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It’s easy to get stuck in our own way. We’re all guilty of it in varying degrees: we find the artists we like, put a metaphorical wall up around our tastes and treat those new to our radars with scepticism.

This is exacerbated generationally. You don’t need to go far to hear the ‘back in my day’ platitudes uttered by those who grew up in what they’d call rock’s ‘golden generation’. 

They might be talking about glam metal’s heyday in the ‘80s, the emergence of grunge in the ‘90s, or even the new wave of American heavy metal (NWOAHM) in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. 

But nostalgia is a hell of a drug.

When Black Sabbath announced the lineup of their monumental farewell 5 July show at Villa Park, metal fans rejoiced at the inclusion of a pantheon of metal’s elite (Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Pantera, to name but a few).

However, some were a little more hesitant at the mention of Yungblud, the Doncaster native whose music already spans so many genres it’s hard to keep up.

In the lead up to the show, I spotted a number of comments on social media and online forums poking fun at the 27-year-old, real name Dominic Richard Harrison.

“I’d hope he’s just going as a guest of the Osbournes as a spectator,” one Reddit comment read. “Surely they’ve got enough awareness to know Yungblud’s not going to go down well with a die-hard metal crowd! If he does come on stage I hope the bars are well staffed!”

Of course, Yungblud did not simply attend the event as a “spectator”; he performed a breathtaking cover of Sabbath’s Changes – from 1972’s Vol. 4 – channeling Ozzy Osbourne and, it must be said, Freddie Mercury at Live Aid, in quite frankly one of the day’s most rousing performances.

In the video above, it’s clear to see that the sold-out Villa Park crowd was enraptured by his performance, and, indeed, anyone who did visit the bar during missed out big time.

I’d say it’s satisfying to see haters silenced, but I don’t think that’s the source of the gratification here. I think it’s more to do with previously closed off people opening their minds and discovering new things that they genuinely love.

“I’m here from Back to the Beginning,” one metal fan wrote following the show. “Never heard of this dude before. I’m an old punk metalhead that doesn’t really seek out new music, ‘cause it’s mostly trash. This dude, though. This dude is fucking good. I started watching his music videos. Brilliant.”

“He got us all in a chokehold after that Ozzy performance,” replied another. “I have been listening all day. This isn’t even my usual kind of music/aesthetic at all. But I don’t know why I’m captivated by him. His voice is amazing.”

Another put simply: “I have not been this juiced for any new music or new artist for, literally, DECADES. Dude is something special.”

It can’t be ignored that in our attention economy where people make their minds up about things in seconds, a name like Yungblud might make someone think, ‘Okay, SoundCloud rapper. Next.’

But in reality, Yungblud represents the young blood – sorry, that was awful, but it’s true – that rock music so desperately needs. He’s a formidable songwriter – take parents, Zombie and acting like that (with mgk) as evidence of that – and an even better performer.

And the best part? The guitar is so often front and centre in his music. For those new to his catalogue, check out his 2021 single fleabag, which features a killer tapping-laden guitar solo at the 2:05 mark.

So as people continue to debate the future of guitar music, will Yungblud save it? The jury’s out on that one, but he’ll definitely help.

Yungblud’s also got that from-the-heart rebellious nature that made us all fall in love with our now-aging rockstar heroes in the first place.

In a newly resurfaced clip that’s been doing the rounds on social media as the world continues to discover him following Back to the Beginning, Yungblud hilariously recounts defying a no-moshing order at his 2022 Summer Sonic performance in Tokyo.

“After his show in Osaka yesterday, I am very worried about this next performer,” the announcer says. “Whatever he says, you must not mosh or shout.” Of course, what follows is a clip of the crowd in the palm of his hands going absolutely mental – and, yes, moshing.

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Now, we’re not encouraging the defiance of venue rules and safety measures by any stretch. But rebellion has always been synonymous with rock ‘n’ roll, and Yungblud possesses it in abundance. And with his out-of-this-world voice, stellar songwriting skills and unrivalled stage presence, what more do you want?

Contrary to what you might think if you’re just discovering him, Yungblud is not an outsider to this world of rock and metal we all love. He’s very much in it, and even formed a close personal relationship with Ozzy Osbourne prior to his death on 22 July.

In an emotional post on social media following the news, Yungblud proclaimed Ozzy as the “greatest of all time”.

“You will be in every single note I sing and with me every single time I walk on stage,” he wrote. “Your cross around my neck is the most precious thing I own. You asked me once if there was anything you could do for me and as I said then and as I will say now for all of us the music was enough. You took us on your adventure – an adventure that started it all. I am truly heartbroken.”

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In an earlier clip of the pair talking backstage at Back to the Beginning, it’s hard not to well up as Yungblud and Ozzy embrace. “I love you,” Ozzy tells the young musician. “I fucking love you, man,” Yungblud replies.

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Reflecting in another post in the days following Ozzy’s passing, Yungblud wrote: “I’m trying to compute the last couple of days and honestly I’m absolutely fucking shattered.

“I owe so much to you, your wife and your family – you all gave me a road to run down and supported me when people would turn their nose up…

“To sing this song for you at an event surrounded by legends inspired by you to a crowd that loved you was truly my life’s greatest honour and I vow to play this song every night for the rest of my life.

“You’re my hero in every regard. I hope you’re up there ‘avin a drink with Randy [Rhoads].”

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It’s a cliché that rings true in rock and guitar music as it does everywhere in the world: the only constant in life is change. Rock music will never be what it was in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. But is that necessarily a bad thing? 

Why can’t we crystallise those memories and continue to enjoy them while making room for newer artists whose music is actually pretty exciting.

And if Ozzy Osbourne, the guy who – with his Black Sabbath bandmates – invented an entire genre, took him under his wing, maybe it’s time you started paying Yungblud some attention…

You can see a full list of Yungblud’s upcoming live dates at his official website, and given his comments, you’ll probably hear Changes if you go…

The post He brought the house down at Black Sabbath’s farewell gig, and once hilariously defied a no-moshing order at a Japan show. Like it or not, Yungblud is the star rock music needs appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Some may beg to differ, but Bryan Adams feels guitar-driven music isn’t all that popular right now.

Despite this, it seems the legendary rock artist isn’t too concerned about it, and feels that no matter what, guitar will always stick around regardless of its presence in popular music. Adams is gearing up to release his 17th studio album this August, Roll With The Punches, which is described as “packed full of powerful rock anthems” no less.

• READ MORE: Bryan Adams reveals the story behind his “first real six-string” in hit song Summer of ’69 – and it actually wasn’t bought at a five and dime

Though steeped in classic guitar music territory, the new record also shows Adams moving with the times, as it marks his first full length record of new material to be released via his own independent label, Bad Records – a move a lot of artists both big and small are now pursuing.

Speaking to Classic Pop magazine, Adams explains why he feels no fear over the changing landscape of music: “I know that guitar music isn’t particularly popular at the moment, but it doesn’t matter to me ‘cause I know there are people out there that really like it, if they get a chance to hear it. So, I play to the converted.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Adams discusses the making of the album, and how he prefers to keep recording simple and avoids over-producing for a natural ‘band in the room’ feel.

“That’s the key,” he says. “That is how I make all my records. I don’t really know how else to do it. I don’t have enough keyboard savvy to be sitting there behind a bunch of synths. I just put everybody in the room, it’s easier!”

Roll With The Punches will be released on 29 August. You can also catch Bryan Adams on tour now.

The post “It doesn’t matter to me”: Bryan Adams says guitar music “isn’t particularly popular at the moment”, but he’s not concerned – here’s why appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Rumours suggest that Metallica might be the next big band to launch a residency at the Las Vegas Sphere venue.

The sphere, which opened in 2023 and cost over two billion to build, has a capacity of 20,000 people and is home to the world’s largest LED screen. Its exterior hosts 580,000 sq feet of LEDs and is bright enough to be seen from space.

• READ MORE: “I don’t say they’re mine!”: Metallica’s Kirk Hammett reveals that he’s sold “a lot” of his guitars anonymously on eBay and Reverb

Since opening, it has hosted residencies from artists like U2, Dead & Company, and The Eagles. Now, according to Vital Vegas, sources say that Metallica are ready to “ink a deal” with the Sphere for their turn.

The outlet says it is “hearing Metallica could play [the] Sphere in the fall of 2026, but specifics haven’t been confirmed or announced yet”. However, the band does have some M72 world tour dates scheduled for the end of the year, which kick off in Australia on 1 November.

Interestingly, Metallica’s Kirk Hammett has previously shown interest in performing at the sphere, and it certainly would be a great fit for the band, offering the ability to pull off a show like never before thanks to the venue’s all-encompassing screen. Just take a look at the visuals U2’s former stint below:

Last year, John Mayer spoke of Dead & Company’s residency there, and said the venue has “established overnight a new big league” of bands who have the vision and budget to take advantage of its unique, immersive space.

