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This Tone Tip is about as simple as it gets, but it’s one that—once understood, and mastered―proves a surprising revelation to many players. During what I would reverentially refer to as the Golden Age of Tone, the late 1950s, ’60s, and early ’70s, this tip was second nature to great electric guitarists. It seems to have fallen from the knowledge bank, however, in the “high-gain era,” the late 1970s and ’80s, when everything was multi-channel, supercharged, and hotrodded. But long before the propagation of channel switching, the master volume, and massive pedalboards, legendary rock players still had a straightforward means of achieving clean, crunch, and lead tones―right from the guitar even. They set their tube amps for the best lead sound they could achieve, turned the guitar’s volume knob down a little for crunch, and turned it down a little more for clean. That was it: the volume control was used like it was meant to be, as a remote appendage of the amp’s controls. Work with this yourself, and you can get a lot out of this control right here in the 21st century.

Now, this technique works best with vintage-style tube amps, certainly. This includes not only old classics of that aforementioned Golden Age of Tone, but latter-day tube amps made in a similar style, with relatively uncluttered signal paths and a big, natural overdrive achieved by just cranking them up. Among these are amps such as Gibson’s little GA5 Les Paul Junior or medium-sized GA20RVT. After a certain point these amps don’t get any louder (I’m thinking, in most cases, of volume settings between about 3 o’clock and 5 o’clock—max—on the dial), they just break up more and compress more. Crank them up, though, and wind down your guitar’s volume control, and you get surprisingly rich, dynamic clean tones that are often far more appealing and playable than the tones achieved by turning the amp down to a comparable volume with the guitar turned up all the way. In between, you get thick crunch tones, and these real-tube crunch and lead tones are very difficult to replicate with overdrive or distortion pedals.

All of this might seem just a little “too easy to be true,” but it works for very scientific reasons that have to do with the electrical interaction between a guitar and a tube amplifier. Even though your guitar is not “plugged in” to the AC mains power, and carries no “live” current, it does produce an electrical current, which is the form your precious signal—your tone—takes in order to reach your amplifier (or DI, or recording interface). Pluck a string, and your guitar’s pickups convert that energy to a signal voltage that is carried down the wire to the grid of the first tube in your amp’s preamp stage. With your guitar’s volume controls turned up, that voltage is around one volt from a Gibson humbucking or P-90 pickup, or around half a volt from a weaker single-coil pickup. Turn your volume controls down, and a lower signal voltage is sent to the tube. Or just pick the string very lightly, even, and the signal voltage decreases, and because there’s a direct correlation between the level of the signal voltage that that first preamp tube sees and the degree to which the amp distorts, you’ve got a very real and direct means of controlling your distortion levels at the guitar’s volume control, and even with your own pick attack.

Try it out. Even on a channel-switching amp you can achieve it, in many cases, by cranking up your clean channel, or sometimes even by adjusting your lead channel to suitable levels. With non-foot-switchable amps, however, this technique opens up entire new worlds of tone. I have known dozens of players who were madly in love with the lush, raw overdrive tone of their cranked vintage-style or reissue or boutique tube amps, but needed clean tones in the course of their set too, so they kept the amp reigned in and achieved their lead tones with pedals (which are useful and occasionally very toneful in their own right, don’t get me wrong; they just rarely sound quite like a full-throttle tube amp). Play around with your amp levels, learn where you need to roll your guitar’s volume(s) to in order to achieve the desired changes, and you’ll soon discover you’ve got far more control over your tone.

Many guitars darken up a little when you turn them down because the loss of highs is emphasized more than the overall volume cut. Some players work with this, using it to mellow out their tone, then brighten it up at full volume for solos that really cut through. Other players find it a little bit of a problem with the “turn it down” technique. That’s why Gibson’s ES-339 carries its special Memphis Tone Circuit, specifically designed to retain the guitar’s full tone when turned down. But you can also achieve this on your own guitar with one of the simplest modifications you can perform. The addition of a small .001uF capacitor between the input terminal on each pickup’s volume potentiometer (the terminal to which the pickup’s own hot lead, or the hot lead from the switch, is connected) and the middle terminal on the pot allows some of the highs to pass through into the signal even when the volume control is turned down. Some guitar techs also like to add a small 150k to 300k ohm resistor in the same position so some lows pass through along with the highs, so the tone doesn’t thin out too much. If you are experienced with a soldering iron and guitar wiring (if you perform your own pickup swaps, for example) you will probably be able to do this yourself. Otherwise, take this idea and your guitar to your local Gibson Authorized Repair Center. Also, be aware that you want to avoid devaluing any vintage or collectible instrument, and check that such a modification doesn’t invalidate your guitar’s warranty. This minor modification can often be performed in a way that uses minimal solder and can be reversed in the future with little or no trace of the work ever having been done, if necessary.

Either way, play with the very real interaction between guitar and amp, and discover a magical—and magically simple—means of governing your guitar’s dynamics and your clean, crunch, and lead tones.

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Some guitarists shopping for the ultimate Les Paul might be baffled by the wide variety of choices available from Gibson today. After all, a Les Paul is a Les Paul, right? Why all the variations? Well, it’s precisely because this model is the king of set-neck solidbodies that so many guitarists want to get their hands on it, and just a little tweak of the format this way or that adapts Gibson’s classic to the needs of different players.

This plethora of options might seem like a modern phenomenon, but even in the golden years of the model there were some different specifications—in neck and fret dimensions in particular—that made a big difference to the way different Les Pauls felt in the hands. Today, Gibson offers some simple yet crucial variations between even the best of its reproductions of late ’50s Les Paul Standards to suit players’ differing preferences for feel and performance.

Ostensibly the 1958-’60 Custom Shop Les Paul VOS models are extremely similar. Look a little closer at the specs, however, and you’ll see how examples designed specifically to emulate different years in the range embody historical changes that served to make each “the ultimate Les Paul” to different players. The 1958 Les Paul Standard VOS reflects the chunky neck of the original by incorporating Gibson’s early ’50s rounded neck profile, with 22 thin vintage-gauge frets on its rosewood fretboard. Because these necks were profiled by hand back in the day, and their shapes tended to evolve discernibly from year to year, the otherwise very similar 1959 Les Paul Standard VOS has a neck with a profile that is still quite full and rounded, but significantly less chunky than that of earlier Les Pauls. Roll the clock forward just one more year and things change even more. The 1960 Les Paul Standard VOS has a slim-taper neck profile that’s extremely different from the profiles that came before it, and characteristic of the last year of the original model’s production. Along with the changing neck profiles, the 1959 and 1960 VOS Les Pauls have wider frets, reflecting a similar change to the originals. This introduces another significant difference in the “feel factor” between otherwise identical-appearing guitars from this short three-year period.

Plenty of players swear by the fat tone of the big, round early ’50s Gibson necks, so the 1958 profile gives them this in the classic sunburst-plus-humbuckers Les Paul format. Additionally, the thin vintage-gauge frets offer a fretting accuracy within both chords and single-note runs that some players really appreciate. The slimmer necks and fatter frets, however, do suit a lot of rock and blues lead players, and tend to help some guitarists with their speed and wide bends respectively. Eric Clapton, who made some of the first big blues-rock noises heard from a Les Paul Standard with John Mayall and the Blues Breakers on the Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (aka Beano) album of 1965, has always said his Les Paul had a particularly thin neck, so it was most likely a late 1959 or ’60 model. (Since even Clapton himself was unaware of exactly which year his Les Paul had been made, and the guitar was stolen from him in 1966, it’s impossible to determine its exact year of manufacture.) Jimmy Page’s No. 1 Les Paul was a 1958 model with a modified neck that ended up with an unusual, but very comfortable, elliptical profile, reproduced by Gibson in the Jimmy Page Signature Model Les Paul.

In the market for the perfect Les Paul for your own sound and playing style? Try the fine variations on the format that are available side by side from Gibson today, and nab the one that fits you best.

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It doesn’t usually befit the typical rock and roll lifestyle, but having kids and being a good father can be accomplished. Just ask any of the rock gods listed below, who’ve tackled parenthood while living up to their legends. Or, just ask our elusive contributor, Aidin Vaziri. This mysterious correspondent makes Buckethead look like Paris Hilton, but we do know this much: last week he became a proud papa. Congrats Aidin! You’re in good company.
 

Jimmy Page

He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Twice. He is one of the greatest guitarists and musicians of our generation. Probably the next, too. But apart from coming up with the most colossal riffs in the history of mankind, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page's greatest accomplishment is daughter Scarlet, one of Britain's most popular rock photographers. Her portfolio features iconic shots of everyone from Dave Grohl and Noel Gallagher to Duran Duran and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Everyone, that is, but dad.

Bob Dylan
He has done so many incredible things in his career that it's easy to forget Bob Dylan also gave us the Wallflowers. Led by the folk icon's son Jakob, the earthy roots-rock band sold more than 6-million copies of its breakthrough 1996 album, Bringing Down The Horse. Dylan has fathered five children in all, and even penned one of the most beautiful, parenthood-inspired songs of all-time, “Forever Young."

Steven Tyler
Yeah, "Walk This Way" and "Dream On" are amazing songs and everything, but Steven Tyler's most important cultural contribution has nothing to do with his day job as the lead singer of Aerosmith. His daughter Liv has been lighting up cinema screens for more than a decade with her stunning good looks and fine acting skills, as evidenced by her recurring role as the queen elf Arwen Undomiel in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. Steven has also fathered Mia Tyler, Chelsea Anne Tallarico, and Taj Monroe Tallarico.

Billie Joe Armstrong
"Having children makes you look at the world differently," Billie Joe Armstrong told USA Today around the time his band Green Day released American Idiot. "You want to lash out a little more, and that affects how you write songs." We don't know much about his sons Joseph and Jakob, but if they had anything to do with inspiring songs like "Wake Me Up When September Ends" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" then they’re more than all right.

Dave Grohl
He is the former drummer of Nirvana, and currently the frontman of the Foo Fighters. He has sold millions of records, and has become widely regarded as the nicest man in rock. The only way up for Dave Grohl was to have a daughter with his exceptionally good-looking wife, former MTV producer Jordyn Blum, and that's exactly what they did last year, when they marked the arrival of daughter Violet (named after the singer's grandmother, of course). How much does Dave rock as a dad? He told People magazine he was already playing his child music while she was still in the womb: "[She] likes the Beatles. Doesn't really get down to the Beach Boys, [but] digs Mozart."

Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones guitar player has two kids—Marlon and Angela—with longtime lover Anita Pallenberg and two more—Theodora, a top international model, and Alexandra—with wife and model Patti Hansen, but we would like to take a moment to acknowledge his amazing onscreen parenting of Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Is there anything more awesome than a sea-faring, swashbuckling father? Yeah, one who wrote Exile on Main Street.

Pete Townshend
Knowing the destruction that the Who’s Pete Townshend can inflict on an SG, who would have guessed that daughter Emma would wind up a delicate singer-songwriter that once wrote the theme song for a made for TV movie called The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns (the film also featured Pete's bandmate Roger Daltry)? He’s also fathered a daughter, Aminta, and a son, Joseph. All three siblings are from his one and only marriage to Karen Astley.

Lenny Kravitz
Around the time he released his 1988 debut, Lenny Kravitz wrote a lullaby for his newborn daughter called "Flowers For Zoe." Now nearly 20, his child with actress Lisa Bonet is a certified It girl, getting chased by the paparazzi, making regular red carpet appearances, and downing bottles of things she probably shouldn't really be drinking yet. Rock on!

Paul McCartney
What the former Beatle did for the music world, people in the know are expecting daughter Stella to do for the fashion world. She's already well on her way, too, having been promoted to creative director at Chloe after designing just two collections. Her predecessor? Karl Lagerfeld. (Yes, he's the weird guy with sunglasses and the ponytail, but still we're told this is a big deal – mostly by our friends that watch Project Runway).

Neil Young
No dad rocks quite as hard as Neil Young. With his two sons, Zeke and Ben, born with cerebral palsy, he threw his support behind wife Pegi's Bridge School in Hillsborough, CA, a haven for kids with severe physical impairments. Then he started the annual, star-studded Bridge School Benefit concert to support the program, regularly drawing in big names like Metallica, Pearl Jam and Paul McCartney. Because Ben was such a fan of model trains, Young purchased a stake in Lionel Trains and helped develop a control to help his son operate the trains. And he’s managed to do all this around his own personal schedule of recording music, touring the world, and making special appearances. Now that’s a great dad.

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However much you swap your guitar’s pickups, strings, and wiring configuration, tweak your amp, or revamp your pedalboard, you will never achieve the golden tone that rings in your head if you don’t take one tip to heart: it all starts with the wood. Sure, these are electric guitars, and all the electronic components in the sound chain will affect what comes out of the speaker, but they are acoustic machines first and foremost. Hit the strings with your guitar unplugged, and it still rings and resonates, and the sound you hear—even with no electronic devices attached—still defines the core of your tone. And to make sure this is the right tone for you, or to avoid fighting a tone with endless component tweaks that never seem to satisfy, you need to understand a little bit about how all that wood sounds.

Sure, your pickups pick up the sound, and your amp amplifies it, but even before they get to handle it, your precious tone has already been formed by the interaction of string and wood. Pluck a string, and you set into motion a transference of vibrational energy from the strings into the wood of the body and neck (via different coupling elements such as bridge saddles, nut, and frets). The spectrum of sounds kicked out by this acoustic interaction is the biggest determining factor at the heart of the sound that eventually reaches the listener’s ear, however you delay, spin, or distort it along the way. Let’s look at the characteristic voices of a few tone woods, and see how they contribute to our guitar’s sound.

When you’re talking Gibson, mahogany is frequently going to factor into the brew. And that’s a wonderful thing. This is the classic ingredient of the multi-wood body, and one of the most common neck woods also, but is very often used on its own in single-wood bodies. On its own in an SG, Les Paul Special, or Les Paul Junior, mahogany’s voice is characteristically warm and somewhat soft, but extremely well balanced, with good grind and bite. It has the potential for good depth, with full (though not super-tight) lows, velvety highs, and a slightly compressed response. Overall, think round, open, warm.

