I went surfing and found some info on Audley that WoodyToners will enjoy. The excerpts were taken from two articles: here and here. The articles are a bit old, so some of the info might be dated. If you know where to find more or more-current Audley info or interviews, please let me know. Influences […]
Although the music machine named Edward Van Halen is never not creating more and more music (put it out! sell it online!), it does appear that the much-hoped-for new VH album with DLR won’t be happening anytime soon — and I feel obligated to say given the in/out nature of the band, “if it happens […]
A buddy of mine passed me a disc the other day to check out, by this band called Cry of Love. A ’90s release. Took exactly one listen to reach this conclusion: frickin’ great. Great tunes, great singing (Kelly Holland sounds a little like Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes, but better), simply and “rawly” […]
Judging by the number of views on this vid, looks like I’m tardy to this party. This kid can play! And…is that WoodyTone I’m hearing? I hear the Strat, the phaser sounds luscious in spots, the flanger big and bold. I mean — we’re all listening to compressed video audio through some form of computer […]
In case you need a reminder, dust off your Don’t Say No album or CD, or click here to go to last.fm and give those tunes a listen. THAT, my friends, is WoodyTone. Dang. You can clearly hear the vintage gear and analog recording equipment, even on laptop speakers. (This is making me wonder whether […]
Initially I just chalked up the “Zep touring without Plant” talk as rumor. I mean, can you imagine? (I’m searching for an analogy here, but I can’t find one. Maybe it would be like Queen, with Freddie still alive (God bless him) taking a long hiatus and then suddenly touring with another singer. Or maybe […]
I just read an article on Gibson.com about Stevie Ray’s tone. The headline starts with these words: Myth Busters. I assume that’s because the overall point of the piece is that Stevie’s gear wasn’t cut and dried, particularly on the amp side, so his tone being a direct function of his equipment is a bit […]
On the subject of switching your picking from thumb/forefinger to thumb/first two fingers — well, you can go the other way too. Paul Gilbert used to play with two fingers and a thumb, but switched to thumb/forefinger, apparently just to get a cooler, cello-like pick attack — and because of a little thumb pain.
Years ago I was watching a Steve Morse instructional video (yes, on VHS) in which he talked about how he holds his pick. Specifically, if I remember right, he holds it with his thumb and first two fingers — contrary to the grip 99% of people seem to use, which is thumb and first (pointer) […]
Today I was going to write something about Yngwie getting a bad rap or maybe start looking into how Skynyrd got such great tones out of Peavey amps, but instead ran into this quote on the Van Halen News Desk. It’s from an interview with EVH’s guitar tech Tom Weber, who was on his maiden […]
According to Gibson.com via this gossip blog, Led Zep may tour minus, without, not including — Robert Plant. Plant’s replacement may be Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge. What?!
Like all good tone-chasers, Gary Moore has been all over the map, albeit a fairly narrow map. I won’t pretend to know a lot about Gary Moore — he’s from one of those islands over yonder, right? — but I do know WoodyTone when my ears hear it. And killer playing. Today I was listening […]
Can anyone get woodytone out of a solid basswood guitar body? Or is this just the worst guitar wood ever? Here’s my ear experience with it. 1. Not even the great EVH can get a true woodytone out of basswood, though he has come close on stage with the EVH Art Series Charvels.
What is WoodyTone? If you have to ask, then I’m not sure I can help you. But I’ll try because really, it’s not too tough. WoodyTone is exactly what it sounds like, including the double entendre. To me it’s an electric guitar (wood) into an organic amp (tubes), along with everything in the signal chain […]
I was fortunate that a friend got tix to last night’s King’s X/Extreme (in that order) show at NYC’s Fillmore Irving Plaza. Follow is my “review” — just my experience, really — but the bottom line was that both bands were very good. King’s X opened and they were awesome as usual. What a great, […]
Fair Warning Tone Ain’t All the Same
Got it in my head to figure out which Van Halen song tones – not album tones – I liked the most. Started with Fair Warning, whose balls I just can’t get enough of…which doesn’t sound so good but you get what I mean. Listen to it cranked in my car because that’s the only […]
Pondering VH’s Fair Warning Tone
LOVE the first four Van Halen albums. Always have, always will. Love the rest too, including the Van Hagar years (oops, forgot about VH III…), but those first four vinyl donuts are to me and many others just the nads. The nadliest of nads. They’re a band kicking the world’s butt in every way, and […]
Recently I was ruined yet again by a good amp. This time a bud’s Bogner Shiva, EL34 version. Let’s call him Sean – because that’s his name…. He’d been talking about how awesome it was for a while, and even though I know he has good ears, wasn’t too motivated to go try it. I’d […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