He told the LA Times, “I think what we all love is that there’s finally once again a live-music space race. There’s the social-media space race, the podcast space race, the AI [artificial intelligence] space race. But live music pretty much stayed the same for such a long time.”

We will provide any further information on these rumours as we get it. In the meantime, you can view the official scheduled dates for the rest of Metallica’s M72 world tour via their website.

The post Never been to the Sphere in Vegas? If you’re a Metallica fan, you soon might appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

In the early 1920s, amongst the gospel community in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, a six-year-old girl was busy mastering a strange yet intriguing musical instrument. There were strings on it which, when plucked, each sounded higher than the last, and she found that picking and strumming them beneath the swing of the gospel choir added a new dimension to the music that she couldn’t yet grasp.

• READ MORE: “We just looked at each other in awe” the truth behind why Jimi Hendrix started smashing guitars on stage

As the years rolled on and the girl started touring church conventions with her mother, she learned more about this enthralling thing called the guitar. Practice taught her that combining certain elements from gospel music like call and response patterns and complex rhythms with the guitar’s charismatic twang created a new kind of music that was unfamiliar.

It had the usual energy and chord progressions that gospel music was known for, but this time there was an infectious back-and-forth groove driven chiefly by the guitar. By the time the late 1930s came around, people were enchanted by her music. She’d secured a spot at a rising nightclub in New York City, The Cotton Plant, and was soon enough signed with Decca Records.

The girl’s name was Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Her astounding ability to popularise the guitar and stitch it together with scraps of gospel music and blues had never been seen before, and it’s widely credited for birthing what’s now known as rock ‘n’ roll.

But if she’s at least partially responsible for inventing one of the most popular musical genres to ever exist (and aptly nicknamed the “Godmother of Rock and Roll”) why don’t more people know and recognise her and the influence she’s had on the entire industry?

Moving The Needle

While there’s undoubtedly been a greater appreciation of Tharpe in guitar circles in recent years, she and those like her rarely get the same level of plaudits as their male contemporaries.

Even when they do get some credit in popular culture, it’s often as part of a wider male-centric storyline. For example, it was great to see Yola powerfully embody Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis movie, but she was still part of someone else’s story, not her own.

“The biggest underlying issue is that women guitarists are facing intersectionality,” says Dr Freya Jarman, a researcher in the Department of Music at the University of Liverpool. “Their femaleness gets superseded by maleness. It’s absolutely perfect for somebody like Elvis to come along and blast Rosetta Tharpe’s story out of the water. As women, they get sidelined by people like him, or Muddy Waters, or Chuck Berry.”

Intersectionality is the framework put in place to describe discrimination experienced by someone because of their race, gender, sex, class, sexuality or ability. Because of misogyny, and in some cases racism charged by the Jim Crow laws, women like Tharpe, Memphis Minnie, Elizabeth Cotten and even Mary Ford – a wonderful and influential guitar player in her own right who regularly gets pigeonholed as ‘Les Paul’s wife’ – don’t get the recognition they deserve today.

“There’s a massive scale power dynamic in which whiteness and maleness trumps lots of other things,” continues Jarman. “You do find lots of black men on those lists [of famous rock and blues guitarists] as well, like Prince or Jimi Hendrix. But there’s perhaps a kind of fetishization of blackness, especially when it comes to the blues, because there’s a sort of authenticity about it. But there’s never been a long and strong tradition of women electric guitarists in particular.”

Breaking Stereotypes

There’s an argument against intersectionality that bases itself around the famous female singers of the 20th century who receive much admiration and recognition today. The likes of these women include Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Peggy Lee and so on.

But they’re all largely famous for their voices (long-considered an emotional instrument or window to the soul, therefore coded as appropriate for women) if not for their piano playing or songwriting, so was there something fundamentally incompatible about women and the guitar during the last century?

“There’s a lot of policing of women’s bodies around certain instruments,” says Jarman. “There’s all kinds of questions around class and race and appropriate femininity, and it puts huge pressure on women.

“The physicality of the guitar is an interesting thing for a number of reasons,” they continue. “One is the sheer practicality of playing a guitar when you’ve got boobs – there are even guitar companies that specialize in making guitars for the female frame. But there’s a lot to say about how we stereotype some instruments as appropriate for one gender over another. Many of the things that people have said about the electric guitar and women are the same things that people used to say in the early 19th century about the violin and women.

“Today, we consider the violin to be a really feminine instrument – if you look at the string sections of major orchestras, they’re full of women. But people used to say it’s physically inappropriate, or it makes women look awkward when they play the violin. Things started shifting one day for a lot of social reasons and, 150 years later, we’ve forgotten that it was ever like that. So, I do wonder whether there’s hope for the guitar and for women in the future.”

Kerri Layton, guitarist and Memphis Minnie superfan, feels frustrated at the lack of recognition for female guitarists, especially after some like Memphis Minnie publicised the Delta blues by demonstrating enviable fingerpicking techniques.

“It feels like she’s in danger of being forgotten by music culture,” says Layton, who’s also a singer-songwriter and founder of coaching business, Dixiebird Music. Active from the 1920s to the 1950s, Memphis Minnie was revered for being a passionate storyteller, coupling the electric guitar with her original songs that turned heads for showcasing her stentorian voice and masterful fingerpicking licks. She had such skill that people claimed she performed “like a man”.

“To be honest, I don’t understand where the competition comes from,” continues Layton. “Even though it’s a competitive industry, musicians are inherently extremely supportive of each other, and I feel like it’s an industry-created problem. Female musicians have their own challenges which are different to men’s, but I’m over the separation of it all.”

The Pioneers

One of the countless challenges women have faced throughout history is the ideology that invention and pioneering belongs to men. For centuries, what makes someone masculine is their ability to hunt and gather and find new ways to make a living for themselves and for their family. Women have typically been expected to look after and preserve what men have given them – a house, a living and even their children.

So, when you expand that theory, having a woman create something new like a whole musical genre or another way of playing an instrument doesn’t fit the frame. Even in today’s age, this ideology is buried too deep into society, so we reject and ignore anything that goes against it without sometimes realising.

What’s abundantly clear, though, is that every female guitarist to make their mark on the music industry has touched listeners in a uniquely profound way, much like Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, Albert King and the rest of the rock and blues gods have done themselves.

“I feel like I’ve met [Memphis Minnie] in song,” says Layton. “I felt like her lyrics spoke to me because her songs were really for independent women. Her songs had such strong lyrics. But maybe the narrative has been diluted over time. That sense of authenticity – that she really lived in her music – has been lost today.”

However, perhaps there’s hope yet. Beneath the pomp and explosive adoration smothering Elvis is a little boy who grew up in his own gospel community. Back in 1953, at 18 years old, he walked through the doors of Sun Studios with just the guitar he got for his 11th birthday. He was inexperienced and shy, but he’d heard the strange, exhilarating music Sister Rosetta Tharpe had been making.

“Elvis loved Sister Rosetta,” Gordon Stoker, who worked as a vocalist with both Tharpe and Presley admitted in a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone. “That’s what really attracted Elvis: her pickin’. He liked her singing, but he liked that pickin’ first – because it was so different.”

If you know where to look for it, you’ll find these women and their impact everywhere. Elvis made his own sound that day and shot to fame, never coming down again, but those who inspired him, although ignored for some time, will always be the same.

The post Why have we forgotten the greatest female guitar heroes? The pioneering women who shaped guitar history appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

[Editor’s note: Manson Guitar Works is part of Vista Musical Instruments which, like Guitar.com, is part of the Caldecott Music Group.]

Manson Guitar Works has teamed up with Skindred’s Mikey Demus for the release of a new signature model, the MD-3.

The reggae metal guitarist’s new axe is based on Manson’s classic MA profile guitar and has been “extensively updated” for this third iteration. It takes into account Demus’ playing style, providing a neck carve that allows for “effortless chordal work”, and a revised profile shape designed for heavy riffing in drop tunings.

• READ MORE: Redbeard Effects Bearded Vulture review – the last heavy distortion pedal you’ll ever need?

The MD-3 has a lightweight obeche body, roasted maple neck and rosewood fingerboard, a dual-action stainless-steel truss-rod that allows the guitar to be set precisely for whatever style the player chooses, and a custom dual humbucker pickup set selected with Demus’ tonal range in mind.

The Benchmark humbucker in the neck is described as providing “warm, full-bodied tone” thanks to classic Alnico II magnets with 7.5k output, while the Manson MD Custom bridge pickup, exclusive to the new MD-3, has been given a “full-throated” boost to nearly 14k of output due to additional winds and ceramic magnets.