Add a maple top to the mahogany body, as do a great many Les Paul models, and a blend of characteristics comes forward. The mahogany’s depth and richness remain, but the maple provides added snap, clarity, and definition. It also tightens up the lows and adds more cut to the highs. For many players this sonic evolution is highly desirable, whereas others might prefer the smoothness of the pure-mahogany design.

Another classic yet quite rare tone wood, Korina, has a lengthy Gibson pedigree. This elegant, fine-grained wood, also known as African limba, was chosen as the wood for the super-collectible Modernistic Series guitars of the late 1950s, and lives on in the ’58 Explorer and ’59 Flying V available today from the Custom Shop. Korina possesses some similarities to mahogany, particularly in its warmth and resonance, but it also yields degrees of clarity, definition, and sustain that are all its own.

While these sum up the most significant Gibson tone woods, other species do occasionally contribute to the brew. Swamp ash lends the Les Paul Studio Swamp Ash a degree of twangy sweetness and a round, slightly scooped midrange, while the most common Gibson fingerboard woods, rosewood and ebony, even make their mark on the frequency spectrum. Rosewood generally helps to add a certain thickness and creaminess to the tone—warming up the voice of a maple neck, or adding depth and cohesiveness to that of a mahogany neck—while an ebony fingerboard, long considered an upmarket option, contributes tightness, brightness, and a quick attack.

Explore the myriad wood combinations in the Gibson lineup and see what’s right for you. Trying to finetune your tone without regard to what your wood is kicking out in the first place can be a frustrating venture, but learn to work with the organic template of each specific model, and you’re already swimming with the tide. Be at one with the heart of the wood, tune in to the voice that resonates deep within even the unplugged electric guitar, and you will go a long way toward understanding, and crafting, your own unique tone.

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$ 15 off $ 50 or more this week offer!!! Start shopping at Doctorshirt

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Have a listen to "Your Move" by Shaw-Blades, Tommy Shaw's band with Jack Blades.



When it’s finally time for Tommy Shaw to cash in his chips, it’s unlikely he’ll have too many regrets about his life in music. Few musicians, after all, can say that they’ve sang and played lead guitar in a multi-platinum rock band, composed classic songs that still endure as radio staples, and toured the world many times over.

More than two decades removed from the heyday of Styx, the band for which Shaw’s best known, he has absolutely nothing left to prove. But he still finds time to tour with Styx (a 21st-century incarnation of the band sans keyboardist and vocalist Dennis DeYoung), which remains a popular summer concert draw. He’s also gearing up for a series of tour dates with Jack Blades, the former Night Ranger bassist and one-fourth of ’90s supergroup Damn Yankees, of which Shaw was also a member. Shaw is hitting the road with Blades in support of their joint release Influence, a collection of harmony-laden covers like Seals & Crofts’ “Summer Breeze,” Steely Dan’s “Dirty Work,” Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” and songs by Simon & Garfunkel and the Mamas & the Papas, among others.

The Influence project started innocently enough for the former Damn Yankees bandmates. They initially wanted to do another album of original material—like their 1995 collaboration Hallucination—but they simply couldn’t find the time. “We were just too busy,” Shaw recalls. “But Jack called me up to sing with him on his [eponymous 2004] solo record, and he was recording the old Spirit tune, ‘Nature’s Way.’ I went to see him, and the track was already done. I just sang with him, and it was finished. And there we were on a record, doing a cover. It was so simple to do.”

It wasn’t long before Shaw started kicking around cover ideas in his head. He de-tuned an acoustic guitar and quickly came up with a driving demo version of Simon & Garfunkel’s “I Am a Rock” and Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth.” Blades loved the MP3s Shaw sent, and he responded with his own selections: Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s “Lucky Man” and Yes’ “Your Move.” And so it went. When it was time to record, Blades brought two of his best-loved guitars into the studio.

“Jack has this sweet old Gibson J-45 that I did most of the album on,” Shaw says. “He got it from a collector in West Virginia. He’s also got a J-200 that came from Palm Springs. Its claim to fame is that Elvis came into the store where it was being sold one day and played it, but he didn’t buy it. So we used that one too. There are a lot of guitars on this record. There was just Jack and me in the studio, and we filled up all the spaces with guitars.”

One might say that Shaw has been filling spaces with guitars for a lot of years now. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, he got his first guitar on his tenth birthday and was just shy of age 22 when he joined Styx shortly before the band went on tour in support of 1975’s Equinox. His impact was immediate: the guitarist’s rock edge perfectly balanced Dennis DeYoung’s penchant for the theatrical, and from 1976 through 1983, Styx was one of the biggest and most successful rock bands anywhere, scoring a dozen Billboard Top 40 hits, selling millions of albums, and packing arenas all over the world.

“I was fresh, and I didn’t know any of the old band dynamics,” Shaw recalls, noting the band’s prog-rock roots. “I was so young, and I was a very free spirit in the band. I didn’t know who not to say this to, or how not to act around this guy—I didn’t know any of that stuff. I’m sure I irritated the hell out of them, but at the same time I brought a whole new thing, too.”

That he did. Shaw first entered a recording studio with Styx in 1976 and penned the title track to Crystal Ball, the band’s sixth album. (He also co-wrote two other tunes on the disc, including the minor hit “Mademoiselle.”) Though the song “Crystal Ball” never cracked the singles charts, it has nonetheless survived as a staple of classic rock radio, its contemplative lyrics and sparse acoustic opening in dramatic contrast with its big, bombastic chorus. It remains one of Tommy Shaw’s finest moments.

“‘Crystal Ball’ was one of those songs that just kind of came down to me,” Shaw says. “I remember sitting at my mother’s house in Montgomery before I joined Styx, and this song just came into my head. I ran and got a pad and pencil, and I basically just transcribed it. The verses and ‘tell me, tell me’ parts I had right away, but the chorus wasn’t there yet. There were a lot of verses, a lot more than what wound up on the record.”

Shaw’s electric lines on “Crystal Ball,” not to mention those on other Styx classics like “Come Sail Away,” “Fooling Yourself,” “Blue Collar Man” and “Renegade,” were played on Shaw’s “go-to” guitar of the era, a white 1973 Gibson Les Paul, which he’d purchased from a suburban Chicago music store. Shaw later appeared with the guitar on the cover of Guitar Player magazine.

“I put a lot of miles on it,” Shaw remembers. “I had it when I joined Styx, and during one of our breaks, it was in our warehouse and somebody stole it from me. So somebody else has that guitar—with a lot of bad karma. I’m telling you, there’s a special place in guitar hell for people who do that. It’s just such a crappy thing to do. I’d hate to think that I ever bought a stolen guitar. I wouldn’t want it.”

The Grand Illusion, released in 1977, was the record that brought Styx to the masses. It went on to sell more than three million copies and was the first in a string of multi-platinum releases that included Pieces of Eight (1978), which featured the Shaw-penned “Renegade,” a Top 20 hit in April of 1979; Cornerstone (1979); and Paradise Theatre (1981), which marked Styx’s commercial apex. (One of the album’s Top 10 hits, “Too Much Time on My Hands,” was written by Shaw and cracked the Top 10 in early 1981.)

Styx found more commercial success—and two more big singles—with 1983’s Kilroy Was Here, but yet another big-selling release wasn’t enough to keep the band together. Frontman Dennis DeYoung, especially after the success of Paradise Theater, looked to push the band in a more concept-oriented direction, while Shaw’s tendencies favored rock.

“It was a rock band that I joined, and that was what I wanted to be in,” Shaw says. “And once it started taking a turn where it was ballads and show tunes, it was like we were just standing there. I remember [being on stage] just waiting for the chorus to come. In ballads, that’s what you do. The rest of the time you’re just standing there. That wasn’t the band that I joined. It just came to a point where we all had to go our separate ways.”

Shaw was able to explore all aspects of his artistry on his debut solo album, 1984’s Girls with Guns, which featured his original songwriting and soaring guitar sound and yielded a minor pop hit in the title track. The album was well received by critics, if not a commercial breakthrough.

“I’ve always been kind of a jack of several trades, but I never felt like I was a virtuoso at any of them,” Shaw says. “I’ve just always liked the whole thing: You write a song, and then you need a solo, so you play the solo. Then somebody’s gotta sing it. I always heard songs in my head, and I always tried to write songs. The guitar just seemed to go along with it. I never wanted to be just the singer, and I also never wanted to be just the guitar player.”

Shaw delivered a pair of subsequent solo records, 1985’s What If? and 1987’s Ambition, but it wasn’t until 1990 that he returned to the commercial limelight as a member of the Damn Yankees, which consisted of Ted Nugent, Jack Blades, and drummer Michael Cartellone. Shaw co-wrote the smash power ballad “High Enough,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard charts in late 1990. (The album went platinum.)

“Damn Yankees was all about guitars,” Shaw says with a laugh. “There were no keyboards allowed.”

Shaw rejoined Styx in 1996 and embarked on a successful reunion tour. And while the current lineup bears little resemblance to the classic one that generated so many hits, the band’s fans don’t seem to mind. Styx, which in 20007 toured Britain with Deep Purple before embarking on a series of U.S. summer dates with Def Leppard, continues to be a big draw, especially as children of the ’70s and ’80s bring out their children to catch a little of the magic.

“I think if you play the music that people have some sort of connection in their lives with, and you do a good job of it and put on a great show, then you develop a reputation,” Shaw says. “People are so busy these days, and their free time is very precious to them. So when they go to the trouble of buying a ticket, it’s really saying a lot about the band. And Styx is more fun than ever. We’ve gotten so many of the kinks out of the process of touring. We’ve really figured out how to tour and survive it. Everybody in the band is on the same page. We’re not really dragging around any craziness or old baggage with us. Any problems we ever had amongst us, we worked them out years ago.”

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On Tuesday November 27 D&E Entertainment is bringing the landmark concert film from one of Rock music's most influential bands, Led Zeppelin's The Song Remains The Same to a big screen at a theatre near you. This viewing experience will be unlike any other... ever.


Filmed during the band's legendary three-night stand at Madison Square Garden in July 1973 and released theatrically in 1976, The Song Remains The Same features Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and the late John Bonham in a mesmerizing movie with classic music performances that include 'Dazed and Confused', 'Stairway to Heaven', 'Whole Lotta Love' and more. The Film has been newly re-mixed and re-mastered in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound, personally supervised by the band.



The new release of the famed concert film features all 16 song performances for the first time together on DVD and more than 40 minutes of extra material. The DVD's include never before released performance footage of 'Over The Hills And Far Away', and 'Celebration Day', plus performances of 'Misty Mountain Hop' and 'The Ocean'. The Song Remains The Same will be available in two DVD editions in addition to a re-mixed Soundtrack to the movie on CD. Also available is a greatest hits package called 'Mothership'. The release will also be available for the first time on HD DVD and Blu-Ray December 11.



"We have revisited The Song Remains The Same", says Jimmy Page, "and can now offer the complete set as played at Madison Square Garden. This differs substantially from the original soundtrack released in 1976, and highlights the technical prowess of Kevin Shirley, who worked with us on 'How The West Was Won'. When it comes to The Song Remains The Same the expansion of the DVD and soundtrack are as good as it gets on the Led Zeppelin wish list."

Click here for more info and to find a theatre near you!

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The holder of a single lucky raffle ticket will own something that for many guitar aficionados is simply beyond imagination: a beautiful 2005 Gibson Les Paul Standard that’s signed by none other than Les Paul himself. To honor his late daughter and raise scholarship funds, Earl Hurrey of The National Association for Music Education is giving you a chance to win his autographed Les Paul Standard.

The raffle is a fundraiser for the Caitlin Merie Hurrey Memorial Scholarship Fund, named in honor of Caitlin Merie Hurrey, who was nine years old and in the fourth grade at Huntingtown Elementary School in Maryland when she died in an automobile accident on October 31, 1995. The fund, which honors Caitlin’s love of music and education, supports four scholarships annually.

The guitar is being raffled by Caitlin’s father, Earl Hurrey, who is the deputy executive director for business development of Reston, Virginia-based MENC: The National Association for Music Education. Hurrey calls the autographed Les Paul “one of my most prized possessions” and is raffling the guitar this year to mark what would have been Caitlin’s 21st birthday. He hopes to raise $25,000 for the scholarship fund by selling 1,000 raffle tickets for $25 each.

“I’d like to raffle this guitar rather then auction it because I would like all guitar players, regardless of income, to have the opportunity to win it,” Hurrey explains. “It will be a very special guitar for a deserving guitar player, and Caitlin would have wanted it that way.”

The guitar, a Heritage Cherry Sunburst design with a ’50s-style neck, is autographed on its pickguard. It was given to Hurrey by Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz just months after Les Paul’s 90th birthday concert, which took place in June 2005 at Carnegie Hall in New York.

“I had mentioned to Henry that I had been taking guitar lessons as a lifelong dream,” Hurrey recalls, “and that attending the concert gave me great incentive to work even harder at learning to play the guitar. Shortly after our conversation, I received the guitar as a gift from Henry. He said, ‘If you’re going to learn guitar, you might as well learn on the best guitar in the world.’”

The instrument is currently housed in a decorative display case on a wall in Hurrey’s home.

The Caitlin Fund was approved by MENC as part of MENC’s Fund for the Advancement of Music Education. It’s a 501© (3) charitable fund that supports the greater good of music education. All donations to the Caitlin Fund are 100ax deductible.

For contest rules and regulations, click here.

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Plenty of classic Gibson models started life as custom-made guitars designed to suit the needs of major stars of their day. Perhaps none fits this template so prominently, however, as the “King of the Flat-Tops,” the SJ-200. Gibson’s original Super Jumbo went from being the ultimate badge of honor for country and Western stars of the prewar years to pumping out the rhythm of rock and roll in the ’50s and beyond, and remains the flat-top to beat for that big, bold thrang.

