General Interest

“Guitars are like crayons to me,” says Carlos Santana. “Life is the canvas.” Such is how the legendary guitarist views his tools: not as mere instruments, but as portals to creativity and self-expression.

Over the decades, Santana has played them all – Gibsons, Fenders, Gretsches, and even a signature Yamaha in the 1980s – but the one brand he keeps returning to is PRS.

“Paul Reed Smith has mastered creating an instrument that behaves,” says the Mexican-American guitarist in the new issue of Guitar World. “No matter what the weather is like, it will stay in tune and always give you that great tone.”

• READ MORE: Carlos Santana: “I like being squirted in the face by music because it makes me feel alive”

Despite having played just about everything under the sun – “They all have their own sound, texture and feel,” Santana explains – PRS guitars are the only ones that feel like home.

“I always go back to my PRS models,” he says. “I’m very grateful to Paul. He came up with his own vision to create a different tone and feel. I’m grateful he did that because his designs suited my personality when it came to self-expression.”

This is especially true of his PRS signature model ‘Salmon’, which he describes as the “easiest instrument for me to materialize my inner-vision, thoughts and emotions. There’s not much struggle translating myself onto that guitar.”

Santana’s friendship with the PRS founder also goes back a long way: “We’ve had a relationship since the late Seventies. He convinced me to come on board. Back then, there were only three companies I knew of – Gibson, Fender and Gretsch. There were others, but those three were the main ones.”

According to Santana, PRS’s attention to detail is what keeps him loyal, even decades later.

“From guitars to food or whatever, there are two words that are important for any business – impeccable integrity,” says the guitarist. “When people put love and attention into what they make, it stands out. When my guitars arrive from Paul Reed Smith, they are always perfectly in tune. I’m not making it up! They come to me set up perfectly because somebody at the factory is doing that final check. A lot of companies don’t do that.”

As for how many guitars he owns these days? “Probably not more than 100 and not fewer than 75,” Santana reckons. “I guess the Fender Strats and Gibson Les Pauls would be the oldest models in my collection. I’ve got Strats from 1954; some of my Les Pauls go all the way back to 1959.”

The post “Paul Reed Smith has mastered creating an instrument that behaves”: Carlos Santana on his love of PRS guitars appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Last month, rumours began to swirl about a potential Metallica residency at the Las Vegas Sphere.

According to Vital Vegas, the thrash metal legends were ready to “ink a deal” with the Sphere, following successful residencies by the likes of U2 and Dead & Company at the venue.

Now, in a conversation with Howard Stern, drummer Lars Ulrich has spoken more about the potential residency, and where exactly things are in talks.

• READ MORE: “There’s lots of laws against me selling my invention”: Robert Keeley has made a drive pedal that doubles as a weed vape – but don’t get too excited

“I’m not going to confirm anything, because there’s nothing to confirm,” he says [via NME] “But I’m not going to deny it, because we’re all such fans of this venue.

“All of our managers and our production people have been there and looked at it. It’s something that we’re considering, [but] nothing is etched in stone or green-lit. It’s something that we’re looking at at some point when the 2026 tour is done.”

He continues: “I would fucking love to do it, let there be no question about it. It’s not signed, sealed and delivered, but speaking to me and asking my opinion, I would fucking love to do it.”

Metallica – whose members are all over the age of 60 – show no signs of slowing down, or even stopping playing some of the world’s biggest stages. 

Aside from their ongoing M72 World Tour – which sees them stop at some of the biggest stadiums on the planet, Lars Ulrich also suggests the band would be keen to play at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, given the opportunity.

“Fuck yeah, of course we would,” Lars tells Howard Stern. “First of all we would do it. Second of all, to do it in San Francisco would be a dream come true and would be the right fit… 

“Certainly as somebody who’s represented San Francisco all over the world and shouted for decades about San Francisco and our love for the Bay Area, that part of it is the right fit. Ultimately it’s not our decision.”