Image: Manson Guitar Works

The guitar comes in either Dry Satin Black or Atomic Tangerine. The Black version sports a Wildcat Orange scratchplate, with the Tangerine providing a contrasting black plate. Both versions feature Demus’ signature on the rear of the headstock.

Each also hosts a Gotoh bridge, tailpiece and machine heads, but the Black features has a blend of hardware finishes: its machine heads are black, while its bridge and tailpiece come in nickel.

Both guitars also have two volume controls, two tone controls, and push/pull switching for series or parallel tone operation, plus a three-way toggle switch. And, lefties rejoice: there’s no upcharge on the left-handed version of the MD-3.

Check out the guitar in action with Demus below:

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The Dry Satin Black MD-3 is priced at £1999, while the Atomic Tangerine version is £2099. Find out more via Manson Guitar Works.

The post Manson’s new Mikey Demus signature model is designed for drop tunings and heavy riffing appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

2025 has been a bittersweet year for Hiscox Cases. After celebrating 40 years of craftsmanship, the company’s UK factory has been forced to close its doors.

While the news was shared in a statement back in May, yesterday marked the official end of Hiscox Cases’ UK production. “After 40 years of craftsmanship, care, and commitment, we want to thank every single member of our team – past and present – for helping build a brand trusted by musicians around the world,” the team shares in a Facebook post.

• READ MORE: “They say never meet your idols, but that’s just not true. Sometimes you get lucky”: M. Shadows reflects on interviewing Ozzy Osbourne in 2017

The farewell was complete with a photo of the team posing outside of the company’s Cannock factory. “While this chapter comes to a close, a new one begins,” the post notes.

Despite the unfortunate closure of its Staffordshire home, this wont be the end of Hiscox Cases. In fact, the post goes on to discuss RUF Technologies, a Polish brand that has acquired the company. “We’re working closely with RUF Technologies to ensure a smooth transition, and Hiscox Cases will soon be available once again — with the same dedication to quality that’s defined us for decades. Thank you for being part of our story. Here’s to what comes next.”

The acquisition has also been confirmed on the Hiscox Cases website. An announcement promises that production transfer will “guarantee the same brand, designs, quality and ongoing supply”, and Hiscox Cases Poland will resume shipping “popular models” throughout September, while “less-requested models will be produced to order” and will come in early 2026.

Hiscox Cases first announced that it would be shutting up shop back in May, before news of any acquisition was on the horizon. The news was shared in a statement on their website, noting that the “landscape for manufacturing here in the UK has become ever increasingly problematic since the COVID pandemic”.

“We have faced severe challenging issues with every aspect of the process from raw materials to shop floor staff availability to massively rising costs of production,” founder Brynn Hiscox said. “The compound issues are now so great we have regrettably reached the conclusion that it is no longer possible for us to remain a viable manufacturing business here in the UK.”

“As a luthier, all those years ago, I made my first guitar case specifically for my own use for my own guitars,” he reflected. “I never planned or even imagined that demand for my design would be so great that we have made more than 700,000 cases in the last 40 years. I suppose all good things eventually come to an end.”

“There is nothing more that I can say other than thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your business over the last 40 years.”

The post “A bittersweet moment”: case maker Hiscox marks closure of UK factory after 40 years – but the brand will live on appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Lita Ford has looked back on the “battle” to be able to play guitar as a young girl, sharing how people would say it was something girls just didn’t do.

Not letting the ignorance dim her spark, she used such comments to spur her determination, and it certainly paid off – her time in The Runaways is an important part of music history, which inspired other women to start up bands too.

• READ MORE: “It’s good to be a little bit of a street gutter rat”: Lita Ford advises young players to do this instead of “Google guitar chords”

Despite all the time that has passed since The Runaways formed, Ford feels the ‘female guitar’ label has only come about in modern times, showing how sexism continues to rear its ugly head within our community.

Speaking to WKBN 21, she reflects [via Ultimate Guitar], “Growing up in The Runaways, I just wanted to play guitar. It’s really all I was focusing on. And people would always say to me, ‘No, girls don’t play guitar.’ And I would think, ‘Oh, they don’t? Okay. Well, I do…’ People say that to you, and it just makes you want to do it more.”

She adds, “It was a fight, it was a battle. Growing up in The Runaways’ days, 16-17-year-old girls, nobody knew what to make of us. But the truth is, we were a bit before our time, but we were badass, and we were a team.

“We were a great band, and we left our mark in rock ‘n’ roll history. So maybe they were wrong, and you just gotta do what you got to do sometimes. So I’m happy to have come full circle now, and to still be playing rock ‘n’ roll and still be doing what I’m doing. I love it.”

Of the ‘female guitarist’ label, Ford continues, “People had to start putting you in the female category. ‘Oh, she’s a female guitar player,’ and ‘she’s good for a female.’ When did that category start? I don’t know that it really ever existed back in The Runaways’ days.

“We were punk rock and that was it, but now there’s a female category because it makes it easier, I think, for the world to accept the fact that you are liking a girl or a female guitar player. We had to go through all that, play their games, and I was just happy to be in a category.”

She concludes, “I don’t really care. Whatever category you want to put me in, just put me in a category, because at least I’m in there somewhere, somehow. So you know, what are you going to do?”

Lita Ford is currently on the road – she plays at Wacken Open Air festival on 30 July. You can get tickets to see her via her official website.

The post “Now there’s a ‘female’ category because it makes it easier for the world to accept”: Lita Ford on the labels put on women who play guitar appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Noel Gallagher has gifted Oasis fans and gear-heads alike with a fabulous reunion gift: a full look at his touring rig.

In a post shared to his social media pages nonchalantly captioned, “Should anybody be interested…”, Gallagher has provided photos of his complete pedalboard and amp set up for the band’s ongoing gigs. The Britpop legends are currently still playing shows throughout the UK after kicking off the trek in Cardiff on 4 July.

• READ MORE: “Everything is back on guitar for the first time in a long time”: The K’s frontman credits Oasis reunion for rescuing guitar music

Pedal-wise, Gallagher’s set up features some everyday staples that many of us have come across or have within our arsenal, including the humble TC Electronic Polytune, the well-loved Dunlop Cry Baby, and even a couple of Boss classics too.

We’ll dive into the details a little further on, but we’ve listed each pedal here below. Though the image isn’t the best quality when zooming in for the finer details, and some pedals are slightly covered with tape, this is what we can see The Chief has on his board (from left-to-right):

• ZVEX Lo-Fi Loop Junky (x3)
• Boss RV-3 Digital Reverb / Delay
• Empress Effects Echosystem
• SIB! Echodrive
• Strymon El Capistan
• TC Electronic Polytune 3
• Boss Digital Delay (number is not clear, potentially his beloved DD-3)
• Pete Cornish SS2
• Strymon Timeline
• BSM Finest Treble Booster Model OR
• Keeley Compressor Plus
• Kingsley Page Tube Boost
• Dunlop Cry Baby Mini

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Aside from the ol’ reliables of the board, Gallagher does have some pretty cool boutique and rare units too. The BSM Treble Booster catches our eye, as this one is no longer being produced. It’s based on a Colorsound Power Boost used by David Gilmour in Pink Floyd, but Bernd C. Meiser of BSM sadly passed away in 2024, and the company has closed down since his death.

Elsewhere on the board is the SIB! Echodrive – this blue machine is very hard to come by, and Gallagher particularly appreciates this unit for its 12AX7 vacuum tube.

There’s also the Pete Cornish Soft Sustain 2 which he uses for solos, and this one actually belonged to Paul Stacey, as Gallagher documented in an episode of That Pedal Show back in 2023.

The three ZVEX loopers are assigned to tracks D’You Know What I Mean?, Champagne Supernova, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Star / Bring It On Down. As for his amp photo, this features what looks like two Marshall Studio Vintage combos, and a pair of Hiwatt Custom 50s, which we know were custom-made for Noel and Gem Archer by the Hiwatt Custom Shop.

To find out more about the Live ‘25 reunion shows, head over to the official Oasis website.

The post “Should anybody be remotely interested”: Noel Gallagher reveals his Oasis reunion tour pedalboard in classic nonchalant fashion – and yes, Noel, we are interested appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

While Black Sabbath’s mighty farewell gig saw countless iconic acts taking to the stage, Back To The Beginning didn’t quite manage to secure the Big Four. Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax all made it down to Birmingham on 5 July, but Megadeth were nowhere to be seen.