In the 1930s, Hollywood’s Western stars were the pop idols of their day, and rather than trying to outdo each other with bling and Cristal, they gunned it out with rhinestone suits and pearl-encrusted guitars. Prior to 1937, the guitar in question was very often a round-shouldered Gibson dreadnought―still the “Jumbo” of its day―until one such matinee idol commissioned Gibson to build something considerably grander and kicked the whole game up a notch. “Singing Cowboy” Ray Whitley ordered a 17 inch-wide flat-top with a unique, rounded profile and deluxe cosmetic appointments. The original one-off was labeled “L-5 Special” for the similarity of its neck and body proportions to those of Gibson’s L-5 archtop, and other early examples of the design were made on a custom-order-only basis. Crooners Gene Autry, Tex Ritter, Roy Rogers, and Ray “Crash” Corrigan commissioned their own customized versions of the instrument (some historians believe Corrigan’s to in fact be the first SJ-200 built). The guitar appeared in the Gibson catalog a year later as the Super Jumbo, and was soon known simply as the SJ-200. Whatever you called it, that bovine body, abalone-festooned fingerboard, and intricately scrolled moustache bridge could be mistaken for no other flat-top on the planet―and when you custom-ordered it with your name inlayed along the fingerboard, as so many country and Western stars of the day did, there was also no mistaking you for anything other than a singer who had landed.

Aside from being the grandest looking flat-top on the planet, the SJ-200 had the goods to get these stars heard, too. The prewar model had a solid spruce top and solid rosewood back and sides for a full, rich voice that could really fill a room, partnered with a maple neck and 25 ½ inch scale length. After the war, however, the SJ-200 (soon shortened for a time to J-200) returned in 1947 with back and sides of solid maple, and this is the most famous incarnation of the model, accurately represented in the SJ-200 True Vintage made today by Gibson’s acoustic craftsmen in Bozeman, Montana. A crucial ingredient of many large-bodied archtops, maple helps to add brightness and definition to a guitar that already produces plenty of warmth from the sheer breadth of its dimensions. (At least one maple-bodied SJ-200 is documented as having been custom-ordered prior to WWII, as is a custom-ordered rosewood-bodied J-200 in the 1950s).

The change in materials perfectly suited the guitar’s move to the big stage, as the musical forms that it helped to propel found their way to larger and larger audiences. Porter Wagoner frequently used an SJ-200 and a collection of blinding suits to help him broadcast the country and Western message to the masses from the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, and it remained the symbol of success for stars of the country music boom. Meanwhile, more rebellious figures like Johnny Cash were also tapping into the SJ-200’s potential, while the model also helped to drive the new sounds of rock and roll in the hands of Elvis Presley and his guitarist Scotty Moore, as well as Buddy Holly, and the Everly Brothers.

And as country music itself evolved to suit the moods of the nation to which it was born, the SJ-200 went right along with it. Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons established the “King of the Flat-Tops” as the choice of a new generation of artists, while rockers such as Pete Townshend and folk-rockers Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young further emphasized the SJ-200’s versatility. In addition to the True Vintage and Signature Artist Models, Gibson today offers a range of guitars based on this great template. The SJ-200 EC and SJ-200 Modern Classics reformat the instrument for the needs of the contemporary performer, while the Western Classic Prewar Custom makes the SJ-200 circa the late 1930s available once again. The J-250 Monarch takes the style to new heights with extremes of decorative inlays, and of course the SJ-200 was chosen as the format in which to celebrate the achievements of Gibson’s Bozeman luthiers, as embodied in the meticulously crafted Montana Gold Custom.

Today, the legendary Gibson SJ-200 endures as a substantive nod to country and Western’s forefathers and remains one of the company’s best-selling and best loved acoustics, for guitarists of all genres.

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The Gibson Robot Guitar is still three weeks from release, and already it’s got the Internet buzzing. The first-ever guitar with robotic technology, the Robot Guitar quickly and easily tunes itself and guides intonation, completely redefining what you can do with a guitar—and what a guitar can do for you. See for yourself. If you haven’t already, check out all four Robot Guitar videos.

Have a great video concept of your own? Think you can do better? Go for it. Whether you make your Robot Guitar video with a camera or a stack of computer software, just make sure your video really brings the Robot Guitar to life. The maker of the best video will win a First Run Limited Edition Gibson Robot Guitar.

To enter the contest, simply upload your Robot Guitar video to YouTube and paste the link here. We’ll select the best videos to feature on Gibson.com, and the filmmaker with the most votes will win a Robot Guitar.

The First Run Limited Edition Robot Guitar is available at select dealers worldwide on December 7, 2007.

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PERFORM LIVE AT THE AHMET ERTERGUN TRIBUTE ON DECEMBER 10TH IN LONDON

REGISTER AT WWW.THEMOTHERSHIPISCOMING.COM

LOS ANGELES -- For all the Led Zeppelin fans that didn't get tickets to the band's reunion performance at the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute concert in London on December 10, 2007, here's an additional chance to win tickets to the most sought-after show of the year! For one week only, beginning midnight

(12:01AM) Tuesday, November 13 thru (11:59PM) Sunday, November 18, fans can register at www.themothershipiscoming.com to win two tickets, airfare and hotel accommodations.

The contest is in celebration of the November 13 release of Mothership, a 24-track, two-CD comprehensive collection that spans their 12-year career.

All eight of the band's classic studio albums are represented, with the tracks being personally selected by Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones. Mothership includes landmark songs such as "Whole Lotta Love,"

"Immigrant Song," "Kashmir," "Rock And Roll," "Dazed And Confused," and "Stairway To Heaven." The set will also include new liner notes by famed rock writer David Fricke.

Universally recognized as one of the most successful, innovative, powerful and influential bands in modern music, Led Zeppelin continues to be honored for their pivotal place in music history. In 1995 they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, and were awarded with the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm in 2006.

Formed in 1968, from the ashes of The Yardbirds, guitarist Jimmy Page brought in Robert Plant, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones and toured as The New Yardbirds. In 1969, their self-titled debut was released and is regarded as one of the most important rock records ever made. Led Zeppelin went on to become the colossal rock icons that we know today, setting new records along the way for fan attendance at their gigs and record sales.

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Gibson Guitar Corp., through the philanthropic efforts of the Gibson Foundation, was named to THE BCA TEN: Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America, sponsored by the Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA) and FORBES Magazine.



The announcement of THE BCA TEN was made during a black-tie gala attended by business and arts leaders from across the United States held at the New-York Historical Society, New York, New York Tuesday, Oct. 16. The other companies recognized were: The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL; The Boldt Company, Appleton, WI; Deutsche Bank, New York, NY; Masco Corporation, Taylor, MI; McQuiddy Publishing, Nashville, TN; QUALCOMM Incorporated, San Diego, CA; Shell Exploration & Production Company, Houston, TX; Shugoll Research, Bethesda, MD; and The Travelers Companies, Inc., St. Paul, MN.



The Business Committee for the Arts, Inc. (BCA) was founded in 1967 by David Rockefeller to bring business and the arts together. Since then, business support to the arts has grown from $22 million in 1967 to $3.31 billion in 2006. BCA's mission is to ensure that the arts flourish in America by encouraging, inspiring and stimulating business to support the arts in the workplace, in education and in the community.

Music Rising was developed in November 2005 in response to Hurricane Katrina to aid musicians of the Gulf Region. Created by U2's The Edge, Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz and producer Bob Ezrin, Music Rising has become the symbol of rebuilding and renewal throughout the U.S. and has played an instrumental part in restoring the spirit and musical heritage so important to this country.

Phase I of the Music Rising campaign focused on replacing lost or destroyed instruments for professional musicians so that they could regain their livelihood - and with support from Guitar Center Music Foundation and MusiCares, more than 2,400 musicians were assisted. Currently in Phase II and partnering with the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation and All Congregations Together (ACT), Music Rising continues to concentrate on rebuilding the music programs in Gulf Coast's schools and churches. To date, more than 32,000 students and parishioners have benefited from these efforts.

The Music Rising program was the recipient of the 2006 Billboard Humanitarian Award and the 2005 Gold Cause Marketing Halo Award. It has received two generous grants from the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund and support from hundreds of concerned and caring individuals and organizations, corporations, private businesses and schools from around the world. Music Rising will host the 2nd Annual "Icons of Music Auction" in New York in the Spring of 2008.

Supporters can purchase Music Rising T-shirts through U2.com or at paricipating Hard Rock Cafes throughout the world., and a very limited edition Music Rising Epiphone guitar via Musician's Friend with artwork designed by U2's The Edge specifically for the campaign. The guitar is available for purchase at $599.00 with 100117f the proceeds benefiting Music Rising programs.

Purchase an Epiphone Limited Edition Music Rising Les Paul here!

In addition to the co-founders partners of Music Rising have included MTV, Real Networks, VH-1, ABC News Now, The NFL, Rolling Stone Magazine, Ticketmaster, Live Nation, Kennedy/Marshall, Former President Bill Clinton, Hard Rock International, Juliens Auctions, MusiCares, Guitar Center, Musician's Friend, Mr. Holland's Opus, The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, ACT, Toyota, the NFL and the NBA. Former President Bill Clinton has also participated in various press coverage and presentations.

Cash donations may be made on line or by sending a check to: Music Rising/Gibson Foundation
309 Plus Park Blvd

Nashville, TN 37217

100117f all donations go directly to supporting Music Rising programs.
Music Rising is a Gibson Foundation initiative.

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SMASH N' GRAB OFFICIAL MERCHANDISE: now avalaible on Doctor Shirt

NEW SOCIAL NETWORK: The Smash n' Grab Cafe Social Network on NING

NEW BLOG: The Smash n' Grab Cafe BLOG

Contact:
Official Smash n' Grab Cafe site: www.smashngrab.it

Official MySpace Page: www.myspace.com/smashngrabcafe

Official BLOG Page: www.smashngrab.altervista.org

Official Ning Network: smashgrab.ning.com

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Enter Led Zeppelin’s Biggest Fan Contest Here!

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Enter The Dream Gig Contest Here

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Introduction

In 2000, Gibson kicked open the doors on the Memphis Custom Shop, appropriately just one block from the blues and barbecue joints that line Memphis, Tennessee's legendary Beale Street. A premier Gibson manufacturing facility, as well as a swanky concert venue, the Beale Street Showcase at 145 Lt. George Lee Avenue has become one of the South's biggest attractions, with hundreds of people touring the plant every day.
Home to some of the world's preeminent luthiers, the Memphis Custom Shop specifically handcrafts Gibson's fine Electric Spanish and Archtop lines, producing models like B.B. King's Lucille, the ES-175, and the iconic ES-335—the world's original semi-hollowbody, first introduced by Gibson in 1958.

Today, the ES-335 is by far the best-seller at the Memphis Custom Shop, says Jason Dawson, who manages scheduling, purchasing, and expediting. "The ES-335 is our bread and butter," he says, specifying that the Vintage Sunburst and Cherry models are in highest demand. "It's a great sounding instrument—you can use it for jazz, rock, heavy metal, country—every genre of music that uses guitars will use a 335."
A contrast to the polish of the adjoining Beale Street Showroom, which hosts regular artist performances, the Memphis Custom Shop is gritty and warm, upholding its balmy temperature with humidifiers fastened to the plant's ceiling. With 52 people on the floor, the Custom Shop produces roughly 40 guitars a day. Though all the sawing, sanding, and buffing creates a racket something like a Nascar racetrack, employees are trained to maintain Gibson's exacting standard of quality and commitment to detail.

Of the three week-long process to make an ES-335 from start to finish, Dawson says, "You couldn't say one step in the process is the most important. Because everything has to be done by hand, it's a huge team effort of all the people here in this plant—from the guy back there making the bodies to the guy getting the neck pitch right—if any one person didn't do his job right, then we have to cut the guitar into little pieces and throw it in the trash, regardless what stage it's in."

Rim & Body Assembly

An ES-335 is born in Gibson's veneer tent, where luthiers handpick the guitar's veneer and core stock, made of high-grade maple and poplar. Then, Press Operator Al Finley, outfitted with a set of headphones to drown out the roar of his press, glues three layers of veneer together, sandwiching the core stock between the face and inside veneers. He then sends the stack through a hot press, which forms the guitar's contours between 350 degree metal plates. The newly pressed veneers are placed into a cooling rack until they're ready for the CNC machine.
After the CNC cuts f-holes and control knob holes into the veneer, longtime Gibson employee Eric Ballew assembles the 335 body by gluing together the rim, top, center block, and back, trimming away the excess veneer material, and running a channel along the edge of the guitar to accommodate for its binding.

"For the 335 body only, it's three days worth of constant work," says Ballew. "Each individual guitar gets an hour and a half of personal attention. It takes awhile to make, but that's because it's one of the best designs I've ever had the joy of playing."

Binding & Neck Fitting

The ES-335's beautiful binding is one of the guitar's definitive aesthetic touches, but it also has a practical use, helping to maintain the integrity of the guitar's edge. After applying glue to a strip of binding, it is hand-wrapped around the body of the guitar. The body is then wrapped with long scraps of material to hold the binding into place.

"They have to put 14 lb of pressure at every wrap in order to hold the binding into position," Dawson says. "That way, when you sand it and expose the binding, it looks as though the binding is fused to the wood."
After the bound guitar has dried on the binding tree, it's unwrapped and sanded so that the binding is flush with the body. Next, the fingerboard is glued on, and the neck shaped and sanded—a crucial process done with a hand roll sander, with which Gibson luthiers remove excess material from the neck, smoothing it down to craft the 335's neck profile.

Then, neckfitter Robert Wirt, whom Dawson calls a "perfectionist," removes tiny slivers from the neck with his chisel, adjusting the neck pitch within ten thousandths of an inch to ensure proper playability and bridge height. Once the perfect neck pitch has been achieved, the neck is glued onto the guitar.

The ES-335 is then run into the PLEK machine, which uses a tiny blade to make each fret on the fingerboard perfectly level with the next.

"If you look straight down the neck, there's no humps, no bumps—it's flawless," says Ben Cowell, who runs the PLEK machine.

Color Prepping & Finishing

Once a 335 has been PLEKed, it's delivered for sanding and inspection to the color prep department. There, inspectors examine the guitar for binding separation, and depending on wood grain, assign a finish to each guitar.
After the guitars have been color-prepped and the fingerboards have been taped up to protect them, they're moved into the finishing department. There, Ron Poole, the man who invented Gibson's Beale Street Blue finish, sprays a coat of paint over the entire guitar, binding and all, until the proper color saturation is attained.

The ES-335's popular burst finish is the most difficult and time-consuming for Poole because he uses the spray itself as the fade, and then goes over it again with a sealer to make the paint melt and blend.

