Gold Label guitars coming thick and fast, how can you be sure you’ve picked the right one for you? Well, don’t fret, because Guitar.com is here to guide you through the most important stuff you’ll need to know…

 

The Body Shape

When the Gold Label Collection debuted, it also brought a new body shape to the Taylor recipe, the Super Auditorium. Adapted from the legendary Grand Auditorium body shape that has been a Taylor mainstay for decades, the Super Auditorium is a little longer and a little wider. This gives the Gold Label guitars more low-end power and an open, round response than a traditional Taylor.

But the Super Auditorium wasn’t alone for long in the Gold Label stakes – it was soon joined by a bigger brother… and boy is it big. The Gold Label Grand Pacific body shape is an evolution of the Grand Pacific design that Andy Powers created back in 2019. The Gold Label version keeps the handsome slope-shouldered dreadnought dimensions of the original, but makes things deeper in the body – 3/8-inch in practice. That means this is deeper even than a Martin dread or a Gibson Jumbo.

In sonic terms, that means you get a guitar that has the powerful acoustic projection and rich low-end warmth that you’d expect from a classic old-school dreadnought guitar.

The Wood Choice

The Gold Label Collection currently inhabits four different Taylor series levels, which determine the various woods used in their construction. As well as impacting the price of the guitar in question, these wood choices also impact the guitar’s overall sound – and so whatever you’re looking to spend, it’s important to know what you’re working with.

The most affordable guitars in the current range are the 500 Series models, and these guitars pair a top of torrefied spruce – where the wood has been cooked in an oven to get a jump on the way a guitar’s woods will naturally dry out over time – and mahogany.

This is, of course, an absolutely classic acoustic guitar combination, and as such offers a rich, earthy midrange character with a clear, woody response, powerful projection and hints of seasoned, aged-in sweetness right out of the box thanks to that torrefied top.

Moving up into the 700 and 800 Series models, we find another classic pairing in the shape of torrefied Sitka spruce and rosewood on the back and sides. On the 700 Series you’ll find Indian rosewood, while the 800 Series sports Honduran rosewood, giving subtle sonic differences. Both offer a blooming, harmonically rich tone with inspiring old-school sonic character when paired with spruce, though you may notice a little more midrange punch from the 800’s Honduran back and sides .

All of the above are available in either body type, but if you want something a little different (though still very classically Taylor) you can enjoy the Koa Series Super Auditorium, which offers a Hawaiian koa back and sides to add a rich midrange character to the Gold Label recipe.

All Gold Label guitars sport mahogany necks, West African Ebony fretboard and Honduran rosewood bridges, bringing some of the finest sustainable tonewoods on earth together in spectacular fashion.

The Looks

The first strum is with the eyes, someone probably once said – and there’s no doubt that the visuals of the Gold Label Collection are as striking as they are appealing. If you want your Gold Label guitar to look as classic and timeless as it sounds, every one of the guitars in the range is offered in the classic gloss natural finish – with a player-friendly satin-finished neck – but there are more eye-catching options to be found here.

The Gold Label Collection has debuted a new amber sunburst option that manages the rare feat of looking both very current and very classic at the same time – something that’s further enhanced by the option of either a cream or firestripe pickguard.

Want to really stand out however, and you can opt for the stunning Blacktop option for all 500 and 700 Series guitars. This painted top option really emphasises the visual inspiration that Powers took from guitars and banjos of the 1920s and 30s, but with all the usual Taylor charm, cleanness and precision.

Another more subtle visual delineation between the guitars are the inlays and peghead motif – the 500 and 700 Series guitars sport the new “Crest” inlays, while the 800 Series boasts the more elaborate mother-of-pearl “Continental” designs.

More In Common

While there’s a great degree of choice already in the Gold Label Collection, there are some killer features that are ever present throughout the range. For starters, all Gold Label guitars sport Powers’ latest guitar design innovation: the Action Control Neck. This patented design features a long-tenon joint that extends deeper into the body, enhancing the wood coupling to boost the low-end resonance. It also enables you to make quick, precise string height adjustments with a turn of a bolt through the soundhole – you don’t even need to remove the strings to do this, let alone the neck.

Another common feature of the Collection is the latest evolution of Taylor’s revolutionary V-Class architecture. The Gold Label guitars sport a fan-like arrangement of braces in the soundboard’s lower bout, giving the models a warmer, more resonant, more powerful sound than would be possible otherwise. Another common factor is the LR Baggs Element VTC pickup system that ensures you sound great plugged in, too.

There are no bad choices in the Gold Label Collection – each instrument is made with that remarkable blend of precision and care that makes Taylor guitars a lifetime companion. Now you know exactly which flavour is right for you, there’s nothing stopping you from making a Gold Label guitar your new favourite instrument.

Find out more about the Gold Label Collection at taylorguitars.com

The post Comparing Taylor’s Gold Label Lineup: Which guitar is for you? appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Black Friday is set to deliver its annual deluge of deals once again this year. The event and its follow-ups Cyber Weekend and Cyber Monday give guitarists a great chance to grab a saving on anything from a few packs of strings, to that dream instrument. The entire span from the week before Thanksgiving right through to Cyber Monday – AKA Cyber Week – is what serious gear-heads should be watching. Savvy shoppers in search of a new guitar, amp or effects pedal understand that the true savings often begin well before the day itself, with retailers such as Amazon, Sweetwater, Thomann, Reverb and zZounds launching early bird promotions to capture pre-holiday spending.

