RSSCategory: Fender

Mike Campbell: Tasty Playing, Vintage Gear

Mike Campbell: Tasty Playing, Vintage Gear

Heard the Tom Petty tune “You Got Lucky” on the radio the other day, and had a flashback – about the solo on that song. It was 1982, and I was all about Van Halen, Randy Rhoads and all the rest of it. When I heard the solo back then, I laughed! It was comically […]

March 31, 2010 | By | Reply More
Ludlow Guitars in NYC: Store and Guitars Review

Ludlow Guitars in NYC: Store and Guitars Review

The second part of my recent NYC geetar adventure was a visit to Ludlow Guitars, which amazingly enough I’d never been to (I think – can’t exactly remember). A super-cool store with lots of USED GUITAR INVENTORY! Yeah! And used and boutique amps! Yeah! That’s the stuff I want to play.

March 24, 2010 | By | Reply More
PG’s Eye-Opening Townshend Interview

PG’s Eye-Opening Townshend Interview

Advised Hendrix On His Rig? Pete Townshend could never be accused of understating things. In some ways he always seems like the classic artist, in the “here’s the way I see it and F you if you don’t like it” sense. In a new-ish and excellent PremierGuitar.com interview, Pete is all that and says some […]

March 22, 2010 | By | 1 Reply More
New Info on Ace Frehley’s 1970s Gear

New Info on Ace Frehley’s 1970s Gear

Already Writing Next Record! Premier Guitar recently posted an interview with Ace Frehley in which Ace FINALLY talks with some specifics about what he used in the studio back in the early KISS days. Not a lot, but some. Here it is: “On the early KISS records, I used my tobacco-sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standard […]

March 15, 2010 | By | 3 Replies More
Ronnie Montrose’s ‘Rock Candy’ Tone…

Ronnie Montrose’s ‘Rock Candy’ Tone…

…and Three Van Halen Connections Montrose, the 1973 self-titled debut album by the band of the same name, is one of those tone-pillar albums – “a pillar of tone that holds up the house of rock” (or pick a different metaphor). It likewise stands on its own as a monument of great tunes and great […]

February 17, 2010 | By | 8 Replies More
Jake E. Lee’s Badlands Tone: Woody or Not?

Jake E. Lee’s Badlands Tone: Woody or Not?

As a kid in high school in the ’80s (early ’80s!), Jake E. Lee was on my list of favorite guitarists – another one of the seemingly endless supply of amazing, cool-looking axemen coming out of LA. I wondered how Ozzy found these guys: Were they lined up on street corners? Hanging out under palm […]

February 5, 2010 | By | 3 Replies More
Do You Own One of Lowell George’s Strats?

Do You Own One of Lowell George’s Strats?

You might. It would probably be a mid-70s Fender Stratocaster, which Lowell (of Little Feat) was favoring at the time, but could be something else. Why am I asking? Here’s why, from the August 1976 issue of Guitar Player magazine: GP: How many guitars have you had? Lowell: I’ve had 50, 20 of which I […]

December 29, 2009 | By | Reply More
Townshend’s Recording Rigs and Tips

Townshend’s Recording Rigs and Tips

All Fender Except the Joe Walsh Rig I recently subscribed to Guitar Player’s GP2 on-line mag (subscribe here – it’s free) because this time I saw Pete Townshend on the cover. Had to read it, and glad I did. Following are some cool tone-making and tone-recording excerpts from the interview.

December 9, 2009 | By | 5 Replies More
New KISS Sonic Boom Gear Info…

New KISS Sonic Boom Gear Info…

…in PremierGuitar.com Articles Lots has been written about KISS’s Sonic Boom album, but all of the interviews thus far have left info gaps. PremierGuitar.com recently posted a couple of new interviews – a little late to the party, but the info is good. A few gear details are still missing, but not many! One PG […]

December 7, 2009 | By | Reply More
Roger Fisher’s ‘Barracuda’ Gear (and Other Tidbits)

Roger Fisher’s ‘Barracuda’ Gear (and Other Tidbits)

Howard Leese’s Gear Too; Replace Ace? To me, the Heart tune “Barracuda” is one of those perfect songs. Everything’s great: guitar, drums (watch it on YouTube) and the singing, which is just amazing. We’ve all heard the song hundreds of times, but there’s precious little about the gear Roger Fisher and fellow guitarist Howard Leese […]

December 4, 2009 | By | 1 Reply More
Roger Fisher’s Heart Gear

Roger Fisher’s Heart Gear

Plus Roger’s First Impression of EVH Here’s the second part of my 3-part interview with founding Heart member Roger Fisher – who unfortunately for all of us hasn’t gotten his due over the years. Although there’s no doubt, you can tell he’s a guitarist merely by the fact that he can recall his gear details […]

December 3, 2009 | By | 1 Reply More
Slash Using a Tele: Can You Hear It?

Slash Using a Tele: Can You Hear It?

Most people swore Jimmy Page only used a Les Paul, but we now know about the Fender Telecasters. Jimi Hendrix apparently used a Tele on the Purple Haze solo. Virtually everyone thinks Steve Gaines used a Strat on Skynyrd’s “I Know a Little,” but it turns out it might have been a Les Paul. Point […]

November 13, 2009 | By | Reply More
George Lynch’s Woody Smoke & Mirrors Gear

George Lynch’s Woody Smoke & Mirrors Gear

Part 2 of 2; Plus George’s Vintage Parts Guitars If you read part 1 of the Lynch Mob’s Smoke and Mirrors review, you know I’m digging the album. (I’m also really digging Lynch’s Souls of We disc – more on that in a future post.) But what’s odd about it, from a Lynch standpoint, is […]

November 10, 2009 | By | Reply More
Review: KISS’s Sonic Boom Good, Single Great

Review: KISS’s Sonic Boom Good, Single Great

Full Track by Track Review After numerous listens to the Sonic Boom CD, that’s where I come out: good album, great single – and bear in mind that I’m a huge, long-time KISS fan. Don’t misread that. This is the best KISS record since 1979’s Dynasty (obviously I’m not a fan of the ’80s KISS […]

October 22, 2009 | By | 1 Reply More
32 Years Today: Steve Gaines Remembered

32 Years Today: Steve Gaines Remembered

How To Play ‘I Know a Little;’ Played on a Les Paul? Thirty-two years ago today, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane went down and we lost one of the greatest guitar players ever to walk out on a stage: 28-year-old Steve Gaines. Steve was an absolute monster. Couple quotes to that effect (if you read nothing else, […]

October 20, 2009 | By | 1 Reply More