After the guitar has dried, it lands in the hands of the scrapers—a group of women who have one of the most highly skilled jobs on the production line.

Working with small razor blades, the women who painstakingly scrape the overspray from the binding work under the watchful eyes of Finishing Inspector Gail Little.

"Gail's eyes are the quality control of all the finishing department," says Dawson.

Once Gail gives her OK, a coat of nitro-cellulose lacquer is applied to the guitar, and it's placed into the "dry queue," a rack where the guitars sit in waiting until they're ready for buffing.

Buffing & Final Assembly

After three days, the cured lacquer leaves the guitar with a slightly mottled finish—what luthiers call an "orange peel" finish. To refine the irregular texture, the guitar is applied to three different buffer wheels to obtain the desired mirrored finish. After buffing, the luthier peels the masking tape from the fingerboard, and uses a razor blade to clean it of any excess glue or paint. The fingerboard is then polished with linseed oil, and sent off to final assembly.
In final assembly, the ES-335 gets its guts—pickup, strings, tuning keys, knobs, and electronics, before being handed off to the adjustors, who string the guitar with Gibson strings "The adjustors literally have to play every note on the fretboard in order to make sure that every note sings the way it should," says Dawson.

After passing through the hands of dozens of luthiers for nearly a week, the ES-335 is packed with care in Gibson's shipping department.

"We make sure the finished goods get out of Memphis, and to the right place all over the planet," says Dawson.

Schedule a tour of Gibson's Memphis Custom Shop here.

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The Gibson Robot Guitar, a new limited edition first-run Les Paul, continues two great Gibson traditions: cutting-edge innovation and a limited edition first run that will surely go on to become a highly sought-after Gibson instrument.



These limited edition Les Pauls, featuring Gibson's amazing self-tuning robotic technology, launch globally on December 7, 2007, at select dealers, each of whom will have only 10 of these beautiful guitars. If previous limited run releases are any indication, they won't have them for very long.



Each limited edition, first run Gibson Robot Guitar will feature a dramatic Blue Silverburst nitrocellulose finish, created especially for this limited run. It will never be used on any other Gibson guitar. Also featured is a certificate of authenticity, a power adaptor for the system's rechargeable lithium battery, and a limited edition first run case with silver tolex and a plush silver interior. Each Robot Guitar's serial number will also be sequentially exact, beginning with "RG0001," and continuing through the end of the limited run.



Many of Gibson's limited run models of the 1950s-guitars that could be purchased for as little as a few hundred dollars-now command huge sums of money as some of the most desirable collectables in the industry, and the same is proving true with Gibson's recent limited runs. If history is any indicator-and it usually is-the Robot Guitar will soon join the ranks of such models as:

1958 Flying V (only 81 produced; typically sell for $100,000 and up) 1958 Explorer (only 100 produced; one example with original Bigsby and custom made plate cover sold for $611,000 at a Skinner Auction in Boston in October 2006; it was purchased new in 1958 for about $250) 1958 Les Paul Standard (only 434 produced; typically sell in the $50,000-$250,000 range) 1959 Les Paul Standard (considered the Holy Grail of guitars; only 643 produced; typically sell in the $100,000-$500,000 range, and up) 1960 Les Paul Standard (only 635 produced; typically sell in the $50,0000-$250,000 range) The 2004 Gibson Custom Shop Duane Allman Signature Les Paul (only 57 produced, and rarely available for purchase) The 2005 Gibson Custom Shop Eric Clapton "Crossroads" ES-335 (250 guitars produced, sold out in 72 hours) The 2006 Jimmy Page Custom Authentic Les Paul (first 25 were signed, played, and numbered by Page himself; $25,000 original price tag, but now typically sell for $80,000-$100,000) The 2007 Custom Shop Jimmy Page Signature EDS-1275 Doubleneck (25 Aged, 250 VOS models, sold out in less than two weeks) The limited edition, first run Robot Guitar will certainly follow in the footsteps of these legendary Gibson instruments. Click here to find the nearest participating dealer, and be ready-the Robot Guitar hits stores on December 7, 2007, with only 10 guitars per location.

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Correct intonation is a necessity for great guitar tone. Guitars that are not fully and correctly intonated don't ring with the full spectrum of harmonics, frequently sound out-of-tune on chords (even when they are supposedly "tuned up"), and throw out clunker notes even in simple single-not scale runs, higher up the neck in particular. But the time and skill required to achieve correct intonation mean that many players limp along with imperfect tone rather than going to the trouble of perfecting it. Doing it right usually means going to a professional repairman, surrendering your guitar for however long the shop's worklist is backed up, and paying a hefty charge for the time-consuming work. Doing it yourself, if you don't have the training and experience to do it right, risks throwing your guitar even further out. Until now.



In addition to its automated tuning and alternate/open tuning functions, the Gibson Robot Guitar offers a unique Intonation function, which guides even the most tweak-phobic player through the simple steps of achieving perfect intonation on this revolutionary instrument. No tools or external tuners or other gadgets are needed other than a small screwdriver and the Robot Guitar's own Master Control Knob (MCK). The guitar itself "talks you through" the entire process, resulting in a correctly intonated guitar in a fraction of the time it takes even a professional guitar tech to do the same job.



To access the Intonation mode, you simply pull out the MCK and turn it to "I," then activate it by pressing the control button for three seconds. Pluck the desired string, and the Robot Guitar system tunes it up. Then fret the same string at the 12th fret, pluck it again, and the MCK tells you exactly how to adjust that string's bridge saddle to correctly intonate it: for each green LED illuminated, turn the saddle screw half a turn clockwise, for each red LED turn it half a turn counterclockwise. Repeat with each string, and you have correctly intonated your Gibson Robot Guitar to within 0.2 percent accuracy… in a matter of minutes.



Play a guitar that is correctly intonated, and suddenly you will realize what you have been missing. Chords and scales ring true, harmonics resonate in sympathy, and your overall tone sounds bigger and richer thanks to the absence of the dissonance and harshness that was formerly working against you. Intonation, easily, automatically-only on the Gibson Robot Guitar.

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It took Chris Adams 10 years to perfect the lightweight and foolproof auto-tuning system on the revolutionary Gibson Robot Guitar. Aggravated by the never-ending tuning process, he devised a system that would automatically tune a guitar in no time flat. While he was at it, Adams developed the robotic technology that allows the Robot Guitar to switch effortlessly between multiple tunings, keep a guitar perfectly intonated, and even change strings.



What were your feelings about partnering with Gibson?

It's a dream come true. I'm proud of it because Gibson is the Mercedes of guitars. It's not just any brand; it's the most high-profile guitar manufacturer in the world, so it says something about the tuning system. It's a high-quality innovative product. That's why it fits so well with Gibson because Gibson's always cutting edge and a leader in technology.



What kind of guitarist do you think the Robot Guitar will appeal to?

It appeals to every type of guitar player. The total beginner can use it. It's so much more fun to have a guitar that is in tune from the start. The pro players are also very intrigued about the system because they can do so many things that they couldn't do before. A guitar tech can tune their guitar at the side of the stage, but the show happens on stage and a good guitar is very sensitive to changing conditions, concerning the climate and temperature. So no matter how good it was in tune on the side of the stage, it's not going to be in perfect tune on stage. This system gives the control back to pro guitar players. You have to think about so many things already when you're a guitar player that being in tune is one less huge hassle to think about.



Which famous musicians are already using your system?

Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins, he loves it. Matt Bellamy from Muse put it in his guitars. Uli Jon Roth, former guitar player of the Scorpions, says he actually can't live without it anymore. Steve Vai couldn't believe it unless he saw it, and once he saw it it was still very hard for him to believe. He's telling everybody about how great it is. Steve Lukather really loves it. I showed it to Pete Townshend, and he wants to get to know more about it. That's just the start of it.



How long does it take the average guitarist to feel comfortable with the Robot Guitar?

It takes less than two minutes to understand how to be in tune. Start with the basic stuff first. The only thing you have to do to start is pull the knob, strum the strings, and when everything on the display is blue, you are done. We checked the guitar out with some nine-year-old kids, and they picked it up immediately. It doesn't come easier than this—pull the knob, strum, push in, done.



How often do you have to turn the system on when you're playing?

Once you get this system, your tolerance for a guitar that's out of tune is lower. You get used to it very fast. After two weeks you hear so much more because you always have a guitar that is in tune. So you tend to turn the system on much more often because you have become much more aware of when you're out of tune. Who wants to be out of tune? Nobody. Now that it's no work, you tend to use this much more often. Once you get used to the system, it becomes second nature.

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Gibson Proudly Presents The Robot Guitar—
A First Run Limited Edition

In Select Stores December 7, 2007
First Run Limited Edition, only 10 per store

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Enter to the Gibson Microsite of Jimmy Page

 

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Gibson Les Paul Deluxe ( 1969-1985 )


The gibson les paul deluxe electric guitar was originally released in 1969 , it was a renamed guitar and originated from the Gibson Les Paul Standard (goldtop model ) . The main feature of the gibson les paul deluxe was its mini humbuckers .



The humbuckers produced a nice tite crunch and the result pleased many guitar players including pete townshend who used them in several concerts . The guitar appeared on the gibson price list in 1969 for $425 and was fairly succesful .



In 1969 the gibson lp deluxe featured 2 mini humbuckers ,maple top , mahogany body , a goldttop finish , pantograpgh logo and a 3 piece neck . During the mid seventies regular sized humbuckers were optional and few were also produced with p-90 pickups.



From 1970 to 1985 features basically stayed the same accept for minor detail changes and were produced in various beautiful colors such as cherry red sunburst , red wine , goldtop , blue sparkle in 1974,76 and 77 , red sparkle in 1975 . ( custom sparkle colors are worth more and are highly in demand by collectors ) . Discontinued in 1985



In 1978 gibson also introduced the gibson les paul pro-deluxe which featured 2 p-90 pickups , chrome hardware and were made in various colors .



In 1991 and on gibson made several other models of the deluxe such as the les paul deluxe hall of fame , and the deluxe 30th anniversary....



Vintage Guitar Price Value For 2007 :

1969 > $3700 to $4500 ( Goldtop )

1970 > $3200 to $3700 ( Goldtop )

1971 - 1975 > $2800 to $3300 ( Goldtop )

1971 - 1975 > $2000 to $2700 ( various colors )

1976 - 1985 > $2000 to $2700 ( various colors )



1978 - 1982 > $1500 to $2100 ( pro-deluxe with 2 p-90 pickups )



1969 - Avg Upward Trend Of 15/strong> a Year since 2000

1970 - 1985 Avg Upward Trend Of  11/strong> a Year since 2000



( in 1975 and 1977 red and blue sparkle finishes are estimated at $3900 to $4500 , they made them only in those years and are very rare , hard to find . )

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This section is designed to assist in dating and/or identifying instruments manufactured or distributed by Gibson Guitar Corp. Please note that most of this information relates to serial numbers used from 1975 to present. For more details on Gibson Serialization prior to 1975 and historical product specs, use your Gruhn's Guide or view the following PDF files:

• Gibson Serial Number Information
• Gibson Electric Guitar Descriptions from the Blue Book of Guitars
• Gibson Acoustic Guitar Descriptions from the Blue Book of Guitars

If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat reader, download it here.



Corrections and additions to this section will be made as necessary. 

Gibson USA, Gibson Acoustic, Gibson Memphis

- From 1975-1977 the number is typically found on a decal on the back of the headstock. This should be an 8 digit number that can be dated by the 1st and 2nd digits as follows:



99 = 1975

00= 1976

06 = 1977



- In 1977, Gibson introduced the serialization method that we primarily use to this day at Gibson USA, Gibson Acoustic, and the Gibson Custom facility in Memphis, TN.



The serial number will be an 8 digit number impressed into the back of the headstock with "MADE IN USA" below.



The pattern is as follows:

YDDDYRRR

YY is the production year

DDD is the day of the year

RRR is the factory ranking/plant designation number.

Prior to 1984 when the Kalamazoo, MI factory was closed, the numbers 001-499 indicated Kalamazoo production. Ranking numbers 500-999 continued to indicate Nashville production through 1989.



Since 1989, all Gibson acoustics are built in Bozeman, MT and all Gibson electrics are built in Nashville or Memphis. Ranking numbers for Bozeman start each day at 001 and the electrics may start as low as the 300s.



Examples: 70108276 means the instrument was produced on Jan. 10, 1978, in Kalamazoo and was the 276th instrument stamped that day.



82765501 means the instrument was produced on Oct. 3, 1985, in Nashville and was the 1st instrument stamped that day.



NOTE - Gibson USA goes to a 9 digit serial number in early July 2005..

The sixth number is now a batch number- batch 0 starts at the beginning of the day, and once we stamp 699, the batch number will change to 1. The first 5 numbers remain the same, the last 3 numbers will remain the same. The only difference is the addition of this batch indicator.



There are always exceptions to these rules, the two listed below are worth noting:



Les Paul Classic: This model features an ink stamped serial number with no "MADE IN USA" (just as we used on the original 1952-1960 Les Pauls). Most will be 5 to 6 digits in length, but the earliest examples feature 4 digit serial numbers. There should be a space after the 1st digit with the 4 and 5 digit serial numbers, and no space with the 6 digit numbers.



The 1st digit indicates the year of manufacture for the 4 & 5 digit serial numbers, these were used from 1989-1999. The 1st and 2nd indicate the year of manufacture for the 6 digit serial numbers which we've been using since 2000.



Examples -

9 xxx = 1989 (4 digit number beginning with "9" used only in 1989)

0 xxxx = 1990

9 xxxx = 1999

00xxxx = 2000

05xxxx = 2005



Those beginning with "94":

In 1994, Gibson's Centennial year, many instruments have a serial number that begins with "94" for the year, with the remaining 6 digits indicating the ranking number.

Gibson Custom

1952-1960 Les Paul, Explorer, Flying V, and Futura reissues (since late 1992):

M YRRR or MYRRRR

M is the model year being reissued

Y is the production year

RRR® indicates the guitar's place production for that year. NOTE: This number includes all models for a particular reissue year - so, for example, a 1958 Reissue serial number may include '58 Reissue LP Standard and '58 Explorer production.



Example: 7 5123 is the 123rd 1957 reissue model produced in 2005.