Where can you find savings? Well, if you’re in the UK or the EU, there are some great deals to be had at Thomann and Amazon, as well as Reverb and PMT. In the US, you’ll be able to grab some savings at Guitar Center, Amazon, Reverb and zZounds.

The Guitar.com team is primed to find the best deals for you across all of Cyber Weekend – so be sure to check back here, as this page will be regularly updated with our best picks! Until then, here’s just some of the places we’ll be trawling for savings:

UK/EU Deals	US Deals
Thomann Save up to 70%	Reverb Up to 80% off
Reverb UK Up to 80% off	zZounds Black Friday savings
Positive Grid Up to 50% off	Sweetwater Up to 80% off
Gear4Music Black Friday deals	Positive Grid Up to 50% off
PMT Up to 70% off	Guitar Center Save up to 50%
Amazon UK Big savings	Amazon Black Friday deals
Guitar Tricks 20% off monthly sub	Tim Pierce Masterclass Free trial
Tim Pierce Masterclass Free trial	Guitar Tricks 20% off annual sub
Ultimate Ears EU Shop savings	Music & Arts 20% savings

When is Black Friday 2025?

Black Friday 2025 will officially commence on 28 November 2025, with Cyber Monday 2025 falling on Monday, December 1, 2025. Across this weekend you’ll want to keep an eye on all of your favourite retailers, and indeed this very site – Guitar.com will be trawling the guitar world to find you the biggest and the best deals we can, on everything from string-winders to seven-strings.

It’s important to not just focus on the physical gear, too! Deals on plugins and amp sims are standar often featuring really hefty discounts. If you’re a bedroom producer, it’s a great time to stock your virtual gear collection with some industry-leading plugins without breaking the bank.

Why You Can Trust Us

Every year, Guitar.com reviews a huge variety of new products – from the biggest launches to cool boutique effects – and our expert guitar reviewers have decades of collective experience, having played everything from Gibson ’59 Les Pauls to the cheapest Squiers.

That means that when you click on a Guitar.com buyer’s guide, you’re getting the benefit of all that experience to help you make the best buying decision for you. What’s more, every guide written on Guitar.com was put together by a guitar obsessive just like you. You can trust that every product recommended in those guides is something that we’d be happy to have in our own rigs.

The post Black Friday 2025: Everything guitarists need to know appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Tributes have been pouring in from the guitar and wider music community following the news that Ace Frehley, Kiss’s trailblazing founding guitarist who was instrumental in their success, has died aged 74.

“We are completely devastated and heartbroken,” reads a statement from Frehley’s family, shared with Variety. “In his last moments, we were fortunate enough to have been able to surround him with loving, caring, peaceful words, thoughts, prayers, and intentions as he left this earth,” read a statement from the guitarist’s family.

“We cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter, and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others. The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions, and beyond comprehension. Reflecting on all of his incredible life achievements, Ace’s memory will continue to live on forever!”

No official cause of death has been given yet, but TMZ reported the guitarist was on life support following a recent fall at his home studio, which caused a brain bleed and forced him to cancel a string of upcoming tour dates.

Kiss lead the tributes to their former guitarist, with a statement on the band’s social media reading: “We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley. He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of Kiss’s legacy. Our thoughts are with Jeanette, Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.”

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Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello calls Ace Frehley his “first guitar hero”, thanking him for inspiring “generations to love rock ‘n’ roll” and for his “timeless riffs and solos”

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Extreme virtuoso Nuno Bettencourt shares a similar sentiment, reflecting on how Kiss was the “first rock band I wanted to be like”, adding, “So long, Spaceman.”

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“As far as I’m concerned Ace was the coolest dude out of the original four,” write Opeth. “He had some type of swagger that almost defined the term itself. A hard rocking Keith Richards of sorts, albeit in silver makeup and platform heels. Kiss was very much an introduction to my ‘school of rock’. All my childhood friends were fans of Kiss, and many of them regarded Ace as the ultimate rock-star.”

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“I am so shocked and saddened that this happened to my hero and my friend,” adds John 5. “I’ve known Ace since 1988 and we’ve been very close ever since then. Ace changed the world. He influenced millions of people and changed my life. I will miss you my friend.”

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Elsewhere, former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick calls Frehley “truly an iconic guitar player”, noting his “undeniable role in the creation and success of Kiss”, and his influence on “millions of guitarists around the world”.

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Rush’s Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee say they are “absolutely stunned and saddened” at the news of Frehley’s death.

“Back in 1974, as the opening act for Kiss, Alex, Neil [Peart] and myself spent many a night hanging out together in his hotel room after shows, doing whatever nonsense we could think of, just to make him break out his inimitable and infectious laugh.

“He was an undeniable character and an authentic rock star. RIP Ace… thanks for welcoming us newbies into the rock and roll world.”

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Frehley was born April 27, 1951, and started playing the guitar aged just 13. After spending his early 20s playing in various rock bands, he would successfully audition for a new project being formed by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss in 1972. He would help conceptualise Kiss, and launch the band in 1973.

As Kiss’ Spaceman, Frehley brought an old-school hard-rock attitude to the band’s lofty theatrics, drawing on his early influences such as Cream, The Who and Jimi Hendrix. While the band slowly garnered an audience in its first year, he established a frenetic playing style that provided a grounded counterbalance to his sci-fi persona and the band’s overall bombastic stylings.

