Recent Posts

New Slash Good! Why Slashtone?

New Slash Good! Why Slashtone?

Happened to see a clip of Slash’s band on the Guitar Center Sessions or whatever they’re called, aka MTV Unplugged 2. Personally I find that as boring as I found the Unplugged stuff (hey, let’s take the rock ‘n’ roll out of it – brilliant!), but it reminded me to look into the new Slash […]

July 26, 2012 | By | 4 Replies More
New Vai’s Got the Wood

New Vai’s Got the Wood

A bunch of get-your-hopes-up new music has been coming out lately, or is due out soon. At least one huge disappointment in that pile, but there’s some good stuff, including Steve Vai’s new one, The Story of Light. Before I start yapping about it, here’s the “single” (first release) from that, “Gravity Storm.” That sweet […]

July 19, 2012 | By | 2 Replies More
The Gene-EVH-Ace-Joe Perry Connection

The Gene-EVH-Ace-Joe Perry Connection

Have you picked up “Guitar World Presents 40 Years of Van Halen” yet? Zactly – I didn’t even know it existed until I saw it in a bookstore (remember those? lol). Anyhow, I’m always amazed at how I think I’ve memorized every word ever written about Ed and his gear and then I read something […]

June 14, 2012 | By | 6 Replies More
More On the YMI5150 Model-A Guitar

More On the YMI5150 Model-A Guitar

Few weeks ago I posted a brief “review” (outdated word) of Kevin Holbrook’s YMI5150 Model-A guitar. As a brief reminder, what got my attention were the following things: > A good wood combo: swamp ash, maple/rosewood. > An interesting and unique combo of components resulting in a Strat-shaped and -scaled guitar with an ABR bridge […]

June 5, 2012 | By | 3 Replies More
Blackfoot Is Back Mofos! Sorta…

Blackfoot Is Back Mofos! Sorta…

[Guess I’m back too. Sorry for the hiatus. Life/work intervened!] Now this is interesting. Buddy of mine (thanks Bo!) sends me to Blackfootband.com. I’m doing the eyeroll, thinking the band has missed any and all chances at a meaningful reunion – or three-quarter reunion, what with Rickey Medlocke apparently wanting nothing to do with the […]

May 30, 2012 | By | 1 Reply More
Did You Read the Esquire EVH Piece Yet?

Did You Read the Esquire EVH Piece Yet?

We’re going to have to wait yet another week for the interview with Kevin Holbrook of YMI5150 guitars because we have yet another newsworthy event. This time it’s the recent Esquire interview with Edward Van Halen. Now before you EVH fans get to getting your hopes up, let’s bear in mind the same ol’s: 1. […]

April 20, 2012 | By | 8 Replies More
RIP Jim Marshall, the Wood-Master

RIP Jim Marshall, the Wood-Master

What can you say about Jim Marshall, other than “thanks.” Thanks for most of the woodiest tones ever heard by human ears. Thanks for cobbling together, and then making, the best amps ever – some of which still are. Thanks for crushing our ears with ridiculously loud organic tone wrenched from wood and metal by […]

April 12, 2012 | By | 3 Replies More
Test Drive: YMI5150 Model-A Guitar

Test Drive: YMI5150 Model-A Guitar

You may know I frequent the metroamp.com forum – or more accurately the Edward Van Halen subforum of that forum, simply because that’s hands down the best forum for all things gear related to EVH. Couple months ago one of the regulars there said he was putting together some guitars for sale based on a […]

April 4, 2012 | By | 2 Replies More
Jake E Lee Lives!

Jake E Lee Lives!

Seems like Mark Twain, rumors of Jake E. Lee’s demise were greatly exaggerated. At least a little, anyway. Bud of mine hipped me to this a while back, been meaning to share it. He didn’t tell me why I was watching it. And after listening to the ’80s-like (but maybe a little better?) mid-tempo thang, […]

March 20, 2012 | By | 2 Replies More
Show ‘Review’: Van Halen at the Garden

Show ‘Review’: Van Halen at the Garden

Took my 10-year-old son to see Van Halen at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 1. I think he was more excited to see them than I was – not that I wasn’t, but this was the mighty Van Halen whose tunes the both of us have copped, jammed to and listened […]

March 8, 2012 | By | 1 Reply More
Jet’s ‘Cold Hard B*tch’ Gear

Jet’s ‘Cold Hard B*tch’ Gear

Heard a tune on the radio the other day, my ears picked up right away. Only when it got to the chorus did I realize I’d heard it before – guess I dismissed it at the time. “It” is the tune “Cold Hard B*tch” by the Australian band Jet. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, […]

March 1, 2012 | By | Reply More
Thoughts On Van Halen’s New One

Thoughts On Van Halen’s New One

Been listening to Van Halen’s A Different Kind of Truth over and over and over for a while now. Couple reasons: 1. It’s great, and I’m a teenager again (minus a bunch o’ hair), running up to my room to put 1984 on the turntable. 2. Sometime after X listens (X = 1,000? 10,000?) things […]

February 23, 2012 | By | 8 Replies More
New VH Kicks A** Big-Time!

New VH Kicks A** Big-Time!

So everyone’s asking me, “Where the F is your review of the new Van Halen?” And I’m like, “I’m workin’ on it, man!” One reason it took a little bit is I wanted to catch up with Pete Thorn to get his comments on the tracks. If you haven’t heard of him, Pete is an […]

February 10, 2012 | By | 9 Replies More
Mick Ralphs’ Hoople and Bad Co Gear

Mick Ralphs’ Hoople and Bad Co Gear

Does it get any better than Bad Company for classic rockage? I’ll answer that for you: No! For years I’ve held onto an old Guitar Player with Mick Ralphs on the cover, and of course now I can’t find it…but I did find the interview online. In it Mick goes into some pretty decent gear […]

February 2, 2012 | By | 2 Replies More
Why Don’t We All Know Ollie Halsall?

Why Don’t We All Know Ollie Halsall?

A semi-recent thread on the metroamp.com board was started about a geetar-slinger named Ollie Halsall. Huh? That was my reaction too, since like you I’m pretty sure I know about every famous to semi-famous guitar player worth knowing about. Obviously not true. Ollie was almost in the Stones, inspired jealousy in Alvin Lee, and was […]

January 19, 2012 | By | 2 Replies More