1961-1969 Firebird, Les Paul, and SG reissues (since 1997):

YYRRRM

Y is the production year

RRR® indicates the guitar's place in production for that year.

M is the model being reissued

Reissue model codes:

1= SG Custom and Special

2= SG Standard

3= 1963 Firebird 1

4= 1964 Firebird III

5= 1965 Firebird V & VII

8= 1968 Les Paul Custom



Examples: 050102 is the 10th SG Standard reissue produced in 2005.

030084 is the 8th 1964 Firebird III reissue produced in 2003.



Historic ES MODELS (since 1995):

(A or B)-MYRRR

M is the model year being reissued

Y is the production year

RRR indicates the guitar's place in the sequence of Historic ES production for that year.

Reissue model codes:

2= ES-295

3= 1963 ES-335 (block inlays)

4= ES-330

5= ES-345

9 with an "A" prefix = 1959 ES-335 (dot inlays)

9 with a "B" prefix= ES-355



Example: A-38005 is the 5th '63 ES-335 Reissue produced in 1998.

Carved Top models (serial number on orange label)

YDDDYRRR

YY is the production year

DDD is the day of the year

RRR indicate the guitar's place in the sequence of carved tops made that day.

NOTE - as of 2000, 1st digit will be a "2"



Examples:

91418009 is the 9th carved top produced on the 141st day of 1998.

20045002 was the 2nd carved top stamped on the 4th day of 2005.



Custom Shop regular production models

CSYRRRR

CS stands for "Custom Shop"

Y indicates the production year

RRRR indicates the guitar's place in the sequence of production



Example: CS10845 is the 845th reg. production CS model produced in 2001.



CS Signature Models:

The list below is not an exhaustive listing but we have included many of our most popular Signature models. Please contact us at service@gibson.com should you have any questions.



Ace Frehley Les Paul

- 1997 Limited run, numbered in sequence as "ACE xxx"

Note: The discontinued Gibson USA Ace Frehley Signature Les Paul has a standard 8 digit serial number.



Andy Summers ES-335

Limited edition of 50. Numbered in sequence as "AS xxxx"



Dickey Betts '57 goldtop Les Paul

Limited edition of 114. Numbered in sequence as "DB xxx"



Dickey Betts '57 red top Les Paul

Numbered in sequence as "DBR xxx"



Gary Rossington Les Paul

Limited edition of 250. Numbered in sequence as "GR xxx"



Gary Rossington SG

Limited edition of 250. Numbered in sequence as "13xxx"



Jimmy Page Les Paul (3 versions)

-1st 25 aged models were hand numbered 1-25 and signed by Jimmy Page, no other number is on this model.

-Limited run of 150 aged models are numbered in sequence as "PAGE xxx"

-Unlimited run of Custom Authentic models are numbered in sequence as "JPP xxx"

Note: The discontinued Gibson USA Jimmy Page Signature Les Paul has a standard 8 digit serial number.



Joe Perry Les Paul (2 models)

- Joe Perry Signature Les Paul from 1996 (trans black finish) - numbered in sequence as "JPxxx"

- Boneyard LP - Pilot Run models have an inked number and hand written "Pilot Run". The production version (no difference in spec) numbered in sequence as "BONE xxx"

Note: The discontinued Gibson USA Joe Perry Signature Les Paul made has a standard 8 digit serial number.



Johnny A.

Numbered in sequence as "JA xxx"



Pete Townshend LP Deluxe

Limited run of 75, numbered in sequence as "PETE xxx"



Peter Frampton Les Paul (2 models)

- PF LP Custom - numbered in sequence as "PF xxx"

- PF LP Special - numbered in sequence as "PFYxxx" Y indicates the year of production.



Slash Les Paul (2 models)

- 1997 limited edition model, cranberry finish: numbered in sequence as "SL xxx"

- Regular production model introduced in 2004, also numbered in sequence as "SL xxx"

Note: The discontinued Epiphone Slash Les Paul made has a standard Epiphone serial number.



Tony Iommi SG

Numbered in sequence as "TI xxx"



Zakk Wylde Les Paul

Bullseye and the rare "Rough Top" version numbered in sequence as "ZW xxx"

Camo version numbered in sequence as "ZPW xxx" 

Gibson Banjos 1988 to present

Earl Scruggs Models

Standard:

Sequential production number, starting at 001



'49 Classic:

YY-RR

YY = Year of manufacture

RR = ranking number (starts at 01)



Golden Deluxe:

YY-RR

YY = Year of manufacture

RR = ranking number (starts at 01)



Flint Hill Special:

FH-YY-RR

YY = Year of manufacture

RR = ranking number (starts at 01)



Special:

ES-YY-RR

YY = Year of manufacture

RR = ranking number (starts at 01)



Style 250

250-TT-RR

YY = Year of manufacture

RR = ranking number (starts at 01)



Granada

YY-MM-RR

YY = Year

MM = Month

RR = ranking number (starts at 01)



RB

RB### = sequential production number



All other models

S(S)-YYMM-RR

S(S) = style (excluding style 250 - see above)

YY = Year

MM = Month

RR = ranking number 

Epiphone

Most regular production models since ca. 1993. Many '80s and early '90s serial numbers may follow a similar scheme, but may not include a factory ID code.

FYYMMRRRR

F= Factory code (this can be 2 letters as well)

YY= year of manufacture (this can also be just 1 digit for '90s models)

MM= month of manufacture

R= ranking number (may be more or less digits, not necessarily indicative of total units produced)

Example - S02021234 was issued in Feb. 2002.



Another code used on some current Epiphone models

FYYMRRRR

F= Factory code

YY=Year of manufacture

M= This will be a letter code corresponding to the month (A=January, B=February, etc...)

RRRR= ranking number

Example - R03D0263 was issued in April 2003.



Epiphone Elite/Elitist models

FYSSSS

F= Factory Code (this code will be an "F" or "T")

Y= Year of manufacture (2 = 2002, 3 = 2003, etc.)

SSSS= Sequential Serial Number

Example - T41234 is a 2004 Elitist model. 

Dobro (1995-present)

1995-1997

A(A) (#)###YY

A(A) = model code

(#) ### = ranking number

YY = last 2 digits of year

Example - BA xxx 95 dates to 1995



1997-Current

YMMDDRRY

Y = last digit of year

MM = Month

DD = day of month

RR = ranking number

Y (last digit) = decade 

Gibson Goldtone Amps

Product code/production number/quarter and year made



Example - G-03/207/299



Note that the "'G" is often mistaken for a "6". This amp was made in the second quarter of 1999.

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For any fan of The Rolling Stones's guitarist Ronnie Wood and Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, this is your chance to own a piece of rock 'n roll history. Gibson Guitartown London, the capital’s most vibrant summer public art exhibition announces that all 62 one-of-a-kind, hand painted and signed Gibson guitars are now available to bid for online at www.juliensauctions.com/londonguitartown

This is your opportunity to bid exclusively for a rare Ronnie Wood hand painted and signed Gibson SG guitar which features a detailed image of The Royal Albert Hall drawn in pastels on the body of the guitar. Also, a must have for any Pink Floyd fan is the Roger Waters signed Gibson SG guitar hand painted by the acclaimed caricaturuist Gerald Scarfe which features the legendary Pink Floyd The Wall imagry covering the front, back and neck of the guitar. Both guitars are expected to raise high prices when they go under the hammer at the Gibson Guitartown London charity auction event being held in IndigO2 at The O2 on Tuesday 20th November 2007. Both of these highly collectable guitars were displayed publicly around The O2 Arena, London from June 2007 to September 2007 attracting over 500,000 visitors.
 

“The craftsmanship of the Gibson guitars, the masterpieces created by the artists and the association of the musicians will no doubt set record prices from bidders around the world for these two guitars” – Darren Julien, President/CEO Julien’s Auctions

"Both of these unique artist signed and hand painted Gibson SG guitars are a reflection of the success that Gibson Guitartown London has already been and I hope they both reach in excess of their reserve price for the nominated charities when they go to auction on the 20th November" - Henry Juszkiewicz Chariman and CEO of Gibson Guitar

Gibson Guitartown London is a charity inspired campaign bringing the power of music together with art to raise money for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy, The Prince’s Trust and Teenage Cancer Trust. All money raised from the sale of the guitars at auction will be split equally between the three designated charities.

Other specially hand painted Gibson Guitartown London guitars signed by British rock legends and mainstream artists such Sir Paul McCartney, Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher, Rod Stewart, Robert Plant, Bruce Dickinson, Brian May, Ozzy Osbourne, Mark Knopfler, Sir Bob Geldof, New Order, Roxy Music, Kasabian, Razorlight, Kaiser Chiefs, Stereophonics, KT Tunstall, James Blunt and Slash to name a few are also available to bid exclusively via the www.juliensauctions.com/londonguitartown or the official www.londonguitartown.com website.

For those who can not attend the charity auction on the 20th November in London can still bid via the Auction Network website which is video streaming the auction live and online at www.auctionnetwork.biz so that you don't miss any of the lots.

Bid now for Ronnie Wood's signed Gibson SG guitar
http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=52935&item=250164983942

Bid now for Roger Waters - The Wall signed Gibson SG guitar
http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=52935&item=250164984710

 For more information on Gibson Guitartown London, please visit www.londonguitartown.com

 To order an auction catalogue please visit www.juliensauctions.com/londonguitartown

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Julien’s Auctions is honored to offer furnishings, art, and memorabilia from the collection of rock ’n’ roll royalty Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. The two-day sale will be held at Gibson Guitar Showroom, Beverly Hills, CA on Friday and Saturday, November 30 and December 1.

More than 500 lots of memorabilia, jewelry, costumes, paintings, furniture, and decorative works of art from the Osbourne’s Gothic style home in Beverly Hills, their Shabby Chic Malibu home, and their Buckinghamshire mansion in England will be sold with a portion of the proceeds being donated to benefit The Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.  Founded by Sharon to improve the lives of cancer patients and their loved ones, the Foundation provides at-home help, childcare, transportation, access to support groups, and patient care services offered within Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

The Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne Collection consists of fine and decorative art and memorabilia from the lives and careers of these multi-award-winning international celebrities. 

Sharon said: “It has taken our lifetime to collect all of these items. Both Ozzy and I have very special memories of each and every item as it came into our home and became part of our lives.  It is like giving up a part of us and we hope each and every item finds a very special home.”

Darren Julien, President/CEO of Julien’s Auctions, said: “The Osbournes individually and as a family have greatly impacted pop culture globally. This is a unique first-time opportunity for fans and collectors to obtain a piece of their historic careers and/or personal lives.”            

                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                 

Paintings, Furniture and Decorative Works of Art:

Fans and collectors will have an opportunity to own a piece of fine and decorative art from The Osbournes MTV Show that adorned their Beverly Hills home creating an ethereal and serene environment in Gothic taste.

Highlights among more than 400 lots of furnishings, fine and decorative arts include a monumental seated gilded Buddha statue featured prominently in the Osbourne’s backyard during the series (est. $8,000/10,000), a walnut parquetry inlaid games table (est. $4,000/$6,000), and a pair of imposing garden architectural spires (est. $1,500/2,000).

Other pieces include a cast bronze statue by Edouard Drouot of a young nymph entitled “Muse des Bois” (est. $4,000/6,000), a Regency fruitwood expandable dining table (est. $6,000/8,000), a set of Queen Anne style ebonized and parcel gilt side chairs, each featuring a different hand painted bird (est. $8,000/10,000), and a 19th century carved Venetian blackamoor holding a bowl (est. $3,000/5,000).

Items from the Malibu residence feature Ozzy and Sharon’s master bedroom distressed painted Louis XVI style bed (est. $1,800/2,600) and similar glazed Louis XVI style bookcase cabinet (est. $2,000/4,000), a Venetian glass oval mirror with applied rosettes and etched panels estimated at $800/1000, and an antique sterling Edwardian frame with a pierced and repoussé ornamental design and beveled glass mirror plate (est. $300/500).

Property offered from the Buckinghamshire residence include a Gabriel Ferrier oil on canvas portrait of a lady in a black dress and gloves (est. $4,000/5,000), an Empire style mahogany and parcel-gilt salon suite (est. $2,000/3,000), and a French rosewood sécrétaire chest with marble top (est. $1,500/2,000).  The sale also contains a number of ATV quad bikes, including the Yamaha “Banshee” vehicle that was involved in Ozzy’s serious accident.  

The sale will also feature approximately 200 lots of Sharon and Ozzy memorabilia, much of it from the hugely popular real-life MTV show The Osbournes.  The iconic beaded wire model of the Eiffel Tower featured prominently in the show is estimated at $150/200, while the cast bronze Devil’s head plaque that was mounted on the front door and featured during the first season of the show is estimated at  $800/1,200.
 

A hand painted Mary Rose Young teacup and saucer that was Ozzy’s preferred coffee cup (est. $200/400), Jack Osbourne’s black leather bed from the series with crucifix motif in rivets (est. $1,000/2,000), and a Continental cast iron crucifix that adorned Ozzy’s den in various episodes (est. $800/1,200) are likely to be among the most coveted lots.  

The historic Adler Victorian style carved walnut pool table, which bears a plaque stating that it was “Handcrafted for Ozzy Osbourne by Adler” is estimated at $8,000/10,000, while of an even more personal nature is a pair of Ozzy’s trademark sunglasses (est. $600/800) and a custom Zakk Wylde Epiphone Les Paul Buzzsaw Gibson Guitar autographed by Zakk Wylde and Nick Catanese (est. $2,000/3,000).                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                                              

The sale will also include a selection of record awards and other diverse items spanning the vast careers of the rock megastar and his “housewife superstar.”

Jewelry and Fashion:

The sale will also feature a stunning array of original gowns worn by Sharon and her daughter Kelly, along with stage outfits worn by Ozzy. The Osbourne Collection will also feature items of personal jewelry including a selection of rings and a bracelet.

Ozzy said: “I don’t know why we are selling everything as I want it all. Sharon tells me that we have to, otherwise our house will f****** explode.  As long as she does not ask me for a pair of my boxers for the auction I will support it, especially since it is helping raise funds for her charity.”