While fans probably assumed Megadeth’s absence was down to a scheduling conflict – much like Wolfgang Van Halen, who was unfortunately unable to attend – bassist James LoMenzo has revealed the real reason the Big Four remained incomplete. “I’m going to let the cat out of the bag,” he tells Burrn! Magazine. “The truth of the matter is, I don’t believe that anybody asked us, which was fine.”

• READ MORE: “They say never meet your idols, but that’s just not true. Sometimes you get lucky”: M. Shadows reflects on interviewing Ozzy Osbourne in 2017

While LoMenzo extends a rather gracious “not everybody gets invited to every party”, he also admits that Megadeth made every effort to get involved. “When we were in Europe last week, David [Mustaine] said that he was reaching out to everybody and telling them that we were in the neighbourhood,” he says. “We were close enough to come.”

“If they wanted us to, we could stay over for a few days and work it out,” he continues. “I don’t know what our manager had accomplished with that, but it didn’t get accomplished, so we just came home.”

Despite the thrash metal legends failing to attend Back To The Beginning, the show will undeniably go down in metal history. Not only did it see Ozzy Osbourne reuniting with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, it also saw the likes of Gojira, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Tool and so many other iconic acts. There were even a few curveballs – hell, even Yungblud showed up!

The show made nearly $200 million for charity, and will be immortalised in an upcoming documentary. Currently in production by Mercury Studios, the film will commemorate Back To The Beginning and is described as “a love letter to Ozzy and the pioneering sound of Black Sabbath”.

“The theatrical release will be a distilled version of the epic all-day event held at Villa Park,” it added [via Variety]. “Featuring thunderous performances of War Pigs, Iron Man, Children of the Grave and a show-stopping Paranoid, the film promises a deeply personal and electrifying farewell from the godfather of heavy metal with exclusive behind-the-scenes access and interviews from this iconic live performance.”

The film will also help immortalise Ozzy Osbourne, who sadly passed away on 22 July. News of Ozzy’s passing was shared by his family. “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” an Instagram post said. “He was with his family and surrounded by love.”

There is currently a petition doing the rounds to rename Birmingham International Airport to Ozzy Osbourne International in the Prince of Darkness’s memory.

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The post “Not everybody gets invited to every party”: Megadeth bassist explains why they were the only Big Four thrash band not to play Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s final concert appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

$629/£569, fender.com

Amid the furore surrounding Fender’s Indonesian-made Standard Series launch back in January, the inclusion of a pair of $600 Acoustasonics in the range somewhat got lost, but as our review of the Acoustasonic Standard Telecaster demonstrated, this most accessible route to hybrid acoustic-electric oddness is perhaps its most compelling yet.

• READ MORE: Fender Acoustasonic Standard Telecaster review: “these are sounds you don’t hear in a live context very often”

Of course, many of us will remember Fender’s earlier attempts at electric-shaped inexpensive acoustic guitars – the spectre of the Telecoustic and Stratocoustic weighs heavily on the silhouette of the new Acoustasonic versions in some eyes. The Jazzmaster, however, carries no such baggage, and perhaps that’s why people don’t seem so reflexively put off by it in Acoustasonic form. So can this new more affordable version bring more players into the fold?

Fender Acoustasonic Standard Jazzmaster. Image: Jason Mays

Fender Acoustasonic Standard Jazzmaster – what is it?

Like the rest of the Standard series – including the Acoustasonic Telecaster – this Jazzmaster is crafted in Indonesia by Cor-Tek. Cor-Tek is the brand behind Cort of course, but also produces instruments for various big brands in Asia, most notably PRS’s sensational SE line.

As with the Mexico-made Player version, the Standard does away with the onboard rechargeable battery of the US-made original for a classic nine-volter. It’s worse for the environment perhaps, but certainly more reassuring in a live scenario – if your battery dies you can just swap it and the gig doesn’t have to end.

Like the Telecaster model, the Standard series swaps the mahogany body wood for common substitute nyatoh, while the top is spruce. Here it’s finished in a fetching matt black, but it’s also available in Natural or Honey Burst.

A more notable omission from the Standard is the Fender/Fishman-designed Acoustic Engine – there’s no modelling mixing mic’d acoustic ‘images’ with the piezo pickup signal here, in its place is a single tone knob that blends the sound of the Shawbucker magnetic pickup with the under-saddle Fishman transducer.

Without a doubt this is a more straightforward experience than the more expensive options with their myriad options for blending electric and acoustic sounds – but does it cut things too far? Let’s find out.

Image: Jason Mays

Fender Acoustasonic Standard Jazzmaster – playability and sounds

I’ll admit, ever since the first Acoustasonic Telecaster was first introduced in 2019, I’ve always felt kind of “meh” about the concept – especially in its American guise. Sure, it’s an interesting concept that blurs the line between acoustic and electric in ways that undeniably appeal – but who’s spending $2,000 on a curiosity?

The Player version certainly helped that but was still over a grand, so the Standard version feels a lot more where I’d want this guitar to be – it’s still not Squier cheap of course, but it’s at a level now where I can see people taking a swing and seeing what the fuss is about.

Removing the guitar from its box (there’s no case supplied) and the organic, tactile, unvarnished wood nature of the thing that was so enjoyable about the more expensive Acoustasonics is present and correct.

In hand, the neck is a comfortable if generic Deep C with a 12” radius. That’s a real rosewood board on there too, and the finishing on the top of it is very good with no sharp fret edges and a smooth feel.

When you’re as familiar with the Jazzmaster as I am, you get used to knowing what it feels like when you strap one on – it led me to being pleasantly surprised about how light it is. The stripped-down electronics package may contribute to make this lighter than other Acoustasonics I’ve played and substantially less than a solidbody JM – I almost forgot I even had the guitar on at times.

Given that most people who buy this guitar are probably seeing it as a live tool that can be used to provide both electric and acoustic sounds into one rig, I tailored my review setup appropriately. This means pairing my trusty Strymon Iridium and with my Bose S1 Pro+ with the Iridium serving as a foot in the electric guitar world and the Bose (with some of the acoustic settings engaged in the S1 Pro’s ToneMatch feature) providing a more straightforward acoustic sound.

Image: Jason Mays

With the above in mind, it’s important at this point to consider the kind of rig you have to use with an Acoustasonic because of its piezo and magnetic pickups. The ability to switch between an amp modelling pedal and PA means you can get the best from the Shawbucker and piezo, respectively. You’ll achieve a warmer, fuller acoustic sound through an FRFR speaker while the humbucker will have more presence and cut through a guitar amp – or a modelled one.

The lines begin to blur more as you explore things with the tone control to mix the two pickups, but consider your needs. Units like the Neural DSP Quad Cortex, Fender Tone Master and Line 6 HX Stomp can prove to be great partners to the Acoustastonic for the live stage in this regard – allowing players to switch from an acoustic preamp to a tube amp model with the click of a footswitch.

When I set the tone knob right in the middle to get a balanced sound that didn’t veer too far into either extreme, I was pleasantly surprised by the way it does a very impressive job of reflecting both at the same time without feeling like you’re being short-changed. It’s a unique sound – bold and warm – that’s perfect for jazz enthusiasts looking to channel their inner Jack White.

The presence of just a dreaded under-saddle pickup on the acoustic side is always a bit of a red flag for any budget acoustic, but bypassing the Iridium’s guitar amp models and flipping the blend knob all the way to the Fishman pickup was another enjoyable surprise.

Lush and expansive, the Fishman pickup never sounds too shrill or sterile – whether you’re gently fingerpicking or smashing out some straight-ahead strumming, this is a perfectly credible and usable acoustic tone, especially in a live environment.

The electric side of things should, theoretically, be more straightforward – Tim Shaw knows how to design a pickup and the guitar’s physical dimensions are less impactful when playing through a magnetic pickup.

Sticking a Chase Bliss Brothers AM in front of the Iridium, it’s immediately apparent that this guitar has some very pleasing bite. Though it’s not an ‘electric’ pickup sound that you may be familiar with from traditional Fenders, the Shawbucker has a sense of classic humbucker depth and girth that’s a very appealing voice to switch to. Lead lines sound clear and easily cut through the mix, while chords ring out with just the right amount of grit and low-end presence without losing clarity.

While some of us might be happy to roll out the Acoustasonic for the odd song, the quality of both acoustic and electric sounds on tap here make it a credible option to be your main guitar for the whole set.

Image: Jason Mays

Fender Acoustasonic Standard Jazzmaster – should I buy one?

While the previous Acoustasonic instruments have found their own audiences and user bases, there’s no doubt that the price of entry was a real sticking point for many – and you could argue that they might have been better off starting at this end of the price spectrum.

Because this is a correctly and carefully intentioned instrument that sets a new standard in terms of accessibility and usability in this best-of-both-worlds approach. It’s hard to think of many acoustic guitars that sound better than this plugged in at this price point, and certainly you won’t find an equivalent hybrid option doing the job either – it’s an impressive statement of intent for the Standard Series, and the best Acoustasonic to date.

