Clang & Clatter

It’s time for another rig rundown with Premier Guitar. This time, in lieu of having their techs go through their rigs, Mr. Big shred-meisters Paul Gilbert and Billy Sheehan discuss their guitars, amps and effects themselves, all the while displaying how genuinely nice and down-to-earth they both are. No rockstar egos here, boys and girls. The only question I have is … where’s Rebecca?!

Enjoy!

The gear geeks over at Premier Guitar have done it again, bringing us rig rundowns for the Johns of Dream Theater. Rebecca Dirks runs through the guitars, effects, amps, and setups for bassist John Myung and guitarist John Petrucci with their techs John Zocco and Maddi Schieferstein.

Remember, kids, you gotta put on a rack show. Oh, and the square root of evil is 25.80697580112788.

Enjoy!

Premier Guitar’s Rebecca Dirks gets the low-down on Billy Gibbons’ rig with guitar tech Elwood Francis. This gear rundown takes us through Billy’s guitars, effects, and amp settings. The biggest revelation of the entire video? Billy uses really skinny strings. 007’s to be exact. The Dunlop Billy Gibbons signature Rev. Willy’s Mexican Lottery Brand .007’s to be even more exact. .007’s?! And according to Francis, he’s never broken a string during his tenure as Billy’s tech. Wow.

Enjoy!

Watch as Neil Peart’s drum tech Lorne Wheaton gives UK’s Rhythm magazine the rundown on the Time Machine tour drum kit.

Here’s yet another gear rundown—albeit the most in-depth of the ones featured here—of Alex Lifeson’s rig for the Time Machine tour. Enjoy!

Here’s another rundown of Alex Lifeson’s gear on Rush’s Time Machine tour, this time for Harmony Central by the man himself and not his guitar tech. I just don’t think I’ll ever get used to the look of a Les Paul with a Floyd Rose.

Enjoy!

Ty Tabor sits down with Guitar World to demonstrate how he plays King’s X classics “Dogman,” “It’s Love,” “Goldilox,” and “Lost in Germany.” He also discusses tunings, song and riff inspirations, how playing in a band with 12-string bass affects his EQ choices, and his amazement at the longevity his band has enjoyed.

This particular set of clips may not the best representation of his playing, but Ty is one of those guys that makes the guitar look easy, especially in a live setting. His note choices and phrasing are normally impeccable, and I don’t think you could meet a nicer, more humble musician anywhere. And while I’m not a big fan of the lower tunings he has been using since the Please Come Home…Mr. Bulbous days, I’m really digging the tone he’s getting out of his custom Guilford guitars, Duncan P-Rails, and his amps and effects.

Enjoy this inside look of one of my favorite guitarists, and if you enjoy this sort of thing, head on over to GuitarWorld.com and take a look at some of their other video lessons.

The Fender Telecaster celebrates its 60th birthday this year—its predecessor the Esquire was developed by Leo Fender in 1949, two years prior to the introduction of the Tele—and of course, Fender is commemorating this milestone by pulling out all the stops with a 60th Anniversary edition Telecaster. The marketing machine is also in full swing, releasing promotional videos at the Fender site and on its YouTube channel.

This particular video features guitarists across all genres and generations—a cast as diverse as Jeff Beck, Elliot Easton, Vince Gill, Keith Urban, and John 5—singing the praises of Leo’s creation, and we even get to watch a little pickin’ and grinnin’. There’s just something about a Tele that I have always been drawn to—although I’m pretty sure it’s not the characteristic honky tonk “honk”—and I’ve always wanted to own one. Maybe someday …

On a side note, this year also marks the 60th anniversary of the Precision Bass. Let’s see if it gets as much love as its six-stringed cousin. Oh, and I want one of those, too!

Enjoy!

The third part of the Cry Baby rockumentary delves into the guts of the wah-wah pedal to show how inconsistencies in the electronics and the general unreliability and unpredictability of the device over long-term use, coupled with overuse of the effect and a change in musical direction, caused the once obligatory piece of guitar gear to fall out of favor and fashion. But watch as Jim Dunlop inherits the brand, the parts, and the production, and how with a little love and attention, along with advances in electronics and upgrades to the pedal, brings the Cry Baby back from the edge of extinction.

Enjoy!

Now we’re getting to the meat of things and frankly, the part of the Cry Baby: The Pedal That Rocks The World rockumentary that I was most looking forward to—the guitarist interviews. This segment takes a look at some of the earliest artists that used the Cry Baby wah pedal in a way that made folks sit up and take notice—Eric Clapton with Cream, Frank Zappa, and most notably Jimi Hendrix with the legendary “Voodoo Child: Slight Return.” We also get to see musicians, journalists, and industry guys talk about their favorite wah-wah moments and how they fit into the changing musical landscapes of rock and funk.

Much to my surprise, the best part of this segment are the funk players Melvin “Wah-Wah Watson” Ragin, who has a funk pedigree a mile long, and Charles “Skip” Pitts, the Stax Records A-list session player most known for his wah-wah work on Isaac Hayes’ “Theme from Shaft.” Those guys are hilarious.

Enjoy!

Here’s part 1 of the rockumentary Cry Baby: The Pedal That Rocks The World, covering the origin of the Cry Baby and Vox wah pedals. Parts 2 through 4 are set to be unveiled throughout February and into early March, with the full film scheduled for a March 7 release.

Enjoy!

A rockumentary devoted to a single guitar pedal?! Yep.

Cry Baby: The Pedal That Rocks The World tells the story of the wah wah effect pedal, from its invention in 1966 to the present day. Musicians, engineers, and historians discuss the impact of the pedal on popular music and demonstrate the various ways it has been used, as well as how its evolution has improved the ability of artists to express themselves musically. The film features interviews with Brad Plunkett, the inventor of the pedal, plus many other musical luminaries such as Ben Fong-Torres, Eddie Van Halen, Slash, Buddy Guy, Art Thompson, Eddie Kramer, Kirk Hammett, Dweezil Zappa, and Jim Dunlop. These professionals explain how a musical novelty transcended convention and has become timelessly woven into the fabric of modern pop-culture.

Dunlop TV’s Brian Kehoe talks with Tool guitarist Adam Jones’ guitar tech Chris Leahey. Watch as they discuss the guitars, amps, pedals, and effects that make up Jones’ massive sound.

Enjoy!