Martin Nolan, Executive Director of Julien’s Auctions, said: “The Osbourne’s influence is so remarkably broad that anything from their lives and/or career is highly collectible. Sharon especially has always had a progressive and innovative style from her fashion to her homes.”                                                              
                                                                         

Highlights from the sale will travel to The O2 in London, England—where some of the world’s biggest names in entertainment have appeared since its sensational opening in June, and where the long-awaited Tutankhamun exhibition will open next month (NOV)—for show on Monday November 5, where European fans and collectors will have an opportunity to see the property first hand.  The full sale exhibition will take place at the Gibson Guitar Showroom (9350 Civic Center Drive, Suite 130, Beverly Hills, CA  90210) from Monday, November 26 through Thursday November 29.

The catalogue for the sale of Property from the Collection of Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne can be pre-purchased by logging on to www.juliensauctions.com or by calling (310)836-1818. Catalogues are also available for purchase at the exhibition at the O2 in London, England on November 5 and at the exhibition/auction at the Gibson Guitar Showroom in Beverly Hills, CA (November 26 – December 1).  Illustrated throughout in full color, the high-quality catalogue costs $50 plus shipping and handling. 

Registering to Bid:

Registration is required to bid in this auction. You can register easily in person at any one of the exhibitions showing the highlights from the collection by visiting www.juliensauctions.com any time before the sale, or calling (310)816-1818.

Placing Bids:
 

Auction Network will broadcast live streaming video of the auction and provide viewers with real-time, interactive bidding during the auction.  Online viewers can watch the action unfold and join in, bidding live against the auction’s attendees and people around the world.  In the end, the “virtual bidders” can place the highest bid over the Internet or phone and the item will be shipped to their door. Bidders can view customized catalogs on www.juliensauctions.com and participate in the auction live online.  Auction Network also delivers adrenaline-fueled entertainment, exclusive previews of items and the historic and emotional stories associated with them.

There are four ways to bid in this sale:

• Through the Internet using real-time and absentee bidding at www.juliensauctions.com.  You may register there to place bids through the Live Auction tool and may also download an absentee bid form from www.juliensauctions.com.  Note that online registration only enables you to bid online.

• In the room by attending the auction and raising your paddle (issued upon registration).

• Over the telephone through an auction house representative, who sits in the room and conveys your bid to the auctioneer.  Phone bidding is best when you have not set a limit for an item and want to pursue it until it’s yours.

• Enter Absentee bids.  An Absentee (or Order) bid is placed by filling a form and returning it to Julien’s bid department via fax or mail.  The form indicates the highest amount you would like to bid for an item or items. (The auctioneer will submit bids on your behalf up to—but never above —the amount you specify.  He will always endeavor to buy the lot as cheaply as possible as other bidding permits)  Absentee bid forms are printed in the back of the sale catalogue, and are also available at Julien’s offices and on our website at www.juliensauctions.com.

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Just when you thought you’d heard the last of wild, gone-too-soon, drugged-out troubadour Gram Parsons, up pops one more offering from the legendary cosmic country crooner: Gram Parsons Archives Vol. 1: The Flying Burrito Brothers Live at the Avalon Ballroom 1969, a dual-disc release with 27 of the best live Parsons tracks yet.

A pioneer and lightning rod of the country-rock movement that would later morph into alt-country, Parsons’ time was short, but his music continues to be a fundamental influence on artists as varied as Emmylou Harris to Ryan Adams. He was only 26 when he died of a drug overdose in 1973, but Parsons had already managed to mold the kind of music career others only dream about.

Parsons was just out of his teens when he was drafted into the Byrds as a keyboard player, before later switching to guitar. At the time, the Byrds were already one of the biggest and most influential acts of the 1960s, bridging the gap between the folk music of Bob Dylan and the fresh, new pop sounds of the Beatles. And while it’s Parsons’ brief membership with the Byrds that’s perhaps best-known—a six month stint that delivered the landmark album Sweetheart of the Rodeo—his tenure in the Flying Burrito Brothers managed to produce some of his most extensive and exciting work.

Formed in 1969 with Byrd Chris Hillman, the Burrito Brothers delivered only one full-length LP with Parsons at the helm. But it was a good one. The Gilded Palace of Sin included, among other great songs, the now-classic country renditions of Muscle Shoals soul heartbreakers “The Dark End of the Street" and “Do Right Woman,” soul standards from James Carr and Aretha Franklin, respectively. Parsons didn’t live long enough to record a follow up, but the band did manage to perform a handful of West Coast shows.

Gram Parsons Archives Vol. 1 chronicles three of those celebrated shows—April 4,5, and 6, 1969 at San Francisco’s renowned Avalon Ballroom, where the Burrito Brothers opened for the Grateful Dead. Ironically, it was in the Dead’s extensive vaults of recorded shows that these live gems were unearthed. As such, it is no coincidence that these recordings are, sonically, the best live Parsons to date. The legendary Owsley “Bear” Stanley, who served as the Grateful Dead’s soundman for many years, was at the controls and captured the Burrito Brothers’ music with a clarity and energy no other soundman ever did. 

At the time, Parsons’ drug use was intensifying and his performances were increasingly scattershot. But he delivered considerably during this three-night stretch, and this new collection bears witness to his brilliance, both as a songwriter and a performer. And if you’re a fan of his powerfully interpreted country standards, you’ll find them all here: “Undo The Right/Somebody’s Back In Town” (Johnny Bush; the Wilburn Brothers), “She Once Lived Here” (George Jones), “Mental Revenge” (Mel Tillis), “We've Got To Get Ourselves Together” (Johnny Tillotson), “Lucille” (Little Richard), “You Win Again” (Hank Williams), “Long Black Limousine” (Elvis Presley), “Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)” (Roy Orbison), and “When Will I Be Loved” (Everly Brothers).

The set also contains two previously unreleased home recordings: “Thousand Dollar Wedding,” recorded in Los Angeles in 1969, and another version of “When Will I Be Loved,” recorded in New York City in 1967. Both of these gems were recorded by Jimmi Seiter, who worked as a road manager and percussionist with both the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers.

Often times, cult music legends leave us with many glittering bits of legend and very little music. As Parsons succumbed to his addictions, this increasingly became the case. This new set offers a glimpse of the brilliance behind the doomed, stoned image and a hint of what might have been.

The album is slated for release on Parsons birthday, November 9, on Amoeba Records. The full track listing is as follows:

Disc 1 [Live At The Avalon April 4, 1969 (plus bonus tracks)]:

1. Close Up The Honky Tonks (2:38)
2. Dark End Of The Street (3:57)

3. Undo The Right/Somebody's Back In Town (3:16)

4. She Once Lived Here (3:53)

5. We've Got To Get Ourselves Together (3:31)

6. Lucille (2:38)

7. Hot Burrito #1 (3:40)

8. Hot Burrito #2 (4:05)

9. Long Black Limousine (3:38)

10. Mental Revenge (3:07)

11. Sin City (4:02)

Special Bonus Tracks. Previously unreleased home recordings:
12. Thousand Dollar Wedding (4:24)

13. When Will I Be Loved (2:16)

Disc 2 [Live At The Avalon April 6, 1969]:

1. Undo The Right/Somebody's Back In Town (3:14)
2. She Once Lived Here (4:06)

3. Mental Revenge (3:13)

4. We've Got To Get Ourselves Together (3:43)

5. Lucille (2:39)

6. Sin City (4:08)

7. You Win Again (3:06)

8. Hot Burrito #1 (3:53)

9. Hot Burrito #2 (4:00)

10. You're Still On My Mind (2:34)

11. Train Song (3:43)

12. Long Black Limousine (3:15)

13. Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) (3:18)

14. Do Right Woman (5:01)

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Warren Haynes looks like his guitar sounds: big and burly with no shortage of fuzz. But like an NFL linebacker who studies ballet to improve his game, the Gov’t Mule frontman tempers his sonic brawn with plenty of flexibility and grace.
     

He pushed those virtues to the fore during the Mule’s concert with openers Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at Nashville’s War Memorial on October 18, 2007—a wild improvisational journey that ricocheted between the past and present of his band’s boundless catalogue by roving from brass-knuckled rock to unfettered psychedelia to reggae to hard-core blues.

Mostly epic power ballads like "Brighter Days" from last year’s High & Mighty echoed off the stone and plaster walls of the Memorial hall during the Mule’s first set. Haynes selected an open-tuned SG from his harem of a dozen-plus Gibson guitars for the ringing slide and fingerpicked tones that accompany the song’s lyrics of a lost soul’s journey. It’s among the slew of numbers with themes of spiritual longing and the search for salvation the six-stringer has written since the death of his friend Mule bassist Allen Woody in 2000.

Set one closed with the metal-edged blues-rock of "I’m a Ram" from the new Mighty High. Haynes strapped on his signature model Les Paul Standard to lead the quartet well beyond the song’s strictures. He segued from a pentatonic grind to the muted chunk of reggae, enticing drummer Matt Abts to deliver reverberating rim shots and Andy Hess to lay down a low, rubbery dub bass line like a classic Studio One rhythm section. Upping the ante, Haynes stepped to the microphone and unfurled the Beatles’ "Love Me Do," his voice’s distinctive mix of dust, gravel, and honey taking the song on a weird odyssey from Liverpool to Jamaica to Muscle Shoals.

It’s been a long, strange trip for Gov’t Mule as well, and nothing sidemen Haynes, Abts, and Woody could have predicted when they joined to record their debut, old-school psychedelic rock fireball Gov’t Mule in 1995. Haynes’ subsequent evolution into rock’s most high-profile MVP and Woody’s untimely death at age 44 both changed the band profoundly.

Haynes was already a freewheeling improviser before he was drafted into the Allman Brothers Band, the Dead, and Phil Lesh & Friends. Nonetheless, the concurrent guitar chairs he holds have tugged his playing in multiple directions, from the Allman’s precise melodic and harmonic excursions to Lesh and the Dead’s expansion of American roots music to all corners of the Earth.

And any preconceptions Haynes and Abts had about the boundaries of their playing in Gov’t Mule were shaken by the sessions from 2001’s and 2002’s The Deep End I and II. These double-disc sets found them testing their chops to make inspired music with a cast of world-class bassists in the wake of Woody’s death, including Jack Bruce, Bootsy Collins, John Entwistle, Flea, Roger Glover, Les Claypool, Lesh, Tony Levin, Billy Cox, Chris Squire, and Jason Newsted. The addition of keyboardist Danny Louis at that time also expanded the core band’s sound and gave Haynes a new foil.

At the War Memorial, set two seemed more like a return to the Mule’s foundation when Haynes hefted one of his vintage Firebirds and blazed into the radio hit "Blind Man in the Dark." But he was soon negotiating a series of musical hairpin curves, building a solo that darted from wah-wah colored slide licks to jazzy chromatic lines. Then the group recast another Beatles number, "She Said, She Said," as a barreling Southern boogie that expanded until Haynes’ erupted into a flurry of high-speed chordal strumming, quick screaming slides and a burst of whinnying high-fret bends that bought the performance to its climax.

The night finished with stone blues. Haynes summoned his friends Jack Pearson, an Allman Brothers guitar alum, and singer/harp blower Jimmy Hall, who came to fame with ’70s southern rockers Wet Willie, on stage to deliver raw takes on B.B. King’s "It’s My Own Fault," Taj Mahal's "She Caught the Katy," and Robert Johnson’s murderous "32-20 Blues." The latter was a funky, up-tempo arrangement that let Hall unfurl long, howling notes, but the most lonesome wail belonged to Pearson, who hit a feedback bend during his solo on "It’s My Own Fault"—an Allman favorite—that cried long and low like a wolf lost in the wilderness as he and Haynes slashed away on Les Pauls.

Opening band Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are a spunky, ambitious outfit who, judging by the boisterous audience reaction, won the hearts of those who came to the show early enough to catch their set. Although they’re young newcomers from rural Vermont, they sound like a blast from the ’70s—a delightfully organic rock band with a knack for playing hard and writing memorable choruses.

Plucked from their major-label debut This is Somewhere, the foursome’s set list ranged from the whisper-to-roar protest number "Ah Mary" to the sinuous "Stop the Bus," which hangs on Potter’s soulful, full-throttle belting. "Falling or Flying" morphed its way from keyboard ballad, with Potter’s melismatic vocal turns twisting extra emotional resonance from its story of loss, to a full-bore guitar blow-up where she rose from behind her Hammond B-3 organ to hammer a Flying V while lead guitarist Scott Tournett worried a handful of fat distorted notes ala Neil Young.

They finished with the guitar bash-up "Nothing But the Water," Tournett wringing feedback from a tobacco sunburst Les Paul while Potter sat on stage in front of the drum kit, running a slide up and down her V’s neck and smacking its wings into the stage floor.

To download a free MP3 of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals' "Ah Mary," click here.

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Listen to Gibson's exclusive Francis Stueber podcast here! Francis speaks in-depth about the maintenance of guitars for such heavyweights as Paul Stanley and Kevin Cronin.

“If Paul goes out of tune, it’s not his fault, it’s my fault,” says Francis Stueber, referring matter-of-factly to one of his many responsibilities as guitar technician for KISS’s Paul Stanley, with whom he’s worked closely since 2002. “Usually I change his guitar every four to five songs so he doesn’t have to worry about going out of tune. It’s pretty straightforward with KISS; Paul only plays one tuning and he plays no more than six guitars. Really the only reason I change guitars is for aesthetics.”

Stueber’s also worked behind the scenes for Heart, the Offspring, and REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin—gigs that have established him as one of the most in-demand guitar techs in the U.S. But it’s his work with KISS that’s brought him the most recognition. Stueber’s relationship with Stanley, which began back in 2002, continues to this day. He’s worked on all subsequent tours and one-off shows, on behalf of KISS as well as Stanley’s solo efforts. He even took the stage with the band during the Gene Simmons Family Jewels episode where KISS performed for the troops, and was on hand when Stanley cut his 2006 solo album Live to Win. And, of course, he maintains Stanley’s personal guitar stash, which includes a number of Les Pauls and SGs.

Because KISS tours infrequently, these days the 38-year-old Stueber works most often with Grammy-winning producer John Shanks, the mastermind behind many of the No. 1 hits of Michelle Branch, Sheryl Crow, Bon Jovi, and Fleetwood Mac. Also the accomplished guitarist who formerly backed Melissa Etheridge on albums such as 1995’s Your Little Secret, 1999’s Angels Would Fall and Breakdown, and 2004’s Lucky, Shanks happens to be a guitar fanatic with a staggering collection of vintage instruments. That’s where Francis Stueber comes in.