At a hair over $600, it punches well above its tonal weight class and outperforms any acoustic/electric hybrid guitar this end of the market —not only showcasing one of the strongest offerings in the current Fender catalogue, but also making me even more excited about what Fender Indonesia might release next.

Fender Acoustasonic Standard Jazzmaster – alternatives

There aren’t a lot of true hybrid guitar options at this price point, and what there they tend to be things like Ibanez’s TOD10n ($749/£659) – a thinline nylon-string crossover created for Polyphia man Tim Henson.

If you want both electric and acoustic sounds in a similarly electric-style package, then the PRS SE Hollowbody Standard Piezo ($1,529/£1,299) is more electric than acoustic, but it’ll do in a pinch. Finally, if the vibe of the Acoustasonic appeals but you don’t want the electric stuff, the Fender Highway Series Dreadnought ($999/£849) is an interesting take on the live acoustic recipe.

The post Fender Acoustasonic Standard Jazzmaster review: “this is a wonderful all-round gigging machine” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Yvette Young will throw herself into the deep end – literally. You’ll see from the photoshoot for this Guitar.com Cover that the Californian guitar wizard was not shy about diving into a Los Angeles swimming pool, instrument in hand, so we could get the shot.

But that spirit of throwing caution to the wind and embracing new things also applies to her music career. You probably first witnessed Young through her head-spinning polyphonic tapping in the math-rock band Covet. Lately, she’s been trying other things.

Yvette Young is on the Guitar.com Cover. Image: Aubree Estrella for Guitar.com

The guitar on James Gunn’s new Superman movie soundtrack, including the wonderfully trippy, synthy guitar that lifts its version of that iconic John Williams theme into the stratosphere? That’s her – along with fellow guitarist Andrew Synowiec – but that’s not the half of it. At the tail end of last year, Young began releasing new music under her own name for the first time. As typified by latest single, Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind, it’s a far cry from what fans might have expected: it has vocals, and it’s a pop song… albeit one with some sick guitar work in it. It feels like a bold new direction.

“I like everything, y’know?” Young tells us from a sofa in her home and studio in the mountains outside LA, her rescue dog Bub happily curled up on her lap. “To play it safe is to find the one thing you’re good at and do that the rest of your life. But is that fulfilling? I don’t think so. I would like to explore my own potential as much as I can and try to find out how I can feel fulfilled.”

Image: Aubree Estrella for Guitar.com

And that means not constraining herself to one project, one genre, one anything. Whether it’s composing music for hit movies, video games or even an alarm clock – she’s just finished creating some ambient sounds for use by smart-sleep device maker Hatch.

This varied musical existence is “the key to not becoming cynical,” she reflects. “A lot of people end up at a point in their career where they’re like, ‘I know everything and I figured out everything’. But like, hell no. There’s always new music coming out, and so much to learn and consume and be inspired by. I just want to continue pushing myself to grow and find new sounds, to make myself uncomfortable and challenge myself.”

“I don’t want to be a background character in my own project anymore”

Comfort In Sound

Making yourself uncomfortable creatively is one thing: it’s another to experience that in a professional context. Fans of Covet will know that the trio’s lineup was overhauled in 2022, and that the band hasn’t released any new music since 2023’s pointedly titled Catharsis. The fact that Young is now releasing music as a solo artist doesn’t feel like an accident.

“I’ve had a really rough time with my band,” she admits wearily. “Just getting screwed over. I’ve encountered a lot of really bad situations with all that. So now I really want to carve out a work environment that feels safe and healthy.”

Image: Aubree Estrella for Guitar.com

Part of that involved her reframing her relationship with her artistry, and her band. “I was very shy about even calling myself a musician,” she reveals. “Recently I’ve been more comfortable embracing my own power and embracing that Covet is music that I wrote.”

To outsiders, Young may have always seemed the focal point of Covet, but she never wanted to view it that way.

“This is gonna sound weird, but I wanted it to appear like the illusion of a band,” she explains. “Because I was too shy to be like, ‘This is my project.’ I was very averse to being the frontwoman. I wanted it to be egalitarian. But I don’t want to be a background character in my own project anymore.”

Image: Aubree Estrella for Guitar.com

While she’s going to head out on a short west coast tour with Covet later this year, she’s also keen to defy the pigeonholes that technically exceptional guitar players can often find themselves in. “In this world, it’s so easy to be put in a niche,” she agrees. “And then everyone labels you as that. Like that’s the only thing you’re capable of doing. But I just want to keep on throwing people for loops.

“I want everyone to know that I can write pop songs, but I can also do all the guitar for a film… That’s why, I guess, I put this music out under my name. Because I’m trying to make people more aware that, hey, I’m not just tappy shredder girl!”

“No one’s going to translate the weirdo vision you have in your head better than you”

Surgical Precision

Her trajectory from classically trained violinist and pianist to “tappy shredder girl” and social media phenom is “crazy”, Young says now.

“I was a teacher, and I just made a bunch of technical tapping videos, because that’s the music that I was into at the time,” she recalls. “That’s just kind of how my ADHD brain works, you know? And they went viral.”

But that’s also a version of Yvette Young that’s over a decade old. “I’ve grown a lot. I’ve developed a lot. I’ve consumed a lot of music, I’ve played a bunch of music, and I think I’ve matured a lot as not only as a musician, but as a person.”

Making music of such remarkable technical precision creates its own pressures – one that Young realised was sapping the joy she gets from performing.

Image: Aubree Estrella for Guitar.com

“After touring so much, I do not enjoy sweating bullets, having to nail every little surgical run,” she admits. Smartphones, and the prospect that every gig might live forever online, heaped further pressure on to her, creating sky-high expectations she’s trying to sidestep with her new material.

“Am I the mirthful, hopping around on stage, happy person who’s making playing music look fun, expressive and happy? That’s how I want to be.”

Treating music as a quest for perfection can thoroughly damage the psyche. Young, who entered many classical competitions as a child, knows this better than most.

“The reason why I hated music when I was younger was because it was sold to me as a sport,” she insists. “I was constantly measuring myself up to other people. I think it leads to a lifetime of general unhappiness if you’re always examining yourself relative to other people. Music should be the antithesis of that. Music should be something that uplifts you.

Image: Aubree Estrella for Guitar.com

“I’m here to hammer home that it’s about having fun. It’s about self expression and exploring your identity. It’s about discovering your own voice and trying to carve your own path. And that is the most fulfilling, the most sustainable path you can take in this career.”

Young is at pains to emphasise she’s not ungrateful for the career that social media and fans of her more overtly technical stuff have helped her carve out – “I have what I have because people believed in me” – but she also wants them to respect her need to grow as an artist.

“I need people to know that guitar saved my life,” she explains. “When I was deeply depressed and struggling with mental health, it was the thing that I clung to – my life jacket during that time. So I need to do this for myself. I can’t listen to what people want me to do… I’m a people-pleaser in every aspect of my life, but music is the one thing that I’m like, I’m sorry. I’m not gonna take orders.”

“I’m here to hammer home that music is about having fun”

Where The Heart Is

To do things on her own terms required an uprooting of sorts. Young moved to the woods and with the help of her partner, Welsh musician Novo Amor, built a studio in the loft of her house. It’s a space full of soft light, pale wood and cool gear – and it came along at just the right moment.

“It’s been life-changing for me,” she enthuses. “Through years of experience going to studios now, I realised I am a very particular person. And because I write all the music and I have all these ideas… no one’s going to translate the weirdo vision you have in your head better than you.

“This is the most Californian shit I’ll ever say, but I really do absorb the energy of everyone around me. I’ve been in studios where someone’s grumpy or someone says something that’s kind of mean. People made me cry in studios just by being a bully or misogynistic. That is the least inspiring environment. I know sometimes people benefit from tough love. I don’t. I need a very welcoming environment where I don’t feel judged.”

Image: Aubree Estrella for Guitar.com

Having her own space has not only freed Young up to make the music she wants to, but to take on all kinds of projects, from her own solo material to the Superman recording.

“It’s crazy how life works,” she remarks. “All these jobs that I’m getting, I would not have been able to do in my bedroom. So the fact that I now have a studio, it’s almost like the universe was like, ‘Hell yeah, now you’re ready’. And they released the floodgates.”

And now that those floodgates have been thrown wide open, the natural question is to ask what’s next for Yvette Young. She’s sure about what isn’t – the “relic of the past” that is a typical album-and-tour release cycle – but otherwise, she’s staying open-minded.