Frehley would co-write the occasional song for Kiss’ early material, but increased his writing credits by the late 1970s – 1979 and 1980 albums Dynasty and Unmasked both featured three Frehley-penned songs. Despite this, he began to find himself pulling in a more experimental, less commercial direction than Simmons and Stanley, especially after Peter Criss’ firing in 1980.

By 1982, he had left the group and embarked on a solo career. In 1987 he released the self-titled record with his solo band Frehley’s Comet, which was well-received.

Alongside Criss, Frehley rejoined Kiss in 1996 for a successful reunion tour. After the band’s original lineup embarked on a ‘farewell’ tour in 2001, however, he departed and resumed his solo career. Following some disputes with the remaining members of Kiss surrounding payment, he didn’t return to the band to participate in their final tours.

He continued releasing music under his own name after his departure, with his next LP scheduled for released this year.

The post Ace Frehley 1951-2025: Guitar community mourns the death of Kiss’s trailblazing founding guitarist appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.



Guitarist Paul Rigby joins us this week to talk about his 15-plus-year collaboration with Neko Case and so much more.

We hear about growing up in Calgary (and why it’s an oddly great town for guitarists); meeting Neko; writing for Broadway; songwriting help from the Black Stallion; and why his favorite electric guitar is a $123 partscaster.

https://www.instagram.com/paul.rigby003/

Neko Case’s new album, ‘Neon Grey Midnight Green, is out now. https://nekocase.com

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

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

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

The post Podcast 521: Paul Rigby first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

£569, mansonguitarworks.com

Christmas comes earlier every year, doesn’t it? Particularly in this year, when it arrived in June with the launch of the Manson x Cort MBM-2H. It’s the latest entry to the affordable side of Matt Bellamy’s signature line, and the most striking addition is a finish option that looks like Saint Nick himself carved the body out of peppermint and magical reindeer noses. That’s no coincidence, of course – the finish echoes Bellamy’s own more high-end custom guitar, one nicknamed ‘Santa’ for its sparkly red-and-white colour scheme.

• READ MORE: Fender Mark Speer Stratocaster review: “a 70s Strat that everyone can enjoy?”

Image: Adam Gasson

What is the MBM-2H?

So yes, in my hands is the new – sort of – Meta Series MBM-2H. It’s worth noting that, other than a new set of finishes and the addition of a neck humbucker rather than a P90, not much has changed from the previous Meta Series MBM-2. The rest of the spec-sheet all remains the same, with a basswood body, soft-V maple neck, compound 12-16” laurel fretboard and locking tuners

This particular model is also the most barebones version of the instrument, as there is also a slightly pricier option if you want to go with a Sustaniac in the neck position. You can even add a built-in ZVEX Fuzz Factory for a little extra again, if you want to get really close to Bellamy’s own loadout. And if you do happen to be a little less ‘LED shutter sunglasses’ in your aesthetic sensibilities, the MBM-2H does come in two other finishes that are a little less festive – olive green and black.

Image: Adam Gasson

Construction and QC

The construction and attention to detail here is generally pretty great for the price, but my eye is drawn to a few reminders that this is a sub-£600 guitar. The 12th-fret dot markers have been drilled noticeably askew, and a non-zero amount of glitter from the body has made its way under the otherwise plain neck finish. It’s worth highlighting that lopsided fret-dots were also present on previous iterations of this instrument, so it’s a little bit of a shame that this issue hasn’t been addressed. There’s also one pretty egregious tool mark along the fretboard edge, and the transition from the painted headstock to the laurel fretboard is rough at best.

Some of the hardware choices are similarly indicative of a more budget instrument, too – the line of strings is almost entirely flat to the body, but angled humbucker rings are still used, meaning that the pickups have one coil just slightly closer to the strings. Luckily, this issue is nowhere near as bad as it was on the similarly-priced Vintage REVO Integra, and the result isn’t audible here – especially as there’s no coil-splitting going on.

But in terms of any QC quibbles that impact playability, it’s thankfully a lot harder to find fault. There may be some rough spots to look at right up close, but under the hand, everything along the neck is smooth as can be, and the frets are polished and level. Intonation is also set perfectly out of the box, and the action has been dialled in for speedy riffing. So let’s do some of that.

Image: Adam Gasson

In use

In the hands and on the body the guitar is a very comfy experience – it’s light but well-balanced, and the soft-V neck and the generous comfort carves mean the guitar stays out of the way as you play. The factory action gives me a clue as to what this guitar has been dialled in to do – it’s low and slinky, which combined with a compound radius and a killswitch, makes this a guitar that invites big, silly riffs and shreddy solos. Not that I can shred very well, mind, but I’m not going to let that stop me.

Something that’s immediately striking when I plug in is just how damn good the bridge pickup is. It’s pretty much the opposite of a touch-responsive PAF, with bucketloads of output, quickly driving my amp into heavy saturation. This makes sense, of course. Subtlety is not a word neither Matt Bellamy or his LED sunglasses know: this is a guitar designed for big riffs and killswitch-stuttered solos.

With that said, though, the main addition here over the previous MBM-2 guitar is that the neck P90 has been replaced by a humbucker. This is, in my view, a bit of a strange change to make, as it does remove some of the versatility and identity from the guitar. There’s not even any coil-splitting to be had to compensate – the sheer power of these Manson-designed humbuckers makes the bridge position great for huge riffs, but can mean that the neck position becomes a little muddy and overwhelming.