“John just loves guitars,” explains Stueber, a New York native who works with Shanks at Henson Recording Studios (formerly A&M Records Studios) in Los Angeles, Shanks’ home base. “If he has one of something, he’s got to have two of them, three of them, or as many as he can get his hands on. And he uses all of them on his recording projects so I basically maintain them constantly.”

It’s the job of Stueber, himself an accomplished player, to keep everything in working order—no easy task when you’re charged with maintaining some 180 vintage guitars, including an array of classic Gibsons: a sunburst 1959 Les Paul; 1983 Joe Satriani Flying V; 1976 Explorer; ’64 Firebird V; ’63 Hummingbird; ’69 Les Paul Deluxe; ’61 ES-335 Dot Neck; ’65 Pelham Blue SG; ’61 SG Standard; ’92 Custom Shop Les Paul; ’57 Les Paul Goldtop; and a ’57 Junior, among many others.

Besides keeping Stanley’s guitars in perfect working order and changing their strings daily during tours or periods of heavy use, Stueber maintains their beauty with a cleaning ritual that includes his two secret weapons—a conditioning cloth that he says can be found at any dollar store and a nut and bridge lubricant.

“The sweat and corrosion of a live show makes strings pretty dead and nasty so I change them every day,” Stueber says. “I also clean the fingerboard and the frets with this amazing stuff called Gorgomyte. It’s this abrasive cloth that has lemon oil, and it cleans the frets great. It comes in sheets and I cut it into little squares. I also use Big Bends Nut Sauce. For years I used graphite to lubricate the nut but this is an awesome lubricant. I use it on everything.”

It’s the little things that tend to matter in Stueber’s day-to-day routine.

“I’d say the biggest challenge with an artist of Paul’s stature is just attention to detail,” Stueber explains. “And that goes for gear as well as him performing. When you’re at that level, you expect things to be right, and they should be. My job is to make things right.”

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There’s a little tidbit of tonal tweakage that is entirely within every player’s power to modify at will, without risk to guitar, amp or effects, without voiding any warrantees, and at very little expense. Simultaneously, this item is one of the most underappreciated tools in the tone arsenal. I’m talking about the humble pick, brothers and sisters, that little triangle of semi-rigid material that sets your strings a-humming.

Picks—or plectrums—of different sizes, shapes, and thicknesses, and which are made of different materials, all exhibit different sounds. Gibson Gear offers a wide selection of Gibson picks, all of which are available through your authorized dealer, and of course you can experiment with a myriad of other makes and styles of picks to alter the tone of your Gibson guitar. And flesh—bare fingertips—offers a different sound alternative still. Since the pick or fingertip’s contact with the string or strings is where it all begins, this is really the first ingredient in the sonic stew.

As a basic rule of thumb, if you will, thinner and more flexible picks yield a lighter, softer sound, but one that can also be effectively percussive for rhythm playing. The heavier and more rigid a pick’s material, the less it gives when attacking the string, and the more energy it transfers into the string rather than into itself as it bends. All of this, naturally, translates to a heavier sound and a more aggressive attack. (See, this is heavy science here: we’re talking Newton’s Third Law—“For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”) Go at a set of heavy strings with a thin gauge pick and you’ll mostly end up with a choked sound and a grooved, gnarled pick. Hit them with a heavy or extra-heavy gauge plectrum and you can really start moving some steel. Old tortoiseshell picks are the epitome of this: the rigid material has negligible give, and yields a firm attack with sparkling harmonics. Being made from an endangered material, they aren’t available any more, but if you come across an old one give it a try; the difference will probably startle you. Many man-made alternatives offer similar performance. 

The shape of the attacking edge or corner of a pick also greatly affects the resultant sound. A triangular or pointed tip digs into the string sharply, inducing sparkling highs and good harmonic content thanks to its narrow but firm point of contact. A rounded edge blurs the attack slightly, yielding a warmer, “rounder” sound. You can use this knowledge to your advantage when seeking to alter the tone of your guitar, whether it’s an acoustic or an electric, and don’t feel you need to have just one type of pick that’s “your pick”—mix it up, and find what works for different styles of playing. To give more bite and brightness to your Les Paul’s fat, warm neck-pickup, use a firmer pick with a more sharply pointed playing tip. On the flipside, warm up the cutting tone of the bridge P-90 on your SG Special by using a more rounded pick, or take some of the aggression out of the high-gain pickups of your V-Factor X by using a thinner pick for a smoother, more compressed rhythm tone. Many jazz players have for years used the very rounded back edge of a standard-shaped pick to elicit an even smoother, plummier tone from classic jazz boxes such as the ES-175. In contrast to all of this, bare thumb or fingertips yield a slightly muted, thick, warm sound, but one that can vary greatly depending upon technique. Many fingerstyle players are also capable of producing sudden bright, attacking riffs by snapping or plucking the strings heavily, and many add fingernail tips to the attack, which brightens up the sound.

Try out the effects of pick attack for yourself—the expense is negligible, and it’s a lot easier than swapping pickups, speakers, or even strings. Procure a range of picks in different shapes, sizes, and gauges, and experiment at will to see what works for different playing requirements you might have. After all, the more tools you have in your arsenal, the more versatile a player you’re likely to be.

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To listen to a stream of the Raising Sand songs, click here.

Who would have thought that collaboration between one of hard rock’s living legends and the young queen of bluegrass could make such astonishingly beautiful music together? On the surface, the pairing of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss seems like an oddity, but on the authentic endearing Raising Sand, the two sound as if they’ve been building up to this moment their whole lives.

Listeners should approach this record much like the singers did, as in it isn’t so much an album as it is a dance, a courtship, a private dialogue that we’re eavesdropping on. Chaperoning the proceedings is the esteemed producer and musical director T-Bone Burnett. On the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack he guided the fiddle-playing Krauss and a host of vocalists through a several chapters of American roots music; here he takes his artists on an expanded journey, through the old and new, and that includes folk, rockabilly, R&B, country, and blues. (It was blues, in fact, that first brought Plant and Krauss together; in 2004 Plant and Krauss the two sang at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's tribute concert to blues pioneer Leadbelly.)

With Led Zeppelin, Plant belted out more than his fair share of country-tinged ballads and rockers, but it's a rare treat to hear sit back a spell and harmonize with a versatile singer like Krauss, who proves to be as comfortable with straight-ahead rockabilly (the Everly Brothers' “Gone Gone Gone”), as she is folk (Gene Clark's “Polly Come Home”) or the ever-unclassifiable Tom Waits (“Trampled Rose”). The two pair up nicely on Townes Van Zandt’s gritty but gorgeous “Nothin’,” but they save their finest performances on the ethereal “Please Read the Letter,” a track which Plant and a certain guitar player named Jimmy Page first tackled on Walking into Clarksdale. It was great then, and it’s great now. Some things are just built to last.

 

 

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Gibson’s Les Paul is legendary as a rock machine. It almost single-handedly forged the sound that defines classic British blues-rock, as well as being a centerpiece in a myriad of other heavy rock styles that require fat, rich, sustainful tones and fluid playability. But the Les Paul, in all its forms past and present, is capable of doing much more than just the rock thing, as great players have proved ever since the groundbreaking solidbody hit the scene 55 years ago.

Any player who knows their guitar history is already aware that the Les Paul was pioneered, developed with the assistance of, and endorsed by the famous jazz-pop artist of the same name. Paul wanted a guitar that better served the needs of jazz guitarists, one that would offer more sustain and feedback resistance than the hollowbody archtops that were the norm at the time, and would also be more versatile sonically. Of course these qualities also suited electric players in just about every other genre, and Les Paul Goldtops  in their earlier incarnations with P-90 pickups quickly wound up in the hands of a diverse range of artists, from formative blues men John Lee Hooker and Freddie King to rock’n’roller Carl Perkins. Following Paul’s lead, plenty of jazz players took them up too. Adept at producing thick, warm tones--from its neck pickup in particular--despite being a solidbodied design, the Les Paul proved a natural choice for plenty of great jazzers. More surprising, perhaps, is the ease with which it adapted to country styles.

Switch to a bridge-position Burstbucker or P-90, set your amp for clean with just a little bite, and a Les Paul will sing a distinctive, cutting breed of twang that suits plenty of genres that lie a major leap away from heavy rock indeed. Lots of Western Swing players bent a Les Paul to their advantage in the 1950s, but the model has really found a home in recent years in the alt-country, Americana and roots rock genres, where it’s ability to segue between smooth, vocal clean tones and gnarly, gritty rock crunch has helped to define this stirring breed of crossover music. Dave Boquist crafted emotive leads and evocative backing parts on a Les Paul Goldtop with humbuckers and a Bigsby vibrato in the original incarnation of seminal alt-country band Son Volt. Patterson Hood of Drive By Truckers frequently churns out his band’s distinctive breed of gnarled southern country-rock on an LP, and of course Neil Young laid the groundwork for everything of the ilk on a modified early 1950s Les Paul with Bigsby.

Over on the other side of the tracks, plenty of fusion players have proved time and again how well suited the model is to their anything-goes style of playing. Robert Fripp plied his very leftfield trade on an original three-pickup Les Paul Custom during the early years of King Crimson, while Latin-jazz-rock speedster extraordinaire Al DiMeola has long been a fan of a Les Paul’s searing tone and lightning-fast neck.

Sure, a Les Paul will rock like no other guitar under the sun, and its blues chops need no introduction, but don’t hesitate to turn the classic set-neck singlecutaway solidbody to anything from jazz to country to pop… to whatever new music you’re looking to forge on it tomorrow.

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Joy Division has always been one of those bands that occupy a unique space—short-lived, cagey, dark and tragic, they burned quick and bright. While hindsight has proved a double-edge sword as far critical evaluation, what’s unquestionable is that the band became a touchstone and reference point.

Formed in 1976 in Manchester, England, the band went through several lineup alternations and name changes before becoming Joy Division in 1977. The lineup featured lead singer Ian Curtis, guitarist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook, and drummer Stephen Morris. Inspired by the D.I.Y.-ethos of the Sex Pistols, the primacy of Iggy Pop and, in certain ways, the Doors, along with the trippy, droning haze of the Velvet Underground, Joy Division cut a new swath with their music. Helping to spearhead the burgeoning sound of Manchester at the famed club The Factory, the band eventually signed to the venue’s label, Factory Records, despite Curtis’ entertainment of offers from major labels like RCA and Warner Bros.

Joy Division’s full-length debut, Unknown Pleasures, was released in June 1979, and showed a considerable maturation from the group’s earlier more ragged work. Thanks in large part to producer Martin Hannett, the band’s sound was significantly more spacious as Sumner’s guitar and Hook’s bass became as important as Curtis’ voice—squalls of thick feedback, tension-ridden hooks, high-toned bass work that was at once inviting and chilling. Sumner would often use a customized Gibson SG  without the Vibrola for his distinct sound while Hook cut his teeth using a Gibson EBO. Later that year, the band’s status was propelled further with Curtis’ appearance on the cover of New Music Express and the championing of legendary DJ John Peel, who had the band on his radio show for live sessions.

Unfortunately, at the same time it was discovered that Curtis was epileptic—a condition that would play a part in the rest of the band’s short history. Though initially his fits were brief and of various intensities, they were a growing cause for concern as they made Curtis feel at once ashamed and angry (though some fans thought it was just all part of the show).

Cutting their second full-length album Closer in March 1980, again with Hannett, Joy Division were again pushing the envelope. Jagged and abrasive in a way Unknown Pleasures wasn’t, it was an aggressive, schizophrenic sound from every corner—at times piercingly loud while at others tragically quiet—now seems prophetically moribund and ominous.

In April, Curtis—in serious mental and physical decline—survived a suicide attempt. Following a gig on May 2 in Birmingham, the band took a few weeks off to allow him to rest and recover for what was going to be the start of their first American tour later that month. The night before the tour was to begin, however, Curtis returned home to try and deal with the details of a failing marriage. Apparently not able to make any progress, his wife ended up leaving him alone in the house. Curtis hung himself early on the morning of May 18.

While Closer came out that July, the non-album single “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” which shortly preceded it, would forever become the song the band would be identified with. Still, a compilation of live tracks and rarities, was released in 1981. The remaining members went on to form New Order, a group that enjoyed significantly more success than Joy Division ever did. In their wake, Joy Division paved the way for post-punk and Gothic bands like Bauhaus and later influenced artists like the Cure, Nine Inch Nails, and Smashing Pumpkins.

As of late, there’s been renewed interest in the band. Perhaps it was helped by the ubiquity of Unknown Pleasure t-shirts that Urban Outfitters sold, though it’s unlikely that most people wearing them even new the band’s music. Or maybe it’s something else—perhaps a general disenfranchisement with modern “indie” rock as a whole. Who’s to say? And, if famed photographer Anton Corbijn’s new Ian Curtis biopic Control  has any impact—along  with the expanded Rhino reissues of the band’s seminal work, each featuring a new disc of unreleased live music—Joy Division’s legacy will continue to grow for many years to come.

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The history of Beatles-inspired media projects is a decidedly spotty one, a canon that stretches from the shrewd, burnished nostalgia of Beatlemania! to outright cheese (ABC-TV’s 1977 Beatles Forever) and the mega-miscalculations All This and World War II and The Bee Gees as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Yet that didn’t stop director Julie Taymor from bringing the visual sense that’s enlightened work as diverse as her wildly successful Broadway adaptation of The Lion King and Oscar-honored Frida to a Beatles’-centered narrative Across the Universe, which is being hailed as one of the year’s most artistically ambitious films.

But for all its stunning and imaginative imagery, the director shrewdly rooted the soundtrack covers of 33 Beatles songs in a gambit that often evokes the essence of the epochal original recordings, yet informs them with subtle new emotional resonance via the mostly unfamiliar voices of her young, journeyman cast, seasoned by key performances from a few well-chosen recording stars. That tack essentially inverts the formula of the ubiquitous all-star tribute album, with Jim Sturgess’ opening performances of “Girl” and “All My Loving” contrasting the fiery, emotion-charged covers of “Hold Me Tight” and “It Won’t Be Long” that introduce romantic foil Evan Rachel Wood. Yet as Wood and Sturgess prove on later versions of “Blackbird” and “Strawberry Fields Forever,” respectively, they can just as capably evoke the originals’ fragile, enduring sense of melancholy.