“Life throws you surprises,” she says. “I just want to make music I’m excited about now and put that out while I’m excited about it, and then see what happens… I freaking love making things. It makes me feel whole. Maybe it’s dangerous to put my self-worth on that, but unfortunately, that’s just how I’m wired!”

Words: Josh Gardner
Photography: Aubree Estrella
Glam/Styling: Yvette Young

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Paying tribute to Ozzy Osbourne – who died earlier this week at the age of 76 – Slash guitarist Frank Sidoris has shared a rejection letter he received when auditioning to be Ozzy’s guitarist in 2017.

Back in 2017, Black Sabbath’s The End reunion tour was just finishing up, and Ozzy felt inspired to hit the road solo. This involved searching for a new guitarist, and as Sidoris recalls in a now-expired Instagram Story: “I was invited to Ozzy’s home to perform two songs for him to audition for his band”. The audition, it turned out, was rather up close and personal.

• READ MORE: “They say never meet your idols, but that’s just not true. Sometimes you get lucky”: M. Shadows reflects on interviewing Ozzy Osbourne in 2017
  

“We loaded my amp, guitar, et cetera, into his movie theatre, and I played Mama, I’m Coming Home and Diary of a Madman while he sat about 10 feet away from a very loud amp – at his request.

“He sang every word over me, playing at concert volume, which was comforting and hilarious, as it was just him and I in the room with his assistant.”

Ultimately, Sidoris didn’t get the job – that went to Ozzy’s tried and tested guitarist Zakk Wylde, who had played alongside the Prince of Darkness for years.

Perhaps feeling guilty about his decision, Ozzy wrote Sidoris a rejection letter.

“Frank, I wanted to thank you for coming by to play for me and taking the time to learn my songs,” the letter read. “You are a talented musician, and it’s obvious to me why you’ve already had success in this business at a young age.

“I’ve decided to work with Zakk Wylde, writing and recording my next studio album as well as playing guitar on my upcoming tour dates this summer. Zakk has been with me a long time, and I know that having him play with me is something my fans really want to see.

“I wish you continued success. God Bless, Ozzy.”

The letter was signed by Ozzy and featured a cartoon of him carrying a large cross that reads “OZZY” in the bottom righthand corner.

Now, Sidoris reflects on how he felt at the rejection, and at receiving the letter from Ozzy.

“It further proves he was truly everything you would hope for as a person,” Sidoris says. About the intimate audition itself, he adds: “It was an honour to be in his welcoming presence and feel his genuine warmth as a person.”

The post “It’s obvious to me why you’ve already had success”: Frank Sidoris shares heartwarming rejection letter he received from Ozzy Osbourne after auditioning to be his solo guitarist appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

As the world reels in the wake of Ozzy’s Osbourne’s death earlier this week, artists from the rock and metal world and far beyond have been sharing their own tributes to the Prince of Darkness, who shaped the music world as we know it today.

Jake E. Lee – who served as Ozzy’s guitarist between 1982 and 1987 – has shared the last text he ever received from Ozzy. Jake E. Lee performed at Black Sabbath’s huge farewell show just a couple of weeks ago, despite admitting he hadn’t spoken to Ozzy in decades.

• READ MORE: “They say never meet your idols, but that’s just not true. Sometimes you get lucky”: M. Shadows reflects on interviewing Ozzy Osbourne in 2017
  

Sharing that the “finality” of Ozzy’s death is hitting him “in waves”, Lee notes that he didn’t properly catch up with Ozzy during the show. Ozzy’s text to him following the event was as follows:

“Hi Jake. I’m so sorry I couldn’t spend more time with you on the weekend but it was really chaotic. I would really like to see you when I eventually get back to LA just to shoot the shit, it’s been so long since we saw each other. Where are you living these days? Because last I heard you were living in Las Vegas. How did the gig go for you on Saturday? I really hope you had fun anyway. I will text you when I eventually get back to LA and we must hook up. Much love and respect, Ozzy.”

 

During his Back to the Beginning appearance, Lee covered tracks like The Ultimate Sin and Shot In The Dark, solo tracks by Ozzy that he featured on during the ’80s. He replaced Ozzy’s previous guitarist Randy Rhoads and played on the 1983 release Bark at the Moon and The Ultimate Sin in 1986. In a 2022 Stereogum interview, Ozzy finally revealed why he fired Lee from the band back in the 80s: “Jake E. Lee was a fucking great guitar player, and the way it went was, Randy Castillo, my old drummer, had started to turn me against him. It was very sad because I had no qualms with the guy. He was a great guitar player.”

Following Ozzy Osbourne’s tragic death earlier this week, his Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi reflected on the band’s final show, noting that “he really just held out to do that show”.

“He’s built up for it for a while now,” Iommi said. “He’s been sort of training and trying to do what he can, so he could do this gig, so he could do it. And that’s really what he wanted to do. I think he must have had something in his head that said, ‘Well, this is gonna be it, the last thing I’m ever gonna do.’ Whether he thought he was gonna die or what, I don’t know. But he really wanted to do it and he was determined to do it. And fair dues, he’d done it.”

The post “I’m so sorry I couldn’t spend more time with you”: Jake E. Lee shares the last text he received from Ozzy Osbourne appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

A guitar once owned by Jimmy Page and given away by the Led Zeppelin man as part of a competition – hosted by none other than our sister title NME in 1974 (then New Musical Express) – is headed to auction.

As the story goes, the guitar – a 1957 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 electric – was the prize in a competition titled ‘Win Jimmy Page’s Own Guitar’. That edition of the magazine featured a photo of Page in cricket whites holding the competition guitar like a cricket bat.

• READ MORE: “They say never meet your idols, but that’s just not true. Sometimes you get lucky”: M. Shadows reflects on interviewing Ozzy Osbourne in 2017
  

The guitar was originally bought by Jimmy Page in Nashville in 1972 for £200, approximately £2,373.78 in today’s money, according to the Bank of England.

But the guitar found itself to be the prize of the NME competition two years later. The rules of the competition were such that entrants had to match six iconic guitars with the famous guitarists who owned them. The ultimate winner was Charles Reid of Hornsey, north London.

Credit: Gardiner Houlgate

At the time, Reid was quoted as saying: “Page must be mental giving away such a terrific guitar as this. It’s the kind of instrument that every guitar player dreams of owning but can never really afford.”

After owning the guitar for over 15 years, Reid sold it to Phil O’Donoghue of Chessington, Surrey in 1990 for £2,000. The guitar remained with O’Donoghue until his death earlier this year, and is now being sold by his family.

While £2,000 in 1990 would be worth approx. £4,956.28 today, the guitar’s provenance means it’s expected to fetch quite a bit more than that when it sells in the near future through Gardiner Houlgate. The Corsham auction house estimates that the guitar could sell for between £30,000 and £50,000.

Credit: Gardiner Houlgate

Auctioneer Luke Hobbs explains: “Very few of [Jimmy Page’s] guitars come up for auction and when they do, they attract huge interest from collectors, investors and fans of Led Zeppelin.”

The winning bidder will not only receive the guitar, of course, but also a copy of NME showing a photo of Page giving the guitar to Reid, as well as correspondence and receipts linked to the giveaway.

The auction itself will take place at Gardiner Houlgate, 9 Leafield Way, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 9SW on Tuesday, 9 September, but will also be available for public viewing on 5 and 8 September from 9am-5:30pm, too.

For more information, head to Gardiner Houlgate.

The post A Gretsch given away by Jimmy Page in a 1974 NME Magazine competition is headed to auction – and could fetch up to £50,000 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

While The Beatles’ White Album is often regarded as a pivotal rock record, Piano Man Billy Joel thinks its merely the “half-assed” work of a group of “stoned” lads.

In a recent appearance on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast, Maher and Joel were picking out classic double albums. When the host namedropped The Beatles’ 1968 self-titled record, Joel was quick to criticise it. “I’m not a big fan of the White Album, but some people love it,” he says.

• READ MORE: A petition has launched to rename Birmingham Airport after Ozzy Osbourne – and it’s gaining momentum

Despite many deeming the record to be a key point in rock history, with the band shifting gear to focus on uber-cool country and blues, a sharp change from the technicolour psychedelia of 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. However, Joel doesn’t seem to think the tonal shift was intentional.

“I hear it as a collection of half-assed songs they didn’t finish writing because they were too stoned, or they didn’t care anymore”, he explains. “I think they had fragments and they put them on the album.”

He goes so far as to admit that he thinks “John [Lennon] was disassociating at that point,” with “Paul [McCartney] carrying the weight”.

That being said, Joel doesn’t believe that the White Album detracts from The Beatles’ legacy. While they “had their ups and downs” in quality, that happens with all bands. “Sometimes they were more prolific and sometimes they weren’t,” he notes. “I hear that in some of those [songs]”.