So without the electronic curveball of a P90, a Sustaniac or a Fuzz Factory, this version of the MBM-2H approaches being generic. And generic does a disservice to a design rooted in kick-to-the-teeth impact and electronic whackiness, not to mention that finish.

There is still the killswitch, of course, which is a quality bit of kit. It has a nice smooth action and there’s zero crackle while using it. It is also well-placed on that upper-bout, being pretty easy to integrate it into your playing. This isn’t one of those killswitches that asks you to paw at hitherto unexplored areas of a guitar to activate the stuttering effect – it remains accessible in most imaginable playing positions. Equally, if you find yourself not wanting to use it for whatever reason, it is still a low-profile push-button – and so will stay out of the way.

Image: Adam Gasson

Should I buy an MBM-2H?

The MBM-2H has all of the hallmarks of a high-quality Indonesian-made instrument – and therefore will absolutely perform for you without breaking the bank. The playability-to-price ratio here is undeniable, and by most measures it’s an excellent guitar. Manson and Cort continue to prove themselves a worthy pairing when it comes to making excellent guitars at this price point.

However, there is something about it that doesn’t quite spark as much joy as, on paper, it should. It’s hard to put my finger on why. Maybe it’s the pretty generic satin-finished maple neck. Maybe it’s my aversion to the flashiness of the red sparkle. Maybe it’s the fact I’m looking at the slightly more anonymous version without a Sustainiac or a Fuzz Factory. Or maybe it’s the fact that the main change over the Meta Series MBM-2 makes the guitar, in my view, a little more generic.

But with that said, these are the kinds of criticisms that you may well easily dismiss. Maybe you personally would never have used a neck P-90, and are overjoyed about this change to a humbucker! And for the fans of Bellamy’s Santa guitars, it is cool to see such an out-there finish arrive at the more affordable end of things.

The post Manson x Cort MBM-2H review – as sparkly as it is playable appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Ace Frehley, the Kiss guitar legend whose fiery playing and pyro-laden guitar tricks influenced and enraptured generations of players, died Thursday in Morristown, New Jersey, following complications from a fall in his home studio last month. He was 74.

“We are completely devastated and heartbroken,” Frehley’s family said in a statement. “In his last moments, we were fortunate enough to have been able to surround him with loving, caring, peaceful words, thoughts, prayers and intentions as he left this earth. We cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others. The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions, and beyond comprehension. Reflecting on all of his incredible life achievements, Ace’s memory will continue to live on forever!”

Frehley's former Kiss bandmates, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, released a joint statement, writing: “We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley. He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of Kiss’s legacy. Our thoughts are with Jeanette, Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.”

Over the course of five decades, Frehley's Les Paul-fueled riffs and solos helped to define not just Kiss’ music, but the very sound of arena rock guitar. His influence stretched far beyond the makeup, from Tom Morello calling him his “first guitar hero” to Dimebag Darrell having Frehley's face tattooed on his chest.

Born April 7, 1951, in the Bronx, Paul Daniel “Ace” Frehley got his first electric guitar as a Christmas gift in 1964. A self-taught player, he drew early inspiration from Hendrix, Beck, and the Stones—and in particular the Who’s Pete Townshend. As he told Premier Guitar in 2010, “I used to sit next to the record player and figure out every Who song. Playing a lot of Who music really helped develop my right hand, which helped with not only my rhythm technique but my leads, too.”

In 1973, Frehley auditioned for a band seeking a “hard rock guitarist with balls and flash.” After hauling his 50-watt Marshall up a flight of stairs and jamming on “Deuce,” he landed the gig, forging Kiss alongside Simmons, Stanley and Peter Criss.

As Kiss’ lead guitarist from 1973 to 1982, Frehley’s smoking, rocket-shooting, levitating Les Pauls became as iconic as the music itself. These stunts also carried genuine risks. As he told me in 2014, “One night [my flying guitar] hit something and slipped off, just grazing my shoulder. Imagine [a Les Paul] with a battery pack and a box to protect it from the heat of a smoke bomb.”

Frehley's unique picking technique, where his loosely-held pick and thumb simultaneously struck the string, created what he described on Shred with Shifty as “a sound just shy of a pinched squeal, but more spunky.” This approach, combined with the fact that he ripped his solos through a “dimed Marshall stack,” powered the licks in Frehley-composed songs like “Cold Gin” and “Shock Me,” as well as “Rock and Roll All Nite,” Love Gun” and other Kiss classics.

Frehley's 1978 self-titled solo album went platinum, with his cover of “New York Groove” reaching No. 13 on Billboard's Hot 100—the highest-charting single from any Kiss member's solo effort. His recording philosophy, as he explained to Premier Guitar, involved tracking basics with Les Pauls, then “doubl[ing] stuff up with Fenders because they have a different sound.” He'd layer acoustics underneath electrics, he said, because it “adds a fullness that you don't really hear until you take it away.”

After forming Frehley's Comet in the mid-'80s, Ace returned to Kiss for their massively successful 1996 reunion tour, remaining until 2002. His late-career solo work demonstrated continued vitality. From 2009's Anomaly through 2024’s 10,000 Volts, Frehley’s output was well-received by fans, and he toured steadily behind the records. His 2016 effort, Origins, Vol. 1, and 2018’s Spaceman, featured collaborations, respectively, with former bandmates Stanley and Simmons. Despite public animosity over the years (Frehley was not involved in the band’s 2019-2023 End of the Road farewell tour) he recounted to me that working together again, at least at that time, was simple: “We all have the other's cell phone numbers and we just call each other!”