We’ll keep you updated on the status of the potential Metallica residency as we know more. Again, we stress that nothing is signed yet. But the prospect is certainly exciting…

You can check out all of Metallica’s upcoming M72 dates via their official website.

The post “I’m not going to confirm anything – but I’m not going to deny it”: Lars Ulrich on Metallica’s rumoured Las Vegas Sphere residency appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Epiphone's collaboration with the artisans at Gibson Custom just got a major acoustic upgrade! We’re excited to share new acoustic additions to the core lineup, updated with features that make these guitars better than ever.

With new Vintage Gloss and Full Gloss finishes, rosewood or ebony fretboards, thermally aged tops, loads of vintage-correct details, historically accurate Gibson “open book” headstocks, and historic-inspired cases, these guitars bring Custom Shop quality to players everywhere at accessible prices.

1942 Banner J-45 Reissue

This exceptional acoustic guitar has a thermally aged, solid Sitka spruce top that is reinforced with scalloped X-bracing and paired with a solid mahogany back and sides for the rich, balanced tone that has made the J-45 a longtime player favorite.

1957 SJ-200 Reissue

Meet the Epiphone 1957 SJ-200 Reissue, an Inspired by Gibson Custom recreation of a rare vintage icon. It features a solid figured maple back and sides, a thermally aged solid Sitka spruce top with traditional scalloped X-bracing, and a two-piece flame maple neck.

Hummingbird Deluxe EC

The Hummingbird Deluxe EC has been upgraded and modernized with beautiful, solid rosewood used for the back and sides, giving this guitar the full and rich sound of the traditional Hummingbird, along with the added tonal nuances of rosewood, resulting in a deeper bass and even more sparkling overtones in the highs.

Pre-War SJ-200 Rosewood Reissue

The Epiphone Pre-War SJ-200 Rosewood Reissue is replete with vintage-inspired details, including a solid rosewood back and sides, a thermally aged solid Sitka spruce top with traditional scalloped X-bracing made from quarter-sawn solid spruce, and more.

1963 Dove Reissue

The back and sides of the 1963 Dove Reissue are made from solid, figured maple. It delivers a bright, clear tone from the maple body, as you might expect, but it also has a bit more bass than a Hummingbird and a very balanced tone overall that works exceptionally well in a wide range of musical genres.

Shop Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom guitars now.

Robert Keeley – founder of Keeley Electronics – has apparently invented a drive pedal that doubles as a weed vape. Only trouble is, he’s not allowed to sell it online due to restrictions on vaping products and, of course, weed.

In a conversation in the new issue of Guitar World, Keeley details the cleverly named Vapor Drive, an overdrive stompbox which, somehow, also serves as a vape.

• READ MORE: “I got fired because I couldn’t get it!”: Eric Johnson relives his most disastrous studio session

“I have a pedal that you can smoke/vape weed/THC out of,” he explains. “It’s the first rechargeable pedal, and it produces the most amazing distortion.

“It charges at five volts through a USB or the standard nine-volt battery, but I can’t sell it on Amazon, eBay or Reverb because it’s a tobacco or vaping product. There’s lots of laws and barriers against me selling my invention.”

As a consequence, the Vapor Drive looks like it’ll be perpetually stuck in the prototype phase, but Keeley’s not losing any sleep over it: “I scratch my head and take a toke from my cordless Vapor Drive pedal!” he jokes.

So, unless the widespread easing of restrictions on weed and vaping products happens, don’t bet on your ability to get a Vapor Drive of your own any time soon.

Robert Keeley and Keeley Electronics have staked a huge claim in the effects pedal market, with highlights including the Keeley Compressor – used by Noel Gallagher, Matt Bellamy and John Mayer, to name a few – and the Katana Clean Boost, which also forms part of John Mayer’s pedalboard.

And it looks like there’s plenty more where that came from. “I don’t plan on selling my company,” Keeley tells Guitar World. 

“There may have been a time in the past, but this is what I love doing. I like the idea of creating a manufacturing business that can sustain generations of employees. Martin, Gibson, Fender, Dunlop and Electro-Harmonix have done it; maybe Keeley can.”