Joel’s opinion is sure to shock some people. Notably, in 2023 Kiss’ Gene Simmons told Goldmine magazine that the White Album is one of the 10 records that changed his life. “It’s one of my favourites because you’re seeing turmoil within perhaps the greatest band that ever existed that recorded its own music, where each member was a star,” he explained.

While Joel considers the record to be an assortment of “half-assed” and incomplete “fragments”, Simmons appreciates the “disjointed” nature of the record.

“You could hear and feel the disjointed sense of that album, although clearly the songs shined and the playing and the production was terrific,” he said. “It’s interesting that Abbey Road perhaps was the greatest Beatles album, and they were breaking up at that point, but somehow that had a more unified thing. But just for crazy out there music, it’s gotta be the White Album.”

Elsewhere in Joel’s interview with Club Random, he also gives an update on his health. The singer cancelled his entire tour after being diagnosed with a brain disorder, normal pressure hydrocephalus, back in May.

While Joel admits that the diagnosis sounds “a lot worse than what [he’s] feeling”, he does note that it is impacting his balance. “It’s like being on a boat…” he explains.

While he says that the disorder hasn’t quite been “fixed” and is “still being worked on”, he also explains that there’s no clear answer as to how he got it. “They don’t know,” he says. “I thought it must be from drinking… I don’t anymore, but I used to like a fish!”

Earlier this week, Joel released the first half of a two-part documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which is described as exploring “the love, loss, and struggles that fuel [Joel’s] songwriting”.

The first part of Billy Joel: And So It Goes can be streamed now on HBO Max.

The post “I hear it as a collection of half-assed songs they didn’t finish writing because they were too stoned”: Billy Joel snubs The Beatles’ White Album appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

King Crimson’s 1980s catalogue has long been revered for its rhythmic complexity, and as Adrian Belew now reveals, it can be physically punishing too.

So much so that after performing the band’s material night after night on tour with BEAT – the all-star tribute to Crimson’s ‘80s era – the guitarist needed surgery on his left hand.

The tour, which saw Belew reunite with bassist Tony Levin and join forces with Steve Vai and Tool drummer Danny Carey, paid homage to the prog legends’ trio of wildly intricate albums: Discipline (1981), Beat (1982), and Three of a Perfect Pair (1984). Between the interlocking guitar lines, polyrhythms and relentless odd time signatures, the setlist was far from a stroll in the park.

• READ MORE: Steve Vai calls one of his BEAT tour bandmates a “marvel”, explains why he’s “underrated in the echelons of guitar”

“It would get numb,” Belew tells Guitar World. “And during part of the tour, it would stay numb from the moment that I woke up, all the way until sometime during soundcheck.”

“It was a little scary,” he adds. “I’d be like, ‘Oh, boy, you better wake up soon!’”

As the musician explains, the culprit was carpal tunnel syndrome, which plagued his left hand as the group toured its way across the US. The injury also happened to be one Belew’s guitar partner on tour knew a thing or two about.

“Steve Vai was able to walk me through the process since he’s had it done twice,” he says. “He reassured me that it was a simple operation and that it was not something that was going to go wrong. And on top of that, he introduced me to one of the best surgeons in the United States, who had done this work.”

The procedure went smoothly as Vai assured. “It’s perfect,” Belew says of his hand now. “This was an easy recovery and an easy operation.”

He continues: “I’m back to full use of my left hand. While recovering, you can’t do much with it, and it’s a little tender. And then, you finally work back up to tempo. Now, I’m playing as I always did, except that there’s no more pain.”

Elsewhere, Vai himself has also spoken about the difficulties of playing King Crimson music, saying: “If you come to see Steve Vai in BEAT, you get to see Steve Vai working! You come to my solo shows, it’s another thing entirely.”

“Robert [Fripp] wrote beautiful parts, but the techniques didn’t come naturally [to me]. It’s different [from] what I do,” he admitted. “Some of this BEAT stuff took months to get under my fingers.”

The post “My hand would stay numb from the moment I woke up till soundcheck”: Adrian Belew reveals he needed hand surgery after playing King Crimson guitar parts on BEAT tour appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

System Of A Down’s 2006 hiatus marked a major turning point for the band. In the years since, various members have shared their take on what went down, and what never quite came back together.

Most recently, guitarist Daron Malakian has opened up about the break, admitting it wasn’t a decision he ever fully stood behind. In a new interview with Metal Hammer, the guitarist reflects on how the break impacted him personally and how Scars On Broadway became both an outlet and a lifeline for his creative energy at the time.

• READ MORE: “What the f**k is an Armenian to someone who lives in Kentucky?! We looked like aliens to people”: Daron Malakian on how System Of A Down cracked America to become “the biggest band on the sunset strip” in the mid ’90s

“When System took the hiatus, I’m not gonna lie, it was difficult for me at first because that’s not really what I wanted,” Malakian admits. “But I can’t force other people to do something just because I wanted it. But my first thing was, ‘OK, if I release music, I need an outlet for that’, and Scars became that outlet.”

“I’ll be honest with you, man, I’m just as proud of the Scars stuff as anything I’ve done. I think some of my best shit is on Scars.”

Asked how much unreleased material he’s sitting on, Malakian jokes, “I don’t know about thousands, but I’ve got a few.” Writing music, he explains, is an “itch” he simply has to scratch.

“If I had a nine to five job, I would probably still come back home and write music for myself,” Malakian continues. “But even though we’re not making records with System after all these years, I still do write because it’s an itch and I just got to itch it. It’s like a child plays with his toys. You don’t play with your toys because you’re playing for somebody else, right? You’re playing for your own amusement.”

The guitarist adds that much as he’s well aware of fans’ demands for new SOAD music – the band released just two singles in the last two decades and their last full length album dropped in 2005 – he’s also “kind of lazy” when it comes to actually making a new record.

“Look, I’m very aware that there’s an audience out there and there’s people that want to hear from me and that’s amazing. Honestly, I’m very blessed, my life is fucking like… I got to pinch myself. But I’m also kind of lazy too when it comes to making an album,” says Malakian.

“I tell myself, ‘Dude, you really need to start releasing more music’. I even tell my guitar player in Scars On Broadway, ‘Remind me that I need to start recording, man!’ I just wish that was my motivation, because if that was my motivation, then I would. I get caught up in my own head, in my own world, and it’s not a priority to me. So, I got to make it a priority and start recording my shit. I just need to motivate myself to do it.”

Meanwhile, Scars On Broadway’s new album Addicted to the Violence is now out. Check out the single Killing Spree below.

The post “When System took the hiatus, it was difficult for me at first because that’s not really what I wanted”: Daron Malakian on System Of A Down’s 2006 hiatus appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

If you’ve ever tried to copy Frank Zappa’s playing and ended up looking like a confused poultry wrangler, you’re not alone. According to his son Dweezil Zappa, the late icon’s technique was as eccentric as his compositions, and just as tough to replicate.

In a recent conversation with Marshall, the guitarist shares what made Frank’s playing style so unique and why despite growing up around it, he still struggles to nail it.

• READ MORE: “He had very specific-looking hands – they looked different to other people’s”: Dweezil Zappa recalls the time Eddie Van Halen visited his family home and taught him guitar

“I always described it as the battle between the chicken and the spider,” Dweezil begins [via Ultimate Guitar]. “Because he had this real plucky way of playing, which I still can’t emulate, because it’s not a comfortable way to play. And he would play up close to the neck a lot, and then it would look like this: real plucky stuff happening. But this always looked like the chicken, that was like, trying to get some seeds or whatever.”

“So I would look at that stuff, and I would somehow make a mental note of what was going on. And then I would think, ‘One day I’ll learn to play this stuff. But not yet.’”

While one might assume growing up with Frank Zappa meant being force-fed experimental guitar licks at the dinner table, Dweezil reveals that on the contrary, his father didn’t think his own playing would be helpful for a young guitarist.

“When it was my own guitar playing, and he saw that I was interested in sticking with it, he played in such an idiosyncratic way, he didn’t really think that his playing style or technique was necessarily going to be helpful,” Dweezil says. “Because he played in such a quirky way.”

“So he thought, ‘Well, with the stuff that you’re interested in, maybe you should have Steve show you some stuff. And so Steve Vai [who was a member of Frank’s band at the time] showed me some stuff. Wrote down some pentatonic scales and some stuff like that, which – I still have that notebook. It has, like, four or five exercises and stuff. But he was only 21 or 22 at the time.”

Watch the full interview below.

The post “I always described it as the battle between the chicken and the spider. It’s not a comfortable way to play”: Dweezil Zappa on his father’s strange guitar playing style appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

The K’s frontman Jamie Boyle believes guitar music is having a moment again, and it’s all thanks to the long-awaited Oasis reunion.