As a player, Frehley opted for feel over technical dexterity. But never stopped learning. When I asked him in that same interview if he was still discovering things at 67, he laughed: “All the time. Half the stuff I do, I don't know what it's called. But you know, if it sounds good, I do it.”

This intuitive approach defined his career. As he told Premier Guitar in 2010, “I pride myself on thinking outside the box, and I'm probably like that because I'm not a schooled musician. To me, there are no rules, and there never were.”

​I HAVE to get back to regular posts on my little blog, said Gene to himself. Lots has happened since the last post, perhaps of interest, perhaps not. But if nothing else, putting down some thoughts and ideas about guitar playing, the music biz and suggestions to help us all weather the societal storm that is raging all around us with music can't hurt, right?
So I'll dive right in. I know my site is primarily about acoustic guitar but here's a suggestion for something that may brighten your day. Bad habit of mine: being "late to the parade" when I discover a group or artist that I instantly love but who's been around for a long time. I try to keep an open mind and do a good amount of research but I often depend upon friends and relatives to turn me on to people making great music. Often, it's my son Matt who I'm proud to say has very eclectic tastes in music but often steers me in a direction I would not have considered. While we will never agree on certain things (his occasional recommendations of some hip-hop "artist") and my love of bluegrass/newgrass but a few months ago he strongly recommended singer/songwriter MJ Lenderman and as it happened, I was teaching a recent song by the alt/country group Waxahatchee called "Right Back To It" that featured him as a guest artist singing harmony. Love the song, excellent lyrics and a catchy chord sequence over a solid melody (check it out!). 
Anyway, I did my due diligence and checked out MJ. He's a bit too much of the "shoe gazer" variety of younger musicians but some of his songs caught my attention and I'll be spending more time getting to know his stuff. 
I am proud to say that way, way back I used to play a mix tape (remember them?) on our long-distance camping trips when Matt and his sister Joanna were kids. Matt credits that old tape with helping him discover some music from his dad's misspent youth that he really liked. It included songs by Santana, Traffic, Beatles (of course!) and the long, live version of the Stones "Midnight Rambler" recorded at Madison Square Garden in 1969. If you haven't listened to that one in a while I strongly endorse giving it another go. Whew, barely controlled chaos by the Stones at the height of their pure power. 
But back to my recent discoveries of music and artists I should have paid attention to a long time ago. The group Los Straightjackets just released their first album of totally original material in over eight years, called Somos. They are unabashed carriers of the spirit of pure electric guitar twang ala Dick Dale and Duanne Eddy, sometimes called surf music back in the day. BUT.....thanks to modern recording technology and the fact that they are all virtuoso players they surpass anything done in the 1960s. All the 15 songs on the album are instrumentals and only one clocks out at barely over three minutes in length but wow, wow, wow. Some of the songs feature strong melodies at moderate speeds and one reviewer said: this is what the Beatles would have sounded like at the Cavern in 1962 if the Beatles were much better players with much better equipment. And I agree 100%. However, the majority are straight-ahead rockers and if your foot isn't taping after the first few licks you'd better check your pulse! You can buy the album to download or download-plus-CD from Yep Roc records where you'll find MANY other great artists. This album has become my go-to when I want to forget the latest news from Washington, at least for a few minutes and have my soul rubbed clean. Oh, and all the band members wear Mexican pro wrestler masks when they perform. Why? Why not!
My own performing over the last couple of months has been more frequent than I thought it would be. After my 13-year tenure at the Daily Brew ended I did beat the streets a bit in hopes of finding a similar gig but nothing came of that. Finding gigs has never been my strong suit anyway; I very much admire musicians who brush off rejection almost immediately and continue their efforts. I have never been that guy, nor will I ever be. I don't deal well with rejection and that is pretty much what it comes down to. But thankfully and for reasons no one really understands, when people are looking for a guitarist to play a wedding ceremony or for a private event here on Cape Cod my site seems to come up frequently. Thanks, Google, I guess.... (!) So over the past three months I've played four wedding ceremonies, a couple of them included the cocktail hour, two private parties and two more of the wonderful Music at the Table events that I wrote about earlier this year. I'll be doing another one of those next week. For the second year in a row, back in August I played the North Falmouth Porchfest accompanied by my friend and sometime-student Tom Austin. It was great fun, the weather was picture-perfect and the crowds were estimated at twice what they were last year and they were very enthusiastic. In spite of a couple glitches in PA system at our location Tom and I were very pleased with our performance and some people we know said it was the best they'd ever heard us. I absolutely LOVE playing with Tom. His pure joy in making music is infectious even to this old musician. The best part for me is that I can totally depend on Tom to be there on the chord changes and better yet, he adjusts when I go a bit off the tracks.  
I also had the opportunity to meet some very good local musicians who played Porchfest at our location and I'm hoping to get together with a couple of them in the coming weeks to try some tunes in a slightly different setting than I'm used to. 
Which brings me back to what I said at the beginning of this blog entry. We are in the middle of an existential moment in history. Every day it seems there is a new crisis that seems to challenge the very existence of our democracy. No matter which side of the political fence you inhabit, try hard to not make instant judgements (and for me personally, that is very hard to do sometimes). Gather as much information as you can, from as many sources as possible. Don't fall for easy answers to complex problems. And for me anyway, the best way to channel emotions is via that wood and steel contraption sitting on my leg. It doesn't pass judgement although at times it will challenge my honesty - my honesty with myself. More than anything, it offers an escape where you can rebuild your strength.
 