View Keeley’s latest product lineup at Keeley Electronics.

The post “There’s lots of laws against me selling my invention”: Robert Keeley has made a drive pedal that doubles as a weed vape – but don’t get too excited appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Hello, and welcome back to Mod Garage. After we had a general look at electric guitar “tonewood” last month, we will pick up where we left off to see how important wood is for the sound of an electric guitar, and if everything you can hear when playing it unplugged is present in its amplified tone.

I already spoiled the answer in the last part by saying that it’s not the most important factor, and that the correct question to ask is, “How much of what is audible in the unplugged, or primary, sound will be present in the amplified tone?” To be clear, I didn’t say that the wood has no influence on the electrified tone, and that all electric guitars sound the same. To cut to the chase, here is my formula on this, based on proven physics as well as several decades of expertise: The more solidly an electric guitar is built, the less influence its structure has on the amplified tone. We can invert this thinking, too: The more an electric guitar has the qualities of an acoustic guitar, the greater the influence its primary structure will have through an amp.

This is not my original wisdom, but is based on decades of intensive scientific research by Professor Manfred Zollner from the German Regensburg University, which mostly matches my experiences from many years in the business. Professor Zollner developed this headnote approximately 15 years ago, and in my opinion, it’s the closest thing to the truth. His actual theory is that the wooden structure of an electric guitar has close to zero influence on the electrified tone.

Let’s form a few groups according to different construction methods, which can give us some basic guidelines.

Group No. 1: Electric guitars with a set neck and no tremolo

This is the most solidly built family, with guitars like the Gibson Les Paul, SG, LP Junior, etc. and their offshoots from other companies, but also guitars like the PRS McCarty family. Brace yourself: On these guitars, the primary structure has almost no influence on the amplified tone. Yes, mahogany is lightweight, and a flamed maple top looks stunning, but these qualities don’t impact how they sound through a Marshall stack.

Group No. 2: Electric guitars with a set neck and tremolo

The next most densely constructed guitars include the Gibson Les Paul Axcess and Firebird, the Gretsch Jet, the PRS Custom and Standard family, a lot of Ibanez guitars, etc. Here, the body mass does a bit more to the tone; later, we will discover why this is.

Group No. 3: Electric guitars with a bolt-on neck and no tremolo

Here, we have the grandfathers of all electric guitars: the Fender Telecaster and Esquire, but also hardtail Stratocaster models along with the Mustang and Duo Sonic, PRS’ NF53, and many more.

Group No. 4: Electric guitars with a bolt-on neck and tremolo

The classic Fender Stratocaster comes to mind, along with the Jaguar and Jazzmaster, the PRS CE family, and a lot of Gretsch guitars.

Group No. 5: Semi-hollowbody and chambered electric guitars

This collection includes instruments from the first group that lean more towards the construction of an acoustic guitar, with guitars like the Gibson ES-335, Gretsch and PRS semi-hollowbody models, the Fender Thinline Telecaster, Coronado, and Starcaster, and countless other models. Applying the guidelines from above, we also have to differentiate based on set versus bolt-on neck, as well as inclusion of tremolo.

Group No. 6: Hollowbody electric guitars

In this last section, we have the “big boys” that are usually referred to as jazz guitars or archtops, like the Gibson Byrdland, Super 400, L5, the Epiphone Broadway, Ibanez George Benson, etc. These are more or less acoustic guitars with pickups, and compared to all the other categories, their primary construction has the most significant effect on the amplified tone.

So far, I bet a lot of you will be cursing my name. I know that playing and expressing oneself with the guitar are highly emotional things, and I’m not taking exception with this. But you can’t bargain with the hard facts of physics—if you drop a glass of wine, it will hit the floor, not the ceiling, at least on Earth.