The grounded, quasi-theatrical sensibility of Taymor’s cast only makes the soundtrack’s handful of star turns all the more memorable. Bono teams with Secret Machine (who also provide savory renditions of “Flying” and “Blue Jay Way”) to issue a surprisingly forthright cover of “I Am the Walrus,” then teams with U2 bandmate Edge to channel some suitably Floydian ambiance into “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” while old hand Joe Cocker delivers a haunting, Delta-fied “Come Together” that once again underscores why the veteran English singer has long been one of the most consistently successful interpreters of the Lennon-McCartney catalog. Taymor’s artistic vision also evokes heavy doses of ‘60s iconography that not-so-obliquely pays tribute to the era’s other stars – and inspires Dana Fuchs to a manic performance of “Helter Skelter” that suggests Janis Joplin wailing from some undetermined sublevel of Hell.

"It was very organic," Taymor said of the film’s soundtrack in a BBC interview. "Where you become spontaneous is where you see what the performers can do, and where there's freedom I really go for the freedom. Like with Eddie Izzard in the recording studio he said, 'I'm not a singer', and I said, 'That's fine – learn the song (“Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite”) as best you can and then improvise.' So we cut his track from ten extraordinary improvisations, and on set he did it live. Ninety percent of this movie is sung live on film, it's not lip-synced."

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Steve Meier of Lake Charles, Louisiana was the Grand Prize winner of the Gibson Original Acoustic Sam Bush Signature mandolin contest—a historic contest with a gorgeous prize at stake. More than 32,000 people visited the Gibson website to enter the random drawing to win the mandolin, designed and hand-signed by bluegrass legend Sam Bush. Upon hearing the news that he’d been selected as the winner of the mandolin, valued at $9,999.95, Meier couldn’t have been more thrilled.

“My mandolin arrived this weekend,” Meier said Monday. “It is awesome. The craftsmanship is unreal. I hate putting it back in its case.”

The mandolin that Meier received was personally inspected and signed by Bush, who first designed the model in 2000 to replicate his beloved 1937 Gibson F-5, which he fondly calls “Ole Hoss.” Distinguished by its larger neck, wider fingerboard, and broader spacing between the string-pairs, Bush’s mandolin is one of the finest in the industry. Today, he continues to personally oversee the production of each Sam Bush mandolin made at the Gibson facility in Nashville, Tennessee.

“Every picker I’ve met who plays the Sam Bush Model says they love it,” Bush said recently. “It’s very flattering. Those years we took to make the instrument a reality were well spent.”

Meier, for one, is enjoying the fruits of Bush’s labor. “I’ve been listening to Sam’s music a lot lately,” Meier says. “He is extremely talented. I’m looking forward to many years of continued enjoyment playing my mandolin.”

An accounts controller in the gaming industry, 43-year-old Meier has played guitar for a number of years, and was already the proud owner of a Gibson Les Paul, Gibson Thunderbird, and Epiphone acoustic. He also recently acquired a Gibson Flying V. But his new Gibson Sam Bush Signature mandolin seems to be first and foremost in his mind.

“I really enjoy playing it, and I’ve already learned a few chords,” he said. “I’ve always been a big Led Zeppelin fan. They used the mandolin a lot in their music so it was something I’ve been wanting to learn how to play for awhile. I’ve been to Gibson’s website where they have lessons, and I’ve looked at a few of those so I’m going to try to teach myself to play. I’m excited about it.”

 

 

 

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As far as classic jazz albums go, Smokin’ at the Half Note is always a sleeper. Wes Montgomery’s style is effortless and fluid, rhythmically smooth and groovy—nothing ever comes off as angular or jutting. As you move through his other albums like Groove Yard, Boss Guitar, or Movin’ Wes, it’s clear they all have these qualities, especially when he locks in with pianists and B-3 players like Wynton Kelly or Jimmy Smith.

These albums have always invoked the images of Montgomery playing, cigarette dangling from mouth, hands looming over his beloved Gibson L-5CES. But there’s never been any great film footage of the jazz legend doing what he did best. That is, until now.

The second installment of the Jazz Icons DVD releases on the Naxos label (other artists for this round include John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Sarah Vaughn, Dexter Gordon, Dave Brubeck, and Duke Ellington) captures Montgomery leading various piano trios throughout Europe in 1965. It also captures the essence of what made Montgomery the incomparable jazz legend that he is.

The song selection leans toward a mix of Montgomery’s straight-ahead jazz, as opposed to his more funk and groove-oriented material. Most notable among the 13 songs are “Impressions,” “Four on Six,” “Nica’s Dream,” “Here’s That Rainy Day,” and “The End of a Love Affair.” But what’s most enlightening is not what he plays, nor hearing him play, but rather watching him play. At long last we get to see Montgomery affably chatting, smiling and crossing his legs, all with an ease that suggests he was quite comfortable in this musical setting.

We also get to observe Montgomery’s distinct style of picking, where he plucked the strings with the fleshy part of his thumb, using downstrokes for single notes and a combination of upstrokes and downstrokes for chords and octaves. In his tribute album to Montgomery, guitarist George Benson wrote that, “Wes had a corn on his thumb, which gave his sound that point. He would get one sound for the soft parts, and then that point by using the corn. That's why no one will ever match Wes. And his thumb was double-jointed. He could bend it all the way back to touch his wrist, which he would do to shock people.”

Benson himself, inspired by Montgomery, played a Gibson (usually a “Johnny Smith” model) throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, including on Breezin’, one of the best selling jazz albums of all time.

Indeed, Montgomery’s talents have inspired a generation of guitarists. And watching him maneuver through a set of his classic standards leaves no doubt he will keep inspiring for many generations to come.

Included with the DVD is a 24-page booklet with liner notes penned by Pat Metheny, and an afterword by Carlos Santana.

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To download a free MP3 of Gliss’ “Kissing the Boulevard,” click here.

BAND: Gliss

HOMETOWN: Los Angeles, California

PLAYERS: Martin Klingman (vocals, guitar), David Reiss (bass, guitar), Victoria Cecilia (drums, vocals)

WHAT TO BUY: The band’s debut album, Love The Virgins, boasts a thrashy garage-rock sound with shades of Krautrock and the darker side of glam. Discerning ears will detect hints of the Stooges, Bauhaus, and the original Alice Cooper Group—had the latter removed the cartoon-like component from its ominous vibe. Gliss says it “makes ‘doing bad’ sound good enough not to dissuade anyone from hedonism.”

GUITARS: The Les Paul Classic is the go-to guitar for both Klingman and Reiss. The guitarists also share a 1965 ES-330 on occasion. “There’s not a guitar on the market that plays and sounds as incredible as a Gibson,” Klingman says. “Our fans often write to us asking how we get those tones. We just say, ‘Gibson baby!’”

WHY YOU’VE ALREADY HEARD THEM: Gliss have toured extensively, opening for the likes of Secret Machines, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and We Are Scientists. Billy Corgan personally chose them as opening act for his 2005 Future Embrace European Tour. Their song “Huh What?,” from the new disc, was also featured in a MasterCard TV commercial. Currently the band is on tour with the Raveonettes.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?: “Gliss” is short for “glissando,” a music term designating “a rapid slide through a series of consecutive tones in a scale-like passage.” The term also connotes the band’s glam influence. Remember the line about “saddening glissando strings” in Bowie’s “Aladdin Sane”?

BEST GIG THUS FAR: This past summer, when Smashing Pumpkins did its nine-show residency in Asheville, North Carolina, Gliss performed as opening act.

MAIN INFLUENCES: T.Rex, the Stooges, Stone Roses, Depeche Mode, Wolf Parade, Pavement, My Bloody Valentine

BACKSTORY: Reiss and Klingman have known one another and played in bands together for the better part of a decade. Cecilia—formally trained on keyboards and bass—met the guys three years ago after she moved from Denmark to L.A. An avid reader, Cecilia cites Dostoevsky, Kafka, J.D. Salinger, and F. Scott Fitzgerald as her favorite novelists. Each member of the band is a multi-instrumentalist. On-stage they often trade duties on guitar, bass, and drums.

WHERE TO FIND THEM: MySpace, Gliss website

WHERE TO BUY: iTunes

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These days, it seems like nearly every band has a DVD—and in many cases, the end product feels more like an afterthought than a full-fledged release. Underoath guitarist Tim McTague wants to change that. “We wanted to do something different, so we came up with the idea to take a film crew on this entire tour and make it a real story instead of just taking out the camera when someone’s throwing up or being an idiot,” he explains, adding that the DVD will be shot in high-definition widescreen and include a live set that will be shot at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia later this month.

Although the band already released the DVD 777 earlier this year, McTague maintains that the band’s upcoming movie is already shaping up to be full of surprises. “Aaron [Gillespie] our drummer had to go home for a week to get an operation on his finger and we had to fly a drummer out that day and play a show that night,” he responds when asked about some of the most dramatic moments the crew has captured so far. “I think we have a serious artistic side to us, but we just never think to shoot that so we end up looking like jackasses all the time when in reality we’re not. We take our art and music really seriously and I really hope that this DVD will reflect that.”

In fact talking to McTague, it seems like the DVD—which the band are aiming to have out in March 2008 on Tooth And Nail Records—is as much of a documentary of life on the road as it is a chance for the band to clear up any misconceptions that their fans might have. “I think it’s really easy to come to a show and see two thousand fans, tour buses and crews and think that we’re just these dudes that get paid astronomical amounts of money to play music and then go home and live it up,” McTague explains. “In reality, I think people are going to see that we’re dudes who work really hard at everything and put a lot of thought into it. We have real wives, mortgages, and problems—and that’s something no one will ever see unless you’re on tour with us.”

So is there anything that’s going to be included on the disc that might make the band uncomfortable?

“Definitely,” McTague responds with a laugh. “In order for it to be an accurate representation people need to see us stressing out and fighting,” he continues. “There’s a whole business side to this too that know one knows about and I think this DVD will break it all down and make people realize that we’re just like them,” he finishes. “Our job is traveling around the country and playing music, but all the logistics stay the same.”

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When the record landed in stores in August 1980, there was no picture of the band on the LP sleeve. In fact, there was no picture at all. Just an ominous black 12-inch square embossed with the name AC/DC and the words Back in Black. The somber-looking package contained one of the greatest rock albums of the ’80s—an album that, 27 years later, still makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck, even more so if you know the story of how Back in Black came to be.



A new decade had dawned and AC/DC were riding high on the success of 1979’s Highway to Hell. Six months after its release, a gap in their hectic touring schedule found AC/DC back in London, the Australian band’s adopted home base, where they began to write the follow-up album.



It was in London, during the writing sessions, on February 19, 1980, when lead guitarist Angus Young got a phone call from one of singer Bon Scott’s many lady friends. “She was hysterical and trying to get some information,” Young says. “She’d heard Bon was dead.”



Bon dead? Young didn’t believe it. Everyone knew Scott was indestructible. From their early days playing the tough bar circuit in Australia where Bon out-battled the clientele, to the recent incident when he’d dived out a four-story window and into a pool on a $10 dare, he always emerged with a grin on his face, a girl on his arm, and a drink in his hand. And then the guitarist's phone rang again. The band’s manager was calling from a South London hospital—he’d just identified Bon’s body. After a night on the town with friends, the hard partying, happy Scott had passed out and choked on his vomit. The coroner’s report would later say that he had “drunk himself to death.” Young was devastated.



Later, at the funeral, Bon’s parents told the band that they had to find a new singer and carry on. But the band members weren’t interested in carrying on. They weren’t interested in anything. As Angus recalls, “Everyone was walking around in silence. Nobody knew what to do. It was hard to take in. We were so depressed.” Angus’ brother and AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young agrees. A pall of depression hung over them all.



For several weeks, the brothers couldn’t bring themselves to even pick up their guitars. Then finally, just to take their minds off the loss, they decided to book a rehearsal studio and play some of the bits and pieces they’d been working on with Bon. Which led to them thinking about the wishes of Scott’s parents and discussion of finding a singer. 



AC/DC's manager had put together a list of potential new vocalists, which up until then they had refused to look at. But then they noticed that one of those names was of a singer that Bon had been raving about for months: Brian Johnson from the Northern England band Geordie.



When Angus and Malcolm invited Johnson to come hang out for a while and sing, there was no hesitation. Johnson was a huge AC/DC fan. His chemistry with the band was instant, and he left with a new job and a plane ticket to the Bahamas, where producer Mutt Lange was waiting for them at Compass Point Studio. Recalls Malcolm, “We got the title for the album before we’d even written a tune. Angus said, ‘Why not call it Back in Black? Make a black album cover and then it’s for Bon.’”



But Back in Black wasn’t just a tribute album, a wake for their much-missed friend—it was a declaration of intent that they’d decided to go on. Not to replace him—Bon was irreplaceable—but to start a new phase with a singer whose powerful high wail worked just as well with AC/DC’s trademark sound as Bon’s sleazy, bluesy growl.



It’s that multi-faceted mix of intension and tensions, anger and spirit that makes Back in Black so lethally good—all that turbulence, the barely suppressed anger and pain and the fierce will to continue.



When AC/DC first heard the playbacks, their reaction, says Malcolm, was, “This is a monster!” Sure enough, it was. Not just the tone of the album and its lean power but its songs, which include three of the best rock anthems ever: the rousing title track, the brooding “Hell’s Bells,” and the ultimate party song “You Shook Me All Night Long.”



If Highway to Hell had made AC/DC famous, Back in Black made them superstars. Released a mere five months after Bon Scott’s heartbreaking death, it hit No. 1 in the U.K.—a first—and No. 4 in the U.S., spending more than five weeks in the American Top Ten. It remains one of rock and roll's most popular--and powerful--albums, a rowdy memorial to Bon Scott and the raucous rebirth of one of the greatest bands of all time.



If you’re not one of the ten million-plus people who have bought Back in Black, you owe it to yourself to get it now. It’s a masterpiece.

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