Peace & good music,
Gene
  

Drive into a new tonal frontier today! Enter to WIN the Kernom RIDGE — the pedal that morphs from clean boost to full‑on high gain, with MIDI control, dual EQ sections, and a responsive “MOOD” knob that blends multiple overdrive voices in one. Don’t miss today’s chance — come back tomorrow for your next shot at pedal gold!

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Kernom Ridge

Every Overdrive You’ll Ever Need, One Pedal

Struggling to find the perfect overdrive? Whether you need a clean boost, a transparent overdrive, or high-gain distortion, RIDGE gives you a seamless spectrum of tones—all in one pedal.

From Klon-like transparency to Tube Screamer warmth, from bluesy edge-of-breakup tones to modern high-gain saturation, RIDGE eliminates the need for multiple pedals. Dial in your perfect drive with the MOOD knob.

• The Only Overdrive You Need: From Clean Boost to High Gain
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• Advanced EQ Section– Sculpt your tone before and after the clipping stage
• MIDI & Preset Control – Save up to 128 presets and integrate seamlessly into your rig.
• Expression Pedal Input – Morph between two drive settings in real time.

.rbm-pick { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 160px 1fr; gap: 16px; align-items: center; border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; border-radius: 12px; padding: 16px; } /* Media box — no cropping, no edge kiss */ .rbm-pick-media { height: 180px; /* fixed height for consistency */ padding: 8px; /* breathing room to avoid flat-cut edges */ box-sizing: border-box; /* keep total height = 180px */ border-radius: 10px; background: #fff; overflow: hidden; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; } .rbm-pick-media img { max-width: 100%; max-height: 100%; width: auto; /* preserve aspect */ height: auto; object-fit: contain; /* never crop */ object-position: center; display: block; } .rbm-badge { display: inline-block; font: 600 12px/1.2 system-ui; padding: 4px 8px; border-radius: 999px; background: #111; color: #fff; margin-bottom: 8px; } .rbm-title { font: 700 18px/1.3 system-ui; margin: 4px 0 8px; } .rbm-blurb { font: 400 14px/1.5 system-ui; color: #333; margin-bottom: 12px; } .rbm-pick-buttons { display: flex; gap: 8px; flex-wrap: wrap; } .rbm-pick .rbm-btn { display: inline-flex; gap: 6px; align-items: center; border: 2px solid #b50000; /* Premier Guitar red */ border-radius: 999px; padding: 10px 16px; text-decoration: none; font: 600 14px/1.2 system-ui; color: #b50000; background: #fff; box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.12); transition: background .2s, color .2s, transform .15s; } .rbm-pick .rbm-btn:hover { background: #b50000; color: #fff; transform: translateY(-1px); } .rbm-pick .rbm-btn .price { opacity: 1; font-weight: 600; } /* Responsive tweaks */ @media (max-width: 540px) { .rbm-pick { grid-template-columns: 1fr; } .rbm-pick-media { height: 160px; padding: 6px; } } @media (min-width: 900px) { .rbm-pick-media { height: 200px; } }

Do you feel like your solos lack focus or that there isn’t any underlying structure to your lines? Does it seem that you are wandering around the neck, hoping that what you are playing “looks like it sounds cool”? Would pushing peas around a dinner plate with a knife be more riveting than the last lick you played? If any of these statements are true, then you need some guide tones, my friend.

Guide tones, also known as target notes, are commonly used in jazz improvisation and usually refer to only the 3rd and 7th of a chord. But, for our purposes, we’re going to apply a more generous definition where all notes of a chord can be used. There are two benefits to using guide tones: They create a predetermined melodic structure that serves as a framework for your solo, and they provide an inner melody to your lines that carry the sound of the chord changes.

The first two examples show a couple of possibilities when building a guide tone melody over a ii-V-I chord progression in the key of C major. The only requirement is that the guide tones should be played on the strong beats of the measure (beats 1 and 3). Next, spell each chord to see what notes you have to work with. For our progression, our choices will come from Dm7 (D-F-A-C), G7 (G-B-D-F), and Cmaj7 (C-E-G-B). Since these examples have one chord per measure, I have chosen to use only one guide tone in each measure. But, I could have used two guide tones in a measure, one on beat 1 and the other on the beat 3. Other than what has already been discussed, there is no right or wrong way to do this. Basically, pick some chord tones, put them on the strong beat(s), and see how it sounds. Change or edit as you see fit!

Take a listen to Ex. 1. The guide tones create a descending melody that leaps up at the end. Using one note per measure, the line starts with C (the 7th of Dm7), then to B (the 3rd of G7), to G (the 5th of Cmaj7) and finally E (the 3rd of Cmaj7). Ex. 2 has a guide tone line similar to the first example, descending for the first three measures and a leap up at the end. It begins with F (the 3rd of Dm7), to D (the 5th of G7), to B (the 7th of Cmaj7), and then to E (the 7th of Cmaj7).

Ex. 3 is an eight measure progression, similar in structure to a popular jazz standard. Harmonically, the first half is a ii-V-I-IV in C major and the second half is a ii-V-i in the key of A minor. In the first six bars, there is one guide tone per measure, and then concludes with two guide tones in each of the last two bars.