Let me explain. First and foremost, woods are for stability, surface feel, and optical appearance on electric guitars. They create a certain feeling, but don’t really change the instrument’s electrified tone. This is the point where we are all humans with emotions, prone to psychoacoustics, conclusions by analogy, and of course, confirmation bias. We see a guitar with a bright maple neck, so we expect a bright tone. We have a dark rosewood or ebony fretboard, so we expect a dark tone. You get the idea.

You all know the saying that the tone is in the fingers, and this hits the nail on the head for electric guitars. The tonal influence of the individual playing style of each guitarist is much more powerful than the subtle differences of wood selection. Playing style is also never perfectly consistent, no matter if you are a beginner or pro player. It’s close to impossible to exactly reproduce picking strength, location, and velocity, and these things alone create much more tonal difference than the wood with which a guitar is built.

Here’s a story to illustrate the point; you may have heard it before. German guitarist Paul Vincent, who passed in 2016, was one of the best guitar players worldwide, and the studio guitarist for Freddie Mercury during his solo phase without Queen. You can hear his playing on Mercury’s Mr. Bad Guy on hits like “Living On My Own” and “I Was Born to Love You.” These hits were recorded in the Musicland Studios in Munich, Vincent’s hometown. In his Rock Guitar Book from 1993, he describes meeting Brian May at Musicland in 1985 during the recording of the Queen single “One Vision.” After Brian finished his overdub, he walked out of the studio to greet Paul, handed his Red Special guitar over to him, and said, “Go ahead, play a little for me, I want to see your left hand vibrato.” Paul was speechless and totally blindsided, but also full of curiosity and respect. He was holding the original Red Special in his hands, plugged into the famous Deacy Amp and everything else May was using in the studio. But when he started playing, he simply sounded like Paul Vincent, and not even close to Brian May, even when hitting some famous Queen licks and riffs.

I think that says it all. Vincent was looking for an escape hatch from this situation, so he handed Red Special back to May, telling him that studio time is expensive and he didn’t want to take up his afternoon. May smiled at him and said, “You are an outstanding player, Paul.”

With that settled, next month, we will start to work on our cheap budget guitar, parsing out what really influences the amplified tone of an electric guitar, step-by-step, so stay tuned!

Until then ... keep on modding!

Andrew Watt has shared a moving tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne, describing their close friendship as “the greatest gift of all”.

Osbourne passed away last month at the age of 76, leaving behind an enduring legacy as the Prince of Darkness and frontman of heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath. Tributes have poured in from fans and fellow musicians around the world, honouring his decades-long influence and singular voice that helped define an entire genre.

• READ MORE: “The bond we shared with him ran far deeper than music”: Pantera cancel tour dates as Zakk Wylde says they need “time to grieve” Ozzy Osbourne’s death

In a new Instagram post, Watt opens up about the grief of losing his close friend and collaborator. “Still processing saying goodbye to Ozzy Osbourne,” the producer writes. “Someone said ‘Grief is the price of love’. I say that to myself everyday but at the end of the day I just miss my friend so much. There is a new hole in my heart, something I will learn to live with.”

“The music is obvious. How lucky I was to share in a little of Ozzy’s magic, but the friendship was the greatest gift of all. I will miss laughing with you forever Boss. Do you want a kick in the balls?”

Accompanying the post are photos of the pair hanging out on and off stage, along with a video of Ozzy having fun with a harmonica in Watt’s studio.

Watt produced Ordinary Man, Osbourne’s 2020 solo album, and remained a close musical ally in recent years.

“Ozzy and I have a connection that’s unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced,” he told Guitar World in June. “We made some music together that we really love, and we’ll continue making music together forever. More importantly than that, we talk every day and we’re really close friends.”

The producer also took the stage at Back to the Beginning, the all-star tribute show that featured Steven Tyler, Tom Morello, Nuno Bettencourt and Chad Smith celebrating Ozzy and Black Sabbath’s legacy.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by WATT (@thisiswatt)

The post “Do you want a kick in the balls?”: Andrew Watt pens heartfelt tribute to Ozzy Osbourne appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.