Speaking to the Daily Star’s Wired column, Boyle says the return of the Britpop legends has reignited the live music scene, sparking a new wave of excitement and momentum for guitar-driven bands.

• READ MORE: “Get back together. Stop f**king around,” Matty Healy told Oasis in 2023 – now he’s been spotted in the crowd at their Heaton Park gig

“The resurgence of bands is really, really strong and prominent at the minute,” Boyle explains. “We see it ourselves, in ticket sales, the support at gigs, and the buzz whenever we announce something to our ever-growing fan base. People are genuinely chomping at the bit to get into venues and watch bands again.”

The K’s recently caught Oasis live on their reunion tour in Cardiff and will soon be heading to Wembley to catch them again.

“We went to Cardiff and were like, ‘This is amazing’. Then Heaton Park was even better and we’re heading to Wembley too,” he says.

“It’s impossible to ignore the buzz that’s been created for guitar music and it’s no secret that they’re one of the best to ever do it, but the buzz that Oasis has created not just for themselves but for everybody is real.”

“All the excitement, all the press, all everything is back on guitar for the first time in a long time,” Boyle adds.

The frontman also shares how much he’s learned just by watching the Gallagher brothers perform.

“There’s 80,000 people there and every single one of them is just stood not being able to take their eyes off them on stage,” he says. “To get to that level is what everybody dreams about.”

Elsewhere, Liam Gallagher’s son, Gene, has also commented on how the Oasis reunion has accelerated the resurgence of guitar music.

“People have been deprived of guitar music,” the 23-year-old, who fronts his own indie band Villanelle, told W Magazine. “But now it’s coming back, and everyone’s getting excited about it.”

You can view the full list of Oasis Live ‘25 tour dates via their official website.

The post “Everything is back on guitar for the first time in a long time”: The K’s frontman credits Oasis reunion for rescuing guitar music appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Editor’s note: Heritage Guitars and Guitar.com are both part of the Caldecott Music Group.

$699/£599, heritageguitars.com

If you read my review of the stunning H-150 last month, you’ll be aware the Heritage’s new Ascent+ collection is an attempt by the Kalamazoo-based guitar brand to offer a more modern proposition for the brand’s Asian-made affordable models.

• READ MORE: Heritage Ascent+ H-150 review: “if you’re looking for your first serious Les Paul-style guitar, you need to try this”

The regular Ascent electric guitars – and indeed the bulk of Heritage’s excellent USA-made instruments – are generally evoking the vibe of the guitars made at 225 Parson’s St when Gibson’s name was still above the door, but the Ascent+ is a little different.

With interesting colours and a whole lot of heavily figured wood tops, the Ascent+ in some ways sits closer to the traditional PRS vibe in terms of visuals – for good or for ill. It’s something that’s even more evident on the full-size semi-hollow H-535 we have here.

Image: Adam Gasson

Heritage Ascent+ H-535 – what is it?

No prizes will be given for working out the lineage of this particular guitar, but beyond the visual similarities to Gibson’s most famous semi-hollow design, a close examination of the spec sheet is worthwhile.

So for starters we have a good-looking laminated curly maple top, sides and back – here accentuated by a classic golden sunburst that looks right at home. If burst ain’t your bag however, you’re outta luck as the only other finish options are the rather garish Scarlet Red and Royal Blue bursts. It fits in with the ‘modern’ stipulation of the Ascent+ range, perhaps, but I wonder how much more of these guitars Heritage would shift if they borrowed the black and cherry options from the vanilla Ascent range?

The neck is mahogany and comes with a two-way truss rod, a genuine rosewood fingerboard that’s nicely bound and a 12-16” compound radius. It’s also nice to see a more traditional heel design than the H-150’s contoured go-faster take, and the premium feel is further enhanced by pearloid dot inlays, a Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut and jumbo frets.

The pickups are a pair of the same Heritage own-brand units found in the H-150, and again they’re paired with Alpha Split Shaft 500K push-pull pots for coil-splitting purposes. It’s also nice to see a side-access jack input, which should help protect the guitar from the oft-seen mishaps on guitars of this type where a cable gets trodden on and pulled sideways, often damaging the valuable and delicate top of the instrument.

Image: Adam Gasson

Heritage Ascent+ H-535 – feel and sounds

Unboxing the H-535 I once again find myself double-checking the price, as this is one unquestionably good-looking guitar. Removing it from the box I’m struck by the lightweight and nimble feel. Many budget-conscious guitars of this type can feel a bit bulky and unrefined, particularly if they are quite heavy, combined with the design’s considerable dimensions. This H-535 features a correct full-length internal centre block, yet still feels light and resonates well with my first unplugged strum.

The setup is great out of the box and the jumbo frets and Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut combine with that compound radius to create a very inviting playing experience, let’s plug in…

You often hear ES-lovers refer to semis as solidbody killers – and with good cause. In my experience, a good 335 or similar is more than capable of out-punching and out-sustaining its airless brethren – and with a broader range of tones on tap.

This H-535 is no exception, exhibiting many of the virtues that make this type of guitar such a versatile instrument. The unplugged tone is wider and richer than a solidbody, the air inside working in tandem with the solid centre section to give a slightly softer attack to notes and a rounder low end. The H-535 also exhibits none of the boxy midrange you can sometimes get with an all-solid guitar, making it more versatile across a range of genres as a result.

Plugged in to my Deluxe Reverb, the bridge pickup exhibits a sweeter, more rounded tone than found on the solid-body H-150, still with plenty of snap for lead lines, and turning up your treble on a good valve amp really will get you into Freddie King territory if biting blues is your thing.

With the pickup selector set in the middle for both pickups together, careful balancing of the volume pots gives the widest tonal smorgasbords. With both pots set about halfway I’m treated to a warm, sweet tone with hints of hollow midrange that is perfect for rhythmic funk or chordal comping or when hit with a bit of overdrive and winding up the bridge pickup along with neck set to about seven, a rich full rock voice perfect for anything from Foos-esque rock to Cream riffs.

The neck humbucker on its own is warmer and jazzier, and with some of the tone rolled down excels at the classic ‘Woman’ tone – a flutey vocal sound, perfect for blues soloing.

As with the H-150, the coil splits prove to again be the stars of the show, offering a slimline version of the above tones and adding to the myriad of sonic options by combining with the humbucker modes. A standout is both pickups together set to single coil mode, which treats you to a beautiful airy sound with not a hint of mud. It’s an almost-perfect 60s jangle, combined with better sustain than many guitars that are typically blessed with that voice.

This really would be a very versatile guitar in the studio or at a covers gig.

Image: Adam Gasson

Heritage Ascent+ H-535 – should I buy one?

Great looks, decent build quality and superb specs combined with a broad range of tones make the H-535 a superb all-rounder in anyone’s arsenal of guitars – whether it’s as a main guitar or a rock-solid gigging backup.

The presence of a genuine rosewood fingerboard, and mahogany/maple construction is time-honoured for this type of design, and it’s not always seen on similar instruments at this price point from other brands.

Sonically, its semi-acoustic nature delivers a balanced, polished voice that belies its price. It would make a superb studio or live tool with easy access to a huge range of tones.

The only drawbacks are the limited finish options, and the lack of a supplied case – which is always an annoyance when you’re dealing with an instrument that doesn’t conform to the standard electric guitar dimensions, but it’s in line with most Asian-made electrics at this price point.

With many players from Noel Gallagher to Dave Grohl favouring classic semi-acoustic guitars live, there’s no reason why you couldn’t rock up with this at the latest blues jam or covers gig down your local and handle anything thrown at you with ease. It punches far above its weight and offers truly exceptional value for money.

Image: Adam Gasson

Heritage Ascent+ H-535 – alternatives

You can’t escape the spectre of Epiphone in this argument, and the Inspired By Gibson Custom 1962 ES-335 ($1,149/£1,099) reissue certainly ticks all the boxes that you’d want from an ES-335 – this one even has the correct shaped headstock, but you’ll pay a hefty premium for all that. The standard Epi ES-335 ($599/£599) is a well-sorted alternative but it’s a laurel fretboard not rosewood. Threading the needle is the new Marty Schwartz signature Epiphone ES-335 ($899/£899), which offers a similarly upgraded feel to the Ascent+ including rosewood board and even Grover tuners. Away from the Gibson stable, Gretsch also knows a thing or two about making quality vintage-inspired budget semi-hollows, and you should definitely check out the G2622T Streamliner Center block DC ($629/£499) – it’s even got a Bigsby.

The post Heritage Ascent+ H-535 review: “this could easily become your new main guitar” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.