Once you have decided on a framework for your solo, use scales and arpeggios to add notes before each guide tone. By doing so, you create motion in your line that sounds musical, and not like you’re choosing notes at random. Listen to Ex. 4 where each guide tone is approached from above by a scale step. Since all the chords are in the key of C, my approach notes are from the C major scale. I can also think in modal terms, where I would use D Dorian in bar 1 to approach the G7 in bar 2. Then, I can use G Mixolydian in bar 2 to approach the Cmaj7 in bar 3, and C Ionian to approach the next Cmaj7 in bar 4. Ex. 5 is the same scalar concept, this time approaching the guide tones from below.

Ex. 6 and Ex. 7 use arpeggios to approach the guide tones from above and below, respectively. I prefer to do this by using the arpeggio of the chord I am going to, not the one I am playing over. So, when I am playing over the Dm7 in the first measure, I will use the G7 arpeggio to approach the guide tone in bar 2. Then, when playing over G7 in the second measure, use the Cmaj7 arpeggio to approach the guide tone in bar 3. This concept is a little easier to see in Ex.7. Dm7 is the chord in bar 1. You approach the guide tone in bar 2 with a G, which is not in a Dm7 chord, but it is in G7.

To get longer lines, use two, three, or more notes from the scale or arpeggio when approaching the guide tones. Ex. 8 approaches the guide tone from above and below, using two and three notes from the scale. Ex. 9 shows the same approach methods, but with notes from the arpeggio.

After you get a handle on the guide tone concepts, experiment with rhythms, rests, and an ever-increasing number of approach notes. Check out Ex. 10 as an example of what is possible. It’s the guide tone line from Ex. 2 fleshed out with a mixture of scale and arpeggio approach notes of various lengths. Ex. 11 is an expansion of the guide tone line from Ex. 3. I used an increasing number of approach notes in the first half of the line. The second half is more rhythmically complex, ending with the triplet figures in the last two measures.

Applying these concepts to something more familiar, Ex. 12 is one possible guide tone melody over an A minor blues. Give it a listen to hear how the first two phrases are relatively scalar, but the last phrase has more of a “sawtooth” vibe. Ex. 13 is the completed solo, using the ideas discussed previously. Throwing everything into the guide-tone blender yielded different types of approaches combined with a variety of rhythms and rests.

Once you get a foothold, substitute different modes, scales, arpeggios, chords, and time signatures to achieve some different sonic flavors. Remember that you are restricting yourself to these few concepts in order to get a more melodic and meaningful solo. If you practice it enough, your brain will start working this way on its own!

Universal Audio Inc. (UA), a worldwide leader in audio production tools, is proud to announce Volt 876 USB Recording Studio, a 24‑in / 28-out rackmount USB audio interface for Mac and Windows with eight Vintage preamps and classic 1176‑style compressors on every channel.

Delivering next‑generation 32-bit / 192 kHz audio quality, Volt 876 is designed for serious music producers and bands who want legendary UA analog sound, a curated suite of UAD plug‑ins, and powerful integration with UA's groundbreaking LUNA Digital Audio Workstation.

“Volt 876 is all about giving musicians and producers a classic UA analog studio sound, with more power to create together,” says Bill Putnam Jr., CEO of Universal Audio. "Beyond its fast, push-button tone shaping, it offers a level of digital integration with UAD plug‑ins and LUNA that we believe is the fastest path to creating great‑sounding music."

Volt 876 USB Recording Studio - $999 MAP USD

Built by the same team behind the award-winning Apollo interfaces, Volt 876 is a complete recording system with powerful hardware‑software integration, including instant session recall, AI‑powered tools in UA’s LUNA DAW, software remote control, and the premium UAD Producer Suite plug‑in bundle — giving musicians and creators everything they need to capture and shape music with authentic analog tone.

Key Features:

• 24‑in / 28‑out rackmount USB audio interface with eight onboard Vintage preamps and classic compressors — inspired by UA’s iconic 610 console and 1176 limiter
• Next‑generation 32‑bit / 192 kHz audio conversion on Mac, PC, iPad, and iPhone
• Includes LUNA Digital Audio Workstation with unlimited track count and smart AI-powered tools like Voice Control, Instrument Detection, and Tempo Listen
• Features UAD Producer Suite plug‑in bundle with Teletronix LA‑2A and UA 1176 compressors, Pultec EQs, PolyMAX Synth, Showtime ’64 Guitar Amp, and more
• Assistive Auto‑Gain, full session recall of front‑panel settings, and two low‑latency cue mixes with talkback using UAD Console app
• ADAT connection allows aggregation of up to 3 Volt 876 interfaces, as well as integration with Apollo and other digital audio equipment

Volt 876 USB Recording Studio is now available for purchase from retailers worldwide.

ThorpyFX has teamed up with multimedia studios Rebellion on a line of comic book-themed pedals inspired by 2000 AD characters.

Three pedals have been launched through the partnership – which are each respectively based on the characters Judge Dredd, Judge Death, and Rogue Trooper – and a range of funky picks are also available as part of the launch.

• READ MORE: These Fender Japan x Godzilla guitars might be the coolest we’ve seen this year – and possibly ever

2000 AD was first published in 1977, and has been in the care of Rebellion since the year 2000. Rebellion is one of the world’s most successful independent video games studios, and it also produces books, TV, film, board games, and more alongside its comics too.

Not only do these pedals look cool, they’re also made to “survive the rigours of the road and deliver consistent superior sound in all working environments.” Built around existing ThorpyFX pedals, each one aligns with the character it’s named after, and features exclusive 2000 AD collab artwork.

