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Just a short post.  Given the season, I just wanted to say a giant ‘thank you’ to all of you who have popped by over the last few months to read these ramblings.  An even more massive ‘thanks’ to those who have subscribed to our news feed or followed us on Twitter.  It is all very much appreciated.
Posting may be a little sporadic over the holiday period as I gorge myself on rich food and many beers but there’s a good chance something will slip through in occasional moments of …

Featured, News »

Released today, Christmas Day, exclusively in Japan, is this handsome new Epiphone.
This is the Tak Matsumoto Signature DC Custom.  Tak is one of Japan’s leading guitarists and he’s managed to wangle this signature model from Epiphone.
It’s based on the popular model from Gibson’s Custom Shop and is a bit special.
Its a double-cut mahogany body with a glued-in mahogany neck.  The neck joint is of the long-tenon type which gives excellent neck/body coupling and contributes to a great tone and longer sustain. The body is bound in multi-ply (w/b/w/b/w/b/w if you …

Featured, News »

Announced back in September, the PRS SE Torero has arrived and sees a bit of a departure for PRS. Paul Reed Smith referred to the Torero as “a shredder’s dream”. It certainly has many of the required attributes.  Let’s take a look.
For a start, it’s the first PRS to be fitted with a Floyd Rose and locking-nut.  Tick one for shrediosity value.  It’s got a pair of EMG pickups – tick two.  It’s also the first PRS with a through-neck construction.  Perhaps not essential but it allows a blended, sculpted …

Bass, Featured »

It looks set to be announced properly at NAMM but information is out about Warwick’s Bootsy Collins Infinity Signature Bass.  One thing’s for sure; it’ll get you noticed.
Based on the Warwick Infinity bass, the Bootsy signature is available in two flavours – the Black Star and the Orange Star.  Obviously enough, perhaps, the differences in the models are the colours of the stars in the finish – black on the Black Star (pictured) and orange on the Orange Star. Simple.
The bass has an through-neck in maple.  The body wings (hollow) …

Accessories, Featured »

I think most of us have, at one time or another, considered customising our guitars. Maybe a few stickers, maybe some tape in a poor-man’s EVH, maybe even a new paint job.
The thing that holds many of us back is the irreversibility of it all. Once you’ve painted PUNK in large pink letters on your guitar, it’s there for the foreseeable future, maybe even after you’ve moved on from your punk phase and can’t get a gig in a mellow, jazz trio because you’ve got PUNK scrawled on your guitar.
Thermonetix …

Music »

Former Led Zeppelin guitarist, Jimmy Page has announced that he will tour in 2010, whether or not his former bandmates join him.
Pagey has a number of new songs written and plans an album release, with promotional tour, for next year. He said,”We’re running up to Christmas now and next year I have every intention of playing music live and manifesting it. I’ve got the music waiting, and that’s what I’ll be doing. It’s been two years since The 02 show [Led Zeppelin show in London's O2 Arena in 2007], …

Accessories, Featured »

Rock ‘n’ roll and booze just go hand in hand, don’t they.  If you’re considering joining the celebrated and illustrious pantheon of rock-stars who have drunk themselves to death you may want to consider accessorising your drinking problem with something guitar-related?
PRS can help with their 25th Anniversary hip flask.
It’s an 8 oz, stainless steel flask with a captive screw-on cap (so you don’t lose it when you’re a little, ahem, worse for wear).
So then, if you’re planning on choking to death on your own vomit, why not do it with …

Bass, Featured »

Way back in the mists of time – September, 2009 to be precise – Warwick began offering a ‘bass of the month’.  What this meant was that they would release a special edition bass each month.  The special bass would be, essentially, a tweaked version of one of their standard instruments but tweaked sufficiently to make it a little more unique and exclusive.  Here’s a round-up of the Warwick’s fall line.
September – Thumb Bolt On French Flamed Ash

A mouthful to be sure.  This is a twist on the regular Thumb …

Bass, Featured, News »

Rotosound have announced that metal legends, Duff McKagan (Guns & Roses and Velvet Revolver) and James Lomenzo (Megadeth) will lead a line up of artists at their NAMM booth in January.
Joining McKagan and Lomenzo will be Eva Gardener, Warren DeMartini, Robbie Crane (RATT) and also Billy Sheehan.
Pretty impressive line up that Rotosound have bagged there.
The event will take place on Saturday, January 26th at the Rotosound Booth (5596, Hall B) at NAMM.
The list of appearances and times is as follows:

James Lomenzo (Saturday 11am)
Duff McKagan (Saturday  1pm)
Eva Gardner    (Saturday  2pm)
Billy Sheehan  (Saturday  3pm)
RATT …

Books, Featured »

PRS is offering a, rather snazzy-looking, collection of guitar images in a large, coffee-table book.
Photographed by Japanese photographer, Tomuku Ohtani, the book features a collection of Private Stock electric and acoustic guitars and basses.
The Art Of PRS has more than 80 pages of, what seem to be stunning, images of PRS instruments.  It’s a hardback book, measuring 23.5″ x 16.5″ and includes a double-sided poster.
Paul Reed Smith himself commented, “the quality of the flats and guitar photos that I have viewed from this book are at the limit of human ability …