Month: April 2024

This project started out as a kind of “dream guitar” build, that would incorporate many of the things I wanted in a new guitar built for playing downtuned, doomy, stoner stuff: an offset body in glossy black, a single bridge-pickup configuration, and an aluminum neck.I had Warmoth make the body (rear-routed to avoid the need for a pickguard), and had them paint it as well. They did an amazing job. The neck was made by the Electrical Guitar Company. They were kind enough to put some Gotoh locking tuners on there for me as well. There are a few companies making these necks now, but I thought their headstock looked the coolest. It went in the neck pocket with minimal adjustment. Both took about three months from order to delivery.When you only have one pickup, you kind of have to choose wisely. After a bit of agonizing, I finally decided on a Lace Matt Pike Signature “Dragonauts” pickup. I figured if it’s good enough for Matt, it should work for me. It sounds amazing and articulate enough through an ungodly amount of fuzz.Since this is a Jazzmaster, it seemed natural to go with a Mastery bridge and tremolo. I’m not normally a big wiggle-stick guy, but it’s fun to give things a bit of warbly flavor every now and then. It’s probably not the first choice for most metal players, and it initially felt a little strange palm-muting, but it works for me. It stays in tune, and it’s way less fiddly than a Floyd. Mastery makes that awesome space-age-looking tremolo arm tip, too, which I think really sets this thing off.“I think the cool kids use even heavier strings, but these work fine, and I stopped being cool a long time ago anyway.”I added some standard pots and knobs and Schaller strap locks, and it was done. I’ve got Ernie Ball Not Even Slinky .012–.056 strings on there (since the guitar lives in C standard), which are just fat enough to not be floppy, without feeling like telephone lines. I think the cool kids use even heavier strings, but these work fine, and I stopped being cool a long time ago anyway.The whole thing cost about 2,300 bucks, including a few hundred for some help from the folks at Strait Music here in Austin, who are always amazing. I was a bit paranoid about drilling into the body and potentially screwing up the finish, so I enlisted the pros.My only complaint is that this thing is an absolute beast, at about 11 pounds, which is a lot heavier than I’d prefer, but a wide Levy’s strap makes it a bit easier to shoulder. It looks, sounds, and plays exactly as I wanted it to, so I’m quite happy with how it turned out.

Syncopation is like the secret sauce of rhythm playing for guitarists. It’s what gives your music that extra kick, that groove that makes people nod their heads and tap their feet without even realizing it.So, what exactly is syncopation? Well, it’s all about playing off the beat, throwing in unexpected accents or emphasizing the off-beats instead of the usual downbeats.Think of it like this: imagine you’re walking down the street, and suddenly you decide to skip a step or hop on one foot instead of walking in a straight line. That little skip or hop is like syncopation in music—it adds a bit of spice, a bit of unpredictability that keeps things interesting.

In a new interview with Nickelsack Jack of Chicago’s Rebel Radio 92.5 FM, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY frontman Zakk Wylde confirmed that he and his bandmates are working on the group’s next album. BLACK LABEL SOCIETY’s twelfth studio LP will be the follow-up to “Doom Crew Inc.”, which came out in November 2…

During an appearance on the “The Rich Roll Podcast”, Tanya O’Callaghan, who is currently playing bass in Bruce Dickinson’s solo band, spoke about what it has been like to share the stage with the IRON MAIDEN singer. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Bruce is fascinating. He’s a total p…

BULLETBOYS have made a name for themselves with their loud guitars, boisterous vocals, and shredding solos. Now, the band is blazing a new trail as they join forces with SongVest, giving fans a chance to level up with an opportunity to invest in the music.
The band’s current lineup features founding…

Fan-filmed video of Sebastian Bach’s April 26 concert at the Summer Breeze festival at Memorial Da América Latina in São Paulo, Brazil can be seen below.
According to Setlist.fm, Bach’s setlist was as follows:
01. What Do I Got To Lose?
02. Big Guns (SKID ROW song)
03. Sweet Little Sister (SKID ROW…

Gene Simmons and his solo band played their second concert of 2024 last night (Friday, April 26) at the Summer Breeze festival at Memorial Da América Latina in São Paulo, Brazil.
In addition to Simmons, the GENE SIMMONS BAND members include guitarists Brent Woods (WILDSIDE, SEBASTIAN BACH, VINCE NEI…