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Judge Dredd has been honoured with The Lawbringer, based on the award winning British-style Gunshot overdrive, which “aims to place Law above all else in line with Judge Dredd’s singular uncompromising attitude”. At the heart of this pedal is a proprietary cascading ‘gain engine’, tuned to deliver maximum tonality for a wide range of amps.

Judge Death’s Deathbringer is built around the distortion Warthog pedal that ThorpyFX designed to be “the distortion to beat all others”. This one has an American voice, and can cover all kinds of tones from boost to fuzz.

The final pedal in the collection is the Rogue Trooper Fallout Cloud. It’s described as embodying “the dark vengeful theme of the dystopian Nu-Earth world, but with a soundscape that is as massive as the wastelands found on Nu-Earth.” It’s a special edition version of the original Fallout Cloud designed by ThorpyFX in 2016 and is branded as a Triangle era-inspired fuzz.

Each pedal is available to pre-order now via ThorpyFX and each is priced at £229. You can also find out more about 2000 AD via Rebellion.

The post Judge Dredd comic book-inspired ThorpyFX pedals? Yes, please appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Guild has lifted the lid on two new USA-made concert-sized acoustics, the M-50 Standard and M-40 Standard, with smaller bodies and wider nut widths aimed at singer-songwriters and fingerstyle guitarists.

A concert-sized body is essentially smaller and less deep than that of a standard acoustic guitar, and so is ideal for smaller players, or perhaps those seeking a travel guitar.

Both the M-50 Standard and M-40 Standard are available in acoustic and electro-acoustic configurations, with the latter featuring an L.R. Baggs Element VLC Pickup System, designed to “faithfully reproduce the guitar’s acoustic sound when amplified or recorded”.

• READ MORE: Wolfgang Van Halen names his five favourite guitar players
  

Though similar, each guitar sports a slightly different build; both feature a solid Sitka spruce top, while the M-50 Standard features an Indian rosewood back and sides, and the M-40 Standard features a back and sides built using African mahogany.

Both guitars have two finish options; the M-50 comes in either Natural or Antique Burst, while the M-40 comes in Natural and Pacific Sunset Burst.

Guild says the Indian rosewood of the M-50 Standard contributes to a “full and rich tone with excellent articulation”, while the M-40’s African mahogany means “warmth and an earthy richness”.

Further specs present on both models include a mahogany C-shaped neck, Indian rosewood bridge, compensated bone saddle and bone nut, tortoiseshell pickguard, white binding, Guild Peak headstock inlay and Guild Deluxe Vintage open-gear tuners.

Of the L.R. Baggs electronics featured on the M-50E and M-40E, Guild explains: “By detecting soundboard movement rather than picking pressure, the pickup captures the full and balanced tone of the guitar while eliminating the high-frequency ‘quack’ typical of undersaddle pickups.”

Learn more at Guild.

The post Guild takes aim at singer-songwriters and fingerstylists with two smaller concert-sized acoustics appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

When playing, try to bring the resistance down to zero.

Ronnie Wood has looked back on his early induction into The Rolling Stones, and how he was given 300 songs to learn rapidly with a little help from Keith Richards.

Wood began working with the Stones during the recording of their Black And Blue album, just after the departure of Mick Taylor. Though Richards recorded the vast majority of guitar work on the record, the band also used it as a window of opportunity to trial Taylor’s replacement.

• READ MORE: “He got to just be the bass player in the band, and he f**king loved it”: Why Paul McCartney loved playing bass on The Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds album

Wood became a touring member of the band in 1975 for their Tour Of The Americas, and became a permanent member in 1976. Speaking to Uncut surrounding the upcoming November reissue of Black And Blue, Wood looks back on the chaos of joining the band and having to catch up to the others.

Recalling his contributions to Black And Blue, he shares: “One of my favourites was Hey Negrita, the first song that I wrapped in the studio and said, ‘Right, we’re going to play this.’ And Charlie [Watts] said, ‘We’ve only known him five minutes and he’s bossing us around already.’ That was my classic introduction to the boys in the studio. I think I got an ‘inspiration by’ [credit] or something.”

He adds, “Joining the band, I had to take a deep breath and say, ‘Here we go.’ You’d either got it or you hadn’t. From Beggars Banquet onwards, I loved all those albums of theirs. When I actually joined, I thought, ‘I’m finally home now.’ I think I had about 300 songs that I had to learn rapidly. Keith kept me going. We were playing and playing, we hardly slept, and it was certainly a crash course.”

Speaking of the difference between being in The Stones’ inner circle and actually being a member of the band, he says, “[This was the beginning] of being a part of the outfit, the circus. And I remember Keith’s, ‘I’ve got a great idea – let’s not tell anyone you’re in the band.’ Great, thanks, Keith! I came in by osmosis. There was never actually an announcement, so I was still the new boy 20 years later.”

The new, Super Deluxe Box Set reissue of Black And Blue will be released on 14 November via Universal. Arriving as a 5LP vinyl box set and a 4CD box set, both editions come alongside a Blu-ray disc, a 100-page hardback book, and a replica tour poster. In other Stones news, producer Andrew Watt recently teased that another album is on the way from the band.

You can pre-order the Black And Blue Super Deluxe Box Set now, or check out more from the band via their official website.

The post Ronnie Wood reveals his marathon initiation when joining The Rolling Stones: “Keith kept me going… we hardly slept” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.